Margaret Professor of Divinity, combined to cause a revolt in Trinity and S. John's, where both fellows and scholars defied the law by appearing in chapel without surplices. Cartwright, a man of great literary power, finally rebelled against the whole Church system and declared that the offices of bishop and deacon were not allowable, that every minister ought to be chosen by the people and every one ought to be chief in his own case. The statutes of the University were put in force against him, and he was deprived of both his Professorship and Fellowship and retired to Geneva, where his new friendships served only to conform him in his convictions. From this place of exile he continued the warfare with a strong personal hostility to Whitgift, who replied showing that the English Church ought to be distinctly English and dominated neither by Rome nor Geneva. Richard Hooker afterwards took up the argument from this point, and refers in the preface to his Ecclesiastical Polity to Cartwright's arguments. "This reply of T. C. consisteth of two false principles and rotten pillars; whereof the one is that we must of necessity have the same kind of government that was in the Apostles' time, and is expressed in the Scriptures, and no other; the other is, that we may not in any wise or in any consideration retain in the Church anything that hath been abused under the Pope."

We are now coming to the time when Parker's life was drawing to a close, and therefore we end our story, only adding some account of the last days of the sorely tried and brave-hearted Primate.

Parker's Last Days.

A word first as to the outcome of the controversy with the Puritans. It was, a struggle between the maintenance of an historical national Church and the formation of a new one. Nor did the struggle end with Parker's life. He was succeeded by Grindal,' whose sympathies

1 Bishop Creighton thus writes of Grindal, "Sensible, judicious, learned, with much personal charm, he seemed likely to take a

were so strongly Puritan that it was thought he would be able to control and restrain the party. Experience only served to show that he was less successful than Parker. Nor need we feel any surprise at this. Principles will win when expediency leaves only defeat accompanied with bitterness. The battle had to be fought again under Whitgift, to whom and to Parker the English Church largely owed its Catholicity, and without whose principles it would have lost in the closing years of the sixteenth century its continuity with the past, and its claim to be the ancient Church of the realm, reformed but not dissevered from its own past life.

And now we bid farewell to Parker, and look at him once more in his closing days as we have been following him through the years of his life of service and devotion to the Church. Throughout his busy life he remained a student, and especially an editor of ancient chronicles and a diligent collector of manuscripts. This love of past days was his solace in the midst of exacting and often thankless public labours. Queen Elizabeth proved a haughty and imperious mistress, ready to give her support to the Archbishop when this suited her purpose, and equally ready to disclaim his actions when it was politic so to do. Parker retained her personal regard as long as he lived. The Archbishop's generosity was continuous. His bounty to his native city of Norwich was great, and two or three colleges at Cambridge profited by his gifts. As part of his income he received the rectorial tithes of many parishes, and he fully recognised his responsibility to repair the chancels of the parish churches. His life at Lambeth was filled with generous hospitality, though he was often burdened with the maintenance of State and political offenders, who by the custom of the time were committed to his custody. Some of the deprived Marian Bishops were prominent part in shaping the future of the Church under Elizabeth, but though he was put in positions of importance he made little mark and his tenure was disastrous to the dignity of the archiepiscopal office "

sent to live with Parker and were placed under his charge. His consideration for and kindness to these distinguished and disappointed brethren made their lives as pleasant as the conditions of Church life would permit. To these and other "prisoners" at Lambeth he assigned different chambers, and the whole household was accustomed to dine together in the great hall. Mrs. Parker and the children had their private apartments, and it was not customary for the lady of the house to be present in the great dining-hall. The custom which so long prevailed of assigning sons of the nobility to the care of the Archbishop of Canterbury was still in vogue and the Primate moved amongst all, from the young lords to the servants, with a gracious and personal interest in every life. Each day the great household assembled for Matins and Evensong, and no business was allowed to prevent the Archbishop's attendance upon the King of kings and Lord of lords. Parker ate sparingly and drank scarcely any wine. In company he was reserved and shy, but in private unrestrained and facetious. Such was the life at Lambeth, which was rendered more solitary by the death of Mrs. Parker in 1570 and of the second son in 1574. Towards the close of 1574 Queen Elizabeth visited the Archbishop at Canterbury and was entertained by him in great state. On his return to Lambeth Parker was taken ill, and he set himself to get ready for his departure. He prepared a tomb of black marble for his body, and on April 5, 1575, dictated his will, which contains these words, "I profess that I do certainly believe whatsoever the Holy Catholic Church believeth and receiveth in any articles whatsoever pertaining to faith, hope and charity, and wherein these I have offended my Lord God in any ways, either by imprudence, or will, or weakness, I repent from my heart of my fault and error, and I ask forgiveness with a contrite heart; which remission and indulgence I do most firmly hold I shall obtain by the precious death and merits of my most indulgent Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

On May 17 the tired soul found rest, and Matthew

Parker breathed his last breath. To say he had enemies is only to repeat what is true of every man called upon to rule in high office, whether in Church or State, and especially in troublous times. He had also many devoted and attached friends, who lightened his burdens and cheered his official and private life. "By nature and by education, by the ripeness of his judgment and the incorruptness of his private life, he had been preeminently fitted for the task of ruling the Church of England through a stormy period of her history, and though seldom able to reduce the conflicting elements of thought and feeling into active harmony, the vessel he was called to pilot had been saved, almost entirely by his skill, from breaking on the rock of medieval superstition or else drifting away into the whirlpool of licentiousness and unbelief" (Hardwick's History of the Articles of Religion).

RICHARD BANCROFT1

1544-16102

MATTHEW PARKER died in 1575, forty years after the Reformation movement began. The hope of Papal supremacy in England perished with the accession of Elizabeth, and new questions rapidly arose within the English Church. The Puritan objective was destruction of episcopal government and abolition of liturgical worship according to the Prayer Book. The penal laws

1 With Bancroft as a surname compare Meadowcroft, Ryecroft, etc. It signified originally "of the bean-croft," i. e. the man who lived at the beancroft. Other authorities trace it to Bankcroft, i. e. the croft on the slope, but the former is more probable. It is still common in Cheshire and Lancashire, and in the sixteenth century was spelt Bancrofte, a form always used by Bancroft himself. The later spelling Banckcroft may have given rise to its association with "Bank," but later spellings are always untrustworthy as to the origin of a name. Both Bank and Croft are common as surnames, and a croft is a field enclosed for pasture. The earliest form was Atte (at the) Beancroft and de or del Beancroft.

The parish register at Prescot in Lancashire contains this entry, "1544 September Ric: Bancroft sone unto John Bancroft bapt: the XII dai." Little can be discovered about the father, John Bancroft, whose position in Lancashire was not one of any public note. 2 Born at Farnworth in the parish of Prescot, Lancashire, 1544. Educated at Farnworth Grammar School. Entered at Christ's College, Cambridge, 1564, B.A. 1567. Prebendary of S. Patrick's, Dublin, whilst a deacon. Ordained priest at Ely, 1574. Chaplain to the Bishop of Ely (Cox), 1574. Rector of Teversham near Cambridge, 1575. Chaplain to Lord Chancellor Hatton, 1579. Chaplain to Archbishop Whitgift, 1584. Rector of S. Andrew's, Holborn, 1584. D.D., 1585. Treasurer of S. Paul's Cathedral, London, 1586. Canon of Westminster, 1587. Bishop of London, 1597. Archbishop of Canterbury, 1604. Chancellor of Oxford, 1608. Died, 1610.