had nothing of which to accuse among others, above the rank of

him but his opinions. They admitted that his life was pure and blameless. He adds, 1 wish such a man had not embraced such an opinion, or that his life might have been spared and he had been left to the divine mercy, had it so pleased the governors of the Church. Vita alioqui integræ et inculpate a suis dicebatur conter. raneis. Utinam talis cita aut in eam non incidisset opinionem : aut aliter ea quam morte illi potuisset eximi, vitamque divinæ gratiæ relinqui, si ita visum esset ecclesiæ proceribus.

mere labourers." It was declared that the said strangers, being bakers, brewers, chirurgeons, and scriveners, were exempted from certain penal statutes, and not taken to be handicrafts-men."

Through his interpreter, the prisoner declares that he believ eth that God the Father is only God, and that Christ is not very God, is none heresy; and being by like interpretation declared to him that it is a heresy; and being asked whether he will retract and abjure the same opinion, he saith, no." After disputes and discussions, disceptationes et discussiones with the prisoner, the commissi❤ oners, as in the case of Joan Bo cher, invoking the name of Christ, and enduring grief of heart, he is

The judicial proceedings against George Van Parris were held at Lambeth, April 6, 1551, before Cranmer, Ridley, Coverdale, bishop of Exeter, and six other commissioners. (Wilkins C. M. at length declared an obstinate he B. iv. 44.) The prisoner is called retic according to the sentence a German of the parts of Flan- of the greater excommunication, ders, now residing in the city of delivered over to the secular power London, in the capacity of a sur- and committed to the custody of geon. Chirurgicus, natione Teu- Guy Wade, keeper of the prison thonicus, videlicet de partibus called the "Coumpter in the Pul Flandriæ infra civitatem Londi- try," in the city of London. Then nensem commorans. Fox describes follows a petition to the King, for him as quite illiterate, ignorant, the execution of the prisoner, I apprehend, of every language describing him as a child of the but his own, and therefore need- devil and enemy of all righteous. ing an interpreter, an office sup- ness, quidam iniquitatis diabolicæ plied by Bishop Coverdale, one of alumnus et filius. They pray for his judges, who was a German, the king's protection of the church Rudis erat is prorsus literarum at. against the corruption of such an que doctrinæ expers. Porro ne ser- infectious member, contra tam monis quidem illius gnarus, in quo putridum membrum. condemnatus est. Unde quum per se non potuit, per interpretem res. pondere episcopum Exoniens. coge. batur. That surgeons in that age were directly the reverse, in point of education, to what they are at present, may appear from a passage in Lord Herbert's Henry the Eighth. In 1531 it required a statute to raise such persons,

These inconsistent, misguided Christians and professed reformers, i who knew not what spirit they were of, had again afforded them space for repentance and motives to a review of their proceedings. Fox relates, though he does not say whether before or after the sentence, that a relation of George Van Parris, a man of rank at

Mentz, by letters to Cranmer, in- Respecting this martyrdom of terceded for the safety of his kins- George Van Parris, the following man. His wife also, (he means I record is in Fabian's Chronicle. apprehend the wife of the prison. "1551. This year was a Dutcher,) implored his life. Herum man brent in Smithfield for hold. habebat Moguntinum quemdam, ing the opinion of the Arians." virum nobilem, qui scriptis ad Stow in his Annals, (p. 605)

1

Cant. literis in Angliam magno. gives this notice, "An Arian pere pro illius salute deprecatus barnt, 1551, the 24th April., est. Idem et ab uxore etiam illius George of Paris, a Dutchman, factitatum, si precibus impetrari was burnt in Smithfield for Arianvita potuisset. No interference isme."

could avail; for George Van Par. Burnett, (ii. 106-) after menris was burnt in Smithfield, April tioning the case of Joan Bocher, 24th, 1551, Fox, attached to adds, "To end all this matter at the character of Cranmer, and once: two years after this one writing just after his friend's mar- George Van Pare, a Dutchman, tyrdom, endeavours to charge being accused for saying that God upon the imperious influence of the Father was only God, and Northumberland cruelties, so in- that Christ was not very God, he consistent with the natural mild- was dealt with long to abjure, but ness of the archbishop. Fox's would not. So on the sixth of words are these: Sed ingenio mi- April, 1551, he was condemned tissimus Cant. qui et ipse, ut post in the same manner that Joan of dicemus, exustus est, non tam in Kent was; and on the 25th of ev naturam suam, quam ducis Nor. April was burnt in Smithfield. thumbria imperium secutus diceba- He suffered with great constancy tur. I must leave this conjec- of mind, and kissed the stake and ture as I found it, not having met faggots that were to burn him. Of with a confirmation of the rumour this Pare I find a popish writer in any other writer. The Duke saying, that he was a man of most of Northumberland was a wily, wonderful strict life; that he used though at length an outwitted po- not to cat above once in two days; litician, whose religious professiou and before he did eat would lie was at the command of his ambi- some time in his devotion prostion. Such a man might have trate on the ground. All this they" served some interest, or perhaps made use of to lessen the credit of covered some other design by per- those who had suffered formerly; secuting a small minority of dis- for it was said they saw now that sidents from the church now estab. men of harmless lives might be lished. Yet, as to Cranmer and put to death for heresy, by the Ridley, however amiable they confession of the reformers them. might be as men, as theologians selves. And in all the books pubit will scarcely be disputed lished in Queen Mary's days, that they were genuine persecu- justifying her severity against the tors, and, without any foreign in- Protestants, these instances were fluence, capable of any severities always made use of; and no part connected with that character. of Cranmer's life exposed him

"

more than this did. It was said the Christian religion were deemed he had consented both to Lam- synonimous. To the penalty of bert's and Anne Askew's death, of Death was now added the conin the former reign, who both fiscation of goods, or in plain lansuffered for opinions, which he guage, the beggary of a surviving himself held now: and he had family. Such were the tender now procured the death of these mercies of English Protestant pertwo persons; and when he was secution, and thus rapidly had brought to suffer himself, after. Cranmer proceeded to make havoc wards, it was called a just retali- of those whom he deemed heretics, ation on him. One thing was cer- during his short career of power. tain, that what he did in this matter, flowed from no cruelty of temper in him, no man being fur- especially preparing to worry the ther from that black disposition of obnoxious Anabaptists. In Concil. mind; but it was truly the effect Mag. Brit. (iv. 61.) are preserved of those principles by which he the Bishop of London's "Articles governed himself." of Enquiry for his Diocese, the 6th year of Edward." 1552. Among the articles are the the following:

Such were the life and death of George Van Parris, according to Fox, the second and last martyr, sacrificed at the stake, to the misguided zeal of Cranmer and his associates. Should Fox be here correct, the passage I formerly quoted from Latimer (p. 305.) must refer to executions, during the reign of Henry.

The next year, 1552, gave completion to a learned work, called, according to Burnett, (ii. 186.) A Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws. Several eminent church. men were appointed to this service, though "Cranmer did the whole work almost himself." It "was digested, and cast into 51 titles," and "prepared by February this year." Burnett gives a large ac. count of this work, upon which he bestows unqualified approbation. Yet he calmly tells us, "the first title was of the Trinity and the Catholic Faith; in which those who denied the Christian religion were to suffer death and the loss of their goods." This is rather obscure, though I apprehend the Trinity, the Catholic faith, and

Nor was Ridley, at this time, inactive. I find him now again,

"Whether any of the Anabaptist sect, or other, use notoriously any unlawful or private conventicles, wherein they do use doctrine or administration of sacraments, separating themselves from the rest of the parish.

"Whether any speaketh against baptism of infants."

Strype (p. 365.) mentions, during this year, 1552, a commission to Cranmer, for enquiring after Anabaptists and Arians, in Kent, Probably, this was the same trans. action which he describes in his Mem. Cranm. (p. 291.) Sep. 27, as "a Letter from the Council to Cranmer, to examine a sect newly sprung up in Kent." Strype had just before quoted the following passage, from a Preface to the Jewel of Joy, by Thomas Becon, Cranmer's chaplain.

"What wicked and ungodly opinions are there sown now adays, of the Anabaptists, Davideans, Libertines, and such other pestilent sects in the hearts of the people, unto the great disquietness

of Christ's Church, moving rather unto sedition than unto pure religion, unto heresy than unto things godly."

sitoribus exagitatus, in publico ju dicio jam condemnandi quum essent, dixisse fertur: age, inquit, ó reverende, statuas in nos licebit in præsentia, quod libet. Id autem ne dicas tibi non prædictum, denuncio tuas dehinc vices fore proximas. Nec fefellit eventus. Paucos enim post dies consequta regis Edouardi mors, ipsis quidem è carcere demissionem, episcopis verò vincula ac carceres conciliavit. (Com. p. 202.)

Mr. Peirce evidently supposes

Among these reputed heretics was, probably, Humphrey Middleton, whom I mentioned at the beginning of this letter. His story will form an interesting conclusion to this period of English Protestant persecution, and is the last of my obligations to the Commentarii of Fox. After describing the intercourse between Rogers and his friend, quoted (p. 365.) that Cranmer and his associate the historian adds the following Commissioners were prevented passage, according to Mr. Peirce's only by the sudden extinction of translation. As it is short I shall their power, from procuring the subjoin the original. death of Middleton and his fellow "Much such another instance prisoners, who had probably been is reported concerning one Hum. now, for three years, suffering unphrey Middleton, (who was after- der ecclesiastical persecution. Nor wards burnt in Queen Mary's is the supposition unfounded. There days) that when he, with some is no trace, during this reign, of others, had been kept prisoners, in any alternative, in the case of the last year of King Edward, by heresy, but recantation or the the archbishop, and had been dreadfully teazed by him, and the rest in commission with him, and were now just upon being condemned in open court, he said to him: Well, reverend Sir, pass what sentence you think fit upon us; but that you may not say you was not forewarned, I testify that your own turn will be next.' And accordingly, it came to pass; for a little while after, King Edward died; upon which they were set at liberty, and the bishops cast into prison." Peirce's Vindic. (p. 35.)

stake; exactly after the manner of Pagan persecution, which enjoined incense on the established altar, or to the lions. Thus drove on these misguided Reformers, while their influence was rapidly declining with the decaying health of Edward. English Protestant persecution may be not unaptly compared to the devil of the Revelation, who is described as having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Edward died, July 6th, 1553, in his sixteenth year. Considering how the ignorant spirit of his age, Nec absimile quiddam de Hun- might have tempted him to stain frido Mideltono, qui postea sub a longer reign with a large effusion Maria exustus est narratur, qui of Christian blood, we may suitcum aliis quibusdam concaptivis, ably apply to his short, but exanno regis Edouardi ultimo, in emplary life, the language of an carcere rctentus à Cantuariensi, eastern sage. "He pleased God graviterque ab eo cæterisque disqui. and was beloved of him, so that

speedily was he taken away, lest plicated, I know not. I cannot, that wickedness should alter his however, close this letter, without understanding, or deceit beguile noticing an assertion, from no in his soul."

considerable authority, which, if Humphrey Middleton, whom historically correct, would render Fox described as narrowly escap- nugatory every document I have ing this Protestant persecution, was produced in these letters, or could burnt at Canterbury about 1555, bring forward in a continuation of the second year of Mary. (Clarke's them, and the fairest conclusions Martyr. p. 145.) His persecutors drawn from such premises. I rewere brought to the stake, the same fer to a passage in the Archbishop year; not unjustly, admitting the of Canterbury's speech, on Lord principle, which in the exercise of Sidmouth's Bill, as I have it before power they had unhappily estab. me, among papers lately circulished. Suffering was then dealt lated, on Religious Toleration. out to the reformers according to The Archbishop, to several just the measure by which they had and highly liberal remarks, is remeted to others, though, consider- ported to have added, Coercion ing their numbers, and some cruel has never been the practice of the aggravations, it may be said, in English established Church, nor their case, to have been "pressed do I believe it ever will*. down, shaken together and running over."

Here I am glad to relieve you, Mr. Editor, your readers, and my self, by closing this first period of English Protestant persecution, the only period during which it appears in its genuine form. I am ready to believe that the Protes tant church-governors in Edward's reign, like many of the Papal, in the reign of Mary, and probably that queen herself, verily thought with Paul, that they ought to do many things against those who would not conform to their faith. I trust, that acting thus ignorantly, like him, they obtained mercy. When the Protestant church was again established, on the death of Mary, the spirit of persecution, under Elizabeth and her succes. sors, became gradually blended with state-craft and church-craft, the jealousy of politicians and the ambition of priests.

Whether I may have leisure or resolution, to attempt the disentanglement of a subject so com.

I know not how to account for this unfounded assertion, but by supposing that the speaker, full of his own ideas of what a church ought to be, entirely forgot what his own church had proved herself, at least through several ages. It is indeed far better for the public interest, that a primate, whose office arms him with so much vexatious power, should thus con. sign to oblivion, the deeds of too many of his Protestant predeces sors, some of them perpetrated in his own palace, than that he should, by recognizing them, be inclined to imitate, in any degree, such evil examples. R. G. S.

Further Remarks on the Calvinistic Doctrine of Atonement. July 6, 1812.

SIR,

It seems necessary for me to take some notice of the animad. versions of your correspondents, Vicinus and A Calvinist, (see

* See our last No. p. 379.-ED.