pronounced Puritan, one of the Assembly of Divines, and a promoter of the Solemn League.[1] He had raised debates about the observance of the Sabbath, and caused great commotion amongst the orthodox divines. King Charles wrote to the bishop urging him to lay his commands upon Ley to do or say nothing in his lectures to unsettle the received doctrine; saying: "do you what belongeth to a good bishop to make your clergy capable;" and adding that "disputes engender strife, and true religion must be planted and preserved by unity and good life."[2]
It was Lord Wentworth's wish to have the bishop translated to another diocese in the northern province with a better income; and in a letter to him, dated from Westminster on 28th July, 1631, in which he mentions the high esteem and honour in which he held him, and implies that he (the bishop) was too modest to seek preferment for himself, he tells him that he has on many occasions represented his merits to those who ought to take notice of it and reward it, and goes on to say:
"My Lord, I have dun itt, and will not faile to renew the remembrance of them now in this great alteration that is like to be in the churche upon the deathe of our Archebishopp [Harsnet, of York] and the Bishopp of Ely [Buckeridge]; nor will I be slacker in the pursuit thereof, allbeit I heare noe earnest pretence of your lop's in any kinde, whearin I doe infinitly approve of yor modesty, and value your vertue and moderation much the more. It is not like ther will be any thing dun until the next terme, by which time I shall, God willing, be returned backe to this place; only I hear that the Bishopp of Winchester [Neale] will be desired to remove to Yorke, which I am of opinion he will not be willing to doe, and before we see how the first wheele moves wee shall not be soe well able to advise or direct our own motions. This only I will
- ↑ Ex inf. the late Canon Blomfield.
- ↑ State Papers, Domestic Series, sub anno 1632. John Ley was instituted to the Vicarage of Great Budworth 20th January, 1616. He was author of "A patterne of piety or the religious life and death of that grave matron, Mrs. Jane Ratcliffe, widow and citizen of Chester." London, 1640 (Ormerod's Cheshire, vol. iii. p. 452).
