Life

He graduated M.A. at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge in 1560, having been a Fellow there since 1556. He became Dean of Salisbury

Dean of Salisbury

The Dean of Salisbury is the Head of the Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral in the Church of England. The current Dean is The Very Revd June Osborne, who was installed in 2004.-Selected office-holders:*Walter 1102*Osbert 1105*Robert 1111*Serlo 1122...

 in 1577.

He was appointed Bishop of Oxford

Bishop of Oxford

The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...

 on the accession of James I of England

James I of England

James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...

, and took part in the Hampton Court Conference

Hampton Court Conference

The Hampton Court Conference was a meeting in January 1604, convened at Hampton Court Palace, for discussion between King James I of England and representatives of the Church of England, including leading English Puritans.-Attendance:...

, in 1604.

Works

A Defence of the Government Established in the Church of England for Ecclesiastical Matters (1587) was a controversial work, expanded to 1400 pages from a Paul's Cross sermon, aimed at the theories of church polity of Thomas Cartwright, Laurence Chaderton

Laurence Chaderton

Laurence Chaderton was an English Puritan divine, and one of the translators of the King James Version of the Bible.-Life:...

 and Walter Travers

Walter Travers

Walter Travers was an English Puritan theologian. He was at one time chaplain to William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, and tutor to his son Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury.He is remembered mostly as an opponent of the teaching of Richard Hooker...

 in defence of the current Church of England settlement. It brought replies by Dudley Fenner

Dudley Fenner

Dudley Fenner was an English puritan divine. He helped popularize Ramist logic in the English language. Fenner was also one of the first theologians to use the term "covenant of works" to describe God's relationship with Adam in the Book of Genesis.-Life:He was born in Kent and educated at...

 and Travers. It also provoked the first of the tracts by Martin Marprelate

Martin Marprelate

Martin Marprelate was the name used by the anonymous author or authors of the seven Marprelate tracts which circulated illegally in England in the years 1588 and 1589...

, Oh read over D. John Bridges ... Printed at the cost and charges of M. Marprelate gentleman (1588).

He was formerly considered a possible author of Gammer Gurton's Needle, now attributed to William Stevenson

William Stevenson (poet)

William Stevenson was an English clergyman and presumed playwright of the early English language comedy Gammer Gurton's Needle....

.