the Confecration of other Bishops. And particularly was one of Three which confecrated Arthur Buckley to be Bifhop of Bangor, February 19, 1541, who retained that See near Two Years of Queen Mary's Reign, even to the time of his Death. So that altho' the Regifter has omitted to enter Barlow's Confecration, and the Names of the Bishops by whom he was confecrated, yet for as much as he was received and communicated with as a Bishop, to the End of King Henry's Reign, by the Popish Bishops of that Time, Heath, Gardener, Bonner, Tunftal, Thirlby, &c. and a Bifhop alfo who was confecrated by him, and but two others, was received and acknowledged as fuch in the Reign of Queen Mary, when Popery was re-established in this Realm, I fee not how the Papifts can queftion his Confecration. For it is apparent that thofe who were acknowledged for Bishops in King Henry's Reign, as well as before and after, were nominated, elected, confirmed and confecrated in a regular manner. Now we find Barlow's Nomination, Election and Confirmation; but the Regifter, thro' Carelefnefs, omitted to enter the Confecration. However, it is certain he could not have been permitted to execute the Epifcopal Function without it, as well by the Laws of the Land, as the Canons of the Church: And therefore fince he did fo long execute the Epifcopal Function, we haye no reafon to question his regular Confecration by three Bifhops at leaft: For there is no Pretence that. there was any want of Bifhops at that time to perform the Office. In King Edward's Reign he was tranflated to Bath and Wells: (y) which he was forced to refign in the Second Year of Queen

Burnet's Hift. of Reform. Vol. 2. p. 256, 4th Edit.

Mary,

Mary, and then got beyond Sea to fave his Life. In the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign (z) he returned into England, was elected to the See of Chichester, (a) and died August 13, 1568. So that he continued a Bifhop above Two and Thirty Years: In all which Time, no not in the Reign of Queen Mary, when being prosecuted for being married, he was forced to refign, his want of a regular Confecration was never objected to him. Nor have I read that ever it has been objected from that Time to this: For the Romanifts, who tell the Nags-Head Fable, take no Notice of him, nor of any of the other Bifhops, but only Scory, as if he alone had confecrated the firft Bifhops in Queen Elizabeth's Reign, and he they pretend was no Bishop, only a Ufurper of that Name. But (b) our Registers fhew that he and Miles Coverdale were regularly and canonically confecrated together Auguft 30, 1551, by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicolas Ridley Bifhop of London, and John Hodgekin Suffragan Bishop of Bedford. Now that the Three Confecrators of Scory and Coverdale were real Bifhops, is alfo certain. That Cranmer was a Bifhop, the Romanifts cannot deny, for he was confecrated before an entire Breach with Rome, by virtue of the Papal Bulls for that Purpofe, and alfo received the Pall from the Pope. Ridley alfo was confecrated Bishop of Rochester, September 5, 1547, by Henry Holbeach Bifhop of Lincoln, John Hodgekin Suffragan of Bedford, and Thomas Suffragan Bishop of Sidon. Thomas Suffra→ gan Bishop of Sidon was a Bifhop confecrated be

(a) Strype's Life of A. B. Parker, p. 302.

(b) Mafon, p. 65, 93. Strype's Memor. of A. B. Cranmer, P. 19, 176, 271.

fore

fore the Breach with Rome, as his Title fhews; for immediately after that Breach, Ann. 26. H. 8. an A&t of Parliament was made to appoint certain Towns in this Realm for the Titles of Suffragan Bishops, and after that Time none were confecrated here to any foreign Titles, as was practifed before. So that there can be no Difpute as to him. Of Hodgekin Suffragan of Bedford I fhall have further occafion to fpeak afterwards. (c) And for Henry Holbeach Bishop of Lincoln, he was confecrated Suffragan Bishop of Bristol (before a Diocefan See was there erected) March 24, 1537-8, by John Hilfey Bifhop of Rochester, Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester, and Robert Parfew Bishop of St. Asaph, Nine Years before the Death of King Henry VIII. and the Romanists have ne¬ ver queftioned the Confecration of any Bifhops in that Reign. Whenever they do, we fhall be ready to prove the Succeffion then, as well as before or after. Scory and Coverdale were thus confecrated Bishops of Rochester and Exeter, and Scory was after tranflated to Chichefter: In Queen Mary's Reign they were forced to fly beyond the Seas, and returned again in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, and Scory was then tranflated to Hereford, (d) and Coverdale being grown Old and infirm, chofe a retired Life, and contented himself with the Parish Church of St. Magnus at the Foot of London-Bridge, where he died in the Year 1565, being above Fourfcore Years of Age. But Scory being a much younger Man, continued in the See of Hereford above Five and Twenty Years, and died not till June

(c) Mafon, p. 90. Strype's Memor. of A. B. Cranmer, p. 63. (d) Burnet's Hift. Reform. Vol. 2. p. 366, 4th Edit. Strype's Life of A. B. Parker, P. 149. Athen, Oxon. Vol. 1. Col. 584.

26,

26, 1585. (e) John Salisbury Suffragan Bishop of Thetford was another reformed Bifhop, living in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, who was confecrated March 19, 1536-7, by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicolas Shaxton Bishop of Sarum, and John Hilfey Bishop of Rochefter, Ten Years before the Death of King Henry VIII. And was confirmed Bishop of Man, April 7, 1571, the 14th Year of Queen Elizabeth, and died not till the latter End of September 1573. (f) John Hodgekin Suffragan Bishop of Bedford was confecrated December 9, 1537, by John Stokely Bishop of London, John Hilfey Bishop of Rochefter, and Robert Parfew Bifhop of St. Afaph, Ten Years almoft before the Death of Henry VIII, concerning whofe Bifhops there is no Difpute, And if the Romanifts think fit to difpute the Confecrations of that Reign, they muft alfo difallow those in Queen Mary's Reign, even of Cardinal Pole himfelt, for they all derived their Confecrations from King Henry's Bifhops. And particularly Thomas Thirlby Bishop of Westminster, and afterwards of Ely, who was one of their Confeffors in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth: For this John Hodgekin Suffragan of Bedford was one of his Confecrators. And tho' he was never higher advanced than to be a Suffragan Bishop, yet he affifted as a Bifhop at the Confecration of no less than Fourteen Bishops in the Reigns of King Henry VIII. King Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth. He lived to the Year 1560, and how long

(e) Anig. facr. Vol. 1. p. 419. Athen. Oxon. Vol. 1. Col. 599. Mason, p. 126. Memor. of A. B. Cranmer, p. 39. Life of A. B. Grindal, p. 175.

(f) Mafon, p 90, 93, 127, 128, 134. Memor. of A. B. Cranmer, p. 63, 95.

after

after I do not find. (g) To these I fhall add John Bale the famous Antiquary, who was confecrated Bishop of Offory in Ireland in the Reign of King Edward VI. who flying alfo into foreign Parts in the Reign of Queen Mary, cared not to return again to Ireland, but coming into England as foon as Queen Elizabeth obtained the Crown, he was made a Prebendary of Canterbury, and there died in the Year 1563. There being therefore fo many reformed Bishops living and in England in the very beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, before any new Bifhops were nominated and elected, there was not the leaft Occasion for them to obtain their Confecrations by any extraordinary Methods, when they could fo eafily have Bishops to confecrate them whofe Succeffion was indifputable, and accordingly Matthew Parker was first confecrated by four of thefe Bishops to the See of Canterbury, and then he confecrated the reft with the Affiftance of fome of these.

LX. (b) The Conge de Elire for the Election of an Archbishop to the See of Canterbury, then vacant by the Death of Cardinal Pole, was dated July 18, 1559, upon the Receipt of which the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury met July 22, and then, having read the Queen's Letters Patents, appointed the firft Day of August for the Day of Election, and meeting on that Day for that purpose, they chofe, and declared Matthew Parker (the Perfon nominated by the Queen in her Letters miffive) to be their Archbishop elect, according to the ancient Custom and the present Laws

(g) Strype's Life of A, B. Parker, p. 143.

(b) Strype's Life of A. B. Parker, p. 52, c. Mason, P. 125, c.

of