BISHOP AYLMER. 37 



labour to draw them back, than now it was to hale them CHAP, 

 forward ; and that some letters of friendly request might be IV 

 sent thither for some contribution to be made by the towns 

 and gentlemen for some competent stipend to relieve them. 

 And he thought this might grow greatly to the profit of the 

 Church; and therefore communicated this counsel to the 

 Lord Treasurer, and prayed him at his leisure to think on 

 it. Yet he declared that he said all this, not because he 

 liked them, but because he would have his cure rid of them. 



Some years ago (about 1571 or 1572) came forth, in imprisons a 

 print, a book entitled, An Admonition to the Parliament ; A^non!&quot; 

 the main design whereof was to subvert the Church as ittiontothe 

 was then established in the public worship by the Book of Parliament * 

 Common Prayer, and in the government of it by Bishops 

 and other ecclesiastical officers. This therefore gave the 

 Queen great disgust ; and the Churchmen found themselves 

 obliged to give a full answer to the book ; which was done 

 by several, but especially Dr. Whitgift, afterwards Bishop 

 of Worcester and Archbishop of Canterbury successively : 

 and a severe proclamation was issued out, anno 1573, for the 

 better observation of the Common Prayer and orders of 

 the Church, and for the suppressing of that book. But now, 

 about November or December 1578, when the book was 

 almost laid aside, a young stationer, named Thomas Wood 

 cock, hoping to make a good gain by the adventure, vended 

 several of these books ; whereupon the Bishop of London 

 committed him to Newgate. But his friends failed not to in 

 tercede with the Bishop for Woodcock s enlargement. To 

 whom the Bishop answered, that he neither could nor would 

 do any thing without the Lord Treasurer s consent, or by 

 his letters or warrant. Which was looked upon as somewhat 

 rigorous in him. Whereas indeed it was most true, that he 

 could not of his own authority discharge a criminal he had 

 committed without inflicting due punishment, unless it were 

 by some order from above ; especially such as dispersed or 

 sold this Admonition, which depraved the Book of Common 

 Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and so was 

 interpreted to tend to make divisions and dissensions among 



