1- John Whitgift (1530-1604): Third Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth 1

Part one beginneth.

John Strype, The Life and Acts of John Whitgift, D.D., The Third and Last Lord Archbishop of Canterbury in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth in Four Books, Vol 1. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1822).[1]

Volume 1 is free and downloadable at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fti4aQKAbRsC&pg=PA161&dq=strype+whitgift+volume+1&ei=UU3_SrXeJp-CygTDxtD8Dg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Volume 2

http://books.google.com/books?id=4tMUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA602&dq=strype+whitgift&as_brr=1&ei=PEr_SuOMIaqGyQSVrMWoDw#v=onepage&q=strype%20whitgift&f=false

Observations:

1. 1530-1604, John Whitgift, the third Archbishop of Canterbury in Elizabeth 1’s reign.

2. John Strype writes a dedicatory introduction to the Archbishop of Canterbury, upon the completion of “good governors of this reformed Church of England.” We summarize those in 3-5 below.

3. Strype observes that the current ABC endeavours to walk in the good footsteps of John Whitgift.

4. Strype says Whitgift was a “man above the world, contemning all the faint and fading glories,” was “possessed with a firm and comfortable affiance and trust in God,” and was a man of “invincible patience.” With respect to the latter, he suffered “taunts, reproaches, calumnies, clamours, lies and insufferable abuses” in “Parliaments, in city, in country.” He'll suffer from Papists and Radical.

5. He laboured to “keep the Church of England, as it was legally established in the first reformation of it.” (16)
After the dedicatory piece, Strype writes a preface to the reader.

6. He wishes to conserve the history “of our reformed Church under Queen Elizabeth.” He observes that there have been many efforts to overthrow the “evangelical and apostolic discipline,” settled upon the “very wise and good men, our first Reformers.”

7. Strype will give us Whitgift’s life and governance of the church.

8. He promises to enlarge on the story at various points with the following names.

a. Archbishops and Bishops: Parker, Grindal, Sandys, Cox, Scory, Aelmer, Cooper, Overton, Hutton, Matthew, Pierse, Bilson, Fletcher, Still, Bickley, Heton, Bancroft.

b. Deans, divine, and university men: Noel (Nowell?), Perne, Goodman, Fox, Lever, Saravia, Sutcliff, Whitaker, Broughton, Reynolds, Baro, Hooker, Andrews, Abbot, Goad, Overal, Nevyl, charior.

c. New Reformers and Separatists: Sampson, Nicolls, Cartwright, Travers, Chark, Giffard, Browne, Randall, Fenn, Snape, Pagitt, Penry, Udall, Barrow, Greenword, Darell.

d. Papists: Ballard, Moor, and Priests in wisbich-castle.

9. Strype’s sources: authentic records, papers of state, original letters, registries of Archbishops and Bishops of Canterbury, and records from the University, Cotton Library, Heralds’ Office, Mr. Petyt’s library, the Harleyan library, and the library of the Bishop of Ely. He says he consulted other treasuries of “manuscripts of the greatest fame.” He promises to quote extensively.

10. From such, one will see what “the true principles of the Church of England be; what grounds it stands upon; what arguments it hath used to defend itself. The benefit whereof may be, to prevent any after-derivations from it, by any novel doctrines or modern practices, endeavoured to be superinduced on it. We may see what violent and dangerous assaults it hath met with from two sorts of ill-willers especially.”

Correlations:

1. Strype’s other monumental volumes.

2. Correlations to the writings as available in 9a.-9d. above.

Interpretation:

Strype promises to give a documentary and source-based account of John Whitgift, the third Archbishop of Canterbury during Elizabeth 1’s reign.

[1] Volume Two of Whitgift’s works is free and downloadable at: http://books.google.com/books?id=ztEQAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=strype+whitgift&as_brr=1&ei=PEr_SuOMIaqGyQSVrMWoDw#v=onepage&q=&f=false