Life of Matthew Parker (Strype, 1821)/Book II/Chapter XXV

This is the enhanced reading edition of Chapter XXV, prepared according to the AnglicanWiki Editorial Guidelines for Historical Texts. It adds descriptive section headings, English translations of Latin passages (with the original preserved), verified internal links, and editorial notes clearly distinguished from Strype's text. Strype's wording, historical spelling, and substance are preserved.

Anno 1564. The act for making Wednesday a fish day. The Archbishop dispenseth with Winchester college, and with the University, for that day; and with John Fox, for Lent. Bishop Jewel's Latin Apology. The Archbishop's letter to the Lady Bacon, that translated it into English. The Archbishop's tract printed at the end. Learned women about this time. Dorman's Proof against Jewel's Challenge: and Nowel's Reproof. Many other Papists write against Jewel.

The Wednesday Fast

IT was lately enacted, for the benefit and commodity of the realm, that the fish days in every week, as well those which were of ancient time by law allowed and continued, as also Wednesdays in every week, were now enjoined to be observed and kept. Of this act, whereby Wednesday was made a fish day, Sir William Cecyl was the chief author, for the great benefit that wise man apprehended to be by spending much fish in the realm. But this was not well resented by the people, and but slenderly observed, the English nation being very much addicted to flesh meats, and not pleased to have more fish days imposed upon them. Insomuch, that four years after, viz. 1568, the Queen issued out a proclamation for the better observation of this Wednesday fast.

The Universities and Winchester Dispensed With

The Universities particularly regretted this act, and used such arguments with the Queen for their non-observance of it, (at least the first year, that is, 1564,) that she dispensed with them for that time. And Winchester college also, by the Warden, requested the same of her; which she granted, and appointed her Secretary to will the Archbishop of Canterbury to grant his dispensation. Whereupon he penned this letter to the Archbishop:

"The Queen's Majesty, at the humble suit of the Warden of Winchester, is pleased to dispense with the Scholars there, in like sort as she hath for the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, touching the observation of Wednesday, made a fish day by politic constitution. It may please your Grace, according to her Majesty's will, so to give out your dispensation for the said college. Your Grace's humbly to command, W. C."

Cambridge's Letter of Thanks

Though the Archbishop seems to have been but a second cause in this business, yet he was in truth a main and primary instrument in bringing this to pass. And the scheme of obtaining this favour from the Queen was laid by him, with the concurrence of Cecyl. This is cleared by the letter of thanks which the University of Cambridge wrote to him upon this occasion in November, which may be found in the Appendix: and wherein it appears this was not the first time the Archbishop had done good offices for them, and they great ones too.

"Which, they say in the said letter, they did not only now acknowledge, but openly profess. They declare further, that it was both his virtue and his propense study to gratify them that had stirred him up to a perpetual beneficence towards them; but that this present dispensation granted them was more than they dared to ask: and that moreover it was done with so much celerity, that they could scarce have believed it could have been done so soon: which tended to the great commendation of his counsel, who wanted not the motion and quickening of others; and likewise of his kindness, who suffered not the University to be any longer without such a benefit. So that not only themselves, but those that should come after them, were bound to remember this his beneficence, who so seasonably had provided for the concerns of the University." This was dated 15. cal. of Decemb. 1564. Subscribed by the Vice-Chancellor and the whole Senate.

The copy of this letter remains in the register of the University Orator. In the margin whereof it is thus noted; "Thanks for obtaining for us a licence to eat flesh on Wednesdays." Which note, Mr. Baker, B. D. of St. John's college, hath humanely communicated to me, with the transcript of the above mentioned letter. The benefit of this indulgence was, that it tended to the cheaper and more plentiful providing of subsistence for the great number of students there, and also for their health, especially this present year, when the nation was afflicted with the infection of the plague.

John Fox Dispensed With for Lent

And however the observation of the fast of Lent was regarded, yet dispensations also for it were granted upon reasonable causes. This favour the Archbishop had formerly shewed to John Fox the Martyrologist, a spare sickly man, whom he permitted for his bad stomach to eat flesh in Lent. And for the like favour that reverend man did now again address to him in a handsome Latin letter; beginning,

Salutem et vitam in Christo æternam. ("Health and eternal life in Christ.")

Pro rara ac singulari hac naturæ tuæ mansuetudine, quæ semper mihi in te placuit, Matthæe episcoporum decus ac sydus eximium, rogo etiam atque etiam sublimitatem tuam, ut hanc ipsam, &c.

Jewel's Apology in English

This year came forth, by the Archbishop's order, being printed by Reginald Wolf, Bishop Jewel's Apology for the Church of England, translated into English by the Lady Anne Bacon, wife to Sir Nicolas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. After she had finished the translation, she sent the copy unto the Archbishop of Canterbury to peruse it, as a proper person to whom the care of the Church of England, and its doctrine, chiefly belonged. She sent also this her translation to Bishop Jewel, the author, to overlook it, that she might not in any point mistake his meaning. Her copy she sent to him, with an epistle in Greek; and he answered her in Greek again.

Both this Bishop and the Archbishop read over the said translation, and found it so correct that they mended nothing; no, not the least word. The letter the Archbishop sent to her, relating to this Apology, put by her into English, was thus superscribed, To the right honourable, learned, and virtuous Lady, A. B. M. C. wisheth from God, grace, honour, and felicity.

The Archbishop's Letter to Lady Bacon

He told her therein, "That according to her request he had perused her studious labour of translation, profitably employed in a right commendable work. Whereof, for that it liked her to make him a judge, and for that the thing itself had singularly pleased his judgment, and delighted his mind in reading it, he had right heartily to thank her ladyship, both for her well thinking of him, and for the comfort that it wrought in him. But far above these private respects, he was by greater causes enforced, not only to shew his rejoice of this her doing, but also to testify the same by this his writing prefixed before the work, to the commodity of others, and good encouragement of herself. That she had used her accustomed modesty, in submitting it to judgment; but therein her praise doubled, sith it had passed judgment without reproach. And whereas both the chief author of the Latin work and he, severally perusing and conferring her whole translation, had without alteration allowed of it, he was both to desire her ladyship, and advertise the readers, to think that they had not therein given any thing to any dissembling affection towards her, as being contented to wink at faults to please her, or to make her without cause to please herself. For that there were sundry respects to draw them from so doing, although they had been so ill minded, as there was no cause why they should be so thought of. That her own judgment in discerning flattery, her modesty in misliking it, the laying open of their opinion to the world, the truth of their friendship toward her, the unwillingness of them both, in respect of their vocations, to have that public work not truly and well translated, were good causes to persuade that their allowance was of sincere truth and understanding. That by her travail she expressed an acceptable duty to the glory of God, deserved well of this Church of Christ, honourably defended the good fame and estimation of her own native tongue, shewing it so able to contend with a work originally written in the most praised speech. That beside the honour she had done to her sex, and to the degree of ladies, she had done pleasure to the author of the Latin book, in delivering him by her clear translation from the perils of ambiguous and doubtful constructions; and in making his good work more publicly beneficial: whereby she had raised up great comfort to her friends, and had furnished her own conscience joyfully with the fruit of her labour in so occupying her time. Which must needs redound to the encouragement of noble youth in their good education, and to spend their time and knowledge in godly exercise, she having delivered them so singular a precedent. That as God, he was sure, did accept that her doing, and would bless with increase; so her and their most virtuous and learned sovereign Lady and Mistress, it should be good cause to commend; and all noble gentlewomen should, he trusted, hereby be allured from vain delights, to doings of more perfect glory. That he for his part, as occasion might serve, should exhort others to take profit by her work, and follow her example: whose success he beseeched our heavenly Father to bless and prosper. That to the end, both to acknowledge his good approbation, and to spread the benefit more largely, where her ladyship had sent him her book written, he had with most hearty thanks returned it her, as she saw, printed: knowing that he had thereby done for the best, and in this point used a reasonable policy; that is, to prevent such excuses as her modesty would have made in stay of publishing it."

I have given this sum of the Archbishop's letter, not only to preserve a good writing of his from perishing, but for the remembrance of this excellent, pious, and learned lady; and chiefly to reconcile a due value unto this piece, written in behalf of our reformed Church; being thus publicly owned and favoured by the chief Bishop of it in his time. This epistle is printed before the edition of the book.

A Tract on the Government of the Church

And to make this treatise of the Church of England the more perfect, there is added at the end of it a small tract, entitled, The Manner how the Church of England is administered and governed. Which, I make no doubt, is the work of the Archbishop's own pen. The reason he added it was, (as he writ,) to answer the clamour of some enemies of this Church, that spread abroad rumours how with us nothing was done in order, and as it ought to be done; and that there was no religion at all among us, no ecclesiastical discipline observed, no regard had of the salvation of men's souls: but that all was done quite out of order, and seditiously; that all antiquity was despised; that liberty was given to all sensuality; and that the livings of the Church were converted to profane and worldly uses. But this little tract, as well worthy the reading and preserving, (that nothing of the most worthy Archbishop might be lost,) I have reposited in the Appendix. Though there was before this, (viz. 1562,) one English edition of the Apology, printed by Reiner Wolf: in which English translation the Archbishop had a considerable hand.

Learned Women of the Time

The noble Lady Bacon was one of the five daughters of Sir Anthony Cook, of Gyddy Hall in Essex, Kt. who bred them all up in good learning, as he was a very learned man himself; so that his daughters were famous for their knowledge in the Latin and Greek tongues. Indeed about the latter times of King Henry, many young ladies, daughters of men of nobility and quality, were bred up to skill in tongues and other human learning: taking example, I suppose, from that King; who took special care for the educating of his daughters, as well as his son, in learning. And they were happy in learned instructors. His last wife, Queen Catharine Par, was a learned as well as godly lady. And Lady Jane, the daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, that unhappy Queen, had excellent learning. Dr. Meredith Hanmer read Eusebius in Greek to a certain honourable lady, as he tells us in his epistle before his English translation of that book: which gave him occasion to publish the said translation. And before all these, Sir Thomas More had a daughter named Margaret, whom he bred up in ingenuous literature. She composed a Latin oration, and some verses, which her father shewed to Voysey, Bishop of Exeter; whereat he was much moved with delight, and sent her a Portugue by her father, which he enclosed in a letter to her.

And but little after the same time, viz. anno 1537, there was one Elizabeth Lucar, a citizen's wife, buried in St. Laurence Pountney's church, daughter of one Paul Withipol. By the inscription upon whose monument it appeared, that she writ very fairly three several hands; that she understood Latin, Spanish, and Italian; writing, speaking, and reading it with perfect utterance and readiness: that she sung in divers tongues, and played excellently upon the viol, lute, and virginals. And beside all this, she wrought all needle-work that women used to exercise with pen, frame, or stool: understood well drawing of pictures, curious knots, and trails, beasts, birds, and flowers, with a curious fancy. And to crown all, she was virtuous, read the Scriptures, and directed her faith to Christ as her only mark. And all this she arrived to in her youth: for she died at twenty-seven years of age.

Of the women in King Edward's reign we may judge and wonder, comparing them with that sex in this present age, by observing what Nicolas Udal writ in his epistle to Queen Catharine, before the English paraphrase upon the Gospel of St. John. "But now in this gracious and blissful time of knowledge, in which it hath pleased God Almighty to reveal and shew abroad the light of his most holy Gospel, what a number is there of noble women, especially here in this realm of England; yea, and how many in the years of tender virginity, not only as well seen, and as familiarly traded in the Latin and Greek tongues, as in their own mother language; but also both in all kinds of profane literature and liberal arts, exacted, studied, and exercised; and in the holy Scripture and theology so ripe, that they are able aptly, cunningly, and with much grace, either to indite or translate into the vulgar tongue, for the public instruction and edifying of the unlearned multitude? Neither is it now a strange thing to hear gentlewomen, instead of most vain communication about the moon shining in the water, to use grave and substantial talk in Latin or Greek, with their husbands, of godly matters. It is now no news in England, for young damsels in noble houses, and in the courts of princes, instead of cards and other instruments of idle trifling, to have continually in their hands either Psalms, Homilies, and other devout meditations, or else Paul's Epistles, or some book of holy Scripture matters; and as familiarly to read or reason thereof in Greek, Latin, French, or Italian, as in English. It is now a common thing to see young virgins so nursed and trained in the study of letters, that they willingly set all other vain pastimes at nought for learning's sake. It is now no news at all to see Queens and ladies of most high state and progeny, instead of courtly dalliance, to embrace virtuous exercises of reading and writing, and with most earnest study, both early and late, to apply themselves to the acquiring of knowledge, as well in all other liberal arts and disciplines, as also most especially of God and his most holy word."

Dorman's Proof against Jewel

But to return again to Jewel: who, as he saw this work of his Apology come forth in English, so the same year he saw a Popish book appearing against him. For by his challenge at St. Paul's Cross, he had raised many enemies against him. Among the rest, Tho. Dorman, B. D. took upon him to prove against Jewel's negatives, I. That the Bishop of Rome is the head of Christ's universal Church here in earth; and that, within the first six hundred years after Christ's departure hence, he was so called and taken. II. That the people was then taught to believe that Christ's body is really, substantially, corporally, carnally, or naturally in the Sacrament. III. That the Communion was then ministered under one kind. IV. That there was Mass said at that time, although there were none to receive with the Priest.

But all his reasons Dorman took from Harding, as Harding had taken them from Eckius, Pighius, Groper, and Hosius; who had wrote for the Pope's power and supremacy; Harding translating ad verbum almost such places as he thought for his purpose, as Alex. Nowel against the said Dorman asserts in his Preface.

Nowel's Reproof, and the Controversy

This Book of Dorman's was printed at Antwerp, 1564, and entitled, A Proof of certain Articles in Religion, denied by Master Nowel. This book the said Alexander Nowel, Dean of St. Paul's, answered. Which answer came out July 13, 1565: printed by Henry Wikes. His book he entitled, A Reproof of a Book entitled, A Proof, &c. Dorman vindicates himself from Nowel, and entitles his second book, A Disproof, &c. Nowel comes out again against the Disproof, anno 1567, and entitles his book, A Confutation, as well of Mr. Dorman's Last Book, entitled, A Disproof, as of Dr. Sanders's Causes of Transubstantiation; whereby our Countrymen, especially the simple and unlearned, may understand how shamefully they are abused by those and such like Books, pretended to be written for their Instruction. It was thought also that Dorman borrowed from Dr. Richard Smith, who dying at Doway, 1563, left him by his will in some trust: whereby his written books of controversy came into Dorman's hands.

Stapleton, Rastal, and Sander

And that I may here mention together the rest of Bishop Jewel's antagonists besides Dorman and Harding before mentioned, Stapleton wrote a great volume upon the Bishop's marginal notes, by violent plucking of the which from the continuance of the process whereupon they do depend, and whereby they be made plain, he both blindeth the reader, and depraveth and corrupteth the notes, contrary to the true sense and meaning of them.

Mr. Rastal, by snatching at certain parcels of the Bishop's book, patched up two new books. Dr. Sander, by discoursing upon some fragments of the Bishop's book, and upon fourteen or fifteen leaves of Alex. Nowel's first book, published a huge volume. "Weak and trifling reasons," saith Nowel, "but earnest and bitter reproaches."

Why Jewel Had So Many Adversaries

All these writers and more did the Bishop of Sarum raise up against himself. And that because, as the same learned man gives us the reason, he did not tie them straitly to the trial of Scripture, the certain and only judge in controversies of religion, and wherein indeed they could say nothing at all; but gave them a most large scope of all Doctors of the Church, who had written for the space of six hundred years after Christ being here on earth, and of all Councils kept in the same continuance of time. Out of the which Doctors and Councils, (for that the said Bishop had avouched, that the best learned of all the adversaries, or all the adversaries together, were able to bring nothing to any purpose from them,) he set all the adversaries, learned and unlearned, a work by common conference, to devise to say something for themselves, and against him.

Editorial Notes

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Source: John Strype, The Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, the First Archbishop of Canterbury in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1821), Vol. I. Enhanced reading edition: section headings, Latin translations, verified internal links, and editorial notes added per the AnglicanWiki Editorial Guidelines for Historical Texts. Strype's text faithfully transcribed from the Google Books scan; spelling and substance as in the original.