CHAPTER V.

1

1549.

The Answers of the Archbishop to the fifteen Articles of the Devonshire rebels.

WHEN I first read your requests, O ignorant men of Devonshire and Cornwall, straightway came to my mind a request, which James and John made unto Christ; to whom Christ answered, You ask you wot not what. Even so thought I of you as soon as ever I heard your Articles, that you were deceived by some crafty papist, which devised those Articles for you, to make you ask you wist not what.

As for the devisers of your Articles, if they understand them, I may not call them ignorant persons, but, as they be indeed, most rank papists, and wilful traitors and adversaries both to God and our sovereign lord the king, and to the whole realm. . But I cannot be persuaded so to think of you, that in your hearts willingly you be papists and traitors; but that those that be

1 From the MSS. C.C.C. Camb. Strype. Append. No. xl.

such have craftily seduced you, being simple and unlearned people, to ask you wot not what.

Wherefore my duty unto God, and the pity that I have of your ignorance, move me now at this time to open plainly and particularly your own Articles unto you, that you may understand them, and no longer be deceived.

In your first Article you require, that all the general councils and holy decrees of our forefathers may be observed and kept, and whosoever shall gainsay them to be holden as heretics.

This you all ask, but what you ask I dare say very few, or none of you understand. For how many of you, I pray you, do know certainly which be called the 'general councils, and holy decrees of the Fathers, and what is in them contained? The holy decrees, as they call them, be nothing else but the laws and ordinances of the bishop of Rome. Whereof the most part be made for his own advancement, glory, and lucre; and to make him and his clergy governors of the whole world; and to be exempted from all princes' laws, and to do what they list. And would you ask, if you knew what you asked, that we should put away the laws of our own realm, and be governed by the bishop of Rome's laws? If you mean this, then be ye traitors to the king,

1 See the archbishop's speech upon the subject of general councils, vol. i. p, 120, seq.

and enemies to your own realm. And if you mean it not, consider what persons they be, and how they have deceived you, that make you ask you wot not what.

And as for the general councils, you say you will have them all kept: but you be not so destitute of all reason, that you would have spoken such words, if you had known what you had said. For a greater number of councils repugn one against another. How should they then be all kept, when one is contrary to another, and the keeping of one is the breaking of another? And among your own Articles you say, you will have divers things observed, which be not only contrary to the general councils, but also contrary to the laws of this realm, and also to God's laws, as it shall be plainly declared, when we come to the Articles.

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And all reason is contrary that you should have asked such things, if you had known what had asked. I have this opinion of the greater number of you, that you would fain walk in the right way, if you could find it. And forasmuch as I perceive, that wicked and false guides, under pretence to bring you to the high way, have brought you clean out of it, my good will shall be, seeing you so far wandering out of the way, and so blind-folded with ill persuasions that you cannot see where you go, to open your eyes that you may see, and to set you again into the right

way. And when your eyes be so opened that you may see, and the right way be shewed unto you wherein you should walk; then if you will still wink, and not see, and run headlong into error, and not come to the right way, you may no longer be called simple and ignorant people, but perverse, froward, and wicked papists and traitors, enemies to God and your own realm.

But now I will come to your Articles, particularly opening every one of them by himself, that you may see the bowels thereof, and what is contained in the same; that when you shall understand the whole, you may judge whether you knew before what you asked, or you were deceived by subtil and wily papistical traitors.

I. Your FIRST ARTICLE is this. We will have all the general councils and holy decrees of our forefathers observed, kept, and performed: and whosoever shall gainsay them, we hold them as heretics.

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First, to begin with the manner of your phrase. Is this the fashion of subjects to speak unto their prince; we will have? Was this manner of speech any time used of the subjects to their prince, since the beginning of the world? Have not all true subjects ever used to their sovereign lord this form of speaking, Most humbly beseecheth your faithful and obedient subjects? Although the papists have abused your ignorance in propounding such Articles, which you understand not, yet you should not have suffered yourselves so much

to be led by the nose, and bridled by them, that you should clearly forget your duty of allegiance unto your sovereign lord, saying unto him, This we will have; and saying that with armour upon your backs and swords in your hands. Would any of you, that be householders, be content, that your servants should come upon you with harness unto their backs, and swords in their hands, and say unto you, This we will have? If then you would abhor and detest this in your servants towards yourselves, how can you allow your fact? With what conscience can you, being but subjects, do to your king that thing, which you would condemn in your servants towards yourselves? But answer me this, Be you subjects or no? If you be subjects, then I admonish you, as St. Paul taught Titus, saying, "Warn them to be subject to princes, and rulers, obeying them at a word." But tell me again, Pertaineth this to subjection and obedience to say, This we will have? St. Peter saith, "Be subject unto kings, as unto chief heads, and to other rulers sent by them. For so is the will of God." God's will is, that you should be ruled by your princes. But whether this is to be ruled by your king, or to rule your king, to say, Thus we will have the realm governed? Your servants be by the Scripture commanded, as they fear God, to be obedient to their masters, whether their masters be good or eyil. And can you think it meet and lawful for