epiftle to his chaplain in that diocefe, full of fevere reflections against the conduct of the Bishop of Norwich. His Grace of Norwich wrote a letter to the privy council, who were as yet ignorant of these proceedings, and were furprized at the Archbishop's inftructions. They, upon this, ordered his lordship to fupport the prophefyings, and wrote a letter to him for that purpose, figned by T. Smith, Wa. Mildmay, Edwin, Bishop of London; Francis Knollys. This furprized and nettled Parker; it was an unexpected mortification, to find his darling project contradicted by an order of the privy council, whom he imagined were as bent upon perfecuting measures as himself; yet, for the time, he diffembled his Chagrin. Parker's averfion to thefe prophefyings was fo ftrong, that it was not a fmall oppofition to his measures that could make him give up his enterprize; he therefore acquainted the Queen with the injunctions of the privy council concerning the continuation of these prophefying focieties, contrary to her exprefs command; and defired to and defired to understand by what authority they had iffued fuch injunctions. The privy council finding the Queen offended at their proceeding, ceased to interfere any farther in this affair, and left her in full poffeffion of the victory. The old Bishop of Norwich was obliged to yield, and wrote to his chancellor to fupprefs thefe focieties. This disagreeable employment broke his heart, and he died foon after. Bishop Parkhurst, was chaplain to Queen Katherine Parr, and rutor to Bishop Jewel. In the reign of Mary, he fled

to

!

to Zurich in Switzerland, and remained an exile all the time of her reign. He was a great friend of the Puritans, and was always unwilling to treat them severely. He often remonftrated against the feverities of the Archbishop, and with reluctance obeyed his orders. He appears to have been a

good man, and is faid to have been a learned divine, and zealous proteftant. Some religious people in Cambridgfhire, were accustomed to affemble on holidays, and on other occafions, after they had finished their work, to read the fcriptures and confirm one another in the faith of the christian religion, and practice of morality: the commiffioners were informed of thefe affemblies, and commanded the clergy in thefe parishes to fupprefs these unlawful meetings, as they were disposed to call them. These plain honest people declared, that they had no intention of disturbing the peace of either church or ftate, but affembled for their mutual edification, and to promote bro therly love and charity. Their own account of their affemblies is worthy of recording. They fay, formerly we have at divers times fpent and confumed our holy days vainly, in drinking at the ale-house, and playing at cards and dice, and other vain pastimes, not meet for us, and fuch of our calling and degree, for which we have been often blamed by our parfons: we thought it better to bestow that time in foberly and godly reading the fcriptures, only for the purposes aforefaid, and no other. We do not favour or maintain any of the opinions of the Anabaptifts, Puritans, Papifts,

or

or Libertines, but would be glad to learn our duty towards God, our Prince and magiftrates, towards our families and neighbours, in fuch fort as becomes good, faithful and obedient fubjects; and it is our greatest and only defire, to live, follow, and perform the fame, accordingly as God fhall give us grace. But the Archbishop was not fo much afraid of drunkenness, cards and dice, as of praying and reading the scriptures. Revelation opens the understandings of men, and teaches them to judge for themselves, in what pertains to religion, and is exceeeding dangerous to all forts of hierarchy in the church, except that of Jefus Chrift, which teaches it in its utmost latitude. Parker well knew, that a few ignorant men are far eafier impofed on, than fuch as know that liberty wherewith Chrift hath made them free; for this reafon he was an enemy to that fort of exercise, which tends to improve the minds of men in religious knowledge.

Sampfon, Dean of Chrift's church, Oxford, refigned his lecture this year, being ftruck with a palfey, and no longer able to do duty. Sampfon was a man of great honefty and integrity, and fuffered much for the fake of a good confcience; he ufed great freedom with his fuperiors, and as a faithful brother both reproved their fins, and pointed out their duty to them: he was not afraid of dignity nor power when his duty required him to speak or act. His letters to Grindal fhew the goodness of his heart, and the uprightnefs of his difpofition. The pageantry of a Bishops train did

not

not appear to him confiftent with that humility which the gospel requires; for this reafon he puts Grindal in mind of the fnares he was expofed to, by complying with what was inconfiftent with a good confcience, and the fimplicity of religion. Such plainnefs will be reckoned among men who guide their converfation by their worldly intereft, rude and imprudent; but at the fame time, that their paffions condemn the measures, their confciences muft commend the man, and approve of his freedom and honesty.

Parker, about this time, pretended to discover a plot, which in the end raifed much ridicule against him; he was fond of hearing ftories, and liftened to all the reports which were told him concerning the non-conformifts. One of his fervants contrived a fham plot, with a defign to difgrace the Puritans, and reported that one Undertree, and fome others, had agreed to murder the Lord Treasurer, and the Archbishop. Parker was alarmed at this news, and almoft fright) ened out of his fenfes; he knew that the Puritans owed him no favours, and believed the reality of this confpiracy which never exifted, except in the falfe report of his fervant, and his own difordered imagination. He immediately wrote to the Lord Treafurer, an account of this confpiracy, in fuch an incoherent manner, which thewed the concern he was in, and the deep impreffion the fear thereof made upon him: he faid that this horrible confpiracy had so astonished him, that his will and memory were quite gone, and wifhed Vol. II. B b

wifhed that he were dead before he should fee with his bodily eyes, that which was now brought to a full ripeness. He prayed that the discoverer of the confpiracy might be protected and honourably rewarded, and the confpirators punished with the utmost severity, otherwise the end would be worse than the beginning. Parker, to diffemble his fear, pretended that his chief concern was for the fafety of the Queen, and Treasurer; for he faid he was afraid when wicked men attempted to destroy those who were near her Majefty's perfon, that they would at laft make an attempt upon her alfo; and that even the Earl of Lei-. cefter, who pretended to be her bofom friend would fting her, when he had an opportunity. The Archbishop fent proper officers to apprehend fome of the chief of the Puritans, whom he fufpected; but after the matter was fairly enquired into, it appeared to be a mere contrivance of the Bishop's fervant, to bring disgrace upon the Puritans. The Archbishop's reputation fuffered prodigiously by this plot; all impartial people blamed him for imprifoning men of character and reputation, upon fuch idle reports. The Puritans called in question his honour, but more difputed his honesty; the Bishop of London, and Dr Chatterton, of Queen's college, Cambridge, reflected upon him feverely; which provoked him to give them fome very ungenteel names; he called them chatterers, and faid he cared not two chips for all that, they could prove against him.

The