John Hoper

or Hooper, noted to posterity for his manful and painful suffering of death for the Protestant Cause, received his first breath in Somersetshire, and his Academical Education in Oxon, but in what House there, unless in that of Merton, I cannot yet tell. He had an Unkle or near Kinsman of both his names, who was born in the Dioc. of Wells, made Master-Fellow of that House in the Year 1513, and this Joh. Hoper, whom we are further to mention, being sent to the University the Year following, might probably be put under his tuition in the said Coll. or at least in St. Albans Hall, of which he was then (notwithstanding Fellow of Mert [•] n Coll.) Principal. But these matters remaining yet uncertain, I shall proceed to what is extant on record. In the latter end therefore of 1518. he was admitted Bach. of Arts, which was the highest Degree he took in this University, and about the same time compleated it by Determination. What became of him afterwards I cannot justly say. Howbeit there is not wanting an Author (q)(q) John [〈…〉] Lond. [〈…〉] p. 5 [•] 3. who reports that he was of the number of Cistercians commonly called White Monks, and had so continued for some Years. Which report, I presume is true, because in all my searches, I cannot find him a Curat, Vicar, or Parson. But so it was that he being weary of that Order, he left it, and repairing to Oxon, was, as the R. Catholicks say, infected with Lutherisme by Books brought from Germany; and in short time became a thorow-pac’d Protestant, if not worse as they further add. In the Year 1539 or thereabouts, at which time the Statute of six articles came forth, he left what he had, and got himself into the service of Sir John Arundel a very Catholick Knight, (afterwards put to death with the Protector, by the Duke of Northumberland in K. Edwards days) and was his Chaplain and Steward of his House. But being discovered by him to be a Protestant, he was forced to leave that harbour, and to go into France: where staying for some time in dislike of many matters there, he returned into England, and lived with a Gentleman called Seintlow. But at length his living with him being known, he was sought after to be apprehended. Whereupon he put on a Mariners habit, made himself Master of a Boat and went into Ireland, and from thence took a larger journey into Zuitzerland, where he became acquainted with Bullinger, Scholar and Successor of Zuinglius’s Chair, first at Basill, and afterward at Zurich, where also (r)(r) Jo. Fox in Act. & Mon. Eccles. sub. an. 1555. by his Council and Doctrine, be married a Wife, which was a Burgundian, and applyed very studiously the Hebrew tongue. When K. Ed. 6. came to the Crown, he returned soon after into England, and settling for a time in London, Preached to the People there very frequently, and sometimes against pluralities. In 1549. he became an accuser of Bishop Bonner, when he was to be deprived of his Bishoprick, which made him fare the worse when Qu. Mary came to the Crown. In 1550. he, by the help of his former Master Sir Joh. Arundel, who could do all at that time with the Earl of Warwick, (afterwards Duke of Northumberland) was nominated and elected Bishop of Glocester, but when he should come to be consecrated or invested by Dr. Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury, and Rydley B. of London, (who maligned him for his worse than Calvinistical Principles) they would not do it, except he would conform himself in all points to them, both in apparel and opinions, but he obstinately refusing a Rochet, was thereupon (*)(*) Brief discourse of the troubles at Frankford, &c. Printed 1575. p. 42. confin’d to custody. At length by the Earl of Warwick’s intercession to Cranmer, and the King’s Letters to dispense with those matters and ceremonies (which J. Fox usually calls trifles and superstitions) he was consecrated Bishop of the said See, 8. March 1550. At which time (as ’tis said) Hoper, after much hanging off, did take (s)(s) Vide. Tert. part. trac [•] atus de tribus conversionib. Angl. cap. 6. the Oath of Supremacy, and afterwards when he Preacher at Court, he did once for formality sake appear in a Shymar, with a white linnen rochet under it, but much ashamed at the strangeness thereof, as Fox saith. Being settled in the See of Glocester, which was looked upon as a poor pittance for so great a Clerk, who had suffered so much for the Cause, the Earl of Warwick got for him another Bishoprick much better than the former, called Worcester; of which place being (t)(t) Pat. 6. Ed. 6. p. 1. declared Bishop, 20. May 6. Ed. 6. Dom. 1552. (the Bishop thereof N. Heath being then a Prisoner in the Fleet) had liberty then given to him to keep it in Commendam with Glocester. While he was Bishop he Preached often, visited his Diocesses, kept good hospitality for the poorer sort of People, and was beloved by many. But when Qu. Mary began to Reign, which was in July 1553, he was pursevanted up to London, in the latter end of August, and on the first of Sept. following, was committed Prisoner to the Fleet; where remaining some Months, was at length examined several times, and required to recant his opinions. But standing constant and resolute to them, was condemned first to be burnt, in Januar. 1554, and then in Feb following was degraded. The next day he was conducted towards Glocester, where being arrived, he suffered death soon after with great courage. He was a Person of good parts, well vers’d in the Greek and Hebrew tongues, a tolerable Philosopher, but a better Theologist, had not his Principles been too rigid and dissenting from the English Church, as appointed by King Edw. 6. His Writings are mostly these.

Answer to the Lord Winchester’s Book, entit. A detection of the Devils Sophestry, wherewith he robbeth the unlearned of the true belief in the Sacrament of the aultar, Zurich 1547. qu.

A declaration of Christ and his office. Zur. 1547. oct. Dedicated to Edw. Duke of Somerset. 8. Dec. 1547. Afterwards corrected by Christoph. Rosdell, and reprinted in twelves.

Lesson of the Incarnation of Christ. Lond. 1549. oct.

Sermons on Jonas. Lond. 1550. oct.

A godly confession and protestation of the Christian Faith, wherein is declared what a Christian Man is bound to believe of God, his King, his Neighbour, and himself. Lond. 1550. oct.

Homelie to be read in the time of the pestilence, and a most present remedy for the same.—Print. 1553. qu.

Various Letters written in Prison—See in Joh. Fox’s Book of The Acts and Monuments of the Church under the Year 1555.

Epistola ad Episcopos, Decanos, Archidiaconos, & caet. Cleri ordines in Synodo Londinensi congregatos, an. 1554. The beginning is Non vos latet, &c. Printed by Ja. Fox at the end of the Book of Acts and Mon.

Exhortation to patience, sent to his Wife Anne—See there in Fox under the Year. (1555.)

Certain sentences written in Prison. Lond. 1559. oct.

Speech at his death.

An apologie against the untrue and slanderous report made of him, that he should be a maintainer and encourager of such that cursed the Queens Highness, that then was, Queen Mary, &c. Lond. 1562. oct. To which are added two or three of his Letters written in Prison.

Comfortable expositions on the 23, 62, 73, and 77 Psalmes. Lond. 1580. qu.

Annotations on the 13 Ch. to the Romans. Lond. 1583.

Twelve Lectures upon the Creed. Lond. 1581. oct.

Confession of the Christian Faith, containing 100 Articles, according to the order of the Creed of the Apostles. Lond. 1581. oct. 1584. qu. Annexed to John Baker’s Lectures on the Creed. These 100 Articles were before Printed, viz. an. 1550. in oct.

Declaration of the 10 holy Commandments of Almighty God. Lond. 1550. and 88. oct. With other things which I have not yet seen, the trite or slender titles of which, you may see in (*)(*) In lib de Script. Maj. Britan. cent. 8. num. 85. Baleus. He also translated from Lat. into English, Turtullians second Book to his Wife, concerning the choice of a Husband or Wife. Lond. 1550. oct. and perhaps other things. At length he suffered death in the flames near to the College of Priests in the City of Glocester, on Saturday the ninth of Febr. in Fifteen hundred fifty and four,1554-55. (1. and 2. of Philip and Mary) being then near sixty Years of Age, and much lamented by those that pretended to Reformation.