2,3o 27e HISTORY off the PURITANS. Chap. Vl. Riwen the affair ; but upon his advancement to theepi e1 ai eea'er, he became a Elizabeth, new convert, and a cruel perfecutor of the Puritans. He was a little ro man, of a quick fpirit, and of no extraordinary charader. .Proccedings The parliament beingnow fitting, a bill was brought into the houle of podia- of Lords, to muht fuch as did not come to church and receive the fa- men;, crament, with the payment ofcertain fums of money ; but it was thought proper to drop it for the prefent. ar:d convoca- The convocation was bufy in framing articles, touching the admitting tien, able and fit perlons to the miniftry, and eflablifhing good order in the Life ofGrin- church. Thirteen of them were publifhed with the :queen's licence, dal, P. 194. though they had not the broad f al ; but the other two, For marrying at all times of theyear, andfor private baptifm by a lawfïd mini/ler, in cafes of neceffity, her majefty would not countenance. One of the articles Ai licences makes void all licences for preaching, dated before the 8thofFebruary 1575, ahade void. but provides, That fuch as Jhould be thought meet for that office, fhould be re- admitted without difficulty or charge. This had been pradifed once and again in Parker's time, and was now renewed, that by difqualifying the whole body of the clergy, they might clear the church of all the non- 'conformiíls at once; and if all the bithops had been equally fevere, in re- newing their licences, the church wouldhave been deftitute of all preach- ing ; for the bodyof the conforming clergy were fo ignorant and illiterate, that many who had cure offouls, were incapable of preaching, or even of reading to the edificationof the hearers; being obliged by law only to read the fervice, and adminifler the facrament in perfon once in half a year, on forfeitureof five pounds to the poor. .Diligence of The non- conformift minifters, under the charaaer of curates or lee- the Puritan turers, fupplied the defects of there idle drones, for a (mall recompence preachers. from the incumbent, and the voluntary contribution of the parifh; and by their warm and affehtionate preaching, gained the hearts of the peo- ple : They refided upon their curacies, and went from houle to houfe, vi- firing their parifhioners, and inftruding their children; they alto infpe red their lives and manners, and according to the apoftolical direftion, reproved, rebuked, and exhorted them, with all longfufèring and dollrine, as long as they could keep their licences. Thus moft of the puritan mini- fters remained as yet within the church, and their followers attended upon the word and facraments in fuch places, where there were fober and orthodox preachers. But fill! they continued their affociations and private affemblies, for re- covering the difeipline of the church, to a more primitive flandard : This was a grievance to the queen and court bithops, who were determined againft all innovations of this kind. Strange ! That men fhould confefs in their pseblick fervice, every firft day of Lent, That there was a godly difcipine Rife of the coatrcverfy about difri- pline.
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