had forbid these questions to be brought into the schools, did now maintain them publicly when he was called upon by authority, being then the king's professor, as the king himself styles him in one of his letters' to the university, recommending Bucer to succeed him. The questions then maintained by him were: Transubstantiatio non potest probari scripturæ verbis neque inde necessario colligi neque veterum ante mille annos orthodoxorum consensu confirmari. 5 In cœna nulla est alia Christi oblatio, nisi mortis ejus 10 commemoratio et gratiarum actio. The opponents were Dr Glyn, Mr Langdail, Segiswick, Young and Parker of Trinity college, who opposed in their silk hoods. Dr Madew answered in his cope, and as it is said, My lord of Rochester helped Dr Madew, and as he saw 15 cause, so he made answer unto every one of the repliers, and soluted their arguments, shewing very much learning, to the great comfort of the auditors: and lastly the said lord of Rochester determined the questions scholastico more. 25 The same questions were afterwards maintained in the 20 affirmative by Dr Glyn, opposed by Mr Perne, Grindall, Guest and Pilkington; and again in the negative by Mr Perne. The particulars are too many to be related; the whole was concluded by my lord of Rochester, appointed by the rest of the visitors and the noblemen to determine the truth of the said questions, every man of them standing bareheaded all the time of the determination, which was an whole hour; which the foresaid lord did by manifest scriptures and conference of the same with the authority of the most ancient doctors, both wise, learnedly and godly concluding, that there was not transubstantiation to be proved nor gathered by scripture or ancient doctors and in the sacrament, as touching the first; nor yet that there was any other oblation in the sacrament of the supper of our Lord, but a commemoration of his death and a thanksgiving, as touching the second. The visitation was held in every particular college, beginning with St John's, whereof the vice-chancellor was master; where the visitors having been entertained at the 30 35 1 MS. coll. Corp. Chr. miscel. P. 2 MS. coll. Corp. Chr. public charge, the next day, May 7th, they visited the house', and went through with their business before night, whence it should seem they met with no great disorders therein: nor does it appear they did much there, besides 5 placing several fellows and scholars, and besides giving new statutes, or rather by adding regulations and corrections to those of Henry the Eighth, though the additions are not many, the rasures are more, and those chiefly by taking out the venom of popery and superstition. The Io same was done in most of the other houses, if not in all. The colleges that took them up most time were Peterhouse, Jesus and Clare hall, in the last whereof they expelled the master Rowland Swinburn and Mr Pulley one of the fellows, and brought in Dr Madew master of that house. 15 2 These proceedings were of good use to Dr Bill, by making his government easy during his short stay at St. John's for Dr Redmayn master of Trinity, a great ornament of the university as well as of the two colleges to which he bore a relation, dying in November 1551, he 20 was by the same interest with the protector removed to that house, where he continued till the beginning of queen Mary's reign, when he was ejected3, two of his own fellows Mr Boys and Mr Gray removing him from his stall in the chapel in a rude and insolent manner, to make way for 25 Mr Christopherson. During that reign he lived in retirement at Sandey not far from Ashwell, where I find him consulted and a civil answer returned by him to the master and fellows, and having outlived the queen, was restored by queen Eliza30 beth. By her, whose almoner' he was, he was promoted to the provostship of Eaton and the deanery of Westminster, where he died July 15 an. 1561, was a benefactor to that church, and lies interred therein with this epitaph": 1 MS. coll. Corp. Chr. 2 These rasures and alterations having subjected the statutes to great uncertainties, gave occasion to new statutes under queen Elizabeth. 3 Regr. coll. Trin. Parker, Z. Cantab. He seems to have been the first man preferred by the queen, being constituted almoner presently after her accession to the crown, an. 1558. Rymer, Tom. XV. p. 494. 5 Keepe, Monument. Westm. p. 226. Hic jacet Gul. Bill T.D. decanus Westm. primarius, coll. Eton. et coll. Trinitatis apud Cantabrigiam præfectus, et sereniss. regina Eliz. summus eleemosynarius. Obiit 15 Jul. anno salutis 1561. He was of the family of the Bills of Ashwell in Hert- 5 fordshire, no very opulent family, for he was very poor, and coming in fellow whilst fellowships were liable by a late act to the payment of the first fruits (soon after remitted), he could not enter upon his preferment for some time for want of moneys to satisfy the king. And yet the sum 10 was not great, for John Bill of Ashwell Hertfordshire was afterwards bound for the payment of the moneys only in the sum of five marks. He does not seem to have been rich when he was chose master, for being then Linacer lecturer', he held that lecture two years after he was master, 15 which no man would have done that did not want it. As he was pressed with his own wants, so it is very suspicious that he was under difficulties from his friends, for his two patrons John Cheek and Thomas Bill EsqTM. had two college leases' granted them very early, Ridgwell and 20 Higham, two of the best the college had, and that many years before they were expired. In Mr Cheke's lease of Ridgwell a consideration is mentioned, the great services he had done the college, but that Thomas Bill Esq. did ever do any service to the society, I have not heard; or if 25 he had, it should have been rewarded another way. 3 At Trinity he has deserved a place amongst their best masters, especially for his prudence and temper, both which he had occasion to use whilst he presided over that society: and if he has shewn any frailties or failings here, allow- 30 ances must be made for difficult times and potent courtiers that are not easily resisted. In all his difficulties he had a sure friend of Dr Madew, and a constant correspondent, when that doctor as vicechancellor solicited the business of the university at court 35 and at London; some of whose letters are yet preserved 4 3 Regr. coll. Trin. in Latin and English; in one whereof he sends his duty to Bill as master, and in the same letter gives him directions. as vice-chancellor. That unhappy man (who had been esteemed in the university as few men ever were) was like5 wise ejected under queen Mary, and might doubtless have attained to great preferments, had he kept his integrity and survived his misfortunes; but he died in that reign in Buckingham college in a very forlorn condition, and must have been denied christian burial, had not the bishop of 10 Lincoln (where he had been a prebendary) sent his letters testimonial' signifying that he was reconciled in St Ive's church April the 13th an. 1555. This master by his will dated Maii 6 an. 1561 and proved Decem. 17 the same year leaves to Trinity college 15 ad ædificationem novi templi 100 marcas, pauperibus studiosis ibid. 10 lib., pauperibus studiosis coll. Joh. Cant. 20 lib., pauperibus de Ashwell com. Hert. 3 lib. etc. and appoints Sir William Cecill and Sir Robert Catlin knights his executors. To the college of Westminster he is a con20 siderable benefactor, as likewise to Eton. 1 Dat. August. 18, 1555. MS. coll. Corp. Chr. miscellan. P. 2 Regr. curiæ THOMAS LEAVER SEVENTH MASTER', ADMITTED DECEMBER 10TH, 1551, REGIIS LITERIS. THE person that succeeded Dr Bill was a man of as much natural probity and blunt native honesty as the college ever bred, a man without guile and artifice, that never made court to any patron or for any preferment, one that had the spirit of Hugh Latimer; no one can read his 5 sermons without imagining he has somewhat before him of Latimer or Luther. And yet though his sermons be bold and daring and full of rebuke, it was his preaching that helped him to his preferment, the men at court being either afraid of him, or his rebuking the courtiers having pro- 10 cured him reverence with the king. 2 He was admitted master December 10th, 1551; the year before he preached two sermons, the one at Paul's Cross, the other before the king, that would have spoiled any man's preferment at this day: and because what he says 15 may be depended upon as true, and there are several passages in these sermons illustrating the history of the university by shewing the state of learning in that age, their way of living and the course of their studies, as well as the manner of preaching in those days, I shall 20 put down one or two passages from these sermons, that may likewise serve to describe the author in his address and temper. Having spoke of the late king's bounty in giving £200 1 Ordained deacon by Ridley bishop of London June 24, and priest by the same bishop Aug. 10, 1550. Regr. coll. |