II.

BOOK our own conscience gave us to understand were no gods. "We made no difference almost between Christ and his Anno 1577. “ creatures. We confounded the sign with the thing signi"fied; and worshipped a wafer cake, which is a creature "corruptible, instead of the Maker of heaven and earth; "and believed it was the very body of Christ that was "born of the Virgin Mary, and slain for our sins upon the cross. The cause of all which errors was the ignorance of "Christ and his word. His text was taken out of Romans, "chapter xiii. 11-14. And that considering the season, "that now it is time that we should awake, &c."

Statutes of the colle

giate

Westmin

ster to be confirmed.

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To the rest of these ecclesiastical persons, and matters, wherein they were about this time concerned, I add the rechurch of lation of a purpose this year undertaken, of confirming the statutes of the collegiate church of Westminster, Dr. Gabriel Goodman, dean; chiefly occasioned upon some neglect of residence in the prebendaries, and for their better observance of preaching themselves in their turns: which the good dean was minded to redress. And moving it to the lord treasurer Burghley, the said lord required of him an account of the orders of the college, as they were made and observed formerly by his predecessor Dr. Bill; who was the first dean of that church after the settlement thereof by the queen. Which he therefore sent, drawn up with his own hand, in order to a reformation of some things, and for the making of some new statutes. The title it bore was, The order of the government of the college of Westminster, sithence the last erection: begun by Dr. Bill, and continued by me; with the assent of the chapter: as appears by divers decrees recorded in the chapter-book. This I have reposited in the Appendix. And with it the dean thus expressed his desire in a letter to the said lord:

No. X.

The dean's

letter con

cerning

"That he was bold to send his honour a brief declara"tion of the orders used in the government of the college them to the by Dr. Bill, and him, since the last erection: that it might please him to confer the same with the statutes, "and to consider thereof, as he should think good. He

lord trea

surer.

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"prayed God that might be done, which might be to God's CHAP.

VII. glory, the queen's honour, and the good example of the "church. He wished a convenient residence of both dean Anno 1577. "and prebendaries. First, That every one might sometime "preach in their own persons. Secondly, That they [both “dean and prebendaries] might be present in the church "to pray, as their most bounden duty was, for her majesty, "being their founder. And thirdly, For the better order "and government of the church. That unless there were "daily commodity for residence in the church, as it was at “Windsor, and such like places, he feared (which he was sorry to speak) the residence would not be so well kept. "I beseke your honour, added he, that there may be that "moderation used which shall be most convenient for all "respects. Hitherto I and the company, I thank God, "have agreed very brotherly, and with great quietness, as "any such company, I hope; I would be sorry, if by seek"ing to better things, dissension should grow, or unquiet"ness. My special trust is in God, that as he hath done "under her majesty, with motherly care to his church, and "your honour, with godly zeal to virtue and learning, so "he will work some good effect of this travail. Thus with my continual prayer for you and all yours, I humbly "take my leave. From Westminster college this 15th of "November, 1577.

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"Your honour's most bounden,

"Gabrielle Goodman."

up, pre

This motion of the dean produced some new statutes; New stabut how long after, I cannot assign; but some years after tutes drawn it was, Whitgift being then archbishop. For I meet with pared for the signet. an humble request of the dean of Westminster, for confirmation of the statutes, which had been drawn up and prepared for the signet. And so Dr. Cæsar, master of the requests, had signified; but it seems, not well-pleasing to some of the prebendaries, choosing rather to have been left 491 more at their liberty. His said humble request was, "That The dean's "whereas in his last he exhibited an humble petition to her letter.

II.

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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.

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"That whereas also it had pleased her highness to ap66 point 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,

"His honour's most bound,

VII.

Anno 1577.

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

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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

II.

BOOK "believeth verily, that infants unbaptized, and dead, can"not but be damned. Another crosseth me his face, and Anno 1577.❝ nose, and breast, with thumb and fingers, and cannot 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 supersti

All the popish Eng

Dr. Fulk.

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tiously, 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 reli"gion." 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.

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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