Unwritten Verities
[cRANMER, II.]
[Title-page of the original Edition.]
«* & (bantu* tatto of imtoritte bm’ttesf, botf) bt tbe holye scriptures and mostc auncient autors, anfc also probable arguments, anfc pitj)|i reasons, britj) platne auns- toers to a! (or at tjje least) to tjje moste part antr strongest argumentes, folnd) tfte abuersartes of gotis trutf) either ftaue, or can fcrgng fortj for tj)e profe an& defence of tje same bnforitten ba ntttes, berfttes as tfieg tuoulbe ftaue t^em calletr : matre ftp ^Jomas ^ran= mer, late ^rcfiebisjop of €antorbu= rte, jWartpr of gob, anb rntrnefc at ([ ^xforb for tje fcefece of tje tretoe boctrtne of our sauu our ODStist, translated antr set fortfi,
1T ^6f contentes tofjereof, tftou sfialte finbe in tfje next sibe folofomge.
If A Confutation of vnwritten verities, both by the holye
Scriptures and most auntient authours, and also probable
Arguments, and pithie reasons, with plaine aunsweres to all (or at the least) to the most part and strongest argumentes, which the Aduersaries of Gods truth, either haue or can bring foorth for the proofe and defence of the same vnwritten Vanities, Ve rities as they woulde haue them called.
Made ly Thomas Cranmer, late Arche- lishop of Canterburie, Martir of God, and lurned at Oxen- fordefor the defence of the true doctrine of our
Sauiour Christ.
The Contents whereof, thou shalt finde in the next side following.
Imprinted at London by Thomas Purfoote and are to be solde at his Shop, without Newgate, ouer- against S. Sepulchers Churche.
[The “Confutation of Unwritten Verities,” is printed from the edition “imprinted at London by Thomas Purfootc, anno 1582,” and has been carefully collated with the original edition, published by E. P. in the reign of Queen Mary.]
THE Title-page of the original edition of the ” Confutation of Unwritten Verities ” states that it was ” translated and set forth by E. P. ;” and upon that of both editions it is said to be ” made by Thomas Cranmer, late archbishop of Canterbury.” Strypo, in his Memorials of Archbp. Cranmer, writes, that ” there was another book of the arch bishop’s against unwritten verities, which I do by conjecture place here, as put forth under this year, or near this time, (A. D. 1547.) The book was in Latin, and consisted only of allegations out of the bible and ancient writers. In queen Mary’s days the book was again published by an English exile, naming himself E. P. The title it now bore was, A Confutation of Unwritten Verities, by divers authorities, diligently and truly gathered out of the Holy Scripture and ancient fathers ; ly Thomas Cranmer, late archbishop, and burned at Oxford for the defence of the true doctrine of our Sa viour. Translated and set forth by E. P. Before it is a preface of the translator to his countrymen and brethren in England,” &C1.
Dr Jenkyns, in his edition of the archbishop’s works2, pronounces that it certainly was not ” made” by Cranmer in its present form : for the preface and some other parts were avowedly written by the translator. “And” (he goes on to say) “it may be doubted, whether it was ever prepared by him for publication at all ; no complete copy of it in Latin, either printed or in manuscript, having been yet discovered. The citations, however, of which the work chiefly consists, are for the most part to be found in one of the archbishop’s common-place books in the British Museum, ar ranged under the same heads as in the Confutation. And hence perhaps it may be conjectured, that, according to his usual practice, he formed a collection of authorities on the subject for his private use ; that this collection fell after his death into the hands of the person designated by the letters E. P., and that it was moulded by him, by addition, omission, and transposition, into the shape in which it now appears.” “Under these circumstances,” Dr Jenkyns thinks, “it cannot safely be quoted as evi dence of Cranmer’s tenets, and that perhaps it scarcely ought to be admitted into a collection of his works.”
The work, however, has been usually placed amongst the writings of the arch bishop; and there is but little doubt, even in the mind of Dr Jenkyns, that the materials, from which “it was composed, were brought together” and prepared by him. The editor has collated the original edition set forth by E. P., with that im printed at London, A. D. 1582, by Thomas Purfoote, from which copy the piece is printed in this edition, and he has given the different readings in each copy, though adhering as closely as possible in the text to that of A. D. 1582.
Another treatise of unwritten verities, which was published, A. D. 1548, anony mously, is also supposed by Strype to have been written by archbishop Cranmer. Dr Jenkyns3, however, thinks, as he has not brought forward ” any evidence in support of his opinion, and has manifestly fallen into much confusion on this matter,’* that ” his judgment is of no great weight, since Bale, the cotemporary of Cranmer, evidently knew of no other work” of his than that, which was supposed to be written in Latin, A. D. 1547, and afterwards translated and set forth by E. P. Bp. Tanner, in reference to it, says, “that though it was written in Latin, it is evident to him that it was never printed in that language4.”
f1 Strype, Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer, ! [4 Qui liber Latine scriptus nunquam, ut mihi Vol. I. p. 2255. Ed. Oxon. 1H40.] quidem videtur, in ea lingua impressus fuit. Tan-
|2 Vol. IV. p. 144. Ed. Oxon. 1833.] , ner, Bibliotheca — ” Cranmer.” J [3 Ibid. p. 144.1
Dr Jenkyns1 thinks, “that it was not unlikely that it was compiled by E. P. out of Cranmer’s MS. notes, which are still preserved in the British Museum;” and he also positively asserts that ” it is certain, at least, that the preface and the conclusion, together with some parts of the body of the work, must be ascribed entirely to the translator.”
The anonymous treatise, which is found in Strype8, will be printed in an appendix to this edition. For further particulars, relating to these treatises, the reader is referred to Strype, Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer, Vol. I. pp. 228, 570, ed. Oxon. 1840. Ecclesiastical Memorials, Vol. II. part i. pp. 212, 213; Vol. II. part ii. p. 410, ed. Oxon. 1822. Bale, Script. Brit. Catal. p. 691, ed. Basil. 1559. Ames, Typ. Antiq. Vol. I. p. 583, ed. 1785; Vol. III. p. 1563, ed. 1790.
[l Vol. I. Preface, p. Ivi.] I part ii. (Appendix AA. MSS. D. Job. D. Episc.
[2 Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials, Vol.11. | Elien.) p. 410. Ed. Oxon. 1822. J