name, and a particular notion or two, (however taken up of him,) was gone out of memory. Some of these were my friends and acquaintance, who knew I had composed such a work; as indeed I had divers years ago, together with the Life of his immediate predecessor; for this honest end, viz. to contribute more light into the state of the Church of England, when it first emerged out of Popery, and to shew the great and painful cares and labours of those its chiefests piritual governors; whom (with several others of Queen Elizabeth's first Bishops) I cannot but look upon with awful reverence, as men inspired by God with larger degrees of his Holy Spirit of piety, wisdom, resolution, and constancy.

To their request therefore, my Lord, I soon yielded: not out of any inclination to mingle myself in quarrels and contests, (which my nature abhors,) but to gratify their reasonable desires; and likewise that a due and honorary respect might be kept up for the memory of those holy Primates and Prelates, that first had the oversight of our religion, upon the blessed Reformation, committed to them: and chiefly, that the true history of our excellently constituted Church, and the genuine doctrines and practices of it, might be more known. Which would (I dare say) direct us better to judge of our modern controversies, and be a means to reconcile an honourable esteem towards it; and perhaps to unite Protestants in a better understanding together, both at home and abroad.

And truly, my Lord, since this good Archbishop hath been lately so much, and yet so darkly talked of, justice and religion require that right be done

to his name, especially having been sometime a personage of such eminent rank and figure here. It is humane to vindicate the reputations of the dead, who cannot speak for themselves: it is the part of a Christian to do it for those who have been Confessors for religion, and lived and died constantly in the true faith of Christ. But it is the duty of a member of the Church of England to preserve the memory, fair and unspotted, of one that had been advanced to the highest honour and trust in it; and bore a great part in the first reformation of it.

It is true, my Lord, it hath been Archbishop Grindal's misfortune (I cannot tell by what means) to be of later times misdeemed as an ill governor of this Church. But surely in the times wherein he lived (when he was better known) his episcopal abilities and admirable endowments for spiritual government (as well as his singular learning) were much celebrated. Give me leave, my Lord, to produce the testimony of a learned Churchman and contemporary with him. When the see of York (anno 1568) lay destitute of a Pastor, Dr. Matthew Hutton, the Dean, sensible of the great need that northern diocese and province stood of a fit person for that weighty and difficult charge, sent a letter to Cecil the Secretary, expressive of the same: suggesting withal, what qualifications he that was to be sent among them ought to have, viz. "that he "should be a teacher, because the country was ig"norant; a virtuous and godly man, because the "country was given to sift such a man's life; a stout "and courageous man in God's cause, because the country otherwise would abuse him; and yet a

"sober and discreet man, lest too much rigorous"ness should harden the hearts of some that by “fair means might be mollified, &c. And such a Bishop likewise as was both learned himself, and " also loved learning; that that rude and blind "country might be furnished with learned preachers." And all these excellent qualities he reckoned centred in Grindal. For, as he added, "such a "man was the Bishop of London known to be." And therefore he wished that LONDON were translated to YORK, as I have observed elsewhere.

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Nothing to this day sticks upon our Archbishop, but the matter of the Exercises, and his suspension. That is the stumbling block and the rock of offence. Whence many have surmised, I know not what, inclination in him towards a discipline in this Church different to what was established. But how groundless this is, may sufficiently, nay abundantly, appear by what is related thereof in this history. Nor need I add any thing more of that affair, except the great esteem and high value he universally had, even at that juncture, when he lay under his Prince's frowns. Insomuch (if I may presume to detain your Grace in a few lines more) that when Barnes, Bishop of Durham, had taken the liberty to speak somewhat reflectingly upon the Archbishop, soon after his disgrace, the Lord Treasurer Burghley took occasion to signify to him, with a concern, how reports went, that he had no good mind toward the Archbishop of Canterbury at that time of his trouble. I have that Bishop's answer to that great Lord, writ by his own hand. Wherein it is observable, he does not charge the Archbishop

with lack of sincerity toward the Church, nor condemneth those Exercises. But more like a courtier, and one that affected further favours from the throne, accused him of "wilfulness, and for con"temning the regal power, and obstinacy in not yielding to that which their Honours [of the Star

Chamber] had set down; the same being godly " and expedient for the time, the malapertness of "brainless men considered, &c." And as for the Exercises, "though being well ordered, he confess"ed they were de bene esse religionis, yet they were not de esse religionis sincera. And there"fore not to be urged so, as to contend with her Highness and her Council.

This, he owned to the Lord Treasurer, he had "discoursed but to two or three at the most; and "that he urged it only in defence of her Majesty, "when bruits had been spread, that the Archbi

shop had been cruelly dealt withal, and had not "deserved to be so straitened. And also other "slanders (he added) had been dispersed, viz. that

my Lord of Leicester, and others, should further "his troubles. Which, he said, he knew to be "most false: and that he was therefore under a "kind of force to assert the Archbishop's wilfulness ❝ and undutifulness to be the just occasion thereof, "&c. And more than this, he affirmed, he had not "done; nor, but that he was forced, he should not "have done or said any thing of him at all. And lastly, he concluded, that he never minded, if he "might, to urge her Majesty's indignation against any man, neque addere afflictionem afflicto."

A disrespect also was taken notice of in him to

wards the Archbishop; which was, that when he was last in Town, he had not given the Archbishop a visit. But this, he said, he had determined to have done, had he not been warned by some (whom he would obey) not to do it.

My Lord, I have mentioned this passage for two ends chiefly, viz. that it might appear it was not the Archbishop's favour to another Church's discipline, and dislike of this, that was the cause of his present troubles; and to shew, that he still retained an high esteem from the greatest and best of the Court; as is evident from that care that was taken that his good name should not be impaired. I only add, that Bishop Barnes had no good-will towards the Archbishop; and he could not forget, how the Archbishop had not long before dealt against him for some defects, either in the discharge of his episcopal function, or for his bribe-taking officers.

But, my Lord, to return to our history. The benefit whereof is not barely to acquaint us with the life of a single Archbishop, but to let us in (as it were through this door) into more public affairs of the State, and especially of the Church, that fell within that compass of years. As, what the cares of the Queen and her Council were for religion and the good government of the Church, in pursuance of her authority in causes ecclesiastical: what was done in Synods; what in ecclesiastical Commissions, and at visitations of dioceses and provinces ; what methods and labours were used for uniformity in religious worship, established by law, both with Papists and Puritans; what Bishops were appointed to preside in the sees, as they became vacant; what