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EDMUND GRINDAL was a native of Hinsingham, in the parish of St. Begh's, Cowpland, a village of Cumberland. After being successively a member of Magdalen and Christ's colleges in Cambridge, he was admitted into Pembroke Hall, where he was chosen Fellow, 1538, commenced Master of Arts in 1541, served the office of Proctor, and in 1549 became Master of his particular academic society. Having taken his first degree in divinity, he was unanimously elected Lady Margaret's preacher, and acted also as one of the four theologians engaged in an extraordinary disputa tion before the visitors of King Edward the Sixth.

He was now in the thirtieth year of his age, and deservedly distinguished in the university. His religious graces and learned attainments did not escape the discerning eye of Bishop Ridley, who made him his chaplain, and recommended him to the young monarch, who designed to promote him, had his own life been spared. His mitred patron, however, wrote to the council, some of whom had most indecorously procured the prebend of Cantrilles in St. Paul's to contribute to the charge of the royal stable, for permission, notwithstanding, to bestow it on one, whom he described as his well. deserving chaplain, without prefer

JULY 1827.

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ment, and to whom he would grant it with all his heart, that so he might have him continually with him, and in his diocese, to preach;" adding, that " he was known to be both of virtue, honesty, discretion, wisdom, and learning." It does not appear that this application was effectual; but the chanter's place becoming vacant, his Lordship collated him to that dignity, and procured his nomination to a royal chaplaincy. He was also presented to a stall in Westminster Abbey, which he did not long retain, resigning it in consequence of an arrangement made in favour of Dr. Bonner. On the demise of Tonstall, a project was entertained of dividing the rich bishopric of Durham, and giving a moiety to Grindal; but one of the courtiers, in this season of abuse, contrived to take possession, as a temporality, of the whole.

These disappointments were the less to be regretted in a lucrative point of view, as on the accession of Queen Mary he was constrained to flee, with many other worthy characters, to the German territories, settling at Strasburg, where he learned the language of the country, that he might be enabled to proclaim the tidings of salvation among those, with whom, though an alien by birth, he felt united in the bonds of a reformed faith and

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worship. His feelings of participation, however, must be received with a certain degree of allowance

as to the latter; for though he was willing to vary from every practice that savoured of Romish superstition, he refused to proceed to those lengths of change in ecclesiastical discipline and service which were contemplated by many of the exiles, but sided with Dr. Cox and others against Knox and his partizans in the Frankfort controversy.

Conceiving that the cause of true religion would be aided by collecting accounts of the English martyrs, and publishing them, with extracts from their writings, he was indefatigable in his researches and correspondence with a view to this measure: nor can a more obvious mode of edification be well imagined, than that which inculcates important truth, without assuming the didactic form, and appearing to challenge contradiction, but simply by narrating the circumstances of the Christian heroes, and developing by their own testimony the grounds of their constancy and perseverance. Ridley's treatise against transubstantiation coming into the hands of Grindal and his friends, he agreed with them in the expediency of translating it into Latin, for the benefit of the continent; but lest its publication should irritate the persecutors of godly confessors then in captivity, they deferred it for a while, and Grindal, who was then at Frankfort, meeting with an opportunity of writing to the author, requested his judgment in the matter.

"Grace and consolation from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Sir, I have often been desirous to have written to you, and to have heard from you; but the iniquity of the times hath hitherto always put me forth of all hope and comfort. Now, at this present, God seemeth to offer some likelihood,

that these might come to your

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hands, which I thought to use, referring the rest to God's disposition. Your present state, not I only, (who of all others am most bound) but also all other our brethren here, do most heartily lament, as joined with the most miserable captivity that ever any church of Christ hath suffered. Notwithstanding, we give God most humble thanks, for that he hath so strengthened you and others, your concaptives, to profess a good profession before so many witnesses. And I doubt nothing, but that he that hath called you and them not only to believe upon him, but also to suffer for him, doth not leave you destitute of that unspeakable comfort, which he useth to minister abundantly to his in the school of the cross. May he grant that his name may be glorified in you, whether it be by life or death, as may be most to his honour, and your everlasting consolation.Sir, I thought it good to advertise you partly of our state in these parts. We be here dispersed in divers and several places. Certain be at Zurick, good students of either university, a number; very well entreated of Master Bullinger, of the other ministers, and of the whole city. Another number of us remain at Strasburg, and take the commodity of Master Martyr's lessons, who is a very notable father. Master Scory, and certain other with him be in Friesland, and have an English church there, but not very frequent. The greatest number is at Francfort, where I am at this present by occasion; a very fair city, the magistrates favourable to our people, with so many other commodities as exiles can well look for. Here is also a church; and now (God be thanked!) well quieted by the prudency of Master Coxe, and other which met here for that purpose. So that now we trust, God hath provided for such as will fly forth of Babylon a resting-place, where they may truly serve Him,

and hear the voice of their true pastor. I suppose in one place and other dispersed, there be well nigh an hundred students and ministers on this side the seas. Such a Lord is God, to work diversely in his, according to his unsearchable wisdom, who knoweth best what is in man. We have also here certain copies of your answers in the disputation, Item Antoniana Objecta cum Responsione, *the treatise in English against transubstantiation, which in time shall be translated into latin. It hath been thought best not to print them till we see what God will do with you, both for incensing of their malicious fury, and also for restraining you and others from writing hereafter; which should be a greater loss to the church of Christ, than forbearing of these for a time. If I shall know your will to be otherwise in it, the same shall be followed. Thus much I thought good to let you understand concerning these matters, and concerning the poor state of men here. Who most earnestly and incessantly do cry unto God for the delivery of his church, to behold the causes of the afflicted, and to hear the groans of his imprisoned: knowing that you, who in this state have more familiar access unto God, do not forget us. -God comfort you, aid you, and assist you with his Spirit and grace, to continue his unto the end, to the glory of his name, the edification of his church, and the subversion of Antichrist's kingdom. Amen.” E. G.

From Francfort, 6th May, 1555.

But the more interesting work, because that which has been more generally useful, in which he took a part, was the "History of the Persecutions of the Church of

* This refers to a work called "The objections of Marcus Antonius Constantius to Archbishop Cranmer's book against Stephen, Bishop of Winchester, with the Answers to those objections," which were composed by Cranmer or Ridley.

Christ," much of the latter part of which was written by Grindal in connexion with Fox. He sup. plied that well-known writer with abundance of matter carefully collected on the continent, and gave him valuable advice as to the conduct of the publication. He counselled him in particular to issue separately for the present the memoirs of many reformed worthies; and to print a large and completer account of the Martyrs of the church, when he could have access to more extended information, in Latin as well as in English, for the more general benefit. By his advice also, Fox published at Basle many examinations and stories of British bishops and divines, who suffered for the cause of religious truth. The dialogue between Custom and Truth in the Martyrology, which is composed with so much lucid argument in favour of protestant principles on the Lord's Supper, was the entire production of Grindal.

Returning to England on the accession of Ellzabeth, he became one of the committee who drew up the new Liturgy to be presented to the Queen's first Parliament, and was also one of the eight protestant theologians chosen to hold a public dispute with the popish prelates. On account of his preaching talents, he was generally nominated to the duty of the pulpit before the Queen, Privy Council, &c. on public occasions. At the same time he was appointed one of the commissioners in the north, on the royal visitation for restoring the supremacy of the crown, and the protestant faith and worship.

In July 1559, he was preferred to the bishopric of London, vacant by the deposition of Dr. Bonner. The legislature at that period passed an act, by which the Sovereign was empowered to exchange the ancient episcopal manors and lordships for tithes and impropriations. This was a source of

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