Chap. VI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 239' " account may be given of that your doing and diligence in that behalf .,üeen accordingly. Fail you not fo to do, as you will anfwer the 'contrary Elizabeth, tt at your peril." Sc i Tour loving brother, JOHN LONDON. Moli of the bithops complied readily with the queen's letter, and put down the propbefyings ; but fome did it with reluftance, and purely in obedience to the royal command ; as appears by the following letter of the bifhop of Litchfield and Coventry, to his archdeacon. <t fC <t tt tt tt <t CC t< ft « 6t ft Salutem in Chriflo, Hereas the queen has been informed of fome matters handled Bp. of Lich: and abufed in the exercife at Coventry, and thereupon hath and Cov. written to me a tirait charge to inhibit the faid exercife ; thefe are Lerter. therefore to will and require you, and neverthelefs in her majefly's name MA P. 2844 to charge you, to forbear and flay yourfelves from that exercife, till it fhall pleafe God we may either by earnefl prayer, or humble petition, obtain the full ufe thereof with her good pleafure and full authority; and in the mean time fo to ufe the heavenly and moll comfortable gift of preaching, that you may leek and let forth Jefus Chrift and his kingdom, without contempt and controulment of the $ate and laws under which we ought to live in unity and peace; which I befeech God grant unto you and me, and all that look for the coming of our Saviour Chrifi, to whole direélion I commit you, this r8th of 'June, 1577." To my very lovingfriend and brother in Chr, Thomas Lever, arch- deacon of Coy. or in his abfence to the cenforsof theexercife there. Tour loving friend and brother in Chriji, THOMAS Coy.. and LICHF,- But our archbifhop could not go this length he who had complied with all the queen's injunétions, and with the feverities of the ecclefiafti- commillioners againft the puritans hitherto, is now dilireffed in con- GrindaI re. fcience, and confirained to difobey the commands of his royal miflrefs, fufet to con. in an affair of much lefs confequence than others he had formerly comply' plied with. Infiead therefore of giving direétions to his archdeacons, to execute the queen's commands, he writes a long and earneft letter to her majefly, dated December to, t 576, to inform her of the neceliìty and ufefulnefs of preaching, and of the fubferviency of the exercifes to this. purpofe.. With
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