destruction; she made seditious prophecies, to move the people to sedition. What evil yf her holyness disclosed so with her fader confessor, with the sorte of doctors that gave her her lesson, and the holy confessors that detected to her men's confessions, with the holy secretary that wrote in heaven Mary Magdalen's letters, and such others were hanged? Should not the heads of the insurrection in York, first pardoned, and afterward relapse, be corrected? The judges of Exeter, the lord Mountague, and their adherents, which conspired the king's and his issue's destruction, and to transport the crown of the realm; were they not worthy to die?

Herein I proceed to no further particulars; but seeing that the very truth is, that the King's Highness never put to death any man authoritate absoluta, but by ordinary process; and no person at all hath been condemned, but by twelve of his peers, irreprovable and indifferent; no noble lord, without the special sentence of twenty-four lords at the least, and some of many more, and never put to execution till they had been indicted in their countries, and afterwards arraigned, heard, and declared at the length, and as long as they would to the judges and their peers, all the excuses and reasons they could alledge openly for themselves in the hall of Westminster, and been by their peers found guilty, and by the judges condemned. Who can find in his heart, knowing this, to think the same prince that so hath judgments ministered by the law, and by ordinary jurisdiction, to be a tyrant? It is plain malice and iniquity so to defame and misreport his noble grace.

If his grace, for the interest of princes, and conservation of their rights, that seeing the bishop of Rome will be head of the council, and will admit no persons to have voice there, but such as be of his sort and disposition. God knoweth how good it ought to be esteemed; whereby they do nothing but for their own advantage and profit, but ofttimes for a shadow, make some restrictions to get in mony to the said bishopp and disciples of Rome, for the dispensation of the same, hath for that consideration protested to appear nor agree to no manner council, unless it be indicted by the common appearance of princes in an indifferent place, free and frank, as well for such as they call lay, as for the spiritual. Is he therefore to be called schismatick, inobedient, or rebel to Church, since the old use was in times past, as now his grace desireth, and that

40.

councils kept otherwise be no very councils, but rather conciliabula malignantium? I leave to declare what fruits and mischiefs have followed of some of them.

XLVIII.

The Judgment of the Convocation for annulling the Marriage between the King and Anne of Cleve.

Excellentissimo, invictissimo, et potentissimo principi et domino nostro Henrico Octavo, Dei gratia, Angliæ et Franciæ regi, Fidei Defensori, domino Hiberniæ, et in terra supremo sub Christo capiti Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, Thomas et Edoardus, permissione divina, provinciarum Cantuariensis et Eboracensis Archiepiscopi, cum omni reverentia, honore, et subjectione debetis salutem et fœlicitatem.

Cum vestra excellentissima majestas ad instantiam et requisitionem procerum et populi hujus incliti regni vestri per literas vestras commissionales dat' sexto die Julii anno regni vestri tricesimo secundo nobis ac reliquis confratribus nostris, utriusque provinciæ episcopis, una cum decanis, archidiaconis, et clero earundem conjunctim et divisim commisit ut matrimonii causam, quæ inter vestram serenissimam majestatem et illustrem ac nobilem fœminam, dominam Annam Clivensem multis modis ambigua et perplexa existit, matura deliberatione discuteremus, et quid verum ac justum esset, ac vestræ majestati licere arbitraremur diffiniremus et vestræ majestati scripto authentico renunciaremus, prout in literis antedictis commissionalibus apertius et latius continetur: nos igitur tum nostro, tum confratrum nostrorum et reliqui cleri nomine, vestræ excellentissimæ majestati duximus, significand. et significamus per præsentes, quod nos et confratres nostri, utriusque provinciæ episcopi, una cum decanis, archidiaconis et clero, virtute et vigore literarum commissionalium vestræ majestati prædictarum convenientes, et in synodum universalem congregati, auditis, examinatis, perpensis, et discussis, quæ apud nos proposita, allegata, affirmata, et probata fuerunt, communi omnium et singulorum tum præsentium consensu et assensu declaravimus et diffinivimus, majestatem vestram prædicto matrimonio prætenso, utpote nullo et invalido, non alligari, sed alio desuper judicio non expectato, Ecclesiæ suæ autoritate fretam, posse arbitrio suo ad contrahendum et consummandum matri

monium cum quavis fœmina, divino jure vobiscum matrimonium contrahere non prohibita, procedere, prætenso illo cum domina Anna prædicta matrimonio non obstante, similiter etiam dominam Annam prædictam, non obstante matrimonio prætenso cum majestate vestra, quod nullo pacto obstare debere decernimus, posse arbitrio suo cum quavis alia persona divino jure non prohibita, matrimonium contrahere. Quam nostram et universi cleri diffinitionem veram, justam, sanctam, et honestam, ex animorum nostrorum judicio sincero manantem, attestamur, profitemur, et affirmamus, prout etiam illi una nobiscum attestati et professi sunt, ac nominum suorum subscriptione confirmarunt, ac ejusdem diffinitionis executioni quam perfectissime, integerrime, et efficacissime nobiscum assensi sunt et consenserunt, quemadmodum etiam nos consentimus et assentimur per præsentes.

In quorum omnium et singulorum fidem et testimonium præmissorum has literas nostras certificatorias manu nostra subscriptas, et notariorum, qui actis interfuerunt, subscriptionibus et signis annotatas, sigillorum nostrorum appositione communivimus.

Dat. et acta fuerunt suprascripta domo capitulari Westmon. nono die mensis Julii, anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo quadragesimo, et regni vestri felicissimi tricesimo secundo.

T. CANTUARIEN.
EDOUARDUS EBOR.

*

Johan.

I could have inserted another manuscript *, for annulling Penes this marriage, which has more depositions than that tran- Anstey's scribed by bishop Burnet †, and is a full transcript of the + Bp. Burconvocation instrument. It is attested by three public nota- net, pt. 1. ries, viz., Richard Watkin, Anthony Hussey, and Thomas book 3." Argall.

XLIX.

Records,

p. 197.

Ex MSS.

The Resolutions of several Bishops and Divines upon some Ques- D. Stilling

tions concerning the Sacraments.

The first Question.

What a Sacrament is by the Scripture?

fleet. Bp. Burnet, Hist. Ref. p. 1. Records, book 3. num. 21.

Cant.

York.

London.

Rochester.

Carlisle.

Dr. Robert

son.

41.

Answers.

The Scripture showeth not what a Sacrament is, nevertheless, where in the Latin text we have Sacramentum, there in the Greek we have mysterium; and so, by the Scripture, Sacramentum may be called mysterium, id est, res occulta sive arcana."

:

To the first In Scripture we neither find definition nor description of a Sacrament.

Without prejudice to the truth, and saving always more better judgment, "cum facultate etiam melius deliberandi in hac parte."

To the first question: I think that the Scriptures do use this word Sacrament in divers places, according to the matter it treateth upon, Tobit xii. Rev. i. Wisd. ii. 6. 12. Dan. ii. Eph. i. 3. 5. Col. i. 1 Tim. x. Rev. xvii., as also it doth divers other words: yet what a Sacrament is by definition, or description of Scripture, I cannot find it explicated openly. Likewise, as I cannot find the definition or description of the Trinity, nor yet such like things; marry, what other men can find, being daily and of long season exercised in Scripture, I cannot tell; referring therefore this thing to their better knowledge. I think that where this word Sacrament is found in the Scripture in the Latin translations, there in the Greek is found this word Muorúpov, that is to say, a mystery, or a secret thing.

What the word Sacrament betokeneth, or what is the definition, description, or notification thereof, I have found no such plainly set out by Scripture. But this I find, that it should appear by the same Scripture, that the Latin word Sacramentum, and the Greek word mysterium, be in manner always used for one thing; as much as to say as, "absconditum, occultatum, vel in occulto."

Ad Quæstiones:

THOMAS ROBERTSON,

Ad primam respondeo, vocem Sacramenti mihi in sacris literis non reperiri in hac significatione, nisi quatenus ad matrimonium applicatur a Paulo, ubi tamen Græce habetur mysterium, et proinde ex meris Scripturis expresse definiri non posse.

I find not in Scripture the definition of a Sacrament, nor Dr. Cor. what a Sacrament is.

I find no definition in Scripture of this word Sacramentum; Dr. Day. howbeit, wheresoever it is found in Scripture, the same is in the Greek mysterium, which signifieth a secret or hid thing.

thorp.

Non habetur in Scripturis, quid Sacramentum proprie sit, Dr. Ogelnisi quod subinde mysterium dicitur: varia enim, et in Scripturis, et in ecclesiasticis scriptoribus reperitur ejus nominis significatio; ideoque definiri non potest.

mayn.

I find no definition of this word Sacrament in the Scripture, Dr. Rednor likewise of this word gratia, or lex, with innumerable more; and yet what they signify it is known. So the signification of this word Sacrament is plain, it is nothing else but a secret hid thing, or any mystery.

worth.

Like as angelus, cœlum, terra, be spoken of in Scripture, yet Dr. Edgnone of them defined; so, although Sacramentum be spoken of in Scripture, yet it hath no definition there, but is taken divers ways, and in divers significations.

This word Sacrament in Scripture is not defined.

Dr. Sym

mons.

I say this word Sacrament, taken in his common significa- Dr. Tretion, betokeneth a mystery, an hid, or a secret thing: but if sham. ye understand it in its proper signification, as we use to apply it only to the seven Sacraments, the Scripture showeth not what a sacrament is. And yet, lest any man might be offended, thinking, that because the Scripture showeth not what a Sacrament is, therefore the same is a light thing, or little to be esteemed here may be remembered, that there are some weighty and godly things, being also of our belief, which the Scripture showeth not expressly what they are. As for example: we bebieve the Son is consubstantial to the Father: Item, that the Father is unbegotten; yet the Scripture showeth not what is consubstantial, nor what is unbegotten, neither maketh any mention of the words. Likewise it is true, baptism is a Sacrament, penance is a Sacrament, &c. yet the Scripture showeth not what a sacrament is.

Responsions unto the Questions.

EDWARDUS LEYGHTON,

To the first question I say, That in holy Scripture I never Dr. Leyghfound, and I think there is no man that will find a definition,

ton.

VOL. IX.

N