[ i9 J § 4~ All the Parliaments that were called ~n 'QueenEliz..abeth's time were frill fufpicious rhat Popery would keep too much ftrength by tbe peoples Ignorance and Impiety, ·for want of good Preaching and godly Living in the Miniftry : And therefore were u(ually complainingo( the Biiliops ( efpecially Whitguift ) ·for filencing {o ~any Nonconforming Preachers, and keeping up fo ma– ny Pluralifrs, and fo many meer Readers: And they were ofc attempting a Reformation of ttiis, and to have refcored the Nonconformifts, and . united the godly Proteftants: But by the RHhops Counfel the Queen ftill reftrained them, - and charged them not to meddle with Ecclefiaftical Matters , as belonging to her ; In Sir Simond Dewes Journals you may fee the many attempts and her confcant prohibition and reftraim: : And Parliaments were loth to offend her, or make any breach, remembering how great a deliverance they lud by her from Q;1een 'Mary' s Perfecutions: Though . they grudged at the lmprifonment of Mr. Strick]and and others that had fpoke earnefdy. for Reformation, of Bi{hol'! Affair-s, and tbe Mini– frry, yet they bore it patiently becaufe of what they did enjoy. One oftheir frrongeft attempts you may read in their Petition of Sixteen Articles in Sir Siln. Dewes, An. i 584, and I 58;. page 3)7• which is well worth the reading : But it was not endured. · But ilie long endured the Popilh Bifl1ops in their Seats, though in Parliament the A Bi01op of York,– the Bifhop of London, the Bi!l10ps of Worcefter, Landajf, Coventree, Oxford, Chefter·, the Abb:>t of We[tminffer were againft the Bill for the Supre... macy and aboli{hing Pop.ery. See Sir s. Dewe·s. c-:z. p. zs. •
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