Chap. VII. le HISTORY of the PÚRiTANS. a8ß " things, hoping their lorafhips would have Raid their hafty proceed- teem " ings, efpecially againft filch as did earneftly inftruét the people againft Elizabeth, " popery. But now of late, hearing of great numbers ofzealous and learn- " ed preachers fufpended from their cures in the county of Effex, and " that there is no preaching, prayers, or facraments in .molt of the va- " cant places ; that in fore few of them, perlons neither of learning. " nor good name are appointed ; and that in other places of the corm- " try, great numbers of perlons that occupy cures, are notorioufly unfit ; molt for lack of learning ; many chargeable with great and enormous " faults, as drunkennefi, falthineJ3 of life, gaming at cards, haunting of ale- " ° houfes, &c. againft whom they [the council] heard of no proceed- " ° ings, but that they were quietly fuffered." To fix this charge home on the hilltops, they fent with their letter a catalogue of names; one co- lumn pf learned minifters deprived ; a fecond of unlearned and vicious perlons continued ; " a matter very lamentable, fay they, for this time!" and a third of pluralßs and non- refidents ; " againft there latter we [the " council] have heard of no inquifition ; but of great diligence, and ex- " treme ufage againft thofe that were known to be diligent preachers ; " we therefore pray your lordfbips, to have fore charitable confideration " of their caufes, that people may not be deprived of their diligent,. " learned, and zealous paftors, for a few points ceremonial, which en- " tangled their confciences." This letter was dated fromOatlands, Sep- tember the loth 1584, and figned by lord Burleigh, the earls of War- wick, Shrewfbury, and Leicefter; the lord Charles Howard, Sir fames Crofts, Sir Chrjopher Hatton; and Sir Francis Wafngham fecretary of fiate. But this excellent remonftrance had no manner of influence upon our Mr. Beale- archbifhop. After this Mr. Beale, clerk of the queen's council, a man writes a of great learning and piety, drew up a tratife, (hewing the injuftice a óß and unlawfulnefs of. the bifhop's proceedings; and delivered it in ma- L. of tit_ nufcript into the archbifhop's own hands, which together with fore gift, P. 137: freedom of fpeech, inflamed his grace to that degree, that he complained: of him to the queen and council, and ufed all his intereft to have him tried in the Star-chamber, and turned out of his place. Among his mif- Ibld. P. ara. demeanors, drawn up by the archbifhop were thefe, t. That he had r archbi. printed a book againft ecclefiaftical oaths. 2. That in the houleást`fhi,,. of commons he had fpoke of ecclefiaflical matters, contrary to the queen's in she Star- command. 3. That he had defended his book againft the praltifeof the Chamber, ecclefiaftical courts. q. That he had difputed againft the queen's having authority, by virtue of the flatute of the i ft of Elizabeth; to grant power to her ecclefiaftical commiftioners, to imprifon whom they pleafb ; to impofe fines upon offenders ; and to adminifter the oath ex join, faying they
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