Chap. VI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 241 bench : She would not fuffer her commands tobe difputed by theprimate Zu,e, of all England, but by an order from the Star Chamber, confined him im- El'Zabet3" mediately to his houle, and fequeftered him from hisarchiepifcopal func- tion for fix months. This was a high difplay of the fupremacy, when the head of the church,. being a woman, without confulting the bithops, or any of the clergy in convocation affembled, (hall pronounce fo perempto- rily in -a matter purely refpeéting religion ; and for non - compliance, tie up the-hands of her archbifhop, who is the firft mover under the prince in all ecclefiaftical affairs: Before the expiration of the fix months, which was in December, ,Grindal was advifed to maks his fubmitfion, which he did fo far as to acknowledge the queen's mildnefs and gentlenefs in his rellraint, and to promife obedience for the future ; but he could not be perfuaded to re- trae his opinion, and confefs his forrow for what was pall; there was -therefore tome talk of depriving him, which being thought too fevere, his fequeftration was Hill continued tillabout a year before his death ; however his grace never recovered the queen's favour. Thus ended theprophefyings, or religious exercifes of the clergy ; an ufeful inftitution for promoting chili.- tian knowledge and piety, at a time when both were at a very low ebb in the nation. The queen put them down for no other reafon, but be- Lcaufe they enlightened the people's minds in the fcripture, and encou- raged their enquiries after truth; her majefty bang always of opinion, that knowledge and learning in the laity, would only endanger their peace- able fubmiffion to her abfolute will and pleafure. This year put an end to the life of that eminent divine, Mr. Thomas Death of Lever, a great favourite of queen Elizabeth till he refufed the habits. Mr. Lever. He was mailer of St. fohn's College, Cambridge, in the reign of king Edwara VI. and reckoned one of the moll eloquent preachers in thole times. He had a true zeal for the proteftant religion, and was an exile for-it, all the reign of queen Mary. Upon queen Elizabeth'sacceflìon, he might have had the highell preferment in the church, but could not ac- cept it, upon the terms of fùbfbription and wearing the habits; he was therefore fufpended by the ecclefiaftical commif iioners ; till his great name and fingular merit, reflecting an odium upon thole who had deprived the church of his labours, and expofed him a fecond time to poverty and want, after his exile, he was at length difpenfed with, and made archdea- con of Coe, and master of Sherburne hofpital near Durham, where he (fpent the remainder of his .days, in great reputation and ufefulnc fs : He was a refolute non-conforrnill, and wrote letters to encourage the deprived rninillers to ftand by the principles, and wait patiently for a further refor- mation. He was buried in the chapel of his own hofpital, having this plain infcription on a flat marble (lone over his grave, Thomas Lever, VoL. I. '. I i preacher
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