140 THE LIFE OF 



CHAP, able and lawfully done, and not to lack example of many 

 1 __ such that had been after that sort admitted, both since the 



Queen s coming to the crown, by many good Bishops, and 

 by sound histories ecclesiastical. That where Churches, by 

 reason of persecution, or multitudes of hamlets and free 

 chapels, had commonly very small stipends for the Min 

 isters, honest godly men, upon the discretion of the go 

 vernors of the church, had been, and might be, brought in 

 to serve, in the want of learned men, in prayer, administra 

 tion of the Sacraments, good example of life, and in some 

 sort of exhortation. And this man therefore, when the Bi 

 shop found him by good and long experience to be one that 

 feared God, to be conversant in the Scriptures, and of very 

 honest life and conversation, he allowed of him to serve in 

 a small congregation at Paddington ; where commonly, for 

 the meanness of the stipend, no preacher could be had ; as 

 in many places it came to pass, where the parsonage was 

 impropriate, and the provision for the Vicar or Curate very 

 small. And how that poor man behaved himself there, 

 time and trial proved him : for he continued in that place 

 with the good liking of the people eight or nine years, till 

 he grew dull of sight for age, and thereby unable to serve 

 any longer. It is to be found among the Greek Canons, 

 that in Spain and Africa, when the Goths and Vandals had 

 by extreme persecution made havock of the Churchmen, 

 those few that were left there alive made their moan to the 

 Churches of Rome and Italy, that their churches stood 

 empty, because they could get none to serve, no not such 

 as were unlearned. Whereby it appears, that in the time 

 of necessity, and such great want, the Church did allow of 

 very mean clerks ; and so did they in the beginning of this 

 Queen s reign. 



other ca- It is hard to relate all the aspersions and stories they cast 

 ies upon this grave Father. For besides the former, they 

 charged him for cutting down the fair elms of Fulham ; 

 and for taking part with his man, who endeavoured to 

 wrong a poor shepherd of a legacy left him. The false 

 hood of both which hath been declared before. They rudely 



