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I will here end this King's Reign, with a short Relation of this great Dukes Ambition, and the King's Death.
Sir Rich. Baker, pag. 445.THe Duke of Northumberland, having procured the cutting off the Proctor's Head, and being placed next the King, had now gone a great way in his Design: It
only remaining to perswade King Edward to exclude his two Sisters from Succession in the Crown. For, that done, his Daughter-in-law, the Lady Jane, would come to have Right: for, as to Pretenders out of Scotland, or any other, he made no great matter.
And now to work the King to this perswa∣sion, being in a languishing Condition, not far from Death) he inculcates to him, how much it concerned him, to have a care of Religion, that it might be preserved in Purity, not only in his own Life, but also after his Death: which would not be, if his Sister, the Lady Mary, should Succeed; and She could not be put by, unless the other Sister, the Lady Elizabeth, were put by also; seeing their Rights depended one upon another. But if he pleased to Appoint the Lady Jane, the Duke of Suffolk's eldest Daughter, and his own next Kinswoman to his Sisters, to be his Successor, he might then be sure, that the True Religion should be maintain∣ed, to God's great Glory; and be a worthy Act of his Religious Prudence.
This was to strike upon the right string of the young King's Affections; with whom nothing was so dear, as Preservation of Religion: And thereupon his Last Will was appointed to be drawn, (contrived chiefly by the Lord Chief Justice Mountague, and Secretary Cecil): By which Will, as far as in him lay, he excluded his Two Sisters from the Succession, and all others,
but the Duke of Suffolk's Daughters: And then causing it to be read before his Council, he re∣quired them all to Assent unto it, and to Sub∣scribe their Hands: which they All, both No∣bility, Bishops, and Judges did; only the Arch∣bishop, Cranmer, refused at first; Sir James Hales, a Judge of the Common-Pleas, to the last; and with them also Sir John Baker, Chan∣cellor of the Exchequer.
His Will being thus made, he shortly after dies; conceived to have been Poysoned. It is noted by some (saith Sir Richard Baker) That he died the same Month, and the day of the Month, that his Father King Henry the Eighth, had put Sir Thomas Moor to death. Thus of this Duke, and the Kings Death.
We will now give an Account of the Years when these changes were made.
IN the First year, a Reformation was resolved on: and to prepare the way for it, Injuncti∣ons were set out, and Commissioners sent into all parts of the Kingdom, to enquire into all Ec∣clesiastical Concernments. With them also were sent Preachers; to disswade the People from their former practices in Religion. And this to prepare the way, for the total Alteration in Religion, which was intended. There was likewise a Parliament called, to promote, and confirm the same Designs.
In the Second year, Images were taken down, and many Ancient Customs abolished; and a Book of Common-Prayer composed. All Col∣leges, Hospitals, &c. were given to the King.
In the Third year, a part of Pauls, and many Churches, were pulled down, to build Som∣merset House in the Strand. There were great Troubles and Commotions, both in Church, and State. The Book of Common-Prayer, composed in the former year, was now set out. Peter Martyr, and Bucer, came over.
In the Fourth year, one John a Lasco, a Po∣lonian, with his Sectaries, settled themselves here.
The great business of this year, was the taking down of Altars.
Until this following Fifth year, nothing had been Positively, and Dogmatically concluded in Points of Doctrine. Wherefore to set a stop to the great Confusions, that were at this time, there was a Book of Articles composed. And to satisfie the Calvinists, ther was a New Book of Common-Prayer set forth.
In the Sixth year, Hopkins Psalms be∣gan to be sung in Churches: And the use of the New Common-Prayer-Book made strange Alterations; but all in order to Calvin's designs: who had a chief hand in composing it.
In the Seventh year, the King is found to be extremely engaged in Debt: and under Colour of satisfying such Debts, great spoyl is made of the Treasures of the Church.
Thus you have had a short Relation of the strange Confusions, and Alterations of Religion, which happened in the few years Reign of this King.