greatest heretic in Kent’. Yet Henry VIII then placed Cranmer in charge
of the investigation into himself.^72 But with Edward VI the open
suppression of Protestantism and Protestant ideas not only ended, but
patronage for Protestantism and Protestants flourished. Individuals
began supporting Protestants at the universities, with Jewel among those
who received stipends and benefactions. One such source was Curtop, a
canon of Christ Church, Oxford and formerly a fellow of Magdalen
College, who gave Jewel 40 shillings a year. Jewel as well received six
pounds per annum apportioned to him by Richard Chambers, who was
in charge of the distribution of funds collected by certain London
merchants and nobility for the relief of indigent students who had
embraced the Reformation.^73 It is upon an occasion of the dispersal of
Chamber’s munificence that Jewel delivered one of his few surviving
Oxford orations. Humphrey relates a story of the liberality of Jewel’s
former mentor, Parkhurst. Upon one of Jewel’s several journeys to
Cleeve, ‘Parkhurst entered their room, and while inspecting their purses,
asked “Have these mendicant and wretched Oxonians any money at
all?” Which, when he found their purses either empty or nearly empty,
pouring and throwing money about liberally, he refilled them till they
were a little plump’.^74
During the years of Edward VI’s reign Jewel advanced perceptibly
through the academic and clerical world of Oxford. His closest
association was with Peter Martyr, whom he served as secretary
(auditor) for his lectures on I Corinthians and Romans.^75 Jewel received
his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1550 and sometime in 1551 was
ordained a priest (though it is likely he would not have used that word)
under Cranmer’s new ordinal. He was granted a preaching licence, and
besides occasionally preaching at the University Church of St Mary the
Virgin, took up the ministerial duties at the parish church of
Sunningwell, near Abingdon, some three miles from Oxford. It offered
only a modest stipend (non magno salario), but, writes Humphrey, Jewel
undertook this for the feeding of the flock of the Lord.^76 The church
dates from the fourteenth century. During his time there Jewel oversaw
the addition of an heptagonal porch in the west side, still there to be
seen. Jewel was appointed orator of Corpus Christi College in 1551, and
also for a short time in June of 1552 interim president.^77
24 JOHN JEWEL AND THE ENGLISH NATIONAL CHURCH
(^72) Dickens,English Reformation, pp. 183–84.
(^73) Humphrey, Vita Iuelli, pp. 31–32.
(^74) Ibid., p. 30.
(^75) Ibid., p. 40.
(^76) Ibid., p. 45.
(^77) Le Bas, Life of Jewel, pp. 17–19.
http://www.ebook3000.com