SI6 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. justified himself against all the fa1se charges which were brought against him, and proved, at some length, the Nalidity of his ordination.. During the above year, our learned divine was engaged in a public conference holden at Lambeth. The first day's conference, December 10th, was betwixt Archbishop Whit.. gift and the.Bishop of Winchester, on the one part; and Mr. Travers and Dr. Thomas Sparke, on the other, in the pre- sence of the Earl of Leicester, Lord Gray, and Sir Francis Walsingham. The subject of discussion was confined to those things in the Book of Common Prayer which appeared to require a, reformation. The conference w 's opened by the following declaration made by the archbishop :-' My lord of Leicester having requested, for his own satisfaction, to hear what the ministers could reprove,' and how their objections might be answered, I have granted his request. Let us then hear what things in the Book of Common Prayer you think ought to be mended. You now appear befOre me, not judicially, nor as called in ques'ion by authority, but by way of conference. You shall, there, fore, be free (speaking in duty) to charge the book with those things in which it is faulty." Though the conference is of considerable length, the substance ofit will, nodoubt, be gratifying to the inquisitive reader. Whitgift, therefore, having finished, Dr. Sparke replied as follows We give most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God, and to. these honourable persons, that after so many years, wherein our cause could never be admitted to an impartial hearing, it hath pleased God of his gracious goodness so to order things, that we now enjoy that equity and favour, before such honourable personages, as may be a worthy means with her most excellent majesty, of promoting a further reformation of such things as are needful : and that it is now lawful for us to declare freely, fiw the satisfaction of those in authority, what things ought to be reviewed and reformed in the public service of God. As the favour,ble issue depends on the blessing of God, I desire, bef . e we proceed further, that we may seek his gracious direction and blessing." Then attempting to begin to pray; the archbishop inter- rupted him, saying, " You shall make no prayers here. You shall not turn this place into a conzenlicle." The two chief points which these divines urged Strype's 'Whitgift, p. 173-2766.
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