Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/186

In November, 1633, Bishop Bridgeman gave a handsome donation of £500 towards the re-building of St. Paul's cathedral. This was probably a special thank-offering to God for his happy release from all the troubles he had lately been suffering; but he was in the habit of giving an annual subscription of £40 towards this good work, which had been warmly taken up by Laud when bishop of London, and nobly responded to by the Anglican bishops in reply to the following appeal, which he probably made to the other bishops as well as to bishop Bridgeman:

"Sal'tē in Chr'o.

My very good L^d,

It cannot be unknowne to yo^r L'p y^t his Ma^ty w^th a great deal of religious care & to his great hon' hath granted a commission for the repayre of St Paule's church in London, which, as it formerly was wonte (as appears by sufficyent recorde), soe must it now be, helped by publyke contribucon. The work is soe great & necessary, & soe much tending to the Hon^r of this kingdome & religion established in it, w^ch must needs suffer much if soe goodly a style of buylding should moulder away, as y^t his Ma^ty is confident noe man's devoc'on will be cold towardes it, but he expectes y^t the clergye should give good example, especially y^r Ll^dps the B^ps; and therfore hath commanded me to wryte to all such of my Brethren the Bishoppes as are absent to move them, in his Ma^tys Name, & for the hon^r of y^e worke, y^t they will give towardes it as theyr severall estates shall enable them. These are therfore humbly & hartily to pray yo^t L^p that you will be pleased, w^th all convenyent speed, in yo^r answere to these my l^rs, or otherwise as you shall thinke fitt, under yo^r hande, to expresse what yo^r L^p will yearly give toward this great worke, making your first daye of payment some daye before Christmass next, & then that daye twelve month after, according as my L^ds grace of Canterbury, myself, & other B^pps here have subscribed And both our first dayes of payment are in Octob^r next. The forme of o^r subscripcon is to this effect:

I, A. B., will give towardes y^e repayre of St Paule's church in London y^e     of October next y^e sume of     And soe will continue to give yearly till the worke be finiched, if God grant lyfe.