The History of the Worthies of England, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Since the Reformation.
NExt those Prelates before, follow such as were since the Reformation, much different (not in Title but) Tenure from the former, holding their places not from the Pope, but their Prince, and practising the principles of the protestant Religion, for the term of a hundred and twenty years, since the latter end of the Reign of King Henry the Eighth. Amongst these, Malice it self meets with many, which it must allow for their Living, Preaching, and Writing, to have been the main Champions of Truth against Error, Learning against Ignorance, Piety against Prof…ss, Religion against Superstition, Unity and Order against Faction and Confusion, verifying the judicious observation of Forreigners, Clerus Britanniae, Gloria mundi.
These Prelates, may be Digested into Five Successive Setts, or Companies, under their respective Arch-bishops, allowing each of them somewhat more then twenty years, as large a proportion for the life of a Bishop; as seventy years for the age of a man.
1. Arch-bishop Cranmers, whereof four, besides himself, were burnt at the stake, and the rest exiled in Germany.
2. Arch-bishop Parkers, in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth leading Halcion-days, without any considerable Opposition against the Hierarchy.
3. Arch-bishop Whitgifts, much Pen-persecuted, and pelted at with Libellous Pamphlets, but supported by Queen Elizabeths Zeal to maintain the Discipline established,
4. Arch-bishop Abbot's, fortunate all the peaceable Reign of King James, and beginning of King Charles, though the Skie was Red and Lowring, foretelling foul weather to follow, a little before their Death.
5. Arch-bishop Juxton's, whose Episcopal Chairs, were not only shrewdly shaken, but (as to outward appearance) overturned in our late mutinous Distempers.
I know the man full well, to whom Mr. Charles Herle (President of the Assembly) said somewhat insultingly, Ile tel you News, last Night I buryed a Bishop, (dashing more at his profession then person) in Westminster Abbey, to whom the other returned with like Latitude to both, Sure you buried him in hope of Resurrection, This our Eyes at this day see performed, and it being the work of the Lord, may justly seem marvellous in our Sight.
It is also very remakable, that of this Fift and Last Company, [all Bishops in 1642.] Nine are alive at this present, viz. (Pardon me if not enumerating them exactly according to their Consecration) London, Bath, Wells, Ely, Salisbury, Bongor, Covent. and Lichfield, Oxford, Rochester and Chichester. A Vivacity hardly to be parallel'd of so many Bishops in any other age, providence purposely prolonging their Lives, that as they had seen the Violent Ruining, they might also behold the legal Restitution of their Order.
Now although not the Quick but (the) Dead Worthies properly pertain to my pen, yet I crave leave of the Reader in my following work, to enter a brief Memorial of the place of their Nativities. Partly because lately they were dead though not in Law, in the List of a Prevalent party, partly because they are dead to the World, having most attained, if not exceeded the age of man threescore and ten years.
To conclude, though the Apostles words be most true that the Lesser are Blessed of the Greater, and that Imperative and Indicative Blessings, allways descend from the superiour, yet an Optative Blessing (no more then a plain prayer) may properly proceed from an inferiour, so that a plain Priest and submissive Son of the Church of England, may blesse the Bishops and Fathers thereof. God Sanctifie their former afflictions unto them, that as the *Dan. 3. 25.Fire in the Furnace only burnt the bonds (setting them free who went in fetterr'd) not the cloths (much lesse the bodies) of the children of the captivity, so their sufferings without doing them any other prejudice, may only disingage their souls from all Servitude to this World.
And that for the Future, they may put together, not only the parcels of their scattered Revenues, but compose the minds of the divided People in England, to the Confusion of the Factious and Confirmation of the Faithful in Israel.