in I ! THE LIFE DR. JOHN FISHER, BISHOP OF ROCHESTER IN THE REIGN OF KING HENRI" Till. £ WITH A3T APPENDIX OF ILLUSTRATIVE DOCUMENTS AND PAPERS. BY THE EEV. JOHN LEWIS, A.M. AUTHOR OF THE LIFE OF JOHN WICKLIFFE, D.D., BISHOP PECOCKE, ETC. NOW FIRST PRINTED FROM THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT PREPARED BY TEE AUTHOR FOR THE PRESS. WITH AN INTRODUCTION, by T. HUDSON TTTBNEE, ESQ. VOL. I. LONDON: JOSEPH LILLY, 19, KING STREET, -CO VENT GARDEN. 1855. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. Chapter I. — 1, 2. The place and time of the Bishop's birth. 3. Character of Ms Father. 4. Mr. Fisher sent to the University of Cambridge, and chosen Fellow of Michael House and Procter, and ordained Priest. 5. He is made Confessor to the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond, %c. 6. He takes the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and is chosen Vice-chancellor of the University. 7,8,9. Lady Margaret founds a Divinity Lecture, and takes her Con fessor's advice to bestow her charity on the University of Cambridge. 10. Dr. Fisher procures from the Pope the privilege of the Universities' licensing Preachers, and advises Lady Margaret to found a perpetual public Preacher at Cambridge. 1 1 . He is chosen Chancellor of the University. ....... 1 Chapter II. — 1. Dr. Fisher made Bishop of Rochester. 2. His patron. 3 His thoughts of this promotion. 4. Chosen President of Queen's College, in Cambridge. 5. The Bishop installed, and visits his Cathedral Church and Diocese, 6. Takes care of the building of Christ's College, by the Lady Margaret's order. 7. The Lady Margaret comes to Cambridge, 8, Statutes provided for Christ's College, by which the Bishop is appointed Visitor of it. 9, 10. The King and his mother come to Cambridge at the opening of Christ's College : the Bishop's Speech to them. 11. The Bishop's Benefac tions to Christ's College. 1.?. The Bishop takes the Abjuration of one Robert Gavell. 13. He resigns the Presidentship of Queen's. 14. Invites Erasmus to Cam bridge, Sfc 13 IV CONTENTS. Chapter III. — 1. King Henry VII. dies, and the Bishop preaches at his Funeral. 2. Some account of his Ser mon. 3. Of his Sermon at the Lady Margaret's Funeral. 29 Chapter IV. — 1. The Bishop an executor of the Lady Margaret's Will. 2. He builds and endows St. John's College in Cambridge. 3. The first court of St John's College finished. 4. The Bishop takes the profession of a Widow. ........ 40 Chapter V. — 1. The Bishop is nominated to go to the La ter an Council at Rome, but did not go. 2. Advises the University of Cambridge to choose Cardinal Wolseyfor their Chancellor. 3. The University follow his advice, and choose him. 4. Wolsey refuses the offer. 5,6. The University make choice of the Bishop, and appoint him their Chancellor for his life. . . . . .43 Chapter VI. — 1. Statutes, fyc. provided for St. John's Col lege. 2. The Maison Dieu at Ospringe granted to it. 3. Some account of it. 4. The Bishop consecrates the College Chapel, and opens the College. 5. Founds four Fellowships and two Scholarships in it. 6. A mistake of Erasmus's. . . . . . . . .49 Chapter VII. — 1. The Bishop desirous to learn Greek. Erasmus writes to W. Latimer to teach him. 2. Lati mer's answer. 3. Erasmus's reply. ... 56 Chapter VIII. — 1, 2. Luther writes against the Pope's in dulgences. The Bishop fixes copies of them on School- doors at Cambridge. 3. Of Peter de Valence. . 62 Chapter IX. — 1. Dean Colet's representation of the cor rupt state of the Church of England. 2. The Archbishop designed to hold a provincial Council to reform it, but was prevented by Wolsey. 3. The Bishop's journey to Rome put off on this occasion. His speech to the Bishops in this Council. 4. His Speech understood as a reflec tion on the Cardinal. 5. Wolsey's character. 6. The Bishop ordered to meet the Pope's Embassador. . 67 CONTENTS. v Chapter X. — 1. James Faber or Smith publishes a disser tation on the three Mary Magdalens. 2. Poncher, Bishop of Paris, sends a copy of it to Bishop Fisher, who writes an answer to it. 3. The Bishop desires his friend Erasmus to get it printed at Paris; who blames the Bishop for his ivarm manner of writing. 4. The Bishop suspects that Erasmus was angry with him. 5. Isaac Casaubon's opinion of this controversy. . . .76 Chapter XI. — 1. Dr. Luther publishes two books against the Pope. 2. An account of his book of the Babylonish Captivitie. 3. An Answer to it, written in the King's name. Bishop Fisher supposed to be one of the makers of it. 4, 5y $• ix. li. weke. J Twenty shillings a week ought certainly to have supplied the Bishop with more necessaries than he appears to have enjoyed, but doubtless Master Lieutenant had his profit upon the sum charged : after all however Fisher was better treated than More, who was allowed five shillings less and had a servant to share the pittance with him. * Coll. No. XXVIII. f MS. Cotton. Titus B. I. fol. 155. XX INTRODUCTION. The extent and nature of Bishop Fisher's benefac tions to St. John's College, Cambridge, are detailed at great length in the ensuing pages, and many illustra tive documents are inserted in the Appendix. He had determined to be buried there and had es tablished an annual service for the repose of his soul ; but this intention was frustrated by his disgrace and execution, which also deprived the College of his library and other property which it was his purpose to have bequeathed to it. Having arrived at an advanced age in the enjoyment of comparatively un interrupted ease and prosperity, and little antici pating the sudden and violent death which awaited him, like Wolsey he had prepared a costly sarco phagus for his remains, which was to have been erected in the Chapel of the College, to which he had been so munificent a patron. It is needless to say that this design also was not fulfilled, owing to his execution, and the members of St. John's were sub sequently compelled to efface all traces of his con nection with their College. This tomb was dis covered towards the close of the last century, and the following description of it is preserved among the collections of Cole, the Cambridge Antiquary.* " Mr. Ashby the President of St. John's, calling upon me on Friday Morning at Milton, June 4th 1773, told me that in cleaning away some rubbish in an old disused Chapel, at the east end of their Col lege Chapel, in order to lay aside in it some of their * Vol. 45, pp. 89, 90. INTRODUCTION. XXI materials they were now preparing and using in casing with stone the south side of their first Court, they lit upon an old Tomb of Chinch, which had the appearance of having been only prepared in order to be set up, but never connected together. The two Shields at the head and feet are elegantly shaped, but seem never to have had any thing either carved or painted on them, being as fresh and neat as if out of the workman's hands*, and both encircled in a Garland or Chaplet, exactly like those on the Tomb of the Foundress of the College in the Chapel of Henry VII. at Westminster : the two sides are orna mented in great taste with figures of boys supporting an entablature, where, no doubt, inscriptions were designed, but never executed, and the mouldings at the top and bottom, as also the pilasters, are all finished in a Grecian taste that was in fashion in Henry VII. and VHIth. times ; so I should be apt to suppose it was designed for one of the first masters of the College. Mr. Essex, who drew the draught in lead pencil, spoiled by me, by roughly scratching it over in ink to preserve it, on the opposite page, thinks, from the hollow on the top, that an image or * " Above his chapell and tombe was graved in Romayn fair letters, ye sentence, Faciam vos fieri Piscatores hominum. His name was Fisher &c. v. Prarfat. Libri Erasmi de modo pradicandi. All ye stalls' endes in ye queere of yl College (St John's) had graven in ym by ye joyner a Fish and an eere of wheat. But after he had suffered at London, my Lord Crumwell then commanded ye same arms to be de faced, and monstrous and ugly antickes to be put in their places. — MS. Harl. 7047, /• 16b. XXU INTRODUCTION. figure was designed to be laid upon it : the figure however, if there was one, is not yet discovered. The monument is now removed to a small vacant bit of a Court on the north side of the chapel, to the east, &c. " Nov. 1st 1773, All Saints, Mr. Ashby calling upon me informed me that the Chapel, in which this mo nument was found, was built by Bishop Fisher, on whose, execution the Tomb was taken to pieces and thrown aside : for in some of the old accounts, a trifling sum is charged for defacing Bishop Fisher's Tomb. As there is no resisting this testimony, the monument wants no other explication. " I was told by Mr. Essex 1774, that this tomb, by being exposed under the drippings of the north side of the Chapel all the winter, is entirely spoiled and shivered by the wet and frost. " Peter Torregiano, a Florentine, made the Tomb in Westminster Abbey for King Henry VII. and his mother, the Countess of Richmond : it is probable therefore that he gave the design for this of Bishop Fisher, in the same shape and taste as the latter, v. Mr. Walpole's Anecdotes on Painting, vol. 1, p. 102, 104, Edit. 2nd. Little conception of it is to be drawn from my draft on the other side* but from the Countess' tomb." Mr. Baker was at some pains to obtain an au thentic portrait of Fisher; and in the third volume of his collections,-^ there is an almost obliterated * There is a rough pen and ink sketch opposite this description. t MS. Harl. 7030. INTRODUCTION. XXU1 drawing of him, apparently after Holbein ; it bears no resemblance however to the genuine drawing by that Master in the Royal Collection; the features are entirely different, nor can we reconcile the two by supposing that the former was painted when the Bishop was in the prime of life ; the latter was taken only ten years before his death, as it bears the. date of 1525 ; it agrees in every respect with the descrip tion which Hall gives of his personal appearance. It is presumed that Baker's drawing was made from the copy he obtained of a picture at Longleat, the seat of the Marquis of Bath, concerning which the following correspondence is found in Cole's Collections.* " To the very Rev. Mr. Baker, B. D. and Fellow of St. Johns College in Cambridge. Longleat, July, 25 th. Dear Sir, We are here of opinion that the vol. of Hollingshead wch you mention, contains things omitted in most copies, tho' perhaps not all, which are found in some. But that cannot be exactly known, 'till it be compared with some other Copie, which contains the omissions. My Ld will take it very kindly, if you will be pleased, as you propose, to send that volume to Mr. Bedford : and his Ldship will send Bp Fisher's Picture to London to have a copy taken for you there by a good hand. Mr. Bouchier lately called here in his way from the Bath, and in * Vol. 30, fol. 119et seq. XXIV INTRODUCTION. discourse told me, that he had seen a picture of Bp Fisher in Sussex. When we came into the Library, I asked him whether he knew that picture shewing Bp Fisher's ; he said, he did not : and afterwards told me, that in Sussex was not like it : which makes me think that that was taken when he was younger, or else is not his. Mr. Bouchier did not deny that this agrees with the Latin description ; nor has any one, that has compared them. My Ld I doubt, has nothing in his MSS. relating to our University : but Mr. Harbin, who sends his service, has divers papers, tho' none before the Reformation : which shall be sent you from London, when we go thither, or sooner, if you desire it. My humble duty to my Tutor and service to all other Friends. I am, Sir your most obliged humble Serv'. R. Jenkin. To the Rev. Mr. Baker, Fellow of St. Johns Col lege in Cambridge. Oct. 17th 1709. Dear Sir, Bp Fisher's Picture is now copyed, and so well done, that his Ldship has been thinking of parting with the original to you ; but the Painter told him, that the Boards, upon which it is painted being old, if any accident shd happen to it in the Carriage they cd not be put together again, as not to blemish the picture. The Copy cost £10 by which you may guess that it is not ill done ; and indeed, as INTRODUCTION. XXV it has still the likeness, so it is as well, if not better finisht than the Original. Mr. Harbin has put some papers relating to Cambridge into my hands, which shall be sent to you with the Picture, when we come to London, which will be, I believe, some Time next month. I spoke to Mr. Wanley who is now here, to help you to any thing that he has met with among Mr. Harley's Papers, or any other that may be ser viceable to you : he tells me, he will write to you from London, and offer you any service he can do you. Be pleased, with my humbleduty and service to Mr. Roper, to let him know, that the Painter's stay here was so short, and so taken up with other business, that it had been impossible to get another copy of him, your's being scarce dry, when he went from hence : but if that approved, there may be another opportunity : for it is pity but the Bps like ness should be dispersed in more than one or two copies. My humble service to all our Friends. I am, Dear Sir, your most obliged humble Serv'. R. Jenkin. To the very Rev. Mr. Baker, Fellow of St. Johns College in Cambridge, with a large box. Nov. 17th 1709. Dear Sir, You will with this receive the original Pic ture of Bp Fisher, which I hope will come safe to you. The Copy is well taken and has a great likeness ; but it represents his face at least ten years younger, which I suppose was the reason that the Painter omitted his age, which you will find exactly to agree XXVI INTRODUCTION. with the face, and with the description. I have likewise in the same case sent some papers of Mr. Harbin's, who gives his service. Mr. Wanley came to town with us, and I have not seen him since : when I do see him, I will put him in mind of his promise, if he have not yet written to you. I am, dear Sir, your humble Serv', R. Jenkin. My humble service to Mr. Billers, Mr. Browne, and all our Friends. I shall write to my tutor by this night's post." * * * * * " The Picture here " mentioned is that, I suppose, now hanging in the " Gallery of the master's Lodge in St. John's College "in Cambridge, and is not like that published among " Houbraken's Collection of Heads, painted by Hol- "ben: this in St. John's being a very mortified and " meagre personage with a crucifix by him, as I re- " collect it. All these letters were directed to Mr. " Baker as Fellow of St. John's College." [Cole.'] There is a portrait of Fisher among Houbraken's Heads, after a picture by Holbein which at the pub lication of that work was in the possession of a Mr. Richardson :* it resembles the drawing in the Royal Collection, but differs from it in the costume.-j" * The Novelist > t " I saw in Nov. 1766 an indifferent Picture of Bishop Fisher, with one of Sir Tho. More, Abp. Plunket &c, on a Staircase near the Prior's apartment, of the English Benedictines at Paris : but a most INTRODUCTION. XXVll It is immaterial to enquire whether the Latin ver sion of Fisher's life preserved in one of the volumes of Baker's Collections * be an original work or merely an amplified version of the English one, the writer of this notice inclines to the latter opinion, admitting however that he has had no opportunity of examining any other MS. of the Latin than the one already alluded to, which was transcribed by Baker from a MS. then in the possession of Roger Gale. The author of the English life was probably Dr. Richard Hall, but Pits not always an infallible guide, is the only authority for this supposition. He tells us-f- that Hall studied at Christ's College Cambridge, that he was subsequently compelled to fly into Bel gium, " to avoid the persecution of the heretics," and that after one or two changes of residence he died at St. Omer, 26th Feb. 1604. He mentions also that he saw and conversed with him at Douay, about the year 1580, and enumerates in a list of his works, " The Life of John Fisher Bishop of Rochester, in English,";}: which he had himself seen in the Library admirable one of Sir Tho. More, by Holbein, in the fine Collection of the Duke of Orleans at the Palais Royal at Paris." Cole's MSS. vol. 7, p. l"26b. * MS. Harl. 7030. f De Script. Angl. pp. S02-3 Ed. 1619, 4to. X Mr. Baker was inclined to attribute the Latin version to Hall but his argument in the following note is of no great weight, be sides being opposed to the evidence of Pits who had known the man and seen his work, " This life is cited by J. C. student in Divinitie, (iste J. C. erat ni fallor, Josephus Creswellus) in a Book written anno. 16-20, with permission, entitled The Theatre of Catholique XXV1U INTRODUCTION. of a house of English Benedictines in the Low Coun tries. This work though of little general authority and disfigured by sectarian zeal and credulous stories, is valuable for a quaint simplicity and earnestness of style which gives an impress of truth and sincerity to those portions of the narrative in which the au thor has not permitted himself to be led away by party misrepresentations ; copies of it were multiplied in MS. between the end of the sixteenth century, the pro bable date of its composition, and the middle of the seventeenth when Bailey printed it with many interpolations of his own and some from the Latin version, which disfigure more than they improve the original text. The principal MSS. of this Memoir now extant are preserved in the Library of the British Museum, and will be found on collation to differ materially from Bailey's work though but verbally with each other, they are as follows : — Arundel MS. No. 152 formerly in the library of the Royal Society ; consulted by Mr. Lewis for the present work. Harleian MSS. Nos. 6382, 6896 and 250 the last is and Protestant Religion, p. 55*. and being cited in Latin, and under Ric. Hall's name, it is probable the latin life is meant, and that Ric. Hall was the Author. This was before the English Life was printed. The citation in the margin, thus, Ric. Hal. in ejus Vita [viz : Io : Fisher]" MS. Harl. 7030. INTRODUCTION. XXIX imperfect, beginning on fol. 86, line 20 of the Arundel MS. Harleian MS. 7047, a transcript (by H. Wanley ?) from the Arundel MS. Harleian MS. 7049 a volume of Baker's Collections, it begins at fol. 137 and was transcribed from a copy then in the possession of John Anstis, a note in Baker's handwriting says, " this is taken from the best copy, that I have seen, that at Caius College is not so perfect." Lansdowne MS. No. 423 a copy in an Italian hand of the commencement of the eighteenth century from a MS. stated to have been then in the library of the Earl of Cardigan at Deene. Additional MS. No. 1705 (Bibl. Sloan.) Add. MS. 1898 (Bibl. Sloan.) contains a few ex tracts from it. It was from Hall's work that Pits obtained the materials for the sketch of the Bishop's life in his ca talogue of English Authors, and Chaco probably con sulted it for the memoir of him printed in the lives of the Cardinals : he gives, however one anecdote which is not found in Hall, and appears to be an invention. Such was Fisher's modesty and humility, says Chaco, that although his father died a rich merchant, he remembering that he had been originally a wool comber, assumed three iron combs as his armorial bearings, upon being promoted to a Bishoprick, in token of his origin. Accordingly such a coat sur mounted by a Cardinal's Hat is prefixed to the memoir ; now although we have no positive tes- XXX INTRODUCTION. timony to the contrary owing to the erasure of the Bishop's insignia from all conspicuous places which took place after his execution, there is every reason to believe that he never bore any such arms, the Coat attributed to him by Cole and figured in vol. 45 of hisCollections, p. 165 is Azure, a dolphin embowed en fesse between three ears of corn, or, within a bordure engrailed of the same.* Dr. Fiddes the biographer of Wolsey issued pro posals for a life of Fisher, which was to have been published in 1725 ; in the compilation of it he had the use of Baker's MSS. the work however did not appear, owing it is said to his having lost his manu script : the subject was afterwards taken up by Alban Butler to whom Cole communicated the notes which he had made respecting the Bishop :-f- whatever col lections he left behind him were subsequently des troyed by Mr. Charles Butler who communicated the fact in a letter to Mr. Bruce by whom this informa tion was obligingly furnished to the writer of these remarks. It is probable that Butler and Lewis were engaged on the same work at the same time. Of the various writings of Bishop Fisher nothing need be said in this place, as they are correctly enu merated by the Author, who has also carefully ana- lised his controversial works, now remembered only in connection with the history of the Reformation ; * See also p. 21 ante note, and MS. Harl. 7047 fol. 206. t They may be seen in the seventh volume of his Collections, pp. 1, 126, 127, 128, — his curious letters to Butler are in vol. 25, pp. 17b, et scq. INTRODUCTION. XXXi of his minor productions the sermon preached at the funeral of Henry VII. is, perhaps, the most valuable, since it contains many curious details of the supersti tion or hypocrisy of that prudent and parsimonious prince* The learning of the bishop was probably, as respec table as that of the generality of his more remarkable contemporaries of the English Church and laity, but his natural abilities if we may judge of them by his writings appear to have been of an inferior order : in his polemical tracts he skilfully employed the defen sive weapons of argument supplied by the Scholastic Theologians whom he had long and carefully studied, but he did not. or could not. aid them by his own original views or expositions ; his style was unusually prolix even for the age in which he wrote ; and the highest praise that can be awarded to his Latinity is , that it occupies a middle station between the barba- ' rity of the monkish writers and the pseudo-classieality of the sixteenth century. The few remains of his epistolary correspondence both in English and Latin are collected in the Ap pendix-}- with the exception of one letter which was accidentally omitted although Mr. Lewis had used * Sec vol. 1 . cap. iii. pp. 30-33. t Mr. Lewis copied some of these letters from printed works, the originals however are still extant in the following MSS. Appendix No. NXV1II. MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. vi. fol. l;:. Appendix No. XXX. ib. fol. 16v!. Appendix No XXXIII. (Cranmer to Cromwell) MS. Harl. ^S3, fol. 1-20. XXX11 INTRODUCTION. it. It will be found annexed to these remarks to gether with another paper relating to his examination in the Tower. These letters are so few in number, and were written under such peculiar circumstances, that they can hardly be admitted as evidence, in an estimate of his character, of any other merit than his meek ness and humility. Exalted by the Roman Catholics to the dignity of a martyr and almost to that of a saint, Fisher's merits were long and gratefully remembered by the church whose tenets he had so strenuously defended, while the intolerance and horrible persecutions of a succeeding reign, led the Protestants to regard him,though bothin- tolerant and an abettor of persecution, with some fa vour and more compassion, but by neither party hither to has justice been rendered to his memory. Without attending to the indiscriminate eulogists of his own sect who did not hesitate to compare him with St. John the Baptist, or to the vituperations of those writers of the reformed faith who suppressed or were ignorant of his positive merits, we may truly say of him that with great opportunities to advance his own interest at court, he remained invariably contented with the preferment he had first obtained, that his life was devoted to the encouragement of learning in others and the acquisition of it himself , that he was modest and affable, ever ready to extend his aid and protec tion to the needy and deserving, and that the since rity of his conduct and piety is placed beyond doubt by the stedfastness with which he encountered death INTRODUCTION. XXX11I in defence of the religious principles in which he had been educated, which he had vindicated with his pen, and which he conscientiously believed to be true.* T. H. Turner. * Strictly speaking he suffered for denying the King's supremacy only, but as that point involved a mighty train of consequences which the Bishop could not but have foreseen, to have admitted it would have been to deny all those articles of belief with respect to which he had asserted the Pope's authority. XXXIV APPENDIX. [No. I.*] MS. Cott. Vespasian. F. xiij. fol. 154 b. Master Cromwel, after my right humble comendations I beseiche you to have some pytye of me, considryng the case and condition that I ame in ; and I dowt not but yf ye myght see in what plyte that I ame ye woulde have some pyte uppon me, for in goodfaythe now almoste this six weekys I have hadde a grevous cowighe with a fever in the bigynnynge thereof, as dyvers other heare in this countre hathe hadde, and dyvers have djed thereof. And now the mattver is fallen downe in to my leggis and feit, with suche swellinge and aiche that I maye nother ryde nor goo, for the which I beseiche you eftsonys to have some pyte uppon me and to spare me for a season, to thende the swellinge and aiche of my leggis and feit maye swaige and abait, and then by the grace of our Lorde I shall with all speide obeye your commaundement, Thus fare ye weall, at Rochestre the xxviij. daye of January. By your fathefull Beadman, JO. ROFFS. [No. Il.t] Interrogatories, ministered, on the Kinges behalf, {unto] John Fissher, Doctour of Divinitie, late Busshop [of Rochester], the 14th daie of June, in the 27 yere of [the reign of] King Henrie thEight, within the Towre [of London, by the] right worshipfull Mr. Thomas Bedyll, [Mr. Doctour Abidge] Mr. Richard Lay ton, and Mr. Richard [Curwen being of the] Kinges Counsaill, in the presence of Harrie [Pelstede and John] Whalley, witnesses, and me, John np Rice, notary [Publick], with thansweres of the said Mr. Doctour Fissher to the [same]. • Referred to in Vol. II. Chap. XXXII. p. 118, and there stated to be No. 17 in the collection, &c. but it was omitted. t See Vol. II. Chap. XXXV. p. 160, et seq. THE LIFE OF DR. JOHN FISHER, BISHOP OF ROCHESTER. CHAP. I. 1, 2. The place and time of the Bishop's birth. 3. Cha racter of his Father. 4. Mr. Fisher sent to the Univer sity of Cambridge, and chosen Fellow of Michael House and Proctor, and ordained Priest. 5. He is made Con fessor to the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond, 8{c. 6. He takes the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and is chosen Vice-chancellor of the University. 7, 8, 9. Lady Margaret founds a Divinity Lecture, and takes her Confessors advice to bestow her Charity on the Univer sity of Cambridge. 10. Dr. Fislier procures from the Pope the privilege of the Universities licensing Preachers, and advises the Lady Margaret to found a perpetual public Preacher at Cambridge. 1 1 . He is chosen Chan cellor of the University. 1. JOHN FISHER was born, according to Dr. HaU, Life of Bp. and George Lily, in the year 1459, though others reckon at theRoy- the year of his birth about 1461, not much before St. Al- ^ Society. Morerirec- ban's field. By the Latin writer of his Life he is said to kons the have been seventy-seven years old when he was beheaded, birt^ °bout and consequently was born A. D. 1458. The Bishop 1455. 2 THE LIFE OF CHAP, himself observed to the King, in his speech to him at the public commencement at Cambridge, that when he was made a Bishop, 1504, he was very a young; and yet if he was born 1459, he was then forty-five years old. Accord ing to the same reckoning, he must have been twenty-four years old when admitted in the University. For all which reasons, it seems as if the time of his birth was fixed too early at 1459, and, that he was not born till about six years after, viz. 1465. 2. However this be, it is agreed by all, that the place of Mr. Fisher's birth was the town of Beverley, in the East Riding of the county of York ; a place famous for the residence and death of John, Archbishop of York, A. D. 721, who from this town was called b John of Beverley. In this town was founded by this Archbishop a monastery of monks, into which he retired after his deposition from, or resignation of, the See of York, and there ended his Camdeni days. So great a regard had the Northanhymbrian p.1tfTn&c. Prmces> and particularly King Athelstan, to the pious memory of this prelate, and so sacred did they esteem it, that he was accounted by them a tutelar c saint. To ho nour him therefore accordingly, this monastery, of his foundation, was endowed by them with many and great immunities, and had, in particular, granted to it the special SeeHistory privilege of a sanctuary for Ufe, which was usuaUy for 40 Abbey! &c6.days only- So that> as Dr" Wiclif rePresents h> whats°- of Faver- eyer thief or felon came to this holy house of reUgion, he &c.m'P' ' should dwell there all his life, and no man impeach him.^ Accordingly, here was a stone chair, in which the criminal was to place himself at his first coming hither, with this inscription : pneob- Hcec sedes Lapldea ffreedstooll dicitur i. e. rtole, pacis Cathedra, ad quam reus fugiendo perve- berty. '" niens omnimodam habct securitatem. This stone seat is called freedstool, or the chair of peace, a Qui paucos annos habueriui. b Johannis de Beverlaco. c May vn, DR. JOHN FISHER. 3 to which any criminal coming by flight, he has all manner chap. of security. By this means the town became very popu- ' lous and flourishing, to which contributed not a little their having a water creek from the river Hull, which served for Uttle coasting vessels to carry on a sea trade for the benefit and advantage of the place. 3. Here, it appears, Mr. Fisher's father, whose name Coll. No. l. was Robert, Uved, and exercised the trade of a mercer, and in 1477 died, leaving behind him a widow and four 1477. children : of these, it is said, John was the eldest, who was then about twelve or thirteen years old. His mother's name was d Agnes, who afterwards, it is said, married a Life ofBp. second husband, named Wright, by whom she had three B^jy* y sons, John, Thomas, and Richard, and a daughter, named EUzabeth, who was afterwards a nun, professed at Dart- ford in Kent, in the diocese of Rochester, of which Dr. Fisher, her brother, was bishop. By Mr. Fisher's WiU, it appears, that he was a person of considerable sub- Coll. No. l. stance, as things then were ; since he gives to every alms house at Beverley, 20d. ; to the fabric of the Collegiate Church of St. John's at Beverley, 20d. ; to the fabric of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter's at York, 8d. ; to each house of the friars at Beverley, 3s. 4c?. ; to the chaplain of St. Trinity, to pray for his soul, 13s. 4?d. ; to a e fit chap- Iain, to celebrate for his soul a whole year; to Robert Kuke, Vicar of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 6s. 8d.; to John Plumber, the chaplain, 6s. 8d. ; to the Abbot and Convent of Hawnby in Lincolnshire, 10s. for a trental of Hagnaby. masses, to be there celebrated for his soul ; to the fabric of the Church of Hotoft, in the same county, where, pro bably, he was born, 3s. 4>d., and to every one of his * four * de mea children seven marks, or 21. 13s. 4>d., ordering, that if it parte.1" shaU happen that either of them die before he or she is of age, their share shall be divided among the survivors. d Baily calls her name Anne. R He had commonly a salary of ten marks, or 61. 13s. id. for doing this. See History, &c. of the Isle of Tenet. 4 THE LIFE OF chap. 4. Of this eldest son of his, John, a particular care, it ' seems, was taken, to give him the best education that his Life of Bp. circumstances would aUow ; for this purpose, he had been, before his father's death, committed to the care of a priest of the Collegiate Church of Beverley, who was, I suppose, the master of the school for teaching the novices of the monastery. Here he learned to read, and was taught the rudiments of the grammar. Whether he had the oppor tunity of going to any other school, or that his friends thought this sufficient, is uncertain; but it seems as if, A.D. 1483. when he was about eighteen years old, he was admitted in the University of Cambridge. Here he was committed to the care and government of William Melton, at that time Proctor's FeUow of f Michael House, and afterward Master of it ; a°t^' l^S- and as soon as he was of standing, he took his degree of A.D. 1491. Bachelor of Arts, and three years after, that of Master; soon after which he was unexpectedly chosen FeUow of A.D. 1494. the CoUege, and senior Proctor of the University. This shews what a progress Mr. Fisher had made in his acade mical studies, and in how great reputation he was held /¦ there. In this space of time, it is supposed that, accord- / Life of Bp. ing to the Statutes of the House of which he was FeUow, \ Ksher. ne was ordained Priest, by the title of his fellowhip. 5. Whilst he was Proctor, he is said to have obtained * Quasre, letters of fraternity for * himself and his brother, * Ralph, V^kT from tne HosPital of the Holy Trmitv> and St- Thomas, in were others ViUa Romana, dated May 1, which, in that age, was °amgSsame reckoned an instance of great piety and devotion. He f This was the second endowed house in Cambridge for antiquity, being founded by Herveus de Stanton, clerk, Canon of York and Wells, &c. A.D. 1324. But King Henry VIII. dissolved it, and made it » part of Trinity College. The accurate Mr. Heme tells us, from Mr. A. Wood, that Mr. Fisher was. of Christ's College, which was not founded till twenty-two years after his admission. In Mr. Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire, p. 159, is a certain kind of rhyming bard-like pedigree of the family of the Stauntons in that county, in which it is said, that Sir Henry Stanton, it should be Henricus de Stan- A. D. 1324. ton, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, 17 Edw. II. founded this House. DR. JOHN FISHER. 5 was likewise, during his being in that public office, sent up CHAP to Court, which, it seems, was then at Greenwich, on the ' business of the University. This was very fortunate to Mr. Fisher, who on this occasion seems first to have been introduced to the knowledge and g presence of the Lady Margaret, the King's mother, who took such a liking to him, as soon after to make him her Confessor,, in the room A.D. 14974 of Dr. Richard Fitz-James, who three years after this was sermon at promoted to the see of Rochester. This was a promotion *e Ladr, 1 _ *¦ Margaret s that was not only very honourable, but exceedingly to the funeral. worldly advantage of Mr. Fisher, or to the enriching him, and encreasing his temporal estate. As this honourable lady was a person of great piety and devotion, and one who made it the whole business of her life to do good, and employed the chief part of her noble fortune for that pur pose, this her Confessor, who was a man of the same ex- j cellent spirit, soon became very dear to her, and entirely beloved by her. Thus Mr. Fisher, a good while after, Epistles de- very gratefuUy remembers her affection towards him. He r^fJJ. styles her an excellent, and, indeed, incomparable woman, and to him a mistress most dear upon many accounts ; whose merits, whereby she had obliged him, were very great. He observes of her, that she very sincerely loved him above others, and that of this, her kindness for him, he was very certain ; that she loved him with a great and uncommon love, and never thought she could be too kind to him, and therefore was most munificent towards him ; for, although she conferred on him no church benefice, the reason of which might probably be, that Mr. Fisher might have no pretence to leave her, yet she was never wanting, e Of this Mr. Fisher himself has left some intimation in the account of his expenses in this journey, wrote with his own hand, (a very fair one, which was somewhat remarkable for that age,) in the Proctor's book, viz. s. d. Pro conductu duorum equorum per xi dies rii 0 Projentaculo ante transitum ad Greenwyshe 0 iii Pro navigio illuc usque atque contra 0 iv y Pransus eram apud Dominam Matrem Regis. Ccenatum est cum Domino Cancellario, &c. Coll. T. Baker, MS. 6 THE LIFE OF chap, by any means, to add to, and encrease his estate, of which ' she gave very ample proof, not only in words, but in h deeds, when she came to die. 6. Being thus honourably promoted, and thereby a foundation being laid for his further advancement, Mr. Fisher commenced Doctor of Divinity, and the very same A.D. 1501. year was by the University chosen Vice-chanceUor. Of this the foUowing memorandum is entered on the senior Proctor's book of that year, viz. Memorandum, quod Joannes Ffysher, 5° die Julij, in sacra Theologia creatus professor, 15° die Mensis J ejusdem, sc. die translationis Sti. Swythini socio- rumque ejus Episcoporum, auctoritate et consensu Re gentium feliciter eligitur in Universitatis Cant. Vice-cancellarium. This is an evidence of Mr. Fisher's growing credit and reputation in that famous University, and looks as if he took this degree at their motion, to quaUfy him for this dignity of fheir chief magistrate, next to the ChanceUor. ThosJBaily. 7. The writer of his Life teUs us, that Melton, the Doctor's tutor, being promoted to the dignity of Chancel lor of the Cathedral Church of York, the Mastership of Michael House became void, and that thereupon, Dr. Fisher, by a most free and wUling election of aU the Fel lows of that House, as the most deserving of aU other, was worthily promoted to this Mastership, and soon after chosen Vice-chanceUor. But of this I don't find there's any cer- Le Neve's tainty. WilUam de Melton was indeed promoted to the dignity aforesaid about the latter end of 1495; but whe ther by this promotion he vacated his Mastership of this House, or who immediately succeeded him in case it was h Quum mortem instarc sibi noverit, nee posse quod destinaret perim- plere, non parva me donavit pecunie summa qua in privatum meum commo- dum uterer. Coll. No. 12. Moreri says, though without any grounds, that I can find, that on le choisil pour prc'cepleur du Roy Hen. VIII. Dictionnaire : that he was chosen the King's preceptor. DR. JOHN FISHER. 7 vacated, does not appear; though, indeed, according to chap. the present usage of the University, it does not seem at all ' Ukely that our Doctor should be chosen Vice-chancellor, when he was only fellow of a college. 8. But be this as it will. During the Doctor's being I Vice-chanceUor, the lady Margaret founded, by his advice, ' a perpetual public ' Lecture in Divinity in the University Preface to of Cambridge. This her Ladyship instituted on the feast Mar^.g^s of the * nativity of the Blessed Virgin, and by the original funeral foundation, appointed our Doctor her first reader. She * §ept. 8, likewise gave rules and statutes for the choice of her 1503- reader, and for the discharge and performance of the duties of his place, and endowed this, her lecture, with twenty marks per annum, payable by the Abbot and Con- / vent of Westminster, which house she had endowed with/ revenues to the value of -f eighty-seven pounds per annum. If- about 5 or 9. The Countess seems about this time to have com- „ ,TO?°u° s a year, ac- municated to her Confessor her design of settUng on this cording to Abbey, where she and the King, her son, intended to be value of buried, a considerable estate, for such uses as she should monev- order and appoint ; some of which, very probably, would have been, according to the superstitious mode of those times, the performing yearly trentals and exequies, &c. for her soul. For this purpose, she had already obtained the King, her son's, faculty or license ; but on her telling this « to Dr. Fisher, he entirely disapproved of her intentions, and therefore advised her to let her charity run in another channel. Accordingly, he represented to her, that the Co 1. No. Abbey of Westminster was already wealthy enough, as it 13, was indeed the richest of aU the religious houses in En- | gland, and did not therefore want any further maintenance 1 ' Concerning this lecture there is the following entiy in the junior Proc tor's book, 1628-9. Quilibet in Artibus incipiens jurabit de continuatione Lecturse Theologies a Domina Margareta Regis Henrici VII. Matre fundatae per annum per cujuslibet Termini majorem partem, si Lector per majorem partem legerit ; neque se absentabit nisi ex rationabili causa per Vice-cancel- larium, Lectorem, et duos procuratores et eorum singulos approbanda. Coll. MS. penes Rev. Alexan. Young, Rectorem de Wickham-breux in agro Cantiano. 8 THE LIFE OF CHAP, or support; whereas the two Universities, and especiaUy ' that of Cambridge, were yet but meanly endowed ; that the provisions already made for the several professors and scholars were few and small, and that coUeges were yet wanting for their living and maintenance : that if, there fore, she applied her intended charity to remedy these defects and discouragements, she might thereby double it, and consequently double her reward, by contributing to the support and encouragement of both learning and virtue. As the Doctor had, by his virtuous and discreet behaviour, gained entire credit with the Countess, and was one of a very good address, and who knew the art of per suading, it is no wonder that he prevaUed with her to alter her purpose and design. She therefore very graciously answeredthe Doctor, that she would gladly come into the measures he had advised her to take in the settUng or dis posal of her charity, but that she was under some ties and engagements to the King, her son, in their common de signs at Westminster, so that she could not alter what she had intended without his consent, which she did not know how to ask. This, therefore, the Doctor undertook to do ; and having persuaded the Countess to write to the King, he was the bearer of the letter to persuade his Majesty to give her leave to alter her former design with relation to Westminster Abbey, for which, as has been said before, she had obtained his royal license ; and this he did with so much prudence and dexterity, as not only to obtain the King's consent, but to cause His Majesty to have so good an opinion of him, as hereby to lay the foundation of his future promotion by him ; for, as a proof of the Doctor's success, His Majesty was graciously pleased to make him the bearer of a letter to the Countess, his mother, in an swer to her's, written with his own hand. In it he tells Cons Jo-'her-' *hat " by her Confessour> the bearer, he had received annis. ' " her good and most loving writing, and by the same had " herde, at good leisure, such credence as he would shew " unto him in her behalf, and thereuppon had sped him in DR. JOHN FISHER. 9 " every behalf, without delay, according to her noble peti- CHAP. " tion and desire, which rested in two principal points ; J' " the one, for a general pardon for aU manner of causes ; " the other, to alter and change part of a license which he " had given unto her before, for to be put into mortmain " at Westminster, and now to be converted into the Uni- " versify of Cambridge, for her soul's health : aU which " things His Majesty wrote, according to her desire and " pleasure, he had with aU his heart and good wUl given " and granted unto her." This difficulty being thus over come, the Countess foUowed her Confessor's advice, in applying her charity to the relief of the wants of the Uni versity of Cambridge, as will be shewn by and by. 10. During the Doctor's Vice-chancellorship, he like wise procured from Pope Alexander VI. the grant of the A.D. 1501. foUowing privilege to the University of Cambridge, viz. " That the ChanceUor of the University and his succes- strype's " sors shaU have license to chuse every year xii Doctors, p^g,, pp' " Masters, or Graduates, who shall be in Priests' Orders, 193- " to preach throughout the whole kingdom of England, " Scotland, and Ireland, under the common seal of the " University, without any other license from a Bishop." This is said, in the Bull, to have been granted to Dr. Fisher, at the suit of Thomas Cabold, the Pope's lesser penitentiary in the Court of Rome for the English, Scotch, and Irish nations. Accordingly, A. D. 1505, Mr. Lam bert and Mr. Page, the two Proctors, and ten others, were chosen to be preachers under the seal of the University. According to the form of the license, granted seventeen years after, to one Christopher Baily, M. A. to preach May 31, throughout England, &c. the Pope's Bull is recited, by 1522, which it appears, that these preachers had not an absolute authority granted them to preach when and wheresoever they would ; since it is expressly provided, that they who are so elected, and deputed to the office of preaching, shaU not preach in places where the Ordinaries of those places preach, but with their consent, and that they shall 10 THE LIFE OF CHAP, have the consent of the Rectors of the churches where they preach. But the reason of the Vice-chanceUor's soUciting for this privilege, might possibly be the sense he had of the want of preaching throughout the kingdom, and the backwardness of the several Bishops to encourage such useful, sound, and practical preaching, as whereby the people might be weU instructed and edified. Of this Of prelates Dr. WicUf's followers often complained. " If Priests, says ' " one of them, wolen seye their mass, and techen the " Gospel in a Bishop's diocese, anoon he shaU be for- " boden ; but if he have leave of that Bishop, and he shaU " pay commonly for that leave much money, or else swear " that he shaU not speke against great sins of Bishops and " other priests, and their falseness; and yet it is a great " work of charity and mercy to teche men the right way ibid. c. 42. " to Heaven." So again, " when they, the Prelates, ben " unable, by ignorance and wicked Ufe, to teche Cristen " people God's Law, they wolen not sufFren true men " teche freely Christ's Gospel without their leave and " letters. They geven leave to Sathana's prechers for to " preche fables, and flattering and lesings, and to deceive " the people in faith and good works." It has been shewn Life of Bp. before what complaints' were made of Archbishop Arun- ecoc ' del's binding the tongues of, as it were, aU preachers, as his ordering them to be licensed was termed, on account of a few heretics wTho were suspended from preaching. ! Things, therefore, standing thus at this time, it is not to be wondered if the Doctor was for enlarging the number of preachers, or not suffering the power of licensing them .« to be wholly in the Bishops. Erasmus intimates, as will ; be shewn more at large hereafter, that our Doctor by no j means liked the ordinary or modish way of preaching in his time, consisting of cavils about words, and a parcel of i dull sophistry ; but desired to have those who were de- j signed for preachers exercised in true learning and sober j disputations, that so they might preach the word of God gravely, and with an evangelical spirit, and recommend it DR. JOHN FISHER. 11 to the minds of the learned by an efficacious eloquence. CHAP. In pursuance of this good design, the Doctor seems to . have advised his mistress, the Lady Margaret, to found a perpetual public preacher at Cambridge, to preach, at least, six sermons every year in several churches, specified in the Charter, in the dioceses of London, Ely, and Lin coln, which she accordingly did by her Charter, dated October 30, 1504, appointing to the preacher a stipend of A.D. 1504. k ten pounds a year, payable by the Abbot and Convent of Westminster. So smaU was the number of good and able preachers at this time, and long after, that we find fre quent provisions of this kind. To mention but one or two instances. By the Statutes of the metropolitical Church of Canterbury, it is ordered, that " because the harvest truly cap. xxi. de " is great, and the labourers are few, therefore there shall to°ribu°sna" " be six preachers added to the Canons, whose office it " shall be to preach every one of them twenty sermons a " year, in the country, in vUlages, and towns in the neigh- " bourhood of Canterbury, or in parishes and vUlages " where their Cathedral church's mannors, and estates are, " or in then- own cures, if they have any, or in the city of " Canterbury without the Cathedral Church." Thus, long after this, we are told, that William BedeU, afterwards Bishop of Kilmore, in Ireland, whilst he was FeUow of Narrative St. John's CoUege, in Cambridge, with Mr. Abdias Ashton, fj%l^ FeUow of the same House, and Mr. Thomas Gataker, for- of Mr. Ga- merly of the same College, but now Fellow of the new- 'p' founded College of Sydney-Sussex, and some others, set on foot a design of preaching in places adjacent to the University, even to a considerable distance, where there were no Pastors able to instruct the people. But to re turn to our Doctor. 11. The same year was Dr. Fisher chosen ChanceUor A. D. 1504. of the University : a place to which he was so equal, that he was continued in it ten years successively, and after wards, as will be shewn hereafter, chosen for his life k This was then equal to about seventy pounds per annum now. 12 THE LIFE OF CHAR Ufe. Erasmus observed of him, that " during this, his " Chancellorship, he steered a middle course betwixt those " who had hitherto taught the sciences in the schools con- " fusedly and sophistically, and those who were for laying " aU human learning aside, together with the schools or " Universities wherein it was taught." Du Pin adds, that Nouvelle it was owing to his care and pains, that England was fur- theque &c "ished with a great number of exceUent divines and pro- Tom, xiv. fessors of the languages, by which means the sciences flourished, and especially that of Divinity, in the Universi ties of this kingdom. DR. JOHN FISHER. 13 CHAP. II. 1. Dr. Fisher made Bishop of Rochester. 2. His Patron. 3. His thoughts of this promotion. 4. Chosen President of Queens College, in Cambridge. 5. The Bishop in stalled, and visits his Cathedral Church and Diocese. 6. Takes care of the building of Christ's College, by the Lady Margaret's order. 7. The Lady Margaret comes to Cambridge. 8. Statutes provided for Christ's College, by which the Bishop is appointed Visitor of it. 9, 10. The King and his Mother come to Cambridge at the opening of Christ's College : the Bishop's Speech to them. 1 1 . The Bishop's Benefactions to Christ's College. 12. The Bishop takes the Abjuration of one Robert Gavell. 13. He resigns the Presidentship of Queers. 14. Invites Erasmus to Cambridge, fyc. 1 . JL/R. Richard Fitz-James, who, as has been said before, was, from being Confessor to the Lady Margaret, pro moted to the bishopric of Rochester, was, towards the latter end of 1503, translated to that of Chichester. On a.d. 1503. this occasion, the King had a mind to appoint for Fitz- James's successor in the see of Rochester, his mother's present Confessor, Dr. Fisher. But out of respect and duty to her, His Majesty first wrote to her, to acquaint her with his intentions, and to ask her leave to pursue e Re 'ist. them. His Majesty therefore assured the lady, that his cpU-JJoan- incUnation to promote the Doctor to a bishopric proceeded from no other cause than the great and singular virtue which he knew and saw in him, as weU in learning as in natural parts, and especiaUy for his good and virtuous Ufe and conversation : that by the promotion of such a man, I he knew he should encourage many others to live virtu- j ously, and to take such courses as he did, which should jj be a good example to many others hereafter. His Ma- ! jesty added, that he had in his time promoted many a 14 THE LIFE OF CHAP, man unadvisedly, and that he would now make some re- __!_ compense, by the promotion of some good and virtuous men, which he doubted not would be most pleasing to God. He therefore besought his mother to let him know her mind and pleasure in this matter, which, His Majesty said, should be foUowed as much as God would give him grace. The Lady Margaret, who had so high an opinion of her Confessor's learning, judgment, and virtue, was, no doubt, very glad to find that her son, the King, took so much notice of him, and had entertained the very same thoughts of him that she had herself. Accordingly, Dr. Fisher was a nominated by the King to succeed Bishop Fitz-James in this see of Rochester, which nomination was confirmed by Pope JuUus II's bull, dated at Rome, Coll. No. 1. October 14, 1504. Accordingly, he was consecrated at \ Lamehithe, by Archbishop Warham, the b24th of the | next month, had the spirituaUties restored to him by the said Archbishop's mandate next day, and by his Proctor, Febru. is|, Dr. Thomas Heede, whom a Uttle before he had made his Official, and Vicar-general, was inducted, instaUed, and enthronized, April 24, 1505. 2. This promotion the Bishop himself caUs a c sudden a Notwithstanding this, and the Bishop's so frequently, and with so much gratitude, ascribing this, his promotion, to the King, and acknowledging him for his patron, in the Bishop's register it is entered as entirely owing to the Pope. Thus is the register expressed : The register of the reverend father in Christ and the Lord, John Fisher, S. T. P. by the grace of God, Bishop of Rochester; seeing the most holy father in Christ and our Lord, the Lord Julius II. by Divine Providence, Pope, has placed the aforesaid venerable father over the aforesaid Cathedral Church of Rochester, vacant, Sfc. for its Bishop and Pastor, as appears by bulls, S(c. See Coll. No. II. b Qui consecratus fuit per revorendum in Christo patrem et dominum Dom. Willielmum permissione divina Cant. Archiepiscopum totius Anglie primatem et Apostolice sedis legatum in capella sua infra manerium suum de Lamehith— die Dominico in festuni S. Katerine Virginis, ric. 24° die mensis Novembris -presentibus tunc ibidem M. Hugone Ashestone et Ri- cardo Collect Legum doctore. Registrum Fisher. 0 Meipsum, inquam, quem incredibile cunctis fuit ad Episcopatum tarn repente promoveri. Quippe qui paucos annos habuerim, qui nunquam in Curia obsequium prsestiterim, qui nullis ante dotatus beneficiis. Oratio ad R. Henricum VII. 1504. DR. JOHN FISHER. 15 one ; since he had but few years over his head, had never CHAP. pUed or soUcited at Court for preferment, and had never ' been beneficed before. His Lordship further observed, that a great many thought this advancement of him was owing to the d recommendation and requests of his mis tress, the Lady Margaret, the King's mother, and Coun tess of Richmond and Derby ; but, he assures us, it was quite otherwise: that the eKing having entertained a good opinion of him, from the repeated commendation of him to His Majesty, by Fox, Bishop of Winchester, the King's Almoner and Privy Counsellor, whom His Majesty often consulted, did of his own mere motion, without any Vide Rof- other appUcation whatsoever, and without the asking of vata statu - any one, of his own accord give him the bishopric. This, !?',,M?,' he says, the King himself more than once affirmed to him, 12. and was very weU known to Bishop Fox, who was of the King's Cabinet Council. Our Bishop therefore always acknowledged this prelate for his patron, and accordingly teUs him, that ever since his Lordship had taken notice of Ep. dedicat. him, he had, by the breath of his favour, not only been vehemently inflamed with the study or desire of good let ters, but likewise more ardently to embrace probity of life. 3. With this promotion our Bishop expressed himself highly pleased. Thus he wrote to his patron, Bishop Fox. f" Though others may have, and enjoy greater A Non desunt forte complurcs quibus creditum est genetricem illius nempe comitem Richemondiae, Derbiaeque — suis precibus a Alio dictum episcopa- tum impetrasse mini. Verum longe aliter sese res habet. Quod et tuae dominationi compertissimum est qui a secretissimis consilijs ipsi regi fueras. Ep. dedicat. Fox. Epis. Winton. e Regi Henrico septimo qui tunc habenas Regni summa prudentia mode- rabatur — meam parvitatem commendasti, ut sola existimatione quam, te totles inculcante, de me concepit, et mero motu, quod aiunt, citra quodvis aliud obsequium, citra cujusquam preces, quod et mihi non semel amrmabat, episcopatum Roffensem, cui jam indignus praesum, ultro donaverit. Ibid. 1 Habeant licet alii proventus pinguiores. Ego tamen interim pauciorum animarum curam gero, adeo ut quum utrorumque ratio reddenda fuerit, quod et propediem haud dubie futurum est, nee pilo meam sortem optarim ube- riorem. 16 THE LIFE OF CHAP. " revenues or fatter incomes, yet I, in the mean time, have ' " the care of fewer souls ; so that since an account is to be " given of both, which, no doubt, is daily to be expected, " I would not give a farthing to alter my poor lot for one " more plentiful." Accordingly, it is said, though on what Fuller, Ec|authority I know not, that when King Henry VIII. would tory lib'f. haye translated our Bishop to Lincoln or Ely, bishoprics, p. 203. ji at that time, treble to Rochester in revenue, he refused to Life of ,Bpl accept of the Royal favour, saying, he would not change ler>c,2l his poor old wife, to whom he had been so long wedded, for the richest widow in England. But be this as it wUl, the Bishop himself teUs us, that " the exceUent Princess, the " gLady Margaret, &c. after this promotion, so far favoured " or regarded his meaness, or the smaUness of his income " or preferment, as very earnestly to desire to get for him " a fatter bishopric," which seems to imply his consent ; " and, that when she found death approaching, and that " she could not accomplish what she designed, she, by " way of recompence, gave him a considerable sum of j " money for his own use." He further owned, that " he " yearly received from the bishopric of Rochester b abun- " dantly sufficient to maintain the honour of a Bishop ;" which must, I think, be true, if the account given us by a learned antiquary of the last age of the value of this bishopric at that time, viz. ' 3000Z. a year, may be depended on. But I am afraid this is a mistake for 3001. ; since, according to the value of the benefices in England taken g Eximia princeps domina Margaret! Richmondiae Com. usque adeo mee exiguitati favit, ut pinguiorem episcopatum omnino studuit mihi comparasse. Quum ergo mortem instare sibi noverit, nee posse quod destinaret perim- plere, non parva me donavit pecunie summa qua in privatum meum commo- dum uterer. Roffensis, privata Statuta, c. 1. MS. h abunde satis ad honestum presulis victum ex episcopatu Roffensi quotannis acceperim. Roffensis, privata Statuta. 1 Libertatem autem simul ac bona redemit, data Regi ter mille librarum summa quae integros unius Anni proventus ex episcopatu Roffensi prode- untes valere eo tempore censebatur, si Autori Vitae ejus fides sit habenda. Whartoni Anglia Sacra, vol. i. p. 382. DR. JOHN FISHER. 17 some years after, this bishopric is thus valued : Episcopa- CHAP. tus Roffensis, 358/. 4*. 9\d. ' ' 4. Our Bishop was scarce settled in his bishopric, before he was, by the FeUows of Queen's CoUege, in Cambridge, chosen their k President, in the room of Dr. Apr. 12, | Thomas WUkinson, who resigned this Presidentship in favour of the Bishop, being induced so to do by the in- Coll. No. 2. terest of the Lady Margaret, who likewise recommended to them the choice of the Bishop, as not only very neces sary, but much to their advantage. This is elsewhere re- Life of Bp. presented as a compliment paid by that College to his Lordship, on account of his having no house belonging to him as ChanceUor; and his being obhged sometimes to reside in the University, for the better execution of that great office. But if his Lordship was now Master of Michael-House, he could not want a house in the Univer sity to reside in. It seems, therefore, that if ever he was Master of that CoUege, he had now resigned that place, and, that the Lady Margaret's procuring him this Presi dentship, was for the conveniency of his inspecting the works of Christ's College, the foundation of which was laid this year. 5. In May the Bishop went down to Rochester, where, on the 15th day foUowing, his Lordship begun his ordi nary visitation in his cathedral church. About the same time we meet with the abjuration of one John Moress, aUas Menes, of St. Nicholas, in Rochester, who abjured or renounced the following odd and whimsical opinions, which he confessed he had openly broached, as he was accused of doing. (1.) That as for Christ, whan he suffred a Good Ffridaye a pon the cross, he dyed nat in perfitt charite : for as moche as he redemed nat Lucifer, as well as he did Adam and Eve. (2.) That as for our blessed Lady, she is but a sakk ; and " PreBidens Collegii Reginalis Sanctorum Margarete et Barnardi in Can- tebrigia. C 18 THE LIFE OF CHAP, the Son of God desired the Father to come into myddel- . herth to take a sakk upon his bakk. Coll. No. 6. It seems Ukewise as if, about this time, the Lady III Margaret avowed and confirmed to the Bishop, " to whom " she was, she said, verely determined (as to her cheffe " trustye counselloure) to owe her obedyence in all thyngs " concernynge the weU and profite of her sowle ; that with •weak. " fuU purpos and good deUberacion, for the *weU of " her synfull sowle, she did with aU her herte promyse " from thensforthe the chastite of her bodye, the which " thing, she said, she had before purpassed in her lorde " her husband's dayes, and nowe eftsence fuUy confermed " it, as far as in her lay." 7. It has been already intimated that our Bishop, who seems to have had much the same opinion of the rehgious houses, as they were caUed, especiaUy of the greater sort of them, with his friend Erasmus, viz. " that they were more for ostentation than for the promotion of piety," had persuaded the Lady Margaret, instead of adding to their endowments, to bestow her charity on the University of Cambridge, where provisions for scholars were very few and discouraging. This, by the way, was exceeding agree able to the sense of our Bishop's great friend and admirer, the learned Erasmus. Thus he speaks of it : " God," says he, " inspired that woman with a thought, which was by " no means a womanish one ; for whereas other princesses " are wont to bequeath large estates for the building of " monasteries, this lady appUed aU her study to the most " holy thing of aU, the instructing the people in the Gospel " phUosophy. That holy heroine and the Bishop, who " was a singular example of true piety, judged right ; that " there was nothing that could more contribute to amend " the people's manners, than the dispersing the seed of the " evangelical doctrine by fit and proper preachers. For," says he, " from whence is it that Christ is, as it were, ex- " tinct in the hearts of so many? Whence is it that, under " the name of Christianity, there is so much of Paganism, DR. JOHN FISHER. 19 •'•but from a dearth of faithful preachers ?"( Without CHAP, BarnweU Gate, over against St. Andrew's Church, stood a . * Maison Dieu, or hospital, founded by King Henry VI. ^od's | who intended to have placed here sixty scholars, had he not, by his being deprived of his kingdom, and soon after of his Ufe, been prevented from executing this, and his other good intentions towards this University. But instead of sixty, there were, for lack of maintenance, never more than four who Uved here. On this hospital the Lady resolved to bestow some of her bounty ; and to fulfil the royal in tentions of King Henry, to whom, as being of the Lan caster line, she reckoned herself a sort of heir. She therefore obtained of the King, her son, his royal charter, to encrease the number of students, and alter it at her pleasure, and to change the name of this hospital from that of Maison Dieu to Christ's CoUege. Then she placed in it one master, twelve fellows, and forty-seven scholars, which made up the number of sixty, according to King Henry's first design. For aU these she provided very weU by her last WiU, by which she bequeathed many good lands to this foundation, and placed over them for the first master, John SickUng, feUow or scholar of the old Maison Dieu. 8. WhUst this CoUege was thus fitting up, the Lady, the foundress, came to Cambridge, to take a view of it, viz. the latter end of this year, 1505. In the Proctor's A. D. 1505 book we have the following account of the expenses of the University on this occasion : In expenses on the King's mother, when she s. d. was in the University xl v For a present to the King's mother xv ii js In the same book is it entered, that the Proctor received of her for the fabric, or towards the building of St. Mary's || Church, ten pounds ; and that her Confessor was mcor- porated; by which must be m'eariiE, a successor of the ^f Bish"orTifintIiat honourable place, wKowas, pTobabTyTan Oxford man. r ) 20 THE LIFE OF chap. 9. The buildings of this college being finished the next , year, statutes for the well government of it were to be a. d. 1506. provided. By one of these, so great was the regard that I the foundress had to the Bishop, it is ordained, that John ]j Bishop of Rochester, and ChanceUor of the University, be * Visitor of the said coUege so long as he Uves, even al- | though, perhaps, he should abdicate or quit the Chancel- X lorship, and that his Lordship should have power to | appoint a substitute. When, therefore, several years after, Proctors or Attorneys were substituted to interpret or ex plain these statutes of the college, the instrument recites, that it was done with the advice and consent, and ordina tion of the reverend father in Christ, the Lord John, Bishop of Rochester. 10. To grace this new foundation of his mother's, and honour the opening it with his royal presence, His Ma- A.D. I506.jesty was pleased the latter end of this year to accompany her to Cambridge, with the Prince, his son. On this oc casion, His Majesty not only treated the whole University, but gave them 'one hundred marks, and "forty pounds towards the fabric of St. Mary's church, a very generous benefaction for one of King Henry's parsimonious temper. The Proctor's book gives the following account of the expenses of the University at this time : Paid to Robert the carpenter, for the commence- s. d. * Minorite ment buUding in the church of the * Minors, Friers' five days iv ii Item, for a labourer at the * Minors, in putting up the stages for the commencement ii 0 So that the commencement was now held, coram Rege, in the King's presence, in the church of the Franciscan Friars, St. Mary's being not yet finished. Our Bishop, as Chancellor of the University, made the King, on this Coll. No. 4. solemn occasion, a very eloquent oration, which I have put in the Collection, and is to this purpose. 11. His Lordship observed to His Majesty, that " for 1 Equal to 700/. now. m Equal to about 300/. now. DR. JOHN FISHER. 21 " the most part they who were designed for great men had CHAP. " wonderful beginnings, and were exposed to great hazards ' " of life ; so that, unless they were preserved by the won- " derful providence of God, they had often perished. He " instanced in Moses, to whom he compares the King as " being like him, wonderfuUy born and brought into the " world by the most noble Princess, his mother, then pre- " sent, who at the time of His Majesty's birth was not " above fourteen years old, and very small of stature, as | " she was never a tall woman. That it seemed to all a | " miracle that at those years, and of so little a personage, " any one at aU should be born, much more one so taU, and " of so fine a shape as His Majesty. As for the perils and " hazards of His Majesty's Ufe, the Bishop said, it would " be almost endless to recount them ; for instance, whilst " his mother went with him, he very narrowly escaped the " danger of the plague, of which his illustrious father died. " His mother being thus deprived of her husband, was " delivered of him an orphan, who was scarce weaned, " when he was committed to the care of those who were " involved in continual wars. The castle in which he was Pembroke " kept being beseiged, he fell into the hands of his enemies, as e' " who yet providentially gave him an education becoming " his noble descent ; next, being sought for to be put to " death, he was forced to fly his country, when, designing " to go to his kinsman, the King of France, he more advan- " tageously happened on the Duke of Bretany, by whom, " notwithstanding, he was made a prisoner. Having made " his peace with him, and intending to return into his own " country, his fleet was driven back by a violent storm of " wind, which was very providential, since if he had " landed in England, he would scarce have escaped his " enemies, who looked out very narrowly for him. After- " wards the Duke of Bretany offered him to sale to his " capital enemies, who desired nothing more than his life : " the price was actually agreed on, but His Majesty escaped " safe into France, from whence when he again attempted 22 THE LIFE OF CHAP, "to come into his own country, having landed with a '. " small force, he, almost as soon as he set his foot on " shore, defeated the King that then was, with aU his " army. Being at length settled on the throne, he was " exposed to numberless plots and treasons, murmurs and " rebeUions ; aU which he divinely overcame, and arrived " at his present glory. This one thing alone, the Bishop " said, was abundantly sufficient to prove the King's great- " ness ; so that there was no need to rehearse the distinc- " tion of his famUy, from how many and most sacred kings " and emperors he was descended, whom yet his nobiUty " rendered no less iUustrious than theirs did him : no oc- " casion to say any thing of the noble exercises of his " youth in which he would be occupied, avoiding sloth " and an unactive Ufe as he would the plague. For the " same reason, the Bishop told His Majesty, he omitted " mentioning that invincible greatness of mind through " which, in events which made others afraid, he himself " was always without fear. His temperance in meat and " drink, and other bodily pleasures : his prudence in the " management of aU his affairs, especiaUy in the adminis- " tration of his kingdom, which he had so effectuaUy esta- " bUshed in peace, and reduced to his obedience, as no " king had ever done before him. So great and wonderful " was his wisdom, that it was the admiration of not only " his subjects, but of aU foreign princes. The Bishop " likewise, as he said, omitted His Majesty's speaking so " many different languages, his eloquence, the graceful " height of his stature, the elegancy of his mien or pre- " sence becoming a king, his strength and courage ; his " nimbleness, agiUty, and dexterity, in doing whatever he " had a mind to do : the fruitfulness of his kingdom, the " courage of his subjects, and his great wealth. He would " only, he said, observe, that whosoever attended to the " Divine Providence in him, must own him to be a very " wonderful person, and admonish His Majesty to be " careful not to be ungrateful to so very kind a God. DR. JOHN FISHER. 23 " The Bishop proceeded to speak of the King's kindness chap. " to them of the University, which, he said, His Majesty n- " exercised at a time when they had the greatest occasion " for it. To shew this, he took notice of the antiquity of " the University of Cambridge, and of the honours which " had been conferred on it by the King's progenitors, " Henry III. Edward I. II. III. and Richard II. That " Henry III. bunt that house of the Friars where they " then were ; Edward III. founded King's Hall, for " eighty scholars ; Henry VI. designed another for sixty, " and began another, to which he gave the name of King's " CoUege. But at that time, when His Majesty began to " take notice of them, they, by a compUcation of misfor- " tunes, were almost quite undone ; but he, by his favours " bestowed on them, had raised their dull and languishing " spirits. His Lordship instanced in himself, who, he " said, was promoted by His Majesty to the episcopacy, " though he had made no appUcation or interest at court, " and was never before preferred to any benefice, and aU " to make students sensible, that they should not want " encouragement, and to incite them to virtue and good " learning. But that His Majesty had more openly shewed " his desire to encourage them, in that the last year he " did them the honour to come to them, and be present " at their disputations, and that in the schools of aU the " faculties, not cursorUy and perfunctorily, but for a good " whUe together. Besides this, His Majesty made a pubUc " entertainment for the scholars, and set about finishing " King's CoUege, which King Henry VI. had left but in " part buflt. Upon aU these accounts, he teUs his Ma- " jesty, they were very much indebted to him for so great " kindnesses done to them in their so great necessity. " The Bishop concluded his speech with praying to God, " that he would give the King a long, a happy, and a " prosperous Ufe ; that his son, then present with him, an " illustrious prince, and worthy such a father, might succeed " him in his kingdom ; that his family might be encreased, 24 THE LIFE OF chap, "and he might have dutiful nobles, loving soldiers, and ' " obedient subjects ; that his friends might honour him, " his enemies fear him, and his alUes be constant to him ; " that he might enjoy a lasting state of health here on " earth, and after this Ufe, eternal happiness in heaven." 12. To this college, thus finished and settled by our Bishop's care and providence, his Lordship was afterwards loll. No. 5. himself a benefactor in the foUowing manner. He gave forty-three pounds to buy lands to the value of forty shil lings a year, on this condition, that there shaU be celebrated an anniversary commemoration, together with a mass and satisfactory prayer for the soul of the aforesaid Bishop of Rochester, and for the souls of his parents and heirs; and that on the self-same day on which this solemn com memoration is celebrated, the Master of the coUege shall receive sixteen-pence, every fellow twelve-pence, and each of the scholars, if they are Bachelors, four-pence ; if under graduates, two-pence ; which anniversary, the Bishop ordered, if it should happen to be omitted thrice, the lands given for it should be forfeited to St. John's CoUege, that the Master, and FeUows, and Scholars of that society might observe this solemnity. To the performance of all this, the Master, &c. of Christ's College obUged them selves, by an indenture dated February 22, A. D. 1525. 13. Having thus finished the account of the Bishop's settUng this coUege, I must carry the reader back again to Re„. the year 1507, when I find the Bishop at his palace of Fisher. Bromley, where, in the parish church, an act of abjura tion was read and performed before his Lordship, by one Richard Gavell, of Westerham, in his Lordship's diocese, on December 5. The errors and heresies, as they were then judged and called, which he abjured, were as foUows: (1.) That he affermyd, that the feaste of the holy apostle * Thomas seVnt * Thomas ys nat to be sanctifyed nor to be kept holy- Becket. jaye m the churche. (2.) That it is nat necessarye to any man to take holy water of the prestes hand. DR. JOHN FISHER. 25 (3.) That the oblacions and offeryng dayes that be or- CHAP. denyd by the churche ar nat necessary, for they war only ' lymyted and ordenyd by prestes and curates by theire owne covetouse myndes and singular avayles. (4.) That the corse or sentence of the churche is of none effect, nor nothyng to be regarded or to be sett by. Ffor the "corse of the churche is not to be sett by or dred, but only the corse of God, which the prestes have not in their poor. Insomyche, that when he was accursid by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and so openly by the curate denuncyd in the church of Westerham, he sayde, in the presence of divers persones, Syrs, tho' my Lorde of Canterbury hath accorsid me, I truste yet I am not ac- corsid of God; and therefore, syrs, fere ye not to com- panye or ete and drynke with me for all that. So high an opinion was, it seems, now conceived of the sacerdotal powers, as to imagine, that he whom the priests blessed was blessed, and he whom they cursed was cursed. 14. Our Bishop having now enjoyed the Presidentship of Queen's College about three years, and the buildings A.D. 1508. of Christ's being now all finished, he resolved to resign it. This, his intention, his Lordship seems to have communi cated to the Society, by letter, about June this year. For thus the Fellows, in their letter to him of the 19th of this month, tell him, that " as to what he writes to them of his " resolution to vacate the Presidentship of their College, " although they were wonderfully struck with that word, " and in a consternation, and, as it were, in an ecstasy, " yet, that they might not seem impertinent, and to no " purpose, and unseasonably to oppose his incUnation, and " on that account less yielding to him, they submitted " themselves in the most obsequious manner, and desired " his Lordship to use them as he pleased ; otherwise, they " were so far from desiring to take this place from him, " that they gave him free power of appointing for them a " President, whomsoever he pleased ; for they were cer- " Curse. 26 THE LIFE OF CHAP. " tain he would place over them no one who was not the • " image of himself, and not Uke him in his virtuous quali- " ties ; and therefore whatsoever he should do in this " affair, they would have him think it no sooner said than " done." To the same purpose, in their letter to the Lady Margaret, they tell her, that " for the inteer love which " they all had of dewte unto him, the said reverent father, " they had given hym full power to assyne and chose for " his successour amowng them whomsoever hit wold plese " him, that so, yf they myght not contynow with hym, at " leyst, by his appointment, they shuld have soche on as " somewhat shuld assemble hym and his goodly manerys." Accordingly, the Bishop chose for his successor in this Presidentship Dr. Robert Beakingshaw, FeUow of Mi chael-House, and afterward Dean of Stoke. How very acceptable our Bishop was to this society, appears not only by what has been already said, but by their telling the Lady Margaret, that his Lordship " surchesed, and " left the Presidentship of their CoUege, to the right gret " hevynes of them al." To the same purpose they ex pressed themselves in their nomination or election of his successor. " The Bishop," they said, " was a man that, " without flattery, was very dear- to them aU, not only on " account of his ingenuous humanity, but for his exceUent " learning and prudence, who, they wished, had as great " a desire to be their President, as they had of continuing " him." A. r. 1497. 15. Erasmus having been here in England, by the in vitation of Montjoy, who had entertained him at Calais, as his preceptor, became, very probably, acquainted with our Bishop ; and therefore being now President of this College, he seems to have invited him thither, and to have allotted him an apartment in his own lodge for the prose cution of his studies ; although Erasmus himself, in one of his letters to his friend Boville, among his other friends to whom he desired him to remember him, mentions his landlord Gerard, the bookseller, as if, for some time, how- DR. JOHN FISHER. 27 ever, he lodged at his house when he was there. How- CHAP. ever this be, Erasmus, the very next year after the Bishop's . having this Presidentship, had his grace to commence A- D- 1506- Bachelor and Doctor of Divinity at the same time, he j performing his exercise, and paying the bedels. This 1 seems owing to the favour of the Chancellor. By the same interest he seems to have been admitted five years 1 afterwards to the Lady Margaret's Professorship of Divi- 1 nity, which he continued to hold till A. D. 1515. By our I Bishop's procurement, he was likewise made the first \ Greek Professor in this University ; and when he quitted 1 it in 1522, was succeeded by Richard Croke, whom the Wood's A t"n p n flp Bishop was forced to beg and entreat to accept of it. In oxon. a letter, therefore, to our Bishop, dated at Cambridge, 1510, Erasmus teUs his Lordship, that " he was by him " obliged by so great offices and kindnesses, that he was " looking about to see in what manner he should express " his gratitude ;" and in another, the next year, to his ; " friend Andrew Hammond, he tells him, " that he had " hitherto read ° Chrysoloras's Grammar to a thin audi- " tory, but supposed he should have a better when he " began p Theodore's ; that, perhaps, he should under- " take the Divinity Lecture, that being now in agitation, " though he was not moved by the profits, which were " too small to raise his ambition ;" and yet, it is sure, the salary of the Divinity Lecture, viz.. twenty marks a year, was almost equal to the pension afterward given him by Archbishop Warham, for which he was so very thank ful. This, however, shews what care the Bishop took to promote good and useful learning in the University. Not above twenty years before he had any share in the govern ment of this famous school of learning, as Erasmus ob served, " there was nothing taught here but q Alexander, 0 Manuel Chrysoloras Quasstiones Grammaticales Graece. f Introductio Grammatices Graece. i Alexander de Hales, called Doctor irrefragabilis Expositio in Libros Metaphysicae Aristotelis. 28 THE LIFE OF CHAP, "the small logicals, as they caUed them, and those old ' " dictates of Aristotle and the stoical Questions, but that " now good learning was revived, the mathematics were " taught, a new Aristotle, or Aristotle renewed, was read, " the Greek language was studied, and so many authors " were added, that even their names were not formerly * Summa- " known, no not even to the * principals or heads of houses cisUS 4 " themselves." The same learned person observed to } Mountjoy some years after this, " that the University of 1 " Cambridge, under the government of the Bishop of | " Rochester, flourished with aU kind of ornaments :" and I again, afterwards, " that the Bishop himself had assured I" him, that in the divinity disputations, instead of sophis- " tical arguings, there were now sober and sound ones I " used, whereby they who were present at them, were ' " made not only more learned, but better men." I only add here, that upon the CoUege Register during our Bishop's presidentship, are several titles for holy orders given to several of the FeUows who were afterwards of note : one of these, for the form's sake, I have placed in Coll. No. 3. the CoUection; it was given to WilUam Peytoo, who was T Baker °^ a g00^ family hi Warwickshire, and for that reason, perhaps, chose to be ordained by his diocesan, the Bishop of Worcester. He was Bachelor of Arts at Oxford, and as such was incorporated at Cambridge, 1502-3, and pro ceeded Master of Arts 1505, and was afterwards made a Cardinal. DR. JOHN FISHER. 29 CHAP. III. 1. King Henry VII. dies, and the Bishop preaches at his Funeral. 2. Some account of his Sermon. 3. Of his Sermon at the Lady Margaret's Funeral. 1. IN the beginning of the next year died King Henry April 22, the Seventh, and in him did our Bishop lose not only a most gracious sovereign, but a very kind and faithful friend. This is very gratefully acknowledged by himself in the introduction to his Sermon at his funeral. " And " allbeit," says he, " I know well myne unworthyness and " unhabylytees to this so grete a mater, yet for my most " bounden duty, and for his gracyous favour and singuler " benefeytes exhybyte unto me in this life, I wolde now " after his deth ryght affectuously some thynge saye." Wednesday, May 9, being appointed for the bringing the King's body from Richmond, in order to its interment, it Hall's was with great reverence conveyed in a chariot to the Hen ."vnf. Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, where it was taken out, Fo- *• b- and carried into the quire, and set under a goodly herse of wax, garnished with banners, penceUes and cushions, and next day, May 10, there was " soung a solempne dirige " and a masse, with a Sermon made by the Bishoppe of " Rochester." It is not improbable that our Bishop was made choice of to preach on this occasion at the request \ of the King's mother, the Countess of Richmond, &c. \ since it is said in the a printed copy of it, that " this Ser- \ " mon was emprynted at the specyaU request of the ryght " excellent Princesse Margarete, moder unto the sayd \ " noble Prynce," &c. 1 2. On, this great and solemn occasion the Bishop made a At the end it is said to be emprinted by Wynkyn de Worde, prynter unto the moost excellent Pryncesse my lady, the kynge's graundame : which seems to intimate, that she was a patron and supporter of this printer conformable to the sentiments of her Confessor. 30 THE LIFE OF CHAP, choice of the first Psalm of the dirige to treat on, and pro- !__ posed to observe the same order that the secular orators have in their funeral orations. 1. To commend him who is dead. 2. To stir the hearers to have compassion on him. 3. To comforte them againe. His Lordship com mended the King especiaUy for these four things : 1. A true turning of his soule from this wretched world unto the love of Almighty God. 2. A fast hope and confidence that he had in prayer. 3. A stedfast beUef of God and of the Sacraments of the Church. 4. A diUgent asking of mercy in the time of mercy. As to the first of these, his Lordship told his auditory, that he " was assured by His ' Majesties Confessor, that at the beginning of Lent last past, the King caUed unto him his Confessour, and after ' his confession, made with aU diligence and great repen- ' tance, he promised three things, that is to say : 1. " A true reformation of aU them that were officers and ' ministers of his laws, to the entent that justice from ' henceforward truly and indifferently might be executed in aU causes. 2. That the promotions of the Churche ' that were of his disposition should from thenceforth be disposed to able men, such as were virtuous and well- leamed. 3. That, as touching the danger and jeopardies ' of his laws, for things done in time past, he would grant a pardon generaUy unto all his people." As a proof or evidence of the fast hope that His Majesty alway had in prayers, " it was not unknown," the Bishop said, " the stu- " dious and desirous mind that he had unto prayer, which " he procured of religious and seculers Church throughout " his realm. In all the churches of England daUy his " coUect was said for him. Besides, that diverse years " about Lent, he sent money to be distributed for ten " thousand masses to be said for him. Over this was, in " his realm no virtuous man that he might be credibly in- " formed of, but he gave him a continual remembrance " yearly and daily to pray for him ; some x marcs, some " x pounds, besides his yearly and daily alms unto the DR. JOHN FISHER. 31 "prisoners, and the other poor and needy." As to the CHAP. King's stedfast beUef of God, and of the Sacraments of the ' Church, the Bishop told his auditory, that as a proof of it, " he received them all with marvaillous devotion, namely, " in the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of the " Altar, and the Sacrament of Anelying. The Sacrament " of Penance with a marveUous compassion and flowe of " tears, that at some time he wept and sobbed by the " space of three-quarters of an hour. The Sacrament of " the Altar, he received at Mid-lent, and again upon " Easter-day, with so great reverence, that all that were " present were astonied therat ; for at his first entre into " the closet where the Sacrament was, he took off his " bonet, and kneled downe upon his knees, and so crept " forth devoutly tyll he came unto the place selfe where " he receyved the Sacrament. Two dayes next before his " depart, he was of that feblenes, that he myght not re- " ceyve it again ; yet nevertheles he desyred to se the " Monstrant wherein it was conteyned. The good fader, " his Confessour, in good manner, as was convenyent, " brought it unto him. He with suche a reverence, with so " many knockynges and betynges of his. brest, with so " quicke and lyfely a countenaunce, with so desyrous an " herte, made his humble obeysaunce themnto, and with " so grete humblenes and devocyon kyssed, not the selfe " place where the blessyd body of our Lorde was con- " teyned, but the lowest part the fote of the Monstraunt, " that all that stode aboute hym scarsly myght conteyne " them from teres and wepynge. The Sacrament of Ane- " lynge, or extreme unction, whan he wel perceyved, that " he began utterly to fayle, he desyrously asked therfore, " and hertely prayed, that it myght be admynystred unto " him, wherin he made redy and offred every b parte of his b By the Manuel, according to the use of Sarum, it was ordered, that whilst the 13th Psalm was saying by the Clerk, the Priest in the mean while should take the oil of the sick on his right thumb, and so with that thumb touch the sick person with the oil, making the sign of the Cross on both 32 THE LIFE OF CHAP, "body by ordre, and, as he myght for weyknes, turned . " himselfe at every tyme, and answered in the suffrages " therof. That same day of his departynge he herde " c masse of the gloryous Virgyn, the moder of Cryste, to " whome alwaye in hys lyfe he had a synguler and specyal " devotion. The ymage of the dcrucyfyx many a tyme that " daye full devoutly he dyd beholde with grete reverence, " lyftinge up his heede as he myght, holding up his handes " before it, and often embrasynge it in his armes, and with " grete devotion kissynge it and betynge ofte his brest." From hence the Bishop " concluded, that no one can " thinke that in this manner was not perfyte faith. Lastly, " he commends his late Majesty for a dylygent askynge " of mercy in the tyme of mercy." Here the Bishop ob served, " that tho' in what daye soever the synner tourn- " eth him from hys sinne, his synne shaU not noye him, yet " moche rather than yf he do it many dayes, and speci- " ally those days that be to Almyghty God most accept- " able, as be the days of Lent, of whom the Chyrche " redeth : this is the tyme acceptable, these be the days " of helth and mercy. Than for aU penytentes the hole " Chyrche maketh specyaU prayer. From whence his " Lordship concluded, that it is veryly to be trusted, that " so true a turnynge to the love of God, despysynge this eyes, beginning at the right eye ; on the ears, lips, nostrils, hands and feet : lastly, on the back betwixt the loins of a man, or on the navel of a woman. • Anno But in the reformed Roman Ritual, and the * Little Missal for Priests tra- 1623. veiling in England, it is only ordered, that the anointing shall be on the loins or reins, and the following rubric is added : But this anointing on the loins is always omitted in women, and even in ?ne» who by reason of weakness, can scarcely, or not without hazard, be moved. c This is one of those which the Papists call votive masses. fol. 87 a. d By the Order of Visiting the Sick, according to the use of Sarum, it is appointed, that when the sick person ought to be anointed, the image of the crucifix is to be offered to him, and placed in his sight, that he may adore his Redeemer in " the image of the crucifix, and may remember his suffer- " ing which he underwent for the salvation of sinners ;" for, as has been shewn in the Life of Bishop Pecock, it was then believed, that a physical presence of Christ was in this image. DR. JOHN FISHER. 33 " world ; so fast a hope in prayer, so ferme a byleve in CHAP. " the Saeramentes of the Chvrehe, and so devout a re- ' " coyvyngo of them, so many holdynge up of his handes, " so many lyftynge up of his even, so many betynges and " knoek\ nges of his brost. so many syghes, so many teres, " so many eallvngos for morcy,*6y all that gracious tyme, " by all the hole Lcnte, with the helpe of tho hole Chyrche, " than prayinge for hym coude not be in vayne, so that he " doubted not a gracyous ende and conclusion of the " King's lyf." Such was the account which the Bishop gave of His Majesty's behaviour during his last sickness, and at the time of his death. 3. It was not long before his Lordship was called to do the * same office for this King's mother, and his own dear and kind mistress, who died at Westminster, July 29th, A.D. 1509. this year. On this sad and mournful occasion, the Bishop chose for his text the history of Jesus and Martha, and John xi. observed the same method in treating of it that he used in " ' his sermon at the funeral of the King. In shewing her praise and commendation, lie observed, that the compa rison of Martha and the Lady Margaret might be made in four things : in nobleness of person ; in discipline of their bodys ; in ordering of their souls to God ; in hospitalytyes kepyng and charitable dcalyng to their neighbours. As to the first, his Lordship said, that there is a nobleness of blood, of manners, of nature, and of affinity. The Coun tess, he told his auditory, was noble in all these respects. 1. In blood: she was lineally descended from King Ed- i. ward III. within the fourth degree ; her father being John Duke of Somerset, and her mother called Margaret. She was noble in manners, being bounteous and liberal to 2. * A Mornynge Remembrance had at the Moneth Minde of the noble Prynces Margarete Countossc of Richmonde and Darbye, Moder unto Kynge Henry the Seventh, and Grandame to our sovereign Lorde that now is. Upon whose soul Almightye God have mercy. Compyled by the Reverent Fader in God Johan Fisher Byshop of Rochester. Emprynted at London, in Flete- •trete, at the sygne of the Sonne, by Wynkyn de Wordc. D 34 THE LIFE OF CHAP, every person of her knowledge and acquaintance. She . was also very easy of access, and very courteous in her answers, of wonderful gentleness to all folks, but especially to her own people, whom she trusted and loved very ten derly. Unkind she would not be to any one, nor forgetful of any kindness or service done to her before, which, the Bishop said, was no small part of true nobiUty. She was neither revengeful nor cruel; but soon ready to forget and forgive injuries done to her, at the least request or motion made to her for the same. Merciful also and com passionate she was unto such as were grieved and wrong fully troubled ; and to those that were in poverty, sickness, or any other misery. To God and the Church she was very obedient and tractable, very industriously seeking his honour and pleasure. A wariness or watching over her self, she had alway to avoid every thing that might disho nour any noble woman or distaine her honour in any condition. Frivolous things, that were Uttle to be regarded, she would let pass by, but others that were of weight and substance, whereby she might profit, she would not spare 3. for any pains or labour to obtain. She had a nobleness of nature, having in a manner aU that was praisable in a woman, either in soul or body. She had a very good and retentive memory, and a quick and ready conception of even the most difficult and abstruse things. She was very studious in books, of which she had a great number, both in EngUsh and in French ; and for her own exercise and the profit of others, she translated several 'pieces of devo tion out of French into EngUsh. Very often she com plained, that in her youth she had not learned Latin, of which, however, she had a Uttle knowledge, especiaUy of the rubric of the Ordinal, for the saying of her service, which she did well understand. Besides, in aspect, in words, in gesture, in every demeanour of herself, so great f One of these was printed with the following title : The Mirroure of golde with theforthe booke of the followinge Jesu Chryst. By Rich. Pynson, 1504, 4°. DR. JOHN FISHER. 35 nobleness did appear, that whatever she said or did, it CHAP. wonderfully became her. She was also noble by affinity : in her tender age, when she was not fully nine years old, 4- she being endued with so great towardness of nature, and likeUhood of inheritance, many sued to have had her in marriage. The Duke of Suffolk, who then was a man of great experience, very diUgently endeavoured to have had her for his son and heir : on the contrary, King Henry the Sixth did intercede for Edmund, his brother, then Earl of Richmond. She, doubtful in her mind what she was best to do, asked counsel of an old gentlewoman whom she much loved and trusted, who did advise her to commend herself to St. g Nicholas, the patron and helper of all true maidens ; and to beseech him to put her in mind what she were best to do. This counsel she followed, and often made her prayer to this purpose, and particularly that night when she should next day return an answer of what she intended to do ; when, as she lay in prayer, calling upon St. Nicholas, whether sleeping or waking, she told the Bishop she was not certain, about four o'clock in the morning, one appeared unto her habited Uke a bishop, and naming unto her Edmund, bad her take him for her husband ; and so by this meane she did incline her mind unto Edmund, the King's brother, and Earl of Richmond, by whom she became the mother of the King lately de- a. D. 1456. ceased, and the grandmother of the present King ; so what by Uneage, what by affinitie she had thirty kings and queens within the fourth degree of marriage unto her, be sides earls, marquesses, dukes, and princes. The Bishop having thus spoken of the Countess's nobi lity, proceeded, according to his proposed method, to shew how she discipUned her body ; and here he told his audi ence of her sober temperance in meat and drink; her avoiding reresoupers, and joucries betwixt meals ; her observing the fasts of the Church, and especially the Holy Lent, throughout which she confined herself to one meal & See the Golden Legend, de Sancto Nicholao. 36 THE LIFE OF CHAP, offish on the day, besides her other peculiar fasts of de- . votion, as St. Anthony, St. Mary Maudelin, St. Katherine, with others : that she had her shirts and girdles of hair, which, when she was in health, she failed not to wear on certain daies, sometime one, sometime the other, and that very often her skin was pierced therewith: that, as for chastity, though she alway continued not in her virginity, yet in her husband's days, long before he died, she ob- p 14 tained of him leave, and h promised to live chaste in the hands of the Bishop of London, which promise she re newed after her husband's death into our Bishop's hands. Next, the Bishop told his auditory how the Countess ordered her soul to God : that she spent the whole morn ing, from the time of her rising, about five of the clock, to dinner time, about ten or eleven, in prayers and devotions ; and after dinner, in going her stations to three altars every day, saying her dirges and commendations, and her even songs before supper, both of the day and of our Lady, beside many other prayers and psalters of David through out the year : that at night, before she went to bed, she faded not to resort unto her chapel, and there a large quarter of an hour to occupy her devotions : that besides all this, daily, when she was in health, she faded not to say the Crown of our Lady, which, after the manner of Rome, K These vows of celibacy or of chastity, as they were called, in the con jugal state, were now reckoned a matter of merit, and an argument of extra- Roman ordinary devotion. In the body of the Church of Gravely, in Hertfordshire, Stations in }s a large old grave-stone, round the verge of which is this inscription, the Britain, &c. firs(. wQrd Qr twQ obl;terated . p. 41. Eleonora conjux virgo simulata Ora quod sit beatis sociata. This superstitious practice is supposed to be supported by the authority of Tertullian, who thus expressed himself : Quot item qui consensu pari inter se matrimonii debitum tollunt ? But it is not considered, that the great Apostle of the Gentiles limits this defrauding one another with consent, to a time that they might give themselves to prayer and fasting, and expressly orders their coming together again, for this good reason, that Sathan tempt them not for their incontinency. 1 Cor. vii, 5. DR. JOHN FISHER. 37 contains sixty-three Aves, and at every Ave to make a CHAP. kneeling: and that as for meditation, she had several ; books in French, wherewith she would employ herself when she was weary of prayer. Her wonderful weeping, the Bishop said, they could bear witness of, of whom there were great numbers who had heard her confession, which she ordinarily made every third day, and who were present at any time when she received the holy Eucharist, which was near a dosen times every year : these, he said, could bear witness how at these times flouds of tears issued forth of her eyes. His Lordship added, that, besides this, such godly things she would take by obedience, that so aU her works might be the more acceptable, and of greater merit in the sight of God, which obedience she promised to her several confessors. To this account of this devout Prin cess, his Lordship added elsewhere, that he ingenuously Epist. dedi- owned, that when she had appointed him her monitor to ^ t0 Bp' hear her private confession, and instruct her Ufe, he learnt more from her excellent virtues for the institution of a good life, than ever he communicated to her : to which may be Ukewise added, that her epitaph informs us of her giving stipends to three monks of the Church of West minster, and to a * teacher of grammar, at Wymborn, in * Coll. No. Dorsetshire, which 'I think myself obliged in gratitude to take especial notice of, as having received some of the benefit of this endowment, by being in part educated there, under the cave of that excellent master the Reverend Mr. John Moyle. Her epitaph Ukewise mentions her ap- a. D. 1686, pointing stipends to a preacher of God's word throughout ^'j Jj?f aU England ; though, it seems, the Charter of this foun- * * l- dation specifies the dioceses of London, Ely, and Lincoln, as has been said before. A further instance of this lady's piety, which, it seems, the Bishop omitted to mention Preface to among her other acts of devotion, was her being admitted sermon^of into the fraternity of five several reUgious houses, if not Margaret more, viz. Westminster, Crowland, Durham, Wynburne, Richmond, and the Charter-house at London, which, in the strain of ?c' j"' *'*' ' ' Lond.1708. 38 THE LIFE OF CHAP, that age, as it entituled her to the prayers, so it gave her ' a share in the merits and good works of all these societies. To finish what I have to say of this charitable and munifi cent lady, a little before her death she had desired our Bishop to print his 'Sermons that he had preached to her on the seven penitential Psalms, which accordingly were published the 12th of June this year ; and were afterwards translated into Latin by one John Fen a Monteacute, who is called an English priest. Among our Bishop's other excellencies, the Lady Margaret is said to have very much , admired his preaching. Of this his learned friend Erasmus I took notice, that his Lordship was singularly happy in a ' graceful elocution or fine dehvery, and upon that account •Hen.vill. very dear to the * King's grandmother. To thise treatise on the seven penitential Psalms, the Bishop prefixed a prologue, in which he observed, that he " of late, before the most excellent Princesse Margarete " Countesse of Richemount and Derby, &c. pubUshed " the sayinges of the holy Kinge and prophete David of " the seven penitentiall Psalmes, in the which the said " good and singuler lady much delited ; and that at her " highe commaundement and gracious exhortacion, he " had put the said sermons in writing for to be impressed." Of his preaching on these Psalms at the command of this lady, the Bishop takes notice at the beginning of his first sermon in the following manner : " Frendes, this daye " I shall not declare unto you any parte of the epistle or 'This treatyse concernynge the fruytfull saynges of Davyd the Kynge and prophete in the seven penytencyall Psalmes devyded in seven sermons, was made and compyled by the ryght reverend fader in God Johan Ffyssher, doctoure of dyvynyte and Byshop of Rochester, at the exortacyon and sterynge of the most excellent Pryncese Margarete Countesse of Ryche- mont and Derby, and moder to oure soverayne Lorde Kynge Henry the vii. Emprynted at London in Fletestrete, at the sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn de Worde, prynter unto the moost excellent Pryncesse my Lady, the Kynge's Graundame, in the yere of our Lorde God mccccc and ix the xii daye of the moneth of Juyn. Another edition of this booke was imprinted at London in Fletestrete, at the sygne of the Prynces armes by Thomas Marshe. Anno, m.d.l.v. DR. JOHN FISHER. 39 " gospeU, which peradventur you do abide for to here at CHAP. " this time. But at the desire and instaunce of them _ ' " (whome I maye not contrary in any thinge whiche is " bothe accordinge to my dewty, and also to their soules " healthe) I have taken upon me shortly to declare the " fyrst penitenciall Psalme, wherin I beseche Almyghty " God for his great mercy and pyty so to helpe me thys " daye by his grace, that whatsoever I shaU saye may first " be to hys pleasure, to the profit of mine owne wretched " soule, and also for the holsome comfort unto aU sinners " whiche be repentaunte for their sinnes, and hath turned " themselfe with aU their hole herte and minde unto God, " the wai of wickednes and sinne utterly forsaken." 4. At this time was our Bishop admonished to appear at a provincial convocation, which was now summoned to Reg.Fisher . be held. The date of the instrument is Nov. 1, 1509, and of the Bishop of London's letters, Nov. 28. The reasons given for the meeting of this convocation are said to be, some men subverting the institutions of their ancestors, and evil treating the ecclesiastics. 40 THE LIFE OF CHAP. IV. 1. The Bishop an executor of the Lady Margaret's Will. 2. He builds and endows St. John's College in Cam bridge. 3. The first court of St. John's College finished. 4. The Bishop takes the profession of a Widow. 1510. 1. AMONG the "executors of the. Lady Margaret's Will, our Bishop was nominated to be one, as a person in whom she placed the greatest confidence whilst she was \ alive, and whom therefore she principally trusted with the execution of this her last testament after she was dead. A part of this concerned the foundation of a new college in the University of Cambridge, according to the advice which the Bishop had given her for the disposal of her charity. But this having been done by way of codicil, before it could be sealed, the good lady departed this life, and thereby left some ground for cavil and dispute, which gave the Bishop no little trouble, and occasioned no small expense. According to the scheme laid in the Lady Mar garet's life time, it was proposed to dissolve by authority the hospital of St. John's at Cambridge, (the Master and Brethren of which, by their dissolute lives and prodigal expenses in excess and riot, had exhausted all their stores and funds, and so entirely sunk and lost their credit, that they were almost all dispersed, and so in effect the house abandoned) and to ingraft on the old stock a new college, to be called by the same name, that might bring forth better fruit. This hostell was first erected for religious Chanons, by Nigellus, the second Bishop of Ely, and Trea surer to King Henry I. about the year 1134, and the Chanons were known by the name of the Hospital and \ * King Henry VIII. Richard Bishop of Winchester, John Bishop of Ro chester, Charles Somerset Lord of Herbert, Thomas Lovell, Henry Marne, and John Seint-John, Knights, Henry Horneby, and Hugh Ashton, Clerki. Summarie of English Chronicles. DR. JOHN FISHER. 41 Brethren of St. John. But within the space often years chap. last past, they had so far wasted their revenues, and dila- ^ pidated their goods, both moveable and immoveable, that they had sunk them from the sum of 140Z. to that of 30/.; so that there was only a Prior and two Brethren left. 2. The first thing to be done towards the dissolution of this house, thus in a manner dissolved already, was to have the consent of the Bishop of Ely, both as reputed founder, and undoubted diocesan and visitor. The next was the obtaining the King's license. But before these could be had in due and legal form, the King died ; and ere much more could be done to any purpose, the Lady Margaret herself died : and had she not lodged this trust in faithful hands, and particularly in the Bishop's, this great and good design must have died with her. But a very parti cular account of the difficulties and discouragement which the Bishop met with in the execution of this scheme, and finishing and settUng the new coUege, being entered upon the old book in his Lordship's name, and probably by his direction, I shall here say no more of them, but refer to the paper itself, a copy of which wiU be found in the Collection. 3. These difficulties, however great and troublesome, were yet aU surmounted by the Bishop's great interest and continual application. On which, what is now called the first Court of the College, was finished in about six years A. D. 1516. time by his Lordship's great care and good management ; so as to be ready to receive the scholars intended to be placed there, when the Bishop himself came on purpose to Cambridge to be present at the opening of it, which, as will be shewn by and by, was done with great solemnity. 4. Among other usages that, it seems, prevailed at this time, one was that of widows making a profession, before the Bishop of the diocese in which they Uved, of their continuance in the state of widowhood, and not marrying again: on which occasion they were solemnly blessed by No. 6. 42 THE LIFE OF CHAP, the Bishop, and had a b mantle and ring delivered to them ' by him, which they wore in token of this their vow and profession. Accordingly, one EUzabeth Fitz-warren, a widow, was thus professed before our Bishop, and blessed by him, and received the mantle and ring from him on a April 21, Lord's day, in the parish church of Beckenham, a small distance from Bromley. The form of her profession is thus entered in the Bishop's register : " In the name of " God the Father, the Son and the Holy Goste. I Eliza- " beth a widowe, and nat weddid, ne unto no man suryd, " behote and make a vowe to God, and to ouer blessid " Ladie, and to all the companie of heven in the presence " of the reverend father in God John Bysshop of Ro- " Chester for to be chaste of my bodie and trewly and " devowtly shaU kepe me chaste frome this tyme, as longe " as my lyff lastith, after the rule of Saynt PowU. In " nomine patris et filu et spiritus sancti, Amen. In cujus * meo. " testimonium signum crucis cum nomine *suo manu pro- " pria subscripsi. + Elysabeth." Preface to! Such a vow and promise of ceUbacy or widowhood, we Sermon? ^ Pave seen was ^ai^ which the Lady Margaret is said to (have taken from our Bishop's hands some years before jher death. b Wydews, and such as han taken the mantel and the ryng, deliriously fed, we wold they were wedded, for we ne can excuse hem of privy synnes. Lollards Confession. DR. JOHN FISHER. 43 CHAP. V. 1 . The Bishop is nominated to go to the Later an Council at Rome, but did not go. 2. Advises the University of Cambridge to choose Cardinal Wolsey for their Chan cellor. 3. The University follow his advice, and choose him. 4. Wolsey refuses the offer. 5, 6. The Univer sity make choice of the Bishop, and appoint him their Chancellor for his life. 1. AMIDST these difficulties with which the Bishop was 1512. forced to encounter in the execution of his late mistress's Will, was he nominated, with the Bishop of Worcester! the Prior of St. John's, and the Abbot of Winchelcomb, to go to Rome, to sit in the Council which Pope JuUus had now caUed to be held in the Lateran Palace, April 19, 1512. Erasmus, on this occasion, wrote to some of his ' friends, that he was to have accompanied the Bishop in this journey had he known of it soon enough ; though afterwards he wrote, that the Bishop's ajourney was put by all of a sudden. It is certain, that the Bishop, in order to his going to Rome on this occasion, had drawn up and sealed procuratorial letters or powers to WiUiam Fresell, Coll.No.H. Prior of Rochester, and Richard Chettham, Prior of Ledes in Kent, by which he empowered them during his absence, to coUate to such benefices and offices as were of his gift, such persons as he should nominate to them, and to grant institution and induction to those which were not of his patronage: to give letters dimissory ; to take care that churches and church-yards, if any of them within his diocese were by the effusion of blood, or otherwise pol luted, be reconcUed by some of the suffragans : to admit and Ucense whatever pardon-mongers came into the dio- a Ante biennium adornaram iter comes futurus R. Patri D. Joanni Epis- March 31 copo Roffensi, viro omnium episcopalium virtutum genere cumulatissimo — 1515. verum is ex itinere subito revocatus est. Epist. lib. ii. ep. 2. 44 THE LIFE OF CHAP, cese with their indulgences to ask and coUect the alms of V' those of the diocese ; all which powers were to last only till the Bishop thought fit to revoke them ; and the instru ment itself was dated at the Bishop's manse, by Lamehith Marsh, March 10, 1514, and the^leventh year of his con secration. But notwithstanding this, and the University's recommending 'their affairs to him as ready to go, as will be shewn presently, the Bishop says himself, that he was disappointed of that journey; and these procuratorial powers, together with other letters recommending his Lordship to some men of note at Rome, are yet lodged among the archives of St. John's College, and shew they were never delivered. This let of the Bishop's was, how ever, a great advantage to the College, which must have suffered very much in its endowment had it not been for his presence, without whom nothing was done. Feb. 6, 2. Wolsey being newly promoted to the great bishopric of Lincoln, and in very high favour with the King, the Bishop of Rochester, who had now enjoyed the honour of being Chancellor of the University ten years, and was nominated at this time to Rome, thought it would be more for the University's interest to make choice of Wolsey for their Chancellor. Accordingly, he intimated to them as much ; telling them how dear Wolsey was to the King, and that he had himself wrote to Wolsey to accept this May 13, honour which was intended him. The University, in their 1514^ Coll.jetter tQ fae Bjsn0p? verv gratefully acknowledged this kind and friendly intimation of his, teUing him, that he was continuaUy obUging them ; that they had experienced him to be not only a pastor but a father ; that they were more indebted to him than to any body, who had given to them a great many ornaments ; that they should unani mously have chosen him their Chancellor, had he not thought it better for them to choose another ; that there fore they had chosen the Honourable Bishop of Lincoln, and were very much obliged to him, that he had by his letters solicited that prelate to accept of their choice. DR. JOHN FISHER. 45 They concluded, that he was never weary of serving them, CHAP. though upon their account he had undergone immense ' and almost intolerable labours. 3. To this letter of the University's the Bishop wrote Coll. No. 8. an answer, dated from London, 7 kal. of June. In it he tells them, that he earnestly wished his benefactions had been more advantageous to them, and that it was in his power, by any study, industry, advice, recommenda tion, or pains to encrease or illustrate the University ; that if it was, they should plainly see that what he had hitherto done was of very little moment, and far inferior to what he desired to do for them : that as to their opinion of him, in judging him fitter to be their Chancellor than any one else, he esteemed it a greater honour to him, than the ChanceUorship itself; since, besides that Plato's philoso phy does not allow any one to be ambitious of magistracy, and that the Christian much more abhors it, experience had fully instructed him how much emptiness is concealed under those honours : but, that the so unanimous consent of so many learned men, in relation to him, could not but be above the expectation of any modest man; that, if there could be any addition made to the obligations they had already laid on him, they had further obliged him by following his advice to choose the Bishop of Lincoln, as well as consulted their own interest : for that he did not doubt but that his Lordship would abundantly supply with his greatness those things which his own meanness could only wish for them, but never obtain : since he was not wanting either in power or inclination, as doing every thing with the King, and being a person of singular good sense and prudence, and was said to be, and really was, of a very generous disposition, or a most bountiful patron and benefactor to those whom he favoured. As for himself, he told them, he could assure them of every thing that he could do to oblige them. He concluded with praying to God, that as their University had been of late encreased in good learning and virtue, so likewise they might en- 46 THE LIFE OF CHAP, crease in good learning and virtue; so that this their V- University might every day more and more flourish in Christ. 4. As the University thus notified to the Bishop their choice of Wolsey for their Chancellor, in obedience to his advice ; so the very next day after they wrote to Wolsey himself, to intimate to him this their choice of him, and to desire his acceptance of it. This, it is said, was expressed in terms savouring of the most fulsome flattery, and almost servile appUcation. But, it seems, it was all lost upon Wolsey, who, in an answer to this letter of the Univer sity's, which, under some shew of humility, sufficiently dis covered a latent pride, absolutely refused to accept of this proffered honour. 5. On this unexpected repulse, the University again Coll. No. 9. applied themselves to the Bishop of Rochester by letter, in which, after some comphments made to his Lordship, they teU him, that by his advice they had offered to the Bishop of Lincoln their ChanceUorship, but that he had answered them, that " he would very willingly have ac- " cepted it, if he had not been so entirely taken up with " the affairs of the state ; but that, however, that they " might not think themselves altogether slighted by him, " he had assured them, he would be as much their friend " as if he had accepted the honour that was offered to " him." They therefore told the Bishop, that with the same unanimity of their whole University with which they had before decreed him the Chancellorship, if he had not dissuaded them from it, they now offered it to him again, and prayed, that he would accept it, as he had done be fore, and suffer them, under his command and auspices, to militate and advance in good learning. They concluded with thanking his Lordship for his letter to them, and beseeching him to continue, as formerly, to assist and adorn their University. 6. In compliance with these unanimous and very earnest desires of the University, the Bishop accepted again of the DR. JOHN FISHER. 47 Chancellorship. To shew, therefore, their gratitude to chap. his Lordship, and to induce him to be their friend and v- patron at Rome, whither, as has been said, he was now designed to go, they, towards the end of this year, sent Feb. 13, his Lordship a letter by their Vice-chancellor Eccleston, in which, after their compUments made to the Bishop, as Coll. No. usual, they told him, that being stirred and compelled by ' his Lordship's more than ordinary affection for their com mon mother, they had conferred on him the highest honour they had to give, which was not to end but with his Ufe. They added, that they understood his Lordship was in a short time to go to Rome, which might be an advantage to him, and to those who depended on him ; wherefore they prayed and besought him, that if in any thing he could be their friend, as he could be in a great many things, since he best knew their occasions, he would be mindful of their University : and that their Vice-chan ceUor would explain their minds more fully to him, to whom, therefore, they desired his Lordship to give credit. They further prayed him to take care of the confirmation of their privileges, and told him they had written to several b prelates of the kingdom whom they had entreated to be their friends in securing or defending them. 7. This same year, 1514, 1 find in the Bishop's register mention made of one WiUiam Moress, of Snodland, in his Lordship's diocese, obUged to abjure his saying, when he was demanded wherefore he received not at Easter the Sacrament of the Altar, that he could buye c24 as goode b Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester, Thomas Ruthall or Rowthall, Bishop of Durham. Thus are these letters placed in the Univer sity Register : the letter to Wolsey being put before that to the Archbishop of Canterbmy, on account, I suppose, of his being prime minister and the Pope's legate. 0 In Queen Elizabeth's time 2,500 of the breades then used at the H. Sacrament, though they were both broader and thicker than the wafers used in the mass, were sold for 8*. and id. which is about a half-penny a dozen. Thoresby Vicaria Leodiensis. 48 THE LIFE OF CHAP, as that wassfor three halfpence. This sort of reflection ' on what the feigned Catholics call God's body we often meet with among the other sayings which were abjured Bp. Gray's about this time ; viz. that thirty or fourty of this sort of eg' ' breads or wafers were sold for a half-penny. DR. JOHN FISHER. 49 CHAP. VI. 1. Statutes, $c. provided for St. John's College. 2. The Maison Dieu at Ospringe granted to it. 3. Some ac count of it. 4. The Bishop consecrates the College Chapel, and , opens the College. 5. Founds four Fel lowships and two Scholarships in it. 6. A mistake of Erasmus's. 1. 1HE College being thus built and endowed by our Bishop's unwearied care and appUcation, the executors' next care was to provide rules and statutes for this new foundation ; to stock it with FeUows and Scholars, so far as the endowments would reach ; and to make it, as in tended, a seat of learning. But this requiring attendance, and more skill than most of them were masters of, they delegated their authority to the Bishop of Rochester, by a commission dated March 20, 1515; only, if any of their A.D. 1515. number happened to be present with him, they were to have equal power. 2. It has been before observed what difficulties the Lady Margaret's executors met with in what related to the foundation and endowment of St. John's College, in Cambridge. A part of these arose from the clamours of her officers and servants, who, because they could not Preface to have aU themselves, were wiUing to give aU to the King. Margarets Through their occasion, therefore, and the advice of some ^neral powerful courtiers, and the fresh suit of the King's audi tors and councd at law, the executors were so hard prest, and so straitly handled, that, notwithstanding aU due care had been taken to secure their interest in the lands be queathed by the foundress for the endowment of the CoUege, by proving her WiU both in the Prerogative and in the Court of Chancery, where Archbishop Warham, both as Archbishop and Chancellor, approved and al lowed the WiU as good ; and the executors being in pos- E 50 THE LIFE OF CHAP, session of these lands, and receiving the rents and profits ______ of them some years, they were yet forced at last to let them go. By this means, as was deposed upon oath before the Archbishop, by Dr. Nicholas Metcalfe and Richard Sharp, B. D., the College was rendered incapa ble of subsisting according to the foundation. The exe cutors were therefore to look out and sue for a compensa- | tion, otherwise aU was at a stand. Accordingly, there being | an old decayed Maison-Dieu, or hospital, in Ospringe- 1 street, near Faversham in Kent, worth having, this faUing J under the Bishop of Rochester's view, was quickly thought of by him as for their purpose : and being by devolution in the King, by the Bishop's appUcation at Court, with the mediation of the Queen, Wolsey, and other courtiers, it was at last obtained. Preface to 3. This house was founded by King Henry III. about Marat's tne year 124,5> ancl consisted of a Master, who stiled him- funeral self frater N. Magister Hospitalis Beate Marie Virginis de &c. ' Ospringe, and three Brethren, who are caUed presbyteri thlStAbb°f conversh or Priests who were professed to be of the Order &c. of Fa- of the Holy Cross, and two secular Clerks or CapeUanes, who were to celebrate for the soul of the Prince their founder, and for the souls of his royal predecessors and successors. They were likewise to be hospitable to the poor and needy pUgrims and passengers, particularly those of the Order of the Holy Cross, or of the Brethren of St. John of Jerusalem when they went beyond sea, or returned home ; and to relieve poor lepers, for whom a house seems to have been provided on the other side of the way, opposite to the site of this hospital. Upon the death, &c. of the Master, the three Brethren were to choose one of their own body to be presented to the King for his consent, and afterwards to be instituted by the Archbishop. But about the year 1480, in the reign of King Edward IV., one Robert Darrell was chosen Mas ter ; soon after which two of the Brethren died, and pre sently after, the Master and the other Brother ; on which DR. JOHN FISHER. 51 the two secular Priests left the house, by which means it CHAP. • VI became dissolved, and by devolution came to the King, as ' founder, who by his letters patent committed the guar dianship of it to secular persons. Thus King Henry VIII. in the sixth year of his reign, committed the custody of this hospital to John Underhill, Clerk, for his life. Of this Bishop Fisher took notice as very proper to be ap propriated by the King's grant unto the CoUege of St. John's, to make some compensation for the lands they had lost. Accordingly, after long suit, that was granted, and a BUI devised to be signed of the King for it. But then, says the Bishop, in the account he has left of the difficul ties he met with in settling this College, what labor then I hadde, what hyme that was encombent, and how long or we cudde establishe § make it sure, both by temporal Counsell 8f spirituall, and how often for this matter then I roade both to Ospringe and to London, and to my Lord of Can terbury, or that I couthe performe all thyngsfor the suyrty therof, it war to long to reherse. But, notwithstanding, the Bishop by his constant appUcation and great interest at Court, in Uttle more than a year completed this affair. The King enlarged the CoUege mortmain, and made a grant of this hospital to it, dated March 10, in the seventh a.D. 1516. year of his reign, the next year after he had granted the custody to John UnderhiU, who was prevailed with the same day and year to resign all his claim to the said hos pital to the Master, Fellows, and Scholars of the College, on his receiving in hand 40/., and having a yearly pension of 30/. for his life. This grant the King, four years after, ^,d. 1520. renewed, and the Archbishop, the Prior, and Convent and Archdeacon of Canterbury confirmed it, for their several parts and interests. By this means, it is said, a good ad dition was made to the College estate, this grant having brought with it several good estates in Kent, to the value of 70/. per annum. But, according to the grant, the Col lege had by it given to them all the lands and tenements which belonged to the hospital of the blessed Mary, or 52 THE LIFE OF CHAP. God's House, called le Maison Dieu of Ospringe. A vi . part of these was the mannor of Elverland, in the parish of Osprindge, which, according to a terrier made of it Coll.No.*5. September 17, 1576, consisted then of a mannor house, &c. 207 acres of arable and pasture, 8 acres of wood land, and three tenements. But, besides this, the hospital was endowed with the impropriate parsonages of Ospringe and Hedcorn, and with lands lying at Lurenden in Chal- lock, and at Hokeling, Rydemarsh, Ryde, and other places in the Isle of Shepway. 4. Before this business could be quite finished and set- A.D. 1516. tied, or, however, very soon after, our Bishop, as has been hinted before, came to Cambridge to consecrate the cha pel, and to open the new College. The Bishop of Ely's Ucense to him, empowering him to perform that sacred office by consecrating altars, vestments, and other orna ments, and administering other ecclesiastical offices per taining thereunto, as if he himself was there present, is dated July 26, 1516. This, then, being done, the Bishop, accompanied by Dr. Hornby, another of the executors, and Master of Peter-house, made his entrance into the College, which was the more solemn on account of his being ChanceUor of the University. After the usual cere monies, a public notary, and other witnesses being called in ; first, the King's license was produced in the presence of them all, sealed with green wax ; the Charter of the foundation was opened and read in part, together with the Bull of Pope Julius the Second, sealed after the manner of the Court of Rome ; and lastly, the Bishop of Roches ter's procuratorial powers from the rest of the executors, empowering him, or such other of them as should be pre sent, to act in the name of the rest. By virtue of these powers, the Bishop and Dr. Hornby named, elected, and ordained Alan Percy Master of the said College, and thirty-one Fellows, as the Bishop himself had before by virtue of the same power drawn statutes for the govern ment of it, and afterwards, as he found occasion, altered DR. JOHN FISHER. 53 them. So the act or instrument of opening St. John's chap CoUege. But by another account we are informed, that aU the executors, by a Charter dated April 9, 1511, five Preface to Of T 1 tnC IUnera' years before this, to which all their seals are affixed, did sermon of erect, ordain, and estabUsh a perpetual College Unius Margaret magistri, &c. consisting of one Master, FeUows, and Scho- &c. lars, to the number of fifty, or thereabouts, Students in Divinity, &c. and that the College so erected should be stUed and called St. John's CoUege, and Robert Shorton be the first Master, with a stipend of only 20/. per annum, under whose care and conduct the College was built, and its revenues advanced and improved. But, it seems, he being promoted to wealthier preferments, voided this by cession, and so Percy was by the Bishop, &c. chosen and July 19, ..,.,. r 1516. appointed in his room. 5. For this College, thus finished and settled by our Bishop, he always retained a very great kindness : inso much, that out of his own estate he founded here four j FeUowships, and two Scholarships ; which Scholars, and e privatis j three of the FeUows, were to be of the county of York, statute where our Bishop was born, and the other Fellow of the MS- *•¦ 1- diocese of Rochester, of which he was Bishop. Two of 12. these four Fellows, at least, were to be Priests, and in their masses peculiarly and satisfactorily to pray for his soul ; yet so as to commend the soul of the Lady Mar garet, to whom, the Bishop said, he was obliged as to a mother ; and the soul of King Henry VII. her son, who he gratefully remembered, without the entreaty or inter cession of any one, conferred on him the bishopric of Ro chester. Besides these, his Lordship likewise founded here four Examinators ; one for humanity, a second for logic, a third for mathematics, and a fourth for philosophy, who were to have, every one of them, a salary of 40*. a year ; and two Lecturers, one of the Greek, for the younger stu dents, and the other of the Hebrew tongue, for those who were more advanced in years, to each of which he ordered by his last statutes under seal dated July 1 1, 1530, a yearly Coll.No.i; 54 THE LIFE OF CHAP. VI. Coll.No.l i \ Ascham I Epist. p j 293, ed. 1 1703. « salary of three pounds. This foundation, together with . what his Lordship paid for the mortmayning of the Mai- son-Dieu near Ospringe, to the CoUege, it is said, cost the Bishop 500/. a sum almost equal to 4000/. now. He like wise, at his own expense, built a chapel, yet standing on the north side of the CoUege chapel, into which it opens by a large wide arch near the east end. Here he intended to have had his body deposited after his death, and a monu ment erected to his memory, for which he had actuaUy provided polished white marble, several pieces of which are yet lodged near this chapel. The arms of the see of Rochester, which were here engraven on a shield with the Bishop's own coat, are stiU remaining, though the Bishop's arms are defaced. In the College Chapel likewise, that his memory might be preserved, aU the ends of the staUs had graven in them a fish and an ear of wheat, the Bishop's arms, and this motto, alluding to his name, faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum. I will make you fishers of men, which is now also altered. His Lordship gave likewise for the use of the chapel in plate, vestments, and other orna ments, to the value of 1128/. 10*. Lastly, by a deed of gift, he gave to the CoUege, only reserving to himself the use of them for his life, his noble Ubrary. This the Col lege, in a letter wrote by them to the Duke of Somerset, then Regent, some years after the Bishop's death, caUed a great treasure, and meet to have been placed among good and skilful men. In the same letter they told the Duke, that the Bishop absolutely governed the CoUege, and that, therefore, were put in his hands the most noble ornaments which the Lady Margaret gave to it. But that . his perverse doctrine deprived him of his life, and them of their riches. These things, though done at some distance of time, I chose to put altogether here, as shewing at one view how much this College is indebted and obhged to the care and munificence of the Bishop, and what returns they afterwards made. 6, The great Erasmus, through mistake, thus repre- DR. JOHN FISHER. 55 sents this matter. That among her other charitable bene- CHAP. VI. factions, the Lady Margaret had given to the Bishop a ! — great summ of money for the providing preachers in seve- ' ral places, and endowing them with generous salaries. All rum vim. which, says he, that very upright man expended either in cribussala- the promotion of preachers, or relief of the needy, and rus' was so far from reserving any of it to himself, that he made large additions to it out of his own estate. But it is very certain, that the Lady Margaret founded or ap pointed but one pubhc preacher, unless the learned man meant all the FeUows of this College, as being obliged by the foundation to study divinity. It is as sure, that what the Lady Margaret gave to the Bishop, at the time of , her death or just before it, was for his own particular use, without ordering him how he should lay it out ; though, the Bishop said, he therefore remembered this generosity of her's because he would have nobody think, that he had been so great a benefactor to the College of other men's goods, but of his own. 56 THE LIFE OF CHAP. VII. 1 . The Bishop desirous to learn Greek. Erasmus writes to W. Latimer to teach him. 2. Latimer's answer. 3. Erasmus's reply. 1. 1HE Bishop, it seems, notwithstanding his great re* putation for learning, was an utter stranger to the Greek tongue. Nor was this peculiar to him. "Luther, we are told, when he began to write against the Pope, knew nothing at all of Greek, and very little of Latin. The Greek and Hebrew were languages that at this time were not taught at all in the pubUc schools. Robert Wakefield, of whom the Bishop had learned some smattering of the A.D. lrflo.Hjbj^jv language about six or seven years since, was the first here in England, of whom we have any account, who pubUcly professed it, and that not tiU the year 1524, when he was sent down to the University of Cambridge by the Hody di King for that purpose : for though by a Papal Constitu- HorumBlb" ^on °^ P°Pe Clement V. made in the general CouncU of Vienna, A. D. 1310, it was provided, that in the Univer- * Lutherus graece nihU penitus noverat, quum ad scribendum accessit, Latine parum admodum ; et quae tuenda susceperat, dialectics, et argumen ts ti nnni lis tutatus est, non Unguis. Lud. Fives de disciplinis, lib. ii. p. 74. Marcus Ccnsorinus Cato rudi seculo literas Grascas aetate jam decli- nata didicit, ut esset hominibus documento, ea quoque percipi posse, qua: senes concupissent. QuintiHan de Instit. Orato. lib. xii. c. 11. Aldus Pius Manutius, a printer at Venice, observed, with no small regret, how much and how long the Greek tongue had been neglected : and there fore, in order to revive that noble language, and accustom the learned by degrees to read nothing hut the originals, he resolved to publish most of his books in Greek only. This succeeded so well, that in his Preface prefixed to Aristotle's Logic, printed by him he observed to his readers, that now they might see many Catos, that is old men, learning Greek in their old age ; and elsewhere, that Italy was not the only country where the Greek tongue was in fashion ; but, that in Germany, France, Hungary, Britain, Spain, and almost every where else, where the Latin was known, not only the young, but even the old, studied Greek with the utmost eagerness and application. DR. JOHN FISHER. 57 sides of Paris, Oxford, Bononia, and Salamanca, there chap. VII should be pubUc lectures read for the teaching the Stu- L_ dents, the Hebrew, Arabic, and Chaldee languages ; and that in pursuance of this in the year 1320, in a Synod held at Lamhith under Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Can terbury, it was ordered, that there should be a pubUc Hebrew Lecturer at Oxford, and that the clergy should pay him a salary by a tax of a farthing in the pound on all their ecclesiastical proferment or income; yet whether this method of paying him his stipend did not answer the purpose, or for any other reason, we have no account of any Hebrew lecture being read in this University tUl almost two hundred years after. It was now debated, as a disputable question, whether it was necessary to under stand the Scriptures to be skiUed in the original languages hi which they 'were written? And some there were who were not ashamed to assert, that in some places of the New Testament the reading in the b Latin version is truer than the Greek. In opposition to this ignorant and ridi- j culous conceit, our Bishop's great and learned friend, | j Erasmus, very strenuously maintained the necessity of un- < derstanding the original languages of the Bible. Of the same mind was our Bishop, who therefore expressed a very eager desire of learning Greek even in this advanced / age of his, when he was above fifty years old, that, as I Erasmus wrote to Latimer, he might study the Scriptures ! with greater advantage, and a more certain judgment. ' This groat man had lately pubUshed the Now Testament a. D. 1515. in Greek, in which language it had never been printed before, to which he added a Latin version and notes. By this moans tho more learned and ingenuous were convinced of the usefulness and necessity of understanding the Greek tongue: insomuch, that Dean Colet told Erasmus, he 1 was sorry that he had never yet learned it, as being sen- * Gregory Martin, in his Discovery of the uumifoM corruptions of tie Hoh/ Scriptures by the E»-gli vi.r Irritcr egens cursim ex ponas eleganti latinitate, verbisque sigitifcantissimis. Freinshcmii Supplcm. Livianorum ad Christinam Rcgin. Dccss. Holmia;, 1649. DR. JOHN FISHER. 59 dertake this business, were backed by Sir Thomas Moore, CHAP. who, to induce him to it, desired him only to try a month — ; — \ — with the Bishop. With this Latimer acquainted Eras mus, in a letter written to him from Oxford, to which he Jan. 30, added, that he had given Sir Thomas an absolute denial, because he knew he could do the Bishop no kindness in so Uttle a time, and that Sir Thomas had left it wholly to him : that this was the true reason why he did not comply with the very honourable proposal made to him by those whose friendship he so much valued. Not that he grudged the labour of one month, but because he knew, that in so short a time he could never answer their's nor the Bishop's expectation. That the learning Greek was a thing of a complicated nature, and fuU of variety ; and though it was more laborious than difficult, yet it required time, how ever, to commit it to memorie. That he believed, as being what he had heard from many, that the Bishop was of a singular genius, and fit for greater things than what he was now speaking of: that he [Erasmus] had writ to him of his incUnation, and what a strong desire he had to learn this tongue, by which he clearly perceived also what diUgence he should meet with : from all which he might have as a great a prospect as any one could possibly ex pect from a man of an excellent wit or fine parts, of the closest application, and of an incredible desire to learn, f But still, he thought, notwithstanding all these advan- j tages, a month was too little time to make any progress \ in the study of this language : that Grocine, Linacre, \ Tonstall, Pace, More, and even Erasmus himself, spent | more time about this matter, that they were more than two years in learning Greek ; as for himself, he was not ashamed to own, that after six or seven years employed about it, he was stiU ignorant of many things. Latimer therefore concluded, that if Erasmus would have the Bishop proceed, and arrive at some perfection in this lan guage, he should procure some one from Italy who was well skilled in these things, and who was willing to stay with 60 THE LIFE OF CHAP, the Bishop so long as till he perceived himself so strong as not only to creep, but to get up and stand, and walk. A.D. 1518. 3. To this letter of Latimer's, Erasmus returned the foUowing answer, that as to what he had wrote relating to the Bishop of Rochester, he was whoUy of another opi nion. You, said he, think it better not to attempt the matter at aU, unless you could finish what you've begun ; and advise, that one should be procured from Italy, who was well skiUed in the Greek language. But, said Eras mus, Italy is a great way off) and has now fewer who are famous for learning than when you resided there ; and, after all, it is a chance, if instead of a man learned and well skiUed in the Greek tongue, there does not come some busy-body. Nor, added he, are you ignorant of the temper of the Italians, at how immense a price they demand to be hired to come to barbarians, even those of them who are but indifferent, to say nothing of their bringing with them no good manners, who do come hither skiUed in good letters : and,1 said he, you know the Bishop's uprightness and sincerity. He added, that whilst enquiry was making for a person proper to be sent over, and a bargain was driven for his salary, and he set out on his journey, a great deal of time must be spent, and that he could not suppose that Latimer was any way of the temper of some of the vulgar, who admire nothing but what comes from far. Whoever, says he, is a good scholar, is, in my opinion, an ItaUan, though he was born in Ireland. He is to me a Graecian, whoso is well versed in Greek authors, though he has no beard ; and that I may speak freely what I think, if I had Linacre or Ton- staU, to say nothing of yourself, for my preceptor, I should not desire an ItaUan. He proceeded to tell Latimer, that in this he entirely agreed with him, that it was principally to be desired, that the first elements should be learned, if one could, of a very skilful artist, but if that could not be done, it was better to begin at any rate, than to continue utterly rude or ignorant, especially in this kind of know- DR. JOHN FISHER. 61 ledge. Since it was doing something to know the figures CHAP. of the letters, readUy to pronounce them, to speU and join 1_ them together. And so, said he, we desired of you a month's labour, tacitly hoping for three months, though we were ashamed to ask so much. But if they could not obtain that, they had a good hope, that in the mean time some other person would be found who would buUd on the foundation laid by him ; and if that hope deceived them, yet such was the force of the Bishop's genius, so d intent was he on learning, that they trusted he would of himself struggle through towards attaining some moderate skUl in the language ; and that, perhaps, he was content with a middling knowledge of it, who for no other reason thus courted the learning Greek, but that with greater advan tage, and a more sure judgment, he might study the Holy Scriptures. Lastly, he asked, if nothing of this happened, where would be the loss ? Suppose the Bishop be never so Uttle advanced in these studies, yet would it be of no little service to stir up and push forward the minds of the youth, that so great a man learned Greek : but that, as in aU kinds of disciplines, it was requisite that we should be entred maturely, so here, in particular, the Bishop's *age »52 years put him in mind, that this affair should not be delayed. a eas ' 4. What effect this letter of Erasmus's had on Latimer, or whether at last he consented to be the Bishop's precep tor, as he and his friends desired, does not appear. This is certain, the Bishop did learn somewhat of this language, j and was indifferently skUled in it, of which his Lordship l gave a specimen a few years after in the title-page of his ] book in confutation of the Lutheran Assertions, round about \ which, within a border, was printed this sentence, Woe to \ the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have \ seen nothing, in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. — \ d Grsecas literas senex didici. Quas quidem sic avide arripui quasi 4 diuturnam sitim explere cupiens. M. T. Ciceronis Cato major, Ire. c. 8. 62 THE LIFE OF CHAP. VIII. 1 , 2. Luther writes against the Pope's Indulgences. 3. The Bishop fixes copies of them on School-doors at Cam bridge. 4. Of Peter de Valence. 1. IjUT now another and more pubUc scene, as weU as of much greater importance, was opened, in which the A.D. 1515. Bishop acted more than a common part. Leo X. now Hist. lib. i. Pope of Rome, by the advice of Cardinal Laurence Pucci, p' 13- his datary, a man of a very turbulent spirit, and on whom he too much depended, that he might from all parts scrape together an immense sum of money by diplomas or buUs, sent into all the kingdoms of the Christian world, promised an expiation or pardon of aU offences, and eternal life to aU who purchased them, a price being set for every one to pay in proportion to the greatness of the offence. For this purpose were appointed throughout the provinces, "pardon-mongers and treasurers, to whom were added preachers, who were to recommend to the people the greatness of so noble a benefit, and immoderately to extol its efficacy in set artificial speeches and printed books. This was done too Ucentiously by the Pope's ministers every where, but especiaUy in Germany, where they who had farmed these indulgences, every day shamelessly la vished and squandered away in bawdy houses and taverns, at playing at dice, and in the vUest uses, the power they pretended to have of dehvering the souls of the deceased out of the expiatory fire of purgatory. This gave very great offence ; insomuch, that Martin Luther, a monk of the Order of St. Augustine, and Professor of Divinity at Wittenberg in Saxony, took notice of it, and wrote against it ; and having first of aU confuted, and then condemned a These were commonly the freres, of whom Gardiner Bishop of Win chester thus wrote in his Answer to George Joye, 1546. The freres served the Devyll in retaylinge of heaven in pardons. DR. JOHN FISHER. 63 the sermons of the pardon-mongers' chaplains, he at length CHAP. went so far as to call in question the power itself which . the Pope claimed as his prerogative by those diplomas or indulgences, and at last to an examination of the doc trine on which they were grounded, which, he said, was corrupted by the length of time. For, as Machiavel ob served, however terrible and venerable the Popes became by their censures and indulgences, they, at last, made so iU an use of them, as quite to lose the first, so that people stood in no manner of awe of their excommunications, and to stand to the courtesy and discretion of others, for what is left them of that veneration which used to be paid to them. 2. The Popish writer of our Bishop's Ufe thus repre- The Life, sents this affair. " It fell out," saith he, " that Pope Fisher Bp! " Leo X. had granted forth a generaU and free pardon, °f ^IC™8" " commonly called indulgences, according to the b ancient Baily, D.D. " custome and tradition of the Catholique Church, to all " christian people that were contrite through all the pro- " vinces of Christendome, which is no otherwise than an " appUcation, by that ministry, of the superabundant " merits of our blessed Saviour who shed so many, when " the least one drop of his most precious blood was able " to have redeemed a thousand worlds, to the souls of " true believers." This, it seems, is called by those of this writer's principles, The Treasury of the Church, in which are pretended to be laid up the superabundance of Christ's sufferings, and the redundancy of the superfluous satisfactions of the Virgin Mary, and other saints, the issuing out of which belongs almost wholly to the Pope of Rome. 3. Certain copies of these indulgences, or pardons, b Cceperunt indulgentiae postquam ad purgatorii cruciatus aliquandiu tre- pidarunt. Roffensis adv. Lutherum. de indulgentiis pauca dici possunt per certitudinem, quia nee Scrip- tura expresse de eis loquitur. Sancti etiam Ambrosius, Hilarius, Augustinus, Hieronimus, minime loquuntur de indulgentiis. Durandus in 4 sent. dist. 20, quaest. 3, § 4. 64 THE LIFE OF CHAP, granted by Pope Leo, our Bishop, we are told, as Chan- 1 ceUor of the University, caused to be set up in several places there, and particularly upon the School's-gate, ibid. " that so," as it is said, " the students there, as weU as " others, standing in need of such a remedy, might be par- " takers of the heavenly bounty." But in the night one of the students, who, Baily says, was afterward, by his own confession, discovered to be Peter de Valence, a Norman, wrote over the pardon these words of the Psalmist, Beatus Vir cujus est nomen Domini spes ejus, et non respexit in va- nitates et insanias falsas ; to which he added the word istas, as applying them to the indulgence : Blessed is the Man whose hope is in the name of the Lord, and who hath not respected those Vanities, and lying madnesses. This was represented as adding to the book of Life, and thereby incurring the several punishments which are threatened to those who make such additions. Of this our Bishop, the Chancellor, being informed, he was, it is said, struck with horror at the no less boldness than wickedness of the fact, and accordingly endeavoured to find out the party by the knowledge of his hand-writing, but all to no purpose. Then he caUed a convocation, to whom he told what had happened, and shewed them the foulness of the action, interpreting to them the true meaning of the place of Scripture which he thought abused to a very wrong pur pose. He Ukewise explained to them the meaning of the words pardons and indulgences, and justified the use of them. He further shewed them the great displeasure, both of God and the King, which they would justly incur, if they should suffer so wicked a fact to go unpunished, and put them in mind how great a reproach it would be to the University itself. Last of all, he moved the author of this fact, though unknown, to repentance and confession of his sin, that he might be forgiven, which he assured him, in God's name, he should be, if he would within the time prefixed by him make an open acknowledgment of his fault ; as, on the contrary, if he did not, he threatened DR. JOHN FISHER. 65 him with excommunication; which sentence was accord- CHAP. VTTT ingly inflicted, after a second and third admonition, and the offender's not surrendering himself at the times fixed for his appearing. The Bishop's behaviour on this occa sion is thus represented bv Baily. '" Time," says he, "' hav- Life, &c. of ing brought on the day, there was a great multitude of er> Bp ~of people, where the Chanceflor, with a heavy countenance, Rochester. declared how that no tidings could be heard either of the person or his repentance. Wherefore now, seeing there was no other remedy, he thought it necessary and expedient to proceed ; and so arming himself with a severe gravity, as wefl as he could, he pronounced the c terrible sentence from the beginning to the end : which being done with a kinde of passionate compassion, he threw the BUI unto the ground, and lifting up his eyes to Heaven, sat downe and wept: which gesture and maimer of behaviour, both of his mind and body," BaUy says, " struck such a fear into the hearts of aU his hearers and spectators, that many of them were afraid the ground would have opened to have swallowed up the '• man, but, that they hoped he was not there :" nay, as he represents this act of the Bishop's, it had such an effect on even Valence himself, who, BaUy tells us, "" became a <; domestick servant to Dr. Goodrich, Superintendent of " Ely," so the Papists stile the Protestant Bishops, " a man," he savs, " too much taken notice of to be too great a '•' favourer of Luther's doctrine ;" that it made an altera tion in his countenance, and he could never put the thing out of his mind : so that, notwithstanding the endeavours used in the family, where he was, to persuade him other wise, " he could never be at rest till such time as with his " own hands, in the self same place where the former sen- 1 At the end of the Festivale printed by Caxton 1453 ii the manner of fnl- jjodns fol- m^iriiw this sentence. It was ordered to be done by the prelate habited in minandi his Albe, with the cross erected, and candles burning, which, aiier the sen- sentenoam. tence was ended, were ordered to be put ont to strike the gT«:er terror, ^ terro- and the beBs were to rinr rem. T 66 THE LIFE OF CHAP. " tence was written, he had blotted out his sin, and that VI11- " together by fixing upon the place this other sentence, " which carried healing in every word : Delicto, juventutis " mece et ignorantias he memineris Domine. Remember " not, Lord, my sinnes, nor the ignorances of my youth : " subscribing therunto his name, Peter de Valence, wher- " upon he was absolved and became a priest." 4. But whatever truth there may be in this relation of our Bishop's behaviour on this occasion, what is said of Valence seems Uable to some exceptions. Goodrich, whom Baily, in contempt, calls superintendent of Ely, a name commonly given to our bishops by the Papists, was not promoted to that bishopric till the latter end of the year consec.Apr. 1533, about eighteen years after the commission of the ' ' fact for which Valence is said by Baily to have been ex communicated, and but a Uttle more than a year before our Bishop's death. On this promotion of Goodrich, Valence was made his domestic chaplain and almoner, in which place he continued, as he said himself, above twenty years, Fox's Acts, viz. A. D. 1555 ; when we have an account of his visiting p.°43o! " WilUam Wolsey, of WeU,. in Cambridgeshire, and Robert col. 1. Pygot, of Wisbich, who were then prisoners in Ely gaol Eccie. Me- for their reUgion, and were afterwards burnt in that city* voT^'p. to wUom he is said to have appUed himself in the foUowing 294. most friendly and compassionate manner, calUng them bre thren, and teUing them, that, " according to his office, he " was come to talk with them, having been almoner there " above 20 years : that he hoped they'd take his coming " in good part, since he assured them he would not en- " deavour to puU them from their faith : that, on the con- " trary, he both required and besought them in the name " of Jesus Christ to stand to the truth of the Gospel and " God's word, beseeching God almighty, for his son Jesus " Christ's sake, to preserve both him and them in the same " unto the end : for," as he added, again calling them brethren " he knew not himself how soon he should be at " the same point with them." But to return. — DR. JOHN FISHER. 67 CHAP. IX. 1. Dean Colct's representation of the corrupt state of the Church of England. 2. The Archbishop designed to hold a provincial Council to reform it, but was prevented by Wolsey. 3. The Bishop's journey to Rome put off on this occasion. His Speech to the Bishops in this Council. 4. His Speech understood as a reflection on the Cardinal. 5. Wolsey' s character. 6. The Bishop ordered to meet the Pope's Embassador. 1. ARCHBISHOP WARHAM, for the reformation of a.D. 1518. several great enormities in his province, especiaUy of the yoke's clergy, had designed to hold this year an ecclesiastical state of the Council of his suffragans. Of these disorders Dean Colet p. 391. ' had made great complaint about seven years before, in the sermon which he preached at the opening of the convoca tion which was caUed to meet February 6, 1511. He Dr. wished, that once remembering their name and profession, ?-f 0/ they would mind the reformation of the Church, and as- Dean Colet, sured them, that there was never more need, and, that the ppe" state of the Church never more wanted their endeavours. Since the Church, the spouse of Christ, which he would have to be without spot and wrinkle, was now become filthy and deformed ; and, as Esaias speaks, the faithful City was become an harlot ; and, as Jeremiah says, she has plaid the harlot with many lovers, by which means she had conceived many seeds of iniquity, and > daUy brought forth the foulest fruits. As to particulars, the Dean observed to them how greedy and desirous the clergy of those days were of honour and dignity: how they ran from one benefice to another, from a less to a greater, from a lower to a higher, with so much speed as to run themselves as it were out of breath : that as for those who were possessed of the dignities which they so much coveted, many of them, affected so haughty an ap- 68 THE LIFE OF CHAP, pearance, that they seemed not to be placed in the hum- ' ble prelacy of Christ, but in the exalted dominion of the world. Next, he observed of them, how they gave them selves to feasting and junketting, and spent their time in vaine babling, in sports and plays, in hunting and hawk ing, and plunging themselves into the delights of this world : that covetousness, the very foulest of plagues, had so invaded the minds of almost all priests, and so blinded the eyes of their understanding, that they seemed bUnd to every thing except only to these which seemed to bring them some gain : for, says he, what else do we seek in these days, in the Church, but fat benefices and promotions ? and in the preferments themselves, what else do we make any account of besides the rents and income ? Lastly, he told them, that the fourth secular evU which deformed the face of the Church was continual secular occupation, in which many priests and bishops at that time were so intangled, that they were rather the servants of men than of God, and more the souldiers of this world than of Christ ; from whence, he said, it came, that the priestly dignity was dis honoured, the priesthood was despised, the hierarchical order was confounded, the laity were scandalized, priests became hypocrites, and possessed of a slavish fear, and perfectly blind and ignorant, being so bUnded with the darknesses of this world, as to see nothing but earthly things. For remedy and reformation of these evUs, the Dean proposed a vigorous and impartial execution of the ecclesiastical laws ; for he observed there was no need to make new laws and constitutions, but only to observe those which were already made. 2. In order to the holding this CouncU, the Arch bishop acquainted the King with his design, and, as he affirmed afterwards, had obtained his consent so to do. But Cardinal Wolsey, who now drew all things into his own hands, being angry at this, wrote a sharp letter to the Archbishop, and, as it appeared by the event, so ordered matters, as to oblige him to recal his monitions, which were DR. JOHN FISHER. 69 already issued out for the meeting of this Council, in ex- CHAP. pectation of a legantine one to be held by the Cardinal for the reformation of the same enormities. In pursuance of this resolution, the Cardinal by his letters summoned the several Bishops of the Church to a Synod or a CouncU at Westminster, the morrow after the nativity of the blessed Virgin. But, the pestUence raging at that time in the city, Septem. ix. the Cardinal, by his letters, dated August 21, this year, 1517- prorogued the Council tiU the first Monday in Lent fol lowing, and by other letters, dated December 31, sum moned the Bishops of both provinces to be present at it. 3. It is said, that, on account of the meeting of this Life of Bp. CouncU, our Bishop's journey to Rome was stopped, which 1S er' c' he bare with less uneasiness, because he hoped, that much good to the Church might happUy be produced hereby. But herein, it seems, he was disappointed ; for no sooner was this CouncU opened, according to the Cardinal's ap pointment, but it appeared very plainly, that this meeting of the Bishops was rather to notify to the world the extra vagant pomp and authority of the Lord Legate, than for any great good to the Church, in reforming the abuses and irregularities of the clergy. Our Bishop, therefore, spoke to them, it is said, to the foUowing purpose. That he thought, or expected, when so many learned men had been drawn together into this Body, that some good matters should have been proposed for the benefit of the Church, that so the scandal which lay so heavy on her members, might have been removed, and the distemper cured that laid hold on such advantages. But, that he observed no one yet had made the least motion to repress the ambition of those men whose pride was so offensive when their profession was humiUty, or to punish the incon tinence of such as had vowed chastity : that it was very notorious how the Church's goods were wasted; the glebes, the tithes, and other oblations of our devout ances tors, to the great scandal of their posterity, consumed in superfluous and riotous expenses : that he could not see 70 THE LIFE OF CHAP, how they could exhort their flocks to fly or avoid the ' pomps and vanities of this wicked world, when themselves, who were their bishops or overseers, minded nothing more than that which they forbad or reproved in others. That if they taught according as they lived, their doctrines would sound but very absurdly in the ears of those that heard them ; and that if they taught one thing and did another, how could they expect that any should believe what they said? since this was no other than throwing down with one hand what they buUt up with the other : that they preached humility, sobriety, contempt of the world, &c. and yet in the very same men who taught these doctrines, the people saw pride and haughtiness of mind, excesse in apparel, and a giving themselves up to aU sorts of worldly pomp and vanitie ; and thus people were made to doubt whether they should believe their own eyes rather than their ears. His Lordship added, that he hoped his Eminency, the Lord Legate, and the rest of the fathers would excuse his speaking thus plainly, seeing he blamed no man more than himself: for that for several times when he had setled himself to visit his diocese, to govern his Church, and to answer the enemies of Christ, so the Bishop termed Luther and Oecolampadius, &c. to whose books he wrote answers, suddenly there has come a message to him from the Court, that he must attend such a triumph or pubUc entry, or receive such an embas sador : whereas, said he, what have bishops to do with princes' courts ? If they are in love with majesty, is there a greater excellence than him whom they serve ? Do they admire stately buildings, are there any higher roofs than their own cathedrals ? Do they affect pompous apparel, is there any greater ornament than the habit of the priest hood ? or is there any better company than the communion of saints? Truly, he said, what this vanity in temporal things might work on them, he did not know, but as for himself, he was sure he found it to be a great impediment to devotion. Wherefore, he thought it necessary, and DR. JOHN FISHER. 71 high time it was, that they who were the heads should CHAP. begin to set an example to the inferiour clergy as to these particulars, whereby they might all become more con formable to the image of God. For that in this course of life which they now led, neither could there be any likeli hood of continuance in the same state or condition wherein they now stood, or of safety to the clergy. 4. How this speech of the Bishop's was received by the Cardinal and the rest of the Council we are not told. If this be a true copy of it, it seems to have been a bold re primand, not only of the Court for taking the bishops so oft out of their dioceses to serve their secular designs, but of the Cardinal, whose foible it was to affect too much state and magnificence. Accordingly, it is observed, that, " after the delivery of this speech by the Bishop, the Car- Life of Bp. " dinal's state seem'd not to become him so well." If the Fisher' &0, Cardinal thus took it, the Bishop, it is likely, was no more in his good graces than his friend Sir Thomas Moor was, to whom, Erasmus says, the Cardinal was not very favour able, as being one whom he rather feared than loved. It is not improbable, that our Bishop resented Wolsey's ill usage of the Archbishop, and therefore chose thus to try to mortify and subdue his haughty spirit. Though this was not the only time that the Bishop opposed this inso lent prelate. It is said, that when some years after he again insulted the Archbishop, by sending his monition to A.D. 1523. his Grace, just after his opening the convocation of his province, for him, with the prelates and clergy, to appear before him at Westminster, and there moved for one full moiety of the benefices of the clergy, according to their yearly value: this extravagant demand was opposed by the Bishop of Rochester and his patron, Fox, Bishop of Winchester, two leading men among the clergy, and very much revered by them ; so that, very probably, the Cardi nal would have been disappointed in his designs, though it had not been observed, as it was, that this was an illegal convention, and the acts of it therefore all null and void. 72 THE LIFE OF CHAP. 5. Wolsey being now advanced to the dignity of the ' Cardinalate, and of the King's prime minister, he was be come so haughty and insolent, as to be perfectly intolerable Histo.lib.l.to every body. Thus the great Thuanus represented him: a Henry VIII. says he, had at his court one Thomas Wolsey, a man of a mean and sordid birth, but of so great pride and ambition, as to be very disagreeable to the peers and nobility, and at last troublesome to even the King himself. He by the King's favour was promoted to the highest dignity, being made Archbishop of York and Bishop of Winchester, and afterwards elected into the College of Cardinals, and adorned with ample legatine powers, and did all the business of the Kingdom. The Emperor Charles, therefore, who knew how much it was his interest to preserve the friendship of the English, made it his business to gain Wolsey's favour, insomuch, that he used frequently to write to him with his own hand, and to subscribe himself his son and kinsman ; and to gratify the man's vanity yet more, he gave him hopes of being elected Pope, on the death of Leo X. In like manner we are told, the Duke of Venice appUed to this blind side of the Cardinal, and ascribed to him a partici pation of the royal power and majesty. Here, at home, the University of Oxford, in their letters to him, stiled him his most advised and most reverend majesty, which, though a title not then appropriated to sovereign princes, as it is now, yet was certainly intended as incense to * Erat apud eum Thomas Wolsaeus, homo vili et sordido loco natus, sed tanta ambitione et superbia praeditus ut gravis proceribus ac nobilitati, pos- trenib Regi ipsi molestus fuerit. Is ad summam dignitatem favore Regis evectus Eboraci Archiepiscopus, et Wintoniae episcopus, dein etiam in Car dinalium Collegium cooptatus ac legatione amplissima ornatus omnia Regni negotia administrabat. Itaque Carolus qui sciret quantum sua interesset amicitiam Anglorum cum Burgundis olim initam conservare, summo studio enitebatur ut Wolsaei gratiam omni cultu et observantia demereretur ; adeo ut etiam in Uteris quas ad eum crebras, nee alterius quam sua manu scriptasi dabat filii nomen, et cognati in subscriptionibus apponeret ; et ut vanitatem hominis magis inflammaret, spem dederat fore ut, Leone X" mortuo, votis Cardinalium in pontificem eligeretur. Histo. lib. i. DR. JOHN FISHER. 73 soothe, and propitiate the vain humour of this haughty chap. minister. Erasmus said of him, that he reigned more ' truly than the King himself. He seems indeed to have vied with his master in state and greatness, and to have equaUed, if not exceeded him, in the magnificence of his pubUc appearances. As other cardinals had one piflar borne before them as an emblem of their being piUars of the Church, Wolsey had two carried before him, and had besides poU-axes, a cross, mace, purse, &c. Of this pomp Roper's Sir Thomas Moor seems to have made a jest, when he xhos.Moor advised the Commons to receive him, as he expressed MS- himself, with aU his pompe, with his maces, his pUlers, poU-axes, his crosses, his hatt, and the great seal to. Then as to his habit, it was as rich and costly as could be got. His chaplains, we are told, wore gowns of damask and satin. Nay, even his master cook, went daily in velvet stow'sSur- and satin, with a chain of gold about his neck. AU this a0n°&^" must look very iU in the eyes of so mortified and humble 136, ed. 4°. a man as the Bishop ; and the more so, for that he saw it taken notice of by those who favoured the Reformation, and made use of as an handle to expose the then esta blished Church. It was one of the articles exhibited Art. 22. against Dr. Barnes, that he spoke against his having pU- lars and poU-axes, and by b the pacifyer of the division be- twene the spiritualtie and the temporaltie, it was objected to the clergy, that they wore proud and pompous apparel, and had many of them a love to worldly things, that letted, and in a manner strangled, the love of God ; the former part of which charge, Sir c Thomas More seems to have imputed to the Cardinal's influence and example. 6. As to what his Lordship here adds, of the bishops b Printed, Londini in aedibus Thomae Bartheleti prope aquagium sitis sub intersignio Lucretiae Romanae. excus. cum privilegio. c for aughte that I can see, a greate parte of the proude and pom pous apparaile that many priestes in yeares not longe paste were by the pryde and oversyght of some few forced in a maner agaynst their owne willes to weare 1 wote well it is worne out with manye whiche entende hereafter to bye no more suche agayne. English Works, p. 892, col. 74 THE LIFE OF CHAP, having messages from court to receive embassadors, &c. ' he probably meant himself, to whom, as he was situated in the high road from Calais to London, this must be a very great grievance, not only as to the loss of time and neglect of his diocese, but on account of expense. Thus A.D. 1514. but four years before this, Pope JuUus II. sent an embas- o .No.14. sa(jor t0 the King with a consecrated sword and cap of maintenance. The embassador came by the way of Calais, and was to land at Dover. Letters were therefore sent by the Lords of the Council to the Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury, to meet the embassador between Canterbury and Dover, and to entertain him at his house at Canter bury, and from thence to accompany him in his way to London beyond Sittingborne, where, by other letters, the Bishop of Rochester was ordered to be ready, with the * John * Master of the RoUs, and Sir Thomas Boleyn, to receive Young, nun amj to entertain him at his palace at Rochester, and ^ erki • from thence to accompany him to London. This letter to the Bishop was dated May 12, and the 19th the embas sador made his entry into London, in the company of the Bishop, &c. and on the Sunday foUowing was the sword, &c. presented to the King with great solemnity in St. Paul's Cathedral. Sept. 24 ^* In September this year, the Bishop in person cele- 1518. brated a synod in his Cathedral Church of Rochester, in Reg.Fisher. the presence of the Rectors, Vicars, and other Curates of his diocese, who appeared there on that occasion ; when, after having sung the first mass of the Holy Ghost, the Bishop, in the chapter-house of the said church, preached before his clergy ; and when sermon was ended, Mr. Ralph MaUewes, official of Rochester, at the Bishop's command, read and published to the said clergy certain provincial and legatine constitutions, which had been put forth against their having and keeping concubines. The same we find done again by our Bishop d nine years after, d Octo. 8S 1527. Idem pater in Domo Capitulari Robertus Johnson Officials dicti Reverendi patris Constitutiones Legatinas contra concubinas DR. JOHN FISHER. 75 which looks as if the clergy, at this time, grew uneasy CHAP under their vows of celibacy, and were seeking out ways ' — to get rid of them. editas coram in presencia dicti cleri Latino sermone legit et publicavit. Reg. Fisher. 76 THE LIFE OF CHAP. X. 1. James Faber or Smith publishes a dissertation on the three Mary Magdalens. 2. Poncher, Bishop of Paris, sends a copy of it to Bishop Fisher, who writes an an swer to it. 3. The Bishop desires his friend Erasmus to get it printed at Paris ; who blames the Bishop for his warm manner of writing. 4. The Bishop suspects that Erasmus was angry with him. 5. Isaac Casaubon's opinion of this controversy. exofficina 1. IN OT long after this was pubUshed, at Paris, a book Stephani entituled, de Maria Magdalena triduo Christi, et una ex Mar. 8, tribus Maria disceptatio. This dissertation was written 1519, 8°. r Epist. ad by James Faber or Smith, a learned mathematician of Gattmari" Estaples, and of the Dominican Order, who, Erasmus um. Said, " was master of many exceUent qualifications, of an " undissembled piety, a singular judgment and prudence, " and soUd learning, on which account he was very dear " to the Emperor MaximUian, who as he was a candid " fautor of all virtues, so he was an exact judge of them." Smith dedicated this Uttle book to Francis Moline, Abbot of St. Martine, Secretary and CounseUor to Francis I. King of France. In it the learned author declared his opinion to be, that there were three who used to be cele brated by the name of Marie Magdalene, viz. that woman who had been in times past a notorious sinner in the city, but was now by the mercy of our Saviour become a saint ; Marie Magdalene, the sister of Martha, and Marie Mag dalene, out of whom the Lord cast seven devUs. This, Faber tells us, he did in answer to the Abbot's desire to know his judgment of this matter, and published it, ad Dei gloriam, Evangelistarum concordiam, et Annee Maria, atque reliquarum sanctorum mulierum &c. 2. It seems this little book was so well received, that it soon had a second edition, a copy of which Stephen DR. JOHN FISHER. 77 Poncher, then Bishop of Paris, and afterwards Arch- CHAP, bishop of Sens, sent to our Bishop, and with it a letter, L_ desiring him to tell him his thoughts of it, and at the same time representing to his Lordship in how great adanger the Catholic Church was by such disputes, and what con fusion and reproach a variety of opinions would be the occasion of to it. This the Bishop ingenuously owns to his readers he had not observed till he was thus put in mind of it. He said, that indeed he had read the book, and was offended both with the title of it, and many things in it, but that he had so good an opinion of Faber, as not to beUeve he would rashly assert any thing of which he was not well assured, or for which he could not immedi ately give a reason. But having more accurately exa mined the matter, and turned over the Gospels with greater diUgence, he soon saw the truth, and was presently convinced, that there was not only no difference among the EvangeUsts about the only Magdalene, but, that they were all so unanimously of this opinion, that unless any one asserts, that there is but one, he must either make the EvangeUsts liars, or acknowledge that the prediction of Christ was frustrated. This, the Bishop says, being ob served by him, he then began more carefuUy to examine the particulars which Faber opposed, and found some mistakes very unworthy of the great character which he had long formed to himself of Faber. He observed, he said, a great many rash assertions, and read vUe reflections made by him, not only on the modern interpreters of Scripture, and the preachers of the present age, but on all others also since Ambrose's time, however eminent they were for learning and hoUness. He likewise observed, he said, and that not without concern, with what contempt and neglect Faber treated those very grave fathers of the Church, Gregory, Austin, Bede, and Bernard; which made him often reflect how many incommodities would a Stephanus Poncherius Episcopus qui tuum calamum ad hoc opus exti- mulavit Erasmi Epist. Fischero Episcopo, Apr. 2, 1519. 78 THE LIFE OF CHAP, arise to the Church, if this opinion of Faber's was true: ' how many authors must be condemned ; how many books amended, how many sermons heretofore preached to the people must be retracted ; what scruples it would occasion to many ; how many handles it would give to scepticism, and what a cause it would be of men's entertaining an ill suspicion of our common mother the Church, who has for many ages taught otherwise. Observing these things, and the zeal of the Bishop of Paris, who stirred him up to consider what Faber had wrote, he resolved to acquiesce in his exhortation, not trusting in his own strength, but in the patronage of the saints for whom he contended, and especiaUy of Mary Magdalene, to whom he supposed he should not do an unacceptable thing in ascribing to her her whole prerogative, and not, as Faber had done, divid ing it among three. But, as about the same time, Jodo- chus CUchtoveus, of Newport, had opposed this notion of there being but one Mary Magdalene, as weU as Faber, the Bishop framed his answer to suit them both, and divided it into two parts, giving it the b title which I have transcribed in the margin. 3. When the book was finished, the Bishop sent it to his friend Erasmus, who seems to have been then at Paris, for him to get it printed : who afterwards wrote his Lord ship word, that so cold and backward was the printer, that he had much ado to persuade him to undertake it. But no sooner was the book pubUshed, but it was bought up very greedUy ; so that, as Erasmus told the Bishop, he need not fear hereafter the printer's not printing any thing of his, there was so quick a sale of this. But as to the contents of his book, Erasmus observed to his Lord ship, some were reaUy sorry that Faber, who was now in years, a very honest man, and one who had so weU de- h Joannis Fischeri (Ep. Roffensis) de unica Magdalena libri duo (contra Jndochum Clichtoveum Neoportuensem et Jacobum Fabrum Stapulensem) in tedibus Jodoci Badii Ascensii. Ad octavam calendas Martias 1519. Cum privilegio in biennium. DR. JOHN FISHER. 79 served of learning, should be so very severely used, than CHAP. which nothing could be more agreeable to those who were ' so wedded to their old learning, as perfectly to hate any improvement of it ; upon which account Faber was al ready on iU terms with some at Paris, especially those of his own Order. But, he added, that it could scarce be avoided, in disputes of this nature where there is an oppo sition, that the pen should not grow warm without our being aware of it. 4. This reproof of his friend's, though wisely tempered with so much mUdness and caution, and complimenting the Bishop as Faber's superior in this controversy, yet, it seems, raised a suspicion in the Bishop, that Erasmus was angry with him for his writing this answer to Faber. But Erasmus told him, that this only shewed he did not yet know Erasmus : that in the first edition of his book many thought he joked too often, and with too much sting on the church of Faber ; but that in the second edition, as the stile was more neat, so there was less passion. Only he admired, that his Lordship so anxiously laboured to drag this affair into, and make it a controversy of faith, with which Faber was very much grieved, to whom he was the more desirous to give some succour, because he both admired and reverenced his Lordship. 5. It was an observation of the learned Isaac Casaubon, Exercitat. which he made long after this upon another occasion, that ™m J1™^" " it seem'd strange, that when formerly in better times inco1- 1- " such sort of phUological questions as don't pertain to the " heart and marrow of the D. Word, but only to the rind " or bark, or which are not articles of faith, it was free for " any learned man both to be of the opinion which he " thought right, and modestly to pubUsh his opinion, " there should be no room now for the same liberty at- " tended with the like modesty, since in these questions " there is no heresy, no absolute necessity of thinking " thus or otherwise. That even about this very matter, " which was now disputed by Faber and the Bishop, the 80 THE LIFE OF CHAP. " ancient fathers, it's plain, were divided in their opinions, L, . " and ascribed the accounts given by the Evangelists of the women who washed our Lord's feet, &c. to different " women, to three, or at least to two ; that particularly " Basil of Seleucia, in his homily of Lazarus, seriously " affirmed, that there are three Maries remembred in the " Gospel." But the Bishop was apprehensive, that the authority of the Church would suffer by this opinion ; as if the Catholic Church, or even the particular Church of Rome, was the supreme and infaUible judge of such sort of critical questions and controversies. However, Eras mus wrote to the Bishop, that though he had only dipped into his book, they who had read it did all own him supe rior throughout the whole argument ; and that for his part he perfectly envied Faber such an adversary, by whom, though he was manifestly defeated, yet he had this to comfort him, that he fell by the hand of the great ./Eneas, and therefore he hoped his reverence would be content with this victory, which, by the suffrages of the learned, he was said to have got. However, it seems, CUchtoveus had the courage to defend Faber, which drew a reply from the Bishop, which seems never to have been de Script, printed. Besides which, Bale mentions some additions, Bnt. written by the Bishop, concerning Mary Magdalene, which, I suppose, were likewise suppressed by his Lord ship. DR. JOHN FISHER. 81 CHAP. XL 1. Dr. Luther publishes two books against the Pope. 2. An account of his book of the Babilonish Captivitie. 3. An Answer to it, written in the King's name. Bishop Fisher supposed to be one of the makers of it. 4, 5, 8fC. an account of it. 1. 1 HE controversy in which Dr. Luther was engaged with the Pope and Church of Rome had now continued three years : during which time he had published several books, and particularly a small tract of the Pope's Indulgences. Against these, Eccius, Emser, and others, had written with a great deal of zeal and severity. Luther, therefore, being provoked, and heated by their urging manner of treating him, set forth two books, which were particularly remark- a.D. 1520. able, as very much alarming, and incensing the Pope and his dependents. One of these was in the German Ian- Seckendorf guage, and written with so great liberty, that even the J^^o '§" Doctor's friends reckoned it a proclamation of war. Lu- 72, 73. ther himself gave this account of it, that " he had pub- " lished a book in the vulgar tongue against the Pope " about reforming the Church, and directed it to all the " nobility of Germany ; which book would give great dis- " taste to Rome, since in it was made a public discovery " of its impious contrivances and violent dealings." 2. The other book of Dr. Luther's was written in Latin, and entituled, a The prelude of Dr. Martin Luther con- d. Martini cerning the Babilonish Captivitie of the Church. This c^tivitate little tract he inscribed to his friend Augustus Hermannus, Babylo- telling him, that, " b whether he would or no, he was com- 1524'. " pelled to be every day more and more learned, thro' the " So Seckendorf. And so Luther himself stiles it towards the end, finem hie faciam hujus prmludij ; promising very shortly to publish the other part. b Velim nolim cogor indies eruditior fieri, tot tantisque magistris, &c. G 82 THE LIFE OF CHAP. " urgings and exercisings of so many and so great mas- XI- " ters, who strove to outdo one another : that above two " years since he wrote of indulgences, but in such a man- " ner that he was very sorry he ever published that Uttle " book ; for that at that time he was at a sort of stand, on " account of a great superstition of the Roman tyranny, " wherby he was led to conclude, that indulgences were " not altogether to be rejected. But that afterwards, by " the kind assistance of Sylvester and the friars, who stre- " nuously defended them, he was made sensible, that they " were nothing else but the mere impostures of the Roman " flatterers, by which they wasted or destroyed both the " faith of God, and the estates of men. He therefore " wished, that he could obtain of the bookseUers, and per- " swade all who read them, to burn all his little books of " Indulgences, and that, instead of all that he had written " of them, they'd apprehend this proposition, that indul- " gences are the wanton humours of Roman flatterers. " Afterwards, Eccius and Emser, with their feUow conspi- " rators, began to instruct him about the primacy of the " Pope : and here also, he said, that he might not be un- " grateful to men so learn'd, he owned that he was very " much profited by their labours : for having admitted the " papacy to be of human right, tho' he denied it to be of " divine, as soon as he heard and read their most subtle " subtilties, by which they erected their artful image, he " knew, and was sure, that the papacy was the kingdom " of Babylon, and the power of Nimrod the mighty " hunter. Therefore here also, that aU prosperity might " attend his friends, he prayed the booksellers and readers, " that, having burnt what he had published on this sub- " ject, they would retain this proposition, that the papacy " is the mighty hunting of the Bishop of Rome: and tliat " this is proved by the reasons of Eccius, Emser, S(c." But now, he said, he was trifled with in the schools about com municating in both kinds, and was to take pains about some other matters of the greatest importance ; that an DR. JOHN FISHER. 83 Italian friar of Cremona had written a revocation of Mar- CHAP. XI tin Luther to the See of Rome, and another friar, a Ger- — _J — man of Leipsic, had written against him concerning com municating in both kinds. He therefore asks Hermannus what he thought he had else to do, but to listen with all attention to what these writers said? He had hitherto thought, he said, fool as he was, that it would be fine, if in the laity's behalf it was determined by a general council, that they should receive the Sacrament in both kinds. But this opinion the more than most learned friar having a mind to correct, he tells us, that neither Christ nor the Apostles commanded nor counselled the administering the Sacrament in both kinds to the laity ; and that therefore it is left to the judgment of the Church, whom it is neces sary to obey, to determine what is to be done or omitted in this case. But thus, he says, do they dispute, who write against Luther, either asserting what they oppose, or devising that which they argue against : that thus Sil vester, Eccius, Emser, &c. disputed with him, from whose temper if this friar had differed, he had not written against Luther. He therefore concludes, that this man, and those who are his playfellows, seek through him to get themselves a name in the world, as if they were meet to enter the lists with Luther, but that their hopes should be disappointed, since they should be so far despised as never to be so much as named by him ; and that he should be content with returning this single answer to all their books. And therefore, whilst they murmured at his ap proving the communion's being administered in both kinds, he would, he said, proceed, and attempt to shew, that all are profane who deny the communion in both kinds to the laity ; which, that he might do the more commodiously, he would make a prelude of the captivity of the Church of Rome, intending, in due time, to offer a great many other things, when the most learned Papists had answered and confuted this book ; and this, he said, he did, that if so he met with any pious reader he might not be offended 84 THE LIFE OF CHAP, with those low things treated of by him, and complain very justly, that they read nothing that either cultivated or in structed their minds, or that gave any occasion to learned thoughts ; for that Herman knew how ill his friends thought of his being taken up with the sordid fetches of those men, which they said were abundantly confuted in the bare reading of them, and that they expected better things from him, which Sathan, by their means, attempted to hinder him in. He, therefore, at length had resolved to take their advice, and to leave the business of brawling and invective to those wasps. To begin, he must, he said, deny, that there are seven Sacraments, and, for the present, however, aUow of only three, baptism, penance, and bread; aU which were by the Church of Rome led into miserable captivity, and the Church spoiled of its Uberty. Though, if he would speak according to the usage of Scripture, he should reckon but one Sacrament, and three sacramental signs, of which he intended to say more another time. At present he would speak of the first of all these three, the Sacrament of bread : of which, he said, being now provoked and teazed, and drawn by force into this controversy, he would freely say what he thought; Rideant sive plorent papistae, vel universi in unum. Of the Sa- First, he said, the sixth chapter of St. John was wholly Bread!1 ° to De set aside, as what had not a syllable in it of the Sa crament, not only for that the Sacrament was not yet instituted, but much more, because the very consequences or contexts of the discourse and sense shew, that Christ speaks of the faith of the Word incarnate. There were therefore, he observed, two places which did very clearly treat of this matter: 1. The evangeUcal writing in the Supper of the Lord : 2. St. Paul, 1 Cor. xi. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he said, all agreed together, that Christ gave to all his disciples the whole Sacrament ; and it was so certain that Paul distributed both parts of it, that no one can deny it. Matthew reports, that Christ did not DR. JOHN FISHER. 85 say of the bread, Eat ye all of it, but of the cup, Drink ye CHAP. all of it. And Mark likewise does not say, they all eat, ' but that they aU drank of it ; both of them placing the note of universality not at the bread, but at the cup, as if the Spirit foresaw this schism which forbad the commu nion of the cup to some, which Christ would have common to all. But what, he said, was of the greatest force, and did entirely conclude this matter was, that Christ said, ,This is my blood, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. Here, says he to Herman, you very clearly see, that the blood is given for all for whose sins it is shed. But who dares to say, that it is not shed for the laity? Lastly, Paul stands unconquered, and stops the mouths of all opposers, saying, I have received of the Lord 1 Corinth. that which also I delivered unto you. He does not say, I have permitted to you, nor what I receive of the Lord I give to you ; but / have received, and have delivered, viz. at the beginning of his preaching, long before this their contention. He therefore concludes, that to deny to the laity both the species of bread and wine in the communion is profane and tyrannical, and out of the power of even an angel, and much more of the Pope. The first captivity, therefore, of this Sacrament is, he said, as to its substance or integrity, which the Roman tyranny had taken from us. The second captivity of this Sacrament, he said, was more mild and gentle, so far as it concerned the consci ence, but was by far the most dangerous of all to meddle with, much more to condemn, viz. transubstantiation. What was asserted without the authority of Scripture, or an approved revelation, might, he said, be held as an opi nion, but was not to be believed as a necessary article of faith: therefore, he allowed, that any one might either hold this opinion or not, provided they did not impose their several opinions for necessary articles of faith, and condemn those of heresy, who did not think as they did. Transubstantiation, he said, was neither supported by reason nor Scripture : it was an absurd and novel exposi- 86 THE LIFE OF chap, tion of Christ's words, that the bread should be taken for " ' the species or accidents of bread, and the wine for the species or accidents of wine. The Church, he said, for above 1200 years beUeved rightly, and the holy fathers never thought of that portentous word and dream, tran substantiation, till Aristotle's philosophy began to invade the Church. But as for himself, if he could not compre hend how the bread is the body of Christ, he would bring his understanding into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and simply sticking to his words, firmly believe, not only that the body of Christ is in the bread, but that the bread is the body of Christ. The third captivity of this Sacrament, he said, was by much the most impious abuse ; by which it was brought about, that there was at that time scarce any thing more generally received in the Church, than, that the mass is a good or meritorious work, and a sacrifice ; which abuse had caused an inundation of infinite other abuses, tiU at length the faith of the Sacrament was utterly extinguished, and of it were made mere fairs, hucksterings, and certain gainful bargains : since from hence came the participa tions, fraternities, suffrages, merits, anniversaries, memo ries, and that sort of traffic in the Church, to be bought and sold, bargained and compounded for; and that the whole maintenance of priests and monks depended in a manner on these things. He confessed, that in attempting to remove this abuse, he undertook a very hard task, and which perhaps it was impossible to perform, since it was an abuse which had been strengthened by the long use of many ages, and approved by an universal consent, and was so settled, that it was necessary to destroy the major part of the books which were then in vogue, and almost whoUy to alter the face of the Church, to introduce, or rather reduce, another sort of ceremonies. But first, he observed, that in order to come safely and happUy to the true and free knowledge of this Sacrament, especial care was to be taken, that all those things should be separated DR. JOHN FISHER. 87 from it, which by men's zeal and affections have been CHAP. added to the primitive and simple institution of it : such ' as vestments, ornaments, chauntings, prayers, organs, lights, and aU that pomp of visible things ; and that we should turn our eyes and thoughts towards the pure insti tution itself alone, and not propose to ourselves any thing else but the very words of Christ, by which he instituted, perfected, and recommended to us the Sacrament. Now the words of Christ are these : After supper Jesus took bread, 8fC which words the Apostle, 1 Corinth, xi. delivers and explains more at large, and on which we ought to rely, and be buUt as on a firm rock, if we would not be carried about with every wind of doctrine, as, he said, they had been hitherto by the profane teachings of men averse to the truth. Since there was nothing omitted in these words that pertained to the integrity, use, and fruit of this Sacra ment, and nothing said that was superfluous, and not necessary for us to know. And therefore any one who omitted these words in his meditating on, or his instructions about the mass, would teach monsters of impiety, as was done by those who made of it an opus operatum, and a sacrifice. It should, therefore, he said, be determined in the first place and infalUbily, that the mass, or Sacrament of the Altar, is the Testament of Christ, which, when he died, he left behind him to be distributed to his faithful ones. Now a testament is, without doubt, a promise of one about to die, whereby he bequeaths his estate, and appoints heirs to enjoy it. A testament, therefore, in cludes, — first, the death of the testator, and next, the promise of an inheritance, and the appointment of the heir : so that the mass is a promise of the remission of sins made to us by God, and confirmed by the death of his Son. Now a promise is of that nature, as not to be at tained to by any works, powers, and merits, but only by faith : since where there is the word of God promising, there the faith of the person who accepts of it is necessary, that it may be clear, that faith is the beginning of our 88 THE LIFE OF CHAP, salvation, which depends on the word and promise of God, 1 who without any of our study, or previous to our desire, prevents us by his free and undeserved mercy, and offers the word of his promise. This Luther again and again inculcates, that man cannot any other way either covenant or transact with God but by faith, i. e. that not man by any works of his, but God, by his promise, is the author of salvation ; that all things may depend on, &c. the word of his power, by which he hath begotten us, that we James, i. should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. He there- 18' fore laments, that there were so many masses in the world, and yet few or none acknowledged, considered, and appre hended these promises and riches proposed to them ; but were so mad as, through a superstitious and profane opi nion, rather to reverence the words of consecration, as they are called, as containing in them some secret, than to believe them as the promise or testament of Christ. By which doctrine of impious men the mass was changed into a good work, which themselves call opus operatum, or a work done, by which they presumed they could do any thing with God : from whence they proceeded to con clude, that this good work was Ukewise available for others, and on this sandy bottom founded their applica tions, participations, and fraternities, their anniversaries, &c. Whereas, if we firmly held, that the mass is a divine promise, we should be sensible of this great truth, that it can profit no one, be applied to no one, &c. but only to him that believes himself with his own faith. He easily admitted, he said, that the praiers which the congregation assembled to receive the mass poured out before God, were good works, or benefits which they mutuaUy imparted, ap- pUed, and communicated to, and offered for one another ; but these were not the mass, but the works of the mass, if yet the praiers of the heart and mouth ought to be caUed works, because they are done of faith, being perceived or increased in the Sacrament. He concluded, that it was certain the mass is not a work communicable to others, DR. JOHN FISHER. 89 but the object of every one's own faith, which was nou- CHAP. rished and strengthened by it. ! He next proceeded to oppose the opinion, that the mass is a sacrifice which is offered unto God. This he called another scandal, which was by much the greater and most specious, since the words of the canon of the mass seemed to sound to that effect, and that it was favoured by the sayings of the fathers, so many prece dents, and so great a custom constantly observed through out the world. But to all these the words and example of Christ were, he said, to be opposed with the utmost constancy : that we should suffer nothing to prevail against them, even though an angel from heaven should teach it ; and that in them there was nothing of either a work or a sacrifice: that the example of Christ was on the same side, who in his last Supper, when he instituted this Sa crament, and made his wiU, did not offer himself to God the Father, or do any good work for others, but sitting at the table, he proposed the said will or testament to every one there, and exhibited a sign of it : that the mass, by how much nearer and more like it was to the first mass of all which Christ celebrated at supper, by so much the more christian it was ; but that the mass of Christ's insti tuting was most simple, without any pomp of vestments, gestures, chantings, and other ceremonies; so that if it had been necessary that it should be offered as a sacri fice, he did not fully institute it. Not that any one ought .to reproach the universal Church for adorning and en larging the mass with many other rites and ceremonies; but what he meant, he said, was, that no one being de ceived with the shew of ceremonies, and entangled with a multitude of pomp, should lose the simplicity of the mass, and in reaUty worship a sort of transubstantiation, as hav ing lost the simple substance of the mass, by being stuck, as it were, in the manifold accidents of pomp ; for that whatsoever is an addition to, or over and above the word and example of Christ, is an accident of the mass. He 90 THE LIFE OF CHAP, further argued, that as it was a contradiction for a testa- * ment to be distributed, or for a promise to take and sacri fice a sacrifice, so it was for the mass to be a sacrifice, since we received that, whereas we gave a sacrifice ; for tbat the same thing cannot at the same time be both re ceived and offered, nor be given and received together by the same person, no more than prayer and the thing prayed for can be the same, or than it can be the same thing to pray and to receive the things praied for. As to the canon of the mass, and authorities of the fathers, he said, that the priest, when after consecration he elevated the bread and wine, did not by that action shew, that he offered them to God, since then he says not one word of any sacrifice or oblation, but only uses a reUque of an He brew rite, who used to Uft up or elevate those things which they received with giving of thanks. However, he wished, that as the sign or Sacrament was plainly elevated in their sight, so the word or testament was at the same time pronounced in their ears with a plain and loud voice, and that in the vulgar tongue, that so their faith might be the more effectually exercised ; for why should it be law ful to perform the mass in Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, and not also in German, or any other language ? As to private masses, they were, he said, a man's making provi sion to communicate himself ; and that a private 7nass did not at all differ from, or avail more than, a single commu nion of any laic received from the hand of a priest, except the prayers and his consecrating and ministring to himself. He added, that c in the matter itself of the mass and Sa crament, we are all equally priests and laics. He con cluded, that it should not move any one, that the whole world is of a contrary opinion, and has another usage or custom : since he has the Gospel, which is .most certain, on his side, and having that, he may easily despise the sense and opinions of men. Of the Sa- Dr. Luther proceeded to consider the Sacrament of crament of Baptism. * Re ipsa Missse et Sacramenti omnes sumus sequales sacerdotes et laici. DR. JOHN FISHER. 91 Baptism. And here he praised God, for that he has pre- CHAP. served this Sacrament in his Church unpolluted by the ' constitutions of men, and has made it free for all nations and aU orders of men, and not suffered it to be oppressed by the very worst and most impious prodigies of gain and superstitions. But this he ascribes to God's ordaining little children to be initiated by baptism, who are not capable of avarice and superstition: for if this Sacrament was to be given to adult and greater persons, it seemed not possible that its virtue and glorie should be continued, by reason of the tyrannie of avarice and superstition which had supplanted aU divine things. Without doubt worldly wisdom would even here have invented its prepa rations and dignities, its reservations and restrictions, and such like nets to catch money. But when Satan could not extinguish the virtue of baptism in little ones, he yet pre vailed to do it in the adult, so that now there was scarce any one who remembered that he was baptized, much less gloried in his being so, there were so many other ways found for the forgiveness of sins and getting to heaven. What gave occasion to these, he said, was that dangerous saying of St. Jerome, either ill placed, or ill understood, that repentance is a second plank after a shipwreck, as if baptism was not repentance. Hence, when men have fain into sin, they give over for lost the first plank or ship, and begin to trust only to the second, that is, to repentance, and from thence are sprung those endless burdens of vows, religions, works, satisfactions, pilgrimages, indulgences, and sects, and that ocean of books, questions, opinions, and human traditions about them, which the whole world now does not contain. First of aU, therefore, he said, the divine promise was to be observed in baptism ; which says, He who beUeves and is baptized shall be saved ; which promise is incomparably to be preferred to the universal pomps of works, vows, reUgions, and whatsoever is of hu mane invention. Next, he observed, that it would be of no small use or advantage, if the penitent first of aU recol- 92 Till-. LIFE OF CHAP, locted his baptism, and with confidence *i'cineniber'd the ' divine promise which lie has deserted, and then confess * cum Ii- unto the Lord, rcjoycing that be is yet so secure of salva tion in that he has been baptized, and detest ing his profane ingratitude in falling away from the belief and truth of it. From hence, lie says, we may very clearly discern the dif ference betwixt man who ministers Baptism, and Clod the author of it : and therefore we should take care not so to distinguish Baptism, as to attribute the outward Baptism to man, and the inward to God, but to ascribe both to God, and not to accept the person who confers it as any other than the vicarious instrument of God, by which the Lord who sits in heaven, plunges us into the water with his own hands, and by the mouth of a man here on earth, promises remission of sins, speaking to us by the mouth of his minister. This, he observed, the very words used by the minister in baptizing us tell us, when he says, I bap tize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; he does not say, I baptize thee in my name; that so we may know that we are not baptized of man, but of the Holy Trinity by man, who transacts this matter with us in his name : and henee, lie adds, appears how trifling the contention is about the form of Baptism, as the words used in administring it are called. Another thing pertaining to Baptism, Dr. Luther observed, wns the sign or the sacrament, which is the plunging into water, from whence it has its name. A great many, he said, suppose, that there was in the word and water some hidden spiritual vertue, which operated the grace of God on the mind of the receiver, or the person baptized. Others, in contradiction to these, determined, that there was no virtue in the Sacraments, but that grace is given by God alone, who according to bis covenant is assisting to the Sacraments which he himself has instituted. But all agreed in this, that Sacraments are effectual signs of grace, to which they were moved by this only argument, that otherwise it did not appear how the Sacraments of DR. JOHN FISHER. 93 the new law excelled those of the old, if they only signi- CHAP. fied ; and hence were -they driven to attribute so much to * the Sacraments of the new law, as to determine, that they were profitable even to those who are in mortal sin, and that neither faith nor grace were required ; but that it was sufficient there was *no obstacle, i. e. an actual reso-* non po- lution of sinning again. But these things, Dr. Luther g"1^6 '" said, were diligently to be caution'd against and avoided, because they were impious, savouring of infidelity, con trary to the faith, and opposite to the nature of Sacra ments : for it was a mistake, that the Sacraments of the new law differ'd from those of the old ; so far from it, that with respect to the efficacy of signification, they both sig nified alike ; for the same God who saves us by baptism and bread, saved Abel by sacrifice, Noah by the ark, and Abraham by circumcision, and all others by his signs. So that a Sacrament of the old and new law is no way dif ferent as to signification, provided we call the old law whatsoever God wrought in the patriarchs and other fathers in the time of the law : for those signs which were made among the patriarchs and fathers are very different from the legal figures which Moses instituted in his law, such as the priestly rites in habits, vessels, meats, &c. These legal figures had not annexed to them the word of promise which requires faith, whence they are not signs of justification, because they are not Sacraments of faith which alone justify, but are only Sacraments of works; wheras ours and the fathers signs or Sacraments have an nexed the word of promise, which requires faith, and can be fulfilled by no work : whence also their whole efficacy is faith itself, not working ; and the common saying, that not the Sacrament, but the faith of the Sacrament justi fies. So that Baptism justifies no body, nor is profitable to any one ; but it is faith in the word of promise, to which Baptism is added, that justifieth, and fulfils that which Baptism signifies. So far was it from being true, he said, that in the Sacraments there is an effectual virtue 94 THE LIFE OF CHAP, of justification, or that they are effectual signs of grace. Baptism, therefore, signifies two things, death and a resur rection, that is, a fuU and consummate justification. For that the ministers plunging the chUd into the water signi fies death, as, on the contrary, his taking him out of it, signifies life. On which account, he wished, he said, that they who were baptized were whoUy immersed or plunged into the water, as the word baptize means, and the mys tery signified : not that he thought it necessary, but that k would be fair that the sign of a thing so fuU and perfect should also be given full and perfect, as it was without doubt instituted by Christ. Here, therefore, he observed, it was plain, that the Sacrament of Baptism, even as to the sign, was not any momentary business, but perpetual ; for tho' the use of it passes away on a sudden, yet the thing itself endures tiU death, nay, tiU the resurrection at the last day. Wherfore, we should beware of those who have reduced the force of Baptism so low, as to say indeed that grace is infused in it, but that afterwards it's lost by sinning, and that then we must go to heaven another way, as if our baptism was become altogether nuU and void : whereas our whole Uves ought to be a Baptism, and a fulfilling the sign or Sacrament of Baptism : since being freed from aU other things, we are obhged to one baptism only, that is, to death and the resurrection. That this glory of our Ubertie, and this knowledge of baptism was now in captivity, was owing, he said, to nothing but the tyranny of the Roman pontiff, by whose means the Church was extinct by endless laws of works and ceremonies, the virtue and knowledge of Baptism was taken away, and the faith of Christ hind red. He therefore added, that neither Pope nor Bishop, nor any other man has any right of constituting one syUable over any Christian man without his consent, and that whatsoever is done otherwise, is done by a tyrannical spirit : that therefore the praiers, fastings, endowments, and whatsoever things else the Pope in all his decrees, which are as unjust as they are many, ap- DR. JOHN FISHER. 95 points and exacts, he has no right to appoint, &c. but is en \p. an offender against the liberty of the Church as often as . he attempts any of these things : that the Pope's disciples assist this impious and destructive tyrannie by their wrest ing and depraving that saying of Christ, He who heareth you heareth me ; whereas Christ did not say this to Peter only. Others much more impudent arrogate to the Pope a power of making laws from that in St. Matt. Whatsoever™ 19- thou shall bind on earth, consists of the word of God's promise and our own faith, they have subverted both. As to the word of promise, where Christ says, Matt. xvi. 19, xviii. 18, Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, §c. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, cfc. and John, xx. 23, Whosesoever sins ye remit,