ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Few churches have their quarter sermons according to the Queen's Majesty's 

 injunctions. 



There are very few preachers in the diocese, but only seventeen as might be learned in 

 the synodals. 192 There are some beneficed men there which did preach in Queen Mary's 

 reign, and now do not nor will not, and yet keep their livings, as Mr. Graye, B.D., parson of 

 Wythyham ; Mr. Robert Parkhurst, B.D., vicar of Washington ; William Foster, vicar 

 of Billinghurst ; Sir Davie Spencer, parson of Clapham ; Nicholas Hicket, parson of 

 Pulborough ; Mr. Story, vicar of Findon. 



These three are fostered in gentlemen's houses, and run between Sussex and Hants, 

 and are hinderers of true religion, and do not minister : Mr. Stephen Hopkins, B.D., who 

 resorteth unto my Lady Pooles, Mr. Cooperes, Sir Thomas Palmers, Mr. Gunteres and 

 Mr. Temse ; Mr. Davy Michell, and Mr. Thomas Cotesmore these frequent Mr. James 

 Gayges about Lewes. 



These come not to their parish churches, nor receive the Holy Communion at Easter, 

 but at that time get them out of the country until that feast be past, 193 and return not again 

 until then : Lady Poole, Thomas Poole, &c., Arthur Gunter, &c., all of Racton. Mr. 

 Leedes of Steyning and his brother-in-law. Mr. Lewkenor of Selsey, and Mrs. Busshoppe 

 of Henfield. 



In the parish of Racton they have no churchwardens, clerk, or collector for the poor, 

 because of Mr. Arthur Gunter, who rules the whole parish. 



They have many books that were made beyond the seas, and have them there with the 

 first, for exhibition goeth out of that shire and diocese unto them beyond the seas, as to 

 Mr. Stapleton, 194 who being excommunicated by the archbishop did avoid the realm, and 

 these have his goods and send him money William Ryman of Oving, Mr. Dolman, William 

 Daves of Patching, Sir Davy Spencer ; and to these doth this Stapleton send his letters. 



In the church of Arundel certain altars do stand yet still to the offence of the godly, 

 which murmur and speak much against the same, and preachers have also spoken against 

 the standing thereof in their sermons of late. 



They have yet in the diocese in many places images hidden up and other popish 

 ornaments, ready to set up the mass again within 24 hours' warning ; as in the town of 

 Battell and in the parish of Lindfield, where they be yet very blind and superstitious. 



There be schoolmasters who teach without licence and be not of a sound and good 

 religion, as the schoolmaster in the town of Battell, the vicar of Findon, and the school- 

 master that teacheth in the Lodge at Stansted who teacheth Mr. Stoughton's children, being 

 comptroller of my lord of Arundel's house. 



In the town of Battell, when a preacher doth come and speak anything against the 

 pope's doctrine they will not abide but get them out of the church. They say that they 

 are of no jurisdiction, but free from any bishop's authority ; the schoolmaster is the cause 

 of their going out, who afterwards in corners among the people doth gainsay the preachers. 

 It is the most popish town in all Sussex. 



In some places because the Rood was taken away they painted there in that place a 

 cross with chalk, and because that was washed away with painting and the number of 

 crosses standing at graves in the churchyard taken also away, 196 they have since made crosses 

 upon the church walls within and without, and upon the pulpit and Communion Table in 

 despite of the preacher. This was done of very late in Patching since I preached there. 

 And in the churches they have put crosses upon their stalls whom they favour, and upon 

 my farmer's stall they have chalked a gibbet. 



In many places they keep yet their chalices, looking for to have mass again, when as 

 they were commanded to turn them into Communion cups after one fashion, keeping still 

 weight for weight that the parish might not be charged with buying of one altogether new ; 

 and yet they have so charged their parishes, to keep their chalices, hoping for a day for the 



191 Their names are given. 



'" In order to avoid the penalties for not receiving the sacrament at their parish church at that time. 



191 Not the ' wickedly obstinate ' William Stapleton of Barlow's list, but Thomas Stapleton, prebendary 

 of Chichester, denounced by the bishop in 1560 as 'trained up from childhood in papistry' (S.P. Dom. 

 Ehz. xi, 25), and subsequently deprived of his prebend (Gee, Elizabethan Clergy, 274). He was a very 

 able controversialist and had the reputation of being the most learned Roman Catholic of his time ; see 

 Diet. Nat. Biog. 



195 Many market and boundary crosses seem to have been destroyed as early as the period of the dissolu- 

 tion, and in 1538 some labourers got into trouble for digging up the cross at Willingdon. They had 

 met in Henry Michelgrove's alehouse, when one of them said, ' There be many crosses digged up here- 

 abouts, and men say there is much money under Willington cross, which if thou wilt be ruled by me we 

 will have.' Their quest, however, was fruitless : L. and P. Hen. fill, xiii (i), 786. 



2 25 4 



