CCCXV. TO QUEEN MARY? Certain Let- I LeArNED by doctor Martin, that at the day of your majesty’s coronation you took queen, &. an oath of obedience to the pope of Rome, and the same time you took another oath Lene of the to. this realm, to maintain the laws, liberties, and customs of the same. And if your ixi Lana. majesty did make an oath to the pope, I think it was according to the other oaths D Ac, Which he useth to minister to princes; which is, to be obedient to him, to defend his and Monu- person, to maintain his authority, honour, laws, lands, and privileges. And if it be so, 1, 3. Ea (which I know not but by report, then I beseech your majesty to look upon your Contradic- oath made to the crown and realm, and to expend and weigh the two oaths together, queen’s ^ to see how they do agree, and then to do as your grace’s conscience shall give you: for I both tote” am surely persuaded that willingly your majesty will not offend, nor do against your conthepopein^ science for nothing. But I fear me that there be contradictions in your oaths, and that iFoxe] those which should have informed your grace thoroughly, did not their duties therein. And if your majesty ponder the two oaths diligently, I think you shall perceive you were deceived; and then your highness may use the matter as God shall put in your heart. Furthermore, I am kept here from company of learned men, from books, from counsel, from pen and ink, saving at this time to write unto your majesty; which all were necessary for a man being in my case. Wherefore I beseech your majesty, that I may have such of these as may stand with your majesty’s pleasure. And as for mine appearance at Rome, if your majesty will give me leave, I will appear there: and I trust that God shall put in my mouth to defend his truth there as well as here. But I refer it wholly to your majesty’s pleasure’. [Sept. 1555.]
Your poor orator
[[! These notes are pot found in Coverdale.] [^ These and other his smart and learned Omitted in Foxe and Coverdale.] letters, no question, made impression upon the queen, [? Foxe calls this “a piece of another letter to or at least upon those that read them; for they were the queens” and heads it, This was written in delivered by the queen to no less a person than the another letter to the queen.""] holy father cardinal Pole himself; who was advised [ Vid. Letter CCCXIV. p. 447.] to frame an answer to them.”—« By comparing of]
CCCXVI. To a Lawyer
Narumx lex hoc ab omnibus postulat, ut quatenus citra divini numinis injuriam fieri potest, quisque vitam tueatur suam. Quod cum tribus abhinc diebus mihi in mentem venisset, simulque memoria occurrisset appellatio Martini Lutheri a Leone decimo ad concilium generale, constitui et ipse concilium generale legitimum et liberum appellare, ne temere et inconsulto vitam proderem meam. Verum cum appellationis materia ad legisperitos spectet, cujus ego ignarus sum, cumque Lutheri appellatio ad manum mihi non sit; decrevi amico alicui fido et jurisperito consilium meum hac in re pandere, cujus opera in hoc negotio uterer: ac tu quidem unus occurristi, qui mihi in hac academia visus est ad hoc munus idoneus. Sed summam hac res taciturnitatem postulat, ut antequam res fiat, nemo resciscat. Dies mihi dictus est, ut respondeam Rome decimo sexto hujus mensis, ante quem mihi provocandum esse puto, ac post sententiam appellandum. Sed an primum mihi provocandum et appellandum sit a judice delegato ad ipsum pontificem, ac deinde ad concilium generale, an omisso pontifice ad concilium primum appellandum sit, consilio mihi opus est tuo.
Porro appellationis cause mihi multe sunt.
Primo quod juramento astrictus sim, nunquam me consensurum in auctoritatem Romani pontificis.
Deinde cum ego respondere omnino renuerem ad articulos mihi objectos ab episcopo Gloucestrensi judice delegato, responderam tamen Doctori Martino et Storeo cum hac protestatione, quod responsio mea non daretur judici, neque in judicio, sed extrajudicialis esset, et post responsum datum petebam responsionis mez copiam, ut eandem mihi emendare liceret, vel addendo, vel mutando, vel subtrahendo; quanquam hsc mihi promissa sunt, et a Gloucestrensi et a procuratoribus regis et regine, omnino tamen fefellerunt fidem, non dantes emendanda responsionis mea copiam, et nihilominus (ut audio) inter acta judicialia adscripserunt.
Postremo, cum causa defectionis a Romano pontifice et papistica religione in jus vocor, ut jam mihi lis sit adversus pontificem Romanum, et nemo zquus judex sit in causa propria; equum mihi videtur ut concilium appellem, presertim cum jus natura (ut aiunt) appellationis remedium nemini negandum censeat.
Jam cum ad hane rem maxima taciturnitate opus sit, si forsan ob rerum imperitiam aliorum consiliis tibi opus sit, obtestor tum te per christianam fidem ac caritatem, ut cujus causa sit, nemini significes. Et cum jam instet tempus, et mature opus sit facto, hoc me sinas a te impetrare, ut sepositis aliis studiis atque negotiis huie uni incumbas quousque perfeceris. Potissima sane appellationis mea causa est, ut (si ita Deus voluerit) donetur eousque vivendi tempus, quousque coeptum contra Marcum Antonium Constantium responsum absolvero. Quod si veritatis hostes mea appellation deferre nolint, (quod existimo,) fiat voluntas Dei, susque deque fero, modo glorificetur Deus, sive per vitam, sive per mortem. Melius est enim multo mori pro Christo et cum illo regnare, quam in hoc carnis ergastulo concludi, nisi in fratrum utilitatem ad majorem Dei gloriam propagandam liceat aliquamdiu militare; cui sit omnis gloria in evum. Amen.
[this letter of Pole’s with that of Cranmer’s, any one est ac tradidit. Qua epistola eum nec magistrum]
[may see a mighty difference: strength, evidence, and ‘tantimysterii, neque discipulum idoneum esse posse,]
[conviction in the archbishop’s, who had truth on his simulque unde hic ejus error manarit, ostendit, et]
[side; but a flashiness and debility in the cardinal’s, ad penitentiam hortatur.” Strype’s Mem. of Abp.]
[made up of poor shifts, and weak arguings, and im- Cranmer, Vol. II. pp. 547—549. Ed. Oxon. 1840.]
[pertinent allegations of scripture, and personal re- “The answer of cardinal Pole to the above Letters]
[flections, to help out a weak cause.”— To which will be found in the Appendix.]]
[I might have added another letter of the said car- [ Cum ergo talibus prajudiciis valde se gra-]
[dinal to the same archbishop, concerning the sacra- vari sentiat (i.e. Luther) eam ob causam, a ponti-]
[ment, a little after the disputation at Oxford, but fice Romano minus edocto, quantum quidem ad hoc]
[that it would be too prolix, being a treatise against pertinet, provocare se ad pontificem rectius edocen-]
[Cranmer’s book of that argument. This treatise dum, atque hoc ita protestari palam.—He also ap-]
[bears this title: Reginaldi Pole, Cardinalis Legati pealed from the pope to a general council. Sleidan,]
[Apostolici, Epistola ad Thomam Cranmerum, qui De Statu Religionis et reipub. Lib. 1. pp. 9,13. Ed.]
[Archiepiscopalem sedem Cantuariensis Ecclesie te- Francof. 1568. Luth. Op. Lat. 1. p. 219.]]
[nens novam de sacramento eucharistiz doctrinam con- [7 Vid. Letters CCCXIII. CCCXIV; pp.446, 7,]
[tra perpetuam catholic ecclesiaconsensum professus and Examination before Brokes, pp. 212, et sqq. sup.]]
Est et alia appellationis causa, quod cum Romam vocatus sim illic dicturus causam, interim carcere detineor, ut comparere mihi ad dictum diem non liceat. Cum autem de statu et vita mea agitur, et pro defensione mea jurisperitorum consilio mihi opus esset, quum id peterem, negatum est omne advocatorum, procuratorum, et jurisconsultorum consilium et auxilium. “Vale. [Nov. 1555.]
[translation.]
A Letter of Doctor Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, to a Lawyer
For the Drawing Up of his Appeal”
Acts Tz law of nature requireth of all men, that so far forth as it may be done without offence to God, every one should seek to defend and preserve his own life. “Which thing when I about three days ago bethought d myself of, and therewithal remembered how that Martin Luther appealed in his time from pope Leo the ^ X. to a general council, (lest I should seem rashly and unadvisedly to cast away myself, I determined to appeal in like sort to some lawful and free general council. But seeing the order and form of an appeal the pertaineth to men learned in the law 2, whereof I myself am ignorant, and seeing that Luther’s appeal cometh ^ not to my hand, I proposed to break my mind on this matter to some faithful friend, and skilful in the 1564 law, whose help I might use in this behalf; and you only among others came to my remembrance, as Let a man most meet in this university for my purpose. But this is a matter that requireth great silence, to so that no man know of it before it be done. It is so that I am summoned to make mine answer m at Rome the xvi. day of this month: before the which day I think it good, [as well as]? after sentence out pronounced, to make mine appeal. But whether I should first appeal from the judge delegate to the pope, and so afterward to the general council, or else, leaving the pope, I should appeal immediately to the council, herein I stand in need of your counsel.
Many causes there be for the which I think good to appeal. First, because I am by an oath bound never to consent to the receiving of the bishop of Rome’s authority into this realm. Besides this, whereas I utterly refused to make answer to the articles objected unto me by the bishop of Gloucester, appointed by the pope to be my judge, yet I was content to answer Martyn and Story, with this protestation, that mine answer should not be taken as made before a judge, nor yet in place of judgment, but as pertaining nothing to judgment at all; and moreover, after I had made mine answer, I required to have a copy of the same, that I might, either by adding thereunto, or by altering or taking from it, correct and amend it as I thought good: the which though both the bishop of Gloucester, and also the king and queen’s proctors, promised me, yet have they altogether broken promise with me, and have not permitted me to correct my said answers according to my request; and yet, notwithstanding, have (as I understand) registered the same as acts formally done in place of judgment.
Finally, forasmuch as all this my trouble cometh upon my departing from the bishop of Rome, and from the popish religion, so that now the quarrel is betwixt the pope himself and me, and no man can be a lawful and indifferent judge in his own cause; it seemeth (methink) good reason that I should be suffered to appeal to some general council in this matter; special seeing the law of nature (as they say) denieth no man the remedy of appeal in such cases.
Now, since it is very requisite that this matter should be kept as close as may be, if perhaps for lack of perfect skill herein you shall have need of further advice, then I beseech you, even for the fidelity and love you bear to me in Christ, that you will open to no creature alive whose the case is. And forasmuch as the time is now at hand, and the matter requireth great expedition, let me obtain this much of you, I beseech you, that, laying aside all other your studies and business for the time, you will apply this my matter only, till you have brought it to pass. The chiefest cause in very deed (to tell you the truth) of this mine appeal is, that I might gain time (if it shall so please God) to live until I have finished mine answer against Marcus Antonius Constantius, which I have now in hand. But if the Gar. adversaries of the truth will not admit mine appeal, (as I fear they will not, God’s will be done! I pass not upon it, so that God may therein be glorified, be it by my life, or by my death. For it is much better for me to die in Christ’s quarrel, and to reign with him, than here to be shut up, and kept in the prison of this body, unless it were to continue yet still awhile in this warfare for the commodity and profit of my brethren, and to the further advancing of God’s glory: to whom be all glory for evermore. Amen.
There is also yet another cause why I think good to appeal, that whereas I am cited to go to Rome to answer there for myself, I am notwithstanding kept here fast in prison, that I cannot there appear at the time appointed. And moreover, forasmuch as the state I stand in is a matter of life and death, so that I have great need of learned counsel for my defence in this behalf; yet when I made my earnest request for the same, all manner of counsel and help of proctors, advocates, and lawyers, was utterly denied me. Farewell“.
[It is probable that the formal appeal from the Degradation, pp. 224, et sqq.]]
[pope to a general council, which Cranmer delivered [? Pertaineth to the lawyers. Foxe.]]
[to Thirlby, bishop of Ely, immediately before his [? Wanting in Foxe.]]
[degradation, Feb. 14, A. n. 1556, originated from the [^ Instead of Farewell” Foxe concludes,]
[application contained in this letter to the lawyer Your loving friend, Thomas Cranmer.”’]]
[to whom it was addressed. Vid. the Appeal at his]
€ccnvii. To Martyr
Post plurimam in Christo Servatore nostro salutem. Quando tum demum necessarie; “m. doa sunt litere, quum aut non Satis prudens est nuncius, aut rerum quas significare volumus ignarus, aut non fidus cui arcana credas; quumque mihi Dei benignitate sese obtulisset hic tabellarius, vir et prudentia (ut nosti) insigni, et qui rebus in credendis fidissimus sit, et nostrum utriusque amantissimus, et rerum nostratium scientissimus, e cujus ore que hic acta fuerint intelligas omnia; non necessarium existimavi ut prolixius ad te scriberem, presertim quum scripture tot pericula damnaque afferre soleant. Illud tamen unum pratermittendum non censui, quod expertus didici, nunquam Deum splendidius illucescere, et clementiz sus, consolationis, aut roboris ac fortitudinis animi radios suorum mentibus clarius, aut pressius infundere, quam in summis animi corporisque angoribus atque pressuris; ut tum vel maxime sese declaret suorum esse Deum, quum illos deseruisse prorsus videtur; tum erigere quum dejicere atque prosternere, tum glorificare quum confundere, tum denique vivificare quum occidere putetur. Ut cum Paulo dicere liceat, Quando infirmor tune fortior sum, et si gloriari oportet, in infirmitatibus meis gloriabor, in carceribus, in contumeliis, in necessitatibus, in persecutionibus, in angustiis pro Christo Faxit obsecro Deus, ut in finem perseveremus. — Hodie nihil magis animum angit meum, quam quod hactenus M.A. nihil est responsum; ad cujus astutias, prestiglas, et insanias jamdudum non defuisset responsum, nisi mihi defuissent et libri et libertas. Praeterquam tibi scripsi nemini, nec scire velim quenquam quod ad te scripserim: proinde terq p; quenquam q p nomine meo salutabis neminem. TnuowxAs CRAMMERUS’. Hae in manu Archiepiscopi Cantuarensis. Scripsit hac ex carcere ad D. Pet. Martyrem. M.A. significant Marc. Antonium, nimirum Wintonien-sem. 1555.
[translation.] Cranmer to Peter Martyr
After much health in Christ our Saviour. As letters are then only necessary, when the messenger is either not sufficiently discreet, or is unacquainted with the cireumstances we wish to communicate, or not thought worthy to be entrusted with secrets; and since by the goodness of God the bearer of this? has fallen in my way, a man, as you know, of signal discretion, most faithful in all matters entrusted to him, exceedingly attached to us both, and possessing an entire acquaintance with the circumstances of our country, from whose mouth you may learn all that has taken place here; I have not thought it needful to write to you more at length, especially as letters are wont to occasion so much danger and mischief. Yet I have not deemed it right to pass over this one thing, which I have learned by experience, namely, that God never shines forth more brightly, and pours out the beams of his mercy and consolation, or of strength and firmness of spirit, more clearly or impressively upon the minds of his people, than when they are under the most extreme pain and distress, both of mind and body, that he may then more especially shew himself to be the God of his people, when he seems to have altogether forsaken them; then raising them up when they think he is bringing them down,
[[^ The signature is added by another hand, this volume, presentihg a specimen of the latest]
[and the subjoined note is in that of Bullinger. Cran- handwriting of this venerable prelate. This im-]
[mer was burned at Oxford, March 21, 1556: this portant and interesting document had escaped all]
[letter, which appears undoubtedly to be his auto- former researches, and supplies a most valuable]
[graph, was written only a few months previously.” testimony respecting the principles and views by]
[Original Letters relativeto the English Reformation which he was enabled to endure his cruel imprison-]
[(Parker Society), Letter XVIII. note 2, p. 31.— ment and death.]]
[This letter was discovered at Zurich by the Rev. [$ There are some grounds of probability for]
[S. A. Pears in 1843, in his examination of the supposing that the bearer of this letter was Jewel,]
[Archives and Library there for the Parker Society. afierwards bishop of Salisbury.]
[A facsimile of it is given at the commencement of]
and laying them low; then glorifying them, when he is thought to be confounding them; then quickening them, when he is thought to be destroying them. So that we may say with Paul, When I am weak, then am I strong; and if I must needs glory, I will glory in my infirmities, in prisons, in revilings, in distresses, in persecutions, in sufferings for Christ.” 1 pray God to grant that I may endure to the end! Nothing is at this time more distressing to me, than that no answer has as yet been given to M. A., to whose subtilties, and juggling tricks, and ravings, a reply would not have been wanting long since, had not books and liberty been wanting to myself. I have written to no one but you, nor do I wish any one to know that I have written to you: wherefore salute no one in my name. Tuomas CRANMER. This is in the hand-writing of the archbishop of Canterbury. He wrote it from prison to master Peter Martyr. M. A. signifies Marcus Antonius, meaning the bishop of Winchester. 1555.
CCCXVIII. (or Cclxxil.) to the King
Re- PrEAsETH it your highness to be advertised, that there is a gentleman named ce,. Edward Isaac, my servant this bearer, who hath a farm of very good pasture and 1rea- 1.. m the meadow, worth by the year xx”, lying very commodiously for the provision of my household, whether I lie at Canterbury or at Ford, for which he is content to make exchange o e… s with me, so that he might have a certain messuage with the appurtenance named Let- E… D. 9. 9… 13. i Bekisbourne, belonging to Christ’s church in Canterbury, worth by the year xx”, or thereabout, adjoining to the lands of the said Edward Isaac”. Upon which messuage of Bekisbourne there is a house of recreation for the monks, which would be very commodious for the said Edward Isaac, and nothing prejudicial or hurtful unto them: for they have another house for recreation much better than this is at Charteham, being as nigh unto Canterbury as this is. In consideration hereof, if it would please your highness to be so good and gracious lord unto me as to require the said Bekisbourne, with the appurtenance of the prior and convent of Christ’s church aforesaid, to your grace’s use, promising them to have as much of my land, value for value, at your grace’s appointment, so that I might have the said Bekisbourne at your grace’s hands, to accomplish mine exchange with the said Edward Isaac for his said farm; I should not only be greatly bound unto your majesty for the same, but also thereby should have no small commodity for the maintenance of my house during such time as I should lie in Kent. And if it would please your highness at my humble suit to accept my said servant into your grace’s service, I doubt not (having such experience of his qualities) but that he shall do unto your majesty right acceptable service within the county of Kent: for besides his good judgment in the truth of God’s word, he may spend in Kent six score pounds or better. Beseeching your grace farther to give credence unto my said servant touching this my suit unto your highness. Thus Almighty God have your grace in his most blessed tuition! At Ford, the xviiith day of February. [1541.]
Your grace’s most humble chaplain and bedesman, T. CANTUARIEN.
To the king’s highness.
[collection. It was not discovered in sufficient time [? The exchange was made, A.p. 1541. Vid.]
[to place it in its proper position after the translation Strype’s Mem. of Abp. Cranmer, Vol. I. p. 133.]]
The Queen to Mr Herd?
As we are greatly bound to the high providence of Almighty God, the fountain only of all good things; so likewise your diligence in the same Lord is not unworthy of due commendation, for that you have so studiously hitherto kept and conserved in your custody the collections or common-places gathered and written by the late archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. And now, forasmuch as such a rare and precious a treasure we think is not to be kept in secret oblivion, as a candle under a bushel, but rather ought to be set abroad, to the public use of the church of Christ; our request therefore to you is, that upon the sight hereof you will commit to the bearer of the same all and singular parts of the said common-places written by the aforesaid archbishop; or if you have any other monument else of the like sort with you remaining: to the intent they may be perused and serve more publicly to the greater fruit and better furtherance of Christ’s church. Giving you not only thanks for this your safe custody of such a jewel, but also promising to stand in like case beneficial to you again, so much as this your accomplishing of our request shall require.
(The above is written as a minute, after which, upon the same page, follows the minute of a letter
from sir Cecil, written all in his own hand.)
After my very hearty commendations. Where I understand that you have very fortunately and studiously preserved certain collections or common-places, gathered and written by the late most reverend and godly father, Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, the same being monuments of great price and estimation: the queen’s majesty hath willed me to write to you, and require you that the same may be sent hither in safety, to the intent only to be copied and returned to you again; wherein you shall well please her majesty, and shall bind me to acquit the same with any pleasure in my power. And hereof I pray you make me answer. Mr Herd.
← 40. Letters CCXCVIII–CCCXIII · Contents · 42. Appendix I–XII →