a godly and commendable
form; that the king was a complete sovereign in his minority; that the
law of the six articles was justly repealed; and that the king had
full authority to correct and reform what was amiss in ecclesiastical
discipline, government, or doctrine. The bishop was willing to set his
hand to all the articles except the first: he maintained his conduct
to have been inoffensive; and declared, that he would not own himself
guilty of faults which he had never committed.[**]

* Heylin, p. 99.

** Collier, vol. ii. p, 305., from the council books. Heylin,
p. 99.

The council, finding that he had gone such lengths, were determined to
prevent his full compliance by multiplying the difficulties upon him,
and sending him new articles to subscribe. A list was selected of such
points as they thought would be the hardest of digestion; and, not
content with this rigor, they also insisted on his submission, and
his acknowledgment of past errors. To make this subscription more
mortifying, they demanded a promise, that he would recommend and publish
all these articles from the pulpit: but Gardiner, who saw that they
intended either to ruin or dishonor him, or perhaps both, determined not
to gratify his enemies by any further compliance: he still maintained
his innocence; desired a fair trial; and refused to subscribe more
articles till he should recover his liberty. For this pretended offence
his bishopric was put under sequestration for three months; and as he
then appeared no more compliant than before, a commission was appointed
to try, or, more properly speaking, to condemn him.

{1551.} The commissioners were, the primate, the bishops of London, Ely,
and Lincoln, Secretary Petre, Sir James Hales, and some other lawyers.
Gardiner objected to the legality of the commission, which was
not founded on any statute or precedent; and he appealed from the
commissioners to the king. His appeal was not regarded: sentence was
pronounced against him; he was deprived of his bishopric, and committed
to close custody; his books and papers were seized; he was secluded from
all company; and it was not allowed him either to send or receive any
letters or messages.[*]

Gardiner, as well as the other prelates, had agreed to hold his office
during the king's pleasure: but the council, unwilling to make use of a
concession which had been so illegally and arbitrarily extorted, chose
rather to employ some forms of jus