THE LIFE AND ACTS OF MATTHEW, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. BOOK II. 51 CHAP. I. The Archbishop's election, confirmation, and consecration. The rites used. The Nag's Head fable: and confutation thereof. The Act of Parliament, 8th Eliz. confirming the consecration. His enthronization: and temporalties restored. His oath. bishop's Now I shall proceed to the investing of Dr. Parker with Anno 1559. his spiritual honour and charge in the metropolitical church The Archof Canterbury: for this, being one of the great and primary election. acts of the Reformation, in the constituting of an orthodox and able Metropolitan, will require some more particular and careful relation; since it was the ground on which stood the validity of the rest of the consecrations and ordinations of the succeeding Bishops and Clergy of this church; and likewise since this very matter hath been, with so much ridicule, malice, and falsehood, represented by divers later Popish writers; as though the consecration of this Archbishop, and other his fellow Bishops, were performed at a tavern or BOOK inn in Cheapside, London, as we shall mention more particularly hereafter. II. Anno 1559. Registr. Several previous things were done in order to the instating our Divine in his high office. First, the said church having been now without a Pastor and Archbishop from the death of Cardinal Pole the last Archbishop, (who died in the night succeeding the day of Queen Mary's death,) the Dean, Dr. Nicolas Wotton, and the Chapter, had by their letters certified the Queen of the same, and humbly besought her to license them to elect a fit person to fill the said see. 52 To which petition and request the Queen condescended; sending to them her letters patents (commonly called congé d'élire) dated at Westminster the 18th day of July, in the first year of her reign, granting them licence to go to election, without naming any person in the said letters, but only requiring them to elect such a person for their Archbishop and Pastor, "who should be devout to God, and useful and "faithful both to her and to her realm." The letters of congé d'élire. A Chapter The tenor of which letters of licence being short, I will here exemplify. Elizabetha Dei gratia Anglia, &c. dilectis nobis in Christo, Decano et Capitulo ecclesiæ metropolitica Cantuar. salutem. Ex parte vestrâ nobis est humiliter supplicatum, ut cum ecclesia predicta per mortem naturalem reverendissimi in Christo Patris et Domini, Domini Reginaldi Pole Cardinalis, ultimi Archiepiscopi ejusdem, jam vacat, et Pastoris sit solatio destituta, alium vobis eligend. in Archiepiscopum et Pastorem, licentiam nostram fundatriam vobis concedere dignaremur; Nos precibus vestris in hac parte favorabiliter inclinata, licentiam illam vobis duximus concedend. Rogantes quod talem vobis eligatis in Archiepiscopum et Pastorem, qui Deo devotus, nobisque et regno nostro utilis et fidelis existat: in cujus rei testimonium, &c. Then in consequence hereupon, the Dean and Chapter hereupon. four days after, that is, on the 22d of July, being capitularly met in the chapter-house, and making a full Chapter, took notice of the Queen's said letters patents, and did in obedience agree upon, and appoint the first day of August I. then next following, to meet again, and proceed to the said CHAP. election. In the mean time Nicolas Sympson, Clerk, by an instrument made by the Dean and Chapter now met, was Anno 1559. appointed their Mandatary, to cite all the Canons and Prebendaries, that had any right to vote in the election, to appear at the Chapter the said first day of August, by affixing citatory letters of schedules in their respective stalls, according to the custom of former times, and the statutes and laudable practice of that church. and Chap The day assigned being come, there appeared personally The Dean with the Dean these Canons, John Mills, Arthur Sentleger, ter elect, William Darrel, and John Butler. The rest were absent, viz. Hugh Turnbul, Richard Fawcet, Ralph Jackson, Rob. Collins, John Knight, Tho. Wood, Nic. Harpsfield: all which were thrice preconized with a loud voice at the chapter-door. But after having been long expected, and not coming, they were for their absence pronounced contumacious by the Chapter, and decreed to incur the pain of contumacy. Then the Dean and Chapter nominated John Incent for their Public Notary, and John Armerar, Clerk, and Gilbert Hyde, Gent. to be witnesses of their said business of election, and what should be done therein by them: and so they went to the election. And considering, what anciently by the right and custom of the said church was to be observed, agreed unanimously, none gainsaying, that of the three ways of election the Dean had propounded to them, they would proceed by the way and form of compromise: and By comprodid own, and all assume and choose that and manner way of electing. And then fixing upon Nic. Wotton, LL. D. their Dean for their Compromissary; and under certain laws and conditions, expressed in the process of the said election, promised him, that they would accept him for their and their church's Archbishop, whom he, under the same laws and conditions, should think fit to be chosen and provided: so that he should name him before he departed out of the chapter-house. Then he, taking upon him this compromission, after mature deliberation, directed his vote upon the venerable and eminent Matthew Parker, D. D. and chose the Dr. Mat. mise, Parker. BOOK same for Archbishop, according to the power and comproII. mission granted him in that behalf: reading publicly a scheAnno 1559. dule to that purpose; viz. The sche tion read. 66 66 "That the election being consented to, to proceed by way dule of elec-❝ of compromise, and that the full and free power, authority, "and special mandate, was yielded and granted to him by "the Chapter, to choose an able and fit person for their Arch"bishop, according to the tenor of the said compromise; "and that he taking the burden of the said compromise upon him, directing his votes towards the said Master 53" Matthew Parker, a man provident and discreet, com"mended for his knowledge of letters, and for his life and manners; a free man, and begotten of lawful matrimony, "of lawful age, and in priestly Orders, and both in spiri"tuals and temporals very circumspect, knowing, willing "and able to protect and defend the rights and liberties of "the said church; for himself, and in place and name of "the whole Chapter, did choose in common the said Master "Matthew Parker, on account of his aforesaid merits, for Archbishop and Pastor of the said cathedral and metropolitical church of Christ in Canterbury, and did provide "him to the same, by virtue of that writing." The Elect declared. Recorded. 66 And then all and singular the Canons and Prebendaries present accepted and approved the said election so made and pronounced by the Dean, and declared the same ratified and accepted by them with all cheerfulness. The election being over, the Dean and Chapter went out of the chapter-house; and entering the choir, the hymn Te Deum was sung solemnly in English by the ministers of the choir. Which being ended, Mr. Darrel, who was appointed by the Chapter for that purpose, did publicly declare and denounce the said election and person elected, before the Clergy and people then and there assembled in a convenient multitude. All these acts of the election were exactly and particularly entered and recorded by John Incent with his own hand, (who was Public Notary of the diocese of Canterbury, by the supreme royal authority,) in these words: Et ego Johannes 1. Incent, &c. i. e. "That he, John Incent, Public Notary, as CHAP. "abovesaid, being assumed and deputed in this present bu"siness of the election, for scribe of the acts, did witness and Anno 1559. "subscribe all the whole public decree or process of the elec"tion, written with his own hand, and made and reduced "into that public and authentic form, [as it stands in the "register,] and subscribed with the addition of his name “and surname, and signed with his own accustomed sign, "with the appension of the common seal of the Dean and Chapter; in faith and testimony of all and singular the "premises; being thereunto especially asked and required." In which express terms he concluded these acts. 66 the Chap Two days after, the said Dean and Chapter by their let- Proxy for ters, named and constituted William Darrel, M. A. one of the Canons mentioned before; Anthony Huse, Esq.; John Clarke, and John Incent, Public Notaries, their Proctors, to act and perform all things for them in this present business. Which letters bore date the 3d of August. These matters thus far despatched, next follows the con- The Elect sent of Dr. Parker to this election; which was done after this consents; manner. On the 6th day of August, in a certain lower room within the manor of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth, and in the presence of a Notary Public, and witnesses, Mr. Darrel, one of the Canons of Canterbury, and Anthony Huse, Esq. exhibited a certain proxy under the common seal of the Chapter to the said Darrel and Huse, and likewise to John Incent, Notary Public; wherein they were made party to the said Dean and Chapter. These presented to the said Master Matthew Parker, there personally present, the process of the election of him made and celebrated, under the original forms of the same: and instantly prayed and required him, that he would please to consent to the said election. To which the said Elect made this answer: "That al"though he judged himself unworthy of so great trust, yet "that he might not seem to resist the Divine will, nor to disobey her Majesty's good pleasure, who had thought fit "to recommend him, though unworthy, to the said Dean and 66 |