Miles Smith (bishop)

In time, he became a residentiary canon of Hereford Cathedral and was awarded his Doctor of Divinity in 1594, where he "proved at length an incomparable theologist,"[6] and became chaplain of Christ Church, Oxford.

Hebrew also he had at his fingers' ends, and withal stories of all times; and for his rich and accomplish'd furniture in that study, he had this e[u]logy given him by a learned bishop of this kingdom, that 'he was a very walking library'.

Anthony à Wood continued as follows:"For his exactness in those languages, he was thought worthy by king James I. to be called to that great work of the last translation of our English BIBLE, wherein he was esteemed the chief, and a workman that needed not be ashamed.

He began with the first, and was the last man in the translation of the work; for after the task of translation was finished by the whole number set a-part and designed to that business, being some few above forty, it was raised by a dozen selected from them, and at length referred to the final examination of Bilson bishop of Winton, and this our author, who, with the rest of the twelve, are stiled in the History of the Synod of Dort, 'vere eximii & ab initio in toto hoc opere versatissimi' [truly excellent, and most accomplished from the beginning in all of this work], as having happily concluded that worthy labour.

All being ended, this excellent person Dr. Smith was commanded to write a preface..."[6]He, with Thomas Bilson, Bishop of Winchester, performed the final examination of the text before sending it to the printer.

"But then withall he was a man that spared not to shew himself upon all occasions in favour of the Calvinian party; and more particularly in countenancing the Lecturers within his Diocess against the lawful Minister of the Parish when ever any complaint of their proceedings was made unto him," wrote Peter Heylyn in his History of William Laud.

The bishop had set the Communion table in the middle of the choir, but in 1616 Laud had it removed to the east end (the position of a high altar) and advised all the prebendaries, choristers and officers to make low obeisances towards it as they approached.

[10] The bishop's chaplain wrote to his Chancellor protesting that the new arrangement would give encouragement to the Roman Catholics who wished to restore superstitious practises, and that the prebendaries had been faint-hearted in their not having resisted the change.

An Alderman of the city attempted to suppress disturbance by committing various people to prison, but, doubting his powers of containment, he advised the Dean (William Laud) that the High Commissioners should be brought in.

Camden's Visitation shows these arms impaling Hawkins (Smith's first wife), as: "Or, on a chevron between three cinquefoils azure, as many escallops argent, on a chief per pale gules and sable a griffin passant ermine.