Hereby not favouring their error, but expressing his indignation against such clergymen, who by an open bad life gave occasion to this suspicion. 22. He said, That the colleges in England, which are large and stately, hinder good literature, and are receptacles of idle people; nor did he much regard the publick schools, because their ambition and gain did corrupt the sincerity of all old discipline. As he did much approve of secret confession* (professing that he never had so much comfort from any thing as that) so he much condemned anxiety in it, and repetition. Whereas it is the custom in England for priests to consecrate the host, and receive it almost every day; he was content to sacrifice on Sundays and holidays, or some few days beside; either to gain more time for his sacred studys, and fit himself the better for his pulpit-employments, and the business of his cathedral; or because he found that his devotion had a greater edg, when it was sharpened with intervals and yet he would not condemn them who were minded to come to the Lord's table every day. Though he was a very learned man himself, yet he did not prize that anxious and laborious sort of wisdom, which is fully attained by knowledg of several sciences, and reading a multitude of books; saying oft, that the native sound constitution of men's parts, and the sincerity of their wit, was lost thereby; and that they rather got a learned sort of madness, than any true incentive to Christian innocence, simplicity, and charity. 23. He attributed very much to the epistles of the holy apostles; but when he compared them with that wonderful majesty which is to be found in our Saviour's own sayings and sermons, he thought them somewhat dry. He had very ingeniously reduced almost all the sayings of Christ to ternaries, and intended to write a book of them. He wondred that Roman priests should be forced to say so many prayers every day; nay though they are much employed, whether at home or in a journey; but he much approved of the performing divine service magnificently. He dissented from innumerable opinions now commonly received in the schools, in which he would sometimes tell his mind to his 4 Secret confession.] See what is said below by bishop Latimer, in the Life of Thomas Bilney, of what he learnt, from having been asked while he was yet "as obstinate a papist as any was in England," to hear Bilney's confession. See Index, under Confession, private. VOL. I. G g friends, but say nothing to others, lest he should incur a double inconvenience, viz. lose his own credit, and do them no good, perhaps harm. There was no book so heretical that he was not willing to read over attentively, professing that sometimes he advantaged himself more by such than by their works who determine every question which they handle in such a manner, that they often flatter their leaders, and sometimes themselves. 24. He endured not that any one should, in speaking fluently, be guided altogether by the precepts of grammar (that, he said, oft hindered one from speaking well) but by his reading the best authors. Which opinion brought its own punishment along with it; for tho he had eloquence both by nature and education, and had wonderful store of matter in his head when he began to make a speech, yet he oft tripped in those things which criticks are wont to take notice of. And thereupon I suppose he abstained from writing books, which I wish he had not done; for I heartily desire the meditations or works of this man, in what language soever they are penned. 25. And now, lest you should think any thing wanting to the complete piety of Dr. Colet, in the last place hear his afflictions. He never agreed well with his bishop, who (to say nothing of his manners,) was a superstitious and stubborn Scotist, and thereupon thought himself half a god. Of which sort of men, though I know some whom I will not call knaves, yet I never saw one whom I thought I might truly term a Christian. Neither was the doctor acceptable to most of his own college, because he was very tenacious of regular discipline; and the prebends complained that he used them as if they were monks; and so indeed that college was anciently, and in old records is called the Eastern Monastry; as West-monasterium means the Western Monastry. 26. But when the old bishop's (for he was fourscore years of age) hatred grew too high to be smothered, the fire broke out; and adjoining two other bishops, as wise and virulent as himself, he began to trouble Dr. Colet, exhibiting articles against him to the archbishop of Canterbury, taken out of his sermons. 1. That he said, images were not to be worshipped. 2. That preaching upon that passage in the gospel, Feed, feed, feed my sheep, he expounded the first by good example, the second by sound doctrine, (as other 5 His bishop.] Richard Fitz James, bishop of London, who had previously filled the sees of Rochester and Chichester. expositors do,) but in the third he differed from them: denying that the apostles, who were poor men, were commanded to feed their sheep with temporal revenue, because they had none of it themselves: and he named somewhat else in this third place. Lastly, that by blaming those that read all or most of their sermons (which I confess many do now in England very coldly) he had obliquely taxed his diocesan, who being a very old man was wont to do so. The archbishop being well acquainted with Colet's excellencies, received the articles; but instead of being his judg, became his advocate. 27. Yet the old man's fury did not end so, but strove to incense the court against him, especially king Henry VIII. himself; because the doctor had said in a sermon, That an unjust peace was to be preferred before a most just war: which sermon was preached in that nick of time, when the king was raising forces against the French. Two Minim friars were the chief men that managed this business; whereof one was an incendiary of the war, (for which he deserved a bishoprick,) the other, with a pair of huge lungs, declaimed in his sermons against poets, thereby aiming at Colet, who though he had skill in music, yet was in truth averse from poetry. 28. Here the king (who was an excellent person in his youth) gave an evident proof of his royal parts, exhorting Colet privately to go on in his preaching, freely to tax the corrupt manners of that age, and not to withdraw his light in those most dark times; adding, that he knew very well what incensed the bishops so highly against him, and how much good Colet had done by his divine life and holy doctrine to the English church and nation. 6 6 To the English church.] I give here a large extract from an ancient English translation of a Latin sermon preached by Colet before the Convocation, in the year 1511. It is valuable as putting us in possession of the sentiments of a reflecting and ingenuous mind, on the state of church affairs in England, at the time when the crisis of the Reformation began to draw near. "This reformation and restoring of the churches estate must needes begynne of you our fathers, and so folowe in us your priestes, and all the Unto clergye: you are our heades; you are an example of lyving unto us. you we looke as unto markes of our direction. In you and in your lyfe we desyre to rede as in lyvely bokes howe and after what facion we maye lyve. Wherefore if you will loke and ponder upon oure mottis (motes), fyrste take awaye the blockes out of your own eyes. Hit is an olde proverbe : Physi Lastly, that he would so curb their endeavours, that it should appear to the world, whoever troubled Colet should not escape tion heale thyselfe. You spiritual physitions fyrst taste you this medicine of purgation of manners: and than after offer in the same to taste. "The waye whereby the churche may be reformed into better facion is nat for to make newe lawes. For there be lawes many inowe, and out of nombre: as Salomon saith, Nothynge is new under the sonne. For the evils that are now in the churche were before in tyme paste, and there is no faute but that our fathers have provyded verye good remedyes for it. There be no trespaces but that there be lawes against them in the body of the canon lawe. Therefore hit is no nede that newe lawes and constitutions be made; but that those that are made all redye be kepte: wherefore in this assembley let those lawes that are made be called before you and rehersed. Those lawes, I restrayne vice and those that furder vertue. say, that "Fyrste, let those lawes be rehersed that do warne you fathers that ye put not over soone youre handes on every man or admitte into holy orders. For this is the well of evils, that the brode gate of holy orders opened, everye man that offereth hym selfe is all where admitted without pullynge back. Thereof spryngeth and cometh out the people that are in the churche both of unlerned and evyll pristes. "Hit is nat inoughe for a priste (after my jugement) to construe a collette, to put forth a question, or to answer to a sopheme, but moche more a good, a pure, and a holy life, approved maners, metely lernynge of holye Scripture, some knowlege of the sacramentes; chiefly and above all thynge the feare of God and love of the hevenly lyfe. "Lette the lawes be rehersed that commaunde that benefices in the churche be given to those that are worthye, and that promocyons be made in the churche by the ryghte balaunce of vertue, nat by carnall affection, nat by the acception of persones, wherebye it happeneth nowe a dayes that boyes for old men, fooles for wise men, evyll for goode, do reygne and rule. 66 Lette the lawes be rehersed that warreth agaynst the spotte of symonie. The whiche corruption, the whiche infection, the whiche cruell and odible pestilence, so crepeth now a brode, as the canker evyll, in the minds of pristes, that many of them are not aferde now adayes both by prayer and service, rewardes and promesses to get them great dignities. "Lette the lawes be rehersed that commande personall resydence of curates in theyr churches. For of this many evyls growe: by cause all things now adayes are done by vicaries and parysshe pristes, yea and those foolish also and unmete, and often tymes wicked, that seke none other thynge in the people than foule lucre, whereof cometh occasion of evyll heresies and yl Christendome in the people. "Lette be rehersed the lawes and holye rules given of fathers of the lyfe and honestye of clerkes: that forbydde that a clerke be no marchant, that he be no userer that he be no hunter; that he be no common player, that he bere no weapon. "The lawes that forbydde clerkes to haunte tavernes, that forbydde them unpunished. Hereupon Colet humbly thanked the king for his royal favour, but beseeched him not to do so, professing that he to have suspect familiaritie with women: the lawes that commaunde sobernes and a measurablenes in apparyle and temperance in adornynge of the bodye. "Let be rehersed also to my lordes these monkes, chanons, and religious men, the lawes that commaunde them to go the strayte way that leadeth unto heaven, leavynge the brode way of the worlde; that command them not to tourmoyll themselves in business, nother secular nor other: that commaunde that they serve nat in princis courts for earthen thynges: for it is in the councel of Calcidinens, that monkes ought onely to gyve themselfe to prayer and fastynge, and to the chastening of their fleshe, and observynge of their rules. "Above all thynges let the lawes be rehersed that pertayne to and concerne you, my reverent fathers and lordes bysshops: laws of your juste and canonical election, in the chaptres of your churches with the callynge of the Holy Goste. For by cause that is nat done now a dayes, and by cause prilates are chosen often more by favor of men than by the grace of God; therefore truly have we nat a fewe tymes byshops full litell spirituall men, rather worldly than hevenly, savoring more the spirite of this world than the spirite of Christe. : : "Lette the lawes be rehersed of the resydence of byshops in their diocesis ; that commaunde that they loke diligently and take hede to the helthe of soules that they sowe the worde of God; that they shew them selfe in their churches at the least on great holye dayes. That they do sacrifice for their people. That they here the causes and matters of poure men, that they susteine fatherles children and widowes; that they exercise themselfe in workes of vertue. "Let the lawes be rehersed of the good bestowynge of the patrimony of Christe. The lawes that commande that the goodes of the churche be spent, nat in costly bylding, nat in sumptuous apparel and pompis, nat in feastynge and bankettynge, nat in excesse and wantonnes, nat in enrichynge of kynsfolke, nat in kepynge of dogges, but of thynges necessarye and profitable to the churche. For whan Saynt Augustyne, some tyme bysshoppe of Englande, did aske the pope Gregorie howe that the bysshops and prelates of Englande shulde spende theyr goodes that were the offeringes of faythful people; the said pope answered (and his answere is put in the Decrees in the xii. chap. and seconde question) that the goodes of bysshops ought to be devyded into foure partes, whereof one parte oughte to be to the bysshoppe and his householde: another to his clerkes: the third to repayre and upholde his tenementes: the fourthe to the poore people. 66 Let the lawes be rehersed, ye and that often tymes, that take awaye the filthes and unclenlines of courtes; that take awaye those daylye new faunde craftes for lucre; that besy them to pull away this foule covetousnes, the whiche is the spring and cause of all evils, the whiche is the well of all iniquitie. "At the laste lette be renewed those lawes and constitutions of fathers of the celebration of councels, that commaunde provincial councels to be aftener |