ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY was invariably one of them. In July 1549 the king complained that the book was not universally accepted ; *^ and in December he ordered the Bishop •of Westminster to deface all the old service-books, so that none but the Book of Common Prayer could be used.*^ The new book was used in St. Paul's in Lent," perhaps owing to the influence of William May, the reforming dean. The Church books in use in London at the end of the reign were ' a Bible of the largest volume,' the ' service-book ' (i.e. the Book of Common Prayer), the English Psalter, the Paraphrases, the Communion-book, and the Ordinal ; but few churches seemed to have possessed copies of more than three of these.*' A fresh commission was issued in February i 548—9, for a survey of Church goods. Inventories were to be made, and the sale or embezzlement of Church property was forbidden." During the spring several Anabaptists were tried for their heretical opinions. Three, one of whom was a London butcher, did penance at Paul's Cross ; and a fourth, Joan Bucher, sometimes called Joan of Kent, was handed over to the secular arm as a lapsed heretic,*^ and was burnt at Smithfield in the following year.** On Whitsunday the clergy of St. Paul's officiated in surplices and either hoods or tippets," and the chantry priests ' were put to their pensions or to be at liberty.' ^° No processions were held on the feast of Corpus Christi, but many of the people kept it as a holiday, and in some churches there was service." Many of the clergy, while using the Communion Office, approxi- mated as closely as they could to the old service ; and these attempts to Romanize the new book received the countenance and support of Bishop Bonner. The Council on 24 June wrote to him, saying that they had discovered that in St. Paul's Cathedral the Apostles' Mass, Our Lady Mass, and other like services were continued under the names of the Apostles' Communion, Our Lady's Communion, &c. ; and forbidding the celebration of any but the plain Communion service in the new book. Celebrations were to be held at the high altar only, and at the same hour as the old High Mass, unless the people desired also an early celebration before the day's work began. This letter the bishop forwarded to the dean and chapter without remark. A month later the Council again accused Bonner of being the cause why the Prayer Book was used so little and in such an unsatisfactory manner, and warned him of serious consequences to himself unless a speedy improve- ment took place." He was ordered to preach at Paul's Cross in favour of the new settlement of religion." He obeyed, but failed to satisfy the authorities, and in September was summoned before Cranmer, Ridley, and others, to " Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. 271^. " Ibid. fol. 2723, 273. " Wrlothesley, CArort. ii, 9. " Par. Rec. ut sup.
- ' S.P. Dom. Edw. VI, vi, 25 ; St. Martin in the Fields Accts. 1549-50.
- ' Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 219 ; Wriothesley, Chron. ii, 10, 12 ; Wilkins, ConciRa, iv, 42 ; Orig.
Letters (Parker Soc), 65. " Acts ofP.C. iii, 19 ; Monum. Franc. (Rolls Scr.), ii, 227 ; Wriothesley, Chron. ii, 37. "When the Archbp. of Canterbury celebrated in St. Paul's, 21 July 1549, vestments were v/orn ; Wriothesley, Chron. ii, i6-i8.
- " Ibid. 14 ; Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 220.
" Monum. Franc, loc. cit. The same confusion prevailed on the feast of the Assumption, 1 5 Aug.; ibid. 222. " Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. 1 683, 21 83. " Cardwell, Doc. Annals, i, 66. " Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. zzob, 221.
