day her Grace to mary such one, as knoweth what aduersity meaneth, so shal we haue both a merciful Quene and King to their subiects. And wold to God that I might liue, if it so pleased her Grace, to haue an other vertuouse Edward: And God make her Grace fruteful, and send hir frute to inherite the kingdom after her. I promised you to salute your frend Robert in your name; accordingly I haue done, desired hym to pray with you for our Quene Mary, that it wold please the Lord to giue hir the crowne, which she oughte to haue of right. And thus, to breuiate my long processe, I end, desiryng the, my constant Gilbard, not to beholde the gorgiousnes of my letters, which be void of al, but to weygh in an equal payre of ballans the good wil of the writer, who beareth thee no worse wil, then to his owne soule, prayinge God to strengthen thee, and giue thee Grace, to abide faythfull towardes oure most excellent true and only Quene Mary; so shalt thou be assured to haue God thy faythfull frend againe, and, at the last, thou shalt inherit his kingdom: To the which kingdome, bringe both you and me, and vs all. Amen.

Fayre you well.

FINIS. QUOD POORE PRATTE.

Imprynted at London, in Temstrete, ouer agaynste the Stiliardes, at the Signe of the Dobbel Hood, by Hewghe Singelton.*

THE

COMMVNICATION

BETWENE

MY LORD CHAUNCELOR AND IUDGE HALES,

BEING

Among other Iudges to take his Oth in Westminster Hall, Anno 1553, the 6th of October.

Printed in Octavo, containing five Pages.

Queen Mary no sooner found herself secure on the throne, but she presently forgot both her promises to maintain the established religion, and the good services done her in that critical juncture by the Protestants, of which this small piece before us is a flagrant proof.

At the time when Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen of England, who continued in that Royal State only nine days, in the beginning of July, 1553.

Judge Hales was the only one of that bench who refused to sign that instrument, which transferred the crown to Jane Grey, at the risque, not only of his estate, but of his life also. Yet he was immediately called in question, as you read in the following paper; and, as history further acquaints us, first cast into the Marshalsea, thence removed to the Compter, then to the Fleet, for charging the justices of Kent to conform to the laws of king Edward VI. concerning religion, not yet repealed, or properly for being a sincere protestant.

The Judge, tho', as it appears in this Communication between him and the Chancellor, he preferred a good conscience to his office, the queen's favour, his fortune, and even to his life, was so bitterly persecuted, and, when the warden informed him of the cruelties preparing for those who would not change their religion, his brains turned so, that he endeavoured to kill himself with a penknife; and, tho', in this condition, he was set at liberty, he never recovered his senses, and at last drowned himself. See Burnet, tom. II. p. 248.

M

Chauncelor.

ASTER HALES, ye shall vnderstand, that like as the Quenes Highnes hath hertofore receiuid good opinion of you, especiallie, for that ye stoode both faithfullie and laufulli in hir cause of iust succession, refusing to set your hande to the booke amonge others that were against hir Grace in that behalfe; so nowe through your owne late desertes, against certain hir Highnes dooinges, ye stande not well in hir Graces fauour. And, therfore, before ye take anic othe, it shall be necessarie for you to make your purgation.

Hales. I praie you, my Lorde, what is the cause?

Chauncelor. Information is geuen, that ye haue indicted certain pristes in Kent, for saiing of masse.

Hales. Mi Lorde, it is not so; I indicted none, but indede certaine indictamentes of like matter wer brought before me at the laste assises there holden, and I gaue order therin as the lawe required. For I haue professed the lawe, against which, in cases of iustice, wil I neuer (God willinge) procede, nor in ani wise dissemble, but with the same shewe forth mi conscience, and, if it were to do againe, I wolde doe no lesse then I did.

Chauncelor. Yea, Master Hales, your conscience is knowne wel inough, I knowe ye lacke no conscience.

Hales. Mi Lord, ye mai do wel to serch your owne conscience, for mine is better knowne to mie selfe, then to you; and to be plaine, I did as well vse iustice in your saide masse case bi my conscience, as bi the lawe, wherin I am fulli bent to stand in trial to the vttermost that can be obiected. And, if I haue therin done ani iniuri or wrong, let me be iudged bi the lawe, for I wil secke no better defence, considering cheiflie that it is mi profession.

Chauncelor. Whi, Master Hales, althoughe ye had the rigour of the lawe on your side, yet ye might haue hadde regard to the Quenes Highnes present doinges in that case. And further, although ye seme to be more then precise in the lawe; yet I thinke ye wolde be veri loth

to yelde to the extremitie of suche aduantage, as mighte be gathered againste your procedinges in the lawe, as ye haue some time taken vppon you in place of iustice. And, if it were well tried, I beleue ye shuld not be wel able to stand honestli therto.

Hales. Mi Lord, I am not so perfect, but I may err for lacke of knowledge; but both in conscience, and such knowledge of the lawe, as God hath geuen me, I wil do nothing but I wil maintain and abide in it. And if my goodes, and all that I haue, be not able to counterpoise the case, mi bodie shal be redi to serue the turne, for thei be all at the Quenes Highnesse pleasure.

Chauncelor. Ah, Sir, ye be veri quicke and stoute in your answers; but as it shoulde seme that which ye did was more of a wil, fauouring the opinion of your religion against the seruice nowe vsed, then for ani occasion or zeale of iustice, seinge the Quenes Highnes dooth set it furthe, as yet wishinge all hir faithful subjectes to imbrace it accordinglic; and, where ye offer both bodie and goodes in your triall, there is no suche matter required at youre handes, and yet ye shall not haue your owne wil neither.

Hales. Mi Lord, I seke not wilful wil, but to shew myself, as I am bound in loue to God, and obedience to the Quenes Maiestie, in whose cause willingly for iustice sake (al other respectes set apart) I did of late, as your Lordship knoweth, aduenture as much as I had. And as for my religion, I trust it to be suche as pleaseth God; wherin I am ready to aduenture as well mi life, as mi substance, if I be called therunto. And so, in lacke of mine owne power and wil, the Lordes wil be fulfilled,

Chauncelor. Seing ye be at this point, Master Hales, I wil presently make an end with you. The Quenes Highnes shall be enfourmed of youre opinion and declaration. And, as hir Grace shal therupon determine, ye shal haue knowledge, vnto which tyme ye may depart, as ye came, without your oth, for, as it appeareth, ye are scarse worthi the place appointed.

Hales. I thancke your Lordship, and as for my vocation, being both a burthen and a charge, more then cuer I desired to take vpon me, whensoeuer it shall please the Quenes Hyghnes to ease me therof, I shall moost humbli with due contentation obei the same.

And so departed from the barre.*

See the Introduction.

THE

VOCACYON OF IOHAN BALE

ΤΟ

THE BISHOPRICK OF OSSORIE IN IRELANDE,

PERSECUCIONS IN THE SAME,

AND FINALL DELYUERAUNCE.

God hath delivered me from the Snare of the Hunter, and from the noysome Pestilence. Psal, xcj.

If I must nedes reioyce, I will reioyce of myne Infirmytees. ij Cor, xj.

Imprinted in Rome, before the Castell of S. Angell, at the Signe of S. Peter, in De cembre, Anno D. 1553, In Twelves, black Letter, containing ninety-eight Pages.

THE PREFACE.

Johan Bale to the Followers of Christes Gospell.

FOR thre consyderacyons chefely (dere bretherne) have I put of urth thys Treatyse of my vocacyon te the churche of Ossorye in Irelande, of my harde chaunces therein, and of my fynall deliueraunce by the great goodnesse of God. The first of them is, for that men shulde wele knowe, that the office of a Christen Byshop is not to loyter in blas phemouse papistrie, but purely to preache the Gospell of God, to his christened flocke. The seconde is, that they shulde also vnderstande, that contynuall persecucyons, and no bodyly welthe, doeth folowe the same most godly office, in them which truly executeth it. The third is, that they myght beholde how gracyously our most mercyful God wyth hys power wayteth upon them, and fynally delyuereth them in most depe daungers.

These 3. thynges notable, concerninge the electe membres of Gods congregacyon in thys life, comprehendeth muche matter in the scrip tures of both testamentes, with abundaunce of examples from Abel the First to Johan the Euangylist, which was the last lyver in

the same.

The examples also therof are both lyucly and innumerable, in the first propagacion and longe contynuance of the Christen Churche from hys tyme to thys our tyme, as the chronycles and hystoryes most abundauntly specifieth,

First, as concernynge the examples of holye scripture. Iesus, the eternall Sonne of the euerlastynge Father, in the godhede preached to Adam in Paradyse Terrestre, and constytute hym so wele an instructour as a father ouer hys posteryte. He proued him also after he had sinned, by dyuerse afflyctyons, and fynally promysed, both to hym and to hys, deliueraunce in the sede of the woman, which at the lattre in hys owne persone he louingly perfourmed. Christe the seyde Sonne of God contynually still taught, by the mouthes of the fathers and prophetes, tyll suche tyme as he hymselfe came in the fleshe.

Than was he aboue all others, of hys heauenly father appoynted a uniuersall doctor ouer all the worlde, and commaunded to be hearde, Math. iij. He followed hys vocacyon in most ample wyse, very cruelly was he of the clergie than persecuted, and gloriously delyuered in hys resurrectyon from deathe. The members of hys true churche, the prophetes and apostles, were in case like as he their head was, first called, than afflicted, and gracyously alwayes in the ende delyuered. He that shall marke the laboriouse procedinges of Abraham, Joseph, and Moyses, of Dauid, Helyas, and Daniel, with the other olde fathers and prophetes, shall fynde it no lesse. He lykewyse that shall dyscretely searche the doynges of Peter, Iames, and Iohan, with the other of the apostles and dysciples, shall wele perceyue the same.

Hieremye for the olde lawe, Paule for the newe lawe, and Iohan Baptyst betwixt them both, were called from their mothers wombe to that heauenly offyce of preachynge. Hier, j. Luce. j. Gala. j. yea, they suffered extreme persecucyous vndre tyrauntes, and fynally were deliuered, in this lyfe from parclouse daungers, and in deathe from synne, helle, and dampnacyon. To rehearce the examples of the primatyue churche, and of the ages followynge, concernynge these matters, it wolde requyre much tyme, they are so manye, and therfor at thys present I omit them. Thus am I not alone in these 3. matters of vocacion, persecucion, and deliueraunce, but haue on my syde an infinyte nombre of examples. Which maketh me the more a great dele to reioyce, like as I wishe them to do, which haue in these troublouse dayes the lyke, Neyther am I ashamed to tell my bretherne, what God hath most graciously done for me, no mor than S. Paule was for hymselfe in hys owne Epistles, and Luke in the Actes for St. Peter, though I be farre vnlyke them. For I fare lyke the byrde which is deliuered from the snare of the catcher. He flyeth to a bough, and reioyceth in his delyueraunce, and euen so do I. In the which reioyce, I make not only my selfe merye, but also all my louinge frinds. And as for my cruel enemyes the papistes, if I make them sorye in the rehearsal of my delyueraunce, I am not yll apayde therof, For it is better (they saye in Northfolke) that younge lyddernes wepe, than olde men, I call them yonge and not olde, for God is oldar than Sathan, if age may be attributed to his eternyte, as Daniel sayeth it maye, and Christe oldar than the Deuyls vycar at Rome, their vngra cyouse father.

As we are in most thinges contrarie to these papistes, so haue we rejoyces contrary to theirs. They reioyce in helthe, prosperite, riches and worldly pleasures for their bellies sake, We in our infir