T86 ?he H I'S T ORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VII. Rueen "This excellent letter was fo far from foftning the archbithop, that EI zabeth, twodays after, he returned his lordship a long answer, vindicating his in, j1584. terrogatories, from the praétice of the Star- chamber, the Cotirt ofMarches,- and other places. The treafurer found it was to no purpofe to contend, and therefore replied in a (port but finart letter, in which he tells him, " That after reading his grace's long anfwer, he was not fatisfied in the point of feeking by examination to have minifters accufe them- " felves, and then punifh them for their own confessions: That he would " not call his proceedings captious, but they were fcarcely charitable ; his `0 grace might therefore deal with his friend Mr. Brayne as he thought f Whit- " fit, but when by examining him, it was meant only to fift himwith gift, P. s6o. ,e twenty-four articles, he had caufe to pity the poor man." the arehbi- The archbishop being defirous to give fatisfat ion to the treafurer, fent .14' jug?Iles him two papers of reafons, one to justify the articles, and the other the his articles. manner of proceeding ex mero ef6cio. In the former hePays, Thai by the ecclefiaftical [or canon ] laws, articles of enquiry maybe adminiflered, and L. of Whit- have been ever fence the reformation ; and that they ought not to be com- gift, P. 162. pared with the inquifition, becaufe the inquifition punished with death, whereas they only punished obflinate offenders with deprivation. In the latter his lordship gives the following reafons among others, for proceed- His reafons ing ex mers ocio. (I.) If we proceed only by prefentment and witneffes, for proceed- then papi/ds, browns, and family would expea the like meafure. Ing by the y men, p oath ex.WE- (2") It is hard to get witneffes against the puritans, becaufe mof of the do. parishioners favour them, and therefore will not prefent them, nor appear againft them. (3.) There is great trouble and charge in examining wit- neffes, and fending for them fromdiftant parts. (4.) If archbifhops and bifhops should be driven to ufe proofs by witne/Tes only, the execution of the law would be partial, their charges in procuring and producing wit- neffes would be intolerable ; and they should not be able to make quick difpatch enough with thefi& aries. Thefe were the arguments of a pro- teflant archbithop! I do not wonder that they gave no fatisfaEtion to the wife treasurer; for furely, all who have any regard for the laws of their ,country, or the civil and religious rights of mankind, muff be ashamed of them. Lords of the The treafurer having given up the archbishop, the lords of the council council d&-a- took the cause in hand, and wrote to his grace and the bishop of London, risfied. in favour of the deprived miniflers, September the loth. In their let- L. of Whit- ter they tell their lordships, " That they had heard of fundry complaints gift, p. 166, tt out of divers counties, of proceedings againft a great number of ec- " clefaftical perfons, fome parsons, fome vicars, fome curates, but all " preachers ; fome deprived, and fome fufpended by their lordships offi- cers, chancellors, &c. but that they had taken no notice of thefe things, i
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