Sales catalogue 462: Maggs Bros

Date:
1925
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/13/34
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue 462: Maggs Bros. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    21/324 page 13
    Ia a en en Mary I.—continued. THE RECONCILIATION OF ENGLAND WITH THE ROMAN CHURCH, 1554. 1032 ———— Copia Delle Lettere del Serenissimo Re @inghilterra, « del Reverendissimo Card. Pole Legato della. S. Sede Apostolica alla Santita di N.S. Julio Pope III sopra la reduttione di quel Regno alla unione della Santa Madre Chiesa; e obedienza della Sede Apostolica. Woodcut of the Royal Arms of England, together with the Papal Arms, on title page. 12 pp., small 4to, full morocco. Rome. Circa 1§54. £25 This Tract, containing the letter of King Philip and Cardinal Pole, was published by Order of Pope Julius III., to announce to the world the Reconciliation oi of England with the Church of Rome, which took place on November 30, 1554. At the great ceremony in London upon the occasion of this reconciliation Cardinal Pole made the following speech :— ‘Much indeed,’ he said, ‘‘the English nation had to thank the Almighty for recalling them to his fold. Once again God had given a token of his special favour to the realm; for as this nation in the time of the Primitive Church, was the first to be called out of the darkness of heathenism, so now they were the first to whom God had given grace to repent of their schism; and if their repent- ance was sincere, how would the angels, who rejoice at the conversion of a single sinner, triumph at the recovery of a great and noble people.’’ He moved to rise; Mary and Philip, seeing that the crisis was approaching, fell on their knees, and the assembly dropped at their example; while, in dead silence, across the dimly-lighted hall came the low, awful words of the absolution ‘‘ Our Lord Jesus Christ, which with his mcst precious blood hath redeemed and washed us from all our sins and iniquities, that he might purchase unto himself a glorious spouse without spot or wrinkle, whom the Father hath appointed head over all his Church, — he by his mercy absolves you, and We, by apostolic authority given unto us by the Most Holy Lord Pope Julius the Third, his vice- regent on earth, do absolve and deliver you, and every of you, with this whole realm and dominions thereof, from all heresy and schism, and from all and every judgment, censure, and pain for that cause incurred; and we do restore you again into the unity of our Mother the Holy Church, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” ey Rene back to Lambeth, not to rest. but to pour out his soul to the Holy ather. In his last letter he said ‘‘ he had told his Holiness that he had hoped that England would be recovered to the fold at last; yet he had then some fears re- maining, so far estranged were the minds of the people from the Holy See, lest at the last moment some compromise might ruin all.’’ But the godly forwardness of the King and Queen had overcome every difficulty ; and on that evening, the day of St. Andrew—of Andrew who first brought his brother Peter to Christ—the realm of England had been brought back to its obedience to Peter’s See, and through Peter to Christ. The great act had been accomplished, accomplished by the virtue and the labour of the inestimable sovereigns with whom God had blessed the world. ‘And oh,’’ he said, ‘‘ how many things, how great things, may the Church our
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