II. 66 BOOK majesty, that it might please her highness, for the better government of that her college, to confirm the statutes Anno 1577. " for the government thereof, drawn and devised by Dr. "Bill, of blessed memory, late her majesty's high almner: "it pleased her highness most graciously to accept thereof; "and to will, that her majesty's learned counsel might "peruse the same, and make them ready to the signet; as "Dr. Cæsar, master of requests, and the mover of the said "petition, had signified under his hand. That he [the "dean] had imparted the same to my lord of Canterbury. "And he likewise had perused the said book of statutes. "That he did likewise signify his meaning to proceed "herein to his brethren, the prebendaries: whereof some "did seem better to like the present government; which is partly according to these statutes, and partly ordered by "decrees and discretion. But he [the dean] did hope, that "statutes confirmed to govern, and to be governed by, was a more sure rule of government, and more beneficial to "posterity. 66 66 "That whereas also it had pleased her highness to appoint a statute for the double election of scholars in the "time of Dr. Bill the dean, which was then begun, and "since always continued, there was in the same statute pro"vided, that of the scholars of her majesty's school at "Westminster there should be three at the least chosen to "each university; so it was, that my lord's grace of Can"terbury, being then master of Trinity college; and there"fore requested, that there should be of necessity but two "chosen every year to each university, and three every "third year. Whereunto, upon the request and persuasion "of bishop Grindal, then bishop of London, to whom it "had pleased his honour [the lord treasurer] to refer the "ordering of this statute, it was yielded. And so it had "been ever since most commonly used. But he prayed, "that the same statute might remain in force, as touching "the number, [i. e. of three,] for the better encouragement "of her majesty's scholars; notwithstanding the day of "election be altered, which was the same day of the com "mencement in Cambridge. And so humbly desired his CHAP. "honour's advice and aid. Subscribing, VII. Anno 1577. "Gabriel Goodman.” "His honour's most bound, CHAP. VIII. 492 Maimed professors in these days. Popish books secretly dispersed. Answered by Dr. W. Fulk. Ithel, a fugitive Lovainist, comes to Cambridge: discovered. The council's letter hereupon to the university. Egremond Radcliff, a fugitive since the rebellion in the north: his letters for the queen's pardon, and leave to come home: is put into the Tower: set at liberty: his end. nions and THE papists still used here their old diligence to pervert Popish opiour people to their errors; sowing their seeds of disobedience practices · and superstition. And many of the queen's subjects, how- entertained. ever they conformed themselves outwardly to the religion established, and the public worship used in the church of England, yet entertained favourable thoughts of divers popish doctrines and practices. Which sort of men was smartly reproved in a sermon preached this year at St. Paul's Cross: the preacher's name unknown: calling them poisoned protestants and maimed professors. Using these words, (according to the way of preaching in those days:) "How many poisoned protestants and maimed professors "have we? I mean for opinions. For otherwise, who is "whole and sound? You shall have a gospeller, as he will "be taken, a jolly fellow, to retain and maintain such "patches of popery and infection of Rome; that, methinks, "I see the serpent's subtilty as plainly as by the claw you may judge the lion. One holdeth, faith justifieth; and yet works do no harm. Another saith, prayer for the "dead is charity; and though it doth no good, yet it doth "no hurt. What will you have me say, The Devil go with "them? [as the preacher bringeth in one of these men "speaking, that are for praying for one deceased.] Another 66 II. Anno 1577. 66 BOOK "believeth verily, that infants unbaptized, and dead, can"not but be damned. Another crosseth me his face, and 66 nose, and breast, with thumb and fingers, and cannot 66 pray but toward the east and some have not forgot "their Ave Maria, although their Pater noster was forgot long ago. Some, and a large sum too, do superstitiously, and so sinfully, swear by saints, or every other 66 creature, and think it small offence, or none at all. And "when you tell them, it is superstition, and that it is a de"gree to apostasy to forsake the Lord; Jer. v. that they give to the creature that which is due to the Creator; that swearing reverently is a piece of the worship of God, "and therefore belongs to him alone, and the like; it is a "strange doctrine to them, and unheard of before. And "thus they fall a wondering at the very principles of religion." This discourse indeed touched such as were indifferent in any religion, and grossly ignorant even in these days of the gospel, as well as the other sort who secretly favoured the old religion. All the po pish Eng Dr. Fulk. 493 66 66 Indeed the papists privately uttered many books in falish books vour of their cause; and diligently dispersed them; which answered by might have made many of these maimed professors. William Fulk, D. D. sometime of St. John's college in Cambridge, and after master of Pembrook hall, a learned man, from this year and after, let not one of these books in English that fell into his hands pass without his answer and confutation of them; for the good service of our reformed church, and establishment of the common sort of men in true religion. This appears by a book which he wrote some years after wherein he saith, that he had attempted to fight the truth's cause, within this five or six years past: and that he had set abroad sundry treatises in confuting of popish books written in English: and that he purposed, if God gave him strength, to answer as many as within twenty years of her majesty's reign had been set forth by papists, and were not yet confuted by any other. And this purpose, he added, the papists had not greatly hindered by replies, except one only, Bristow: (who had defended VIII. ticles and Fulk's Brief Confuta Allen's Articles and Purgatory. And none other hitherto CHAP. had set forth any just replication to the rest of his writings. This I take from a book of his called, A brief confutation Anno 1577. of sundry cavils. There he shewed how he was reflected Allen's Aron by all the popish writers: every one of them almost, as Purgatory. he said, had endeavoured to have a snatch or two at some one odd thing or other in his books; wherein they would tion. seem to have advantage. And that, belike, they would have their simple readers think to be a sufficient confutation of all that he had ever writ against them. And he thought good, as near as he could, to gather all their cavils together, and briefly to shape an answer to every one of them. We only give this short note of Fulk here. He will shew himself more in defence of religion in some few years after. These active men of the church of Rome sent their emis- Ithel a Losaries not only into the countries about, but into the uni- vainist secretly harversities. One of these was Ithel, a Lovainist, brother to boured at Cambridge. Dr. Ithel, master of Jesus college, Cambridge. And upon this occasion following, it was feared his brother gave him countenance, or at least concealed him. This Ithel had been for some time using his arts and insinuations with the scholars there. At length he was discovered: and the vicechancellor sent intelligence of it to their chancellor, the lord treasurer Burghley: and that he was put into the custody of his brother in order to reform him. But he was too well principled at Lovain, that any good should be done to him here. So that his brother was rather to proceed to some restraint and punishment. But he escaped soon, and was gone: which gave some just cause of suspicion of the doctor himself. Which the vice-chancellor thus related to the aforesaid lord in his letter written in July this year. 66 of it from "That this fugitive Lovainist was returned about three A letter "months since secretly to Cambridge. Where he remained, the vicecorrupting such as he could from the truth of our reli- chancellor. "gion here received. And being deprehended, he was com"mitted to his brother, Dr. Ithel, as a prisoner, to be fur"ther dealt withal, either for reformation or correction. "And from hence he escaped. And hereby occasion was BOOK "given for some sinister dealing of Dr. Ithel. Of whom I II.' "would be sorry to conceive as the matter with the circumAnno 1577. "stances (not only for his escape, but for his former lurking in the university) doth offer cause,' Dr.Ithel suspected. 494 Informa tion to be given of such in 66 By the means of this, and perhaps other Romish emissaries, recusancy was crept into the university, as well as other towns and places of the land. Insomuch as it was thought meet by the queen, to require an account of the as came not names of all such scholars, as likewise of every townsman, Cambridge to divine service. The coun cil's letter to the university. Rev. T. Baker, S. T. B. that came not to church or chapel to hear divine service; and to have an account of the estates of such, and the values thereof, sent up. Such a letter I shall here exemplify, sent to the university from the privy-council. 66 "After our hearty commendations. The queen's ma"jesty's pleasure is, that you shall certify unto us, with all diligence, the names of such persons, as well scholars as "townsmen, within the university of Cambridge, as you "shall understand do refuse to come to the church to hear "divine service. And withal, that you certify their degrees "and qualities, with the value of their lands and goods, as 66 you think they are worth indeed, and not as they be va"lued in the subsidy books. And, to the end you may do "the same with more expedition and better certainty, we "think it meet that you use the advice of some such per"sons as you shall know to be well affected in religion, and "can best inform you, both for the said university and "town, of the particular values of every such recusant: " and thereof, as well as you may, to send us a true certifi cate to be delivered here within seven days after the re"ceipt of these our letters. And for the several colleges and "halls of the university, you shall by virtue hereof charge "the heads of the same to deliver unto you a true note of "the names and degrees of every such person within their "charge, as they shall know to be backward in religion, " and shall refuse to come unto the church. And that “therein neither they nor you, for friendship or otherwise, "to use any respect of persons or degrees whatsoever, as they will answer the trust in this behalf committed unto 66 |