BISHOP AYLMER. 15 



The next year a book De Disclplina coming forth in CHAP. 

 Latin, which struck at the present ecclesiastical government, 

 and aimed to overthrow the constitution of the Church of Moved by 

 England, the Archbishop of Canterbury made choice of bishop to 

 Dr. Aylmer, of all other divines, to take this book in hand, ns y er a 



J . book. 



and confute it ; and withal sent him the tract. But though 

 lie kept the book a good while by him, yet he refused to do 

 it, writing back to the Archbishop, that he could not deal 

 therein : which perhaps may be attributed to his discon 

 tent. But the Archbishop got it answered by another hand 

 soon after. Grindal also, then Archbishop of York, re 

 puted Aylmer the fittest for this work, but concluded that 

 he would not take the pains ; having other employments 

 probably lying upon his hands. 



There had been for some time great question moved be- A c ntr - 



versy be- 



tween our Archdeacon and the Bishop of Lincoln, concern- tween the 

 ing the exercise of the spiritual and ecclesiastical jurisdic-^^j^ 1 

 tion within the Archdeaconry of Lincoln ; about which they decided. 

 had been at law together, for asserting their distinct rights 

 in the said jurisdiction. But in the year ] 572 it came to 

 an happy conclusion by the arbitration of Matthew Arch 

 bishop of Canterbury, and Robert Bishop of Winton ; 

 both parties, for the sake of peace and concord, leaving 

 their respective rights to be finally determined by those 

 grave fathers discretion ; and promising during their lives 

 to stand by their decision. Hereupon they ordered and 

 decreed, that both the Bishop and Archdeacon should hold 

 their courts weekly together jointly in some place in the 

 cathedral of Lincoln, or in the city ; and so hear and deter 

 mine causes, receive and admit the proofs of wills, commit 

 the administration of goods of such as died intestate, and 

 exercise all other ecclesiastical jurisdiction, except collation 

 to benefices, admissions and institutions of clerks presented 

 to the benefices of the said archdeaconry; which only be 

 longed to the Bishop and his Vicar General. They decided 

 also, that the fees, profits, commodities, and emoluments re 

 sulting thence, should be divided between them ; but that 

 in the Bishop^s triennial visitations, he should take to him- 



