VIII. upon some prince of Germany more nigh unto her sister, and partly Henry for other causes which he thought reasonable. Whereupon it followed that the slackness of the duke in that behalf being espied, A. D. crafty Winchester, taking good hold-fast thereon, so alienated the 1540. king's mind from the amity that seemed now to begin and grow be- doctrine tween the duke and the king, that by the occasion thereof he brought German the king at length clean out of credit with that religion and doctrine, princes. which the duke had then maintained many years before. of the ed coun and about the king. This wily Winchester, with his crafty fetches, partly upon this occa- The wicksion aforesaid, and partly also by other pestilent persuasions creeping sel of into the king's ears, ceased not to seek all means how to work his Gardiner feat, and to overthrow religion, first bringing him in hatred with the others, German princes, then putting him in fear of the emperor, of the French king, of the pope, of the king of Scots, and other foreign powers to rise against him; but especially of civil tumults and commotions here within this realm, which above all things he most dreaded, by reason of innovation of religion, and dissolving of abbeys, and for abolishing of rites and other customs of the church, sticking so fast in the minds of the people, that it was to be feared lest their hearts were or would be shortly stirred up against him, unless some speedy remedy were to the contrary provided: declaring, moreover, what a dangerous matter in a commonwealth it is, to attempt new alterations of any thing, but especially of religion. Which being so, he exhorted the king, for his own safeguard, and public quiet and tranquillity of his realm, to see betimes how and by what policy these so manifold mischiefs might be prevented. Against which no other way or shift could be better devised, than if he would show himself sharp and severe against these new sectaries, anabaptists and sacramentaries (as they called them); and would also set forth such articles, confirming the ancient and catholic faith, as whereby he might recover again his credence with christian princes, and whereby all the world besides might see and judge him to be a right and perfect catholic. By these, and such like crafty suggestions, the king, being too much The king seduced and abused, began to withdraw his defence from the refor-abused by mation of true religion, supposing thereby to procure to himself more counsel. safety both in his own realm, and also to avoid such dangers which otherwise might happen by other princes; especially seeing of late he had refused to come to the general council at Vincenza, being thereto invited both by the emperor, and other foreign potentates, as ye have heard before. And therefore, although he had rejected the pope out of this realm, yet because he would declare himself, nevertheless, to be a good catholic son of the mother church, and a withstander of new innovations and heresies (as the blind opinion of the world then did esteem them), first he stretched out his hand to the condemning and burning of Lambert; then, afterwards, he gave out those injunctions above prefixed; and now, further to increase this opinion with all men, in the year next following, which was A.D. 1540, through the device and practice of certain of the pope's factors about him, he summoned a solemn parliament to be holden at Westminster The the 28th day of April, of all the states and burgesses of the realm: crafty also a synod or convocation of all the archbishops, bishops, and other England. learned of the clergy of this realm, to be in like manner assembled. wicked pope's factors in Henry A.D. 1540. Transubstantiation. The sa The Art of the Sir Articles. In this parliament, synod, or convocation, certain articles, matters, and questions, touching religion, were decreed by certain prelates, to the number especially of six, commonly called The Six Articles' (or, The Whip with Six Strings), to be had and received among the king's subjects, on pretence of unity. But what unity thereof followed, the groaning hearts of a great number, and also the cruel death of divers, both in the days of king Henry, and of queen Mary, can so well declare as I pray God never the like be felt hereafter. The doctrine of these wicked articles in the bloody Act contained, although it be worthy of no memory amongst christian men, but rather deserveth to be buried in perpetual oblivion, yet, for that the office of history compelleth us thereunto, for the more light of posterity to come, faithfully and truly to comprise things done in the church, as well one as another, this shall be briefly to recapitulate the sum and effect of the aforesaid six articles, in order as they were given out, and hereunder do follow. The First Article. The first article in this present parliament accorded and agreed upon, was this: That in the most blessed sacrament of the altar by the strength and efficacy of Christ's mighty word (it being spoken by the priest), is present really, under the form of bread and wine, the natural body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, conceived of the Virgin Mary; and that after the consecration there remaineth no substance of bread or wine, or any other substance, but the substance of Christ, God and man. The Second Article. That the communion in both kinds is not necessary ad salutem,' by the law crament of God, to all persons: and that it is to be believed, and not doubted of, but that in the flesh, under form of bread, is the very blood, and with the blood, under form of wine, is the very flesh as well apart, as they were both together. in both kinds excluded. The Third Article. That priests, after the order of priesthood received as before, may not marry by the law of God. The Fourth Article. That vows of chastity or widowhood, by man or woman made to God advisedly, ought to be observed by the law of God; and that it exempteth them from other liberties of christian people, which, without that, they might enjoy. The Fifth Article. That it is meet and necessary, that private masses be continued and admitted in this English church and congregation; as whereby good christian people, ordering themselves accordingly, do receive both godly and goodly consolations and benefits; and it is agreeable also to God's law. The Sixth Article. That auricular confession is expedient and necessary to be retained and continued, used and frequented, in the church of God. (1) Alvisedly,' that is, made above the age of one and twenty years, priests only excepted. (2) By these benefits of private masses, is meant, the helping of souls in purgatory. VIII. After these articles were thus concluded and consented upon, the Henry prelates of the realm, craftily perceiving that such a foul and violent Act could not take place or prevail unless strait and bloody penalties A.D. were set upon them, they caused, through their accustomed practice, 1540. to be ordained and enacted by the king and the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in the said parliament, as followeth. The Penalty upon the first Article. tion. That if any person or persons, within this realm of England, or any other the Transub king's dominions, after the twelfth day of July next coming, by word, writing, stantiaimprinting, ciphering, or any otherwise, should publish, preach, teach, say, affirm, declare, dispute, argue, or hold any opinion, that in the blessed sacrament of the altar, under form of bread and wine (after the consecration thereof), there is not present really the natural body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, conceived of the Virgin Mary, or that after the said consecration there remaineth any substance of bread or wine, or any other substance but the substance of Christ, God and man; or, after the time above said, publish, preach, teach, say, affirm, declare, dispute, argue, or hold opinion, that in the flesh, under the form of bread, is not the very blood of Christ, or that with the blood of Christ, under the form of wine, is not the very flesh of Christ, as well apart, as though they were both together; or by any of the means above said, or otherwise, preach, teach, declare, or affirm the said sacrament to be of other substance than is above said, or by any mean contemn, deprave, or despise the said blessed sacrament: that then, every such person so offending, their aiders, comforters, counsellors, consenters, and abettors therein (being thereof convicted in form under written, by the authority above said), should be deemed and adjudged heretics, and every such offence should be adjudged manifest Suffering heresy; and that every such offender and offenders should therefore have and without any abjusuffer judgment, execution, pain and pains of death by way of burning, without ration. any abjuration, benefit of the clergy, or sanctuary, to be therefore permitted, Loss of had, allowed, admitted or suffered; and also should therefore forfeit and lose goods. to the king's highness, his heirs and successors, all his or their honours, manors, Opinion against castles, lands, tenements, rents, reversions, services, possessions, and all other the sacrahis or their hereditaments, goods and chattels, farms and freeholds, whatsoever ment of they were, which' any such offender or offenders should have, at the time of the altar any such offence or offences, committed or done, or at any time after, as in any treason. cases of high treason. The Penalties upon the last five Articles. And as touching the other five articles following, the penalties devised for them were these: that every such person or persons that did preach, teach, obstinately affirm, uphold, maintain, or defend, after the twelfth day of July the said year, any thing contrary to the same: or if any, being in orders, or after a vow advisedly made, did marry, or make marriage, or contract matrimony, in so doing should be adjudged as felons, and lose both life, and forfeit goods, as in case of felony, without any benefit of the clergy, or privilege of the church or of the sanctuary, &c. Item, That every such person or persons, who, after the day aforesaid, by word, writing, printing, ciphering, or otherwise, did publish, declare, or hold opinion contrary to the five articles above expressed, being for any such offence duly convicted or attainted: for the first time, besides the forfeit of all his goods and chattels, and possessions whatsoever, should suffer imprisonment of his body at the king's pleasure: and for the second time, being accused, presented, and thereof convicted, should suffer as in case aforesaid of felony. Item, If any within order of priesthood, before the time of the said parliament, had married or contracted matrimony, or vowed widowhood, the said matrimony should stand utterly void and be dissolved. made tion upon the six Item, That the same danger that belonged to priests marrying their wives, Inquisishould also redound to the women married unto the priests. Furthermore, for the more effectual execution of the premises, it was enacted articles. (1) See Editions 1570 and 1576.-ED. VIII. A. D. 1540. inquisi tion. Henry by the said parliament, that full authority of inquisition of all such heresies, felonies, and contempts, should be committed and directed down into every shire, to certain persons specially thereunto appointed; of which persons three at least (provided always the archbishop, or bishop, or his chancellor, or his commissary be one), should sit four times at least in the year; having full A bloody power to take information and accusation, by the depositions of any two lawful persons at least, as well as by the oaths of twelve men, to examine and inquire of all and singular the heresies, felonies, and contempts above remembered; having also as ample power to make process against every person or persons indicted, presented, or accused before them; also to hear and determine the aforesaid heresies, felonies, contempts, and other offences, as well as if the matter had been presented before the justices of peace in their sessions. And also, that the said justices in their sessions, and every steward or under-steward, or his deputy, in their law-days, should have power, by the oaths of twelve lawful men, to inquire, likewise, of all and singular the heresies, felonies, contempts, and other offences, and to hear and determine the same, to all effects of this present act, &c. Truth in danger, late. Provided withal, that no person or persons thereupon accused, indicted or presented, should be admitted to challenge any that should be empanelled for the trial of any matter or cause, other than for malice or envy; which challenge should forthwith be tried in like manner, as in cases of felony, &c. Provided, moreover, that every person that should be named commissioner in this inquisition, should first take a corporal oath, the tenor of which oath here ensueth. The Oath of the Commissioners. Ye shall swear, that ye, to your cunning, wit, and power, shall truly and indifferently execute the authority to you given by the king's commission, made for correction of heretics and other offenders mentioned in the same commission, without any favour, affection, corruption, dread, or malice, to be borne to any person or persons, as God you help, and all saints. And thus much briefly collected out of the act and originals, which more largely are to be seen in the statute, anno 31, reg. Hen. VIII., concerning the six articles, which otherwise, for the bloody cruelty thereof, are called 'The Whip with Six Strings,' set forth after the death of queen Anne, and of good John Lambert, devised by the cruelty of the bishops, but especially of the bishop of Winchester, and at length also subscribed by king Henry. But herein, as in many other parts more, the crafty policy of that bishop appeared, who, like a lurking serpent, most slily watching his time, if he had not taken the king coming out upon a sudden, there where it was (I spare here. to report as I heard it), it was thought and affirmed by certain who then were pertaining to the king, that Winchester had not obtained the matter so easily to be subscribed as he did. These six articles above specified, although they contained manifest errors, heresies, and absurdities against all Scripture and learning (as all men having any judgment in God's word may plainly understand), yet such was the miserable adversity of that time, and the power of darkness, that the simple cause of truth and of religion was utterly left desolate, and forsaken of all friends. For every man seeing the king's mind so fully addicted, upon politic respects, to have these articles pass forward, few or none in all that parliament would appear, only, who either could perceive what was to be defended, or durst defend up openly what they understood to be true, save only Cranmer, archbishop of in parlia Canterbury, who then, being married (as is supposed), like a conagainst stant patron of God's cause, took upon him the earnest defence of articles. the truth, oppressed in the parliament; three days together disputing Cranmer standeth ment, the six VIII. against those six wicked articles; bringing forth such allegations and Henry authorities, as might easily have helped the cause, "Nisi pars major vicisset, ut sæpe solet, meliorem;" who, in the said disputation, be- A.D. haved himself with such humble modesty, and with such obedience 1540. in words towards his prince, protesting the cause not to be his, but the cause of Almighty God, that neither his enterprise was misliked of the king; and again, his reasons and allegations were so strong, that they could not well be refuted. Wherefore the king (who ever bare special favour unto him), well liking his zealous defence, only depart willed him to depart out of the parliament-house into the council- thence for chamber, for a time (for safeguard of his conscience), till the act science; should pass and be granted; which he, notwithstanding, with humble fuseth. protestation, refused to do. Willed to his con but re ed again the After the parliament was finished, and that matter concluded, the Comfortking, considering the constant zeal of the archbishop in defence of byt his cause, and partly also weighing the many authorities and reasons king. whereby he had substantially confirmed the same, sent the lord Cromwell (who, within few days after, was apprehended), the two dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, and all the lords of the parliament, to dine with him at Lambeth; where they signified unto him, that it was. the king's pleasure, that they all should, in his highness's behalf, cherish, comfort, and animate him, as one that for his travail in that parliament, had declared himself both greatly learned, and also a man discreet and wise; and therefore they willed him not to be discouraged in any thing that was passed in that parliament contrary to his allegations. He most humbly thanked, first, the king's highness, for his singular good affection towards him, and them for all their pains; adding moreover, that he so hoped in God, that hereafter his allegations and authorities should take place to the glory of God, and commodity of the realm which allegations and authorities of his, I wish were extant among us, to be seen and read. No doubt but they would stand, in time to come, in great good stead, for the overthrow of the wicked and pernicious articles aforesaid. Allegations agamst the Sir Articles. In the mean while, forasmuch as the said heretical articles are not so lightly to be passed over, whereby the rude and ignorant multitude hereafter may be deceived in the false and erroneous doctrine of them any more, as they have been in times past, for lack of right instruction and experience of the ancient state and course of times in our fore-elders' days; I thought therefore (the Lord thereunto assisting), so much as antiquity of stories may help to the restoring again of truth and doctrine decayed, to annex hereunto some allegations out of ancient records, which may give some light to the convincing of these new-fangled articles and heresies above touched. THE FIRST ARTICLE; OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION. And first, as touching the article of transubstantiation, wherein this parliament doth enact that the sacrament of the altar is the very natural body of Christ, the selfsame which was born of the Virgin |