THE LIFE OF 



CHAP. 

 VII. 



viz. George 

 Giffard, 

 Minister of 

 Maiden. 



Restored. 



Suspended 

 again. 



A large tes 

 timonial of 

 him by his 

 auditors. 



administering the Sacraments ; for refusing to subscribe the 

 Articles, which all the Clergy were obliged to subscribe to, 

 there being some things in the Book of Common Prayer 

 which he was not persuaded of to be agreeable to the word 

 of God. Information also was given against him to the 

 Bishop, that he taught disobedience to magistrates, used 

 conventicles, and secret teachings, and divers other things 

 worthy of sharp reprehension. This man was a great and 

 diligent preacher, and much esteemed by many, and of 

 good rank in the town, and had brought that place to more 

 sobriety and knowledge of true religion : insomuch that many 

 of his hearers obtained from the Lord Treasurer a letter to 

 the Archbishop of Canterbury in his behalf. But the Arch 

 bishop shewed the said Lord, that Giffard was a ringleader 

 of the rest; and that he had received certain complaints 

 against him, to the answering whereof they of the High 

 Commission did intend to call him : and that his deserts 

 might be such as would deserve deprivation ; and therefore 

 he thought it not convenient to grant him any farther li 

 berty or release of his suspension, until he had purged him 

 self. The Bishop of London also had sent the Archbishop 

 an account of certain crimes charged upon him, wherefore 

 he had suspended and restrained him; which the Arch 

 bishop also sent to the Treasurer. This happened in May 

 1584. 



It was not long after, that Giffard was brought to answer 

 before the High Commission ; and his accusers were heard, 

 and he, in his own vindication, by certain discreet men ap 

 pointed by their letters. But his enemies could not prove 

 any of their accusations to be true. Whereupon the Bishop 

 restored him to his preaching. 



But this was not the end of this Preacher s troubles ; for 

 upon some new complaint he was a second time suspended. 

 Then a long and large petition was put up to the Bishop in 

 his behalf, signed with the hands of two and fifty persons ; 

 whereof two were Bailiffs of the town, two Justices of the 

 peace, four Aldermen, fifteen head Burgesses, and the Vicar 

 of the town. In their petition they shewed how the former 



