Chap. VII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 317 preacher againft the lordly proceedings of the bithops, for which, and Queen for refuting the oath ex o cio, he fuffered a long imprifonment. He was ,Elizabeíh, r586. afterwards apprehended again, upon fufpicion of his being one of the au- thors of Martin Mar Prelate, which he denied, but confeffing he did not M. S. diflike the book, he was therefore confined in the Compter and the Gate- &c 54.843, houfè, till (I believe) he confuted to leave the realm. In the parliament that met this year, Otlob. 29th. and 28 Eliz. the pu- Supplication ritanmini/lers made another effort for parliamentary relief, for which pur- nhtó men the pole they prefented an humble fupplication to the houle of commons : in parliat. which they fay, " It pierces our hearts with grief, to hear the cries of the country people for the word ofGod. Thebifhops either preach not " at all, or very leldom ; neither can they for their manifold bufinefs, " their diocefes being too large for their perfonal infpeEtion ; betides they +° are incumbered with civil affairs, not only in their own ecclefiaflical " courts, In centres teflamentary, &c. but as lord barons,ju/iices of peace, " members of the ftar-chamber, council table, and ecclfaftical common ; " all which is contrary to the words of Chrill, who Pays, His kingdom is " not of this world ; and contrary to the pra&ice of all other reformed "churches. And whereas the fcriptures fay, that minifters of the gofpel " fhould be fuch as are able to teach found doctrine, and convince gain- " flyers, yet the bithops have made priefts of the bafeft of the people, not e. only for their occupations and trades whence they have taken them, as fhoe- makers, barbers, taylors, water - bearers, fhepherds, and hole-keepers; but alto for their want of good learning and honefty. How true this " our complaint is, may appear by the SURVEY of fomefhiresandcounties " hereunto annexed, even Tome of the belt, whereby the refl may be efti- " mated. " We do acknowledge, that there are a number of men within the mi- " niftry, who have good and acceptable gifts, and are able to preach the " word of God to edification ; of which number there are two forts : " There are a great number that live not upon the place where they are " beneficed, but abandon their flocks, dire&ly contrary to the charge of " Chrift to Peter, Paying, Feed my /beep ; and of the apoftle Paul to the " elders at Ephefus, Take heed toyourfelves, and theflock over which the ho- " ly Gho/i has made you overfeers, tofeed the church of God. Of this fort " are fundry bifhops, who have benefices in commendam ; univerfity men, " e and chaplains at court; others get two or three benefices into their " hands, to ferve them for winter and fummer houles; which pluralities " and non-refidencies are the more grievous, becaufe they are tolerated by " law. There are indeed leveral that reticle upon their benefices, but con- " tent theinfelves with jufl fatisfying the law ; that is, to have divine ter- " vice read, and four fermons a year.
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