“Concerning the learned exercises and conferences amongst the ministers of the church--the time appointed for this exercise is once a month; the time of this exercise is two hours--some text of Scripture, before appointed to be spoken, is interpreted in this order--prayer, and a psalm follow. I am enforced with all humility, and yet plainly, to profess that I cannot, with safe conscience, and without the offence of the majesty of God, give mine assent to the suppressing of the said exercises; much less can I send out any instruction for the utter and universal subversion of the same. If it be your majesty’s pleasure for this, or any other cause, to remove me out of this place, I will, with all humility, yield thereunto. Remember, that in God’s cause, the will of God, and not the will of any earthly creature, is to take place; it is the antichristian voice of the Pope, ‘_Thus I will--thus I order--my will is reason sufficient!_’” Grindal’s mode of arguing was precisely that of the Protestants against the Papists, and of the apostles against the rulers of the Jews. But this appeal to the Scriptures availed nothing with the royal inquisitor; the prelate continued in disgrace with his sovereign, though he was permitted till his death, in 1583, to retain his dignity as archbishop of Canterbury. Dr. Whitgift succeeded as archbishop of Canterbury, and he was a severe inquisitor and persecutor. He published _three_ articles for every clergyman to subscribe, declaring from his heart, his approbation of the whole Common Prayer; besides which, he drew up _twenty-four_ articles to be used in examining those who were brought before the bishops. Through these impositions, great numbers of pious clergymen were deprived; among whom were _sixty-four_ in Norfolk, _sixty_ in Suffolk, and _thirty-eight_ in Essex; besides those in other counties. These inquisitorial proceedings induced Lord Burleigh, the earls of Leicester, Shrewsbury, and Warwick, Lord Charles Howard, Sir James Crofts, Sir Christopher Hatton, and Sir Francis Walsingham, secretary of state, to sign a letter, September 20, 1584, to the archbishop, and the bishop of London, complaining of such intolerant inquisition. But Whitgift disregarded their appeal, sustained in his pernicious course by the queen.