A briefe view of the state of the Church of England as it stood in Q. Elizabeths and King James his reigne, to the yeere 1608 being a character and history of the bishops of those times ... / written ... by Sir John Harington ..., Knight.

And first of Mr. PARKER.

WHen I consider with my selfe the hard beginning, though more prosperous successe of the reformed Church of England, me thinks it may be compa∣red to a foughten battell; in which some Captaines and Souldiers, that gave the first charge, either died in the field, or came bleeding home; but such as fol∣lowed, putting their enemies to flight, remained quiet and victorious. Or I may more fitly (without offence) liken that to the successe of them of the Primitive Church, wherein the Apostles and their immediatc Successors were one while honoured and magnified, by their fol∣lowers

the Christians; As St. Peter, at whose feet the believers layd down all their goods; and St. Paul, who was re∣ceived as an Angel of God; another while tormented, and persecuted, by Jews and Heathen; as the same Apostles, whip∣ped by Jewes; hanged and headed by the Romans; sometimes (I say) a Centurion, a Lieutenant•• a Proconsull favouring them; straight a Priest, a Scribe, and a Lawyer promooting against them. A few of Caesars houshold wishing well unto them, and believing them. But the Caesars themselves for 300 yeeres (except a very few) detesting and suppressing them. For in such sort Cranmer, Ridley, La∣timer, Hooper, Rogers, Coverdale, and many others enduring great conflicts in those variable times of King Henry the Eighth, King Edward, and Queen Mary, suffering by fire, by imprisonment, banish∣ment, losse and deprivation, with many fights, many flights and many frights for their conscience sake; those that died had the glory of valiant Souldiers, and worthy Martyrs; such as survived, have since in a long and happy peace, enjoyed the comfort of their victory, and are like still to hold the same, if some muti∣nous

souldiers of their own camp, doe not by disturbing the peace at home, give heart to the enemy abroad. Among the surveyors of these first Leaders, that past so many pikes, the first in time, and the highest in place, was Doctor Matthew Parker, (who, as by this Author is noted) having lost all his Livings for his marri∣age, now being made Archbishop of Can∣terbury, dissembled not his marriage, as Cranmer in King Henry the eighths time, was found to doe; which, because some have taken occasion to note with too black inke, to exclude him from the re∣putation of a rubricated Martyr; and have cited the testimony of his sonnes widdow yet living, that she was carried in a trunk, and by misfortune almost stifled, by being set by an ignorant Porter with her head downward; which tale goes very current among the Papists. I can truly affirme, that this is a meere fiction, for I have exa∣mined the Gentlewoman her selfe (being of kin to my wife, and a Rogers by name) and she hath sworn to me, she never re∣ported, nor ever her selfheard, of any such misfortune.

But now though this Arch-Bishop (Parker) dissembled not his Marriage,

yet Queen Elizabeth would not dissem∣ble her dislike of it. For whereas it pleased her often, to come to his house, in respect of her favour to him (that had been her Mothers Chaplain) being once above the rest greatly feasted; at her parting from thence, the Arch-bishop and his Wife being together, she gave him very speciall thanks, with gratious and honourable termes, and then looking on his Wife, and you (saith she) Madam, I may not call you, and Mrs. I am ashamed to call, you so as I know not what to call you, but yet I do thank you.

It is true, she misliked Marriage in Bi∣shops, and was not very forward to al∣low that, in some of the Layety; for I knew one of good place about her, that had contracted himself to a rich Wid∣dow, and yet would not adventure to marry her, till he had gotten the Queen to write, for that, which he had obtained before, to the intent, that the Queen re∣puting that as her benefit, might not dis∣like with her own act. But for Clergy men, caeteris paribus, and sometime impa∣ribus too, she prefer'd the single man, be∣fore the married.