We find therefore in the time of the primitiue church, that there was
in euerie see or iurisdiction one schoole at the least, whereinto such
as were catechistes in christian religion did resort. And hereof as we
may find great testimonie for Alexandria, Antioch, Rome, and
Hierusalem; so no small notice is left of the like in the inferior
sort, if the names of such as taught in them be called to mind, & the
histories well read which make report of the same. These schooles were
vnder the iurisdiction of the bishops, and from thence did they & the
rest of the elders choose out such as were the ripest scholars, and
willing to serue in the ministerie, whome they placed also in their
cathedrall churches, there not onelie to be further instructed in the
knowledge of the word, but also to invre them to the deliuerie of the
same vnto the people in sound maner, to minister the sacraments, to
visit the sicke and brethren imprisoned, and to performe such other
duties as then belonged to their charges. The bishop himselfe and
elders of the church were also hearers and examiners of their
doctrine, and being in processe of time found meet workmen for the
lords haruest, they were forthwith sent abrode (after imposition of
hands, and praier generallie made for their good proceeding) to some
place or other then destitute of hir pastor, and other taken from the
schoole also placed in their roomes. What number of such clerks
belonged now and then to some one sée, the chronologie following shall
easilie declare: and in like sort what officers, widowes, and other
persons were dailie mainteined in those seasons by the offerings and
oblations of the faithfull, it is incredible to be reported, if we
compare the same with the decaies and ablations séene and practised at
this present. But what is that in all the world which auarice and
negligence will not corrupt and impaire? And as this is a paterne of
the estate of the cathedrall churches in those times, so I wish that
the like order of gouernment might once againe be restored vnto the
same, which may be doone with ease, sith the schooles are alreadie
builded in euerie diocesse, the vniuersities, places of their
preferment vnto further knowledge, and the cathedrall churches great
inough to receiue so manie as shall come from thence to be instructed
vnto doctrine. But one hinderance of this is alreadie and more & more
to be looked for (beside the plucking and snatching commonlie séene
from such houses and the church) and that is, the generall contempt of
the ministerie, and small consideration of their former paines taken,
whereby lesse and lesse hope of competent maintenance by preaching the
word is likelie to insue. Wherefore the greatest part of the more
excellent wits choose rather to imploy their studies vnto physike and
the lawes, vtterlie giuing ouer the studie of the scriptures, for
feare least they should in time not get their bread by the same. By
this meanes also the stalles in their quéeres would be better filled,
which now (for the most part) are emptie, and prebends should be
prebends indéed, there to liue till they were preferred to some
ecclesiasticall function, and then other men chosen to succéed them in
their roomes, whereas now prebends are but superfluous additaments
vnto former excesses, & perpetuall commodities vnto the owners, which
before time were but temporall (as I haue said before.) But as I haue
good leisure to wish for these things: so it shall be a longer time
before it will be brought to passe. Neuerthelesse, as I will praie for
a reformation in this behalfe, so will I here conclude this my
discourse of the estate of our churches, and go in hand with the
limits and bounds of our seuerall sées, in such order as they shall
come vnto my present remembrance.
OF THE NUMBER OF BISHOPRIKES AND THEIR SEUERALL CIRCUITS.
CHAP. II.
Hauing alreadie spoken generally of the state of our church, now will
I touch the sées seuerallie, saieng so much of ech of them as shall be
conuenient for the time, and not onelie out of the ancient, but also
the later writers, and somewhat of mine owne experience, beginning
first with the sée of Canturburie, as the most notable, whose
archbishop is the primat of all this land for ecclesiasticall
iurisdiction, and most accompted of commonlie, bicause he is néerer to
the prince, and readie at euerie call.
[Sidenote: Canturburie.]
The iurisdiction of Canturburie therefore, erected first by Augustine
the moonke, in the time of Ethelbert king of Kent, if you haue respect
to hir prouinciall regiment, extendeth it selfe ouer all the south and
west parts of this Iland, and Ireland, as I haue noted in the chapter
precedent, and few shires there are wherein the archbishop hath not
some peculiars. But if you regard the same onelie that was and is
proper vnto his see, from the beginning, it reacheth but ouer one
parcell of Kent, which Rudburne calleth Cantwarland, the iurisdiction
of Rochester including the rest: so that in this one countie the
greatest archbishoprike and the least bishoprike of all are linked in
togither. That of Canturburie hath vnder it one archdeaconrie, who
hath iurisdiction ouer eleauen deanries or a hundred sixtie one parish
churches; & in the popish time in sted of the 3093 pounds, eighteene
shillings, halfepenie, farthing, which it now paieth vnto hir
maiestie, vnder the name of first frutes, there went out of this see
to Rome, at euerie alienation 10000 ducates or florens, beside 5000
that the new elect did vsuallie paie for his pall, each ducat being
then worth an English crowne or thereabout, as I haue béene informed.
[Sidenote: Rochester.]
The sée of Rochester is also included within the limits of Kent, being
erected by Augustine in the 604 of Grace, and reigne of Ceolrijc ouer
the west-Saxons. The bishop of this sée hath one archdeacon, vnder
whose gouernment in causes ecclesiasticall are thrée deanries, or 132
parish churches: so that hereby it is to be gathered, that there are
393 parish churches in Kent, ouer which the said two archdeacons haue
especiall cure & charge. He was woont to paie also vnto the court of
Rome at his admission to that see 1300 ducats or florens, as I read,
which was an hard valuation, considering the smalnesse of circuit
belonging to his sée. Howbeit, in my time it is so farre from ease by
diminution, that it is raised to 1432 crownes, &c: or as we resolue
them into our pounds, 358 pounds, thrée shillings, six pence,
halfepennie, farthing, a reckoning a great deale more preciselie made
than anie bishop of that sée dooth take any great delight in. He was
crosse-bearer in times past vnto the archbishop of Canturburie. And
there are and haue béene few sées in England, which at one time or
other haue not fetched their bishops for the most part from this see:
for as it is of it selfe but a small thing in déed, so it is commonlie
a preparatiue to an higher place. But of all that euer possessed it,
Thomas Kempe had the best lucke, who being but a poore mans sonne of
Wie (vnto which towne he was a great benefactor) grew first to be
doctor of both lawes, then of diuinitie; and afterward being promoted
to this sée, he was translated from thence to Chichester, thirdlie to
London, next of all to Yorke, and finallie after seauen and twentie
yeares to Canturburie, where he became also cardinall, deacon, and
then preest in the court of Rome, according to this verse, "Bis
primas, ter præses, bis cardine functus." Certes I note this man,
bicause he bare some fauour to the furtherance of the gospell, and to
that end he either builded or repared the pulpit in Paules churchyard,
and tooke order for the continuall maintenance of a sermon there vpon
the sabaoth, which dooth continue vnto my time, as a place from whence
the soundest doctrine is alwaies to be looked for, and for such
strangers to resort vnto as haue no habitation in anie parish within
the citie where it standeth.
[Sidenote: London.]
The sée of London was erected at the first by Lucius, who made it of
an archeflamine and temple of Iupiter an archbishops sée, and temple
vnto the liuing God, and so it continued, vntill Augustine translated
the title thereof to Canturburie. The names of the archbishops of
London are these; Theon, Eluan, Cadoc, Owen, Conan, Palladius,
Stephan, Iltutus restitutus, anno 350, Theodromus, Theodredus,
Hilarius, Fastidius, anno 420, Guittelinus, Vodinus slaine by the
Saxons, and Theonus Iunior. But for their iust order of succession as
yet I am not resolued, neuerthelesse the first bishop there was
ordeined by Augustine the moonke, in the yeare of Christ 604, in the
time of Ceolrijc, after he had remooued his see further off into Kent:
I wote not vpon what secret occasion, if not the spéedie hearing of
newes from Rome, and readinesse to flee out of the land, if any
trouble should betide him. For iurisdiction it included Essex,
Middlesex, and part of Herefordshire, which is neither more nor lesse
in quantitie than the ancient kingdome of the east Angles, before it
was vnited to the west Saxons. The cathedrall church belonging to this
sée, was first begun by Ethelbert of Kent, Indic. 1. 598 of Inuber as
I find, whilest he held that part of the said kingdome vnder his
gouernement. Afterward when the Danes had sundrie times defaced it, it
was repared and made vp with hard stone, but in the end it was taken
downe, and wholie reedified by Mawrice bishop of that sée, and
sometimes chapleine to the bastard Henrie the first, allowing him
stone and stuffe from Bainards castell néere vnto Ludgate, then
ruinous for the furtherance of his works. Howbeit the moold of the
quire was not statelie inough in the eies of some of his successors;
wherefore in the yeare of Grace 1256, it was taken downe and brought
into another forme, and called the new worke, at which time also the
bodies of diuerse kings and bishops were taken vp and bestowed in the
walles, to the end their memories should be of longer continuance. The
iurisdiction of this sée also vnder the bishop, is committed to foure
archdeacons, to wit, of London, Essex, Middlesex, and Colchester, who
haue amongst them to the number of 363 parish churches, or
thereabouts, beside the peculiars belonging to the archbishop and
chapiter of that house, and at euerie alienation the bishop paieth for
his owne part 1119 pounds, eight shillings and foure pence (but in old
time 3000 florens) which diuerse suppose to be more, than (as it now
standeth) the bishop is able to make of it. Of the archdeconrie, of S.
Albons added therevnto by king Henrie the eight (whereby the bishop
hath fiue eies) I speake not, for although it be vnder the bishop of
London for visitations and synods, yet is it otherwise reputed as
member of the sée of Lincolne, and therefore worthilie called an
exempt, it hath also fiue and twentie parishes, of which foure are in
Buckingham, the rest in Herefordshire.
[Sidenote: Chichester.]
The first beginning of the sée of Chichester was in the Ile of Seales
or Seolseie, and from thence translated to Chichester, in the time of
William the bastard, and generall remoouing of sées from small
villages vnto the greater townes. It conteineth Sussex onelie vnder
hir iurisdiction, wherein are sixtéene deanries, and 551 parish
churches, it paid at euerie alienation to the sée of Rome 333 ducats:
and after Edbert the first bishop, one Cella succeeded, after whome
the pontificall chaire (not then worth 677 pounds by the yéere as now
it is) was void by many yeares. It was erected in Seoleseie also 711,
by the decrée of a synod holden in Sussex, which borowed it from the
iurisdiction of Winchester, whereof before it was reputed a parcell.
Of all the bishops that haue béene in this sée, Thomas Kempe alwaies
excepted, I read not of anie one that hath béene of more estimation
than William Read, sometime fellow of Merteine college in Oxford,
doctor of diuinitie, and the most profound astronomer that liued in
his time, as appeareth by his collection which sometime I did
possesse; his image is yet in the librarie there, and manie
instruments of astronomie reserued in that house (a college erected
sometime by Walter Merton bishop of Rochester, and lord chancellor of
England) he builded also the castell of Amberleie from the verie
foundation, as Edward Scorie or Storie his successor did the new
crosse in the market place of Chichester.
[Sidenote: Winchester.]
The bishop of Winchester was sometime called bishop of the west
Saxons, and of Dorchester, which towne was giuen to Birinus and his
successors, by Kinigils and Oswald of the Northumbers, in whose time
it was erected by Birinus and his fellowes. In my time it hath
iurisdiction onelie ouer Hamshire, Surrie, Iardeseie, Gardeseie, and
the Wight, conteining eight deaneries, two hundred seuentie and six
parish churches, and beside all this he is perpetuall prelate to the
honorable order of the Garter, deuised by Edward the third: he paid in
old time to Rome 12000 ducates or florens, but now his first fruits
are 2491 pounds nine shillings eight pence halfe penie. Canturburie
was said to be the higher racke, but Winchester hath borne the name to
be the better mangier. There are also which make Lucius to be the
first founder of an house of praier in Winchester, as Kinigils did
build the second, and Kinwaldus his sonne the third; but you shall sée
the truth herof in the chronologie insuing. And herevnto if the old
catalog of the bishops of this sée be well considered of, and the acts
of the greatest part of them indifferentlie weighed, as they are to be
read in our histories, you shall find the most egregious hypocrites,
the stoutest warriours, the cruellest tyrants, the richest
monimoongers, and politike counsellors in temporall affaires to haue,
I wote not by what secret working of the diuine prouidence, beene
placed here in Winchester, since the foundation of that sée, which was
erected by Birinus 639 (whome pope Honorius sent hither out of Italie)
and first planted at Dorchester, in the time of Kinigils, then
translated to Winchester, where it dooth yet continue.
[Sidenote: Salisburie.]
Salisburie was made the chéefe sée of Shirburne by bishop Harman
(predecessor to Osmond) who brought it from Shirburne to that citie;
it hath now Barkeshire, Wilshire, and Dorsetshire vnder hir
iurisdiction. For after the death of Hedda, which was 704, Winchester
was diuided in two, so that onelie Hamshire and Surrie were left vnto
it, and Wilton, Dorset, Barkeshire, Summerset, Deuon & Cornewill
assigned vnto Shirburne till other order was taken. Bishop Adeline did
first sit in that bishoprike (704 as I said) and placed his chaire at
Shirburne vpon the said diuision. And as manie lerned bishops did
succéed him in that roome, before and after it was remooued to Sarum;
so there was neuer a more noble ornament to that sée than bishop
Iuell, of whose great learning and iudgement the world it selfe
beareth witnesse, notwithstanding that the papists prefer S. Osmond
(as they call him) because he builded the minster there, and made the
portesse called Ordinale ecclesiastici officij, which old préests were
woont to vse. The bishops also of this sée were sometimes called
bishops of Sunning, of their old mansion house neere vnto Reading (as
it should seeme) and among those that liued before the said Iuell, one
Roger builded the castell of the Vies in the time of Henrie the first,
taken in those daies for the strongest hold in England, as vnto whose
gate there were regals and gripes for six or seuen port cullises.
Finallie this sée paid vnto Rome 4000 florens, but vnto hir maiestie
in my time 1367 pounds twelue shillings eight pence, as I did find of
late.
[Sidenote: Excester.]
Excester hath, Deuonshire and Cornewall, sometime two seuerall
bishopriks, but in the end brought into one of Cornewall, and from
thence to Excester in the time of the Bastard or soone after. It began
vpon this occasion, Anno Gratiæ 905, in a prouinciall councell holden
by the elder Edward & Plegimond archbishop of Canturburie, among the
Gewises, wherein it was found, that the see of Winchester had not
onelie béene without hir pastor by the space of seuen yéeres, but also
that hir iurisdiction was farre greater than two men were able well to
gouerne; therefore from the former two, to wit, Winchester and
Shirburne, three other were taken, whereby that see was now diuided
into fiue parts; the latter thrée being Welles, Kirton, and Cornwall:
this of Cornwall hauing hir sée then at saint Patroks, not farre from
north-Wales vpon the riuer Helmouth: he of Deuon holding his
iurisdiction in Deuonshire, Kirton, or Cridioc. And the bishop of
Welles being allowed Dorset and Barkshires for his part, to gouerne
and looke vnto according to his charge. Finallie, these two of Deuon
and Cornwall being vnited, the valuation thereof was taxed by the sée
of Rome at six thousand ducats or florens, which were trulie paid at
euerie alienation; but verie hardlie (as I gesse) sith that in my
time, wherein all things are racked to the verie vttermost, I find
that it is litle worth aboue fiue hundred pounds by the yéere, bicause
hir tenths are but fiftie.
[Sidenote: Bath.]
Bath, whose see was sometime at Welles, before Iohn the bishop there
annexed the church of Bath vnto it, which was 1094, hath
Summersetshire onlie, and the valuation thereof in the court of Rome
was foure hundred & thirtie florens: but in hir maiesties books I find
it fiue hundred thirtie and three pounds, and about one od shilling:
which declareth a precise examination of the estate of that sée. Of
the erection of this bishoprike, mentioned in the discourse of
Excester, I find the former assertion confirmed by another author, and
in somewhat more large maner, which I will also remember, onelie
because it pleaseth me somewhat better than the words before alleged
out of the former writer. This bishoprike (saith he) was erected 905,
in a councell holden among the Gewises, whereat king Edward of the
west-Saxons, and Plegimond archbishop of Canturburie were present. For
that part of the countrie had béene seuen yéeres without anie
pastorall cure. And therfore in this councell it was agréed, that for
[Sidenote: The bishoprike of Shirburne diuided into thrée.]
the two bishoprikes (whereof one was at Winchester, another at
Shireburne) there should be fiue ordeined, whereby the people there
might be the better instructed. By this meanes Frithstan was placed at
Winchester, and Ethelme at Shireburne, both of them being then void.
Shireburne also susteined the subdiuision; so that Werstane was made
bishop of Cridioc or Deuonshire (whose sée was at Kirton), Herstan of
Cornwall, and Eadulfe of Welles, vnto whome Barkshire and Dorsetshire
were appointed. But now you sée what alteration is made, by
consideration of the limits of their present iurisdictions.
[Sidenote: Worcester.]
Worcester sometime called Episcopatus Wicciorum (that is, the
bishoprike of the Wiccies or Huiccies) hath Worcester, & part of
Warwikeshires. And before the bishoprike of Glocester was taken out of
the same, it paid to the pope two thousand ducats of gold at euerie
change of prelat: but now the valuation thereof is one thousand fortie
nine pounds, seauen pence halfe penie farthing (except my remembrance
doo deceiue me.) This sée was begunne either in, or not long before
the time of Offa king of the east-Angles, and Boselus was the first
bishop there; after whome succéeded Ostfort, then Egwine who went in
pilgrimage to Rome, with Kinredus of Mercia and the said Offa, and
there gat a monasterie (which he builded in Worcester) confirmed by
Constantine the pope. In this sée was one of your lordships ancestors
sometime bishop, whose name was Cobham, and doctor both of diuinitie
and of the canon law, who, during the time of his pontificalitie
there, builded the vault of the north side of the bodie of the church,
and there lieth buried in the same (as I haue béene informed.) Certes
this man was once elected, and should haue béene archbishop of
Canturburie in the roome of Reginald that died 1313 vnder Edward the
second: but the pope frustrated his election, fearing least he would
haue shewed himselfe more affectionate towards his prince than to his
court of Rome; wherefore he gaue Canturburie to the bishop of
Worcester then being. And furthermore, least he should seeme
altogither to reiect the said Thomas and displease the king, he gaue
him in the end the bishoprike of Worcester, whereinto he entred 1317,
Martij 31, being thursdaie (as appeereth by the register of that
house) after long plée holden for the aforesaid sée of Canturburie in
the court of Rome, wherein most monie did oftenest preuaile. This is
also notable of that sée, that fiue Italians succéeded ech other in
the same, by the popes prouision; as Egidius, Syluester, Egidius his
nephue (for nephues might say in those daies; Father shall I call you
vncle? And vncles also; Son I must call thée nephue) Iulius de
Medices, afterward pope Clement, and Hieronymus de Nugutijs, men verie
likelie, no doubt, to benefit the common people by their doctrine.
Some of these being at the first but poore men in Rome, and yet able
by selling all they had to make a round summe against a rainie daie,
came first into fauor with the pope, then into familiaritie, finallie
into orders; and from thence into the best liuings of the church,
farre off where their parentage could not easilie be heard of, nor
made knowne vnto their neighbours.
[Sidenote: Glocester.]
Glocester hath Glocestershire onelie, wherein are nine deanries, and
to the number of 294 parish churches, as I find by good record. But it
neuer paid anie thing to Rome, bicause it was erected by king Henrie
the eight, after he had abolished the vsurped authoritie of the pope,
except in quéene Maries, if anie such thing were demanded, as I doubt
not but it was: yet is it woorth yeerelie 315 pounds, seauen shillings
thrée pence, as the booke of first fruits declareth.
[Sidenote: Hereford.]
Hereford hath Herefordshire and part of Shropshire, and it paid to
Rome at euerie alienation 1800 ducats at the least, but in my time it
paieth vnto hir maiesties cofers 768 pounds, ten shillings, ten pence,
halfe penie, farthing. In this sée there was a bishop sometime called
Iohn Bruton, vpon whome the king then reigning, by likelihood for want
of competent maintenance, bestowed the keeping of his wardrobe, which
he held long time with great honour, as his register saith. A
woonderfull preferment that bishops should be preferred from the
pulpit, to the custodie of wardrobes: but such was the time.
Neuerthelesse his honorable custodie of that charge is more solemnlie
remembred, than anie good sermon that euer he made, which function
peraduenture he committed to his suffragane, sith bishops in those
daies had so much businesse in the court, that they could not attend
to doctrine and exhortation.
[Sidenote: Lichfield.]
Lichefield, wherevnto Couentrie was added, in the time of Henrie the
first, at the earnest sute of Robert bishop of that see, hath
Staffordshire, Darbishire, part of Shropshire, and the rest of
Warwikeshire, that is void of subiection to the sée of Worcestershire.
It was erected in the time of Peada king of the south Mercians, which
laie on this side the Trent, and therein one Dinas was installed,
about the yeare of Grace 656, after whom Kellac first, then Tunher an
Englishman succéeded, this later being well learned, and consecrated
by the Scots. In the time of the bastard, I wot not vpon what
occasion, one Peter bishop of this sée translated his chaire to
Chester, and there held it for a season, whereby it came to passe that
the bishops of Lichfield were for a while called bishops of Chester.
But Robert his successor not likeing of this president, remooued his
chaire from Chester to Couentrie, and there held it whilest he liued,
whereby the originall diuision of the bishoprike of Lichfield into
Lichefield, Chester, and Couentrie, dooth easilie appeare, although in
my time Lichfield and Couentrie be vnited, and Chester remaineth a
bishoprike by it selfe. It paid the pope at euerie alienation 1733
florens, or (as some old bookes haue) 3000, a good round summe, but
not without a iust punishment, as one saith, sith that anno 765,
Edulfe bishop there vnder Offa king of Mercia, would by his helpe haue
bereaued the archbishop of Canturburie of his pall, & so did in déed
vnder pope Hadrian, holding the same vntill things were reduced vnto
their ancient forme. Before the time also of bishop Langton, the
prebends of this see laie here and there abroad in the citie, where
the vicars also had an house, of which this honest bishop misliked not
a little for sundrie causes; wherefore he began their close, and
bestowed so much in building the same, and pauing the stréets, that
his hungrie kinsmen did not a little grudge at his expenses, thinking
that his emptie cofers would neuer make them gentlemen, for which
preferment the freends of most bishops gaped earnestlie in those
daies. King Iohn was the greatest benefactor vnto this sée, next vnto
Offa; and it is called Lichfield, Quasi mortuorum campus, bicause of
the great slaughter of christians made there (as some write) vnder
Dioclesian. Howbeit in my time the valuation thereof is 703 pounds,
fiue shillings two pence, halfepenie, farthing, a summe verie
narrowlie cast by that auditor which tooke it first in hand.