fested an approval of his religious policy. Many superstitious individuals, however, were indignant on seeing the churches again purged of objects long venerated, and in some cases, the clergy, to whom exclusively was entrusted the charge of effecting these removals, encountered considerable opposition. Several complaints of such obstructions were laid before the council, and the offenders being summoned to appear, that body dismissed some of them with a reprimand, and committed others to prison until they found security for their good behaviour P.

Bishop Boner was the first individual of note who shewed a disposition to impede the visitors. On the first of September that prelate attended, in obedience to a summons, at St. Paul's, where he took the oaths of abjuration and supremacy; but when he was required to receive the injunctions and homilies he formally protested against such compliance, unless these should appear to be in unison with the law of God, and with the

The enquiries made by the visitors at this cathedral brought to light some scandals which are worthy of notice, because they serve to expose the intolerable evils consequent upon the forced celibacy of the Romish clergy. "One John Painter, one of the canons of the said cathedral church, there and then openly confessed, that he viciously and carnally had often the company of a certain married man's wife, whose name he denied to declare. In the which crime divers other canons and priests of the said church, confessed in like manner, and could not deny themselves to be culpable." Foxe, 1192.

ordinances of the Church. This protestation ȧppears to have been considered as indicative of an intention to set the visitors at defiance, and they complained of it to the council. That body commanded the Bishop's attendance, and he then made some excuse for his conduct at St. Paul's'. What he said not being considered satisfactory, on the 12th of September, he formally retracted his protestation as unadvised, unbecoming of a subject, and likely to do mischief in the way of example. This submission, however, did not content the government, and probably, with a view of intimidating others from offering any obstruction to the visitors, the Bishop was committed to the Fleets. He remained in confinement there only a few weeks, being at liberty again in the middle of November. During the time of his restraint, the English litany was sung at St. Paul's, and at high mass there the epistle and gospel were read in the vernacular tongue.

When Bishop Gardiner perceived, that the visitation was upon the point of being carried into effect, he wrote both to the Protector, and to the council. In his letter to the former he urged the expediency of delay, until the books which it was proposed to circulate should be more carefully considered, or at all events, until, the Scottish expedition being terminated, all the leading men

"Full of vain quiddities; so it is expressed in the council book." Burnet, Hist. Ref. II. 58.

• Foxe, 1192.

Heylin, Hist. Ref. 42.

1

might be enabled to give their undivided attention to the proceedings of the visitors. In his reply, Somerset seems to have mentioned the religious dissensions then prevailing, and to have intimated that had he not been " pressed on both sides," he should have been well contented to let the visitation stand over until after his return from the North". As matters stood, however, he did not choose to place any impediments in the way of those ecclesiastical arrangements which had been ordered before his departure from the seat of government.

To the council Gardiner wrote, representing in earnest language the danger of precipitation; the probability that the contemplated visitation would prove illegal and consequently prejudicial to those who advised it; the gratification likely to be felt by Somerset should the visitors be restrained from beginning their operations until after his return from Scotland; and the expediency of allowing himself to appear before the board for the purpose of detailing there his objections to the proposed measures *. In this desire to be heard, it was resolved to gratify the Bishop, and he repaired to town for the sake of being in readiness to appear when summoned, and with an intention, as it has been thought, to remain at a distance from his cathedral during the visitation

" Extract of a letter from Bp. Gardiner. Strype, Mem. Cranm.

215.

* Ibid.

of the commissioners". He did not, however, leave the country before he had given particular orders to his officers for the reception of the visitors with all due respect; and he advised some of his clergy who consulted him as to the line of conduct fitting for them to pursue, that they should obey the injunctions likely to be given". On the 25th of September he was called before the council from whom he received a patient and courteous hearing. He came provided with a considerable number of books and papers, and his arguments chiefly went to shew, that the homilies, and the paraphrase of Erasmus, were contradictory to each other in point of doctrine. As what he said appeared unsatisfactory, it did not move the council to retract the orders already issued for the circulation of these books; and the Bishop was intreated in conciliatory language not to embarrass the government by an opposition which appeared to rest upon insufficient grounds. He was then required to state plainly his intentions respecting the injunctions, and he was informed that the Protector fully concurred in the propriety of such measures as must be adopted in cases of disobedience. After having deliberated for some time in another room, the Bishop returned to the council-board, and said, that he would receive the injunctions so far as

'Strype, Eccl. Mem. II. 84.

* Ibid.

⚫ Burnet, Hist. Ref. II. 58.

⚫ Bp. Gardiner's letter. Strype. Mem. Cranm. 216.

the laws of God and the King should bind him. This answer being considered evasive, he offered to spend the three weeks, which would elapse before the visitation of his own diocese, at Oxford, and after a disputation there upon the points at issue, to abide by its result. When this offer was refused, he requested leave to reside at his town house for the purpose of discussing there with some divines of eminence the doctrines upon which he disagreed with the council. He was however told, that no farther time would be allowed to him, and that, unless he was then prepared to receive the injunctions unreservedly, he must be committed to custody. Upon this, he said, that such haste was unreasonable, because, notwithstanding his present conviction, he was not ashamed to change his mind upon sufficient cause, and that therefore ultimately his conduct might resemble that of the son in the Gospel, who after refusing to go and work in his father's vineyard, subsequently thought better of it, and went. The prospect offered by these words appears to have somewhat moved the council, and as if inclined to recede from their expressed determination, they now asked the Bishop whether he had uttered to others the opinions which he had avowed before the board respecting the books to be circulated by the royal authority. He ingenuously confessed, that he had; but he added, that it would be an extreme hardship to

c St. Matt. xxi. 29.