2q8 the HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VI. .geen a faithful fubje 1 to her majefty, and a valiant commander in the -wars of ELzabeth, Ireland. s580. sN At the beginning of the next fefl'ions of parliament, which was Tan. Heyhi8n, p. i o. the commons voted, That as many of their members as conveniently Cainnrontvote could, / hould on the the Sundayfortnight, affemble and meet together, in the afajt. Temple Church, there tohave preaching, and tojoin together in prayer, with humiliation andfalling, for the affiance ofGod'sfpirit in all theirconfultati- ons, during this parliament andfor the prefervationof the queen's maje/ly and her realms. The houle was fo cautious as not to name their preachers, for fear they might be thought puritanical, but referr'd it to fuch ofher majefty's privy council, as were members of the houle. There was no- thing in this vote contrary to law, or unbecoming the wifdom of parlia- ment, but. the grieen was no fooner acquainted with it, than fhe Pent word ..Queenfor- by fir Chropher Hatton, her vice-chamberlain, that fhe did much admire hide it. at AO great a ra/hnefs in that houfè, as to put in executionfuch an itwovation, without herprivity andpleafurefir/t made known to them. Upon which it was moved by the courtiers, that the houfefhould acknowledge their fence and contempt, and humbly craveforgivenefs, with a full purpofe toforbear committing the likefor thefuture; which was voted accordingly. A mean and abject fpirit in the reprefentative body of the nation! Private faf Her majefty having forbid her parliament to appoint times for fatting tinge of the and prayer, tookhold of the opportunity, and gave the like injunlions to Clergyput her clergy ; force of whom, after the putting down of the PROP ESY i NGS, down. had ventured to agree upon days of private fatting and prayer for thequeen and church ; and for exhorting the people to repentance and reformation of life, at fuch times and places where they could obtain a pulpit. All the puritans, and the more devout part of the conforming clergy, fell in with thefe appointments ; fometimes there was one at Leicefter ; fometimes at Coventry and at Stanford, and in other places ; where fix or feven neigh- Heytin's ,bouring minitlers joined together in their exercifes; but as loon as the Aerrus Redi - queen was acquainted with them, fhe Pent a warmmeffage to the archbi- vivus, p.286. mop to fopprefs them, as being let up by private perlons, without authori- ty, in defiance of the laws, and of her prerogative. Mr. Prowd the puritan minifter of Burton upon Dunmore, complains in a melancholy letter to lord Burleigh, of the fad (late of religion, by fup- prefling the exercfes; and by forbidding the meeting of a few miniftets and chrillians, to pray for the prefervation ofthe proteftant religion, in this dangerous crifis, of the queen's marrying with a papi/t. He doubted whe- ther his lordthip dealt fo plainly with her majefty, as his knowledge of thefe things required, and begs him to interpofe. But the queen was determined againft all prayers, eicept what her Pelf fhould appoint. 1 We
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