their parishioners, and to give in their prefentments when required; w hereby it was impoffible for any honeft puritan to escape the high commiffion. This uneceffary feverity was the occafion of many evils to the nation; thereby many churches were fhut up in the city of London, for want of ministers to do duty in them, which much affected all good men, and ftrengthened the hands of the papifts, who rejoiced at feeing the reformers fall out with one another.

Many of those who were the most useful preachers, were now laid afide, and none were now found to fupply their places, which raised a great murmuring among the people. Even fome of the Bishops complained to the Queen, that many of her Majesty's people in the northren counties, were perifhing for want of food, for their fouls, and had not heard a fermon for feven years; and that their blood would be required at fome perfon's hands. After this manner did Bishop Sandys preach before her Majefty. But Parker went on with his work; he called in all licences, according to the advertisemen s, and appointed all preachers throughout his whole province, to take out new ones. The design of this was, that he might include lecturers and occafional preachers, as well those who had the cure of fouls. All parfons and curates were forbidden to fuffer any to preach in their churches, upon any former licences granted by the Archbishop; and those who received new ones, bound themfelves for time coming, not to disturb the establishment, nor vary from it.

The

The puritan preachers who could not in conscience take out new licences, kept their old ones, and made the best use of them that they could; they travelled through the country, and preached where they obtained leave. For this reafon Bishop Jewel compared them to the apof tles, and in fome refpects they did indeed refemble them, for they had neither filver nor gold, nor fettled refidence. There was at this time one thing which was of confiderable advantage to the puritans; the university of Cambridge held a priviledge, which was granted by Pope Alexander the fixth, to licence twelve minifters yearly, to preach any where throughout the whole kingdom of England, without obtaining licences from any of the Bishops. These preachers had their licence under the common feal of the univerfity, and had liberty to preach durante vita naturali, during their natural life. The Archbishop wrote to the chancellor praying him to fet afide this practice. The reafons he gave were (1) because the prefent licences varied from the original bull, for they were given out by the Vice Chancellor, whereas they ought to have been given by the Chancellor only; (2) Because it was unreasonable to give licences, durante vita naturali, i. e. for natural life; whereas they ought to be only quam diu nobis placuerint & dum laudabiliter gefferint, i. e. during our pleasure, or as long as they behaved well; (3) and what was moft grievous to Parker, was the claufe which infringed his own and brethren's jurifdiction, that they might preach without licence

from

from any of the Bishops. This was accounted infufferable; the Vice Chancellor was fent for to London, to defend the privileges of the university, which he did to the fatisfaction of the Chancellor this fo inraged Parker, that he declared he would not admit any of their licences, without the Chancellor's name. He said he did not imagine that the Vice Chancellor, by his pretended fkill and experience in the civil law, could inform his honour of any thing he was not capable of anfwering. But his Grace met with a disappointment, for the univerfity retained their privilege, and made use of it for the relief of the Puritans.

This fummer the Queen visited the university of Cambridge, and continued there five days, and was entertained by the scholars with fpeeches and difputations. A philofophy act was kept by Thomas Byng, of Peter-house, on the two following queftions. 1. Whether monarchy be not the best form of government. 2. Whether frequent alterations of the laws be not dangerous? The opponents were Mr Thomas Cartwright of Trinity College, Mr Chaderton of Queen's College, Meff. Prefton and Clark of King's College, who performed their parts to the fatisfaction of the Queen and the whole audience; but Preston pleased her Majefty beft, and was made her fcholar, with the fettlement of a fallary. The questions in divinity 1. Whether the authority of the scripture is greater than that of the church. (2.) Whether the civil magiftrate has authority in ecclefiaftical affairs? Thefe were the teft of thofe times.

were.

Vol. II.

N

At

At the end of the difputation the Queen made fhort and elegant oration in Latin, encouraging the scholars to purfue their studies, with a promise of her countenance and protection. This univerfity not long after, was brought to much trouble by a controverfy, concerning the habits, efpecially the furplice. Dr Longworth, Master of St John's College, being abfent, the Students of that univerfity came to chapel without their hoods and furplices on a festival day, to the number of three hundred, and continued to do fo for fome time, and the mafter when he returned, took no notice of this tranfgreffion. In Trinity College all except three declared against the furplice, and the rest of the Colleges were ready to follow their example. The news of this proceeding was foon carried to court, and it was easy to perceive a ftorm arifing against Cambridge. Several members of the university wrote to the fecretary, humbly befeeching his interceffion with the Queen, that they might not be compelled to receive a Popifh ceremony which they had laid afide. Cecil wrote an angry letter, admonishing them to return quietly to the habits, which they had ufed before. He alfo wrote to

the Vice Chancellor, requiring him to call together the heads of the Colleges, and let them know that their favour with the Queen depended upon their obedience in this particular.

The Mafters of this univerfity of Cambridge, were fenfible of the danger they were in of lofing their ftudents, if the habits were preffed upon them, wrote another letter to Secretary Cecil, to

intercede with her Majefty for a difpenfation; informing him that it would deprive the univerfity of the most worthy and the most learned of their fcholars, if the vestments were preffed with fo much vigour, and religion and learning would thereby receive a mortal wound at once. This letter gave offence at court, especially to the ecclefiaftical Commiffioners; and Longworth was fent for, to appear before the Commiffioners, and obliged to recant and read his recantation publicly in the church. The reft made their fubmiffion by letters. The scholars were brought back to the habits, and fuch as perceived in what channel preferment was likely now to be attained, and had no principles of religion, began to write in defence of the habits. Whitgift was among the first of thefe, and recommended himself fo effectually, that he was afterwards preferred to the See of Canterbury, for his zeal in the defence of the habits. Cambridge, notwithstanding, was still a fanctuary for the Puritans.

P

The feverity of the Archbishop, was dreadfully felt by the Clergy in London. Many were reduced to beggary, and others betook themfelves to fecular employments: fome went beyond feas, others to Scotland; and a few became chaplains to Noblemen and Gentlemen. It was now a common thing to fee churches fhut up as if the plague had been in them, and no divine fervice performed in fome large parishes. The people were diftreffed for their minifters, and ready to rife in mobs; fix hundred people came to a church in London.

N 2