Chap. I. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 2I. 6. " That auricular confeflion is expedient and necefi'ary, and ought to King " be retained in the church." Henry VIII. It was further enacted, that if any did fpeak preach or write, againft 5 thefirft article, they fhould be judged hereticks, and be burnt without any abjuration, and forfeit their real and perfonal eftate to the king. Thole who preached or obftinately difputed againft the other articles, were to Puf- fer death as felons without benefit of clergy ; and thofewho either in word or writing declared againft them, were to be prifoners during the king's pleafure, and to forfeit their goods and chattels for the firft offence, and for the fecond, to fuller death. All ecclefiaflical incumbents or fettled mi- nifters, were to read this ad in their churches once a quarter. As loon as the fix articles took place, Shaxton bifhop of Salisbury, and Sad Effects Latimer of Worceller, refigned their bifhopricks, and being prefented for 'fir. fpeaking againft the ad, were imprifoned; Latimer continued a prifoner to the king's death, but Shaxton being threaten'd with the fire, turn'd apof- tate, and prov'd a cruel perfecutor of the proteflants in queen Mary's reign. Commifliions were iflued out to the archbifhops, bithops and their commif- Hifr. Refer, larks, to hold a feßïons quarterly, or oftner, and to proceed upon prefent- Vol. M. ments by a jury according to law; which they did molt feverely, infotnuch p 151. that in a very little time 5oò perlons were put in prifon and involved in the guilt of the ftatute ; but Cranmer and Cromwel, who were among the de- linquents, obtained their pardon, which mortified the popifh clergy to fuch a degree, that they proceeded no farther till Cromwel fell. Another very remarkable ad of parliament patíed this fefiìon, was con- Btïs infa- cerning obedience to the king's proclamations. It enacts, that the king with p erg t:ve. advice of his council, may let forth proclamations with pains and penalties, 31 Hen. 8. which thall be obeyed as fully as an ad of parliament, provided they be cep. 8. not contrary to the laws and cuftotns in being, and do not extend fo far as that the fubjed fhould fullr in eftate, liberty, or perfon. An ad of at- tainder was alto pared againft fixteen perlons, Tome for denying the fupre- HO' o limey, eft. ac and others without fpecifying any particular crime ; none of them p' 3 were brought to a trial, nor is there any mention in the records, of any witneffes having been examined. There never had been an example of fuch arbitrary proceedings before in England; yet this precedent was fol- lowed by feveral others in the courle of this reign. By another ftatute it was enacted, that the counfeilors of the king's fucceffor, if he were under age, might let forth proclamations in his name, which were to be obeyed in the fame manner with thole let forth by the king himfelf. I men- tion this, becaufe upon the authority of this ad, was founded the vali- dity of all the changes of religion in the minority of Edward VI. Next year happen'd the fall of the, great lord Cromwel, one of the pil- lars of the reformation. He had been lately conitituted the king's vicege- rent
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