Chap. IV. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 125 communion cup; others with a common cup; fome with unleavened ..Tueen Elizabeth, " bread and force with leavened. 1564. Some receive kneeling, others flanding, others fitting ; force baptize " in a font, force in a bafon ; force fign with the fign of the crofs, others " fign not ; force minifter in a furplice, others without; force with a fquare cap, fame with a round cap, tome with a button cap, fóme with " a hat ; force in fcholars cloaths, force in others." Fier majefly was highly difpleafed with this report, and efpecially that her laws were fo little regarded ; the therefore direEted a letter to the arch - bithops of Canterbury and York, dated fan. 25th, " To confer with the " bithops of the ecclefiaftical commiffion, and to enquire what diverfities " there were among the clergy in doctrine, rites, and ceremonies, and " ° to take effeélual methods, that an exaëi. order and uniformity be main- " tained, in all external rites and ceremonies, as by law and good ufages " are provided for ; and that none hereafter be admitted to any ecclefiafli- Ibid. p.154. " cal preferment, but who is well difpofed to common order, and (hall formally promife to comply with it." To give countenance to this ftriél- nefs, it was reported that force of the warmer puritans had turned the habits into ridicule, and given unhandfome language to thole that wore them; which, according to Mr. Strype, was the occafion of their being preffed afterwards, with fo much rigor: But whatever gave occafion to the perfecution that followed, or whoever was at the head of it, fuppofing the infinuation to be juft, it was very hard that fo great a number of ufeful minillers, who neither cenfured their brethren, nor abufed their indulgence, by an unmannerly behaviour, fhould he turned out of their benefices, for the indifcretion of a few. The bithops in their letters to the foreign divines, had promifed, not to urge their brethren in tbefè things, and when opportunity ferved to leek reformation of them ; but now they took themfelves to be releafed from their promifes, and fet at liberty by the queen's exprefs command to the contrary ; their meaning being, that they would not do it of their own accord, without direftion from above. The puritans and their friends, forefeeing the florm, did what they Letters?. could to avert it. Pilkington bifhop of Durham wrote to the earl of Puritans to Leicefler, Otlobr. 25. to ufe his intereft with the queen in their behalf. `äint:ers4 He faid, " that cornpulfion fhould not be ufed in things of liberty. He fng ha- " prayed the earl to confider, how all reformed countries had call bits. " away popifh apparel, with the pope, and yet we contend to keep it f!.1.' al 55 " as an holy relick. That many minifters would rather leave their dnd Life f " livings than comply ; and the realm had a great fcarcity of teachers ; Parker, ,p- " many places being deftitute of any. That it would give incurable of- tendix, P, ss fence to foreign .proteflants ; and fince we have forfook popery as ¢0' wicked
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