VII. commissioners joined with his lordship [the said bishop] in CHAP. commission for ecclesiastical causes, and with the commissioners of the peace: in abusing the authority and trust Anno 1577. committed unto him by the said commission, in bearing and maintaining disorderly riots and unlawful acts: in making without discretion fond and unlawful licences for keeping of May-games, &c.: in threatening divers persons that had 488 honestly done their duties in her majesty's service: in taking order for sparing the punishment of offenders: prohibiting without cause some honest persons from the communion, only for displeasure conceived by his lordship against them: in keeping benefices ecclesiastical without incumbents; employing the profits to his own purse, or at his pleasure: taking rewards simoniacally for ecclesiastical livings granted by him, &c.: openly citing them [the justices] to appear at his consistory, to be reformed in religion, without any just cause of suspicion, information, or presentment, upon untrue surmises of matter, on purpose to vex and trouble them, and to bring them into discredit. Also, they thought he wanted consideration in appointing so many men of such calling and credit [as they themselves were] to appear before his lordship [the bishop] in so open a place, one day, time, and instant, viz. one knight, eighteen squires, some of them justices of peace, and above thirty other persons, most whereof gentlemen. Also, that his lordship came that day with many more men than he was accustomed to ride with, being well weaponed; who stood about the consistory during the time of his lordship's sitting: and the register being his lordship's servant, having his sword holden by him in the consistory by a sumner, during the time of his lordship's sitting. And that he caused two of the servants, upon a surmised warrant made to them, as special bailiffs of the same for that time, in a matter of an action upon the cause, at his lordship's own suit, to arrest one Rand. Barlow in his said church near the consistory; and violently to have drawn and carried him away, without shewing any warrant, until a justice of peace within the city, seeing the BOOK tumult, commanded them, in her majesty's name, to keep the peace. II. Anno 1577. The bishop To all these articles the poor bishop was fain to come up, and make answer. "Imprimis, The said defendant com" plaineth unto your honourable good lordship, that almost " all of the articles were ordered by the right honourable the "earl of Leicester, about four years ago. And this defend"ant did satisfy his lordship's order, as his lordship know"eth. That almost all of them be very old, and that no "subject ought by two statutes," &c. But I shall add no more of this matter, to avoid prolixity. This is enough to shew the hard circumstances the bishops were often in these times put into by means of many gentlemen in their dioceses, whether popish or puritanically inclined, for the discharge of their duties, and of the commands they received from court. The bishop of Ely, mentioned above, being grown aged, of Ely mind- and wearied with cares and lawsuits, and desiring to retire ed resign. to the lord Literæ E' from the world, had thoughts of resigning his bishopric, and to spend the remainder of his days in peace. And in order to the obtaining of this, he made use of his old friend, His letter the lord treasurer; to whom he thus brake his mind, (leav treasurer. ing further particulars to be opened to him by his son-inlaw, Mr. Parker, son to the late archbishop of Canterbury.) "My very good lord. Christus ad finem dilexit suos. pales penes ،، I doubt not but you will follow his steps, et usque ad "finem veros diliges amicos. Sir, I am now in fine æta"tis; and I heartily pray you help me in fine ætatis. "Nam libenter quæro donari rude; et quod superest vitæ " paulo tranquillius peragere. You are the only man to " relieve me of my desire. My function requireth a per 489 "fect man. I wax daily very unperfect. Ipsa senectus " morbus est, cum corporis et membrorum imbecillitate. I " will commit no more to pen and ink, but will desire your "honour to give credit to this bearer, my son-in-law, John "Parker; with whom I have conferred: desiring your lord" ship to confer with him at such length as you may most VII. "conveniently spare. And so I beseech the Lord Jesus to CHAP. " have you in his blessed keeping, with increase of health " and godliness. From my palace at Ely, the 10th of No- Anno 1577. "vember, 1577. "Your lordship's assured, "Richard Ely, manu vacillante." It was not before the year 1579, when this resignation was prosecuted more vigorously: and with what success will be shewn under that year. of Winwick, before the by. Rev. T. There was now one John Caldwel, parson of the rich rec-John Coldtory of Winwic in Lancashire. Hardly the same with John wel, parson Coldwel, sometime bishop of Sarum, (though their names his sermon were near alike,) who was born at Feversham in Kent; ad_preached mitted fellow of St. John's college, Cambridge, anno 1558; earl of Darrector of Aldington in the diocese of Canterbury; domestic Baker. chaplain to archbishop Parker; hardly ever removing out of Kent till he got the bishopric. But concerning this Caldwel, I have this remark to make, that he preached a sermon this year, 1577, before Henry earl of Darby, his patron, in his chapel at New Park in Lancashire; which was printed by that lord's command. The main subject of it was to shew, what an happy deliverance this church and kingdom obtained by queen Elizabeth's access to the throne; and the blessed reformation established by her, together with her parliament. Wherein he used these expres-Lambeth's sions: "When we were ignorant in God's word, and heard library. " nothing but the sound of a tinkling cymbal; did we not " think superstition to be religion, deceivers true teachers; "vanity to be verity; the gospel to be heresy: to gad " abroad on pilgrimages from this saint to that saint, to be " a part of God's service; men's traditions the command"ments of God; Antichrist, Christ's vicar; the man of " Rome, who is a creature overwhelmed with all wicked"ness, the beast that did rise out of the bottomless pit, a " most holy father? Yea, we thought that God was de" lighted with incense, perfume, wax candles, golden copes "and vestments. And we worshipped those things which BOOK 66 our own conscience gave us to understand were no gods. "We made no difference almost between Christ and his Anno 1577. " creatures. We confounded the sign with the thing signi"fied; and worshipped a wafer cake, which is a creature " corruptible, instead of the Maker of heaven and earth; " and believed it was the very body of Christ that was " born of the Virgin Mary, and slain for our sins upon the "cross. The cause of all which errors was the ignorance of " Christ and his word. His text was taken out of Romans, " chapter xiii. 11-14. And that considering the season, " that now it is time that we should awake, &c." Statutes of the collegiate church of Westmin To the rest of these ecclesiastical persons, and matters, wherein they were about this time concerned, I add the re lation of a purpose this year undertaken, of confirming the ster to be statutes of the collegiate church of Westminster, Dr. Gaconfirmed. briel Goodman, dean; chiefly occasioned upon some neglect 490 of residence in the prebendaries, and for their better observance of preaching themselves in their turns: which the good dean was minded to redress. And moving it to the lord treasurer Burghley, the said lord required of him an account of the orders of the college, as they were made and observed formerly by his predecessor Dr. Bill; who was the first dean of that church after the settlement thereof by the queen. Which he therefore sent, drawn up with his own hand, in order to a reformation of some things, and for the making of some new statutes. The title it bore was, The order of the government of the college of Westminster, sithence the last erection: begun by Dr. Bill, and continued by me; with the assent of the chapter: as appears by divers decrees recorded in the chapter-book. This I have reposited in the Appendix. And with it the dean thus expressed his desire in a letter to the said lord: No. X. The dean's letter con "That he was bold to send his honour a brief declaracerning " tion of the orders used in the government of the college them to the " by Dr. Bill, and him, since the last erection: that it lord trea surer. " might please him to confer the same with the statutes, " and to consider thereof, as he should think good. He VII. "prayed God that might be done, which might be to God's CHAP. " glory, the queen's honour, and the good example of the "church. He wished a convenient residence of both dean Anno 1577. " and prebendaries. First, That every one might sometime " preach in their own persons. Secondly, That they [both "dean and prebendaries] might be present in the church " to pray, as their most bounden duty was, for her majesty, "being their founder. And thirdly, For the better order " and government of the church. That unless there were " daily commodity for residence in the church, as it was at "Windsor, and such like places, he feared (which he was 66 sorry to speak) the residence would not be so well kept. " I beseke your honour, added he, that there may be that " moderation used which shall be most convenient for all respects. Hitherto I and the company, I thank God, " have agreed very brotherly, and with great quietness, as " any such company, I hope; I would be sorry, if by seek"ing to better things, dissension should grow, or unquiet"ness. My special trust is in God, that as he hath done " under her majesty, with motherly care to his church, and 66 your honour, with godly zeal to virtue and learning, so " he will work some good effect of this travail. Thus with 66 my continual prayer for you and all yours, I humbly " take my leave. From Westminster college this 15th of " November, 1577. "Your honour's most bounden, "Gabrielle Goodman." up, pre This motion of the dean produced some new statutes; New stabut how long after, I cannot assign; but some years after tutes drawn it was, Whitgift being then archbishop. For I meet with pared for the signet. an humble request of the dean of Westminster, for confirmation of the statutes, which had been drawn up and prepared for the signet. And so Dr. Cæsar, master of the requests, had signified; but it seems, not well-pleasing to some of the prebendaries, choosing rather to have been left 491 more at their liberty. His said humble request was, "That The dean's " whereas in his last he exhibited an humble petition to her letter. |