BOOK 66 men, prayed daily unto God, that he would give the 1. "Lords, and all them of the Council, the spirit of wisdom Anno 1570." and fortitude, that they might bene explicare consilia, "for the Queen's Majesty's safety and surety." Ross, the up, and committed to him a will. In these times, Lesly, Bishop of Ross, a busy, active, shop, taken crafty man, was Mary Queen of Scots' great agent here; who was privy to the practice of the marriage between the Duke of Norfolk and her: and under the name of Morgan gainst his Philips, set forth a book, in answer to some others, to maintain his mistress's title to the succession, and for his arguments making use of the opinions of Sir Anthony Brown and Carel, two learned lawyers, Papists. He privately promoted the northern rebellion; kept a secret correspondence with the Pope; and distributed twelve thousand crowns sent from the Pope, to some of the chief rebels fled to Scotland. This Scotch Prelate, to make himself the more popular, and to be taken notice of, in October shewed himself in St. Paul's (which was a common walking place) with as much splendor and retinue as he could make. Whereof one thus writ to the Bishop; "The Bishop of Ross mustered "this day in St. Paul's church, in a gown of damask, with a great rout about him, and attending upon him, as it ແ were to be seen and known to the world," &c. Grindal liked not the man, nor his communication: and therefore thought convenient to signify this to the Secretary; saying, that he referred to his judgment what might be gathered of such doings. It was not long after, divers treasonable things came to light, to have been practised by this Bishop; whereupon he was taken up: and in February there was an intention to commit him to the Bishop of London. But he was afraid of the man, and whose company he professed utterly to dislike, and begged Cecil that he might not be forced on him, being a man of such qualities as he liked nothing at all. That if he must needs have a guest, he had rather keep Hare still, (a Papist gentleman lately committed to him, of whom we shall speak presently.) And that the Dean of St. Paul's was commonly with him at meals, his wife and family being then at Hadham, intimat 66 XV. ing thereby that he had guests enough: "and to be plain," CHAP. 66 receiving of them, the punishment light upon the Bi"shops rather than them:" but all this could not prevent our Bishop's receiving of Ross; and under his roof he came; till the next year, when the Bishop was delivered of him; and then he fell to his practising again. sel about Irishman. Milerus, the Irishman, (of whom we spake before,) re- His counmained still with the Bishop. And having harboured him Milerus the now a quarter of a year, or thereabouts, he was very weary of his guest; and together with a petition of the said Milerus, which he sent withal, he in a letter to the Secretary prayed him to get him discharged of him: adding, that in his opinion it were good he were sent by a pursuivant at his own charges to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, there to be ordered as they of the Council should send instructions, or as the Lord Deputy, the Lord Chancellor, and the Bishops of the Council there should think requisite. For which he subjoined Cyprian's judgment, who would have things judged in the countries where the faults were committed. a Papist, Another Popish guest put upon our Bishop by the One Hare, Council, about this time, was Michael Hare, Esq. whom committed they sent to him, November 15, with an order prescribed to the Bishop. by them, and brought by those that were the bringers of the said Hare; which was to this effect, that the Bishop should according to his prudence and learning deal with him to bring him to conformity in the religion established. He was a gentleman of an obliging behaviour, modest in his words, shewing no obstinacy in discourse with him, but yet fast enough in his principles. After he had been now about six weeks with the Bishop, time enough for the Bishop to know him, he signified to the Secretary first, that he found him very gentle-natured, but nothing relenting in religion; and yet very ignorant in the Scriptures. 1 I. BOOK And Jan. 14 following, the Bishop wrote to the Lords concerning him: "that he had conferred and travailed with Anno 1570.❝ him, (as his other businesses would permit,) to persuade "him to resort to Common Prayer, and to communicate "with them in the Lord's Supper, and generally to assent to "all points of godly religion by law established in this "realm. That he found the said Mr. Hare in all other "matters very courteous and tractable; but could not yet persuade him; alleging always, that he was not yet "satisfied in conscience; and that for conscience sake only "he forbore so to do; and not of malice. That the princi"pal ground whereon he most stayed himself in all con"ferences was the long continuance of the contrary re"ligion in the times that had gone before: notwithstanding sundry allegations by the Bishop made, and divers au"thorities shewed, that the most ancient times agreed with "us. Thus much he thought it his duty to signify to their "Lordships according to their order prescribed him, and "referred the rest to their wisdoms." 152 tion of Pa Inns of Court. In the midst of this care and watchfulness against the Examina- Papists, many Popish gentlemen being known to reside in pists in the the Temple as students of the law, the Council by their letters appointed the Bishop, (in whose diocese they were,) with the rest of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, to call for several of them before them: and to put interrogatories to them, concerning their frequenting the Temple church and the Communion there; concerning their going to hear mass celebrated in the Temple, in White Friars, and the Spital : concerning their having and reading the books of Harding, Dorman, and others, against the Queen's supremacy; and their seeing of letters written from those authors: and lastly, concerning divers bad speeches and expressions uttered by them against religion and the preachers. Some of these after examination were committed to the Fleet. in St. John's Differences The Bishop had his eye often upon the University, college, knowing what an influence it was like to have both upon Cambridge, religion and the state. St. John's college in Cambridge, a XV. member of which the Secretary once was, (and ever a great CHAP. patron and friend,) that had bred up the best wits, and many that were now, and of late, of admirable use in the Anno 1569. realm; this college was lately much pestered with intestine variances and heats, partly about conformity in the habits, and partly about the election of a new governor. There was great bandying and party-taking, accusing and recriminating some were for Dr. Kelk; some, and they a considerable party in the house, favouring Puritanism, laboured for Dr. Fulk. But at last, by the counsel and pains of Cecil, they, waving both, unanimously fixed upon Nicolas Shepherd, B. D. one of their own house, for their Master; whom, in their letter to Cecil their patron, they styled their Пoμéva, Shepherd, alluding to his name, Qui perturbantem remp. restituere tanquam alter Camillus reversus est: i. e. "Who "like another Camillus returned to restore their shattered commonweal." Shepherd, presently after his election, came up to make his address to the Secretary, and to our Bishop; who, glad of so hopeful a governor of this great college, once so famous for learned and pious men, gave his own recommendations in Shepherd's behalf to the said Secretary in these words: 66 mends the new Mas "Sir, this bringer, Mr. Shepherd, Batchelor of Divinity, Recom"is with great consent of the company chosen Master of "St. John's college in Cambridge. He is one that I con- ter to Cecil. "ceive good opinion of. And surely I trust, by his pro"vidence, indifferency, and good government, he shall "restore that house to the ancient fame it had in your 66 days and mine. I pray you let him have your patrocinie " in all his lawful sutes, as ye have always been, and ever "must be, patron of that house and the governors thereof. "God keep you. From Powles, ultimo Decembris, 1569. "Yours in Christ, "Edm. London." CHAP. XVI. 153 The Bishop's dealings with Bonham and Crane. The Separatists complain of the Bishop. The Council writes to the Bishop concerning them. The Bishop's account of them to the Council; and vindication of himself. His advice. shop's deal ing with Bonham The Bi- THE separatists, who in the beginning of this year had the favour shewn them to be set at liberty by the Bishop, did, it and Crane, seems, continue their former practices of using private astwo Min- semblies, and performing religious offices in a way of their isters, sepa- own, different from what was allowed and enjoined; not ratists. Schisma withstanding the Bishop's admonition to them at their dismission, and the threatenings of the Council read to them, if they did move any more disturbances on that behalf. Their chief teachers were Bonham and Crane; who at these house-meetings did use to preach and expound the Scriptures, to baptize, administer the Communion, marry according to the Geneva book, (which they styled the most sincere order,) and withal very vehemently would inveigh against the government and religious usages of the Church of England: for which they had been taken up; but obtained their liberty again; yet with some promise to carry themselves with more moderation and forbearance for the future. Bonham promised under his hand before the Bishop's Vicar General, that for the time to come he would neither preach nor be present at any preaching in private, contrary to the laws of the land: after which the Bishop granted him liberty to preach. But Bonham little regarded his promise, but married and baptized according to another form. And Crane also, who had promised the like, proceeded to do as he had done before. Whereat Bonham was taken up again by the Bishop's order, and Crane was forbid to preach any more in his diocese. tics complain aUpon this, the Londoners of their party, who also had gainst the been under confinement at Bridewell, and set at liberty, as Bishop to the Coun- was shewn above, were much displeased with Grindal, cil. |