The opposition, which the king met with in this business from the protestant party, is thought by many historians to have lessened the archbishop's influence; and to have thrown weight, at this time, into the opposite scale. It is certain, the bishop of Winchester, and other leaders of the popish party, began now to assume unusual spirits, and to appear with more importance at court.

The bishop of Winchester was one of those motley ministers, half statesman, and half ecclesiastic, which were common in those needy times, when the revenues of the church were necessary to support the servants of the crown. It was an invidious support; and often fastened the odium of an indecorum on the king's ministers; who had, as ministers always have, opposition enough to parry in the common course of business: and it is very probable, that Gardiner, on this very ground, hath met with harder measure in history, than he might otherwise have done.

He is represented as having nothing of a churchman about him, but the name of a bishop. He had been bred to business from his earliest youth; and was thoroughly versed in all the wiles of men, considered either as individuals, or, embodied in parties. He knew all the modes of access to every foible of the human heart; his own in the mean time, dark, and impenetrable. He was a man, "who, as Lloyd quaintly says, was to be traced like the fox; and like the Hebrew, to be read backwards:" and tho the insidious cast of his eye indicated, that he was always lying in wait: yet his strong sense, and persuasive manner, inclined men to believe he was always sincere; as better reasons could hardly be given, than he had ready on every occasion. He was as little troubled with scruples, as any man, who thought it not proper intirely to throw off decency. What moral virtues, and what natural feelings he had, were all under the influence of ambition; and were accompanied by a happy lubricity of conscience, which ran glibly over every obstacle.—Such is the portrait, which historians have given us of this man; and tho the colouring may be more heightened in some, than in others; yet the same turn of feature is found in all.

This prelate being at the head of the popish party, and aided by the duke of Norfolk's influence, thought he had now an opportunity to strike a blow, which might be fatal to the protestant cause. The times favouring him, he insinuated to the king, that the measures he was now pursuing had placed him in a very precarious situation with regard to foreign powers—that the German protestants would in all probability be crushed—and that if this should be the case, it was very likely from the temper and situation of men and things, that his majesty would see a very formidable league excited against him by the popish princes—that it was prudent at least to guard against such an event—and that it might easily be done by enacting some laws in favour of the old religion, which might shew Christendom, that he had not set his face against the church; but only against the supremacy of the pope.

This language in a prudential light, was more than plausible; and it had its full effect on Henry; especially as it coincided with his own apprehensions. For the enterprizing spirit of Charles V, then in league with the pope, seemed to be carrying every thing with a full tide of success in Germany; and to have nothing so much in contemplation as to re-establish, through Europe, the spiritual dominion of the pope.

An alteration in the public faith, was then a matter of easy decision. The king's inclination alone was sufficient to inforce it. The duke of Norfolk therefore, as had been agreed, informed the house of the king's wish to shew his regard to the old religion; and as it would be agreeable to his majesty to have every body think as he did, the duke presumed, that nobody wished to think otherwise.

The king's ideas were received with reverence, and the whole house became immediately zealous papists; and passed an act, which had been framed by Gardiner, in favour of some of the more peculiar doctrines of the Roman church—transubstantiation—communion in one kind—vows of chastity,—the celibacy of the clergy—private masses—and auricular confession. This act, which passed in the year 1539, is known by the name of the act of the six articles; and was guarded according to the supposed degrees of guilt, by fines, forfeitures, imprisonment, and death.

The good archbishop never appeared in a more truly Christian light, than on this occasion. In the midst of so general a defection, (for there were numbers in the house, who had hitherto shewn great forwardness in reformation), he alone made a stand. Three days he maintained his ground; and baffled the arguments of all opposers. But argument was not their weapon; and the archbishop saw himself obliged to sink under superior power. Henry ordered him to leave the house. The primate refused: "It was God's cause, he said, and not man's." And when he could do no more, he boldly entered his protest.—Such an instance of fortitude is sufficient to wipe off many of those courtly stains, which have fastened on his memory.

As the primate himself was a married man, it hath been said, he was particularly interested in this opposition: and it is certain, that as soon as the act passed, he sent his wife, who was a niece of Osiander's, into Germany. But Mr. Strype gives us good reason to believe, that his chief objection to any of these articles, was the cruelty of the penalties, with which they were guarded; so alien, he thought, to the spirit of Christianity.

It is amazing that the very extraordinary freedom, which the archbishop took on this occasion, did not entirely ruin him in the king's favour. Indeed all men expected to have seen him sent immediately to the tower. But Henry's regard for him was so far from being lessened, that he ordered the duke of Norfolk, with the earl of Essex, and others, to dine with him the next day at Lambeth; and comfort him, as the king phrased it, under his disappointment.—"My Lord archbishop, said Essex, you were born in a happy hour. You can do nothing amiss. Were I to do half of what you have done, my head must answer it:"—A prophetic speech, as it afterwards appeared!

This singular visit, at Lambeth, tho so well intended by the king, was the source of great mortification to all. The conversation, after dinner, falling on the late ministry, and Woolsey's name being mentioned, Essex could not forbear drawing a parallel between the archbishop and the cardinal. The cardinal, said he, through the violence of his temper in managing a a debate, would often change his friends into enemies: whereas the mildness of the archbishop often makes his enemies, his friends. The duke of Norfolk adopted the remark; and Surely, (said he with a sarcastic sneer,) nobody knew the cardinal better, than my lord Essex, who was once his menial. Essex answered with some warmth, that he was not the only person in company, who had served the cardinal; at least, who had shewn an inclination to serve him: for if fame spoke truth, the great duke of Norfolk himself had offered to be the cardinal's admiral, if ever he should attain the papacy. The duke of Norfolk firing at this, started up, and with a vehement oath, cried out, he lyed. Essex preparing to resent the affront, the archbishop got up, and with the rest of the company interfering, composed the quarrel at that time: but the duke laid it up in one of those secret chambers of his memory, where those affronts are registered, which nothing but blood can expiate.

The arguments, which the archbishop had used in parliament against the act of the six articles, had been represented to the king in so strong a light, that he expressed a great desire to see them; and the archbishop accordingly had them fairly copied out for his inspection. The fate of the volume, in which they were contained, occasioned some perplexity.

Among the amusements of the English monarchs of those times, that of bear-baiting on the river Thames was in high esteem. In this diversion Henry happened to be engaged, when the archbishop's secretary took boat at Lambeth, charged with his master's book to Westminster. The waterman had orders to keep as far as possible from the tumult; but whether led by curiosity to see the pastime, or through some unavoidable accident, he found himself presently in the midst of the croud; and by a mischance still greater, the bear making directly to his boat; climbed up the side, and overset it. The secretary was soon taken up; but recovering from his surprize, he found he had lost his book. He hoped it might have sunk to the bottom; but he discovered afterwards, that it had fallen into the hands of some ignorant persons, who had conveyed it to a popish priest. The priest, conceiving it to be a satire on the six articles, determined to carry it to the council. The secretary, in the mean time, suspecting what might happen, applied to lord Essex, as his master's friend. He had scarce told his story, when the priest appeared, at the door of the council-chamber, with the book under his arm. Lord Essex addressing him in an angry tone, and telling him that the book belonged to a privy-counsellor; the priest delivered it up, with many humble gesticulations; and was glad to get off without farther question.