III. His direc Vice-Chan 66 BOOK Vice-Chancellor (whom he called his principal officer) should proceed, for the taking punishment upon the disobedient, Anno 1565. and for the restraint and prevention of such exorbitances 197 for the future: and this, "both by virtue of his authority, as "Chancellor of that University, and also on account of his "service with his Prince: which would empower and call "upon him to reform disordered persons in any part of the "realm. Yet notwithstanding, that he had acquainted the Queen with this violation of her ordinances; and that she "was much provoked with the offence they had given her. "And therefore had enjoined him to punish such as were faulty: offering also to him her own princely aid for the "effectual doing of it. Which however he thought fit to "decline, and to make use only of his own lawful power." In short, he directed the Vice-Chancellor to call together tions to the the Heads, and other grave men of the University; and in cellor, his name, for the honour of God, and for the preservation of Christian unity, to charge all, that they should persist in the observation of uniform order in these external things, to make a demonstration of obedience, and render a testimony of unity; and also to prevent the farther decay of the estimation of the ministry, which did daily evidently decay. And that, as for such as had preached against these orders in such a riotous manner, they to be prohibited to preach or read publicly for a time. The ringleaders of those late disturbances in private colleges to have some time allotted them to reform themselves; otherwise to be utterly excluded the University. Notwithstanding, he did permit the Vice-Chancellor and Heads of colleges to use some sharper courses, if they thought fit: but that such as would reform themselves should be gently used. But I had rather the reader should peruse this excellent letter himself, proceeding from a very wise man, as it came from his own pen. It Num. XLI. is in the Appendix. MSS. G. P. And for St. lege. As for St. John's college, where these innovations chiefly began, he ordered the Vice-Chancellor to give a general warning to the President, for the members to reform themselves, and not to persist in their wantonness, at their peril, III. And for Mr. Longworth, the Master, who countenanced CHAP. these irregularities among the scholars, and Mr. Fulk, a preacher, who had taken upon him in a sermon to heat the Anno 1565. minds of the youth against the habits and other usages enjoined; the Chancellor sent for them both up, meaning to deal more roundly with them. And for this course (as he wrote to the Vice-Chancellor in his said letter) he had the attestation of his own conscience, to take up this audacity in the beginning, and the Queen's express commandment, that in nowise her authority should be in this manner violated. The issue was, that Longworth was brought to declare and confess his fault before him; and at his return to Cambridge, to read a paper openly in the college, relating his crime, and promise better to regulate the Fellows and the rest of the scholars of the house. And this paper was subscribed with his own hand. But when he came to read it in his college, how he shuffled, in leaving out words and sentences, and sometimes making alterations, may be seen in the authentic copy thereof in the Appendix. No. XLII. So that it is evident he was not hearty in his confession, Annals of Reform. p. nor promise of endeavour to reform these abuses. Some 442. account hath been given of these matters in the Annals of the Reformation. the Univer A letter in this juncture came to the Chancellor, dated a letter December 12, from Bartholomew Clerk, a learned member from one in of the University, who was afterwards Official of the Arches, sity, complaining of and of whom we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter. these men. In which letter he complained of these men, whom he called Fanatici Superpelliciani et Galeriani, "That they made "such disturbances by their counsels, that the time that be"fore was wont to be taken up in the study of the arts and "sciences was now spent and trifled away in fruitless dispu"tations de lana caprina: blaming those, though otherwise "good and religious men, who first brought in among them "such seminaries. Adding, that they feigned to themselves "unheard-of laws of conscience, and infected many with "their venom, not to say Anabaptistical principles. And " in fine, hearing how busy his Honour was at that time in III. 66 BOOK "preparing good orders for them, entreated him, that he "would be the means of rectifying the exercises of their Anno 1565. " pulpits and theatres, which had sounded a great while "with nothing almost but fond new paradoxes; and put a 198" stop to their controversies, or rather wild errors." Whosoever is minded to read and see the state then of the University may have recourse to this letter, which I have reN°. XLIII. posited in the Appendix. Private practices at Court to Chancellor. CHAP. IV. The Archbishop's care of the University. Withers apologizes for himself to the Archbishop. His compliance; afterwards travels beyond seas. A controversy between Dr. Caius, Master of Caius college, and some of the Fellows, referred to the Archbishop. He is accused to the Archbishop of irreligion and Popery. The Archbishop's displeasure at him. ABOUT this very time our Archbishop received a private letter, as it seems, from Court, that gave him some secret obstruct the intelligence of the practices of certain of the great men and counsellors, to obstruct what the Chancellor was now a doing. To him the Archbishop, December 13, conveyed this letter, to peruse and send him back again: saying, he saw "there "were strange doings among the wiser sort." So extraordinary diligent and pensive was our Archbishop for the reducing of the University, as well as the Clergy, to unity and obedience to the lawful commands of their superiors. Withers promiseth These frequent solicitations and counsels of the Archbishop added new spirit to the Chancellor, and put him upon doing somewhat effectually in order to uniformity in the University. But to return to Withers before mentioned, thus much to wear the appears by a letter of his own writing to the Archbishop; that (besides his making himself noted for setting the University in a combustion, as we shewed before) he drew up сар. IV. certain articles at Cambridge against the square cap and CHAP. surplice which articles, however concealed among his friends, yet soon came to the knowledge of the Archbishop; Anno 1565. for which he was the more offended with him. But Withers made this apology for himself, that those articles were written upon this occasion; that one, whom he took for his very friend, came to him after his return from London, (whither he had been summoned before the Archbishop, as was said before,) and persuaded him not to stick at the cornered cap; promising him, that if he would give him his reasons that moved him, he would cause them to be answered to his satisfaction. And so he wrote those articles, and delivered them to his said friend, requiring him to make good his promise. Another copy of them he lent to one of Trinity hall, that saw them in his chamber, and desired to read them. By the means of one of these two he supposed they came to be communicated to others: and so the Archbishop came acquainted with it by some who thought thereby either to work him displeasure, or to procure themselves favour; as he excused himself to the Archbishop. Before this, the Archbishop, upon his refusal to enter bonds for the wearing of the cornered cap, had inhibited and retrenched him from preaching. But upon better thoughts, when he was come down from London, he was contented to comply to wear it. And on the 24th of May he promised the same to the Archbishop: making this excuse or reason for altering his mind," that the men of Bury (whose offence MS. G. P. Armig. "he chiefly feared) had been earnest in hand with him "rather to wear a cap than to forsake them; promising "never the more to regard it or esteem it for his wearing of it, as was related before." Hence in a journey he took to Ipswich, taking Bury in his way, he gave them two sermons. Which he did, as he said, so much the rather, for that divers of his friends were greatly endangered by bargains which they sold, provoked by the brags of adversaries, to be paid when he preached again in Bury. I find him not long after leaving the nation, and travel- 199 ling beyond sea, sent, as it seems, by the Dissenters, to the Withers travels to Zurich. III. BOOK foreign Churches, as to Geneva. And among other places he visited, he went to Zurich, the famous harbour and sancAnno 1565. tuary for many of the English Protestant scholars in Queen Mary's days: where he became acquainted with those who were their great acquaintance and favourers, viz. Bullinger and Gualter, and had much discourse with them about our Church matters in the year 1567: and they, I am apt to think, satisfied and confirmed him in compliance with the Church's orders. For he was afterwards a parish Minister in England; and though he fully approved not of all the rites, yet submitted to them for peace sake: and was living in the year 1583 at Danbury in Essex, and had the Lord Burghley to his friend, however he might have censured him in former times, when he was the occasion of such a tumult in Cambridge. To the said Lord in that year he wrote a letter against the purpose that was then in hand by Archbishop Whitgift, that all the Clergy should be obliged to subscribe to the Common Prayer Book: as we may have occasion (God granting life and health) to mention more at large in due place. The Archbishop ap During these heats about ecclesiastical matters, a case of pealed to by another nature, between the Master and Fellows of Gonvil Caius col- hall, came before our Archbishop in the month of December. lege. The Master, Dr. Caius, who was also a Founder of the college, had in a fit of anger taken some advantage against three of the Fellows, Dethike, Spencer, and Clerk, for some breach of statute, and expelled them out of the college; charging them withal with perjury. Upon this the Fellows made an appeal to the Archbishop, but not in so regular and orderly manner as ought to have been in such cases. But his Grace saw that Dr. Caius had been to blame, as well as the Fellows. Whereupon he blameth both, but more severely the Master. Who nevertheless was willing to commit the final issue to the Archbishop's decision. But so were not the Fellows; because they perceived he would not restore them to their fellowships, which they above all deThe Chan- sired, that they might win the victory over the Master. But pealed to by when they had brought away their cause from him to the the college. cellor ap |