A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



ways."' In 1583 eight of the Sussex clergy refused to sign the articles in 

 favour of the Book of Common Prayer, and were accordingly temporarily 

 suspended, but subsequently they all subscribed. 888 The increase of noncon- 

 formity was assisted not only by the actual disaffection of the clergy, but even 

 more by the slackness and bad example of those that professed to be loyal 

 representatives of the Church. Some returns made from the various parishes 

 throughout the county in 1588-9 show a most undesirable state of affairs. 887 

 The parish churches themselves were in many cases in bad order ; at Alfris- 

 ton the windows were unglazed, at Pevensey the church was ' very much in 

 decay for lack of timber and glass and other reparations,' at Palmer the 

 chancel and rectory had both fallen down, and at Northiam the slighter fault 

 is presented that ' the walls of our church be not beautified with sentences of 

 scripture.' The parishioners of Brightling complain, 'we have no service on 

 the week days, nor homily read on Sundays ; we have no catechising of 

 children.' At Arlington, ' we have none that doth read service and ad- 

 minister sacraments, save that there was a child baptised by Mr. Turner, 

 by reason whereof divers have not received the Communion ' ; at Clayton, 

 ' we have had no sermons in our parish church since Christmas two years 

 by default of the parson.' From Ticehurst comes a long complaint : 



We have a great parish and our minister doth not minister the Communion not in 

 six weeks sometimes. Our children are grown out of all good order by means of the 

 negligence of our minister for that he doth not catechise them. Some of our children 

 have been like to die without baptism our minister hath been so long from us, which 

 maketh the simple men to murmur much at it. Our minister doth not minister the 

 Communion at marryings, he readeth not the commination against sinners, he instructeth 

 no youth, he doth not stir up his parishioners by reading the exhortation used at the 

 administration of the Lord's Supper. 



The parishioners of Hooe were more concise in their charges : ' We pre- 

 sent our vicar to be a liar and a quarreller and a brawler amongst his 

 neighbours.' 



In such circumstances it is hardly surprising that some earnest persons 

 should begin to look askance upon the Church and all that belonged thereto, 

 and should form religious communities of their own, with possibly some 

 ostentation of righteousness. The first instance of the use of the term 

 Puritan in any Sussex document appears to be in 1591, when the mayor of 

 Rye states that ' now of late a smale secte of purytanes, more holy in shewe 

 than in dede, is sprong up amongst us,' and further refers to ' certeine muty- 

 nous fellowes of this towne who professe to be more pure than others, and 

 be indede much worse than in show.' 228 Some particulars of these Rye 

 Puritans are given in another letter : 



Francis Godfrey said that my Lord of Canterbury is but the Pope of Inglande, and 

 that the Booke of Comon Prayer ... is but masse translated and dumdogs to reade it, 

 for those ministers that do not preache they call dumdogs ; . . . and when they have 

 bin to sermon and be com horn will they say on to another ' Have you bin at chourche ? ' 

 4 Yea,' sayth the other, 4 Then you have harde mingle mangle, compair ; as Latemor 

 sayd in his sermon as they call hogs to trof in his cuntry.' 4 Yea,' cothe the other, 4 1 

 harde what a good peace of worke he made like a proude felo.' Also they say that it is 

 unpossible for an innosent to be saved from damnation because he hathe not the gift of 



- S90 O 



prayer, 23! 



"* Suss. Arch. Coll. xxix, 190-95. Ibid, xii, 260. 



" MS. of the Archdeaconry Court of Lewes. m Hut. MSS. Com. Rep. xiii (4), 99. Ibid. 



30 



