A Caveat for Parsons Howlet, Letter 1 – Letter 2
To the right reuerend Father in God, and our Diocessan, my L. Bishop of Lincolne.
The letters of th … of the … of … to the … his allowance … the ….RIght reuerende Father, after our dueties most humbly premised. It may please your L. to be aduertised, that vvheras of late vve made request to the godly learned … about vsus, to afforde vsus their godly trauel, in a days exercise to be spent with vsus in the seruing of god, in fasting prayer, godly meditations, and … his vvorde & relieuing of the poore, vvhichwhich orders we vnderstand to the great …, edification, instruction, and comfort of Gods people, hath of late bene obserued in many … of …, & in sundry such places within your good Lordships Diocesse, as lawe thought conuenient for that purpose: vvhichwhich our … determination vvas misreported of to the Lorde Treasurer our especiall and very good Lord, vvherevpon by … letters of the second of this monethmonth, he required & aduised vsus, that the said entended exercise for some considerations should be stayed and forborne, vvherevpon vve hauehave made staye of it hitherto. So it is nowe that vponupon some … and more particuler declaration made to hys Lordship, by letters sent from M. Iohnson a preacher to his Lordship touching that matter, it hath pleased his Lordship by his letters of the 25. of this monethmonth, to graunt vsus his good and fauourable allowaunce, to the hauing of the say de exercise, and further hath aduertised vsus in the same letter, to beseech your good Lordship of your direction & consent therevnto, to the vvnich purpose he hath sent a letter to your Lordship, included with a letter sent to me, and my brethren the Comburgesses of this towne, vvhichwhich letter vve sende vntounto your good L. by this bearer, most humbly beseeching you to graunt vsus your good furtheraunce in this our request, vvhichwhich vve … and … make to your good … in … vve nothing doubt, … godly zeale and care to the … and … of Gods glory. And thus … Lordships fauourable … by … vve most humbly take our leaue. … this 30. of Iuly. 1580.
Your … humble … the … and … of the Borough & … of … &c.
To these letters and by occasion of the others the Bishop gaue his consent, and returned in effect this answere, gathered out of his letters by M. Frauncis Harington Recorder there.
… superscription.
To my very … friends, the Alderman and … of Stamford, … this.
THE order that I do … good of is this, thatThe summe of the byshops answer to the town agayne. you of the towne of …, by conference vvith your Preacher M …, should agree vponupon some … or dayes, vvherin you vvil vse that godly … of preaching & fasting, vvithout the confluence of other … that apperteine not vntounto your town. And that M. Hanson on the Sunday before the … appoynted, do in a Sermon exhort the people … to … thēselues to so conuenient & godly an exercise, & that on the day it selfe there be two sermons, one preached by M. Hanson, and … by M. Liuely, the residue of the time, either before, betwene, or alter the Sermons, you may … in open or … prayer, or in cōtribution to the poore, in such … as you shall thinke conuenient. This maner I thinke in my … sufficient, neither would I … you to do it othervvise, for I know, and hauehave signification giuen me already that it … be very offensiue, & breede more … then I vvould gladly hauehave come to …. These my letters … you keepe. sor the … of my …, … the matter … come in contiouersie. Thus fare you hartily ….
Your very louing friend, ….
Hereby may plainely appeare the shamelesse lye of this staring Owle, that blushed not in the eares of her … to vvhoope, that this exercise vvas kepte … against the Byshops will, that the preachers disobediently stepte vp in the pulpit, and vttered such sedicious …, as he and his informing scribe hauehave patched together, as farre from all coulor of trueth, as any of the rest, to the slaunder, not onelyonly of those godly and learned preachers, but also of the magistrates, and vvhole corporation of that town, vvho did nothing, but according as they were directed by aucthority, sauing onelyonly that M. Iohnson preached in the second place, in steede of him that vvas appointed by the byshop, he vponupon some occasion failing (as there may … out in such a case many …) M Iohnson being notwithstanding requested of the magistrates there: both by letters at the first & at that instant, & that after the viewing of his …: and as for M. Liuely the first preacher, let him be heard, as able to speake for himselfe in this matter.