Parliament, interesting all equally therein, that hereafter none should accuse him of this act, but first they must condemn themselves. However, after-ages take the boldness to conceive, that the greatest guilt of Anna Boleyn was king Henry's better fancying of another, which made him, the next day after her death, to mourn so passionately for her in the embraces of a new and beautiful bride, the lady Jane Seymour.

26. The Convocation buxom to please the King in all Things. But, to return to the Convocation: That instrument of divorce was no sooner tendered therein, but all subscribed it; the Papists willingly, the Protestants faintly, but all publicly. Yea, in this Convocation nothing was propounded in the king's name but it passed presently. O, the operation of the purge of a premunire, so lately taken by the clergy, and a hundred thousand pounds paid thereupon! How did the remembrance thereof still work on their spirits, and made them meek and mortified! They knew the temper of the king, and had read the text, "The lion hath roared, who will not fear ?" Amos iii. 8. Gardiner the fox durst not so much as bark to oppose the king, nor the proudest in the place. As for Edmund Bonner, archdeacon of Leicester, present and active in this Convocation, I may say, Bonner was no Bonner yet, but a perfect Cromwellist, and as forward as any to promote his designs.

27. A Catalogue of erroneous Opinions complained of in the Convocation.

On the Friday following, July 23rd, Mr. Gwent the Prolocutor brought to the Upper House of Convocation, a book containing the mala dogmata, those " erroneous doctrines," then (as he complained) publicly preached, printed, and professed; requesting reformation thereof, that order might be taken against the future propagation of such dangerous positions. Behold them here transcribed out of the record, partly for novelty's sake, because to my knowledge never printed before; and partly because, though many wild and distempered expressions be found therein, yet they contain the protestant religion in ore, which since, by God's blessing, is happily refined.

28. Erroneous Opinions (as then accounted) complained of in the Convocation.

"The Protestation of the clergy of the Lower House, within the province of Canterbury, with declaration of the faults and abuses which heretofore have, and now be within the same, worthy special reformation:

"In very humble and reverent manner, with protestation, that we the clergy of the Lower House within the province of Canterbury, neither in word, deed, or otherwise, directly, or indirectly, intend any thing, to speak, attempt, or do, which, in any manner of wise may be displeasant unto the king's Highness, our most dread sovereign lord, and supreme head of the church of England; but in all things, according to the command of God, to be most obedient to his Grace, to whom accordingly we submit ourselves, minding in nowise, by any colourable fashion, to recognise privily or apertly the bishop of Rome, or his usurped authority, or in anywise to bring in, defend, or maintain the same, into this noble realm, or dominions of the same but that the same bishop of Rome, with his usurped authority, utterly for ever with his inventions, rites, abuses, ordinances, and fashions, to be renounced, forsaken, extinguished, and abolished; and that we sincerely addict ourselves to Almighty God, his laws, and unto our said sovereign lord the king, our supreme head in earth, and his laws, statutes, provisions, and ordinances made here within his Grace's realm. We think, in our consciences and opinions, these errors and abuses following to have been, and now to be, within this realm, causes of dissension, worthy special reformation. It is to wit,

"1. That it is commonly preached, taught, and spoken, to the slander of this noble realm, disquietness of the people, damage of Christian souls, not without fear of many other inconveniences and perils, that the sacrament of the altar is not to be esteemed.

For

divers light and lewd persons be not ashamed or afraid to say, Why should I see the sacring of the high mass? Is it any thing else but a piece of bread, or a little predie round robin?'

"2. Item, That they deny extreme unction to be any sacrament. "3. Item, That priests have no more authority to minister sacraments than the laymen have.

"4. Item, That children ought not in anywise to be confirmed of the bishops afore they come to the age of discretion.

5. Item, That all ceremonies accustomed in the church, which are not clearly expressed in Scripture, must be taken away, because they are men's inventions.

"6. Item, That all those are antichrists that do deny the laymen the sacrament of the altar, sub utrâque specie.

"7. Item, That all that be present at mass, and do not receive the sacrament with the priest, are not partakers of the said mass.

"8. Item, That it is preached and taught, that the church that is commonly taken for the church, is the old synagogue; and that ✓ the church is the congregation of good men only.

"9. Item, It is preached against the Litany, and also said, that

it was never merry in England, since the Litany was ordained, and Sancta Maria, Sancta Catharina, &c. sung and said.

"10. Item, That a man hath no free will.

“11. Item, That God never gave grace nor knowledge of holy Scripture to any great estate or rich man, and that they in no wise follow the same.

“12. Item, That all religions and professions, whatsoever they be, are clean contrary to Christ's religion.

"13. Item, That it be preached and taught, that all things ought to be common, and that priests should have wives.

“14. Item, That preachers will in no wise conform themselves ad ecclesiam catholicam; nor admit or receive canonicos et probatos authores; but will have their own fancies and inventions preached and set forward.

"15. Item, That images of saints are not in any wise to be reverenced; and, that it is plain idolatry and abomination to set up any lights before any images, or in any place of the church the time of divine service, as long as the sun giveth light.

“16. Item, That it is idolatry to make any oblations.

"17. Item, That it is as lawful to christen a child in a tub of water at home, or in a ditch by the way, as in a font-stone in the church. "18. Item, That the water in the font-stone is alonely a thing conjured.

"19. Item, That the hallowed oil is no better than the bishop of Rome's grease or butter.

"20. Item, That priests' crowns be the whore's marks of Babylon.

“21. Item, That the stole about the priest's neck is nothing else but the bishop of Rome's rope.

"22. Item, That images, as well of the crucifix as of other saints, are to be put out of the church, and the relics of saints in no wise to be reverenced; and that it is against God's commandment, that Christian men should make courtesy or reverence to the image of our Saviour.

"23. Item, That it is no sin or offence to eat white meats, eggs, butter, cheese, or flesh in the Lent, or other fasting-days commanded by the church, and received by consent of Christian people.

"24. Item, That it is lawful to eat flesh on Good-Friday, as upon Easter-day, or other times in the year.

"25. Item, That the sinner offending in the Lent, or other high feasts of the year, is worthy no more punishment than he that transgresseth in any other time.

26. Item, That confession auricular, absolution, and penance, are neither necessary nor profitable in the church of God.

"27. Item, That auricular confession is only invented and ordained to have the secret knowledge of men's hearts, and to pull money out of their purses.

"28. Item, That the ghostly father cannot give or enjoin any penance at all.

“29. Item, That it is sufficient for a man or woman to make their confession to God alone.

"30. Item, That it is as lawful at all times to confess to a layman as to a priest.

"31. Item, That confession is but a whispering in a priest's ear, and is as well to be made, a multitude being present, as secretly. "32. Item, That it is sufficient that the sinner do say, I know myself a sinner.'

33. Item, That bishops' ordinaries and ecclesiastical judges have no authority to give any sentence of excommunication or censure; nor yet to absolve or loose any man from the same.

"34. Item, That it is not necessary or profitable to have any church or chapel to pray in, or to do any Divine service in.

"35. Item, That the church was made for no other purpose, but other to keep the people from wind and rain, other else that the people upon Sundays and holy-days should resort thither to have the word of God declared unto them.

“36. Item, That buryings in churches and churchyards be unprofitable and vain.

"37. Item, That the rich and costly ornaments in the church are rather high displeasure than pleasure or honour to God.

"38. Item, That it is pity that ever the mass, matins, evensong, or any other Divine service was made, or suffered to be read, said, or sung within any church, because it is only to the deluding of the people,

"39. Item, That saints are not to be invocated or honoured;

and that they understand not, nor know nothing of our petitions, nor can be mediators or intercessors betwixt us and God.

"40. Item, That our Lady was no better than another woman, and like a bag of pepper or saffron when the spice is out; and that she can do no more with Christ than another sinful woman.

"41. Item, That it is as much available to pray unto saints, as to hurl a stone against the wind; and that the saints have no more power to help a man, than a man's wife hath to help her husband.

"42. Item, That dirge, commendations, mass, suffrages, prayers, alms-deeds, or oblations, done for the souls of them that be departed out of this world, be but vain and of no profit.

43. Item, That the souls departed go straight to heaven, other

to hell.

“44. Item, That there is no mean place between heaven and hell, wherein souls departed may be afflicted.

"45. Item, That if there be a place where they be punished, God is not yet born, nor He that shall redeem the world.

"46. Item, That prayers, suffrages, fasting, or alms-deeds do not help to take away any sin.

"47. Item, That there is no distinction of sins after this sort,sin to be venial and sin to be mortal.

"48. Item, That all sins, after that the sinner be once converted, are made by the merits of Christ's passion venial sins; that is to say, sins clean forgiven.'

"49. Item, That Almighty God doth not look for, nor yet require, of a sinner after his conversion from sin, any fasting, almsdeed, or any other penance; but only that the sinner be sorry for his sins, amending his life, and sinning no more.

"50. Item, That hallowed water, hallowed bread, hallowed candles, hallowed ashes, hallowed palm, and such like ceremonies of the church, are of none effect, and to be taken as trifles and vanities to seduce the people.

"51. Item, That holy-days ordained and instituted by the church are not to be observed and kept in reverence, inasmuch as all days and times be like; and that servile works, as ploughing and carting, may be done in the same, without any offence at all, as in other ferial days.

"52. Item, That the singing or saying of mass, matins, or evensong, is but a roaring, howling, whistling, mumming, tomring, and juggling; and the playing at the organs a foolish vanity.

53. Item, That pilgrimage, fasting, alms-deeds, and such like, are not to be used; and that a man is not bound to the church, but only to the preaching.

"54. Item, That it is sufficient and enough to believe, though a man do no good works at all.

"55. Item, That men be not content to preach of certain abuses found in pilgrimages, in fasting, in prayer, in invocation of saints, in reverencing of images, in alms-deeds; but they will have needs the thing self taken away, and not enough the abuses to be reformed.

"56. Item, That by preaching the people have been brought in opinion and belief, that nothing is to be believed, except it can be proved expressly by Scripture.

“57. Item, That it is preached and taught, that, forasmuch as Christ hath shed his blood for us and redeemed us, we need not do any thing at all but to believe and repent, if we have offended.

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58. Item, That there is of late a new Confiteor made after this form, Confiteor Deo cœli et terræ, peccavi nimis cogitatione,