ing those persons which peradventure will be offended for that some of the old Ceremonies are retained still; if they consider that without some Ceremonies it is not possible to keep any order or quiet discipline in the Church, they shall easily perceive just cause to reform their judgments. And if they think much that any of the old do remain, and would rather have all devised anew, then such men, (granting some Ceremonies convenient to be had,) surely where the old may be well used, there they cannot reasonably reprove the old (only for their age) without bewraying of their own folly. For in such a case they ought rather to have reverence unto them for their antiquity, if they will declare themselves to be more studious of unity and concord than of innovations and new fangleness; which (as much as may be with the true setting forth of Christ's religion) is always to be eschewed. Furthermore, such shall have no just cause with the Ceremonies reserved to be offended; for as those be taken away which were most abused, and did burden men's consciences without any cause so the other that remain are retained for a discipline and order, which (upon just causes) may be altered and changed, and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with God's law. And moreover they be neither dark nor dumb Ceremonies, but are so set forth that every man may understand what they do mean, and to what use they do serve. So that it is not like that they, in time to come, should be abused as the other have been. And in these all our doings we condemn no other nations, nor prescribe any thing, but to our own people only. For we think it convenient that every country should use such Ceremonies as they shall think best to the setting forth of God's honour and glory, and to the reducing of the people to a most perfect and godly living, without error or superstition and that they should put away other things, which from time to time they perceive to be most abused, as in men's ordinances it often chanceth diversely in diverse countries.

3. Preface to "The Form and Manner of making and conse"crating of Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons." Printed by Grafton, March 1549-50.

It is evident unto all men diligently reading holy Scripture and ancient authors, that from the Apostles' time there hath been these orders of Ministers in Christ's Church, Bishops, Priests,

and Deacons: which offices were evermore had in such reverent
estimation, that no man, by his own private authority, might
presume to execute any of them, except he were first called,
tried, examined, and known to have such qualities as were re-
quisite for the same; and also by public prayer, with imposition
of hands, approved and admitted thereunto. And therefore, to
the intent these orders should be continued, and reverently used
and esteemed in this Church of England, it is requisite that no
man (not being at this present Bishop, Priest, nor Deacon)
shall execute any of them, except he be called, tried, examined,
and admitted, according to the form hereafter following. And
none shall be admitted a Deacon, except he be xx1 years
of age
at the least. And every man which is to be admitted a Priest,
shall be full xxIII years old. And every man which is to be
consecrated a Bishop, shall be fully thirty years of age. And
the Bishop knowing either by himself or by sufficient testi-
mony, any person to be a man of virtuous conversation and
without crime, and after examination and trial finding him
learned in the Latin tongue, and sufficiently instructed in holy
Scripture, may upon a Sunday or holy day, in the face of the
Church, admit him a Deacon, in such manner and form as here-
after followeth.

XXXVII.

Three Letters from the Lords of the Council at Windsor to the
Lords of the Council in London a.

1.

p. 1008. ed.

My Lords, we commend us most heartily unto you: and where Stow, the King's Majesty was informed that you were assembled in Annals, such sort as ye do now remain there, was advised by us, and such 1592. other of his Council as were here about his person, to send Master Secretary Peter unto you with such a message, as whereby might have ensued the surety of his Majesty's person, with pre

d [For the circumstances under which these Letters were written, and for the remainder of the correspondence, see Burnet, Ref. vol. ii. App. b. i. No. 41, &c; Stow, Annals; Ellis, Original Letters, 1st ser. CLXXII, &c. The second of them has been attributed wholly to the pen of Cranmer by Mr. Turner and Mr. Todd, who affirm that "it breathes all his spirit in its "genuine nature." Strype also seems to have been of the same opinion. See Turner, Modern Hist. of England, vol. iii. p. 286; Todd, Life of Cranmer, vol. ii. p. 157; Strype, Cranmer, p. 193.]

Stow,
Annals.

p. 1009. ed.
1592.

servation of his realm and subjects, and the quiet both of us
and yourselves, as Master Secretary can well declare unto you:
his Majesty and we of his Council here do not a little marvel
that you stay still with you the said Master Secretary; and
have not, as it were, vouchsafed to send an answer to his Ma-
jesty, neither by him, nor yet by any other. And for ourselves
we do much more marvel, and are right sorry, as we and you
have good cause to be, to see the manner of your doings, bent
with force and violence to bring the King's Majesty and us to
those extremities, which as we do intend, if you will take none
other way but violence, to defend us, as nature and our allegi-
ance doth bind us, to extremity of death, and put it unto God's
hands, who giveth victory as pleaseth him. So if our reason-
able conditions and offers will take no place, as hitherto none
hath been signified unto us from you, nor we do not understand
what do require or seek, nor what
ye
do
ye mean; and that ye
speak no hurt of the King's Majesty's person: as touching all
other private matters to avoid the effusion of Christian blood,
and to preserve the King's Majesty's person, his realm, and
subjects, ye shall find us agreeable to any reasonable conditions.
that you will require; for we do esteem the King's wealth and
tranquillity of the realm more than all other worldly things,
yea more than our own lives. Thus praying you to send us
determinate answer herein by Master Secretary Peter, or,
will not let him go, by this bearer, we beseech God to give both
you and us grace to determine this matter, as may be to God's
honour, the preservation of the King, and the quiet of us all;
which may be, if the fault be not in you. And so we bid you
heartily farewell. From the King's Majesty's Castle of Wind-
sor, the 7th day of October, 1549.

2.

if ye

After our hearty commendations unto your good Lordships: we have received from the same a letter by Master Hunnings, dated at London yesterday; whereby you do us to understand Todd, Life the causes of your assembly there; and, charging the Lord of CranProtector with the manner of government, require that he withdraw himself from the King's Majesty, disperse the force which he hath levied, and be contented to be ordered according to justice and reason; and so you will gladly commune with us,

mer, vol. ii. P. 157.

1

as touching the surety of the King's Majesty's person, and the order of all other things, with such conformity on that behalf as appertaineth; and otherwise you must, as you write, make other account of us than you trust to have cause, and burden us, if things come to extremities.

To the first point we verily believe, that as bruits, rumours, and reports that your Lordships intended the destruction of the Lord Protector induced his Grace to fly to the defence which he hath assembled, excuse your Lordships, hearing that his Grace intended the like destruction towards you, have been moved to do as you have done; so as, for lack of understanding one of another's right meaning, things be grown to such extremities, as if the saving of the King's Majesty's person and the common weal take not more place in his Grace and your Lordships than private respect or affairs, you see we doubt not, as we do, that both our King, our country, and also ourselves shall, as verily as God is God, be utterly destroyed and cast away. Wherefore, might it please you, for the tender compassion of Jesus Christ, use your wisdom, and temper your determination in such sort, as no blood be shed, nor cruelty used, neither of his Grace's part nor of your Lordships': for, if it come to that point, both you and we are like to see presently with our eyes that which every vein of all our hearts will bleed to behold.

Wherefore, as true subjects to the King's Majesty, as faithful counsellors, though unworthy counsellors, to his Majesty and his realm, and as lamentable petitioners, we beseech your Lordships most humbly, and from the bottom of our hearts, to take pity of the King and the realm, whereof you be principal members, and to set apart summum jus, and to use at this time tum bonum et æquum; and think not that this is written for any private fear or other respect of ourselves, but for that undoubtedly we hear and know more of this point, with your favours, than you there do know; yea, and howsoever it shall please you to account of us, we are true men to God, to the King, to the realm, and so will we live and die wheresoever we be; and in respect of them three esteem little any other person or thing, no not our own lives: and having clear consciences, as some whatsoever ill may follow, upon the use of extremity there, that neither now is nor shall be found fault in us; and so quieting ourselves we rest.

Now to that you would have the Lord Protector to do for

his part, his Grace and we have communed herein; and much to our comforts, and yours also, if it shall like you to weigh the case; who is contented, if you will again for your parts use equity, to put that now in execution which many times he hath declared by his words; that is to say, so as the King and the realm may be otherwise well served, he passeth little for the place he now hath. Mary, he doth consider, that by the King's Majesty, with all your advices, and the consents of the nobles of the realm, he was called to the place, (as appeareth in writing under his Majesty's great seal and sign; whereunto your own hands also, and ours, with all others the Lords of the Upper House in the Parliament are subscribed :) and therefore in violent sort to be thus thrust out against his will, he thinketh it not reasonable. He is here with the King's person, where his place is to be; and we be here with him, we trust in God for the good service of the King, the weal of the realm, and the good acquitting both of his Grace and of your Lordships; which we most heartily desire and see such hope here thereof, as, if you be not too sore bent upon the extremities, as is reported, and as equity can take no place, my Lord's Grace may live in quiet, and the King's Majesty's affairs maintained in such order as by his Majesty's counsellors shall be thought convenient.

Mary, to put himself simply into your hands, having heard as both we and he have, without first knowledge upon what conditions, it is not reasonable. Life is sweet, my Lords, and they say you seek his blood and his death; which if you do, and may have him otherwise conformable to reason, and by extremity drive him to seek extremity again, the blood of him and others that shall die on both sides innocently, shall be by God justly required at your hands. And when peradventure you would have him again, upon occasion of service, you shall forthink to have lost him. Wherefore, good my Lords, we beseech you again and again, if you have conceived any such determination, to put it out of your heads, and incline your hearts to kindness and humanity, remembering that he hath never been cruel to any of you, and why should you be cruel to him; as we trust you be not, whatsoever hath been said, but will show yourselves as conformable for your parts, as his Grace is contented, for the zeal he beareth to the King and the realm, to be for his part, as this bearer, Sir Phillip Hobie, will declare unto you; to whom we pray you to give credit, and to return him hither again with

1