Chap. VI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 24g We have already taken notice of the petitions and fupplications to par-peen liament from London, Cornwal, and Tome other places, for redrefs of ELzabeçó, grievances ; but the houle was fo intimidated by the queen's fpirited r8oyy behaviour, that they durft not interpole, any further than in conjunEtion with Tome of the bifhops, to petition her majesty as head ofthe church, to redrefs them. The queen promifed to take order about, it, with all conve- nient fpeed ; putting them in mind at the fame time, that all motionsfor reformation in religion, ought to arifefrom none but herflf. But her majesty's fentiments differed from the parliament's ; her greateft Queen re- grief was the increafe ofpuritans and non-conforms, and therefore instead quires furl of eafing them, The girt the laws clofer about them, in order to bring them confomtty° to an exa& conformity. Information being given, that Tome who had livings in the church, and preached weekly, did not administer the facra- ment to their parishioners in their own perfons, her majesty commanded her bifhopsin theirvifitations, to enquire after Inch HALF CONFORMISTS as disjoined one part of their funftion from the other, and to compel them by ecclefiaftical cenfures to perform the whole, at leaft twice a year. The puritan ministers being diffatisfied with the protnifcuous access of all per- tons to the communion, and with feveral paffages in the officefor theLord's flipper, forne of them ufèd to provide qualified clergymen to administer the ordinance in their room ; but this was now made a handle for their ejeEt- ment: Inquifition was made, and thofe who after admonition would not conform to the queen's pleafure, were tent for before the commifiioners and deprived. Though the springs ofdifcipline moved but !lowly in the diocefe of Can- terbury, becaufe the metropolitan, who is the firft mover in ecclefiaflical caufes under the queen, was fufpended and in difgrace; yet the fufferings of the puritans were not lefl'ened the other bishops who were in the high commi on, doubling -their diligence ; the reverend Mr. Nash was in the Marfhalfea.; Mr. Drewet in Newgate, and feveral others were flint -up in the:prifons in and about London. Thole who were at liberty had nothing to do, for they might not preach in publick, without fullconformity ; nor al- fèmble in private to mourn over their own and the nations fins, without the danger of a prifon. This exafperated their fpirits, and put them upon writing fatyrical pam- phlets againft their adversaries; in Tome of which, there are coarse and fling- ing reflefbons on the unpreaching clergy, calling them (in the language of fcripture) dumb dogs, becaufe they took no pains for the inftruCion of their parishioners ; The authors glanced at the feverity of the laws at the pride and ambition of the bifhops ; at the illegal proceedings of the high cammif ion, and at the unjustifiable rigors of the queen's government ; which her majefty being informed of, procured a statute ,this-very parlia-, V o L. I. ,K .k 'menta
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