ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



with the view of tendering the Oath of Supremacy to the clergy. 1 Bishop 

 Best, who was a member of this commission, undertook the first visita- 

 tion of his diocese, backed up by its protection and armed with its 

 powers. It was during this visitation that the real trial of strength 

 between the Old and New Learning was made in the diocese. The 

 year 1561 marks a memorable period in the history of the reforming 

 movement in which the church of Carlisle passed once and for all from 

 the papal jurisdiction. From the bishop's own pen we have an account 

 of the reception he met with from the clergy and laity of the diocese. 

 After three sermons in the cathedral church, the common people, with 

 much rejoicing, affirmed that they had been deceived. The same thing 

 happened for the next two weeks throughout all his visitation; the 

 gentlemen of the country received him in every place with much civility. 

 He was unable to express his obligations to Lord Wharton and Lady 

 Musgrave, his daughter, who had entertained him ' for ye Gospell's sake.' 

 Lord Wharton was a worthy, wise man, and very well beloved in the 

 country, in whose time, as the Bishop had heard, the country was never 

 so well governed. But he had a very poor opinion of the clergy. 

 'The preistes,' he reported to Cecil, 



are wicked ympes of Antichrist, and for ye moste parte very ignorante and 

 stubburne, past measure false and sotle : onlie feare maketh them obedient. Onlie three 

 absentid themselves in my visitacon, and fled because they wolde not subscribe, of ye 

 which two belonge to my Lorde Dacres and one to ye Earle of Cumberland. Unto 

 which I have assigned dayes undre danger of deprivation. Aboute xii or xiii churches 

 in Gylsland, all undre my Lorde Dacre do not appeare, but bearyng themselves apon 

 my Lorde refuse to come in, and at Stapilton and sondrye of ye other have yet masse 

 openly, at whome my lorde and his officers wynke ; and althoughe they stande excom- 

 munycate, I do no furdre medle with them untill I have some aide frome my lorde 

 president, and ye consaile in ye northe, lest I myght trouble ye contrey withe those yt 

 in maner are desperate, and yet I doubte not but by pollycie to make them obedient 

 at my lorde Dacre commyng into ye contrey. 



The bishop perceived that Lord Dacre was 



something too myghtie in this contrey and as it were a prynce and ye lorde warden of ye 

 West marches of Scotland and he are but too great frendes. 



It was the prevalent opinion in the district that the lord warden suffered 

 the Scots to do harm in England with impunity and put off the days of 

 march and justice on offenders for the purpose of drawing home Lord 

 Dacre, who had been too long detained in London in the opinion of his 

 friends. 3 As the bishop had been only four months consecrated when 

 he commenced his visitation, he had little opportunity of making the 

 personal acquaintance of his clergy or judging of their feelings and 

 difficulties. At all events, it was determined to make an example of one 



1 In the commission it is stated that as certain ecclesiastical persons had absented themselves from 

 the late visitation, the commissioners were appointed to administer the oath to all ecclesiastical persons 

 in the northern province and to certify the reception and refusal thereof into Chancery. The text of 

 the commission has been printed by Dr. Gee (The Elizabethan Clergy, pp. 172-3) from Pat. 3 Eliz. pt. 

 10, m. 34d. 



2 S. P. Dom. Eliz. xviii. 21. This letter has also been calendared under Foreign Papers, Elizabeth, 

 1561-2, No. 323. 



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