MarginaliaAn. 1555. February.so to frame theyr life, maners, countenance, and externall behauiour, as neyther they shew them selues to familiar and light, whereby to be brought in contempt, nor on the other side againe, that they appeare more lofty and rigorous, thē appertaineth to the edifying of the simple flocke of Christ. MarginaliaDiscretiō how ministers and preachers ought to behaue themselues.Neuertheles, as euery man hath his peculiar gyft wrought in him by nature, so this disposition of fatherly grauity in thys man neither was excessiue, neyther dyd hee beare that personage which was in hym wythout great consideration. For it seemed to him peraduenture, that thys licentious and vnbrideled lyfe of the common sorte, ought to bee chastened, not onely with words and discipline, but also with the graue and seuere countenance of good men.

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After he had thus practised him self in thys popular & common kinde of preaching: at length, and that not without the great profite of many, hee was called to preach before the kings Maiesty, and soone after, made MarginaliaM. Hooper made Byshop of Glocester & Worcester.Bishop of Glocester by the kings commaundement. In that office he continued two yeares, and behaued him selfe so well, that hys very enemies (except it were for hys good doinges, and sharpe correcting of sinne) could finde no fault with him: and after that hee was made bishop of Worcester.

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But I cannot tell what sinister and vnlucky contention concerning the ordering and consecration of Bishops, and of their apparel, with such other like trifles, began to disturbe the good and lucky beginning of thys godly bishop. For notwithstanding that godly reformation then begon in þ^e church of Englād, besides other ceremonies, more ambitious then profitable or tendyng to edification, they vsed to weare such garmentes and apparell as the Popish Byshops were wont to doe: MarginaliaPopishe attire.first a Chymere, and vnder that a white Rochet: then a Mathematicall cap with iiij. angels, diuidyng the whole world into iiij. partes. These trifles tendyng more to superstition then otherwise, as he could neuer abyde, so in no wise could he be persuaded to weare them. For this cause he made supplication to the kings Maiestie, most humbly desiryng his highnes, either to discharge hym of his Bishopricke, or els to dispense with him for such ceremoniall orders. Whose petition the kyng graunted immediatly, wryting hys letter to the Archb. after thys tenour.

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MarginaliaThe kinges letter to the Archb. in the behalfe of M. Hooper.RIght reuerend father, and right trusty and welbeloued, we grete you well. Whereas we by the aduise of our Coūsail, haue called and chosē our right welbeloued & well worthy M. Iohn Hoper, Professor of Diuinitie, to be our bishop of Gloucester: as well for his great knowledge, depe iudgement, and long study both in the scriptures & other prophane learning, as also for his good discretiō, ready vtterance, & honest life for that kind of vocation: to the intent all our louing subiectes which are in hys sayd charge and elswhere, might by his sound and true doctrine, learne the better their duety towardes God, their obedience towardes vs, and loue towardes their neighbours: from cōsecratyng of whom we vnderstand you do stay, because he would haue you omitte and let passe certaine rites and ceremonies offensiue to hys consciēce, wherby ye thinke you should fall into the Premunire of lawes: we haue thought good by the aduise aforesayd, to dispense & discharge you of all maner of daūgers, penalties, and forfaitures you should run and be in any maner of way, by omittyng any of the same. And these our letters shalbe your sufficient warrant and discharge therfore.

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Yeuen vnder our signet at our Castell of
Wyndsore, the v. of August, the iiij. yeare
of our raigne.

Ed. Somerset. W. Wiltshyre. W. North.

W. Paget. A. Wingfield. N. Wotton.

Besides this letter of the kyng, also the Earle of Warwicke (which was afterward Duke of Northūberland) adioyned his letter to the foresayd Archbishop of Canterbury, to this purpose and effect, that M. Hoper might not be burdened with the oth vsed then cōmonly in the consecration of Byshops, which was agaynst his conscience: as by the purporte of the letter here is to be seene, as foloweth.

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MarginaliaA letter of the Earle of Warwicke to the Archb. in the behalfe of Maister Hooper.AFter my most harty commendations to your grace, these may be to desire the same, that in such reasonable thynges, wherin this bearer my Lorde electe of Glocester craueth to bee borne withall at your handes, you woulde wyte safe to shewe hym your graces fauour the rather at this my instaunce: which thyng partly, I haue taken in hand by the kynges Maiesties owne motion. The matter is wayed by his hyghnes: none other but that your grace may facily cōdescend vnto. The principall cause is that you would not charge this sayd bearer with an oth bourdinous to his conscience. And so for lacke of tyme I commit your grace to the tuitiō of almighty God. From Westminster the xxiij. of Iuly. 1050.

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Your graces most assured louyng frend.
I. Warwike.

MarginaliaThe kings request nor the Earles could take effect.Both thys graunt of the kyng, and also the Earles letters aforesayd notwythstandyng, the Bishops styll stoode earnestly in the defence of the foresayd ceremonies, saying it was but a smal matter, and that the fault was in the abuse of the thinges, and not in the thynges them selues: adding moreouer, that he ought not to be so stubburne in so light a matter, and that hys wylfulnes therein was not to be suffered. To be short, MarginaliaDiscord about rituall garmentes of churchmen.whylest both parties thus contēded about this matter more then reason would, in the meane time occasion was geuen, as to þ^e true Christians to lament, so to þ^e aduersary to reioyce. In cōclusion, thys Theological cōtention came to this end, that þ^e Bishops hauing þ^e vpper hand, MarginaliaMaister Hooper fayne to agree to the Byshops.M. Hooper was fayne to agree to thys condition, that somtimes he should in hys sermons shew hym self apparelled as þ^e other Bishops were.  

Wherfore, appointed to preach before þ^e king as a new player in a straunge apparell, he cōmeth forth on the stage. MarginaliaMaister Hooper compelled to preach before the kyng in Bishoplike apparell.Hys vpper garment was a long scarlet Chymere downe to the foote, & vnder that a white linnen Rochet that couered all hys shoulders. Vpō his head he had a Geometriall, that is, a foure squared cap, albeit that hys head was round. what cause of shame the straungenes hereof was that day to that good Preacher, euery mā may easely iudge. But thys priuate contumely and reproch in respect of the publicke profite of þ^e church, which he onely sought, he bare and suffered patiently. And I would to God in like maner they which tooke vpon them þ^e other part of that tragedye, had yelded their priuate cause, whatsoeuer it was, to the publicke concord and edifying of the church: for no man in all the Citie was one heare the better for that hot contention.  

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I will name no body, partly for that his oppugners beyng afterwardes ioyned in the most sure frendshyp with him in one & for one cause, suffered Martyrdome: and partly for that I commonly vse accordyng to my accustomed maner, to keepe my penne from presumptuous iudgyng of any person: Yet I thought to note the thyng for this consideration, to admonishe the reader hereby, how wholesome and necessary the Crosse of Christ is sometyme in the Church of Christ, as by the sequele hereof did afterward appeare. MarginaliaThe crosse maketh peace.For as in a Ciuile gouernaunce & common wealth, nothyng is more occasion of warre, then ouermuch peace: so in the Church and among Churchmen, as nothyng is more pernitious thē to much quietnes, so nothyng more ceaseth priuate contentions oftentimes rising amongest them, then the publicke Crosse of persecution.

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Furthermore, so I persuaded my selfe, the same not to be vnexpedient, to haue extant such examples of holy and blessed men. For if it do not a litle appertaine to our publicke consolation and comfort, when we read