openly condemned by the resolute opposition of a person universally esteemed both for his piety and learning. And in reality one single person of Sir Thomas Moore's or bishop Fisher's unspotted character, gives a greater reputation to a cause wherein conscience and religion are concerned, and is a more solid proof of the justice of it, than a thousand temporiz. ing mercenary souls, whose actions appear manifestly to be the fruit of their interested hopes and fears.

"Most true it is," says Dr. Heylin, "that it was something of the latest before king Henry cast his eye on the lands of bishoprics, though there were some, who thought the time long till they fell upon them. Concerning which there goes a story, that after the court harpies had devoured the greatest part of the spoil, which came by the suppression of abbeys, they began to seek some other way to satiate that greedy appetite, which the divisions of the former booty had left unsatisfied; and for the satisfying whereof they found not any thing as necessary as the bishop's lands. This to effect, Sir Thomas Seymour is employed as the fittest man, being in favour with the king, and brother to queen Jane his most beloved and best wife; and having opportunity of access unto him, as being one of his privy chamber; and he not having any good affection to archbishop Cranmer, desired that the experiment would be tried on him. And therefore took his time to inform the king, that my lord of Canterbury did nothing but fell his

woods, letting long leases for great fines, and making havock of the royalties of his archbishopric to raise thereby a fortune for his wife and children. Withal he acquainted the king that the archbishop kept no hospitality in respect of such a large revenue; and that in the opinion of many wise men, it were more convenient for the bishops to have a sufficient yearly stipend out of the exchequer, than to be so encumbered with temporal royalties; being so great a hindrance to their studies and pastoral charge. And that the lands and royalties being taken to his majesty's use would afford him, besides the said yearly stipends, a great yearly income.

"The king considering of it, could not think fit, that such a plausible proposition, as taking to himself the lands of the bishops should be made in vain, only he was resolved to prey farther off and not to fall upon the spoil too near the court, for fear of having more partakers in booty than might stand with his profit. And to this end he deals with Holgate, preferred not long before from Landaff to the see of York; from whom he takes at one time no fewer than seventy manors and townships of good old rent, giving him in exchange to the fike yearly value certain impropriations, pensions, tithes and portions of tithes; but all of an extended rent, which had accrued to the crown by the fall of abbeys. He dismembered also by these arts certain manors from the see of London, and others in like manner from hte see of Canterbury; but not without some

reasonable compensation for them. And although, by reason of his death, which followed soon after, there was no farther alienation made in his time of the church's patrimony, yet having opened such a grasp, and discovered this secret that the sacred patrimony might be alienated with so little trouble, the courtiers of king Edward's time would not be kept from breaking violently into it, and making up their own fortunes in the spoil of bishopricks. So impossible a thing it is for the ill example of princes not to find followers in all ages, especially where profit and preferment may be furthered by it."

SECTION X.

The Reformation carried on in the reign of Edward VI. and the true motives of it.

I have now done with king Henry's reign, whom a merry Protestant writer styles the postillion of the Reformation. I presume this author thought fit to allot him so mean a part, in punishment of his not carrying on the Reformation any thing considerably farther than the bare discarding of the Pope. For after he had done that useful piece of service, and opened so wide a gap for a thorough godly Reformation, it was expected by most, that he

But he disap

would have proceeded farther. pointed their expectations and continued in most things a zealous papist to the very last. Nay, he took care before his death to leave his young successor, Edward VI. in the hands of such persons as he had reason to think were cordially affected to the six famous articles published by him in defence of the ancient faith, since they had all made public profession of them during his life. But as soon as he was dead, they wisely remembering the old proverb, that a dead dog cannot bite, the terrible Henry, who a little before had made them all tremble with a frown, was no more regarded than the meanest of those he had sent before him to the other world; and his will, which till then had been arbitrary, was laid aside like an old coat worn thread bare. The truth of the matter is, that as long as king Henry lived, none could hope for any share in his favour or the plunder of religious houses, without conforming at least in outward appearance to the religion himself professed. Nay, he was such a persecutor of non-conformists, that all convicted Lutherans and Zuinglians were sure to be punished with death. Insomuch, that king Henry's last queen was herself in imminent danger of losing her head, upon a bare suspicion of being addicted to Lutheranism. But after his death, there appeared immediately a new scene, and a change of religion was resolved upon as a necessary expedient to serve the ends of those court-harpies who were still gaping after more booty.

As to the king, he is but just of an age to begin to learn his catechism. So you may easily guess he had his lesson taught him. Yet to the shame of the Reformation, he was solemnly declared the supreme head of the Church of England in spirituals; that is, supreme head of controversies in religion, and the source of all ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the realm. Insomuch, that in the first year of his reign, there passed an act entitled, an act for the election of bishops, and what seals and styles shall be used by spiritual persons, &c. Concerning which act Dr. Heylin writes thus, p. 54: “In the composing of this act," says he, "there was more danger couched than at first appeared. By the last branch thereof it was plain and evident, that the intent of the contrivers was, by degrees, to weaken the authority of the episcopal order, by forcing them from their strong hold of divine institution, and making them no other than the king's ministers only, or his ecclesiastical sheriffs (as a man might say) to execute his will, and disperse his mandates. And of this act such use was made, that the bishops of those times were not in a capacity of conferring orders, but as they were thereunto empowered by a special license."

The tenor whereof, if Sanders may be believed, was in these words, to wit: The king, to such or such a bishop, greeting; whereas all and all manner of jurisdiction, as well ecclesiastical as civil, flows from the king as from the supreme head of all the body, &c. We