Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

A remembrance of certaine matters, appoynted by the Counsaile, to be declared by Doctor Hopton to the Ladie Maries grace, for answer to her for∣mer letter, which said Hopton was after shee came to her raigne B. of Norwiche.

Her grace wryteth, that the lawe made by Parlament, is not woorthy the name of a lawe, meaninge the sta∣tute for the Communion. &c.

You shall say thereto.

THe fault is great in any subiect to disallow a law of the king, a Lawe of a Realme, by long studie, free disputa∣tion, and vniforme determination of the whole Cleargie, consulted, debated, and concluded. But the greater fault is in her grace, being nexte of any subiect in bloude and estate to the kings Maiestie her brother and good Lorde, to geue example of disobedience, being a subiecte, or of vnnatural∣nesse, being his Maiesties sister, or of neglecting the pow∣er of the crowne, shee being by limitation of lawe nexte to the same. The example of disobedience is most perilous in this time, as shee can wel vnderstand, her vnkindnesse re∣steth in the kinges owne acceptation, the neglecting of the power, before God is answereable, and in the worlde tou∣cheth her honour.

The executours, shee sayth, were sworne to king Henrie the eight his lawes.

You shall say.

It is true, they were sworne to him, his Lawes, hys heires, and successours, which oth they duely obserue, and should offend if they should breake any one iote of y^e kings lawes nowe being, without a dispensation by a lawe, and herein her grace shall vnderstand, that it is no lawe, which is dissolued by a law: Neither may her grace do that iniu∣rie to the kinges Maiestie her brother, to diminish his au∣thoritie so farre, that he may not by the free cōsent of a ••ar∣lament, amend and alter vnprofitable lawes, for the num∣ber of inconueniences which hereof mighte folowe, as her grace with consideration may well perceiue.

Offence taken by the sending for of her officers.

You shall say.

If her grace consider the firste letters of that purpose, they will declare our good meaning to her, and our gentle vsage, requiring the presence of her trusty seruant, because shee might geue more trust to our message.

Her house is her flocke.

You shall say.

It is well liked her grace shoulde haue her house or flock, but not exempt from the Kings orders: neither may there be a flocke of the kings subiects, but such as wil hear and folowe the voice of the king their shepheard. God dis∣aloweth it, law and reason forbiddeth it, pollicie abhorreth it, and her honour may not require it.

Her grace deferreth her obedience to the kings lawe, till his Maiestie be of sufficient yeares.

You shall say.

Shee coulde in no one saying more disallow the autho∣ritie of the king, the maiestie of his crowne, and the state of the Realme. For heerein shee suspendeth hys kingdome, and esteemeth his authoritie by his age, not by his right and title. Her grace must vnderstande he is a King by the ordinaunce of God, by descent of Royall bloude, not by the numbering of his yeares.

As a creature subiecte to mortalitie, hee hathe youthe, and by Gods grace shall haue age: but as a Kinge he hath

no difference by dayes and yeares. The Scripture plainly declareth it, not only young children to haue ben kings by Gods speciall ordinaunce, but also (whiche is to be noted) to haue had best successe in their raigne, and the fauour of God in theyr proceedinges. Yea, in their first yeares haue they most purely refourmed the Church and state of Reli∣giō. Therfore her grace hath no cause thus to diminish his maiesties power, and to make him as it were no king vn∣til she thinke him of sufficient yeares. Wherin howe much his maiestie may be iustly offended, they be sorie to thinke.

Shee saith, shee is subiecte to none of the Counsaile.

You shall say.

If her grace vnderstandeth it of vs in that acceptation as we be priuate men, and not counsailours, sworne to the kings maiesty, we knowledge vs not to be superiors: but if shee vnderstande her wryting of vs as Counsailors and magistrates, ordained by his maiestie, her grace muste be contented to thinke vs of authority sufficient by the reason of our office to chalēge a superioritie, not to rule by priuate affection: but by Gods prouidence, not to our estimation, but to the kings honour, and finally to encrease the kings estate with our counsaile, our dignitie and vocation: and we think her grace wil not forget the saying of Salomon, in the 6. chapter of the booke of Wisedome, to mooue a king to rule by counsaile and wisedome, and to builde his estate vpon them. Wherefore her grace must be remembred, the kings Maiesties pollitike body is not made onely of hys owne Royall material body, but of a Counsaile, by whom his maiestie ruleth, directeth, and gouerneth hys Realme. In the place of which Counsaile her grace is not ignorant, that we be set and placed. Wherfore the reputation she shal geue vs, shee shall geue it to the kings honor, & that which shee shall take from vs, shee shall take from his Maiestie, whose maiestie wee thinke if it might take encrease of ho∣nour, as God geueth a daily abundance, it should receiue rather encrease from her beinge his Maiesties sister, then thus any abatement.

Shee receiued maister Arundel, and maister Englefelde.

You shall say.

All the Counsaile remembreth well her refusall to haue her house charged w^t any more number, alleaging the smal proportion for her charge, and therefore it was thought to come of their earnest suite, meaning to be priuiledged sub∣iectes from the lawe, then of her desire, which refused very often to encrease her number. Their cautel the king might not suffer, to haue his law disobeied, their countreis where they shoulde serue by them to be destitute, and hauing bene seruantes to his maiestie, the circumstances of their depar∣ture might in no wise be liked.

Shee refused to heare anye man to the contrarye of her opinion.

You shall say.

It is an aunswer more of will then of reason, and ther∣fore her Grace muste bee admonished neither to truste her owne opinion without ground, neither mislike al others. hauing grounde. If hers be good, it is no hurt if shee heare the worse. If it be ill, shee shall doe well to heare the better. Shee shall not alter by hearing, but by hearing the better. And because shee shall not mislike the offer, lette her grace name of learned men whome shee will, and further then they by learning shal prooue, shee shall not be mooued. And so farre it is thought, reason wil compell her grace.

In the ende yee shall say.

The good willes and mindes of the Lorde Protectour and the Counsaile is so muche toward her grace, that how soeuer shee would her selfe in honor be esteemed, how soe∣uer in conscience quieted, yea how soeuer benefited, sauing their dueties to God and the king, they woulde as muche, and in theyr doings (if it please her to prooue it) will be no∣thing inferiours, assuring her grace, that they be moste so∣rie shee is thus disquieted: and if necessitie of the cause, the honour and suretie of the king, and the iudgement of theyr owne conscience mooued them not, thus farre they woulde not haue attempted. But their trust is, her grace wil alow them the more, when she shal perceiue the cause, and thinke no lesse coulde be done by them, where shee prouoked them so farre.

* 1.1¶These and other of like credite, more amply commit∣ted to you in speache, you shal declare to her grace, and further declare your conscience for the allow∣ing of the manner of the Communion, as yee haue plainely professed it before vs.

At Richmund. 14. Iune. 1549.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Note Doctor Hoptons al∣lowance of the communion in those dayes.