66 66 godlie matrone; his house and houshold, another "church, in which was exercised all godlinesse and ❝ vertue. No one person being in his house, which "did not from time to time, giue an account of his "faith and religion, and also did liue accordinglie: " and as he had a care for the good successe in religion, so had he also for the direction of the gouern"ment in ecclesiasticall causes: and bicause he was "not skilfull therein, neither would be hindered from "his godlie studies, and be incombred with such "worldlie matters, which neuerthelesse he would "haue be doone in all vprightnes, iustice, and equitie, "he sent to Oxford for a learned man, to be his Chan"cellor, and by the ministerie of the writer hereof, "he procured and obteined one Maister Robert "Weston, Doctor of the ciuill lawe, and afterwards "Lord Chancellor of Ireland,' vnto whom he com"mitted his consistorie, and the whole charge of his "ecclesiasticall iurisdiction; allowing vnto him, not "onelie all the fees therevnto apperteining, but also lodged and found him, his wife, familie, horse, and 66 man, within his owne house, and gaue him a yeerelie pension of xl. pound. And surelie the Bishop was "no more godlie and carefull of his part, concerning preaching, but this man also was as diligent and "seuere in dooing of his office, without reproch of being affectionated or corrupted. And notwith"standing this good man, now a blamelesse Bishop, "and liued most godlie and vertuous, yet the com 66 66 66 66 Dr. Weston's name does not occur in Le Neve's History of Chancellors. 66 66 "mon people, whose old bottels would receiue no new wine, could not brooke nor digest him, for no "other cause, but bicause he was a preacher of the Gospell, an enimie to papistrie, and a married 66 man. Manie deuises were accompted against him, "for his confusion; sometimes by false suggestions, "sometimes by open railings, and false libelles; "sometimes by secret backbitings; and in the end practised his death by impoisoning, but by the pro"uidence of God, the snares were broken and he "deliuered."" 66 Whilst Coverdale was thus attentive to the duties of his sacred character, he still found time for other occupations also. He attended every day regularly in the House of Lords, during the session of parliament. The first meeting of parliament, after his accession to the episcopal bench, was on the 23rd of January, 1552, and it continued sitting until the 15th of April, when it was dissolved. He was only absent two days during the whole time. A new parliament was summoned, and opened on the 1st of March, 1553, and dissolved on the 31st of the same month. Coverdale attended every day, with the exception of one only. This was the last parliament in Edward's reign. Coverdale did not long enjoy his bishoprick; for in 1553, king Edward died, and Mary coming to the throne, the religion was again changed, and those Catal. Bps. Exon. (Lond. 1584.) s Lords' Journals. Lords' Journals. 154 MEMORIALS OF MYLES COVERDALE. who had been deprived in the late reign were reinstated. Coverdale was turned out of the see of Exeter, and Veyzy restored; because, as it was said, he had before resigned only out of fear." 26 Reg. Eccl. Cant. quoted in reinstated 28th September, 1553. Stry. Cranm. p. 310.-Veyzy was CHAPTER XI. ACCESSION OF QUEEN MARY. COVERDALE DEPRIVED OF HIS TERPOSITION OF HIS BISHOPRICK-AND SUMMONED BEFORE THE COUNCIL.- INTHE KING OF DENMARK IN HIS FAVOUR. LETTERS ON THE SUBJECT. COVERDALE, AFTER MUCH DELAY, PERMITTED ΤΟ DEPART INTO DENMARK FROM WHENCE HE PROCEEDS INTO GERMANY. IS REIN IN HIS FORMER BENEFICE AT BERGZABERN. AFTERWARDS JOINS THE CONGREGATION AT GENEVA. a POLYDORE VIRGIL tells us that on the accession of Queen Mary, all ecclesiastics who were married and would not put away their wives, or who were at all opposed to papistical doctrines, were indiscriminately thrust out from their places. Some were clapped up in prison, under the pretence of preaching without licence, or of owing the queen for first-fruits, or tenths, or of using king Edward's service book, &c.; so that the prisons in London were full of them.' On the 22nd of August, a letter was sent to Coverdale for his undelayed repair to the court, then being at a Page iii. ed. 1570, copied verbatim in Godw. Ann. p. iii. ed. 1616. Richmond, and there to attend the council's pleasure. On the 31st, Coverdale appeared in obedience to this summons, and on the 1st of September he was directed to wait the council's further pleasure." It would not appear that Coverdale was committed to prison at all; or if he was, it was only for a short time, as Fox intimates that in April, 1554, he was about on sureties." Probably the council could get nothing to allege against him, except his difference of opinion on religious matters; and they had not then determined on the plan of persecution, which they afterwards adopted. But his danger on this account, was not the less imminent, the moment it should please his enemies to attack him. A public disputation on certain articles of belief had been held at Oxford, in which Cranmer, and Latimer, and Ridley had been the champions for the reformers; but so little of fair play had been shown to them, that the rest of the imprisoned divines made a protestation against submitting to a disputation at the universities, except on certain conditions: because, as they alleged, among other things, "Some "of them having been in prison these eight or nine months, where they had no books, no paper, no pens, no ink, or convenient place for study, they thought they should do evil thus suddenly to de"scend into disputation." They however drew up a declaration of their belief to accompany the protesta 66 66 66 c Minutes of Privy Counc. MSS. Cecil. vol. i. p. 177-8. Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. iii. p. 181. |