WHITTINGHAM. 233 to win,souls to Christ; I beseech your honour to pity our case, and use your utmost endeavours to secure unto us our liberty.". What 'effect this generous letter produced, we are not able to learn. Mr. Whittingharn was a man of an excel- lent character and admirable abilities. This was well known at court. Therefore, some time after his settlement at Durham, Secretary Cecil being made lord treasurer, he was nominated to the secretary's place ; and, says Wood, if he had sought after this office, and made interest with his noble friend, the Earl of Leicester, he might have obtained 44 Bishop Pilkington of Durham wrote a letter, at the same time, to the same' noble person; in which he addressed him as follows :-" Consider, II " beseech your honour, how that all countries, which have reformed " religion, have cast away the popish apparel with the pope; and yet we, " who would be taken for the best, contend to keep it as a holy relic. 44 Mark, also, how many ministers there be here in all countries, who are " so zealous, not only to forsake the wicked doctrine of popery, but ready 44 to leave the ministry and their livings, rather than be like the popish " teachers of such superstitions, either in apparel or behaviour. This 44 realm has such scarcity of teachers, that if so many worthy men should " be cast oat of the ministry, for such small matters, many places would he 44 destitute of preachers; and it would give an incurable offence to all 'the 44 favourers of God's truth, in other countries. Shall we make that so 44 precious, which other reformed churches esteem as vile ? God forbid. " If we forsake popery as wicked, how shall we say their apparel " becomes saints and professor: of true holiness? St. Paul bids us refrain "from all outward skew of evil; but, study, in keeping this popish " apparel, we forbear not an outward shew of muck evil, if popery be " judged evil. How christian peace shall be kept in this church, when so " many, for such small thibgs, shall be thrust from their ministry and " livings, it passes my simple wit to conceive. We most not so subtilly " dispute what christian liberty would suffer us to do, but what is most " meet and edifying for christian charity, and promoting true religion. " But, surely, how popish apparel should edify, or set' forth the gospel " of Jesus Christ, cannot be seen of the multitude. How much it rejoices " the adversaries, when they see what we borrow of them, and contend for, " as things necessary. The bishops wearing their white rockets began first " by Sisinius, an heretic bishop of the Novatians; and these other have the " like foundation. They have no long continued and pleased popery, 44 which is beggarly patched up, of all sorts of ceremonies, that they could " never be rooted out since, even frosts many professors of the truth. " Though things may be borne with for christian liberty's sake for a time, " in hope to Iv in the weak ; yet, when liberty is turned to necessity, it is " evil, and no longer liberty ; and that whichwas for winning the weak, is " become the confirming of the froward. Paul used circumcision for a " time as of liberty; but when it was urged of necessity, he would not 44 bend unto it. Bracer, when he was asked why he did not wear the " square cap, made answer, because my head is not square. God be tner- " ciful to us, and grant us uprightly to seek his honour with all simplicity "and earnestness." This prelate, who had been an exile in the days of Queen Mary, was a man of great learning, 'piety, and moderation, and a constant friend to the persecuted puritans. Strype's Parker, Appeu. p. 40, 41.
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