Life of Matthew Parker (Strype, 1821)/Book II/Chapter XXVI
This is the enhanced reading edition of Chapter XXVI, 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.
The state of the Church in the north parts. And particularly of Rachdale, Whalley, and Blackburn, in Lancashire, belonging to the Archbishop. At Rachdale he founds a freeschool. The state of the Church of Canterbury. The certificate thereof sent to the Archbishop. The Bishops of London and Peterborough go out Doctors.
The State of the North
ABOUT this time, or perhaps the year before, the Archbishop of York seemed to have visited his province, as our Archbishop had his. The noise out of the north parts, Pilkinton, Bishop of Durham, sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury; making complaint how sadly things there in those quarters were out of sorts. As that the Bishop of Chester's diocese was not visited by the Archbishop of York, who had compounded with the Bishop for it.[ed 1] Nor did that Bishop visit himself, but only gathered the visitation or procuration money by his servants; pretending for his neglect, that he would not put the country to charge. That the Bishop of Man was jolly, and lived at ease out of his diocese. That as for the north parts of Lancashire, the Priests were very negligent in the service, and often said none at all: and that the Archbishop of Canterbury's own towns and parishes there, namely, Whalley and Blackburn, were very sorrily supplied; the Vicar of one had resigned for a pension, and in the other a Popish schoolmaster had settled. Rachdale indeed was somewhat better provided by means of a Curate there; who seems to have been one Gargreve; for whom to be preferred to be Vicar there, the said Bishop of Durham made request.
The Bishop of Durham's Letter
But take his relation of the state of those parts as he wrote it to the Archbishop.
"It is to be lamented to see and hear how negligently they say any service, and how seldom. I have heard of a commission for ecclesiastical matters, directed to my Lord of York, &c. But because I know not the truth of it, I meddle not. Your cures all, except Rachdale, be as far out of order as the worst in all the country. The old Vicar of Blackbourn resigned for a pension, and now liveth with Sir John Biron. Whalley hath as ill a Vicar as the worst. And there is one come thither that hath been deprived or changed his name, and now teacheth school there; of evil to make them worse. If your Grace's officers lust, they might amend many things. I speak this for the amendment of the country, and that your Grace's parishes might be better spoken of and ordered. If your Grace would, either yourself or by my Lord of York, amend these things, it were very easy. One little examination or commandment to the contrary would take away all these and more.
"The Bishop of Man liveth here at ease, and as merry as Pope Joan. The Bishop of Chester hath compounded with my Lord of York for his visitation, and gathereth up the money by his servants; but never a word spoken of any visitation or reformation. And that, he saith, he doth of friendship, because he will not trouble the country, nor put them to charge in calling them together.
"I beseech you, be not weary of well-doing, but with authority and counsel help to amend that is amiss. Thus after commendations I am bold boldly to write, wishing good to my country, and furtherance of God's glory. God be merciful to us, and grant, ut liberè currat Evangelium. (That the Gospel may run freely.) Vale in Christo. (Farewell in Christ.) Cras profecturus Dunelmum, volente Deo. (To-morrow I am to set out for Durham, God willing.) Tuus Ja. Δυνελμεν.[ed 2]"
A Free School Founded at Rachdale
Now we are fallen upon the mention of these places in Lancashire belonging to our Archbishop, I will subjoin something relating hereunto. These three rectories of Blackburn, Rachdale, and Whalley, came into the archbishopric by Archbishop Cranmer's exchange with King Henry the VIIIth, and Edward the VIth, formerly appropriated to the Abbey of Whalley.[ed 3] The rectory of Rachdale was let to a farmer with this condition among others, that the Vicar should be paid by him forty marks per annum;[ed 4] and to pay certain pensions to the Ministers that served the chapels of the said rectories. But the farmer for some years paid not these pensions; whence the poor Ministers were drawn to great exigence. Whereupon Archbishop Parker went to law with him, and would have taken from him the possession of the rectory by forfeiture for non-payment of these rents: meaning, if he should have the better, to have paid the Ministers their arrears, and enlarged their stipend for the future. It proved a long suit and very expensive. At last the farmer, Sir John Biram,[ed 5] fearing to lose the rectory, came to his prayers and entreaties, and begged the Archbishop that he would forbear any further to prosecute the law, and he would leave the matter wholly to his Grace's decision and will. Hereupon the Archbishop pondering in his mind how many families that parish contained, and consulting for the good of the whole county of Lancaster, he promised to release the farmer of all fears of losing the rectory, if he, besides the yearly rent, would give seventeen pounds yearly for the finding of a master and an under-master for the teaching of children in a free grammar school, that should be founded in the said town of Rachdale.
Which condition the farmer readily agreed to during his lease. Afterwards, for the continuance of this school for ever, the Archbishop by his own ratification, and the concurrence of the Chapter of Canterbury, tied the sum of seventeen pounds per annum for maintenance of the said school, to be paid for ever out of the rectory. And it was his will, that the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi college in Cambridge should be overseers of the same school, and electors of the schoolmaster, in case he, or any succeeding Archbishop of Canterbury, happened not to do it; as appeareth by an indenture tripartite, bearing date Jan. 1. an. Regin. 7.[ed 6] Which he caused to be made; and one of the copies he left to the Master and Fellows of the said College, to be kept among their other monuments belonging to their house.[ed 7]
If the Archbishop for the time being presented not a schoolmaster in three months after a vacancy, then the Master of the college, or in his absence the President, was within two months to nominate and present two able scholars, and offer them to the Archbishop, to choose one for the schoolmaster of the said school. And let me occasionally add what I read in a late book, that another Archbishop (viz. Juxon) augmented still more Rachdale vicarage with 42l. per annum.[ed 8][1] And the vicarage of Blackburn by 70l. per annum, beyond the old pension of 26l. 13s. 4d. And made Whalley 120l. per annum.
The State of the Church of Canterbury
It was mentioned above, how that in January last, upon the Queen's letters to our Archbishop for establishing the uniformity, he had required of every Bishop a certificate to be sent him up concerning their respective Clergy's manners and behaviours, their doctrine, and conformity to the rites and ceremonies of the Church. He also sent his letters to his own cathedral church for that purpose. And this was the certificate made to the Archbishop's Commissary thereupon.
The Certificate
"Christ's Church, Cant.[ed 9] The certificate of the Vice-Dean of the cathedral and metropolitical church of Christ in Canterbury, and the Prebendaries of the same church here present. After due consultation had upon the copy of a letter directed from the most reverend Father in God, Matthew, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, unto you his Grace's Commissary, containing the Queen's Highness pleasure and commandment for special regard to be had to the Clergy within the province, for their conformity in doctrine, and uniformity in rites and ceremonies of the Church, and for their private manners, usages, and behaviour, according to the tenor of the said letters; we do make our certificate for the state of our Church touching the premises in manner and form following.
"First, we do certify, that there is no doctrine taught or defended by us, or any of us, nor by any preacher of our church to our knowledge, other than that which is approved by the word of God, and set forth within this realm by public authority.
"The Common Prayer daily through the year, though there be no Communion, is sung at the communion table, standing north and south, where the high altar did stand.
"The Minister, when there is no Communion, useth a surplice only, standing on the east side of the table with his face toward the people.
"The holy Communion is ministered ordinarily the first Sunday of every month through the year. At what time the table is set east and west. The Priest which ministereth, the Pystoler and Gospeler,[ed 10] at that time wear copes. And none are suffered then to tarry within that chancel but the communicants.
"For the ministering of the Communion we use bread † appointed by the Queen's Highness Injunctions.[2][ed 11]
"The evening prayer in winter is between three and four; in summer between four and five of the clock in the afternoon. At which prayers Mr. Dean, when he is here, and every of the Prebendaries, are present every day once at the least, appareled, in the choir. And when they preach, with surplice and silk hoods.
"The preachers, being at home, come to the Common Prayer on Sundays and holydays, wearing surplices and hoods.
"The Petty Canons, the Lay Clerks, and Choristers, wear surplices in the choir daily.
"The schoolmaster for grammer,[ed 12] the usher, and the Queen's Highness scholars, come to the choir on Sundays and holydays in surplices.
"Thirdly, we certify, that touching the manners, usages, and behaviours for ourselves, for the preachers, and other inferior Ministers within our church, we know none that liveth unorderly, or to use himself otherwise than is by order prescribed and permitted by the Queen's Highness Injunctions.
"Thomas Willoughby, Thomas Beacon,
"William Darrel, Theodore Newton,
"Johannes Butler, Henry Goodrick,
"Andrew Peerson."
Two Bishops Created Doctors
This year did Grindal Bishop of London, and Skamler Bishop of Peterborough, go out Doctors of Divinity per gratiam,[ed 13] in the University of Cambridge.
END OF BOOK II.
Notes
Editorial Notes
- ↑ James Pilkington, the first Protestant Bishop of Durham (1561–1576); Thomas Young, Archbishop of York (1561–1568); William Downham, Bishop of Chester (1561–1577).
- ↑ "Thy James of Durham": the Greek word Δυνελμεν is Pilkington's signature, "of Durham," as Bishop of Durham.
- ↑ The rectories had been appropriated to Whalley Abbey before the Dissolution; they passed to the see of Canterbury through Cranmer's exchanges with Henry VIII and Edward VI.
- ↑ Forty marks = £26 13s. 4d. (a mark was 13s. 4d.).
- ↑ Spelt "Biram" here and "Biron" in Pilkinton's letter above; both forms are as printed.
- ↑ "In the 7th year of the Queen's reign": 1564–1565.
- ↑ Parker had himself been Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (1544–1553), and later its great benefactor.
- ↑ £42 per year. William Juxon, Archbishop of Canterbury 1660–1663. Strype cites "a late book" — White Kennett's Case of Impropriations (1704).
- ↑ Christ Church, Canterbury: the cathedral and metropolitical church. The certificate is from the Vice-Dean and Prebendaries, signed at the end.
- ↑ "Pystoler" as printed; the Epistoler, who read the Epistle, and the Gospeller, who read the Gospel.
- ↑ The wafers ("singing cakes") formerly used at private Masses.
- ↑ "Grammer" as printed.
- ↑ "By favour": by special dispensation, not by disputations. Edmund Grindal, Bishop of London (later Archbishop of Canterbury); Edmund Scambler (here "Skamler"), Bishop of Peterborough.
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.