BISHOP AYLMER. 73 



accusations appeared so false, that his Lordship had set him CHAP, 

 at liberty to preach after a suspension : that they themselves, 

 and many others, had been nourished and strengthened in 

 many good graces by his doctrine ; and that the outrage of 

 many notorious sins, commonly practised before his coming, 

 was abated and suppressed, to the great glory of Almighty 

 God, and the comfort of their weak consciences : that it was 

 the profane and wicked sort, that ceased not in their great 

 rage and malice both to his person and religion, to accuse 

 him in slanderous and unjust reports ; and therefore, that 

 they could not but in a godly charity towards the man, and 

 for the better information of his Lordship, soundly and 

 rightly to judge of him and his cause, to certify him, that 

 they and many others of his usual auditory never received 

 from him any other but true and sound doctrine to their 

 judgments; and that he always in preaching and catechiz 

 ing taught outward obedience to princes and magistrates; 

 that he preached and catechized in no other place than in 

 the church ; that he used no conventicles ; and that in his 

 life he was modest, discreet, and unreprovable : by which 

 good and gracious means there was wrought a godly con 

 formity of the people, to the great benefit of the town, and 

 of the Church of God. 



And to confirm this their report to be true, they reminded 

 his Lordship, how the same Giffard their Preacher was con- 

 vented before him and others the Queen s Commissioners, not 

 long since, upon these and other like accusations, none of 

 which his accusers could prove to be true ; and that he, the 

 said Bishop, restored him to his preaching: and therefore 

 they most humbly begged, out of that godly care which 

 they hoped to find at his hands for the benefit of their souls, 

 that he would vouchsafe them his restitution. This Gif- Giffard 

 fard, however he were a Puritan, wrote very well against ^J?fnst 

 Barrow, and the separatists, and the pleas and pretences Barrow, 

 urged by them for withdrawing from the public communion 

 of the Church. I cannot proceed farther in relating the 

 issue of this business, but conclude, it appearing a slander, 

 the Bishop restored him. 



