Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew (1st ed. vol 3).djvu/18

 applied to our government in 1648 for a charter for a church, and was encouraged by Archbishop Cranmer, the Duke of Somerset, and Secretary Cecil. Bishop Latimer supported his cause in a sermon before the king. Many French refugees came over in 1549, whose case was represented in a memorial signed by Bucer, Martyr, Alexander, and Fagius. In 1550 a royal charter granted to a Lasco a Refugees’ Church in London, since known as the Dutch Church in Austin Friars; at the end of the year the chapel of St. Anthony in Threadneedle Street (page 10) was granted for worship in the French language for Huguenots (Protestants from France Proper) and Walloons (Refugees from French Flanders). The first French ministers were Francois de la Rivière and Richard François (page 9). The death of Edward VI. dispersed these congregations.

Protestant rule returning with Queen Elizabeth, the charters were restored, and Grindal, Bishop of London, became the superintendent of the Churches. Under the patronage of Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, the celebrated refugee congregation, assembling in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, was founded (page 10). Thousands of refugees came over in this reign, especially from French Flanders in 1567 and 1568, from France in 1572, after the Massacre, and in 1585. In the Pope’s (Pius V.) Bull of 1570, the Protestant Refugees were characterized as omnium infestissimi, but were defended by Bishop Jewel (page 10).

As to the planting of French Churches throughout England, I refer to two books, Burn’s History of Foreign Protestant Refugees, and Smiles’s Huguenots. For the purpose of annotating this volume I have ransacked Strype’s numerous folios, and have been much indebted to them. Strype’s best documentary information is from the papers of Queen Elizabeth’s great minister, Sir William Cecil, known as Mr Secretary Cecil, after 1570 as Lord Burghley, and after 1572 as the Lord High Treasurer of England.

In 1562 the Queen was prevailed upon to send succour to the French Protestants. Sir Nicholas Throgmorton had interviews in France with Theodore Beza and conveyed to Cecil a letter from that famous divine, dated at Caen 16 March 1562, (signed) T. de Belze. This letter is printed in Strype’s Annals of Queen Elizabeth, Second Appendix, B., Vol. I.

In 1567 a Secret League was concocted among the Popish Potentates for the partition of Europe among rulers attached to the Church of Rome (Mary, Queen of Scots, to receive the English crown), and for the extirpation of Protestantism — the eleventh Article was to this effect, “Every man shall be commanded and holden to go to mass, and that on pain of excommunication, correction of the body, or death, or (at the least) loss of goods, which goods shall be parted and distributed amongst the principal lieutenants and captains (Annals of Q. Eliz., i. 538). In 1568 there was a great influx of refugees and an extensive founding of settlements for them throughout England. Strype assures us (Ibid. p. 555), “This year flesh, fish, wheat and other provisions bore a very cheap price; and that which gave a greater remark to this favourable providence of God to the nation was, that this happened contrary to all men’s expectations; for all had feared, but a little before, a great dearth. This was esteemed such considerable news in England that Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, in his correspondence with the divines of Helvetia, wrote it to Gualter his friend, one of the chief ministers of Zurich, and added that he was persuaded, and so were others, tiiat this blessing from God happened by reason of the godly exiles, who were hither fled for their religion, and here kindly harboured; whereby, in their strait circumstances, they might provide at a cheaper