"their wisdoms (thus won in such an university) reprov- CHAP. 66 66 XV. ing the vicious affections thereof, and provoking by their examples and skilful persuasions, the contrary. And so Anno 1583. "would prove a good help to subdue sin. And the rather "prevailable, because of the inward repugnance that by "this means shall be wrought, between the well taught "and virtuously disposed, and the wilfully ignorant, fro"wardly given, of one religion; yea peradventure of one “kindred or family. So that thus contention and discord might bring commodity, and do good. Where now the raw realm leaneth one way for the most part, without in"struction, true teaching, or dissuasion from wilful de66 meanour; rather than to those that with humility be "willing to learn. The credit of their own countrymen "shall profit much for the establishment of their faith, fear, "and obedience toward God and their prince, with love to "their neighbours, as Christian men be bound to do." 66 66 All this I have added, to shew how this was propounded 178 by some eminent hand many years before this advice of the bishop of Meath, as the best method to civilize that rude country, by imbruing the minds of the Irish with good learning, to be obtained by means of an university and schools among them. thew made This year Tobie Matthew, dean of Christ Church, Oxon, Tobie Matand who had other preferments, a worthy man and an elo-dean of quent preacher, was preferred to the deanery of Durham, Durham. chiefly by the interest of the lord treasurer Burghley, his great patron. To which place he was nominated a year before, by the recommendation of the said lord to the queen. But it had a pretty long delay before it was finished. As appears by his letter to that lord, dated in May, 1582, thus bespeaking him to forward his business with the queen: "That by his good word, which it pleased his He solicits lordship to afford him unto her highness towards the treasurer "deanery of Durham, to his great furtherance, and greater for his de"credit, he was encouraged to move her highness again "for her resolution and his despatch. And that he was nothing so importune with his honour, as many good men 66 the lord spatch. BOOK" of that church and country were earnest with him, to do I. "what in him lay for expedition." And the reason he gave Anno 1588. thereof follows; viz. the miserable condition of the deanery. of that deanery, now void. "For that he was credibly informed, that many things "there went to wrack. The houses decayed; the game "spoiled; the woods wasted; the grounds unlet; yet not "uneaten," &c. Nor had the queen passed the grant in August following: when I find another letter of Dr. Matthew to the same The ill state lord, "That he would be his good lord, as he had hitherto "been, in the despatch of the deanery: and that especially "at that instant, the state and condition thereof being such, "as unless the dean that next should be might be inducted, "and keep his residence there by the space of one and twenty days together, before. Michaelmas next, the whole crop, as well of hay as corn, as all other fruits, belonging "to the tithes and glebe land, (which was valued two parts A local sta- " of three in that living,) must by a local statute of that "church accrue to the prebendaries resident there this year tute. 66 66 66 past: so as the next dean should for the year to come "have no manner of provision wherewith to keep house; "and so be the less able to do good in preaching or govern"ment: where, they said, many regarded hospitality very "much; who being lost at the first, would hardly be won a good while after." 66 He proceeded further, "To remember his lordship withal "in what decay and dilapidations the dean's mansion houses "were fallen; what spoil and waste, as well of woods as of "other commodities belonging to their dignity, had been, "and would be, during the, vacation; and in how great "need the divided church did stand of some indifferent go"vernor: how incommodious the season of the year would "hereafter be to remove so far from these parts, &c. Con"sideration whereof he most humbly referred unto his lordship's great wisdom and favourable furtherance. That 66 66 as he was already much bounden to her majesty's good "inclination towards him, so for her gracious expedition of 179" his suit he might be more indebted to his honour. For "the continuance and increase whereof he should daily CHAP. pray to Almighty God." This was dated the 25th August, 1582. XV. Anno 1583. thew in Well, notwithstanding all this supplication, it was not Dr. Matbefore August this year, 1583, he was inducted. And in ducted. September following he sent a letter of gratitude to his patron and friend, the foresaid lord Burghley, thanking him for his grave counsel he gave him upon his going down to Durham, and in another letter sent him since his coming there. On occasion of which counsel, the dean in his reply said, "That he trusted the grace of God would enable him "to follow it, to the discharge of his calling; as it had "persuaded him to like thereof, to the contentation of his "mind. And promised to be reformed by his authority, "and directed by his wisdom; even as by the Socrates or "Solomon of this age." And then upon occasion of that lord's moving him for a lease of Pittington, which it seems was double leased out before, the dean informed him of it, and that there had been sixty leases, nay, and seventy more, made in the times of his two former predecessors, viz. Whittingham and Wylson. But I refer the reader to the dean's whole letter, reposited in the Appendix. This learned dean was afterwards successively bishop of Durham, and archbishop of York. He was born in Bristol, but of Welsh extraction. Died March the 29th, 1628; aged 82; as appeareth by the inscription on his monument in York cathedral. No. XXXII. CHAP XVI. The queen grants a commission ecclesiastical. The letters patents. Cawdry deprived. Withers of Danbury writes to the lord treasurer in behalf of the puritans. Their case recommended to the council, in a letter from the gentlemen of Suffolk: the lords' instructions to the judges of assize thereupon. Proceedings against the dispersers of Brown's books at Bury St. Edmund's: and against papists. The judges' account of the assizes held there. 180 BOOK Anno 1588. An ecclesiastical commission. Popish books set forth: Theses Anglorum Rhemensium. Dr. Allen's Defence of the English Catholics. Parrie's letter from Lions and Paris. One Touker, late in the inquisition at Rome, comes home: makes discoveries. The bishop of Ross. Dr. Lewis in Rome. Dr. Oxenbridge at Wisbich; his submission and subscription to the supremacy. THE queen set forth a commission ecclesiastical this year, according to an act of parliament in the first year of her reign finding it in these times so very necessary to preserve obedience to the laws framed for the reformation of religion, and keeping the queen's subjects in true obedience, and conformity to what was established upon very wise and mature deliberation; for the security and quiet of religion, and due and firm loyalty and fidelity to the prince. And that we may see the nature and power of such a commission, I shall here set it down, as it was confirmed by the queen's letters patent, dated December 9, 26 regin. authorizing the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of London, and divers others, or any three or more of them, to inquire, among other things, of the statute of the first of her reign, concerning the Book of Common Prayer; with this clause The matter also contained in the same letters patents; “And we give "and grant to them full power and authority, to reform, "redress, order, correct, and amend, in all places of this "realm, all errors, heresies, schisms, abuses, contempts, and "enormities, spiritual or ecclesiastical, whatsoever, which, "by spiritual or ecclesiastical power and authority or juris"diction, can or may lawfully be reformed, ordered, re"dressed, corrected, restrained, or amended by the censures "ecclesiastical, deprivation, or otherwise, &c. of it. "And upon proof whereof had, and the offences afore"said, or any of them, sufficiently proved against any per"son or persons, by confession, lawful witness, or by any "due manner, &c. that then you, or three of you, shall "have full power and authority to order and award such 181" punishment to every such offender, by fine, imprisonment, "censure of the church, or otherwise, or by all or any the СНАР. "said ways; and to take such order for the redress of the "same by your wisdom and discretion, as shall be thought "meet and convenient; as by the same letters patent more Anno 1583. "at large appeared. "And further, as they found in that statute of the first "of the reign of the said queen; by which it is enacted, "That the offender against the act concerning the Unifor 66 mity of Common Prayer, and being thereof lawfully con"victed according to the laws of the realm, by virtue of "twelve men, or by his own confession, or by the notorious "evidence of the fact, should forfeit, for the first offence, "the value of his spiritual living for one whole year, and "should suffer six months imprisonment. For the second "offence, to be committed after such conviction, he should "be deprived ipso facto of all his spiritual livings. And for "the third offence, to be committed after two convictions, "as is aforesaid, he should be deprived of all his ecclesias"tical living, and be imprisoned during his life.” power ec is. This I take from a book printed in the black letter, in what the two columns, Latin and English, entitled, De jure regis queen's ecclesiastico. Wherein is shewn briefly what this ecclesias- clesiastical tical jurisdiction and power granted to the queen was by the foresaid statute, viz. By which it was enacted, "That "such jurisdiction ecclesiastical, as by any spiritual or "ecclesiastical power hath heretofore been, or may lawfully "be exercised for the visitation of the ecclesiastical state "and persons, and for reformation and correction of the "same, and of all manner of errors, heresies, schisms, "abuses, offences, &c. within this realm, should for ever be "united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. "And that her highness, her heirs and successors, should "have full power and authority by virtue of that act, by "letters patent under the great seal of England, to assign, "nominate, and authorize such persons, being natural born "subjects, as her highness, her heirs and successors, should "think meet to exercise and execute, under her highness, "her heirs and successors, all and all manner of jurisdictions, privileges, and preeminences in any wise, touching 66 |