BRAYNE. 291 a shepherd, we leave to your honoured wisdoms to judge. " We have only to add our humble apology for now soliciting the favour of your honours. We have forborne applying to you as long as we possibly could, and perhaps till-it is too late, as three-canonical admonitions have already passed uponus, and our deprivation is threatened ; which sentence, two of us have already tasted. We have used means by our right worshipful and some of her majesty's justices, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, who have used their earnest suit for us with the archbishop, both by their letters and private conference ; but hitherto to no purpose. Such dealing may seem favourable to them who treat us thus, but to us it seemed' very hard. Our release from this hard dealing by your kind favour, will provoke us to pray for your honours' present peace and prosperity, and that when you have done with all things here, you may receive the crown of glory.". Notwithstanding this supplication, or their letter to the archbishop, in the month of July this year, Mr. Brayne was cited to appear before his grace and other high com- missioners at Lambeth. Having attended several times according to appointment, and being required to take the oath ex officio, to answer the interrogatories of the court, he refused, unless he might first see them, and write down his answers with his own hand. His grace refusing to grant him the favour, immediately gave his canonical admonitions, once, twice, thrice; and caused him to be registered for contempt, and suspended from his ministry. " But," says the good man, " God kno-weth how far con- tempt was from my heart, and, I trust, my words and behaviour will witness the same."-1- But guilty or not guilty, the tyrannical archbishop cut him off from all public usefulness in the church of God. Mr. Brayne being silenced from his beloved work, wrote a very appropriate letter, dated July 6th, to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, giving him, an account of the hard treatment he had met with. In this letter, he earnestly solicited the treasurer's kind favour and interference; but whether it proved the means of procuring his restoration, appears extremely doubtful. The treasurer, indeed, used his utmost endeavours. He applied tothe archbishop, signifying MS. Register, p. 455-457. Strype's Wbitgift, p. 163. -r Ibid. p. 164.
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