Memorials of the Most Reverend Father in God, Thomas Cranmer sometime Lord Archbishop of Canterbury wherein the history of the Church, and the reformation of it, during the primacy of the said archbishop, are greatly illustrated : and many singular matters relating thereunto : now first published in three books : collected chiefly from records, registers, authentick letters, and other original manuscripts / by John Strype ...

CHAP. VII. The Arch-bishop visits the Diocess of Norwich.

* 1.1THE Popish Bishops were now at a low ebb; and being under the Frowns of their Prince, other Men took the opportuni∣ties, upon their Slips, to get them punished. A Storm now fell up∣on Richard Nix Bishop of Norwich, a vitious and dissolute Man, as Godwin writes.* 1.2 Against him was a Premunire this Year (25 of Hen. VIII.) brought. That, De tout temps, there had been a Custom in the Town of Thetford in the County of Norfolk, that no Inhabitant of the same Town should be drawn in Plea in any Court Christian

for any Spiritual Causes, but before the Dean in the said Town. And there was a Presentment in the King's Court, before the Mayor of the Town, by twelve Jurors, that there was such a Custom. And be∣side, that whosoever should draw any Man out of the said Town, in any Spiritual Court, should forfeit six shillings and eight pence. The Bishop nevertheless cited the Mayor to appear before him, pro Salute animae: And upon his appearance libelled for that Cause, and enjoined him, upon pain of Excommunication, not to admit the said Presentment. And whenas the Bishop could not deny his Fact, Judgment was given, that he should be out of the King's Protection, his Goods and Chattels forfeited, and his Body in Prison during the King's Pleasure. For which he had the King's Pardon. Which was afterwards confirmed in Parliament.

This Bishop's Diocess was now in such disorder,* 1.3 that the Arch-bishop instituted a Visitation of that See; wherein William May LL. D. was the Arch-bishop's Commissary. The 28th of Iuly, the Bishop was called and summoned to appear, but appeared not: And so was pronounced Contumax.* 1.4 But at another meeting he sent Dr. Cap his Proctor, by whom he made a Protestation against their Doings and Jurisdiction; and that it was not decent for that Reverend Father to appear before him, the Arch-bishop's Official. However at ano∣ther meeting, the Bishop not appearing at the Time and Place ap∣pointed, Dr. May declared him obstinate, and to incur the Penalty of Obstinacy. After this the Bishop, by his Proctor, was willing to submit to obey Law, and to stand to the Command of the Church, and to do Penance for his said Contumacy, to be enjoined by the Arch-bishop, or his Commissary. At another Court the Bishop appeared in Person, and then shewed himself willing to take the said Commissary for Visitor, or any other in the Name of the Arch-bishop of Canter∣bury. This Bishop was now fourscore Years old, and blind, as appears by a Writing of his sent by his Proctor, dated Septemb. 1534. He died two Years after, and came in to be Bishop in the Year 1500.

This Bishop seems to have made himself very odious in his Diocess,* 1.5 by his Fierceness and Rigors against such as were willing to be better informed in Religion; whom he would stile Men savouring of the Frying-pan. He seized such Books as were brought from beyond-Sea, of which sort there were now many, which tended to lay open the Corruptions of the Church; and especially the New Testament, which he could not endure should be read. And when some of these commonly gave out, that it was the King's Pleasure that such Books should be read, he sent up studiously by the Abbot of Hyde, to have this shewed to the King; and begged his Letters under his Seal, to be directed to him, or any body else whom the King pleased in his Diocess, to declare it was not his Pleasure such Books should be a∣mong his Subjects, and to punish such as reported it was. He sent also a Letter to Warham then Arch-bishop of Canterbury, making his Complaint and Information to him, desiring him to send for the said Abbot, who should tell him what his Thoughts were for the sup∣pression of these Men; and intreating the Arch-bishop to inform the King against these erroneous Men, as he called them. Some part of his Diocess was bounded with the Sea, and Ipswich and Yarmouth,

and other Places of considerable Traffick, were under his Jurisdicti∣on.* 1.6 And so there happened many Merchants and Mariners, who by Converse from Abroad, had received knowledg of the Truth, and brought in divers good Books. This mightily angred the zealous Bi∣shop, and he used all the Severity he could to stop the Progress of Evangelical Truth, and wished for more Authority from the King to punish it; for his Opinion was, that if they continued any time, he thought they would undo them all, as he wrote to the Arch-bishop. This Letter is in the Appendix.* 1.7

Bishops Consecrated.

April the 19th, the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, invested in his Pontificals,* 1.8 consecrated Thomas Goodrick, Doctor of Decrees, Bishop of Ely, in his Chappel at Croydon; together with Rowland Lee, Doctor of Law, Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry; and Iohn Salcot, alias Capon, Doctor of Law, Bishop of Bangor: being assisted by Iohn Bishop of Lincoln, and Christopher Bishop of Sidon.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Premunire brought a∣g••••nst Bishop Nix.
• * 1.2

  Cotton Libra••. Cleop. F. 1.
• * 1.3

  The Arch-bishop visit•• this Bishop's See.
• * 1.4

  Cranmer's Reg.
• * 1.5

  The Bishop of Norwich a Pe••∣secutor.
• * 1.6

  An. 1535.
• * 1.7

  N^o. XII.
• * 1.8

  Goodrick Lee, and Salcot con∣secrated Bi∣shops.