the church.
He died in 1575; and was succeeded by Grindal, who, as he himself was
inclined to the new sect, was with great difficulty brought to execute
the laws against them, or to punish the nonconforming clergy.
He declined obeying the queen's orders for the suppression of
"prophesyings," or the assemblies of the zealots in private houses,
which, she apprehended, had become so many academies of fanaticism; and
for this offence she had, by an order of the star chamber, sequestered
him from his archiepiscopal function, and confined him to his own house.
Upon his death, which happened in 1583, she determined not to fall into
the same error in her next choice; and she named Whitgift, a zealous
Churchman, who had already signalized his pen in controversy, and who,
having in vain attempted to convince the Puritans by argument, was now
resolved to open their eyes by power, and by the execution of penal
statutes. He informed the queen, that all the spiritual authority lodged
in the prelates was insignificant without the sanction of the crown;
and as there was no ecclesiastical commission at that time in force, he
engaged her to issue a new one, more arbitrary than any of the former,
and conveying more unlimited authority.[*]

* Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. i. p. 410.

She appointed forty-four commissioners, twelve of whom were
ecclesiastics; three commissioners made a quorum; the jurisdiction of
the court extended over the whole kingdom and over all orders of
men; and every circumstance of its authority, and all its methods of
proceeding, were contrary to the clearest principles of law and natural
equity. The commissioners were empowered to visit and reform all errors,
heresies, schisms, in a word, to regulate all opinions, as well as to
punish all breach of uniformity in the exercise of public worship. They
were directed to make inquiry, not only by the legal methods of juries
and witnesses, but by all other means and ways which they could devise;
that is, by the rack, by torture, by inquisition, by imprisonment Where
they found reason to suspect any person, they might administer to him
an oath, called "ex officio," by which he was bound to answer all
questions, and might thereby be obliged to accuse himself or his most
intimate friend. The fines which they levied were discretionary,
and often occasioned the total ruin of the offender, contrary to
the established laws of the kingdom. The imprisonment to which