86 T.ETTERS FROM TANNER MSS. 



Page 14. — [Letter from Thomas Browne to Archbishop 

 Sheldon enclosing the last.] 



May it please Your Grace 



My hearty thankes to God & reioycing for Your Grace's 

 Preservation in the midst of Contagion are inexpressible : 

 Especially considering, how much the Welfare of this Church 

 depends upon Your Grace's. Very unwilling I am to trouble 

 Your Grace with impertinent Letters ; but when the Affaires of 

 the Church require it. And now J think it my duty to let 

 Your Grace know, as foUoweth. 



Our B"- in the Absence of the Deane* hath appointed a 

 Comon Psalme to be sung in the Cathedrall after Sermon 

 instead of y" Accustomed Anthem. This (J can assure Your 

 Grace) gives great Offence ; not onely to the Churche's best 

 friends at Lichfield, but also to many both of y'= Gentry & 

 Clergy in this Diocese, especially in this County. Whereupon 

 J presumed (holding a Place in that Church, w"^ gives me an 

 Jntereste in y° Ordering of God's Service there) to write to 

 His Lo^' t in these very words. 



" Jt is some trouble to me that J cannot in pson tender my 

 Duty to your Lo^- as J hoped to have done : as for other 

 ends, so especially to have discoursed with your Lo^- about 

 that Innovation (J hear of) in our Cathedral Service at Lichfield, 

 of singing a Psalme in Rithm instead of the Anthem after 

 Sermon. J can say it gives much offence in these parts to 

 many both of the Gentry & Clergy, who have been informed 

 of it. J make no Question, if it be done by your Lo^*'" Order, 

 you had some Prudential motive thervnto : But if that be it, 

 wherof I am told. That the Townes-people might therby be 

 allowed to Stay vntill the conclusion of the Service ; The 

 exercise of Ecclesiastical Discipline would be (methinks) a more 

 Regular way, & perhaps more effectuall too, if Our Deane would, 

 as his Duty is, take care of it. J hope your Lo""- will not 

 be offended that I have revealed my thoughts in y'' matter." 



* Of Lichfield. f The Bp. of Lichfield. 



