of the same church belonging and appertaining; and shall have power from time to time to visit, repress, redress, reform, order, correct, restrain, and amend all such errors, heresies, abuses, offences, contempts and enormities, whatsoever they be, which, by any manner of spiritual authority or jurisdiction, may lawfully be reformed, repressed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrained, or amended, most to the pleasure of Almighty God, the increase of virtue in Christ's religion, and for the conservation of the peace, unity, and tranquility of this realm; any usage, custom, foreign laws, foreign authority, prescription, or any other thing to the contrary notwithstanding." It would have been strange if kings of Tudor and Stuart blood had not been able to use such an instrument as this with terrible effect; and our history will shew that they did not forget to use it. Dr. Burn says of it :— "There was no branch of sovereignty with which the princes of this realm, for above a century after the Reformation, were more delighted than that of being the supreme head of the church, imagining (as it seemeth) that all that power which the Pope claimed and exercised (so far as he was able) was, by the statutes abrogating the papal authority, annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. . . . And those princes of this realm above mentioned seem to have considered themselves plainly as popes in their own dominions." Henry's Reformation, as might have been expected, was a very incongruous one. The church of which he was the head was a strange medley of Romanism and Protestantism, in which the former predominated, and it was moulded and fashioned according to his own imperious will. "The light shined in the midst of the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." On the death of Henry, Protestant opinions were still further developed, and during the short reign of his son Edward VI., the doctrines of the reformers were set forth and encouraged; but when this reign came to an untimely close, a fierce storm of persecution fell upon the professors of the evangelical faith-a storm which Englishmen are never likely to forget. 1553. Mary owed her throne in no small degree to the piety and loyalty of the Protestant people of Suffolk. They believed her to be the rightful heir to the crown, and aided her effectually in asserting her right, stipulating only as the price of their services that they should be unmolested in the exercise of their religion.* But Mary kept no faith with heretics, and during her reign many martyrs in these two counties sealed their testimony with their blood; first among whom was Dr. Rowland Taylor, who was burnt on Aldham Common, near Hadleigh. In 1555, Robert Samuel, minister of East Bergholt, was burnt at Ipswich; and Nicholas Peke, of Earl Stonham, about the same time. In the following year, Anne Potter and Joan Trunchfield were burnt at Ipswich; and in 1558, Alexander Gouch and Alice Driver were also burnt in the same town. In 1556 Thomas Spicer, John Denny, and Edmund Poole, were burnt at Beccles; in the following year Simon Miller, Elizabeth Cooper, and Cicely Ormes, were burnt at Norwich; and John Noyes in the same year at Laxfield. The Norwich records also inform us that in 1556 William Carman of Hingham was burnt in Lollard's pit as an obstinate heretic, and having in his possession a bible, a testament, and three psalters, in the English tongue. Richard Crashfield of Wymondham was also burnt in the same place, in the same year; and shortly afterwards Thomas Carman, William Seaman, and Thomas Hudson; and in 1558, on July 10th, Richard Yeoman, a devout old minister, was burnt, who was seventy years of age, and had been curate to Dr. Taylor of Hadleigh. Thus practically and impressively was the lesson taught that men ought at any expense, even that of life itself, to obey God rather than man; and thus earnestly was the seed sown which in after years was to bring forth much fruit to the glory of God. After the death of Edward VI., Lady Jane Grey was called to the throne. The Princess Mary claimed it and wrote to the Council, who replied to her adversely. She raised a party, and Northumberland was sent against her. Mary in the meanwhile withdrew herself into the quarters of Northfolke and Suffolke, and there she keepeth herself close for a space within Fremingham Castle, to whom first of all resorted the Suffolke men; who being alwayes forward in promoting the proceedings of the gospel, promised her their aid and help, so that she would not attempt the alteration of the religion which her brother King Edward had before established by lawes and orders publickly enacted, and received by the consent of the whole realm in that behalfe." She eftsoones agreed with such promise made unto them that no innovation should be made of religion as that no man would or could then have misdoubted her. Being guarded by the power of the Gospellers, she did vanquish the Duke and all that came against her. In consideration whereof, it was (methinks) an heavie word that she answered to the Suffolke men afterwards, which did make supplication unto her Grace to performe her promise: "For somuch (saith she) as you being but members desire to rule your head, you shall one day well perceive that members must obey their head, and not looke to beare rule over the same.' "What she performed on her part, the thing itself and the whole story of this persecution doth testifie."-Foxe. Many Protestants fled from this fierce persecution, and some of them found an asylum at Frankfort, among whom was JOHN BALE, whose name stands first in "Brook's Lives." Не was born at Covehithe in Suffolk, about two miles from Wrentham, November 21st, 1495. He was first sent to the monastery of the Carmelites in Norwich, but, being converted from the errors of the Romish Church, he began openly and fervently to preach the pure gospel of Christ in opposition to them, for which he was imprisoned in Yorkshire and in London. On the publication of the six articles of Henry VIII., he retired into. Germany, where he became intimate with Luther, and commenced his wonderful literary labours. On the accession of Edward VI., he was invited home, and presented to the benefice of Bishopstoke in Hampshire, where he continued his researches and exposed the abominations of monastic life. King Edward made him Bishop of Ossory in Ireland, when he positively refused to be consecrated by the old popish form. On the accession of Mary he was exposed to the fury of the Papists, and his life was in danger. He fled, and after many remarkable experiences retired to Frankfort; there he found other refugees from England, who, having been favoured by the magistrates with the use of one of the churches, agreed upon a form of worship differing from that of the English Church, and more in harmony with that of the reformed churches amongst whom they had found a refuge. In their letter to the exiles at Strasburgh, signed by John Bale, William Whittingham, John Fox (the martyrologist), and fourteen others,* they, say :— "We have a church freely granted to preach God's word purely, to minister the sacraments sincerely, and to execute discipline truly. And as touching our book we will practise it so far as God's word doth assure it, and the state of this country permit." They wrote to other exiles, inviting them to share their privileges; and then upon the arrival of the high-church and ritualistic Dr. Cox, who ever afterwards proved so bitter a foe to Two other of the Frankfort refugees were connected with Norwich. John Pedder who, on his return, had become Canon of Norwich and Rector of Redgrave, and then, on January 1st, 1559-60, Dean of Worcester; and Thomas Sampson, born at Playford, 1517, who on his return from Frankfort, refused the Bishopric of Norwich, and afterwards suffered for his Nonconformity. Both of these sat in the Convocation of 1562, and sided with the Puritan party there.--Athena Cantab. the Puritans, "The Troubles of Frankeford" began. The invited guest soon turned his hosts out of doors, and Bale retired to Basil in Switzerland, where he remained till the death of Mary.* The exiles from England were of two sorts at least. There were Ritualists and Puritans, led respectively by Cox and Knox; and it was at Frankfort, where these two champions met, that the strife between members of the English Church commenced which has not yet ceased to rage. There the overbearing and persecuting spirit which has ever characterized the priestly party shewed itself, and that party gained the ascendency, which it has ever since endeavoured to maintain. The story as it is given in the "History of the Troubles," forcibly reminds us of the words. of the Apostle: "Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free woman;—one born after the flesh, the other by promise. Here is an allegory. As then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now." So it was at Frankfort! so it was when the exiles returned to their native land! and so it is still! But it appears that there were not only High-churchmen and Puritans at Frankfort. We are particularly interested in a statement made by Heylin, who, when speaking of the "Troubles," says:— "A new discipline was devised by Ashley, a gentleman of good note among the laity there, and his party; whereby the superintendency of pastors and elders was laid aside, and the supreme power in all ecclesiastical causes put into the hands of congregations; which gave an original to Independentism, and thereby further disturbance to the Church and peace of Christendom."* We are concerned only with the fact, the reflection on it does not trouble us. We thus find that the three great parties which exist and struggle in our own days-Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and * On his return to England, though Elizabeth had formerly respected and honoured him, he found no favour; his Puritan principles prevented his promotion, and like his old friends Fox, and Coverdale, he was content to take his place amongst the Nonconformists. He died at Canterbury, November, 1563, aged 68 years. + Hist. Ref., Pt. II., 62, 63. |