BISHOP AYLMER. 71 



&quot; ners would be more afraid of punishment : God s name C H A P. 



-ITT r 



&quot; would be less dishonoured, and the chief of the Clergy, 



&quot; which were therein most blamed, should, he hoped, shew 

 &quot; themselves of all others to have least gain : or else let 

 &quot; them bear,&quot; said he, &quot; the burden of their deserts.&quot; This 

 letter was writ in July. Thus honestly and discreetly did 

 our Bishop advise for the cure of this corruption of dis 

 cipline : but what effect it had I cannot say. 



In the foresaid visitation the Bishop silenced one Huckle, siienceth a 

 a Minister in his diocese ; a person who it seems before, for 

 divers years past, had been complained of in his archdea 

 con s and commissary s courts. He was a busy man, trans 

 gressing the orders appointed in the Church, and an enemy 

 to the peace of it ; an impugner of the book, and a gather 

 er of night-conventicles, and more lately a busy disputer 

 against Athanasius s Creed. Him therefore, when the Bi 

 shop himself could not reclaim him, he suspended from his 

 preaching. And he declared that he was the more in fear 

 of him, because he was but an indifferent scholar, and so 

 the more easily carried into error. But notwithstanding, 

 this man, after having laid some time under suspension, got 

 friends at the Council-board ; who in May 1584 sent their 

 letter to our Bishop to restore him again. But he shewed 

 himself herein a man not to be warped from doing his duty 

 by any authority. For with all deference making his an 

 swer to the said letter, he shewed them what the man was, 

 according as was said before, and therefore how dangerous 

 to be readmitted to his office. And finally, that he hoped 

 their Lordships would permit him to use his discretion in 

 ordering such offenders, unknown to them, but much com 

 plained of to him. But that he might avoid displeasure, he 

 applied to the Lord Treasurer, who had been absent from 

 the Council, letting him know what he had done, that if 

 occasion were, he might interpose a seasonable word in the 

 Council, as he knew he would do in all matters of justice 

 and equity. 



George Giffard, Minister at Maiden, was also about this Another 

 time (viz. in the year 1584) suspended from preaching and 



F 4 



