BISHOP AYLMER. 87 



sire; who, upon that Minister s suit to him, had a coin pas- CHAP, 

 sion for the man, having a wife and eight children. 



A year was now spent in this cause, and in May 1588 vindicates 

 Cawdry laboured to vindicate himself in the two points laid j^i 

 to his charge by the Bishop ; namely, concerning his learn 

 ing, and concerning his using the Book of Common Prayer. 

 To satisfy the Lord Burghley (whom he styled his patron) 

 in both these, as to the former, he shewed him that (be 

 sides his teaching a grammar school formerly) he had weekly 

 used some exercise of learning, in expounding to the people 

 some places of holy Scripture now for the space of almost 

 twenty years ; and he hoped in so many years study in the 

 school and in the Church, God hath blessed him with some 

 small measure of knowledge. He appealed to the people, 

 and the good success of his ministry ; which was, he said, 

 a great comfort to his soul ; and he desired the said Lord 

 to appoint him to read upon some place of Scripture in his 

 own hearing, and he was in some good hope his Lordship 

 should not find him so utterly unfit to do any good in the 

 service of the Church. He confessed in very truth, that in 

 respect of his great calling he was much unfit, for want of 

 ability in learning, to supply that sacred function ; and 

 therefore wished with all his heart, that he were the most 

 unlearned Minister in England, on this condition, that he 

 might give over the same, and never to meddle with it 

 again, even to-day before to-morrow. But it was some 

 comfort to him, that God in mercy had so blessed his la 

 bours, that of so few people there was not a parish within 

 ten miles and more of him, that knew better how to give unto 

 God that which was due to God, and to Caesar that which 

 was due to him. 



As for the other objection against him, he declared that Urges hi 

 he had always used the Common Prayer, and purposed to J^f^ 

 use it still ; only he humbly craved that he might not be Prayer, 

 more narrowly searched and looked into in the using of it, 

 than many other Ministers were throughout England. 



Thus far on Cawdry s side: but in truth to know how The reason 

 Cawdry stood affected may be learned from the process it- 



G 4 



