bates, but a proxy, it was determined to make no alteration in the ceremonies, nor any abatements of the present establishment.* I mention these names, not to detract from the merit of those who appeared for the present establishment; for many of them would have voted for the alterations, had they not been awed by their superiors, or afraid of a præmunire ; whereas, if the contrary vote had prevailed, it was only to address the Queen or parliament, to alter the service-book in those particulars: but I mention them to shew, that the voice of half the clergy in convocation and of no less numbers out of it, were for amendments, or at least a latitude in the observation of the rites and ceremonies of the church. Indeed it was very unkind, that when such considerable abatements had been made in favor of the Roman Catholics, nothing should be indulged to those of the same faith, who had suffered in the same cause with themselves, espe cially when the controversy was about points which one party apprehended to be sinful, and the other acknowledged to be indifferent. Sundry other papers and petitions were drawn Mr. Hills, proct. cler. Oxon * The names of the 43 that approved of the above articles were, Dean Nowel, prolocutor, St. Paul's | Mr. Bradbridge, cancellar Cicest, Mr. Archdeacon Lever, Coventry Dean Pedder, Wigorniensis Mr. Archdeacon Watts, Middlesex Dean Nowel, of Litchfield Mr. Archd'n Spencer, Cicestrensis Mr. Besely, proct. cler. Cant. Mr Nevynson, proct. eler. Cant. Mr. Bower, proct. cler. Somers. Mr. Ebden, proct. cler. Wint. Mr. Archdeacon Longland, Bucks Mr. Lancaster, thesaurar. Sarum Mr. Archdeacon Weston, Lewensis Mr. Archdeacon Wisdom, Eliensis Mr. Saul proet. dec. cap. Glouc. Mr. Walker, proct. Suffolk Mr. Becon Mr. Proctor, proct. cler. Sussex Mr. Archdeacon Bemont,Huntingd, Mr. Godwin, proct. cler. Linc. up, by the lower house of convocation, in favor of a further reformation, but nothing passed into a law. The church having carried their point against the Puritans in convocation, we are now to see what use they made of their victory. The plague being in London and several parts of the country this summer, put a little stop to their zeal for uniformity at present; some were indulged, but none preferred that scrupled the babits. In proof of this we may 'produce the examples of two of the worthiest and most learned divines of the age; one was father Miles Coverdale, formerly bishop of Exeter, who with Tyndal and Rogers first translated the bible into English after Wickliffe. This prelate was born in Yorkshire, bred at Cambridge, and proceeded doctor in divinity in the university of Tubing. Returning to England in the reign of King Edward, he was made bishop of Exeter, 1551.* Upon the accession of Queen Mary he was imprisoned, and narrowly escaped the fire; but by the intercession of the King of Denmark was sent over into that country, and coming back at her death, `assisted at the consecration of Queen Elizabeth's first archbishop of Canterbury; yet because he could not comply with the ceremonies and habits he was neglected, and had no preferment. This reverend man (says Mr. Strype‡) being now old and poor, Grindal bishop of London gave him the small living of St. Magnus, at the Bridge foot, where he preached quietly about two years; but not coming up to the conformity required, he was persecuted thence, and obliged to relinquish his parish a little before his death, which happened May 20, 1567, at the age of 81. He was a celebrated preacher, admired and followed by all the Puritans ; but the act of uniformity brought down his reverend hairs with sorrow to the grave. He was buried in St. Bartholomew's behind the Exchange, and was attended to his grave with vast crowds of people. The other was that venerable man Mr. John Fox, the martyrologist, a grave, learned, and painful divine, and exile for religion, who employed his time abroad in writing the acts and monuments of that church which would hard * Fuller's Worthies, b. iii. p. 198. + Ann. p. 405. ly receive him into her bosom, and in collecting materials relating to the martyrdom of those that suffered for religion in the reigns of King Henry VIII. and Queen Mary; all which he published first in Latin for the benefit of foreigners, and then in English for the service of his own country, in the year 1561. No book ever gave such a mortal wound to popery as this; it was dedicated to the Queen, and was in such high reputation, that it was ordered to be set up in the churches; where it raised in the people an invincible horror and detestation of that religion which had shed so much innocent blood. Queen Elizabeth had a particular esteem for Mr. Fox ; but this excellent and laborious divine, though reduced to very great poverty and want, had no preferment in the church, because he scrupled the habits, till at length, by the intercession of some great friend, he obtained a prebend in the church of Sarum, which he made a shift to hold till his death, though not without some disturbance from the bishops.* The parochial clergy, both in city and country, had an aversion to the habits; they wore them sometimes in obedience to the law, but more frequently administered without them; for which some were cited into the spiritual courts, and admonished, the bishops not having yet assumed the courage of proceeding to suspension and deprivation. At length the matter was laid before the Queen, as appears by a paper found among secretary Cecil's MSS. dated Feb. 14, 1564, which acquaints her Majesty, that "Some perform divine "service and prayers in the chancel, others in the body of "the church; some in a seat made in the church, some in the "pulpit with their faces to the people; some keep precise"ly to the order of the book, some intermix psalms in me"tre; some say with a surplice, and others without one. "The table stands in the body of the church in some "places, in others it stands in the chancel; in some "places the table stands altarwise, distant from the wall a 66 yard; in others in the middle of the chancel, north and Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 130. Bishop Warburton says, that he was also installed in the third prebend of Durham, Oct. 14, 1572, but held it not long; Bellamy succeeding to the same stall, Oct. 31, 1573.-Supplement to Warburton's Works, p. 456. ED. "south; in some places the table is joined, in others it "stands upon tressels; in some the table has a carpet, in "others none. "Some administer the communion with surplice and cap; "some with surplice alone ;* others with none; some with "chalice, others with a communion cup, others with a common cup; some with unleavened bread, and some with "leavened. "Some receive kneeling, others standing, others sitting; "some baptize in a font, some in a bason; some sign with "the sign of the cross, others sign not; some minister in a "surplice, others without; some with a square cap, some "with a round cap, some with a button cap, some with a "hat; some in scholars cloaths, some in others." Her Majesty was highly displeased with this report, and especially that her laws were so little regarded; she therefore directed a letter to the archbishops of Canterbury and York, dated Jan. 25th, "To cenfer with the bishops of the "ecclesiastical commission, and to enquire what diversities "there were among the clergy in doctrine, rites and cere"monies, and to take effectual methods that an exact order "and uniformity be maintained in all external rites and "ceremonies, as by law and good usages are provided for ; "and that none hereafter be admitted to any ecclesiastical "preferment, but who is well disposed to common order,and "shall formally promise to comply with it."+ To give countenance to this severity, it was reported that some of the warmer Puritans had turned the habits into ridicule, and given unhandsome language to those that wore them; which according to Mr. Strype was the occasion of their being pressed afterwards with so much rigor but whatever gave occasion to the persecution that followed, or whoever was at the head of it, supposing the insinuation to be just, it was very hard that so great a number of useful ministers, who neither censured their brethren, nor abused their indulgence by an unmannerly behavior, should be turned out of their benefices for the indiscretion of a few. The bishops, in their letters to the foreign divines, had promised not to urge. their brethren in these things, and when opportunity servLife of Parker, p. 152. . ↑ Ibid. p. 154. ed to seek reformation of them; but now they took themselves to be released from their promises, and set at liberty by the queen's express command to the contrary; their meaning being, that they would not do it with their own accord, without direction from above. 66 The puritans and their friends, foreseeing the storm, did what they could to avert it. Pilkington bishop of Durham wrote to the earl of Leicester, October 25, to use his interest with the queen in their behalf. He said, "that "compulsion should not be used in things of liberty. He "prayed the earl to consider, how all reformed countries "had cast away popish apparel, with the pope, and yet we "contend to keep it as an holy relic.* That many ministers "would rather leave their livings than comply; and the "realm had a great scarcity of teachers; many places being "destitute of any. That it would give incurable offence "to foreign protestants; and since we have forsaken popery "as wicked, I do not see (says the bishop) how their apparel can become saints and professors of the gospel." Wittingham dean of Durham wrote to the same purpose. He dreaded the consequence of imposing that as necessary, which at best was only indifferent, and in the opinion of many wise and learned men superstitious. "If the apparel "which the clergy wear at present, (says he) seems not so "modest and grave as their vocation requires, or does not "sufficiently distinguish them from men of other callings, "they refuse not to wear that which shall be thought, by godly magistrates, most decent for these uses; provided they may keep themselves ever pure from the defiled "robe of antichrist. Many papists (says he) enjoy their livings and liberty, who have not sworn obedience, nor "do any part of their duty to their miserable flock.†"Alas! my Lord, that such compulsion should be used "towards us, and such great lenity towards the papists. "Oh! noble Earl, be our patron and stay in this behalf, "that we may not lose that liberty, that hitherto by the "Queen's benignity, we have enjoyed." Other letters were written to the same purpose; and all made what friends they could among the courtiers. *Life of Parker, p. 155, and Appendix, p. 40. 4 Life of Parker, p. 157. and Appendix, p. 43. |