Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII - James Aitken Wylie

parishes of England. It follows that some 12,000
parishes were without pastors, or enjoyed only the
services of men who had no university training.
The remedies proposed by the petitioners were
mainly these: that a code of laws, drawn from the
Scriptures, should be compiled for the government
of the Church; that a visitation of all the cities and
large towns of the kingdom should take place, and
the condition of the nation be accurately reported
on; and that zealous and faithful men should not be
extruded from the ministry simply because they
objected to vestments and ceremonies.[1] The
substance of the Supplication would seem to have
been embodied in sixteen articles, and sent up from
the Parliament to the House of Lords, requesting
"reformation or alteration of the customs and
practices of the Church established." It was
answered by the two archbishops and Cowper,
Bishop of Winchester, but nothing more came of
it.[2]
The Supplication originated with the Puritans,
being drawn up, it is believed, by Mr. Thomas
Sampson, a man of some eminence among them.
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