Chap. VI. The HISTORY of the PJRITANS. 237 their heads with notions, and might occafion difputes and feditions in the Queen ftate ; that it was good for the church to have but few preachers, three Elizabeth, or four in a county being fufficient. She further declared her diflike of ''i the number of thefe exercifes, and therefore commanded him peremptorily to put them down. Letters of this tenor were fent to all the bithops in England : The copy of her majefty's letter to the bifhop of London; with his lordfhip's order thereupon, being before me, I (hall impart it to the reader. Salutem inChriflo, " ° LTA VING received from the queen's majefty letters of lirait K commandment, touching the reformation of certain diforders " and innovations within my diocefe; the tenor whereof Lhave inferted;, " as followeth ELIZABETH., Right ReverendFather in God, E greet you well. We hear to our great grief,' that in fundry Her letter- " parts of our realm, there are no fmall number of perlons pre-for that pur-- " fuming to be preachers and'teachers in the church, though neitherlaw.pofe " fully thereunto called, nor yet meet for the fame; who contrary to " our laws eftablithed, for the publick divine fervice of almighty God, " and the adminifiration of his holy facraments, within this church of " England, do daily devife, imagine, propound, and put in execution, " fundry new rites and forms in the church, as well by the inordinate " preaching, reading, and miniftring the facraments, as by procuring " unlawfully of affeinblies, and great numbers of our people, out of their " ordinary parifhes, and from places far diftant; and that alfo of tomeof our " ° fubjeëts ofgood callings (though therein not well advifed) to be hearers " of their difputations, and new deviled opinions upon points of divi- " nity, far unmeet for vulgar people; which manner of minifirations, " they in fome places term.PROpssrSYINGS, and in fome other places " 6 EXERCISES; by means of which affemblies, great- numbers of our " people, efpeciallyof the vulgar fort (meet to be otherwife occupied with " fome honeft labour for their living). are brought to idlenefs, feduced, " and in manners fchifmaticallydivided among themfelves, into vat ietyof dangerous opinions, not only in towns and parifhes ; but even fome fa- " milks are manifeftly thereby encouraged to the violation of our laws, " and to the breach of common orders, and not fmally to the offence " of all our quiet fubjeds, that delire to live and ferve God, according " to the uniform orders eflablifbed in the church, whereby thefe [exercifesj " cannot but be dangerous to be fuffered. Wherefore confidering it fhould be the duty of bithops, being the principal ordinaryofficers in the
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