Soon after the publication of the Articles in 1536, Injunctions were set forth, which, as well as the Injunctions afterward promulgated from time to time, require all persons and ringing of bells all night long: Forasmuch as that Vigil is abused, as other Vigils were; our pleasure is as you require, that the said Vigil shall be abolished as the other be, and that there shall be no watching or ringing but as be commonly used upon other holy days at night. We be contented and pleased also, that the images in the Churches shall not be covered, as hath been accustomed in times past, nor no veil upon the cross, nor kneeling thereto upon Palm-Sunday, nor any other time. And forasmuch as you make no mention of creeping to the cross, which is a greater abuse than any other, for there you say, Crucem tuam adoramus, Domine, and the Ordinal saith, procedant clerici ad crucem adorandam nudis pedibus; and after followeth in the same Ordinal, ponatur crux ante aliquod altare, ubi a populo adoretur: which, by your own book, called a necessary doctrine, is against the second commandment : therefore our pleasure is, that the said creeping to the cross shall likewise cease from henceforth and be abolished, with other the abuses before rehearsed; and this we will and straitly command you to signify to all the Prelates and Bishops of your province of Canterbury; charging them in our name to see the same executed, every one in his diocese accordingly." To make this order practicable and rightly understood, Cranmer observed to the King; "Nevertheless in my opinion, when such things be altered or taken away, there should be set forth some doctrine therewith, which should declare the cause of the abolishings or alterations, for to satisfy the consciences of your people: for if the honouring of the cross, as creeping and kneeling thereto, be taken away, it shall seem to many that be ignorant, that the honour of Christ is taken away, unless some good teaching be set forth withal to instruct them sufficiently therein; which if your Majesty command the Bishops of Worcester and Chichester, with other your Grace's other Chaplains to make, the people shall obey your Majesty's commandment willingly, giving thanks to your Majesty if they know the truth, which else they would obey with murmurations and grudgings. And it shall be a satisfaction to all other nations, when they shall see your Majesty do nothing but by the authority of God's word, and to the setting forth of God's honour, and not the diminishing thereof," &c. to adhere to the Book of Articles: and the universal clamor, raised among the Papists against these Articles, shews that the establishment of them was apprehended to be an important acquisition to the cause of the Reformation. If in the Book of Articles, as well as in the Primers, we sometimes find Popish errors, intermixed with the genuine doctrines of Scripture, we should recollect that these errors were not of a nature to be corrected in a moment. The darkness, arising from the united power of Superstition and Ignorance, required not only a morning, but a meridian, sun to dispel it. Though Cranmer and a few others might discern the enormous growth of the tares among the wheat, they likewise saw that the harvest of the Reformation was not fully ripe; the proper season was not yet come "for gathering the tares, and binding them in bundles to burn them*. The Injunctions published in 1536, which I have already slightly noticed, were, as well as the Primers and Articles, extremely favorable to the interests of the Reformers. These Injunctions, though probably composed by CRANMER, were published in the King's name by CROMWELL, who, since HENRY's being declared supreme head of the Church, had been appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal, and the King's Vicar-general or Vicegerent in all ecclesiastical affairs. The Injunctions require "the Clergy frequently to publish to the people that the power of the Bishop of Rome is usurped; and has no foundation either in the word of God or the law of the land. The Clergy are to declare the Articles lately published, and to explain which are articles of faith, and which relate to ceremonies and ecclesiastical polity. They are not to extol Images or Relics for gain, but to teach the people to keep God's commandments. Instead of recommending Pilgrimages, they are to inform the people that they serve God more acceptably by attending to the proper business of their respective stations; and that the money spent in Pilgrimages would be better employed in charity to the poor. They are to exhort the people to teach their children the Lord's Prayer, the Creed and the Commandments, in the vulgar tongue; and further to instruct them in the principles of religion. The Incumbents of the greater livings are required, for every hundred pounds a year they receive, to give an Exhibition to a poor scholar, either at a Grammar-school or the University; and all are obliged to appropriate a fifth part of their annual income, where so large a proportion was necessary, to the repair of their Parsonage or Vicarage houses; and afterwards to keep them in a decent state of repair. In particular, the Clergy themselves are to be diligent in teaching the people: not to frequent Games and Public-houses unnecessarily; but to apply to the study of Holy Scripture; to frame their lives accordingly, and to be examples to others to live well *" These are the principal heads of the Injunctions, the whole of which gave great offence to a corrupt Clergy, and to many of the laity attached to the ancient religion. The Injunction last mentioned increased the labours of the Secular Clergy, and imposed those decent restraints, which few of them had been accustomed to observe. One Injunction burthened them with additional expences, which however their lawful revenues enabled them easily to supply, whilst another, by abolishing a lucrative branch of ecclesiastical commerce, cut off a very fertile source of their opulence. The Injunctions concerning * The preamble and most of the clauses shew, that these Injunctions were addressed to Deans, Parsons, Vicars, &c. Cromwell, as vicegerent, was invested by delegation with the King's whole power in ecclesiastical affairs, and of course with authority over the Bishops. Yet, probably out of respect for their order, he here exercises no act of vicegerency over them. See Burnet, 1 Coll. of Records, B. III. P. 160. 1, 2. Relics, Pilgrimages, and the education of young persons in the principles of Christianity, ordained that as a duty, for which, as a crime, Protestants had lately been punished with death, unless they purchased a pardon by recantation or at least by silence *. Hence the King, who professed to maintain the old religion, was suspected of heretical innovation. The abolition of the smaller monasteries had already alienated the affections of a great part of the Regular Clergy. In their outcries against the government, they were now joined by a numerous body of the Secular Clergy, or Parochial Priests : and both parties, who were ready enough to admit Henry's supremacy, when it was exercised in their own favor, complained that the Injunctions were not sanctioned by the Convocation for it is, indeed, worthy of observation, that the promulgating of these Injunctions was the first act of pure supremacy, which the King had exercised. The superior Abbots, likewise, from the fate of the smaller Monasteries, foreseeing that their own establishments and immunities might hereafter be invaded, sounded the alarm, though less openly; and the credulous multitude were led to believe that "it was better to live under the Turk than the King's Vicegerent." In short, the King's, Injunctions †, and CROMWELL's activity in promoting the Reformation, and in sup * Bur. P. 1. b. iii. p. 226. Perhaps the punishment inflicted on the Lollards was not entirely in consequence of the practices and opinions here enumerated. Some of them maintained, that allegiance and obedience might and ought to be withdrawn from the King, or supreme magistrate, under circumstances which it is not necessary to particularize. It is enough to say, that some of the Lollards appear to have supported positions, which no civil government whatever, regardful of its own safety, can allow to be propagated with impunity. Lollards, Wickliffites, Hussites, Bohemian Brethren, &c. are titles, by which Protestants were generally meant. + The secular Priests, according to Hume, found themselves reduced, by the Injunctions, to a grievous servitude. By what article of the Injunctions were they so reduced? pressing the Monasteries, gave rise this year to three Rebellions, all of which were principally fomented by the Clergy attached to the ancient superstition. In the first, a Prior of Barlings in Lincolnshire, disguised as a cobbler *, and conducted by a monk, contrived to raise a tumultuary army of 20,000 men +. In the Convocation held this year, a vote was passed through the influence of Cranmer, Latimer, and some other Bishops, who were supposed to deliver the sentiments of the King, for publishing a new translation of the Scriptures. This was thought an important victory gained by the Reformers. The next year, 1537, the Archbishop with Latimer and the Commissioners, compiled another short treatise, which was afterwards reviewed by the King §, and ratified by Parliament. This was the celebrated " Bishop's Book ||," or "the godly and pious Institution of a Christian man." It was designed as a rule of religious belief and of morals; as a guide * His real name was Dr. Mackerel: the title of Captain Cobbler was assumed on the occasion. + Fuller, Burnet, Collier, Strype, Heylin, Hume. This is the date generally ascribed to the Institution. Collier, however, who cites no authority, says it was published this year, but was drawn up three years before, and in Convocation. In these two last assertions he is probably mistaken. § Henry, at his leisure, corrected and augmented it; and submitted his animadversions to Cranmer's judgment. The Archbishop made annotations on such of the royal corrections as he thought improper, especially where the King's alterations were favourable to the old corruptions. In his letter to Cromwell, which accompanied his remarks, he says, "I trust the King's Highness will pardon my presumption that I have been so scrupulous, making a great matter of every little fault, or rather where there is no fault at all. Which I do that because the book will be set forth by his Grace's judgment, I would have nothing therein that Momus could reprehend. In divers places I have made annotations, which places nevertheless I dislike not." Strype's Cranmer. The Commissioners who composed it were principally Bishops. |