Christian Cyclopedia

(ca. 1495–1555). “Father of the Puritans”; b. Somersetshire, Eng.; educ. Oxford; probably Cistercian; became Zwinglian; fled to Continent 1539; returned to Eng. 1549; bp. Gloucester 1550 (consecrated 1551); objected to prescribed vestments and form of the oath (by the saints), but yielded on the vestments and the king yielded on the oath; the see of Worcester was given him 1552 to hold in commendam (revenues granted him temporarily during vacancy) with Gloucester; later Gloucester was made an archdeanery and he was termed bp. Worcester; imprisoned 1553 by Mary* I; deprived of bishopric as a married man 1554; charged with heresy; burned at the stake. See also Anglican Confessions, 5; Puritans; Vestiarian Controversy.