II answer to Canterbury, in token of his continued orthodox sup- CHAP port of the ancient order of things; but accompanied by a parcel of books relating to the modern heresies Wolsey's which had so excited the old Archbishop's indigna- the Chantion. In this double present we have a good illus- cellor tration of the astute conciliatory policy by which Wolsey hoped gradually to draw such good but prejudiced men as Warham to a more reasonable and intelligent appreciation of the great movement which was going on in younger minds. Lutheranism was as repugnant to Warham's tastes and habits as ritualism would have been to an Archbishop of the Georgian era; but Wolsey saw that it could not be "put down" and "stamped out" by such means as Warham proposed, and sent his parcel of books to the good old man in the hope that they would lead a.d. 1521 him to study the question, and judge more prudently of its bearings. 66 I ions on the At the same time Longland (who was bishop of Lincoln, the diocese in which Oxford was then comprehended) wrote to urge on Wolsey in the same direction which Warham wished him to take. have two Lutherans in my house," he writes, "the one is the priest that wrote the letter which I delivered to your Grace, the other is he that he wrote it unto. The priest is a very heretic, as appeareth His opinby his confessions, and hath, as he durst, done hurt subject of in my diocese; the other is ill, but not so ill. . . cution purpose, unless your Grace command contrary, to known abjure them both and put them to open penance, and afterward to remain in two monasteries in penance till your pleasure be known. And in the honour of God beseech your honourable Grace, amongst all your godly labours and pains ye take I the perse II broad sheets at Oxford CHAP for the common wealth, to remember the infected persons in Oxford, some order and punishment to be taken with them; for if sharpness be not now in this land many one shall be right bold to do ill. Heretical And, no doubt, there are more in Oxford as appeareth by such famous libels and bills as be set up in night times upon church doors. I have two of them, and delivered the third to my Lord of London. I trust your Grace hath seen it, whereby ye may perceive the corrupt minds, and if it may stand with your pleasure, forasmuch as they are in this case de grege meo, and I have charge of their souls, I shall as soon as my strength will serve me (which I think will be Michaelmas or it will come any thing), I shall be glad having your instructions. And knowing your pleasure in that behalf, to ride to Oxford myself for the ordering thereof, if it so shall stand with your honourable pleasure."1 But this letter of Longland's as Bishop of Lincoln was apparently written to refresh Wolsey's memory, and edge on his reluctant mind. Another epistle of Longland's is extant, which he seems to have written immediately after an interview with the King, and in this he follows up his account of the VIII in satisfaction given to the King and Queen by the matter Wolsey's plan for the foundation of Christ Church, land by a counterbalance of the promises he has made respecting Wolsey's future proceedings against heretics. Henry terested in by Long "I ascertained him," he writes, "over this your pleasure concerning the secret search ye would this term make in divers places, naming the same unto him, and that at one time. And that ye would be at the Cross, having the clergy with you, and there to have a notable clerk to preach afore you 1 Ellis' Orig. Letters, III. i. 253. II A.D. 1521 a sermon contra Lutherum, Lutherianos, fautoresque eorum, contra opera eorum et libros, et contra inducentes eadem opera in regnum; and then to have a proclamation to give notice that every person having any works of Luther or of his fautor's making by a limited day, to bring them in sub pœna excommunicationis majoris, and that day limited, to fulminate the sentence against the contrary doers, and that if, after that day, any such works be known, or found with any person, the same to be convicted by abjuration; and if they will contumaciter persist in their contumacy, then to pursue them by the law ad ignem, as against an heretic. And that ye purpose over this to bind the said merchants and stationers King in recognizances never to bring into this realm any such thinks books, scrolls, or writings; which your godly purpose His lers fear Highness marvellously well alloweth, and doth much hold fines more with that recognizance, for that some, and most part, will communimore fear that than excommunication. And His Grace thinks cation my Lord of Rochester to be the most meet to make that sermon afore you, both propter auctoritatem, gravitatem, et doctrinam persona. His Highness is as good and gracious in this quarrel of God as can be thought, wished, or desired, and for the furtherance of this godly purpose as fervent in this cause of Christ His Church, and maintenance of the same as ever noble prince was." Now, it might seem at first as if all this was really said by direction of Wolsey. But it is clear that Longland (whose severity against the real heretics he had in his own diocese had been very conspicuous) was, in reality, trying to urge on both the King and Wolsey. "I declared unto him (he goes on to say) what high power and name he hath obtained by his notable work made against Luther, and in what estimation he is in throughout Christendom, and that now in this suppression of Luther, his adherents and disciples should get much more laud, praise, and honour, and immortal name, besides booksel than ex CHIAP the honour and wealth of his realm, and high merit of his so .. he is most gracious toward and ready II A.D. 1521 in this cause of God. your Grace shall well perceive when ye shall speak with him." But Longland was evidently far from certain that Wolsey would endorse all his fervent speeches and engagements, for he goes on to give him an earnest exhortation that he will carry on the proposed work. 66 It may please your Grace of your merciful goodness, among all these great affairs to remember this matter to His Highness, to animate him in this cause of Christ, of Christ and His Church, for the depression of the enemies of God. The world is marvellously bent against . . . [severity] . . . and it is the King's Grace and you that must remedy the same. God hath sent your Grace amongst us The King's contro Luther to advance His honour and maintain His Church and Faith, for whom we all are most bound to pray, and for your most noble prosperous estate long to endure."2 Luther's principal, or at least his most voluminous versy with works were written during the quarter of a century which followed. Up to the date of this letter he had written a few trenchant pamphlets and the volume to which Henry VIII. had replied, "The Babylonish Captivity of the Church." It was this book, no doubt, which the King and Longland were anxious to suppress, and it had been brought into so much notoriety by having a king for its opponent that large numbers had in the nature of things found their way into England, every one being 2 Ellis' Orig. Letters, I. i. 181. The editor of "Original Letters" follows Anthony Wood in giving this letter to the year 1523, but the proposed proclamation is_plainl that which was issued on May 14, 1521. The letter was written on January 5th. II curious to see what the arch-heretic had written to deserve the notice of so exalted an antagonist. For although the King's book was not yet published to A.D. 1521 the world at large, its existence was perfectly well known, especially at the universities, and it was printed by Pynson in the early part of 1521. It was impossible for Wolsey to have resisted an appeal in which the King's literary and theological honour was so much concerned; and although he probably knew too much of the world to suppose that opinions could be suppressed by making them more notorious, yet he could have had no objection to condemn a book like the "Babylonish Captivity," which is full of most reckless and irreverent statements respecting the Sacraments. Nor could he have any respect, nor ought he to have had any, for the vile and ribald tracts which were beginning to be circulated by the rising Puritans, and which were the works of Luther's "fautors," referred to by the Bishop of Lincoln. On May 14, 1521, Wolsey Lutheran therefore issued a commission or proclamation ad- hibited monishing all persons, ecclesiastical or secular, to bring in to their bishop or his commissary, all pamphlets and books written by Luther or his supporters, whether in Latin, English, or German. This "commission" first recites the Pope's bull of June 19, 1520, condemning the errors of Luther and sequestrating his writings, and then states that it has been 3 Wolsey had declined to act on this bull, alleging that it did not give him power to burn Lutheran books in England. This led the Pope, through Cardinal Medici, to send another copy of the bull, requesting Wolsey to publish it in England. He also sends a copy of Luther's book, declaring that books pro F |