CHAPTER XII.

1552.

Designs against church property-Cecil cautions Cranmer on the subject-Cranmer defends himself against the implication of being rich, in answer to Cecil-Hints to the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, also his lack of wealth-The forty-two Articles of Religion-The Catechism accompanying them-The Articles not Calvinistic.

WHILE the young sovereign was making an excursion, and the archbishop was resident at Croydon, in the summer of 1552, the enemies of the latter are believed to have been active in malicious designs, both against himself and others of his order. The prelates, it was pretended, were extremely rich, avaricious, inhospitable, careful only for themselves and their posterity. To these reports the secretary Cecil had listened. Of church property himself had already received some grants. Others, more greedy perhaps of ecclesias

1

Henry Wharton charges Cecil with very rapacious proceedings of this kind in the reign of Elizabeth. Notes on Strype's Life of Cranmer, folio edit. p. 261. Against such charges Dr. Nares, in his extensive and truly valuable Memoirs of him, defends this great statesman. Vol. i. 384.

tical prey, he knew. He affected, therefore, to caution the archbishop in the words of St. Paul, that they, who will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare. Cranmer, in the following answer to him, invalidated the reports, not without glancing at the plunder that had already been allowed.

3

"After my most hearty commendations and thanks as well for your 2 genteel letters, as for the Pacification, and for your good remembrance of the two matters which I desired you not to forget, the one concerning the bishop of Cologne's letters, and the other 5 Mr. Mowse; for whom eftsoons I give you my most hearty

thanks.

"As for your admonition, I take it most thankfully, as I have ever been most glad to be admonished by my friends, accounting no man so foolish as he that will not hear friendly admonishments. But as for the saying of St. Paul, Qui volunt ditescere, incidunt in tentationem, I fear it not half so much as I do stark beggary. For I took not half so much care for my living, when I was a scholar of Cambridge, as I do at this pre

1

1 Strype, Append. No. 67.

? See before, vol. i. p. 250. The conditions offered to Maurice by the emperor Charles, and accepted. See before, p. 279.

Herman. See before, p. 180.

• Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1552, a man of learning, but not of steady religious principles. Strype, Life of Cranm. B. 3. ch. 23.

sent. For although I have now much more revenue, yet I have much more to do withal; and have more care to live now as an archbishop, than I had at that time to live like a scholar. I have not so much as I had within ten years past by one hundred and fifty pounds of certain rent, beside casualties. I pay double for every thing that I buy. If a good auditor have this account, he shall find no great surplusage to wax rich upon. And if I knew any bishop that was covetous, I would surely admonish him; but I know none but all beggars, except it be 1 one, and yet I dare well say, he is not very rich. If you know any, I beseech you to advertise me, for peradventure I may advise him better than you.

2

1

"To be short, I am not so doted to set my mind upon things here, which neither I can carry away with me, nor tarry long with them. If time would have served, I would have written of

1 Strype thinks this one to have been Holgate, archbishop of York. His riches are said to have been seized by Mary, and himself to have been committed in her reign to the Tower. He still possessed, however, sufficient wealth to endow three freeschools: one at York, one at Old Malton, and another at Hemsworth, in the county of York. 1556.

Drake's York, 453.

He died in retirement in

2 Cranmer knew of the numerous estates which Holgate had been forced to surrender, as he himself had been of many that belonged to the see of Canterbury to Henry. Strype gives a list of those transferred by Cranmer, Drake of those by Holgate.

other things unto you; but your servant making haste compelleth me here to cut the thread, beseeching Almighty God to preserve the king's Majesty with all his Council and family, and send him well to return from his progress. From my Manor of Croydon, the xxi. of July, [1552.]

"Your own ever,

"T. CANTUAR.”

It was probably in the preceding month of this year, that to the master of the college in which he had been educated he acknowledges with pleasantry, what to Cecil he explains with spirit, his lack of wealth. We have before repeatedly witnessed him in pecuniary difficulty. He scruples not again thus to confess it.

1

"In my right hearty wise I commend me unto you, and so certify you that I send you here a buck to be bestowed among your company within your college. And forasmuch as you have more store of money, and also less need, than I at this season; therefore I bequeath a noble of your purse towards the baking and seasoning of him. And whensoever I have so much money before hand, as I am now behind hand, I shall repay you your noble again. And thus fare you well.

1 See vol. i. pp. 99, 148.

* Harl. MSS. No. 6148.

From my Manor of Croydon, the xxvj. day of June."

1

The design of Cranmer to promote uniformity among the clergy had now been deliberately carried on; and to this purpose were framed the forty-two Articles of Religion. In the month of May, 1552, the first copy of them was laid before the Privy Council, by whom, in the preceding year, Cranmer was empowered to compose the formulary. We have before noticed him intent upon such a plan. It has been said, that "when interrogated on this very point by his relentless persecutors, not long before his death, he unequivocally avowed himself to have been the author of these articles. It has nevertheless been usually conceived, that he derived much assistance from Ridley, who, as far as the paucity of his writings enables us to judge, seems to have no less excelled in perspicuity than in solidity of argument, in manliness of conception than in energy of expression. Latimer likewise has been

1 Strype.

2

2

Laurence, Serm. p. 29, and notes, p. 215, where Foxe's authority is cited, "As for the Catechism, the book of Articles, with the other book against Winchester, &c. he (Cranmer) granted the same to be his doings." Cranmer's own words, however, are "Quoad Catechismum et Articulos in eodem fatetur se adhibuisse ejus consilium circa editionem ejusdem." Proc. MSS. Lambeth, No. 1136.