tr4. 7be HISTORYof ishe PURITANS. Chap.1V, (.hreen verned by general, provincial, and claffical affemblies, with fuperintendents, El Zboth, though there was no law for it, till Tome years after. rtr;-1v To return to England. The popith bishops behaved rudely towards Behaviour the queen and her new bithops. They admonifhed her majeftyby letter, of thepapißs. to return to the religion of her anceftors, and threatned her with the cen- fures of the church, in cafe the refufed. This not prevailing, pope Pius 4th himfelf exhorted her by letter, dated May 5, t 570. to rejet evil counfellors, and obey his fatherly admonitions, alluring her, That if the would return to the bofom of the church, he would receive her with Foxes and like affeétionate love, as the father in the gofpel received his fon. Parpa- Firert IbranIdt I. lia, the nuncio that was fent with this letter, offered in the pope's name Pa p. 15. Ibid. to confirm the Engljh liturgy, to allowof the facrament in both kinds, p. r8. and to difanul the fentence againft her mother's marriage ; but the queen would not part with her fupremacy. Another nuncio, the abbot Mart- megues, was fent this fummer with other propofals, but was ftopt Strype's fin- Flanders, and forbid to fet foot in the realm. The emperor and other na s, P' 408. roman catholick princes, interceeded with the queen to grant her fubjeds of their religion, churches to officiate in after their own manner, and tokeep up a feparate communion; but her majefty was two politick to truft them; upon which they entered on more defperate meafures, as will be feen hereafter. Jrchblfhop Archbifhop Parker vifited his diocefe this fummer, and found it in a yips his deplorable condition ; the major part of the beneficed clergy being either koreje. mechanicks or mats prkfts in difguife ; many churches were that up, and in thofe that were open, not a fermon was to be heard in fome coun- ties within the compafs of zo miles ; the people perifhed for lack of know- ledge, while men who were capable of inftru ling them, were kept out of the church, or at leaft denied any preferment. But the queen was not fo much concerned for this, as for maintaining her fupremacy ; his grace therefore, by her order, drew up a form of fubfcription, to be made by all that heldany ecclefiaflical preferment, wherein they acknow- Life of Par- ledge and confefs, " That the reftoring the fupremacy to the crown, and ker, P. 77. the abolithing all foreign power; as well as the adminiftration of the " facraments according to the book of common prayer, and the queen's- " injunftions; is agreeable to the word of God and the prat Lice of the " primitive church." Which molt who favoured the reformation, as well as great numbers of time-ferving priefts, complied with; but fome refufed and were deprived. 3W. Lpenes The next thing the archbifhop undertook was, fettling the kalendar, me, p. 88. and the order of leffons to be read throughout the year, which hisgrace, as one of the ecclefia uical commiffaoners, procured letters under the great Peal to reform. Before this time it hadbeen left to the difcretioa of
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