Chap. VII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 273 " had none left but fuch as they could prove unfit for that office, being Quzeean beth, " altogether ignorant, havin g been either p o pi ll rie /s or ht f tIe f i men, " thruft in upon the miniflry, when theyknew not elfe how to live ; men " ofoccupation,fervingwen, and the bafefl ofall forts ; and which is moft " lamentable, as they are men of no gifts, fo they are ofno common honef- " ty,but rioters, dicers, drunkards, &c. and of offenfive lives. Thefe are the " men(fay they) that are fupported,:whole reports andfttggeflions againíl " others, are readily receivedand admitted ; by reafon of which, multitudes " of paps, hereticks, and other enemies toGodand the queen, are encreafed, "..and we our felves in danger of being intuited. We therefore humbly " befeech your honours in the bowels of.7efus Chrifl, to be a means ofre- " .floring our godly and faithful miniflers fo shall we andmany thoufands " of her majefty's fulljeéls, continue our daily fupplications to almighty " God, &c." The petition of the inhabitants of Norwich, figned with 176 hands, andNorwichpr- many letters and fupplications from the molt populous towns-in England, the fame purpofe, are now before me. But thefe appeals of the puritans and their friends, did them no fervice ; for the watchful archbifhop, whole eyes were about him, writ to the council to put them in mind, " That " the caufe of the puritans did not lie before them: That he wondered at " the prefumption of the nsinfers, to bring his doings in.queflion before " their lordfhtps , and at their proud fpirit, to dare to offer to difpute be- " fore fo great a body, againfl the religion eflablifhed by law, and againfl " a book fo painfully penned, and confirmed by the higheft authority." 'He then adds, " That it was not for h'rm to fit in his place, ifevery cu-Abp', reman_ " rate in his diocefe muff difpute with him ; nor could he do his duty./trancea- to the queen, if he. might not nJi proceed without interruption ; but ifga'tbem.. " they would help him, he lhould foon bring them to comply." As to the L. of Whit- gentlemen who petitioned for their miniflers, he told them to their faces, gift, p. s2ß. that he would not fuffer their miniflers, unlefs they would fub- fcribe : that no church ought to fuffer its laudable rites to be neglefìed; that tho' the miniflers were not hereticks, they werefch,fntatics, becaufe they raifed a contention in the church, about things not neceffary to falvati- on. And as for lack of preaching, if the gentlemen or parifhoners would let him difpofe of their livings, he would take care to provide them with able men. Thus this great prelate, who had complied with the popith religion, andkept his place in the univerfity through all the reign ofqueen Mary, was refolved to bear down all oppofition, and to difplay his fove. reign power: againff thofe, whole confciences were not as flexible as his own. But not . content with his epifcopal jurifdiaion, his grace folicited the 'He pet;tìöns queen for a new ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION, and gave -her'trlaje(ìy the queenfor VOL. I. N n thefe a newocclefi- a/heal com- myion.
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