Chap. VII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 3°5 "- gar the clergy ; will bring in a bate and unlearned miniftry ; lcffen item " the hofpitality of cathedrals ; be an encouragement to Ancients to go E35844Áa, " over to foreign feminaries, where they may be better provided for ; and hi a word, will make way for anarchy and confafion." And to give fome fatisfa&ion to the publick, they prefented fix ar- B(jbop'spro- tidies to the queen, as the : film of all that needed amendment. The Lo /Ols. Whit - frft was, that none fhould be admitted into holy orders -under twenty- gift,p, zoo, four years of age; that they fhould have prefentation to a cure ; that they fhould bring teftimonials of their good life ; and that the bifhop might refufe whom he thought fit, without the danger of a quare irnpedit. The fecond was, to reftrain the commutation of penance, except upon great confideration, of which the bifhop to be judge. The third was to reftrain licences to marry without bands. The fourth to moderate fome excefiès about excommunication. The fifth for re- training pluralities of benefices. The fixtb concerning fees to eccle- fiaftical officers and their fervants. But even thefe articles lay by till the year 1597, when they were confirmed in convocation, and after- wards incorporated among the canons. In the mean time, the bill againft pluralities paffed the houle of com- The bill re- mons, and was fent up to the lords, where the archbifhops of Canterbury jernedby the and York, and bifhop of Winche/ter made long fpeeches, (hewing, That lards. neither the cathedrals, nor profeffors in the univerfities, could fublft with- out them. To prove this, they produced a lift of the fmall value of many ecclefiaftical livings, according to the queen's books. To which it was replied, That there were many fufpended preachers would be glad of the fmalieft of thofe livings, if they might have them without moleftation; however, that it was more proper to go upon ways and means for the augmentation of fmaller livings, than to fuller the poor people to perifh for lack of knowledge, while the incumbents were in- dulged in idlenefs and (loth; but the weight of the bench of bithops, with the court interefl, threw out the bill. This exafperated the commons to that degree, that after the holidays Other bills they refumed the debate of the bill of petitions, and ordered feveral othexfor reforma- bills to be brought in, to clip the wings of the bifhops, and leffen the Lion troughs i power of the fpiritual courts. One was for fwearing bishops in the courts n. of Chancery and King's-bench, that they fhould ad nothing againft the common law of the land. Another to reduce their fees. A third for li- betty to marry at all times of the year. A fourth for the qualification of minifters. And a fifth for reftoring of difcipline. The aEt for qua- lifying minifters, annuls all popifh ordinations and dii'qualifies Inch as were not capable of preaching, as well as thofe who were convifted of V o L. I. R r pro-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=