which must be united in our justification; and though they are all imperfect, yet God through Christ accepts them freely.

IX. Good Works, not merely outward corporal works, but inward spiritual works, works flowing from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned, are considered meritorious towards the attainment of everlasting life. For "though of ourselves unworthy, imperfect, and insufficient, yet forasmuch as they are done in the faith of Christ, and by the virtue and merits of his passion, their imperfectness is supplied, and they are the very service of God."

X. The Prayer for souls departed is much the same as in the Articles of 1536, and in the Institution.

The tenets of Romanism that exist both in the Erudition and the Institution were in the reign of Edward, 'under the exercise of an unfettered liberty of judgment afforded by the fortunate circumstances of that reign, discarded, as erroneous; while doctrinal articles, in both the formularies, not differing materially, in nothing perhaps beyond a difference of terms, from the subsequent formularies of our Church that now are authorized, were retained. Hence the innumerable appeals of our most learned divines to these elder

1 Pref. to the Formularies of Faith in the time of Henry VIII. by the Regius Professor of Divinity, at Oxford, (the late bishop Lloyd,) 1825, p. iv.

compilations, as excellent authorities in behalf of Protestantism, so far as they go; hence the Erudition will repeatedly bear a close comparison with the genuine sentiments of Cranmer in the Articles of religion which he compiled in 1552, in the Homilies, and in our Liturgy. With this code of 1543 we shall therefore meet again in the reign of Edward.

CHAPTER XVII.

1543 to 1545.

Visitation of the archbishop in 1543– Presentments both by the Reformed and the Romish party-The archbishop requires the members of his cathedral to attend him at Croydon-Their plot against him-Detected by the kingCranmer's forgiveness of the conspirators-His palace at Canterbury burn, in which his brother-in-law and others perished-Accused in parliament by Sir John GostwickDefended by the king-English prayers and litany-Revision of the ecclesiastical laws intended-Abolition of certain superstitions directed-Cranmer's letter in the king's name-Alienations of church property-Conduct of Cranmer in regard to them.

IN September 1543 the archbishop proceeded to another visitation of his diocese, when presentments were made, of which 'some are curious as exposing the ignorance and prejudices of Romanists, others as marking the progress of the Reformation. From the Six Articles one of his clergy had not scrupled to dissent, in preaching against confession to a priest. Ridley, who had

1

1 Strype gives a long list of these presentments.

1

now been the chaplain of Cranmer about three years, was also charged as having affirmed, that auricular confession was but a mere positive law, and ordained as a godly means for the sinner to come to the priest for counsel, but not to be found in Scripture; as having pronounced some ecclesiastical ceremonies of the time beggarly; and as having caused the Te Deum to be sung commonly in English in the church of which he was the vicar. The brother of the archbishop, who was archdeacon of Canterbury, was presented for an offence of three years standing; that of having removed from a church three tapers that were burning before the altar, and of having destroyed an image. Against another member of the cathedral it was alleged, that he taught the use of prayer in our own tongue; that we mock God and of God are mocked, if we pray in an unknown tongue. On the other hand, there were preachers charged not only with as yet declining to proclaim the regal supremacy, but as wholly disregarding the injunctions that had been issued. Images were still retained as objects of veneration in some of the churches. Holy water was yet proclaimed as efficacious against thunder, lightning, and evil spirits. Some of the adherents to the holy nun of Kent and her absurdities were now also among the men of the old learning.

1 Cranmer agreed with him. See before, p. 306.

One of these was described as thus attacking the reformers. "Beware of these false preachers,"

said he," which preach to you new fangles. Will you know how to discern a true preacher from a false? You have a dog, which is your conscience. Whensoever you shall come to any sermon, ask your dog what he saith to it? If he say it be good, then follow it: but if your dog bark against it, and say it is nought, then beware, and follow it not." This ridiculous orator was one of the six preachers in the cathedral of Canterbury a prebendary too in the same church now affirmed, that images had power to help the sick who made vows to them. Hence the remark of Cranmer to another member of this refractory body, that an image was an 'idol, as certainly it is, when votive offerings, or precatory addresses, are thus made to to it.

Soon after this visitation Cranmer assembled the prebendaries and preachers of his cathedral before him at Croydon, when he rebuked the ignorant, argued with the pertinacious, and exhorted all. But the greater part of them were

1 1 Strype.

9" Imago and idolum," the archbishop said, " was one thing; but the one was the Latin word, the other the Greek." Strype. They who are desirous to read a defence of the alleged identity, may be gratified by the learned Dr. Fulke's Annotations on the Rhemish Testament, i. Joh. v. 21. ed. 1633, and his answer to Gregory Martin's remarks on our English Version of the Scriptures.