ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



When Bishop Best had finished his first visitation and had come to 

 an understanding with his clergy, his difficulties were not by any means 

 surmounted. There was a deep underlying current of disaffection 

 which caused him considerable anxiety for the ultimate triumph of the 

 cause he had espoused. As far as the clergy of the diocese were con- 

 cerned, the battle of uniformity was fought and won : the papal juris- 

 diction was shattered : the supremacy of the Crown was treated with 

 toleration : the book of Common Prayer was installed in the churches : 

 the Injunctions were generally accepted and observed. But the clergy 

 alone did not constitute the church ; the laity had still to be reconciled. 

 If it were true, as the Bishop informed Cecil, that the common people 

 heard him gladly, and that some of the gentry had entertained him for 

 the Gospel's sake, yet there was a wide-spread opposition to the 

 principles of the reformed religion among the great magnates of the 

 two counties which forced him to proceed with the utmost caution. 

 Six months after his visitation, on 14 January 15612, he opened his 

 mind to Cecil again, and informed him by a secret message of the 

 perilous position in which he stood. First, he said, there are here 

 such rumours, tales and lies secretly blown abroad, partly by writings 

 in French and partly by evil-disposed papists, secretly whispered in 

 corners, that every day men look for a change and prepare for the same. 

 The people desirous of it openly say and do what they wish concerning 

 religion without check or punishment. The rulers and justices of the 

 peace wink at all these things and look through their fingers. When 

 the bishop pointed out these irregularities he only provoked private 

 displeasure. Before the great men came into these parts, he could do 

 more for Christ's Gospel in one day than he could do now in two 

 months. He only wished to punish and deprive certain evil men, who 

 would neither do their office according to the good laws of the realm, 

 nor acknowledge the Queen's supremacy, nor obey him as ordinary. 

 Such men as these were not only supported and tolerated, but also re- 

 tained as counsellors and brought into open place, whereby those of 

 evil religion were encouraged to be stubborn, and those who embraced 

 the true doctrine were defaced and ignored. These men were kept in 

 private households contrary to the orders of the archbishop of York, 

 the lord president and the commissioners. The bishop dared not to say it 

 was wrong, as he knew the danger thereof; but he assured Cecil that as 

 long as this state of things lasted God's glorious Gospel could not take 

 root there. If he were present to see the rule of Cumberland and 

 Westmorland under the two heads thereof, 1 Lord Dacre and the Earl of 



1 Bishop Grindal, writing to Cecil on 21 January 1562-3, besought him to be good to the bishop 

 of Carlisle. There were marvellous practices to deface him ' in my lawless country,' and by him to 

 destroy the cause of religion. If the two noblemen of whom he complained were touched by the authority 

 of the Privy Council, it would be a terror to the rest (Lansd. MS. vii. 57 ; Remains of Abp. Grindal, 

 Parker Soc., pp. 267-8). Grindal always maintained a lively interest in the county of his birth, though 

 he had not a very high opinion of its religious condition. In another letter to Cecil, dated 17 May 1563, 

 he said that ' I have offte thowghte to make a generall sute to you for regarde for that litle Angle wher 

 I was borne, called Cowplande, parcell off Cumberlande, the ignoranteste parte in Religion and moste 

 oppressed off covetouse landlordes off anie one parte off this realme to my knowlege. I entende att my 



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