212 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. and obtained his preferment to several ecclesiastical bene- fices. Hewas made archdeacon of Sudbury, prebendary of Westminster, master of Bennet college, Cambridge, proctor of the university, and rector of Hadleigh in Suf- folk.. About the same time, he became chaplain to Arch-, bishop Parker, andwas appointed one of the commissioners, for visiting and reforming the papists in the county of Norfolk.t Notwithstanding all these worldly allurements, together with a flattering prospect of much higher advance- ment, he espoused the cause of the despised puritans; became a zealous nonconformist, and one of their leaders in the university of Cambridge. It is observed, that, May 20, 1571, Mr. Aldrich preached at Thetford, in Norfolk : May 21st, he preached at Wy mondham : May 22d, lie preached at Matshall : May 24th, he preached in St. Clement's church, Norwich : and the next Lord's day, May 27th, he preached in the Greenyard, before the mayor and citizens. Hewas, therefore, no indolent labourer in the Lord's vineyard.t Mr. Aldrich beingmaster oftheabove college,and refusing, from a scrupulous conscience, to take the degrees required of those in that office, was brought into many troubles, and at length, to avoid expulsion, resigned his mastership of the college. Many othergrievous complaints are said to have been brought against him, most probably about his noncon- formity. In one of these complaints, he is said to have called the archbishop " the pope of Lambeth and Bennet college." Dr. Whitgift, at this time one of the heads of the university, took an active part in these seventies. This was in the year 1573 ; but some time previous to these troubles, Mr. Aldrich voluntarily resigned his prebend at West- minster.§ It is, indeed, acknowledged, that as he objected taking the degrees, upon the ground of a scrupulous con- science, the treatment he met with was rather too severe.g The author last cited, however, brings many foul accu- sations against him. He observes, that Mr. Aldrich was charged, not only with refusing to qualify for his office, but with evil government of his college, in neglecting its exercises and discipline ; with things prejudicial to its temporal interests ; and with various other things, to the number of twenty. And the troubles of the college did not Blomefleld's Hist. of Norfolk, vol. ii. p. 468. Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. i. p.925. Strype's Parker, p. 254. 4 Ibid. p. 429-433.-Wbitgift, p. 49. ft Master's 1E4. ofC. C. C. p. 112. Edit. 1753.
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