His principles had been imbibed by great numbers of the younger ftudents; and his opinions were frequently maintained publickly in the schools. The governing part of the University were, nevertheless, ftill firmly attached to the established religion. Commiffioners having been fent to the Univerfity, agreeable to the request of the Archbishop, and having made their enquiry, they returned with the particulars of it to the Primate, who laid them before the convocation. Long debates enfued thereupon; the refult of which was, that the increase of herefy was particularly owing to the influence of Lord Cobham; who not only avowedly held heretical opinions himfelf, but encouraged fcholars from Oxford, and other places, by bountiful ftipends, to propagate thofe opinions in the country. It was therefore determined by the convocation, that a profecution fhould be immediately commenced against him. A member of the convocation however, more cool and politic than the reft, obferved, that as the Lord Cobham was not only a favourite, but even a domeftic at Court, it would be improper to proceed further in the affair, till they had made application to the King. This advice being approved, the Archbishop, at the head of a large body of dignified Ecclefiaftics, waited upon Henry; and with as much acrimony as decency would permit, laid before him the offence of the Lord Cobham; and in all Humility and Charity begged that his Majefty would fuffer them, for Chriß's fake, to put him to death. To this meek and humane request of the Archbishop, the King replied, that he had ever been averfe from fhedding blood in the caufe of religion; and that he thought fuch violence more deftructive of truth than error, He therefore enjoined the convocation to poftpone the affair a few days; in which time he would himself (he faid) reafon with the Lord Cobham, whose behaviour he by no means approved; and if this were ineffec tual, he would then leave him to the cenfure of the Church ; and with this answer the Archbishop appeared fatisfied. Henry afterwards, agreeable to his promife, fent for the Lord Cobham, and endeavoured, by all the arguments in his power, to fet before him the high offence of feparating from the Church, pathetically exhorting him to retract his errors. But Lord Cobham's religious principles were too deeply rooted in him to be fhaken by the King's arguments; and his love of truth, and his conviction of the importance of religion, were too great for him to facrifice them out of complaifance to his Sovereign. To the reafoning and exhortation of the King, he, therefore, made the following reply. "I ever was (said he) a "dutiful fubject to your Majefty, and I hope ever shall be. "Next to GOD, I profefs obedience to my King. But as for the fpiritual dominion of the Pope, I never could fee or what foundation it is claimed, nor can I pay him any obedi U 2 66 ence "ence. As fure as God's word is true, to me it is fully evi"dent, that he is the great Anti-Chrift foretold in holy writ." This aufwer of Lord Cobham is faid fo exceedingly to have fhocked the King, that he turned from him in vifible difpleafure, and withdrew from that time every mark of his favour from him. He now gave the Archbishop leave to proceed against Lord Cobham with the utmost extremity in the ecclefi attical courts; according to the devilish decrees, (fays Bale) "which they call the laws of holy church." The Archbishop, upon this, immediately cited the Lord Cobham to appear before him on a fixed day; but this highfpirited Nobleman expreffed great contempt for the Archbishop's citation, and would not even fuffer his fummoner to enter his gate. The Archbishop, upon this, caufed the citation to be fixed upon the doors of the cathedral of Rochester, which was only three miles from Cowling-Caftle, the Lord Cobham's feat ; but it was immediately torn from thence by unknown hands. On the 11th of September, which was the day appointed for his appearance, the Primate and his affociates fat in confiftory; and Lord Cobham not appearing, the Archbishop pronounced him contumacious; and accordingly excommunicated him without farther ceremony, and threatening dreadful anathema's, called in the civil power to affist him, agreeable to the late enacted law. Lord Cobham now began to think himself in real danger; for aided as the Clergy now were by the civil power, he knew there would be fcarce a poffibility of warding off the intended blow. However, he had ftill hopes that the King's favour was not abfolutely alienated from him; at least he thought it of importance to make the experiment. He put in writing, therefore, a confeffion of his faith; and with this in his hand he waited upon the King, and begged his Majefty to be the judge himfeif, whether he had deferved the rough treatment he received. In this confeffion he first recited the Apoftle's Creed; and then, by way of explanation, profefied his belief in the Trinity, and acknowledged CHRIST as the only Head of the Church, which he divided into the Bleffed in Heaven, those who are tormented in purgatory, (if, fays he, there is foundation in fcripture for any fuch place,) and the righteous on earth. Speaking of the different claffes in the Chriftian Church, of the Priefs he particularly fays, that they fhould evermore be occupied in preaching and teaching the fcriptures purely, and in giving wholfome counfels of good living to the laity. He further adds, that they should be more modeft, gentle, and lowly in fpirit, than any other people. He then profeffed to believe, that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was contained CHRIST'S body and blood, under the fimilitude of bread and wine. Finally, fays he, my faith is, that Gop will afk no more more of a Chriftian in this life, than to obey the precepts of his bleffed law. If any Prelate of the Church requireth more, or any other kind of obedience, he contemneth CHRIST, exalteth himself above GOD, and becometh plainly Anti-Chrift. All thefe premifes, fays Lord Cobham, I believe particularly, and generally all that God hath left in his Holy Scripture that I Thould believe. "I therefore earneftly defire, (he adds, addreffing himself to the King,) that you, my Sovereign and Liege Lord, would cause this confeffion of mine to be fairly examined by the most pious, wife, and learned men in the kingdom. And if it be found agreeable to truth, let it be allowed to be fo, and me be confidered as a true Chriftian. But if it be proved to be otherwise, let it be utterly condemned, and let me be taught a better belief from the word of GOD." When Lord Cobham offered this confeffion to the King, he coldly ordered it to be given to the Archbishop; upon which he offered to bring an hundred Knights, who would bear teftimony to the innocence of his life and opinions. The King being filent, he affumed an higher ftrain, and begged his Majefty would permit him, as was usual in lefs matters, to vindicate his innocence by the law of arms; but the King ftill continued filent. At this inftant, a perfón entered the chamber, and in the King's prefence cited Lord Cobham to appear before the Archbishop. This, from the circumstances of it, feems to have been a concerted affair; and Lord Cobham, ftartled at the fuddennefs of the thing, made his last effort. "Since (faid he) I "can have no other juftice, I appeal to the Pope at Rome." The King, enraged at this, cried out with vehemence, "Thou. "fhalt never profecute thy appeal ;" and Lord Cobham refufing to submit implicitly to the cenfure of the Church, was immediately hurried to the Tower by the King's order. It is very extraordinary, that Lord Cobham fhould have made this appeal to the Pope, whofe fupremacy he had ever denied. He was, probably, much agitated with paffion, as he appears naturally to have been of a warm temper, at seeing himself so entirely deferted by the King; and might poffibly intend to intimate, that however little reafon he had to expect impartial juftice from the Pope, he yet thought he should have more justice even from him, than from the Archbishop and convocation; and he might alfo make the appeal, in hope that he should at leaft gain time by it. On the 23d of September, the Primate, fitting in the Chapter-House of St. Paul's, affitted by the Bifhops of London and Winchefter, Lord Cobham was brought before him by the Lieutenant of the Tower, The Archbishop addreffed him thus: "Sir, (faid he) it was fufficiently proved in a late feffion of convocation, that you held many heretical opinions; upon which, agreeable to our forms, you were cited to appear before us; and, refufing, you have been for contumacy excom municated. municated. Had you made proper fubmiffions, I was then ready to have abfolved you, and am now." Lord Cobham, taking no notice of the offer of abfolution, only faid in anfwer, that if his Lordship would give him leave, he would just read his opinion on those articles about which he fuppofed he was called in queftion; that any farther examination on those points was needlefs, for he was entirely fixed, and should not be found to waver. Leave being accordingly given, he read a paper, in which was contained his opinion on the Sacrament of the LORD's Supper, penance, images, and pilgrimages. As to the first point he held, that CHRIST's body was really contained under the form of bread. With regard to the fecond, he thought pe nance for fin, as a fign of contrition, was useful and proper. Images he thought only allowable to remind men of heavenly things; and that he who really paid divine worship to them, was an Idolater. As to the laft point, he faid that all men were pilgrims upon earth, towards happiness or mifery;, but he was perfuaded, that if a man's life was immoral, his going on pilgrimage to every quarter of the world would not recom mend him to the Divine Favour. But he declared himself confident, that the man who confcientiously conformed himself to the commandments of GoD, would by fo doing infure his falvation, though he fhould never perform one pilgrimage either to Compoftella, Rome, Canterbury, or any other place. When he had read this paper, he delivered it to the Archbishop, who examined it, in conjunction with the other Bishops, and fome of the Doctors; and then told him, that what was contained in it was in part good and orthodox; but that in other parts he was not fufficiently explicit. There were other points alfo, the Primate faid, in which it was expected he should give his opinion. Lord Cobham refused to make any other anfwer; telling the Archbishop, he was fixed in his opinions. "You fee me (added he) in your hands, and may do with "me what you please." This refolution, in which he perfifted, difconcerted the Archbishop. However, after a confultation among themselves, the Primate told him, that on all these points Holy Church had determined; by which determination all Chriftians ought to abide. He added, that for the prefent he would difmifs him, but fhould expect a more explicit answer on the Monday following; and in particular to this question, "Whether there re"mained any material bread in the Sacrament of the Altar, af ter the words of confecration, or not?" And in the mean time, he told him, he would fend him, as a direction to his faith, the determination of the Church upon thofe points, on which his opinion would be particularly required. The next day he fent the following curious paper to Lord Cobham in the Tower, Tower, for his perufal; which fhews the grofsnefs of fome of the opinions of the Church at that time. The Determination of the ARCHBISHOP and the CLERGY. "The faith and determination of the Holy Church, touch"ing the blissful Sacrament of the Altar, is this, That after the facramental words be once fpoken by a Prieft in his mafs, the material bread, that was before bread, is turned into CHRIST's very body; and the material wine, that was before wine, is turned into CHRIST's very blood. And fo there re"maineth in the Sacrament of the Altar, from thenceforth, no "material bread, nor material wine, which were there before "the facramental words were spoken... How believe you this "article? Holy Church hath determined, that every Christian man living here bodily upon earth, ought to be fhriven to a Priest, ❝ordained by the Church, if he may come to him.----CHRIST ordained St. Peter the Apoftle to be his Vicar here on earth, "whofe See is the Holy Church of Rome. And he granted "that the fame power which he gave unto Peter, fhould fuc"ceed to all Peter's fucceffors, which we now call Popes of Rome. By whofe fpecial power, in particular Churches, he "ordained Archbishops, Bishops, Parfons, Curates, and other degrees; whom Christian men ought to obey after the laws " of the Church of Rome. This is the determination of Holy Church.Holy Church hath determined, that it is "meritorious to a Chriftian man to go on pilgrimage to holy "places; and there to worship holy relics, and images of "Saints, Apoftles, Martyrs, Confeffors, and all other Saints befides, approved by the Church of Rome.---How believe you thefe articles?" The Archbishop, attended by three Bishops, and four heads of religious houfes, appeared in court on the day appointed. He had removed his judicial chair from the Chapter-Houfe of St. Paul's to a Dominican Convent, which then stood within Ludgate, in London. This place was crowded with a numerous throng of Friars and Monks, as well as Seculars. And amidst the contemptuous looks of thefe zealots, Lord Cobham, attended by Sir Robert Morley, Lieutenant of the Tower, walked up undaunted to the place of hearing. The Archbishop accofted him with an appearance of great mildness; and having curforily run over what had hitherto paffed in the procefs, told him, he expected, at their laft meeting, to have found him fuing for abfolution; but that the door of reconciliation was ftill open, if reflection had yet brought him to himself." [ have trefpaffed against you in nothing (faid the high-fpirited Nobleman): I have no need of your abfolution." 46 He then knelt |