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•YAOE-'VMVEirainnr-

Gift of
MISS SARAH S. LANE
1931

3 AN 3 EL NEAL M.A.
J^iUfrtn'cJjrom ,111 Orhiihal Piiiutiiu] bvW.KoU.

Published by Robinson (-Jon .Lted.*.

NEAL'S
HISTORY OF THE PURITANS ',
OR, THE
RISE, PRINCIPLES, AND SUFFERINGS
OF THE
PROTESTANT DISSENTERS,
TO THE
GLORIOUS £:RA OP THE REVOLUTION ;
ABRIDGED,
IN TWO VOLUMES.

BY EDWARD PARSONS.

WITH THE
LIFE OF THE AUTHOR,
BY JOSHUA TOULMIN, D.D.

VOL. I.

LONDON

PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORWE, AND BROWN; AN1I
ROBINSON AND SON, I.EKDS.

Balnea, Printer, Letts.

DEDICATION,

This edition of Neal's History of
the Puritans, is most respectfully de
dicated to the friends of religious
liberty, whose united efforts, on a
recent trying Occasion, opposed an
I insuperable barrier against the long
meditated encroachments of intole
rance ; and to whose harmonious com*
bination and vigilance, the oppressed
shall look with confidence in every
future attempt upon the privileges
of our toleratiohv ,
By your enlightened and unre
mitted exertions, under the conduct
and blessing of divine providence,
that alarming measure introduced
to the House of Peers by Lord Vis*
count Sidmouth, was happily frtts*

DEDICATION.
t '&' "
trated ; and became the occasion of a
triumph, that will be enjoyed by your
posterity for generations to come.
Upon the liberal and comprehensive
principles, — that man is amenable to
none but God for his religious opini
ons, and that no earjhly power has
any right to interfere with the high
and sacre^ concerns of conscience, —
upon these principles ycm rested your
opposition to the novel and dangerous
control designed to be vested in the
civil magistrate, over the appoint
ment of your ministers ;— and your
unanimous co-operation, your wis
dom, your temper, and your firm
ness, give peculiar importance and
interest to the victory you have ob
tained." In presenting to the public a his
tory of the rise, the principles,, and
the sufferings of . protectant dissenters,
my attention is naturally directed to
you ; — not so much with a view to the
honour of your patronage, as the de-

DEDICATION.
sire of recording an event so eminently
connected with our present and future
happinesss; — to congratulate ^you as
the distinguished instruments of its
accomplishment ; — and to animate
the minds of my readers in the
prospect of that infinitely import
ant period, *vwhen every invidious
distinction, and every hostile passion,
..shall be banished from religious
society ; and when all the blessings
of christian liberty shall bp diffused,
and enjoyed * through the.* whole
world. *EDWARD PARSONS.
f Leeds, August 1, 1811.

MEMOIRS*
Up-
of the Life of
MM. DANIEL NEAL, M.A.
MR. DANIEL NEAL was born in the city of
London, on the 14th of December, 1678. When
he was very young, his parents were removed by
death, and left him, their only surviving child,
in the hands of a maternal uncle : whose care of
his health and education was faithful and affection
ate, and was. often mentioned by his nephew with
gratitude. ,„ » - ¦ * ¦'
He received his classical education at Merchant
Tailors' school ; to which he was sent, when he was
seven or eight years of age, and where he staid
till he was head scholar. In this youthful period
he gave a proof of the- serious a:rid conscientious
principles by which., he was governed. For an
exhibition to St. John's college in Oxford being
offered to him, out »of a foundation belonging to
that school, he declined it ; and chose an education
for the ministry amongst the protesrant dissenters.
About the year 1696, or 1697, he removed from
this seminary to a dissenting academy, under the
direction . of the Reverend,. Thomas. Rowe ; under
whose tuition several eminent characters were, in.
jtetrt, formed. To this gentleman Dr. Watts ad
dressed his animated ode, called " Free Philo
sophy,'* which may, in this view, be considered as
an honourable testimonial to the candid and liberal
spirit with which Mr. Rowe conducted the studies
« of his pupi Is.
* The Editor emhracfts this opportunity of recording his most
cordial acknowledgments to Dr. Toulmin, for permission to re
publish his excellent Memoir of £{eal ; and the polite and friendly
manner in which ^hat permission' was communicated.

IV MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
Mr. Neal's thirst after knowledge was not to be
satisfied by the limited advantages of one seminary:
but prompted him to seek further improvement in
foreign universities. Having spent three years with
Mr. Rowe, he removed to Holland ; where ht
prosecuted his studies, for two years, under the
celebrated prbfessors ,DrUries,_Jprraevius, and Bur-
man, at Utrecht ; and then "one year at Leyden.
About the middle > or latter end of 1703, he re
turned to*England, in company with Mr. Martin
Tomkins and Mr., (afterwards the eminent Dr.)
Lardner, vand soon after appeared in the pulpit.
It was not long before his furniture and abilities
attracted notice. , And, in the next year, he was
chosen, assistant to Dr. John Singleton, in the ser
vice of an*independent congregation, in Aldersgate-
street ; and on the doctor's death, in 1706, he was
<elecied»their pastor. * In this relation he continued
for thirty-six years, till about five months before
his decease. ; When he accepted the pastoral office,
the church, though some persons of considerable
fortune and character belonged to it, was very
small, as to numbers; but such acceptance did his
ministry meet with, that the. place of .^worship be
came, in- a few years, too streight to accommodate •
the numbers that desired to attend, on Mr. Neal's
preaching ; which obliged them to remove to a
larger house in;>Jewin-street.
He fulfilled theduties3 of his character with atten
tion and diligence : statedly preaching twice every4
Lord's day, till the three or four last years of His
life ; and usually devoting two or three afternoons
in a week, to visiting his people. He pursued his
studies with so' close an application, as to reserve
little or no time for exercise; though he was assi- ,„
duous in his preparations for'' the pulpit, he gave1*
himself some scdpe in his literary' pursuits, and
particularly indulged in the study of history, .to

MR. DANIEL NEAL. V
which his natural genius strongly led him. " He
" still," observes Dr. Jennings, " kept his character
" and profession in view, as a christian divine and
tc minister." The first fruits of his literary labours appeared in
1720, under the title of " The History of New-
" England ; being an impartial account of the civil
" and ecclesiastical affairs of the country, with a
" new accurate Map thereof: to which is added, an
" Appendix, containing their present charter, their
" ecclesiastical discipline, and their municipal laws."
In two volumes 8vo. This work contains an enter
taining and instructive narrative of the first plant
ing of the gospel in a foreign heathen land : and,
besides exhibiting the rise of a new commonwealth,
struggling in its infant state with a thousand diffi
culties, and triumphing over them all, it includes
biographical memoirs of the principal persons in
church and state. It was well received in New-
England ; and the next year their university ho
noured the author with the degree of Master of
Arts, the highest academical title they had power
to confer.
In the same year there came from Mr. Neal's
pen, " A letter to the Rev. Dr. Francis Hare,
" dean of Worcester, occasioned by his reflections
(f on the dissenters, in his late visitation sermon and
" postscript." 8vo.
In 1721, he published " The Christian's Duty and
" Interest in a time of public danger ; from Ezekiel
" ix. 4. A sermon preached at the Rev. Mr. Jen-
"ning's meeting-place in Wapping, on Friday,
" October 27, being a time of solemn prayer on
" account of the plague." This discourse is pre- •
served in- the library of Queen's college, Cam
bridge. Mr. Neal gave to the public, in 1722, " A Nar-
" rative of the method and success of inoculating
Vol. r. b

VI MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
« the small-pox in New-England, by Mr. Benja-?
" min Colman ; with a reply to the objections made
"against it. from principles of conscience, in a
" letter from a minister at Boston. To which is
" now prefixed, an historical introduction." On
the appearance of this piece, her Royal Highness
Caroline, princess of Wales, sent for him to wait
on her, that she might receive from him further
satisfaction concerning the practice of inoculation.
He was introduced by a physician of the royal
family, and received by the princess in her closet ;
whom he found reading " Fox's Martyrology." —
Her highness did him the honour of entering into a
free conversation with him for near an hour, on the
subject of inoculation : and afterwards on other
subjects, particularly the state, of the dissenting
interest in England, and ©f religion in New-
England. After some time the Prince of Wales,
afterwards George II. came into the room, and
condescended to take a part in the conversation
for above a quarter of an hour. Mr. Neal had the
honour of kissing the hands of both the royal per
sonages. In 1722, he published, at request, a sermon
preached to the societies for reformation of manners,
at Salter's-hall, on Monday, June 25. This, dis
course, grounded on Psalm xciv. 16, is to be met
with in the library mentioned before.
In the beginning of the next year the request of
the managers of the charity-school in Gravel-lane,
Southwark, procured from him the publication of a
sermon, preached January 1, for the benefit of
that institution, on Job xxix. 12, 13, entitled, " The
" Method of Education in the charity-schools of
" protestant dissenters ; with the advantages that
" arise to the public from them."
After this, nothing of Mr. Neal's appeared from
the press for several years, till in 1726, the death of

MR. DANIEL NEAL. VH
the Rev. Matthew Clarke, a minister of consider
able eminence amongst the dissenters of that period,
gave occasion for his publishing a funeral sermon
for him, from Matthew xxv. 21. This discourse
was, next year, reprinted, and annexed to a
volume of sermons upon several occasions, by Mr.
Clarke ; of which Mr. Neal was the editor, and to
which he prefixed some memoirs of the author.
At the beginning of this year he printed a ser
mon, entitled " Of sorrowing for them who sleep
" in Jesus," occasioned by the death of Mrs. Anne
Phillibrowne, who departed this life February 1,
1726-7, in the 43d year of her age. This discourse
is also to be found in Queen's college library,
Cambridge. In 1730, the united request of the ministers and
the church prevailed with him to publish a sermon,
entitled, " The duty of praying for ministers and
" the success of their ministry," from 2 Thess. iii.
1 ; preached at the separation of the Rev. Mr.
Richard Rawlin, to the pastoral office in the
church at Fetter-lane, June 24. A passage in this
discourse deserves to be quoted, to show the catho
lic and generous sentiments of Mr. Neal. Having
referred to the persecutions of the christians under
the Roman emperors, and then to the prevalence
of darkness and superstition for a thousand years,
after Rome became papal ; he proceeds, " The
" light of the gospel broke out again at the Re-
" formation ; but, alas ! what obstructions has it
¦" met with ever since! How much blood has been
"spilt, and how many families ruined, and sent
" into banishment for the profession of it! There is
'" at this time a bloody inquisition in Spain ; and
"the sword of the magistrate is drawn against the
" preaching of the gospel in Italy, France, Poland,
-" in several parts of Germany, and in other popish
" countries. I wish I could say, that all protestant
b2

VIII MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
"•governments were willing the gospel should have
" its free course ; but our fathers in this nation have
" drunk of the bitter cup of persecution ; our
" teachers have been driven into corners, and the
" mouths of thousands stopped in one day : Blessed
" be God, that there is now a more open door !
"Let us pray, that all penal laws ^/br religion
" may be taken away, and that no civil discou-
" ragements may lie upon Christians of any
"denomination, for the peaceable profession of
"their faith, but that the gospel may have free
" course." In the year 1732, came out the first volume of
Mr. Neal's great work, " The History of the Pu-
" ritans." The following circumstances gave birth
to this publication. Dr. Edmund Calamy, many
years before, had, in his " Abridgement of the life
" of Mr. Richard Baxter, and the continuation of
" it," laid before the public a view of the state of
non-conformity, and of the characters and suffer
ings of the principal adherents to it, during the
period that immediately succeeded to the act of
uniformity in 1662. Dr. John Evans, on this,
formed a design of writing " A History of Non-
" conformity," from the beginning of the reforma
tion to 1640, when the civil wars began. Mr. Neal
was requested, by several ministers and other per
sons of considerable figure amongst the dissenters,
to take up the history from the year 1640, and to
carry it on to the act of uniformity. Dr. Evans
proceeded a great way in the execution of his de
sign : by collecting, for several years, with great
industry and expense, proper materials from all
quarters, and by filling several quires of paper
with references, under each year, to the books he
had read on the subject. He had gone so far as to
have Avritten out; fairly about a third part of the two
folios he intended to fill. But his constant em-

MR. DANIEL NEAL, IX
ployment as a minister, the multiplicity of public
a Hairs which passed through his hands, ill health,
and various disappointments and troubles in his
own concerns, greatly interrupted his close appii*
cation to the work : and his death, in the year
1730, put a final period to the design, which was
left in an unfinished state. In the mean time, Mr.
Neal had prosecuted his work with so much appli
cation and spirit, that he had completed his collec
tions, and put them in order for the press, some
length of time before the doctor's decease. This
event obstructed his immediate progress, and opened
to him a new field of study and investigation :
for he now found it necessary to take up himself
the long period of history from the reformation to
the commencement of the civil wars : that his own
collections might be published with more accept
ance, and appear with greater advantage, than he
apprehended they could have done, if the doctor's
province had been entirely neglected.
The approbation which followed the. publication
of the first volume of " The History of the Puri-
" tans," encouraged him to prosecute his design ;
and the next year, 1733, produced a second volume
of that work.
Between the appearance of this and the subse
quent parts of his history, we find Mr. Neal en
gaged with some of his respectable brethren in car?
rying on two courses of lectures ; one at Berry*
street, the other at Salter's-hall.
The former was preached at the request and by
the encouragement of William Coward, Esq. of
Walthamstow. It consisted of fifty-four sermons
on the principle heads of the christian religion, en
titled " Faith and Practice." Mr. Neal?s asso
ciates in this service were, Dr. Watts, Dr. J.
Guise, Mr. Samuel Price, Mr. John Hubbard,
an4 J?r» David Jennings. The terms on which
b3

X MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
Mr. Neal complied with Mr. Coward's request,
made through a common friend, to take part in
this service, are proofs of the independence and
integrity of mind which he possessed, and was de
termined to maintain. His requisitions were, that
he would draw up the dedication, write the preface,
and choose his own subjects : in which Mr. Coward,
though they were not very pleasing to a gentleman
of his known humour, and fondness for adulation
and control, acquiesced ; rather than the lecture
should lose the advantage and reputation that it
would derive from Mr. Neal's abilities and name.
The subjects handled by him were, " The divine
" authority and perfection of the holy scriptures,"
from 2 Tim. iii. 16. " Of God, as the governor
" and judge of the moral world, angels, and men,"
on Daniel iv. 35. " The Incarnation of Christ as
" the promised Messiah :" the text Gal. iv. 4, 5.
" Effectual Calling, with its fruits, viz. regeneration
" and sanctification by the holy spirit :" from 2
Tim. i. 9. " Confession of sin, repentance, and
" conversion to holiness :" on Acts iii. 19. " Of
" fearing God, and trusting in him :" Psalm xxxi.
19. " The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper :" on
1 Cor. xi. 23, 26. " The Love of our Neighbour :"
the text John xiii. 34, 35. And " The pleasure
" and advantage of vital religion :" from Rom. vii.
22. These, with the discourses of the other preach
ers, were, after the course was finished, published
in two vols. 8vo, in 1735 ; and have passed throUgh
several editions. Dr. Doddridge, when speaking
of them, says, " I cannot recollect where I have
" seen a set of important thoughts on such various
" and weighty subjects more judiciously selected,
" more accurately digested, more closely compacted,
" more naturally expressed, or in so few words
" more powerfully enforced, than I have generally
" found in those sermons." Without determining

ii

MR. DANIEL NEAL. XI
whether this encomium be exaggerated or not, it
may certainly be pronounced, that the practical
strain in which the discourses are drawn up, and
the good temper with which the subjects of greatest
controversy are here handled, without any censure
or even illiberal insinuation against others mingling
with the representation of their own views on the
points discussed, do great honour to the heart and
spirit of the authors.
The other course of lectures, in which Mr. Neal
was engaged, arose from an alarm concerning the
increase of popery, which prevailed about the end
of the year 1734. Some eminent dissenting minis
ters of the day, of the presbyterian denomination,
in conjunction with one of each of the other per
suasions, agreed to preach a set of sermons on the
main principles and errors, doctrines and practices,
of the church of Rome, to guard protestants against
the efforts of its emissaries. The gentlemen who
engaged in this design were, Mr. John Barker,
Dr. Samuel Chandler, Mr. George Smith, Dr.
Samuel Wright, Dr. William Harris, Dr. Obadiah
Hughes, Dr. Jeremiah Hunt, Mr. Joshua Bayes,
Mr. John Newman, Dr. Jabez Earle, Mr. Moses
Lowman, Dr. Benjamin Grosvenor, Mr. Thomas
Leavesly, Mr. Joseph Burrough, a minister of the
antipoedo-baptist persuasion, and Mr. Neal, who
was an independent. The subject which fell to his
lot to discuss was, " The supremacy of St. Peter, and
" the bishops of Rome his successors." These dis
courses were separately printed immediately after
each was preached and when the lectures were
closed, were collected together and formed two
volumes, 8vo.
In the year 1736, came out the third volume of
the History of the Puritans : and Mr. Neal's design
was completed, by the publication of the fourth^ in?
the year 1738, which brought down the history of

XII MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
non-conformity to the act of toleration by King
William and Queen Mary, in the year 1689.
This and Mr. Neal's other historical works spread
his name through the learned world, and justly
secured to him great and permanent reputation.
Dr. Jennings speaking of them says, "I am satis-
" fled that there is no judicious and unprejudiced
" person, that has conversed with the volumes he
" wrote, but will acknowledge he had an excellent
" talent at writing history. His style is most easy
" and perspicuous ; and the judicious remarks,
" which he leads his readers to make upon facts as
" they go along, make his histories to be not only
" more entertaining, but to be more instructive and
" useful than most books of that kind,"
While this work was preparing for and going
through the press, part of his time was ocpupied in
drawing up and publishing an answer to Dr.
Maddox, bishop of St. Asaph ; who wrote a pretty
long '* Vindication of the doctrine, discipline, and
" worship, of the church of England, established
" in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, from the inju-
" rious reflections (as he was pleased to stile them)
"of Mr. Neal's first volume of the History of the
" Puritans." This answer was entitled, " A review
" of the principal facts objected to the first volume
" of the History of the Puritans." It was reckoned
to be written with great judgment, and to establish
our historian's character for an impartial regard to
truth. And it was reasonably concluded, from this
specimen of his powers of defence, that, if his de
clining state of health had permitted him, he would
have as thoroughly vindicated the other volumes
from the animadversions afterwards published against
them by Dr. Zachary Grey.
The pleasure Mr. Neal had in serving the cause
of religious liberty had carried him through his un-

MR. DANIEL NEAL, Xlli
dertaking with amazing alacrity. But he engaged
in it at an advanced age, and when his health had
begun to decline : this, joined with the close appii-:
cation which he gave to the prosecution of it, brought
on a lingering illness, from which he never reco
vered. He had been all his life subject, in some
degree, to a lowness of spirits, and to complaints
of an indisposition in his head. His love of study,
and an unremitting attention to the duties of his
office, rendered him averse to the frequent use of
any exercise that took him off from his books. In
the end, repeated strokes of the palsy, first gentle
and then more severe, which greatly enfeebled all
his powers both of body and mind, and baffled the
best advice, the aids of medicine and repeated use
of the Bath waters, brought him to his grave, per-.
fectly worn out, in the 65th year of his age. He
died April 4th, 1743.
During the declining state of his health, Mr.
Neal applied to the excellent Dr. Doddridge to
recommend some young minister, as an assistant to
him. A gentleman was pointed out, and appeared
in his pulpit with this view ; and a letter, which on
this occasion he wrote to Dr. Doddridge, and
which the doctor indorsed with this memorandum,
" Some wise Hints," affords such an agreeable spe
cimen of Mr. Neal's good sense, candour, and
prudence, as cannot fail, we think, to render it
acceptable to our readers.
" Dear Sir,
" Your letter which I received yesterday gave
" me. a great deal of agreeable entertainment, and
" made me almost in love with a person that I
" never saw. His character is the very picture of
?' what I should wish and pray for. There is no

XIV MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
" manner of exception that I can hear of, but that
" of his delivery, which many, with you, hope
" may be conquered or very much amended. All
" express a very great respect and value for Mr.
" — — and his ministry, and are highly pleased
" with his serious and affectionate manner. And I
" am apt to think, when we have heard him again,
" even the thickness of the pronunciation of some
" of his words will in a great measure vanish ; it
" being owing, in a great measure, (according to
" my son,) to not making his under and upper lip
" meet together : but be that as it will, this is all,
" and the very worst that I know of, to use your
" own expression.
" I wish, as much as you, that the affair might
" be speedily issued ; but you know that things of
" this nature, in which many, and those of a dif-
" ferent temper, are concerned, must proceed
" with all tenderness and voluntary freedom, with-
" out the least shadow of violence or imaginary
" hurry. Men love to act for themselves, and
" with spontaneity ; and, as I have sometimes ob-
" served, have come at length cheerfully and vo-
" luntarily into measures, which they would have
" opposed, if they had imagined they were to be
" driven into them.
" I don't mention this, as if it was the present
" case, for I can assure you it is not : but to put
" you in mind that it may possibly not always be
" for the best to do things too hastily ; and there-
" fore I hope you will excuse the digression. I am
" exceedingly tender of Mr.  's character and
" usefulness ; and therefore shall leave it to your
" prudence to fix the day of his coming up ; and
" you may depend upon my taking all the pru-
" dential steps in favour of this affair that I am
" master of. I hope the satisfaction will be gene-

MR. DANIEL NEAL. XV
" ral, but who can answer for it beforehand ?
" It has a promising appearance ; but if it comes
" out otherwise, you shall have a faithful ac-
" count. " I am pleased to hear that Mr.  is under so
" good an adviser as yourself, who cannot but be
" apprised of the great importance of this affair
" both to your academy, to myself, and to the pubr
" lie interest of the dissenters in this city: and I
" frankly declare I don't know any one place
" among us in London where he can sit more easy,
" and enjoy the universal love and affection of a
" good-natured people, which will give him all
" fitting encouragement. We are very thankful to
" you, Sir, for the concern you express for us, and
" the care you have taken for our supply. I hope
" you will have a return, from above, of far greater
" blessings than this world can bestow, and you
" may expect from me all suitable acknowledge-
" ments. " Pray advise Mr. — — — , when you see him, to
" lay aside all undue concern from his mind, and
" to speak with freedom and ease. Let him en-
" deavour, by an articulate pronunciation, to make
" the elder persons hear and those that sit at a
" greater distance, and all will be well. He has
" already got a place in the affections of many of
" the people ; and I believe will quickly captivate
" them all. Assure him that he has a candid au-
" dience, who will not make a man an offender for
" a word. Let him speak to the heart, and touch
" the conscience, and show himself in earnest in
" his work : and he will certainly approve himself
" a workman that needs not be ashamed. I beg
" pardon for these hints. Let not Mr.  im-
" press his mind too much with them. My best re-
" spects attend your lady and whole family, hot

XVI MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
" forgetting good Mr.  , &c. I am, Sir, in
" haste, " Your affectionate brother,
" and very humble servant,
" DANIEL NEAL.
e( London, Saturday evening,
" May 12, 1739.
" Brethren, pray for us I"
Disease had, for many months before his death*
rendered him almost entirely incapable of public
service. This induced him to resign the pastoral
office in the November preceding. The considerate,
as well as generous manner in which he did it, will
appear from the following letter he sent to the
church on that occasion :
" To the church of Christ, meeting in Jewin-*
" street, London.
" My dear brethren, and beloved in the Lord,
" God, in his alUwise providence, having seen
meet for some time to disable me in a great mea-
" sure from serving you in the gospel of his Son,
" and therein to deprive me of one of the greatest
!l satisfactions of my hfe ; I have been waiting upon
" him in the use of means for a considerable time,
" as I thought it my duty to do. But not having
" found such a restoration as might enable me to
" stated service, it is my duty to acquiesce in his
" will. , And having looked up to him for direction,
" I think it best for your sakes to surrender my
" office of a pastor amongst you.
" Upon this occasion it becomes me to make my
" humblest acknowledgments to the blessed God,

MR. DANIEL NEAL. XVU
" for that measure of usefulness he has honoured
" me with in the course of my labours amongst you ;
"and I render you all my unfeigned thanks for
" the many affectionate instances of your regard
" towards me.
" May the spirit of God direct you in the choice
" of a wise and able pastor, who may have your
" spiritual and everlasting welfare at heart. ¦ And,
" for that end, beware of a spirit of division: Be
'* ready to condescend to each other's infirmities:
" Keep together in the way of your duty, and in
" waiting upon God for his direction and blessing :
" Remember this is the distinguishing mark of the
" disciples of Christ, ' that they love one another.'
" Finally, my brethren, farewell ; be of good com-
*c fort and of one mind ; live in peace ; and the
" God of love and peace shall be with you.
" I am, your affectionate well-wisher,
" and obedient humble servant,
" DANIEL NEAL."
From the first attack of his long illness, it ap
pears he had serious apprehensions how it would
terminate; and a letter written from Bath, in
April, 1739, to a worthy friend, shows the- excel
lent state of his mind under those views.
" My greatest concern," he says, "is to have
" rational and solid expectations of a future happi-
" ness. I would not be mistaken, nor build on
" the sand ; but would impress my mind with a
" firm belief of the certainty of the future world,
" and live in a practical preparation for it. I rely
" very much on the rational notions we have of the
" moral perfections of God, not only as a just but
" a benevolent and merciful Being, who knows
" our frame, and will make all reasonable allow-

XV111 MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF
" ances for our imperfections and follies in life ;
" and not only so, but, upon repentance and faith
" in Christ, will pardon our past sins, though
" never so many or great.
" In aid of the imperfection of our rational no-
>' tions, I am very thankful for the glorious truths
" of gospel revelation, which are an additional su-
" perstructure on the other: for though we can
" believe nothing contrary to our reason, we have
" a great many excellent and comfortable disco-
" veries built upon and superadded to it. Upon
" this double foundation would I build all my ex-
" pectations, with an humble and awful reverence
" of the majesty of the Great Judge of all the
." earth, and a fiducial reliance on the mercy of our
" Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. In this frame
" of mind, I desire to fear God, and keep his
" commandments." In all his sensible intervals, during his last illness,
he enjoyed an uncommon serenity of mind ; and
behaved becoming a christian and a minister.
This peaceful state of mind and comfortable hope
he possessed to the last. About a month before his
death, he appeared to his fellow-worshippers, at
the Lord's supper, with an air so extraordinary
serious and heavenly, as made some present say,
" he looked as if he were not long for this
" world." The preceding particulars and his writings will,
in part, enable the reader to form for himself a just
opinion of Mr. Neal's character : and will certainty
give credibility to what is reported concerning it.
He filled the relations of domestic life with inte
grity and honour ; and left a deep and fond regret
in the hearts of his family. In his public connexions,
he was the prudent counsellor, and faithful, steady
friend. His labours in the pulpit, and his visits in
families, while his health continued firm, were edi-

MR. DANIEL NEAL. XIX
tying and entertaining. He had an easy, agreeable
manner, both in the style and in the delivery of
his sermons, free from affectation. In conversation,
he knew how to mix grave and prudent instruction
or advice with a becoming cheerfulness, which made
his company to be pleasing and profitable.
He was honoured with the friendship of some in
very high stations ; and, in early life, contracted
an acquaintance with several, who afterwards made
a considerable figure in the learned world, both in
the established church and amongst the dissenters.
The repeated and frequent invitations he received
to appear in the pulpit, on singular and public
occasions, especially the share he had in the lectures
at Salters'-hall, against popery, are honourable
proofs of the respect and estimation in which his
.abilities and character were in general held, even
by those who differed from him in their sentiments
on many questions of doctrine and church govern
ment. His own doctrinal sentiments were supposed to
come nearest to those of Calvin ; which he looked
upon as most agreeable to the sacred scriptures, and
most adapted to the great ends of religion. But
neither were his charity nor his friendships confined
to men of his own opinion. The Bible alone was
bis standard for religious truth : and he was willing
and desirous, that all others should be at perfect
liberty to take and follow it, as their own rule. —
The unchristian heats and unhappy differences,
which had arisen amongst Christians by the restraints
that had been laid, more or less, by all parties,
when in power, on the faith or worship of their
fellow-christians, had fixed in him an utter aversion
to imposition upon conscience in any shape, and
to all such party distinctions as would naturally lead
to it.

XX MEM OrR OF NEAL.
Mr. Neal married Elizabeth, the only daughter
of the Reverend Richard Lardner, many years
pastor of a congregation at Deal, and sister of the
great and excellent Dr. Lardner. She survived
Mr. Neal about five years, dying in 1748. They
left a son and two daughters : one of these ladies
married Mr. Joseph Jennings, of Fenchurch-street,
the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. David Jennings ;
the other the Rev. Mr. Lister, minister of the dis
senting congregation at Ware. His son, Mr. Na
thaniel Neal, was an eminent attorney, and secre
tary to the Million Bank. He wrote a pamphlet,
entitled, " A Free and serious Remonstrance to
" Protestant Dissenting Ministers, on occasion of
" the decay of religion ;" which was republished by
the late Rev. Job Orton, in 1775. Many admira
ble letters of this gentleman to Dr. Doddridge,
are given to the public in that instructive and en
tertaining collection of letters to and from the doc
tor, which we owe to the Rev. Thomas Stedman,
vicar of St. Chad's, Shrewsbury : and who, to the
mention of Mr. Nathaniel Neal, adds from a cor
respondent, " whose character I never think of
" without the highest veneration and esteem, as
" few ever possessed more eminently the virtues of
" the heart, united with a very superior understand-
" ing and judgment."

HISTORY OF
THE PURITANS.

CHAPTER I.

HENRY VIII.
State of religion before the Reformation. — Life and writ
ings of Wickliffe. — Rise of Penal Laws. — Character of
Henry VIII. —Cardinal Wolsey. — The King breaks
with the Pope. — His divorce. — Authority of the Pope
abolished. — Monasteries suppressed. — Bible translated.
into English. — Death of Queen Anne Bullen. — The
Pope excommunicates the King. — Hinderances of the
Reformation. — Persecution of Protestants.— Lambert
burned. — Statute of the Six Articles. — Sad effects of it.
Lord Cromwel beheaded. — Mixed persecution of Pro
testants and Papists. ^-The King's book. — Remarks.
— Death of the King.
"W^7"ILLIAM the Conqueror having got possession of
* ™ the crown of England by the assistance of Rome,
and King John having afterwards sold it, in his wars
with the Barons ; the rights and privileges of the English
clergy were delivered into the hands of the Pope, who
taxed them at his pleasure, and in time drained the king
dom of immense treasures : for besides all his other dues,
he extorted large sums from the clergy, for their prefer
ments in the church. He advanced foreigners to the rich
est bishoprics, who never so much as set foot upon English
ground : nay, so covetous was his Holiness, that before
livings became void, he sold them provisionally among his
Italians, so that neither the King nor the clergy had any
thing to dispose of. This awakened the resentments of
VOL. I. A

£ HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CtiAp. it
the legislature, who enacted:—" That the King, and other
Lords, shall present unto benefices of their own or their
ancestors' foundation, and not the Bishop of Rome. That
all forestalling of benefices to foreigners, shall cease; and
that the free elections and presentments, &c. of benefices,
shall stand in right of the crown, or of any of his Majesty's
subjects, as they had formerly enjoyed them, notwith^
Standing any provisions from Rome."
But still the power of Rome ran very high ; for they
removed all the trials of titles to advowsons, into their own
courts, and though the power of nomination to benefices,
without the King's licence, was taken from them, they still
claimed the benefit of confirmations, the translations of
Bishops, and of excommunications; the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York might still, by virtue of bulls front
Rome, assemble the clergy of their provinces, as they
thought fit, without leave from the crown ; and all the can
ons and constitutions concluded upon in those synods, were
binding, without any farther ratification from the. King ;
so that the power of the church was independent of the
civil government. This being represented to the parlia
ment, thy passed the statute commonly called Praemunire,
by which it was enacted: — "That if any of the clergy
purchased translations to benefices, processes, sentences
of excommunication, bulls, or other instruments from the
court of Rome, against the King or his crown, of whoever
brought them into England, or received or executed them,
were declared to be out of the King's protection,, and
should' forfeit tlieir goods and chattels to the King, and
be imprisoned.''— From this time the Archbishops called
no more convocations by their sole authority, their synods
being formed by a writ from the crown, to consult upon
such affairs as the King should lay before them, But still
their canons were binding, though confirmed by no autho
rity except their own, till the act of supremacy took place.
¦ About this time flourished the famous John Wickliffe,
the morning^star of the Reformation. He was born at
Wickliffe, near Richmond, in Yorkshire, about 1324, and'
was educated in GLueen's Coll. Oxford, where he was
Divinity Professor, and afterwards parson of Lutterworth,
in Leicestershire. He flourished in the latter end of the

HENRY VIIL 3
icign of Edward III. and the beginning of Richard II.
&bout 130 years before the Reformation of Luther. The-
University gave this testimonial of him after his death: —
" That from his youth to the time of his death, his conver
sation was so praise-worthy, that there was never any spot
or blame attached to him ; that in his reading and preach
ing, he behaved like a valiant champion of the faith; and
that he had written in logic, philosophy* divinity, morality,
and the speculative arts, without an equal." — While he
Was Divinity Professor at Oxford, he published certain;
conclusions,—" against transubstantiation, and the in-
fallibility of the Pope; that the Church of Rome wad
not the head of all other churches; nor.had St, Peter the
power of the keys, anv more than the rest of the Apostles ;•
that the New Testament, or Gospel, isa perfect rule of life
and manners, and ought to be read by the people." — He
maintained further, most of those points by which the
Puritans were afterwards distinguished; as, that in the
sacrament of orders, there ought to be only two degrees*
Presbyters or Bishops, and Deacons ; that all human tra
ditions are sinful; that we must practise and teach only
the laws of Christ; that mystical ceremonies in religious
worship are unlawful; and, that to restrain men to a pre
scribed form of prayer, is contrary to the liberty granted
them by God.
These, with some other of Wickliffe's doctrines,' against
the temporal grandeur and usurped authority of the
Prelates, were sent to Rome, and condemned by the
Pope, in a consistory of twenty-three Cardinals. But
the Pope dying soon after put a stop to the process. His
successor wrote to young King Richard II. and to the Abp.
of Canterbury, and University of Oxford, to put a stop to
the progress of Wickliffism ; accordingly, Wickliffe was
cited before the Abp. of Canterbuiy, and the Prelates',
several times, but was always dismissed, either by the inte
rest of the citizens of London, or the powerful interposin
tion of some Lords at court, or some other uncommon pro
vidence, which terrified the Bishops from passing a
peremptory sentence against him for a considerable time ;
till at length his new doctrines, as they were called', were
condemned in a convocation of Bishops, &c. held at Lori
A 2

4 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
don/by the command of the Abp. of Canterbury : and he
was deprived of his professorship, his books and writings
being ordered to be burned, and himself to be imprisoned:
but he kept out of the way, and in his retirement wrote a
confession of his faith to the Pope, in which he declares
himself willing to maintain his opinions at Rome, if God
had not visited him with sickness.
. It was well for this good man that there were two Anti-
Popes at this time at war with each other, one at Rome,
and the other at Avignon. In England also there was a
minority, which was favourable to Wickliffe, insomuch that
he ventured out of his retirement, and returned to his
parish, where he died in peace. Wickliffe was a wonderful
man for the times in which he lived, which were overspread
with the thickest darkness of anti-christian idolatry; he
was the first who translated the New Testament into Eng
lish; but the art of printing not being then found out, it
hardly escaped the inquisition of the Prelates, at least it
was very scarce when Tyndal translated it a second time,
1527. He preached and published the very same doc
trines, for substance, that afterwards obtained at the Refor
mation; he wrote near two hundred volumes, all of which
were called in, condemned, and ordered, to be burned,
together with his bones, by the council of Constance, 41
years after his death ; but his doctrine remained, and the
number of his disciples, who were distinguished by the
name of Lollards, increased after his decease, which gave
occasion to the making many other severe laws against
heretics. The clergy made their advantage of the contentions be
tween the houses of York and Lancaster; both parties
courting their assistance, which they did not fail to make
use of for the support of the catholic faith, and the ad
vancement of their spiritual tyranny. In the primitive
times, there were no capital proceedings against heretics;
but when it was found that ecclesiastical censures were
not sufficient to keep men in a blind subjection to the
Pope, a decree was obtained, in the fourth council of
Lateran : — " That all heretics should be delivered over to
the civil magistrate to be burned." — Here was the spring.
of that anti-christian tyranny over conscience, which has

HENRY VIII. 5
been followed with a sea of Christian blood : the papists
learned it from the heathen emperors; and the most zea
lous protestants of all nations have taken it up from them.
But conscience cannot be convinced by fines and imprison
ments, or by fire and faggot; all attempts of this kind
serve only to make men hypocrites, and are deservedly
branded with the name of persecution. There was no
pretence for putting these sanguinary laws in execution
among us, till the latter end of the fourteenth century ;
but when the followers of Wickliffe threatened the papal
power, the clergy brought this Italian drug from Rome,
and planted it in the Church of England.
In the 5th year of Richard II. it was enacted :— " That
all who preached without licence against the catholic
faith, or the laws of the land, should be arrested, and
kept in prison till they justified themselves according to
the law and reason of holy church, &c." When Rich
ard II. was deposed, and the crown usurped by Henry
IV. in order to gain the good will of the clergy, a
law was enacted by which the King's subjects were put
from under his protection, and left to the mercy of the
bishops in their spiritual courts, and might, upon suspicion
of heresy, be imprisoned and put to death, without pre
sentment, or trial by a jury, as is the practice in all other
criminal cases. In the beginning of the reign of Henry V.
a new law passed against the Lollards : — " That they
should forfeit all the lands they had in fee simple, and all
their goods and chattels to the King. All state officers,
at their entrance into office, were sworn to use their best
endeavours to discover them ; and to assist ih prosecuting
and convicting them." — I find no mention in these acts of
a writ or warrant from the King, de hterelico comburendo ;
the sheriff might proceed to the burning of heretics with
out it, till the King's council advised him to issue ou,t a
writ of this kind to the sheriff, by which his Majesty took
them, in some sort, under his protection again ; but it was
not as yet necessary by law, nor are there any of them to
be found in the rolls, before the reign of Henry VIII.
By virtue of these statutes, the clergy, according to the
genius of the popish religion, exercised numberless cruel-
A3

G HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. I,
. ties upon the people. If any man denied them any degree
of respect, or those profits they pretended were their due,
he was immediately suspected of heresy, imprisoned, and
often put to death.
Thus stood the laws, when Henry VIII. second son of
Henry VII. came to the crown. He understood the pu-^
rity of the Latin tongue, and was well acquainted with school
divinity, No flattery pleased him better than to have his
wisdom and learning commended. In the beginning of his
reign he was a' most obedient son of the papacy, and em^
ployed his talents in writing against Luther, in defence of
the seven sacraments of the church. This book was mag^
nified by the clergy as the most learned performance of the
age ; and upon presenting it to the Pope, his holiness con
ferred upon Henry and his successors, the glorious title of
Defender of the Faith. At the same time Cardinal Wolsey,
the King's favourite, exercised a -sovereign power over the
. clergy and people of England in spiritual matters ; he was
made Legate, and accepted of a bull from the Pope, con
trary to the statute of praemunire, empowering him to su-«
perintend and correct what he thought amiss in the pro
vinces of Canterbury and York ; and to appoint all officers in
;the spiritual courts. The King also granted him full power
to dispose of all ecclesiastical benefices in the gift of the
crown ; with a visitatorial power over monasteries, colleges,
and all his clergy. By virtue of these vast powers, a new
.court of justice was erected, called the Legate's Court, the
jurisdiction whereof extended to all actions relating to
conscience, and numberless rapines and extortions were
committed by it under colour of reforming men's.
manners,
. But at length the King being weary of his Queen, or
being, troubled in conscience because he had married his
br^her's wife, and the legitimacy of his daughter having
been called in question by some foreign Princes, he first
separated from her bed, and then moved the Pope for a
divorce; but the court of Rome having held his Majesty
in suspence for two or three years for fear of offending
the Emperor the Queen's Nephew, the impatient King
by the advice of Dr. Cranmer, appealed to the principal

4530. HENRY VIII. 7
universities of Europe, and desired their opinion upon
these two questions: 1. Whether it was. agreeable to the
law of God for a man to marry his brother's wife? 2,
Whether the Pope could dispense with the law of God ?
All the universities, and most of the learned men of
Europe both Lutherans and Papists, except those at Rome,
declared for the negative of the two questions. The King
laid their determinations before the parliament and con
vocation, who agreed with the foreign universities. In the
convocation of English clergy, 253 were for the divorce,
and only 19 against it, Many books were writ for and
against the lawfulness of the marriage ; one party being
encouraged by the King, and the other by the Pope and
Emperor, The Pope cited the King to Rome, but his
Majesty ordered the Earl of Wiltshire to protest against
the citation, as contrary to the prerogative of his crown ;
and sent a letter, signed by the Cardinal, the Abp. of Can-r
terbury, exhorting his Holiness to confirm the judgment
of tlie learned men, and of the universities of Europe, by
annulling his marriage, or else he should be obliged to
take other measures. The Pope in his answer told him,
that the Queen's appeal and avocation of the cause to
Rome must be granted. The King seeing himself abused,
and that the affair which had been already determined by
the most learned men in Europe, and had been argued
before the legates, must commence again, began to sus
pect Wolsey's sincerity; upon which his Majesty sent for
the seals from him, and soon after commanded his Attor
ney-General to exhibit an information against him in the
King's Bench, because that, notwithstanding the statute of
Richard II. against procuring bulls from Rome, under the
pains of a praemunire, he had received bulls for his legan-
tine power. The Cardinal pleaded ignorance of the
statute, and submitted to the King's mercy ; upon which
he. was declared to be out of the King's protection, to have
forfeited his possessions, and that his person might be
seized. The haughty Cardinal, not knowing how to bear
his disgrace, fell sick and died, declaring in his last mo
ments, That " If he had served God as well as he had
done his Prince, he would not have given him over in ln>
grey hairs!"

S HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 1-
But the King, not satisfied with his resentments against
the Cardinal, resolved to be revenged on the Pope himself,
^and a week before the Cardinal's death, he published a
proclamation forbidding all persons to purchase any thing
from Rome under the severest penalties ; and resolved to
annex the ecclesiastical supremacy to his own crown for
the future. It was easy to foresee that the clergy would
start at the King's assuming to himself the *Pope's supre
macy, but his Majesty had them at his mercy ; for having
acknowledged Wolsey's legantine power, and submitted to
his jurisdiction, his Majesty caused an indictment to be
preferred against them, and obtained judgment upon the
statute of praemunire, whereby the whole body were der
clared to be out of the King's protection, and to have
forfeited all their goods and chattels. In this condition
they were glad to submit upon the best terms they could
make, the King refusing to pardon them except upon
these conditions, That the two provinces of Canterbury
and York should pay into the Exchequer 118,8401.; and
that they should yield his Majesty the title of sole and
supreme head of the Church of England, immediately
under Christ. The former they readily complied with,
and promised for the future never to assemble in convoca
tion without the King's writ ; nor to make or execute any
canons or constitutions without his Majesty's licence : but
to acknowledge a layman supreme head of an ecclesiasti
cal body, was such an absurdity, in their opinion, and so
inconsistent with their allegiance to the Pope, that they
could not yield to it without an additional clause, "As far
as is agreeable to the laws of Christ." The King accepted
it with this restriction, but a year or two after obtained the
confirmation of it jn parliament and convocation without
the clause.
The substance of the act of supremacy is as follows : —
" The King is, and ought to be, the supreme head of the
Church of England, E&id is so recognized by the clergy of
this realm in their convocations, yet nevertheless, for con
firmation and corroboration thereof, and for increase of
virtue in Christ's religion, within the realm, &c. Be it
enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that
the King, his heirs and successors, shall be taken, accepted,

1533. HENRY VIII. 9
and reputed, the only supreme head on earth of the Church
of England; and shall have and enjoy, united to the im
perial crown, as well the title and stile thereof, as all
honours, dignities, immunities, &c. to the said dignity of
supreme head of the said church belonging and apper
taining; and that our Sovereign Lord, his heirs and suc
cessors, shall have full power and authority to visit, repress,
redress, reform, &c. all such errors, heresies, abuses, con
tempts, and enormities, whatsoever they be, which, by any
manner of spiritual authority or jurisdiction, may be law
fully reformed." — Here was the rise of the reformation.
The whole power of reforming heresies and errors in
doctrine and worship was transferred from the Pope to the
King, without any regard to the rights of synods or
councils of the clergy ; and without a reserve of liberty
to such consciences as could not comply with the public
standard. This was undoubtedly a change for the better,
though far from consonant to scripture or reason.
The parliament had already forbid all appeals to the
court of Rome, in causes testamentary, matrimonial, and
in all disputes concerning divorces, tithes, oblations, &c.
under penalty of a praemunire ; and were now voting
away annates and first fruits ; and providing, — " That in
case the Pope denied his Bulls for electing or consecrating
Bishops, it should be done without them by the Archbishop
of the province; that an Archbishop might be consecrated
by any two Bishops whom the King should appoint ; and
being so consecrated, should enjoy all the rights of his
see." — All which acts passed both houses without any con
siderable opposition. Thus, the Pope stood trifling about
a contested marriage, while the King and parliament were
taking away all his authority in the Church of England.
His Majesty having waited six years for a determination
of his marriage from Rome, and being now himself head
of the Church of England, commanded Cranmer, Abp. of
Canterbury, to call a court of canonists and divines and
proceed to judgment. Accordingly his grace summoned
Queen Catharine to appear at Dunstable, near the place
where she resided, in person or by proxy, but her Majesty
refused to appear, adhering to her appeal to the Court of
Rome ; upon which the Archbishop, by advice of the

10 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. I,
court, declared her contumax or in contempt, and pro-.
nounced the King's marriage with her null and void, as
'being contrary to the laws of God. Soon after which his
.Majesty married Anne Bullen, and procured an act of
parliament, for settling the crown upon the heirs of her
body, the contents of which act all his subjects were
sworn to observe.
There was a remarkable appearance of divine providence
in this affair ; for the French King had prevailed with the
King of England, to refer his cause once more to the
Court of Rome, upon assurances given, that the Pope
should decide it in his Majesty's favour within a limited
time; the Pope consented, and fixed a time for the return
of the King's answer, but the courier not arriving upon
the very day, the Imperialists, who dreaded an alliance
between the Pope and King of England, persuaded his
Holiness to give sentence against him, and accordingly the
marriage was declared good, and the King was required
to take his wife again, otherwise the censures of the
church would be denounced against him. Two days after,
the courier arrived from England with the King's submis-i
sion, but it was then too late, it being hardly decent for
the infallible chair to revoke its decrees in so short a time.
Such was the crisis of the Reformation I
The Pope having decided against the King, his Majesty
determined to take away all his profits and authority in the
Church of England at once ; accordingly a bill was brought
into parliament and passed without any protestation, by
which it is enacted :^-" That all payments made to the
apostolic chamber, and all provisions, bulls, or dispensa-.
tions, should from thenceforth cease; and that all dis
pensations or lioences, for things not contrary to the law
of God should be granted within the kingdom, under the
seals of the two Archbishops in their several provinces,
The Pope was to have no further concern in the nomina-.
tion or confirmation of bishops, which were appointed to
be chosen by conge de elire from the crown, as at present,
Peter Pence, and all procurations from Rome were
abolished. Moreover, all religious bouses, exempt or
not exempt, were to be subject to the Archbishops' visi-?
tation, except some, monasteries and abbeys which were

1534, HENRY VlIL H
to be subject to the King." — Most of the bishops voted
against this bill, though all, except one, set their hands to
it after it was passed, according to the custom of those
times, Thus the Church of England became independent
-of the Pope, and of all foreign jurisdiction.
Complaints being daily made of the severe proceedings
of the ecclesiastical courts against heretics, the parliament
took this matter into consideration, and repealed the act
of the 2d of Henry IV. leaving the statutes of Richard II.
and Henry V. in full force, with this qualification, that
heretics should be proceeded against upon presentments
by a jury, or on the oaths of two witnesses at least.; that
they should be brought to answer in open court, and if
they were found guilty, and would not abjure, or were re
lapsed, they should be adjudged to death, the King's writ
being first obtained. By this act the ecclesiastical courts
were limited ; heretics being now to be tried according to
the forms of law, as in other cases.
Towards the latter end of this session, the clergy assem
bled in convocation, sent up their submission to the King
to be passed in parliament, which was done accordingly.
The contents were :— " That the clergy acknowledged all
convocations ought to be assembled by the King's writ,;
and promised that they would never make nor execute any
new canons or constitutions without the royal assent; an^,
since many canons had been received that were found
prejudicial to the King's prerogative? Contrary to the laws
of the land, and heavy to the subjects, that therefore there
should be a committee of 32 persons, 16 of the two houses
of parliament, and as many of the clergy, to be named by
the King, who should have full power to revise the old
canons, and to abrogate, confirm, or alter them as they
found expedient, the king's assent being obtained." — This
submission was confirmed by parliament, and by the same
act, all appeals to Rome were again condemned. If any
parties found themselves aggrieved in the Archbishop's
Courts, an appeal might be made to the King in the Court
of Chancery, and the Lord Chancellor was to grant a com
mission under the great seal for a hearing before dele
gates, whose determination should be final. All exempted
abbots were also to appeal to the King; and the, act con-

12 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
eluded with a proviso : — " That till such correction of tlie
canons was made, all those which were then received should
remain in force, except such as were contrary to the laws
and customs of the realm, or were to the damage or hurt.
of the King's prerogative.". — Upon the proviso of this act,
the jurisdiction of the Commons, and other spiritual courts,
is founded at this day; for the canons not being corrected,
the old ones are in force, with the exceptions above-men
tioned; and this proviso is probably the reason why the
canons were not corrected in the following reigns, for now
it lies in the breasts of the judges to prohibit proceedings
contrary to the laws, or rights of the crown, which is more
for the subjects' safety, than to make a collection of eccle
siastical laws which should be liable to no controul.
., Before the parliament broke up, they gave the annates,
or first fruits of benefices, and the yearly revenue of the
tenth part of all livings which had been taken from the
Pope last year, to the King. This displeased the clergy,
who were in hopes of being freed from that burthen. The
session being ended, commissioners were sent over the
kingdom, to administer the oath of succession, by which it
appears, that besides renewing their allegiance to the
King, and acknowledging him to be the head of the
church, they declared the lawfulness of his marriage with
Queen Anne; that the Bishop of Rome had no more
power than any other Bishop in his own diocese; that they
would submit to all the King's laws, notwithstanding the
Pope's censures; &c. Only Fisher, Bp. of Rochester, and
Lord Chancellor More, refused to take the oath, for which
they were afterwards executed.
The separation of the Church of England from Rome,
contributed towards the reformation of its doctrines, though
the body of the inferior clergy were as stiff in tlieir old
opinions as ever, being countenanced and supported by
the Duke of Norfolk, by the Lord Chancellor, and by the
Bishops of Winchester and Rochester; but some of the
Nobility and Bishops were for a further reformation.
Among these were the new Queen, Lord Cromwel, Cran-
mer, Shaxton, and Latimer. As these were more or less
in favour with the King, the reformation of religion went
forwards or backwards, throughout the whole course of
his reign.

1534. HENRY VIII. 13
The progress of the Reformation in Germany, by the
preaching of Luther, Melancton, and others, with the
number of books that were published in those parts, some
of which were translated into English, revived learning,
and raised people's curiosity to look into the state of reli
gion at home. One of the first books that was published,
was the translation of the New Testament, by Tyndal.
The next was the Supplication of the Beggars, by Simon
Fish, of Gray's-Inn. It was levelled against the begging
Friars, and complains that the common poor were ready to
starve, because the alms of the people were intercepted by
great companies of idle Friars, who were able to work, and
were a burden to the commonwealth. More and Fisher
answered the book, endeavouring to move the people's
passions, by representing the supplications of the souls in
purgatory, which were relieved by the masses of these
Friars. But the strength of their arguments lying in the
sword of the Magistrate, that was not now in their hands;
for while these gentlemen were in power, the clergy made
sad havoc among those people who were seeking after
Christian knowledge. Some were cited into the Bishops'
courts, for teaching their children the Lord's prayer, in
English; some for reading forbidden books; somefor speak
ing against the vices of the clergy ; some for not coming to
confession and the sacrament; and some for not observing
the church fasts; most of whom, through fear of death, did
penance and were dismissed; but several of the clergy
refusing to abjure, or after abjuration falling into a re
lapse, suffered death. Among these were Mr. Hitton,
curate of Maidstone, burnt in Smithfield, Mr. Bilney, burnt
at Norwich, Mr. Byfield, of St. Edmondsbury, and Mr. Bain-
ham, of the Temple, besides two men and a woman at York.
Mr. Frith, an excellent scholar of the University of Cam
bridge, was burnt in Smithfield, with one Hewet, a poor
apprentice, for denying the corporal presence of Christ
in the sacrament; but upon the rupture between the King
and Pope, and the repeal of the act of Henry IV. against
heretics, the wings of the clergy were clipped, and a stop
put to their cruelties for a time.
None were more averse to the Reformation than the
Monks and Friars: these spoke openly against the King's

H HISTORY Of THfi PURITANS'. CHAP, i*
proceedings!, exciting the people to rebellion* and endear"
vouring to embroil his affairs with foreign Princes; the*
King therefore resolved to humble them, and for this pur
pose appointed a general visitation of the monasteries, the.
management of which was committed to Lord Crom-
wel, with the title of Visitor-General, who appointed'
Other Commissioners under him, and gave them injunctions
and articles of enquiry Upon this, several Abbots and*
Priors, to prevent a scrutiny ijlto their conduct, voluntarily
surrendered their houses into the King's hands; others*
upon examination, appeared guilty of the greatest frauds;
and impositions on the simplicity of the people. Many of
their pretended relics were exposed and destroyed; as the
Virgin Mary's Milk; the Coals that roasted St, Lawrence J
an Angel with one wing, that brought over the head of the
spear that pierced our Saviour's side j the Rood of Grace^
which was so contrived, that the eyes and lips might move'
upon occasion ; with many others, The images of a great
many pretended saints were burnt, and all the rich offer*
ings made at their shrineS, were seized for the crown,
Upon the report of the Visitors, the parliament consent
ed to the suppression of the lesser monasteries, and gave
ihem to the King, to the number of 376< Their rents*
amounted to about 32*0001, per ann, their plate, jewels, and
furniture* to about 100,0001. The churches and cloisters
were for the most part pulled down, and the lead and bells^
and other materials, sold, A new court, called the Court
of Augmentations of the King's Revenue, was erected, td
receive the rents, and to dispose of the lands* and bring
the profits into the Exchequer, Every religious person
that was turned out of his cell, had 45s. given him in mo
ney, of which number there were about 10,000; and every
governor had a pension, But to ease the government of
this charge, the Monks and Friafs were put into benefices
as fast as they became vacant* by which means it came to
pass, that the body of the inferior clergy were disguised
Papists, and enemies of the Reformation, The lesser"
religious houses being dissolved, the rest followed, and in
a few years, the greater abbies and monasteries were broken
up* or surrendered to tlie crown, to prevent an inquiry
jnto their lives and manners, This raised a great claina^T

1536. HENRY Viii. l<r
among the people, the Monks and Friars going up and
down the country like beggars, clamouring at the injustice
of the suppression. The King, to quiet them, gave back
15 abbies and 16 nunneries, for perpetual alms; but several
of the abbots being convicted of plots and conspiracies
fegainst his government, his Majesty resumed his grants,.
after two years, and obtained an act of parliament wliereby
he was empowered to erect cathedral churches and bishop
rics, and to endow them out of the profits of the religious.
houses. The King intended to convert 18,0001, a year
into a revenue for 1 8 bishoprics and cathedrals; but six.
only were erected, This was the chief of what his Majesty
did for religion ; which was but a small return of the im
mense sums of money that fell into his hands ; for the clear
rents of all the suppressed houses were cast up at one
hundred thirty one thousand, six hundred and seven;
pounds, six shillings, and fourpence, per ann. as they were
then rated, but were at least ten times as much in value*
Most of the abbey lands were given away among the cour
tiers, or sold at easy rates to the gentry, to engage them
by interest against the resumption of them to the church.
In the year 1 545, the parliament gave the King the chaUn-
tries, colleges, free chapels, hospitals, fraternities, and
guilds, with their manors and estates. Seventy manors and.
parks were alienated from the archbishopric of York, and
twelve from Canterbury, and confirmed to the crown.
The translation of the New Testament by Tyndal, had
a wonderful spread among the people ; though the bishops
condemned it, and proceeded with the utmost severity
against those who read it. They complained of it to tlie:
King; upon which his Majesty called it in by proclama
tion, and promised that a more correct translation should-
be published : But it was impossible to stop the Curiosity
of the people so long; for though the bishops bought up,,
and burnt all they could meet with, the Testament was
reprinted abroad and sent over to merchants in London*
who dispersed the copies privately among their acquaint
ance and friends. At length it was moved in convocation*
that the whole Bible should be translated into English, and
set up in churches ; but most of the old clergy opposed it.
They said this would lay the foundation of innumerable

16 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
heresies, as it had done in Germany; and that the people
were not proper judges of the sense of scripture : To
which it was replied, that the scriptures were written at first
in the vulgar tongue ; that our Saviour commanded his
hearers to search the scriptures; and that it was neces
sary people should do so now, that they might be satisfied
that the alterations the King had made in religion, were
not contrary to the Word of God. These arguments pre
vailed with the majority to consent, that a petition should
be presented to the King, that his Majesty would please to
give order about it. But the old bishops were too much
disinclined to move in it. The reformers therefore were
forced to have recourse to Tyndal's Bible, which had been
printed at Hamburgh 1532, and reprinted three or four
years after. The translaters were Tyndal, assisted by
Coverdale, and Rogers the protomartyr : The Apocrypha
was done by Rogers, and some marginal notes were insert
ed to the whole, which gave offence, and occasioned that
Bible to be prohibited. But Abp. Cranmer having review
ed and corrected it, left out the prologue and notes, and
added a preface of his own ; and because Tyndal was now
put to death for an heretic, his name was laid aside, and
it was called Thomas Matthew's Bible, and by some Cran-'
mer's Bible ; though it was no more than Tyndal's tran
slation corrected. This Bible was allowed by authority,
and eagerly read by all sorts of people.
The fall of Queen Anne Bullen, mother of Queen
Elizabeth, was a great prejudice to the Reformation. She
was a virtuous and pious lady, but airy and indiscreet in
her behaviour. The Popish party hated her for her reli
gion, and having awakened the King's jealousy, put him
upon a nice observance of her carriage, by which she
quickly fell under his displeasure, who ordered her to
be sent to the tower, and was tried by her peers for
incontinence, for a pre-contract of marriage, and for con
spiring the King's death; and though there was little or
no evidence, the Lords found her guilty, for fear of offend
ing the King, and four days after, she was beheaded within
the tower, protesting her innocence to the last. Soon after .
her execution, the King called a parliament, to set aside ¦
the succession of the Lady Elizabeth, her daughter, whieh\

1536. HENRY VIII. 17
was done; and the King was empowered to nominate his
Successor by his last will and testament; so that both his
Majesty's daughters were now declared illegitimate : but
the King having power to settle the sucession as he pleased
in case of failure of male heirs, they both entertained
hopes, and quietly submitted to their father's pleasure.
Complaint being made at court of the diversity of doc
trines delivered in pulpits, the King sent a circular letter
to the bishops, forbidding all preaching till Michaelmas,
by which time certain articles of religion most catholic
should be set forth. The King himself framed the articles
and sent them into convocation, where they were agreed
to by both houses, and afterwards signed by the Abp. of
Canterbury, 17 bishops, 40 abbots and priors, and 50 arch
deacons and proctors of the lower house of convocation.
They were published by the King's authority, with a pre
face in his name, requiring all his subjects to accept them,
which would encourage him to take farther pains for the
honour of God, and the welfare of his people, One may
see in them the dawn of the reformation; the scriptures
and the ancient creeds are made the standards of faith,
without the tradition of the church, or decrees of the Pope ;
the doctrine of justification by faith is well stated; four of
the seven sacraments are passed over; and purgatory is
left doubtful. But transubstantiation, auricular confes
sion, the worshipping of images and saints, still remained.
The court of Rome were not idle spectators of these
proceedings; they threatened the King, and spirited up
¦the clergy to rebellion, and when all hopes of accommoda
tion were at an end, the Pope pronounced sentence of
excommunication against the whole kingdom, depriving
his Majesty of his crown and dignity, forbidding his sub
jects to obey him, and foreign princes to correspond with
him; all his leagues with them were dissolved, and his own
clergy were commanded to depart the kingdom, and his
nobility to rise in arms against him. The King, laying
hold of this opportunity, called a parliament, and obtained
an act, requiring his subjects, under the pains of treason,
to swear that the King was supreme head of the Church
ef England; and* to strike terror into the Popish party,
VPi. I. B

13 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
three Priors and a Monk of the Carthusian order, and
three Monks of the Charter-House, were executed as trai
tors, for refusing the oath, and for saying, that the King
was not supreme of the Church of England; but the two-
greatest sacrifices were Fisher, Bp. of Rochester, and Sir
T. More, late Lord Chancellor', men of distinguished abi
lities,, who were both beheaded within a fortnight of each
other. This quieted the people for a time; but soojij
after there was an insurrection in, Lincolnshire of 20,000
men, who,. upon a proclamation of pardon, dispersed them-
selves.„ The same year there was another more formidable
in the north, but, after some time, the rebel's were defeated
by the Duke of Norfolk,, and. the he.adsof them executed,,
among whom were divers, abbots, and priests. These conir
motions incensed the Knig against the religious, houses*.
as nurseries of sedition, and, made him resolve to suppress
them all. , In the mean time, his Majesty went, on boldly
against the Church of Rome, and published certain in
junctions, by his own authority, to regulate the behaviour
of the clergy. This, was the first act of pure supremacy
done by the King, for in. all that went before he had the
concurrence of the convocation.. And thus the very same
opinions for which the followers of Wickliffe and Luther
had been burnt a few years before, were now enjoined by
the King's authority.
This year a very remarkable book was printed, entitled,.
the Institution of a Christian Mast. It was called
the Bishops' Book, because it was composed by sundry
Bishops. It is divided into several, chapters, and contains
an explanation of the Lord's Prayer,. the Creed, the Seven
Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, the, Ave, Maria,
Justification, and Purgatory. The book maintains the
local descent of Christ into Hell, and that all articles, of
faith are to be interpreted according to scripture, and the
four first general councils. It defends, the seven sacra
ments, and under the sacrament of the altar,, affirms, that
the body of Christ, that suffered on the cross, is substanr
tially present under the form of bread and wine. It main
tains but two orders, of the clergy, and avers that no one
Bishop has authority over another, according to the Word
of God. The invocation of saints is restrained to uvter-

1538. HENRY VIII. 19
cession, for as much as they have it not in their own power
to bestow any blessings upon us. It maintains, that no
church should be consecrated to any being but God. It
gives liberty to work on saints' days, especially in harvest
time. It maintains the doctrine of passive obedience. In
the article of justification it says, we are justified only by
the merits and satisfaction of Christ, and that no good
works on our part can procure the divine favour, or prevail
for our justification. This book was recommended and
subscribed by tlie two archbishops, nineteen bishops, and
by the lower house of convocation, among whom were
Gardiner, Bonner, and others, who put their brethren to
death for these doctrines in the reign of Queen Mary ;
and the reason of their present compliance might be, that
all their hopes from the succession of the Princess Mary,
a rigid papist, were now defeated, Queen Jane being
brought to bed of a son this year, who was baptized Ed
ward, and succeeded his father.
The translation of the bible was this year published.
Lord Cromwel procured the King's warrant for all his
majesty's subjects to read it without controul; and by his
injunctions commanded one to be set up publicly in all
the churches in England, that the people might read it.
His majesty farther enjoin'd the clergy, to preach the ne
cessity of faith and repentance, and against trusting in
pilgrimages and other men's works ; to order such images
as had been abused to superstition, to be taken down : and
to tell the people, that praying to them was no less than
idolatry: but still transubstantiation, the seven sacraments,
the communion in one kind only, purgatory, auricular
confession, praying for the dead, the celibacy of the cler
gy, sprinkling of holy water, invocation of saints, some
images in churches, with most of the superstitious rites
and ceremonies of the popish church, were retained.
Here his Majesty made a stand, for after this the refor
mation fluctuated, and, upon the whole, went rather
backwards than forwards, which was owing to several
causes; as, (1.) to the unhappy death of the Queen, in
child-bed, who had possession of the King's heart, and was
a promoter of tlie reformation. (2.) To the King's dia
ls 2

£a history of the puritans. chap*-**
agreement with the protestant Princes of Germany, who
would not put him at the head of their league, because he
would not abandon the doctrine of transubstantiation, and
permit the communion in both kinds. (3.) To the King's
displeasure against the archbishop, and the other bishops!
of the new learning, because he could not prevail with
them to give consent in parliament, that the King should '
appropriate all the suppressed monasteries to his own use.
(4.) To his majesty's unhappy marriage with the Lady
Anne of Cleves, a protestant, which was promoted by the
reformers, and proved the ruin of the Lord Cromwel, who
was at that time the1 bulwark of the reformation. (5.) To
the artifice and abject submission of Gardiner, Bonner, and
other popish bishops, who, by flattering the King's impe
rious temper, and complying with his dictates, prejudiced
liim against the reformed. And lastly, to his majesty's
growing infirmities, which made him so peevish and posi
tive, that it was dangerous to advise any thing that was not
known to be agreeable to his sovereign will and pleasure.
' The King began to discover his zeal against the Sacra^
rnentaries (as those were called, who denied the corporal
presence of Christ in the eucharist), by prohibiting the
importing of all foreign books, and the printing any porT
tions of scripture, till they had been examined by himself
and council, or by the bishop of the diocese ; by punishing
all who denied the old rites, and by forbidding any to ar
gue against the real presence of Christ in the sacrament,
on pain of death. For breaking this last order, he con
demned to the flames, this very year, that faithful witness
to the truth, John Lambert, who had been minister of the
English congregation at Antwerp, and afterwards taught
school in London ; but hearing Dr. Taylor preach concern
ing the real presence, he offered him a paper of reasons
against it: Taylor carried the paper to Craiimer, who was
then a Lutheran, and endeavoured to make him retract;
Lambert unhappily appealed to the King, who* after a
kind of mock trial, in Westminster Hall, passed sentence'
of death upon him, condemning him to be burnt as an
incorrigible heretic. Cranmer was appointed to dispute
against him, and Lord Cromwel to read the sentence. IJe,
was soon after executed in Smithfield, in a most barbarous

1539. HENRY VIII. 21
manner; his last words in the flames being, " None but
Christ, none but Christ!"
The parliament that met next spring greatly injured
the reformation, and brought religion back to the standard
at which it remained to the King's death, by the act com
monly known by the name of the bloody statute, or the
statute of six articles; it was intituled, an act for abolish
ing diversity of opinions in certain articles concerning
Christian religion. The six articles were these, — 1, That,
in the sacrament of the altar, after the consecration, there
remains np substance of bread and wine, but, under these
forms, the natural body and blood of Christ are present.
2. That communion in both kinds, is not necessary to sal
vation to all persons by the law of God, but that both the
flesh and blood of Christ are together in each of the kinds.
3. That priests may not marry by the law of God. 4. That
vows of chastity ought to be observed by the law of God.
5. That private masses ought to be continued, which, as
they are agreeable to God's law, so men receive great bene
fit by them. 6. That auricular confession is expedient and
necessary, and ought to be retained in the church, It was
further enacted, that if any should preach or write against
the first article, they should be judged heretics, and burnt,
without any abjuration, and forfeit their real and personal
estate to the King. Those who preached or disputed
against the other articles, were to suffer death as felons,
without benefit of clergy ; and those who, either in word
or writing, declared against them, were to be made priso
ners during the King's pleasure, and to forfeit their goods
and chattels, for the first offence, and for the second, to
suffer death. All ecclesiastical incumbents, or settled
ministers, were to read this act in their churches once a
quarter. As soon as the six articles took place, Shaxton, Bp. of
Salisbury, and Latimer, Bp. of Worcester, resigned their
bishoprics, and being presented for speaking against the
act, were imprisoned ; Latimer continued a prisoner to the
King's death, but Shaxton being threatened with the fire,
turned apostate, and proved a cruel persecutor of the
Protestants in Mary's reign. Commissions were issued

22 HISTORY OT THE PURITANS, CHAP, I.
out to the Archbishops, Bishops and their commissaries,
to hold a sessions quarterly, or oftner, and to proceed upon
presentments by a jury according to law; which they did
most severely, insomuch that in a very little time 5QQ
persons were put in prison and involved in the guilt of the
statute; but Cranmer and Cromwel, who were among the
delinquents, obtained their pardon, which mortified the
Popish clergy to such a degree, that they proceeded uo
farther till Cromwel fell.
Another very remarkable act of parliament passed this
session, was concerning obedience to the King's procla
mations. It enacts, that the King with .advice of his
council, may set forth proclamations with pahis and penal
ties, which shall be obeyed as fully as an act of parliament,
provided they be not contrary to the laws and customs in
being, and do not extend so far as that the subject should
suffer in estate, liberty or person. An act of attainder was
also passed against sixteen persons, some for denying the
supremacy, and others without specifying any particular
crime ; none of them were brought to a trial, nor is there
any mention in the records, of any witnesses having been
examined. There never had been an example of such
arbitrary proceedings before in England ; yet this prece
dent was followed by others in the course of this reign.
By another statute it was enacted, that the counsellors
of the King's successor, if he were under age* might set
forth proclamations in his name, which were to be obeyed
in the same manner with those set forth by the King him
self. I mention this, because upon the authority , of this
act, was founded the validity of all the changes of religion
in the minority of Edward Vi.
Next year happened the fall of the great Lord Crom
wel, one of the pillars of the Reformation. He had, been
lately constituted the King's vicegerent in ecclesiastical
affairs, and had made a speech in parliament under that
character. On. the 14th of April the King created hijn
Earl of Essex, ;&c and within two months after he was
arrested at the council table fox high treason, and sent to
the tower, and soon afterwards was beheaded by virtue of
a bill of attainder, without being brought to a trial, or
once allowed to speak in his own defence. He wais ac-

1543. HENRY VIII. 23
cused of executing certain orders and directions, for
which he had very probably the King's warrant, and there
fore was not admitted to make answer. But the true cause
of his fall, was the share he had in the King's marriage
with the Lady Anne of Cleves, to whom his Majesty took
an aversion as soon as he saw her, and was therefore
determined to shew his resentment against the promo
ters of it; though his Majesty, when it was too late, la
mented the loss of his able and faithful servant.
Two days after the death of Lord Cromwel, there was a
very. odd execution of Protestants and Papists at the same
time and place. The Protestants, all clergymen and Lu
therans were sent to the Tower for offensive sermons
preached at the Spittal in Easter week, and were attainted
of heresy by the parliament without being brought to a hear
ing. Four Papists were, by the same act, attainted for de
nying the King's supremacy, and adhering to the Bp. of
Rome. The Protestants were burnt, and the Papists
hanged: The former cleared themselves of heresy, by
rehearsing the articles of their faith at the stake, and died
with great devotion and piety; and the latter, though
grieved to be drawn in the same hurdle with those they
accounted heretics, declared their hearty forgiveness of
their enemies.
About tliis time was published a very remarkable trea
tise, entitled, " A necessary Erudition for a Christian
Man." It was drawn up by a committee ;of bishops and
divines, and was afterwards read and approved by the
Lords spiritual and temporal, and the k>w€fc house of par
liament. A great part of it was corrected by the King's
own hand, and the whole was published by his order, with
a preface in his name, dedicated to all his faithful sub
jects. It was called the King's Book, and was designed
is a standard of christian belief.
By this book it appears that our reformers built pretty
much upon the plan of St. Austin, with relation to the
doctrines, of justification and grace. The sacraments and
ceremonies are so contrived, as to be consistent with the
six articles established by parliament. With regard to
discipline, Cranmer and his brethren were for being di
rected wholly by the<*ivU magistrate, which has since been

$4 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. t.
distinguished by the name of Erastianism. Accordingly
they took out commissions to hold their bishoprics during
the King's pleasure, and to exercise their jurisdiction by
his authority only. But notwithstanding this reformation
of doctrine, the old popish forms of worship were conti
nued till this year, when an attempt was made to reform".
them. A form of procession was published in English, by
the King's authority, entitled" An Exhortation to Prayer,"
thought meet by his majesty and his clergy, to be read to
the people; also a litany, with suffrages to be said or sung
in the time of the processions. In the litany they i#vo-
cate the blessed virgin, and all holy orders of blessed
spirits, to pray for them. The rest of the litany is in a
manner the same as that now in use, only a few more
cbllectUhvere placed at the end, with some psalms, and a
paraphrase on the Lord's prayer. The preface is an ex
hortation to the duty of prayer, and says, that it is conve
nient, and very acceptable to God, to use private prayer
in our mother tongue, that by understanding what we ask,
we may more earnestly and fervently desire the same.
The hand of Cranmer was no doubt in this performance*
but it was little regarded, notwithstanding a mandate was,
sent to Bonner, Bp. of London, to publish it.
Cranmer's power was now very much weakened ; he
strove against the stream, and could accomplish nothing
further, except a small mitigation of the rigorous prosecu
tion of the six articles. This rendered prosecutions the
more difficult; and yet after all, several were burnt at
this time, for denying the doctrine of transubstantiation.
The books of Tyndal, Frith, Joy, and other protestants,
were ordered to be burnt; and the importation of all
foreign books relating to religion was prohibited, without
special licence from the King.
Upon the whole, the reformation very much declined
the three or four last years of the King's life, as appears
by a statute, which leads the people back into some of the
strong holds of popery, This says : — " That recourse must
be had to the catholic and apostolic church for the de
cision of controversies ; and therefore all books of the Old
and "New Testament in English, being of Tyndal's false
translation, or comprising any articles of fajth, or holy

1545. HENRY VIII. 25
scripture, contrary to the doctrine set forth in the six
articles shall be abolished. No person shall sing or rhyme
contrary to the said doctrine. No person shall retain
any English books or writings against the holy sacrament;
or other books abolished by proclamation. There shall be
no annotations or preambles in Bibles or New Testaments
in English, The Bible shall not be read in English in any
church. No women, or artificers, apprentices, journeys
men, serving-men, husband-men or labourers, shall read
the New Testament in English. Nothing shall be taught
or maintained contrary to the King's instructions. If any
spiritual person shall be convicted of preaching or main
taining any thing contrary to the King's instructions, he
shall for the first offence recant, for the second bear a
faggot, and for the third be burnt." — Here are popery and
spiritual slavery in their full extent. Indeed the Pope is
discharged of his jurisdiction and authority; but a like
authority is vested in the crown. His majesty's instruc
tions are as binding as the Pope's canons, and upon as
severe penalties. He is absolute lord of the consciences
of his subjects. No bishop or spiritual person may preach
any doctrine but what he approves ; nor do any act of
government in the church but by his. special commission.
Thus the regal power was carried to the utmost. length.
Here is no reserve of privilege for convocations, councils,
or colleges of bishops. The King may ask their advice,
or call them in to his assistance, but his majesty has not
only a negative voice upon their proceedings, but may
himself, by his letters patent, publish injunctions in mat
ters of religion, for correcting all errors in doctrine and
worship. His proclamations have the force of a law, and
his subjects are obliged to believe, obey and profess ac-
cording thereto, under the highest penalties. And thus
matters stood, when this great and absolute monarch died
of an ulcer in his leg, being so corpulent, that he was
forced to be let up and down stairs with an engine. The
humour in his leg made him so peevish, that scarce any
body durst speak to him of the affairs of his kingdom or of
a future life. He died Jan. 28, 1546, in the. 38th year of
his reign, and the 56th of his -age. He ought to be rank*
ed among the ill princes, but not among the worst.

CHAP. II.

EDWARD VI.
English Reformation.— Royal Visitation. — Popish Lara
repealed.^-Foreign Divines take refuge in England.-—
First Reformation of the Communion, &c— Rebellions
on behalf of the old Religion. — Heretics burned. — t
Mass Books called in.— Hooper's Character. — His hard
usage. — Gardiner def iripedi— Remarks . — Blemishes of the
Reformation. -^-Origin .of English Can/vocations. — The
King's Death, and Character.
FT1HE sole right and authority of reforming the church
-*- was now vested in the crown; and by the aet of
succession, in the King's council, if he were under age.
This was preferable to a foreign jurisdiction ; it yet can
hardly be proved, that either the King or his cauncilbave
a -right to judge for the whole nation, and impose upon
the people what religion they think best, without their
consent, The reformation of the church had been begun
and carried on by the King, assisted by Abp. Cranmer,
and a few select divines. The clergy in convocation not
moving in it, but as they were directed and over-awed by
their superiors ; nor did they comply at all till they were
modelled to the designs of the court.
Edward VI. came to the crown at the age of nine years
and four months; a prince for learning and piety, for
acquaintance with the world, and application to business,
the wonder of his age. His fatlier, by his will, named 1 6
persons executors, and regents of the kingdom, till his son
should be eighteen years of age : Out of these the Earl of
Hertford, the King's uncle, was chosen protector of the
King's realms, and governor of his person. Besides these

1545. EDWARD VI. 27
12 were added as a privy council to assist them. Among
the regents some were for the old religion, and others for
the new ; but it soon appeared that the ' dormers had the
ascendant, the young King having been educated in their
principles by his tutor Dr. Cox, and the new protector his
uncle being on the same side. The majority of the bish
ops and inferior clergy were on the side of popery, but
the government being in the hands of the reformers, they
began immediately to relax the rigours of the late reign.
The persecution upon the six articles was stopt ; the prison
doors were set open ; and several who had been forced to
quit the kingdom for their religion, returned home; as
Coverdale, Hooper, Rogers, and many others, who were
preferr d to considerable benefices in the church. The
reforming divines now began to lay open the abuses of
popery. Ridley and others preached vehemently against
images in churches, and inflamed the people, so that in
many places they out-run the law, and pulled them down
without authority. Some preached against the lawfulness
of masses and obits, though the late King had left a large
sum to have them continued, and for a frequent distribu
tion of alms for the repose of his soul, and its deliverance
out of purgatory; but this charity was soon afterwards
converted to other uses. The popish clergy were alarmed
at these measures, and insisted strongly, that till the King
their supreme head was of age, religion should continue in
the state in which King Henry left it. But the reformers
alledged that the King's authority was the same while be
was a minor, as when he was of age ; and that having
heard the late King declare his resolution to turn the mass
into a communion, if he had lived a little longer, they
thought it their duty to proceed.
After the solemnity of the King's coronation, the regents
appointed a royal visitation, and commanded the clergy
to preach no where except in their parish churches without
licence, till the visitation was ended. The kingdom was
divided into six circuits ; two gentlemen, a civilian, a .di
vine, and a register being appointed for each. Th©
divines were, by their preaching, to instruct the people in
the doctrines of tlie reformation, and to bring them off
from their old superstitions. The visitation began .in

g& HISTORY "OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, lf^
August, and six of the gravest divines, and most popular
preachers attended it. A book of homilies, consisting of"
twelve discourses, upon the principal points of the
Christian faith, was printed and ordered to be left with
every parish priest, to supply the defect of preaching,
which few of the clergy were capable of performing.
Cranmer communicated it to Gardiner, and would fain
have gained his approbation, but he was so inflamed at
•being left out of the King's will, that he constantly opposed
every alteration till the King should attain, his full age.
I With these homilies, the visitors were to deliver sundry
injunctions from the King.
The bishops were commanded to see them put in execu
tion, and to preach themselves four times a year, unless
they had a reasonable excuse. They were commanded to
give orders to none but such as were able to preach* and
to recall their licences from others. The injunctions were
to be observed under the pains, of excommunication, se
questration, or deprivation.
In bidding of their prayers they were to remember the
King their supreme head, the queen dowager, the King's
two sisters, the lord protector and the council, the nobility,
the clergy, and the commons of this realm. The custom
of bidding prayer, which is still in use in the church, is a
relic of popery. And how sadly this bidding of prayer
has been since abused by some divines, to the entire
omission of the duty itself, is too well known to need any
remark. Most of the bishops complied, except Bonner and Gar-i
diner. Bonner offered a reserve, which not being accept
ed, he made an absolute submission; nevertheless he was
committed sometime to the Fleet for contempt. Gardiner
having protested against the injunctions and homilies as
contrary to the law of God, was sent also to the Fleet, where
he continued till he was released by a general act of grace.
When the parliament met several alterations were
made in favour of the reformation. They repealed all
laws declaring anything treason except what was specified
in the act of 25th Edward III ; and two of the statutes
against Lollardies. They repealed the statute of the six
articles, with the acts that followed in explanation of ifr;

1.5.47. EDWARD VI. 09
all laws in the late reign, declaring any thing felony that
was not so declared before ; together with the act that
made the King's proclamation of equal authority with an
act of parliament. Besides the repeal of these laws, sundry
new ones were enacted ; as, that the sacrament of the Lord's
supper should be administered in both kinds, agreeably to
Christ's first institution, and the practice of the church, for
500 years ; and that all private masses should be put down :
An act, concerning the admission of bishops into their
sees ; which sets forth, that the manner of chusing bishops
by a conge d'ehre, being but the shadow of an election,
all bishops hereafter shall be appointed by the King's
letters patent only, and shall continue the exercise of their
jurisdiction, during their natural life, if they behave well.
One of the first patents with this clause, is that of Dr.
Barlow, Bishop of Bath and Wells ; but all the rest of the
Bishops afterwards took out letters patent for their bishop
rics with the same clause. In this the archbishop had a
principal hand ; for it was his judgment, that the exercise
of all episcopal jurisdiction depended upon the prince;
and that as he gave it, he might restrain or take it away at
his pleasure: Cranmer thought the exercise of his own
episcopal authority ended with the late King's life, and
therefore would not act as archbishop, till he had received
a new commission from King Edward. In the same statute
it is declared : — " That all processes in the spiritual
courts should from henceforward be carried on in the King's
name, and be sealed with the King's seal, as in the other
courts of common law, except 'he Abp. of Canterbury's
courts only in all faculties and dispensations ; but all col
lations, presentations, or letters of orders were to pass
under the bishops proper seals as formerly." — By this law,
causes concerning wills and marriages were to be tried in.
the King's name ; however this was repealed in the next
reio-n. Lastly, The parliament gave the King all the
lands for maintenance of chauntries, not possessed by his.
father ; all legacies given for obits, anniversaries, lamps
in churches; together with all guild lands which any
fraternity enjoyed on the same account : The money was
to be converted to the maintenance of grammar schools;
but the hungry courtiers shared it among themselves. The.

3& HISTORY OF THE PURIt'aNS. CHAP. II.
convocation that sat with the parliament did little ; the
majority-being on the side of popery, the archbishop was
afraid of venturing any thing of importance amongst them.
The reformation in Germany lying under great discou
ragements, by tlie victorious arms of Charles V. who had'
taken, this year, the Duke of Saxony prisoner, and dispos
sessed him of his electorate ; several of the foreign refor
mers, who had taken sanctuary in those parts, were forced'
to seek itelsewhere. Among- these, Peter Martyrwas invited
by tile Archbishop, in the- King's name, into England, and*
had the divinity chair given him at Oxford; Bucer had the
same at Cambridge; Ochinus and Fagixrs, two other
learned foreigners, had either pensions or canonries as
signed them, with a dispensation of residence, and did':
good service in the universities; but Fagius soon after
died. The common people were much divided in their opinions
about religion; some being zealous for the popish rites,
and others no less averse to them. The country-people
were very tenacious of their old shews, as processions,
wakes, &c. while others looked upon them as heathenish
rites. This was so effectually represented to the council
by Cranmer, that a proclamation was issued, forbidding'
the continuance of them : and for putting an end to alt
contests about images that had been abused to supersti
tion, an order was published, that all images should be
taken out of churches, and the bishops- were commanded'
to execute it in their several dioceses. Thus the churches'
were dismantled of those pictures and statues, which had,
for a succession of ages, been the objects of the people's
adoration. The clergy were no less divided than the laity, the pul
pits clashing one against the other, and tending to stir up
sedition and rebellion. The King, therefore, after the
example of his father, and by advice of his council, issued
a proclamation, in the second year of his reign; to prohibit'
all preaching throughout his dominions. At the same
time a committee of divines was appointed to examine and
reform the offices of the church. They began with the-
sacrament of the eucharist, in which they made but little
alteration, leaving the office of the mass as it-stood, only*

1547. EDWARD VI. 31
adding so much as changed it into a communion in both
kinds. Auricular confession was left indifferent. The
priest, having received the sacrament himself, was to turn
to the people and read the exhortation; then followed a
denunciation, requiring such as had not repented, to with
draw, lest the devil should enter into them, as he did into
Judas. After a little pause, to see if any would withdraw*
followed a confession of sins and absolution, the same now
in use; after which the sacrament was administered in
both kinds, without elevation. This office was published,
with a proclamation, declaring his majesty's intentions to
proceed to a further reformation, and willing his subjects
not to run before his direction, assuring them of his ear
nest zeal in this affair, and. hoping they would quietly tarry
for it.
In reforming the other offices,, they examined and com
pared the Romish missals^ of Sarum, York, Hereford, Ban
gor, and Lincoln ; and out of them composed the morning
and evening service* almost in the same form it stands at
present, only therer was no confession or absolution. It
would have obviated many objections if the committee had
thrown aside the mass-book entirely, and composed an
uniform service in the language of scripture, without any
regard to the church of Rome ; but this they were not
aware of, or the times would not bear it From the same
materials they compiled a litany, consisting of many short
petitions, interrupted by suffrages;; it. is the same with
that which is now used, except the petition to be delivered
from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome, and all his detes
table enormities, which, in the review of the liturgy in
Queen Elizabeth's time, was. struck: out.
We have no certain account of the use. of any liturgies
in the first ages of the church; those of St. Mark, St.
James, and that of Alexandria, being manifestly spurious.
It is not till the latter end of the. fourth century that they
are. first mentioned,, and then it was left to the care of
every bishop to draw up a form of prayer for his own
church. In St. Austin's time they began to consult about
an agreement of prayers,. that. none should be used with
out common advice* but still there was np uniformity.
Nay, i*1 th©" darkest. times, of popery, there was a vast va-

32 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAI*. tit
riety of forms, in different sees. But our reformers split
upon this rock, sacrificing the peace of the church to a
mistaken necessity of an exact uniformity of doctrine and
worship, in which it was impossible for all men to agree.
Had they drawn up divers forms, or left a discretionary
latitude for tender consciences, all men would have been
easy, and the church more firmly united than ever.
The like is to be observed as to rites and ceremonies.
In the Church of Rome there was a great variety. Every
religious order had their peculiar rites, with the saints"
days that belonged to their order, and services for them.
But our reformers thought proper to insist upon an exact
uniformity of habits and ceremonies for all the clergy,
though they knew many of them were exceptionable, hav
ing been abused to idolatry, and were a yoke which some
of the most resolved protestants could not bear. Nay, so
great a stress was laid upon the square cap and surplice,
that, rather than dispense with the use of them, the bishops
were content to part with their best friends, and to expose
the reformation itself to the most imminent danger. If there
must be habits and ceremony for decency and order, why
did they not appoint new ones, rather than retain the old,
which had been idolized by the papists to such a degree,
as to be thought to have a magical virtue or sacramental
efficacy? Or, if they disclaimed this, why did they not
speak out, and omit the consecration of fhem.
The council had it some time under consideration, whe
ther those vestments in which the priests used to officiate,
should be continued? It was objected against them, by
some who had been confessors for the protestant religion,
and others, that the habits were parts of the train of the
mass; that the people had such a superstitious opinion of
them, as to think they gave an efficacy to their prayers, and
that divine service said without this apparel was insignifi
cant; whereas at best they were inventions of popery, and
ought to be destroyed with that idolatrous religion. But
it was said, that white was the colour of the priests' gar
ments in the Mosaical dispensation ; and that it was a natural
expression of the purity and decency which became priests.
That they ought to depart no further from the Church of
Rome, than she had departed from the practice of th«

1549. EDWARD VI. 33
Primitive Church. But were these the habits of the
primitive clergy, before the rise of the papacy ? Yet, upon
these slender reasons, the garments were continued, which
soon after divided the reformers among themselves, and
gave rise to the two parties of conformists and nonconfor
mists; Abp. Cranmer and Bp. Ridley being at the head of
the former, and Bp"s. Hooper, and Rogers, with the foreign
divines, being patrons of the latter.
Parliament met, when the act confirming the rtew liturgy;
passed both houses. It enacted: — "That all divine of
fices should be performed according to it; and that such
of the clergy as refused to do it, or officiated in any other
manner, should, upon the first conviction, suffer six months
imprisonment, and forfeit a year's profits of their benefices;
for the second offence to forfeit all their church preferments,
and suffer a year's imprisonment; and for the third offence,
to suffer imprisonment for life. Such as wrote or printed
against the book, were to be fined 10l. for the first offence,
20l. for the second, and to forfeit all their goods, andtobeim-
prisoned for life, for the third." — It ought to be observed,
that this service-book was not laid before the convocation*
or any representative body of the clergy : and whereas it
is said to be done by one uniform agreement, it is certain,
that four of the bishops employed in drawing it up, pro
tested against it. But if the liturgy had been more per
fect than it was* the penalties by which it was imposed
were severe and unchristian, contrary to scripture and
primitive antiquity.
As soon as the act Commenced, the council appointed
visitors to see that the new liturgy was received all over
England. Bonner, who resolved to comply ih every
thing, sent to the Dean and Residentiary. of St. Paul's, to
Use it ; and all the clergy were so pliable, that the visitors
returned no complaints; only that the Lady Mary con
tinued to have mass said in her own house, which upon the
intercession of the Emperor, was indulged her for a time.
Gardiner remained still a prisoner in the Tower, for re
fusing to submit to the council's supremacy while the'
King was under age; and for some other complaints
against him. His imprisonment was certainly illegal j
vol. r. e

34 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAfc. II.
it was unjustifiable to keep a man in prison two years
upon a bare complaint; and then without producing
any evidence in support of the charge, to sift him by
articles and interrogatories: This carried too much the
face of an inquisition ; but the King being in the Pope's
room there were some things gathered from the canon law,
and from the proceedings ex officio, that rather excused
than justified these hard measures. When the council,
sent secretary Petre to the Bishop, to know whether he
would subscribe to the use of the service book, he con
sented with some exceptions, which not being admitted,
he was threatened with deprivation.
But the new liturgy did not sit well on the minds of the
country people, who were for going on in their old way, of
wakes, processions, church ales, &c. These being en
couraged by the old monks and friars, rose up in arms in
several counties, but were, soon dispersed. The most
formidable insurrections were in Devonshire and Norfolk.
In Devonshire they were 10,000 strong, and sent the fol
lowing articles or demands to the King. 1. That the six
articles should be restored. 2. That mass should be said in
Latin. 3. That the host should be elevated and adored.
4. That the sacrament should be given but in one kind. 5.
That images . should be set up in churches. 6. That the
souls in purgatory should be prayed for. 7. That the Bible
should be called in, and prohibited. 8. That the new ser
vice book should be laid aside, and the old religion
restored. An answer was sent from Court to these de
mands, which did not appease the enraged multitude,
whom the priests enflamed with all the artifice they could
devise, carrying the host about the camp, that all might
see and adore it. They besieged the city of Exeter, -and
reduced it to the last extremity; the inhabitants defending
it with uncommon bravery, till they were relieved by
Lord Russel, who with a very small force defeated the
rebels. The insurrection in Norfolk was headed by one
Ket a tanner, who assumed to himself the power of judica
ture under an old oak, called from thence the oak of
reformation. He did not pretend much of religion, but
to place new counsellors about the King, in order to sup
press the greatness of the gentry, and advance the pri-

1549. EDWARD VI. 35
vileges of the commons. The rebels were 20,000 strong;
but the Earl of Warwick, with 6000 foot and 1500 horse,
quickly dispersed them. Several of the leaders of both
rebellions were executed, and Ket was hanged in chains.
The hardships the reformers underwent in the late reign
from the six articles, should have made them tender of the
lives of those who differed from the present standard.
Cranmer himself had been a Papist, a Lutheran, and was
now a Sacramentarian ; and in every change guilty of inex
cusable severities : while he was a Lutheran, he consented
to the burning of Lambert and Anne Askew, for those very
doctrines for which himself afterward suffered, He bore
hard upon the papists, stretching the law to keep their
most active leaders in prison ; and this year he imbrued
his hands in the blood of a poor frantic woman, Joan
Bocher, more fit for bedlam, than a stake ; which was
owing not to any cruelty in the archbishop's temper, but
to those miserable persecuting principles by which he was
governed. Among others who fled out of Germany into
England, from the rustic war, there were some that went
by the name of Anabaptists, who, besides the principle of
adult baptism, held several wild notions about the Trinity,
the Virgin Mary, and the person of Christ. Complaint
being made of them to the council, a commission was
ordered to six of the bishops, and some other divines, to
search after all anabaptists, heretics, or contemners of the
common prayer, whom they were to endeavour to reclaim,
and after penance to give them absolution; but if they
continued obstinate, they were to excommunicate, im
prison, and deliver them over to the secular arm. This
was little better than a protestant inquisition. People
generally thought, all the statutes for burning heretics had
been repealed ; but it was now said, that heretics were
to be burnt by the common law of England; and that the
statutes were only for directing the manner of conviction;
so that repealing them did not take away that, which was
grounded upon a writ at common law. Several tradesmen
who were brought before the commissioners abjured; but
Joan Bocher, or Joan of Kent, obstinately maintained,
that Christ was not truly incarnate of the Virgin, whose
c 2

38l HISTORY OF <FHE PURITANS. CHAP. IL;
flesh being sinful, he could not partake of it; but the
word, by the consent of the inward man in the Virgin,
took flesh of her. These were her words : A scholastic
nipety, qot capable of doing much mischief, and far from
deserving so severe a punishment! The poor woman could
pot reconcile the spqtless purity of Christ's human nature*
with his receiving flesh from a sinful creature ; and for
this she is declared art obstinate heretic, and delivered
over to the secular power to be burnt. The compassionate'
young King not being able to prevail with himself td
sigp tlie warrant for her execution, Cranmer with his
superior learning was employed to persuade him; he
argued from the practice of the Jewish church in stoning
blasphemers* and rather silenced his highness than satis
fied him : For when at last he yielded to the ar-chbishop^s
importunity, he told him wjth tears in his eyes* That if he
did wrpng, since it was in submission to his authority,
he must ahsVer for it to God. This struck the archbishop'
with surprize, yet he suffered the sentence to be exe
cuted. Nor did his grace renounce his burrtitig principles as
long as he continued in power; for about two years after,
one Van Paris, a Dutchman, being convicted of saying,
that God the Father was only Go,d, and that Christ was
hot very God, and refusing to abjure, was condemned and '
burnt ifi Smithfield : He was a man of a strict and virtuous
life* and very devout; he suffered with great constancy,
|dssirig the stake and faggots that were to burn him. No
part of Cranmer's life exposed him more than this. It
was now said by the papists, they saw men of harmless
lives might be put to death for heresy, by the confession
pf the reformers themselves. In all the books published
in Queen Mary's days justifying her severities against
brotestants^ these instances were constantly produced ;
and when Cranmer himself was brought to the staked
they called it a just retaliation. But neither arguments,'
nor sufferings, could convince the divines of this age, of
the absurdity and wickedness of putting men to deaths for
the sake of conscience.
Bonner, being accused of remissness in not settling the'
new service book throughout his diocese, and being

1549. EDWARD VI. 37
suspected of disaffection to the government, was enjoined
to declare publicly in a sermon at Paul's Cross, his belief
of the King's authority while under age, and his appro
bation of the sen-ice book, with some other articles ; which
he not performing to the council's satisfaction, was cited
before the court of delegates, and after several hearings,
in which he behaved with great arrogance, sentence of
deprivation was pronounced against him. It was thought
hard to proceed to such extremities with a man for a meer
omission; Bonner pleading, that he forgot the article of
the king's authority in his sermon ; and it was yet harder,
to add imprisonment to his deprivation : But he lived to
take a severe revenge upon his judges in the next reign.
The vacant see was filled up with Dr. Ridley, who was
declared bishop of London and Westminster, the twq
dioceses being united in him ; but his consecration was
deferred to the next year.
The parliament that met the 14th of November, revived
the act of the late King, impowering his Majesty to reform
the canon law. And persons were appointed who within
three years should compile a body of ecclesiastical laws,
which not being contrary to the statute law, should be
published by the king's warrant under the great seal, and
have the force of laws in the ecclesiastical courts.
This design was formed, and very far advanced in Henry
VIII.'s time, but the troubles that attended the last part
of his reign, prevented the finishing it. It was now re
sumed, and finished ; being digested under fifty one titles,
but before it received the royal confirmation, the king
died ; nor was it ever revived in the succeeding reigns.
By this book, Cranmer seems to have relaxed his perse-
puting principles ; for though under the third title of judg
ments for heresy, he lays a very heavy load upon the
obstinate heretic, as that he shall be declared infamous ;
incapable of public trust; or of being witness in an£
court ; or of having power to make a will ; or of having
the benefit of the law ; yet there is no mention of capital
proceedings. Another remarkable act passed this session, was for or
daining ministers. But there was no mention again of a
c3

38 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
convocation or synod of divines; nor do the parliament
reserve to themselves a right of judgment, but intrust
every thing absolutely with the crown. The committee
soon finished their ordinal, which is almost the same with
that now in use. They take no notice in their book of the
lower orders in the church of Rome, but confine them
selves to bishops, priests, and deacons; and here it is
observable, that the form of ordaining a priest and a bishop
is the same we yet use, there being no express mention in
the words of ordination, whether it be for the one or the
other office ; though altered, in some respect, of late years,
since a distinction of the two orders has been so generally
admitted ; which was not the received doctrine of these
times. The committee struck out most of the modern rites of
the church of Rome, and contented themselves with imposi
tion of hands and prayer. The gloves, the sandals, the mitre,
the ring and crosier, which had been used in consecra
ting bishops, were laid aside. The anointing, the giving
consecrated vestments, the delivering into the hands,
vessels for consecrating the eucharist, with a power to offer
sacrifice for the dead and living, which had been the custom
in the ordination of a priest, were also omitted. But when
the bishop ordained, he was to lay one hand on the priest's
head, and with his other to give him a bible with a chalice
"and bread in it. The chalice and bread are now omitted ;
as is the pastoral staff in the consecration of a bishop. By
the rule of this ordinal a deacon was not to be ordained
before 21, a priest before 24, nor a bishop before he was
30 years of age.
The council went on with pressing the new liturgy upon
the people, who were still inclined in many places to the
old service; but to put it out of their power to continue it,
it was ordered that all clergymen should deliver up to such
persons whom the King should appoint, all their old
antiphonals, missals, gravis, processionals, legends, pies,
portuasses, &c. and to see to the observing one uniform
order in the church ; which the parliament confirmed,
requiring further, all who had any images in their
houses, that had belonged to any church, to deface
them; and to dash out of their primers alj prayers to the
saints.

1550. EDWARD VI. 39
Ridley being now bishop of London, resolved upon a
visitation of his diocese. His injunctions were as usual,
to enquire into the doctrines and manners of the clergy ;
but the council sent him a letter in his majesty's name,
to see that -all altars were taken down, and to require the
churchwardens of every parish to provide a table decently
covered, and to place it in such part of the choir or
chancel as should be most meet, so that the ministers
and communicants should be separated from the rest of
the people.
Ridley, Cranmer, Latimer, and the rest of the English
reformers, were unanimously of opinion, that the retain
ing of altars would serve only to nourish the superstitious
opinion of a propitiatory mass, and would minister an
occasion of offence and division among the reformed ; and
the next age will shew they were not mistaken in their
conjectures. But some of the bishops refused to comply
with the council's order ; insisting on the apostle's words
to the Hebrews, " We have an altar," and rather than com
ply, they suffered themselves to be deprived of their
bishoprics for contumacy. Preachers were sent into the
country to remove the people's prejudice, which had a
very good effect; and if they had taken the same methods
with respect to the habits, and other relics of popeiy ;
these would hardly have kept their ground, and the refor
mers would have acted a more consistent and honourable
part. The sad consequences of retaining the popish gar
ments began to appear tins year : A debate, one would
think of small consequence ; but at this time apprehended
of great importance to the reformation. The people
having been bred up in a superstitious veneration for the
priests' garments, being taught that they were sacred; that
without them no administrations were valid; that there
was a sort of virtue conveyed into them by consecration ;
and in a word, that they were of the same importance to
a christian clergyman, as the priests' garments of old were
in their ministrations ; it was time to disabuse them. The
debate began upon occasion of Hooper's nomination to
the bishopric of Gloucester.
Hooper was a zealous, pious, and learned man : He
went out of England in the latter end of Henry's reign,

40 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
and lived at Zurich, at a time when all Germany was in
a flame on account of the Interim ; which was a form of
worship contrived to keep up the exterior face of popery.
Upon this arose ' a great and important question among
the Germans, concerning the use of things indifferent. It
was said, If things were indifferent in themselves, they
were lawful; and that it was the subject's duty to obey
when commanded. So the old popish rites were retained,
on purpose to draw the people more easily back to popery,
Out of this another question arose, Whether it was lawful
to obey in things indifferent, when it was certain they
were enjoined with an ill design ? To which it was replied.
That the designs of legislators were not to be enquired
into. This created a vast distraction in the country : Some
conformed to the interim; but the major part, were firm
to their principles, and were turned out of their livings
for disobedience. Those who complied were for the most
part Lutherans. But the rest of the reformed, were for
shaking off all the relics of popery, with the hazard of
whatever was dear to them in the world ; particularly at
Zurich, where Hooper resided, they were zealous againt
any compliance with the use of the old rites it pre
scribed. With these principles, Hooper came over to England,
and applied himself" to preaching and explaining the
scriptures to the people ; he was in the pulpit almost every
day in the week, and his sermons were so popular, that
all the churches were crouded where he preached. His
fame soon reached the court," where Dr. Poynet and he
were appointed to1 preach all the Lent sermons. He was
also sent to preach throughout the comities of Kent and
Essex, in order to reconcile the people to the reforma
tion. At length he was appointed bishop of Gloucester,
but declined it because of the form of the oath, and the
Aaronical habits. By the oath is meant the oath of su
premacy, which was in this form, — " by God, by the Saints*
and by. the Holy Ghost;'? which Hooper thought impious,,
because God only ought to be appealed to in an oath,
for as much as he only knows the thoughts of men. The
young king bsing convinced the objection was just, struck
o.ut the words with his own pen. However, fhe scruple

1550. EDWARD VI. 41
about the habits was not so easily got over. The king
and council were inclined to dispense with them; buj.
Ridley and the rest of the bishops that had wore the habits
were of another mind, saying, " The thing was indiffer
ent, and therefore the law ought to be obeyed." This
had such an influence upon the council, that all Hooper's
objections were afterwards heard with great prejudice. It
discovered an ill spirit in the reformers, not to suffer
Hooper to decline his bishopric, nor yet to dispense
with those habits which he thought unlawful. Hooper
was as much for the clergy's wearing a decent and
distinct habit from the laity, as Ridley, but prayed to
be excused from the old symbolizing popish garments.
Cranmer was inclined to yield, but Ridley and Goodrick
insisted on obedience to the laws, affirming — " that in
matters of rites and ceremonies, custom was a good ar
gument for the continuance of those that had been long
used." But this argument proved too much, because it
might be used for the retaining many other rites and ce
remonies of popery, whiqh had been long used in the.
church, and were now abolished by these reformers them
selves. However Hooper not willing to rely upon his own
judgment, wrote to Bucer and to Peter Martyr, who gave,
their opinions against the habits, as inventions of antichrist,
and wished them removed ; but were of opinion since.
the bishops were resolute, he might acquiesce in the use
of them for a time, till they were taken away by law : And
the rather because the reformation was in its infancy, and
it would give occasion of triumph to the common enemy,
to see the reformers at variance among themselves. The
divines of Switzerland and Geneva were of the same mind,
being unwilling that a clergyman of so much learning
and piety, and so zealous for the reformation as Hooper
was, should be silenced ; they therefore advised him to
comply for the present, that he might be the more capable
by his authority and influence in the church, to get them
laid aside. But these reasons not satisfying Hooper, he
persisted in his refusal for above nine months.
The governing prelates being provoked at his stiffness,
resolved not to suffer such a precedent of disobedience
to the ecclesiastical laws, to go unpunished. Hooper must

42 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IL
be a bib-hop, and must be consecrated in the manner others
had been, and wear the habits the law appointed ; and to
force him to comply, he was served with an order of coun
cil, first to silence him, and then to confine him to his
house: The doctor thought this usage very severe : To
miss his promotion was no disappointment, but to be per
secuted about cloaths, by men of the same faith with
himself, and to lose his liberty because he would not be a
bishop and in the fashion, this was possibly more than
he well understood. After some time Hooper was com
mitted to the custody of Cranmer, who not being able to
bring him to conformity, complained to the council, and
they ordered him into the Fleet, where he was confined
some months, to the reproach of the reformers. At length
he laid his case before the earl of Warwick, who by the
king's own motion, wrote to the archbishop to dispense
with the habits at his consecration : But Cranmer alledged
the danger of a praemunire ; whereupon a letter was sent
from the king and council to the archbishop, and other
bishops to be concerned in the consecration, warranting
them to dispense with the garments, and discharging them
of all manner of dangers, penalties, and forfeitures, they
might incur any manner of way, by omitting the same :
But though this letter was dated August the 5th, yet such
was the reluctance of Cranmer and Ridley, that Hooper
was not consecrated till the March following; in which
time the matter was in some sort compromised ; Hooper
consenting to be robed in his habits at his consecration,
and once at court ; but to be dispensed with at other times.
Accordingly being appointed to preach before the king,
' he came forth like a new player on the stage : His upper
garment was a long scarlet chymere clown to the foot, and
under that a white linen rochet that covered all his shoul
ders, and a four square cap upon his head ; but he took
it patiently for the profit of the church. After this,
Hooper retired to his diocese, and preached sometimes
two or three times a day, to crouds of people that hun-
gred for the word of life : He was impartial and zealous
in every branch of his episcopal character, even beyond
his strength, and was himself a pattern, of what he taught
to others. ' - ....

1556. EDWARD VI. 43
In the king's letter to the archbishop, Hooper is said to
be a divine of great knowledge, and deep judgment, both
in the scriptures and profane learning; as also, a person
of ready utterance, and of an honest life: But all these
qualifications must be buried in a prison, at a time when
there was a famine of the word, rather than the above-
mentioned uniformity in dress be dispensed with. Most
of the reforming clergy were with Hooper in this contro
versy : Several who had submitted to the habits in the
late reign, laid them aside in this ; as Latimer, Coverdale,
Taylor, Philpot, Bradford, and others, who laid down
their lives for the protestant faith. In some ordinations
Cranmer and Ridley dispensed with the habits. If they
had not done so on some occasions, there would not have
been clergymen to support the reformation. Burnet says,
they saw their error, and designed to procure an act to
abolish the popish garments ; but whether this was so or
not, it is certain that in the next reign they repented their
conduct ; for when Ridley was in prison, he wrote a letter
to Hooper, in which he desires a mutual forgiveness and
reconciliation. And when he and Cranmer came to be
degraded, they smiled at the ridiculous attire in which
they were clothed, and declared they had long since laid
aside all regards to that pageantry.
The behaviour of the bishops at this period, was the
more extraordinary, as latitude was allowed to foreign
protestants to worship God after the manner of their coun
try, without any regard to the popish vestments : For this
year a church of German refugees was established at St.
Austin's in London, and erected into a corporation, under
the direction of John a Lasco, superintendent of all the
foreign churches in London, with whom were joined four
other ministers; and as a mark of favour, 380 of the con
gregation were made denizens of England. He was a
Polander of noble birth ; and a man very famous for
learning, and for integrity of life and manners. He was
in high esteem with the great Erasmus, who says, that he,
though an old man, had profited much by his conversation.
But he did not please the ruling prelates, because he
took part with Hooper, and wrote against the popish gar
ments, and for the posture of sitting rather than kneeling
at the Lord's supper.

44 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
Upon the translation of Ridley to the see of London,
Dr. Poynet was declared bishop of Rochester, and Cover-
dale coadjutor to Veysey bishop of Exeter. The see.
of Winchester had been two years as good as vacant,
by the long imprisonment of Gardiner, who had been
confined all this time without being brought to a trial :
The bishop justly complained of this to the council, whd
thereupon ordered that he should be proceeded against for
contempt. It was objected to him, that he refused to
preach concerning the King's power while Under age }
that he had been negligent in obeying the King's injune-?
tions, and was so obstinate that he would not ask th§
King's mercy. It was the declared opinion of the popisH
dergy at this time, that the King's laws were to be obeyed^
but not the orders of his council * and therefore that all
things should remain as the late King left them* till th<S
present King came of age. This the rebels ih Devon
pleaded-, as well as the lady Mary and others. For the
same opinion, Gardiner was deprived of his bishopricj
appealing to the King when at age ; and so his process,
ended, and he was sent back to the Tower, where he
lay till Queen Mary released him. Nothing can be said
in vindication of this severity but that he and Bonner
had taken out commissions, with the rest of the bishopsj
to hold their bishoprics only during the King's pleasure ;
which gave the regents a right to displace them whetieve*
they pleased. Poynet was translated from Rochester to
Winchester; Story was made Bp. of Rochester; and
Veysey resigning, Coverdale was made Bp. of Exeter
in his room: So that now the bench of bishop^ had a
majority for the reformation,
It was therefore resolved in council to reform the doc
trine of tlie church. Cranmer and Ridley were appointed
to this work, who framed 42 articles upon the chief points,
of the Christian doetrine ; copies of which were sent to the
other bishops and learned divines, for their corrections and
amendments ; after which the archbishop reviewed thetti
a second time, and presented them to the council, where
they received the royal sanction. This was another high
act of the supremacy; the articles not being brought info
parliament, or agreed upon in convocation, -as they ought

1551. EDWARD VI. 45
to have been, and as the title seems to express : When this
was afterwards objected to Cranmer in the next reign as a
fraud, he owned the charge, but said, he was ignorant of
the title, and complained of it to the council, who told him*
the book was so entitled, because jt was published in the
time of the convocation ; which was no better than a mean
evasion. These articles are for substance the same with
those now in use, being reduced to the number of thirty
nine, in the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth. The
controverted clause of the twentieth article, that the
church has power to decree rites and ceremonies, and
authority in controversies of faith, is not in King Edward's1
articles ; nor does it appear how it came into Elizabeth's;
It is evident by the title that they were designed as articles
of truth, and not of peace, as some have pretended, who
subscribed them rather as a compromise, not to teach any
doctrine contrary to them, than as a declaration that they
believed them. This was a notion the hnposers never
thought of, nor does there appear any reason for the con
ceit. So that those who subscribed, did either believe
them to be true, or else they did grossly prevaricate; With
the book of articles was printed a short catechism, with a
preface prefixed in the King's name. It is, dated May 7th,
about seven weeks before the King's death;
The next work the reformers were employed in, was a
second correction of the common pray en Some things
they added, and others that had been retained through the
necessity of the times, were struck out. The most Con
siderable amendments were these. The daily service
opened with a short confession of sins, and of absolution
to such as should repent. The communion began with a
rehearsal of the ten commandments, the congregation
being on their knees ; and a pause was made between the
rehearsal of every commandment, for the people's devo
tions. A rubric- was also added, concerning the posture
of kneeling, which declares that there was no adoration
intended thereby to the bread and wine, which was gross
idolatry ; nor did they think the very flesh and blood of
Christ there present. This clause was struck out by Queen
Elizabeth, to give a latitude to Papists and Lutherans;
but was inserted again at the restoration of Charles II, &*

46 HISTORY OF THE PURITAN'S. CHAP. II.
the request of the Puritans. Besides these amendments,.
sundry old rites and ceremonies, retained in the former
book, were discontinued ; and the whole liturgy was in a
manner reduced to the form in which it appears at present,
excepting some small variations that have since been
made, for clearing ambiguities.
When the parliament met, it was brought into the house,
with ia form of ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons;
both which passed the houses without any considerable
opposition. The new service book was to take place in all
churches after the feast of All Saints, under the same
penalties that had been enacted to enforce the former book
three years before. By another act of this session the
marriages of the clergy, if performed according to the
service book, were declared good and valid, and their
children inheritable according to law. Heath, Bp. of
Worcester, and Day, Bp. of Chichester, were both deprived
this Jrear, with Tonstal, Bp. of Durham, whose bishopric
was designed to be divided into two; but the act never
took place.
One of the last things the King set his hand to, was
a royal visitation, to examine what plate, jewels, and
other furniture, remained in the churches: The visitors
were to leave in every church, one or two chalices of
silver, with linen for the communion table and for surplices,
but to bring the best of the church-furniture into the
King's treasury; and to sell the linen copes, altar cloths,
&c. and distribute the money to the poor. Some have
called this by the name of sacrilege, and it was really
no better. But it ' ought to be remembered, the young
King was now languishing under a consumption, and draw
ing near his end.
It must however be confessed, that in the course of
this, as well as the last reign, there was a very great
alienation of church property : The chatintry lands were
sold, among the laity, some of whom held five or six
prebendaries or canonries, while the clergy themselves
were in want. The bishops were too easy in parting
with the lands and manors belonging to their bishoprics,
and the courtiers were too greedy in grasping at every
thing they could lay their hands on. If the revenues

1552. EDWARD VI. 47
of the church had been abused to superstition, they might
have been converted to other religious uses ; or if too great
a. proportion of the riches of the kingdom was in the hands
of the church, they should first have made an ample
provision for the maintenance of the clergy, and the en
dowment of smaller livings, before they had enriched their
friends and families.
Nor were the lives of many who were zealous for the
reformation, free from scandal : The courtiers and great
men indulged themselves in a dissolute and licentious
life; and the clergy were not without their blemishes.
Some who embraced the reformation were far from adorn
ing their profession, which disposed the people to return
to their old superstitions : Nevertheless there were many
great and shining lights among them, who were an example
to their flocks ; but their numbers were small, in com
parison to those who lived otherwise.
We have now seen the length of King Edward's re
formation. It was an adventurous undertaking for a few
bishops and privy counsellors, to change the religion
of a nation, only by the advantage of the supremacy
of a minor, without the consent of the people in parlia
ment or convocation, and under the eye of a presumptive
heir, f ho was a declared enemy of all their proceedings;
as was the case in the former part of this reign. We have
taken notice of the mistaken principles of the reformers,
in making use of the civil power to force men to con
formity ; and of their stretching the laws to reach those
whom they could not fairly come at any other way. But
notwithstanding these and some other mistakes, they were
great and good men, and valiant for the truth; as appears
by their afterwards sealing it with their blood. They
made as quick advances perhaps in restoring religion
to its primitive simplicity, as the circumstances of the
times would admit ; and it is evident they designed to
go further, and not make this, the last standard of reforma
tion. Indeed Elizabeth thought her brother had gone too
far, by stripping religion of too many ornaments ; and
therefore when she came to the crown, was hardly per
suaded to restore it to the condition in which he left it.
James I. Charles I. Abp. Laud, and all their admirers^

4S HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IK
instead of removing further from the superstitious pomps5
of the church of Rome, have been for returning back td
them, and have appealed to the settlement of Queeri
Elizabeth, as a perfect standard.
Martin Bucer, a German divine, and professor of
divinity in Cambridge, a person in high esteem with the
young King, drew up a plan, and presented it to hisi
Majesty, in which he treats largely of ecclesiastical
discipline. The King haying read it, set himself to write'
a general discourse on reformation, but did not live;
to finish it. Bucer proposed, that there might be a strict
discipline, to exclude scandalous livers from the sacra
ment j arid that the old popish habits might be laid aside;
He aUd. not like the half office of communion, or second
service, to be said at the altar, when there was no sacra-r
ment: He approved not of godfathers answering in the
child's name, so well as in their own, He presses much
the Sanctification of the Lord's day ; and that there might
be many fastings, but was against the observation of Lent;
He would have the pastoral function restored to what it
ought to be ; that bishops, throwing off all secular caresj
should give themselves to their spiritual employments.'
He advises that coadjutors might be given to some, and
a council of presbyters appointed for them all; Hewould
have rural bishops set over 20 or 30 parishes, who should
gather their clergy often together, and inspect theiri
closely ; and that a provincial synod should meet twice a
vear, when a secular man in the King's namej should be
appointed to observe their proceedings.
Cranmer was of the same mind. He disliked the pre
sent way of governing the church, by convocations, as
they are now formed ; in which deans, archdeacons, and
cathedrals, have an interest far superior in number, to
those elected to represent the clergy. These cannot
pretend to be more than a part of our civil constitution;
They have no foundation in .scripture, nor any warrant
from the first ages of the church; but arose from the
model set forth by Charles the great, and formed, according
to the feudal law, by which a right of giving subsidies^
was vested in all, who were possessed of sUch tenures;
as qualified them to contribute towards the support of the

1553. EDWARD VI. 49
state. Nor was Cranmer satisfied with the liturgy, though
it had been twice reformed, if we may give credit to the
learned Bullinger, who told the exiles at Frankfort, —
"That the archbishop had drawn up a book of prayers
an hundred times more perfect, than that which was then
in being; but the same could not take place, for that
he was matched with such a wicked clergy and convo
cation, and other enemies." The King was of the same
sentiments ; but his untimely death, which happened
in the 16th year of his age, and 7th of his reign, pnt
an end to all his noble designs for perfecting the reforma
tion. He was indeed an incomparable prince, of most
promising expectations; and in the judgment of the most
impartial persons, the phcenix of his age. It was more
than whispered, that he was poisoned. But it is very
surprising that a protestant divine, Heylin, in his history
of the reformation should say, — "That he was ill prin
cipled; that his reign was unfortunate; and that his
death was not an infelicity to the church ;" — only because
he was apprehensive he would have reduced the hierarchy,
to a more primitive standard. With good King Edward
died all further advances of the reformation ; the alterations
that were made afterwards by Queen Elizabeth, hardly
came up to his standard.

VOL. I.

fcHAP. ill.

REIGN OF MARY.
Lady Jane Grey proclaimed Queen. — Queen Mary enttrt
London. — Her declaration.— Reformers imprisoned. — ¦
Popery restored, — Wyat's Rebellion. — The Clergy
ejected* — Queen's Marriage. — The Kingdom reconciled
to Rome.-^Protestants burnt. ~Bonncr' s cruelty.-**
Bradford, Philpot, and Cranmer burnt. — Sufferings of
Protestants. Mary-goes into exile. — Rise of the Puri
tans. — Troubles at Frankfort.-^Sufferings of the Princess
Elizabeth. — Calamities of the Nation. — The Queen'i
Death. — Her Character.
IT will appear in the course of this feign, that an abso-
¦"¦ lute supremacy ovet the consciences of men, lodged
with a single person, may as Well be prejudicial as
serviceable to true religion : For if Henry VIII. and his
son Edward VL reformed some abuses by their supremacy,
against a majority of the people* Queen Mary made use of
the same power, to turn things back into then1 old channel,
till she had restored the grossest and most idolatrous
part of popery. This was begun by proclamations and
orders of council, till her majesty could procure a par
liament disposed to repeal King Edward's laws, which
she quickly found means to accomplishj It is strange
indeed, that when there was but seven of eight peer's
that opposed the reformation under Edward, the same
house of lords should almost all turn papists itt the
feign of Mary ; but as to the commons it is less wonderful*
because they are changeable, and the Court took care
to new model the returning officers in the cities and
corporations before the elections came on, so that scarcely

1553. MARY, 51
one was left, who was not a Roman Catholic. Bribery
and menaces were made use of in all places ; and where
they could not carry elections by reason of the superiority
of the reformed, the sheriffs made double returns, It is
sad when the religion of a nation is under such a direction !
But so it will be, when it falls into the hands of a bigotted
prince and ministry. Queeh Maiy was a sad example
of the truth of this observation, whose reign was one
continued scene of calamity. It is the genuine picture
of popery, and should be remembered by all protestants
with abhorrence; the principles of that religion being
such as no man can receive, till he has abjured his senses,
renounced his reason, and put off all the tendet com
passions of human natuf e.
Edward VI. being far gone ih a consumption, front a
concern for preserving the reformation, was persuaded
to set aside the succession of his sisters Mary and Eliza
beth, and of the Queen of Scots, the first and last being
papists, and Elizabeth's blood being tainted by act of
parliament; and to settle the crowh* by will* upon
Lady Jane Grey, eldest daughter of the Duke of Suffolk^
a lady of extraordinary qualities, zealous for the reforma
tion, and next in blood, after these priiicesSes. One
may guess the sad apprehensions the council were under
for the protestant religion* when they put the King, who
was a minor, and not capable by law of making a will*
upon this expedient, and set theif hands to the validity
of it. The King being dead, Queen Jane was proclaimed
with the usual solemnities, and an army raised to support
her title ; but the princess Mary, then in Norfolk, being
informed of her brother's death, sent a letter to the
Council, in which she claims the crown* arid charges
them upon their allegiance to proclaim her in the city
of London, and elsewhere. The council in return* in
sisted upon her laying aside her claim, arid submitting
as a good subject to her new sovereign. But Mary,
by the encouragement of her friends^ in the country,
resolved to maintain her right' and to make her way
more easy, she promised the Suffolk men, to make no
alterations in religion. This gained her an army,' with
D 2

52 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. TIT,
which she. marched towards London ; but before she
arrived, both the council and citizens of London declared
for her ; and she made her public entry without the loss
of a drop of blood* four weeks after , the decease of her
brother. Upon Mary's entrance into the Tower, she released*
Bonner, Gardiner, and others whom she called her pri
soners. And her majesty declared in council, — "That
though, her conscience was settled in matters of religion,
yet she was resolved not to compel others, but by the-
preaching of the word." — This was different from her:
promise to the Suffolk men: she assured them, that
religion should be left upon the same footing she found it
at the death of King Edward, but now she insinuates,,
that the old religion is to be restored, though without
compulsion.. Next day there was a tumult at St. Paul's,;
occasioned by Dr. Bourne, one of the canons of that
church, preaching against the late reformation : he spoke
in commendation of Bonner, and was proceeding to
severe reflections upon the late King Edward, when the-
whole audience was in an uproar; some calling to pull;
down the preacher, others throwing stones, and one a*.
dagger, which stuck in the pulpit. Mr. Rogers .and.
Bradford, two popular preachers for the reformation,,
hazarded their lives to save the doctor's, and conveyed,
him in safety to a neighbouring house ; notwithstanding
which act of charity, they were first imprisoned, and soon-
afterwards burnt for heresy. To prevent the like tumults,.
the Queen published an inhibition forbidding all preaching,
without special licence ; declaring further, that she w.ouhi
not compel her subjects to be of her religion, till public orders.
should be taken by common assent. Here was another'
intimation of an approaching storm. And a proclamation
was also published, for masters of families to oblige their
apprentices and servants, to frequent their own parish:
churches on Sundays and holidays, and to keep them at
home at other tmies.
The shutting up all the protestant pulpits, at once*\
awakened .the Suffolk men, who presuming upon the
Queen's- , engagement, sent a , deputation to Court, to
represent their grievances; but the Queen checked;

1553. MARY. 53
them for their insolence: and one of their. number hap
pening to mention her promise, was put in the pillory
three days together, and had his ears cut off for defamation.
Bonner, Gardiner, Tonstal, Heath, and Day were restored
to their bishoprics. Some of the reformers continuing
to preach after the inhibition, were taken into custody,
among whom were Hooper, Coverdale, Dr. Taylor,
Rog^-s and several others. Hooper was committed to the
Fle^t, no regard being had to his active zeal in asserting
the Queen's right, against the title of the Lady Jane ;
but so sincerely did this good man follow the light of
his conscience, when he could not but foresee the sad
consequences which were likely to ensue. Coverdale
being a foreigner, was ordered to keep his house till
further order. Cranmer was so silent at Lambeth, that
it was thought he would have returned to the old religion ;
but he was preparing- a protestation against it, which taking
air, he was examined, and confessing the fact, was
sent to the Tower, with Bp. Latimer. Holgate, Abp. of
York, was committed to the same prison, and Horn,, dean
of Durham, being summoned before the council, fled
beyond sea.
The storm gathering so thick upon the reformers, above
eight hundred of them retired into foreign parts. Some
fled in disguise, or went over as the servants of foreign
protestants, who having come hither for shelter in King
Edward's time, were now required to leave the kingdom ;
among these were Peter Martyr and John a Lasco, with
his congregation of Germans. But to prevent too many
of the English embarking with them, an order of council
was sent to all the ports, that none should be suffered to
depart the kingdom without proper passports. The
Roman Catholic party, from an abundant zeal for their
religion, out-run the laws, and celebrated mass in divers
churches, before it was restored by lawful authority;
while the people that favoured the reformation, continued
their public devotions with great seriousness and fervency,
as foreseeing the storm that was coming upon them ;
but the rude multitude came into the churches, insulted.
-their ministers, and ridiculed their worship. The Court
D3

54 HISTORY OF THE , PURITANS. CHAB, IV.
not only winked at these things, but fined Judge Halqs
(who alone had refused to sign the act which transferred
the crown to Jane Or$y) a thousand pounds sterling,
because in his circuit, he ordered the justices of Kent
to conform themselves to the laws of King Edward, nqt
yet repealed ; which that gentleman laid so much to,
heart, that he grew melancholy, and drowned himself.
The Queen was crowned Oct, 1. by Gardiner, atMnded
by ten other bishops, all in their mitres, copes and cro||ers ;
and a parliament was summoned to meet Qn the 10th,
What method^ were used to secure the elections, has
been already related. Qn the 31st of October a bill was,
pent down to the commons, for repealing King Edward's
laws about religion, which was debated six days, and
at length l carried, It repeals in general all the late
statutes relating to religion, and enacts,— That after the
20th of December next, there should be no other form
of divine service than what had been used in the last
year of Henry VIII. — Severe punishments were decreed,
against such as should interrupt the public service ; abuse
the holy sacrament, or break down altars, crucifixes, or
crosses, It was niade felony for any number above
twelve, to assemble together with an intention to alter
the established religion. Nov, 3d, Abp, Cranmer,
Lord Guildford, Lady Jane, and two other sops of the
Duke of Northumberland, were brought to their trials
for high treason, in levying war against the Queen, and
conspiring to set up another in her room, They all
confessed their indictments, but Cranmer appealed to,
his judges, how unwillingly he had set his hand to the
exclusion of the Queen : these judgments were confirmed
by parliament* after which, the Queen's intended mar
riage with Philip of Spain being discovered, the commons
sent their speaker, and twenty qf their members, humbly
to entreat her majesty, not to marry a stranger; with
which she waS so ch$pleased| that she dissolved the
parliament, The convocation that sat with the parliament was
equally devoted to the Court. Care had been taken to
secure their elections. In the collection of public acts,,
fjhere are found 150 presentations to livings before the

1554. MARY. 65
choice of representatives; so that the lower house of
convocation was of a-piece with the upper, from whence
almost all the protestant bishops were excluded by im
prisonment, deprivation, or otherwise. Bonner presided
as the first bishop of the province of Canterbury ; and
Weston dean of Westminster was chosen prolocutor.
On the 20th of October i£<#vas proposed to the members,
to subscribe to the doctrine of transubstantiation ; which
all complied with, except Philpot, archdeacon of Win
chester; Philips, dean of Rochester; Haddon, dean of
Exeter; Cheyney, archdeacon of Hereford; Aylmer^
archdeacon of Stow ; and Young, chaunter of St. David's :
these disputed the point for three days, but the disputa
tion was managed according to the fashion of the times,
with reproaches and menaces on the stronger side; andi
the prolocutor ended it with saying, You have the. word,
BUT WE HAVE THE SWORD.
This year began with Wyat's rebellion, occasioned
by a general dislike of the Queen's marriage with Philip
of Spain : it was a raw, unadvised attempt, and occa
sioned great mischiefs to the protestants, though religion
had no share in the conspiracy, Wyat himself being a
papist : this gentleman got together 4000 men, with whom
he marched directly to London ; but coming into South-
wark, he found the bridge so well fortified, that he could
not force it without. cannon; so he marched about, and
having crossed the Thames at Kingston, came by Charing
Cross to Ludgate next morning, in hopes the citizens
would have opened their gates ; but being disappointed,
he yielded himself a prisoner, and was afterwards
executed; as were Lady Jane Grey, Lord Guildford her
husband, and others; Lady Elizabeth herself hardly-
escaping, Wyat upon his trial accusing her, in hopes
of saving his life; upon which she was ordered into
custody : but when Wyat saw he must die, he acquitted
her on the scaffold ; and upon the Queen's marriage this
summer, she obtained her pardon.
As soon as the nation was a little settled, her majesty
gave instructions to her bishops to visit the clergy. The
injunctions were drawn up by Gardiner, and contain an
angry recital of all the innovations, introduced into the

S6, HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP.. Ill,
church, in the reign of Edward; and a charge to the
bishops. The bishops of York, St. David's, Chester, and
Bristol, were deprived for being married ; and the bishops
of Lincoln, Gloucester, and Hereford, were deprived by
the royal pleasure, as holding their bishopries by such
a patent. It was very arbitrary to turn. out the married
bishops, while th|re was a lajv subsisting to allow their
marriages; and to deprive the other, bishops without any
manner of process, merely for the royal pleasure. This
was acting up to the height °f the supremacy, which
* though the Queen disclaimed as an unlawful power, yet
she used for the service of the Romish church. The
vacant bishoprics were filled with men after the Queen's
own heart. The new bishops in their visitation, and
particularly Bonner, executed the Queen's injunctions
with rigour. The mass was celebrated in all places, and
the old popish rites and ceremonies revived. There was
a quick trade fordmages, that were to be replaced in
churches. The most eminent preachers in London were
under confinement ;, and all the married clergy throughput
the kingdom deprived. Dr. Parker reckons, that of 16,000
clergymen, 1 2,000 were turned out ; which is not probable,
for if we compute by the diocese of Norwich, which is
almost an eighth part of England, and in which there were
but 335 deprived, the whole number will fall short of 3000.
Some were turned out without conviction ; and, some were
never cited, and yet ejected for not appearing. Those
that quitted their wives, and did penance, were neverthe
less deprived ; which was grounded on the vow, that (as
was pretended) they had made. Such was the deplorable
, condition of the reformed this summer, and such the
cruelty of their adversaries.
The Queen's second parliament met April 2d. The
court had taken care of the elections of the new members
by large promises of money from Spain: Their, design
was to persuade the parliament to approve of the Spanish
match; which they accomplished, with this proviso, That
the Queen alone should have the government of the king
dom ; after which the parliament was presently dissolved.
Philip arrived July 20th, and was married to the Queen
on the 27th, he being then in the 27th year of his age,

1554. MARY. 57
and the Queen in her 38th. He brought with him a vast
mass of wealth; 27 chests of bullion, every chest being
above a yard long; and ninety nine horse loads, and two
cart loads of gold and silver coin.
The reformers complaining of their usage, in the late
dispute held in convocation, the court resolved to give
them a fresh mortification, by appointing another at Ox
ford, in presence of the whole university ; and because
Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer, were the most celebrated
divines of the reformation, they were by warrant from
the Queen removed from the Tower to Oxford, to manage
the dispute. The questions to be disputed were those
relating to transubstantiation, and the propitiatory sacrifice
of the mass. The bishops behaved with great modesty
and presence of mind; but their adversaries insulted and
triumphed in a most barbarous manner. Bishop Ridley
writes, — " That there were perpetual shoutings, tauntings,
reproaches, noise and confusion." Cranmer and old La
timer were hissed and derided ; and Ridley was borne
down with noise and clamour. In April they were sum
moned again to St. Mary's, and required to subscribe, as
having been vanquished in disputation ; but they all
refusing, were declared obstinate heretics, and no longer/*
memberjof the catholic church.
It was designed to expose the reformers by another
disputation at Cambridge; but the prisoners in London
hearing of it, published a paper, declaring, that they
would not dispute but in writing, except it were before
tlie Queen and council, or before either house of par
liament, because of the misrepresentation and unfair
usage they had every where met with. At the same time,
they printed a summary of their faith, for which they
were ready to offer up their lives, and in conclusion
charge the people to enter into no rebellion against
the Queen, but to obey her in all points, except
where her commands are contrary to the law of God.
This put an end to all farther triumphs of the popish
party for the present, and was a noble testimony to
the chief and distinguishing doctrines of the protestant
faith. But since the reformers were not to be run down

58 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Illi'
by noise and clamour, their stedfastness must encountey
the fiery trial.
The Queen's third parliament met November 11. In
the writs of summons, the title of supreme head of the
ehurch was omitted, though it was still by law vested in
the crown. The money brought from Spain had procured
a house of commons devoted to the, court. The first bill
passed was the repeal of Cardinal Pole's attainder, and
the cardinal arrived in England two days after, in quality
of the pope's legate, with a commission to receive the
kingdom of England, into the bosom of the catholic
church : and in his speech to the parliament invited them
to a reconciliation with the apostolic see. Two days after
a committee of lords and commons was appointed to draw
up a supplication to the King and Queen, to intercede
with the legate for a reconciliation ; promising to repeal
all acts made against the pope's authority. This being
presented by both houses on their knees to the King and
Queen, they interceded with the cardinal accordingly; who
thereupon made a long speech in the house, at the close
of which he enjoined them for penance, to repeal the laws
abovementioned, and then in the pope's name, first granted
them a full absolution, which they received on their
knees, and afterwards absolved the realm from all censures.
The act of repeal was ready, it passed both houses, and
received the royal assent. It enumerates and reverses all
acts since the 20th of Henry VIII. against the holy see ;
and then contains the following restrictions, which they
pray, through the cardinal's intercession, may be esta
blished by the pope's authority. 1. "That all bishoprics,
cathedrals or colleges, now established, may be confirmed
for ever. 2. " That marriages within such degrees as are
not contrary to the law of God, may be confirmed, and
their issue legitimated. 3. " That institutions into bene
fices may be confirmed. 4. " That all judicial processes
may be confirmed. 5. " That all the settlements of the
lands of any bishoprics, monasteries, or other religious
houses, may continue as they were, without any trouble
from the ecclesiastical courts."
The cardinal admitted these requests, but ended with
a heavy denunciation of the judgments of God upon thqs©

I §54, MARY. 59
who had the goods of the church in their hands, and did
not restore them. And to make the clergy more easy,
the statutes of Mortmain were suspended for 20 years tq
come. But after all, the pope refused to confirm the re
strictions, alledging, That the legate had exceeded his
powers ; so that the possessors of church lands had a very
precarious title to their estates during this reign ; and even
before the reconciliation was fully concluded, the pope
published a bull, by which he excpiunumicates all those
persons, who were in possession of the goods of the church
or monasteries, and did not restore them, This alarmed
the superstitious qneen^ who apprehending herself near
her time of chijd-birth, sent for her ministers of state,
and surrendered up all the lands of the church that remained
in the crown, to be disposed of as the pope or his legate
think fit. But when a proposal of this kind was made to
the commons in parliament, some of them boldly laid
their hands upon their swords, and said, They well knew
how to defend their own properties. The Queen however
went on with acts of devotion to the church; she repaired
several old monasteries and erected nevy ones ; she ordered
a strict enquiry to be made after those who had pillaged
the churches and monasteries, and had been employed in
^:he visitations of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. She com
manded Bp. Bonner to raze out of the public records all
that had been done against the monks ; and particularly
the accounts of the visitations of monasteries ; which has
rendered the ecclesiastical history of this time very der
fective. The next act brought into the house, was for reviving
the statutes of Richard II. and Henry IV, and V. for burnr
ing heretics ; which passed hoth houses in six days, to the
unspeakable joy of the popish clergy. The houses having
peen informed of some heretical preachers, who had
prayed in their conventicles, that God would turn the
Queen's heart from idolatry to the; true faith, or else
shorten her days ; they passed an act, " That all that
prayed after this manner should be adjudged traitors ;"
after which, the parliament was dissolved.
The kingdom being now reconciled to the church of
Rc;me, anc| the penal laws against heretics revived, a

60 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
council was held about the manner of dealing with the
reformed. It is said, that Cardinal Pole was for the
gentler methods of instruction and persuasion, which is
Somewhat doubtful ; however Gardiner was certainly for
rigor, imagining that a few examples of severity upon
the heads of the party, would terrify the rest into a com
pliance. The Queen was of his mind, and commanded
Gardiner, by a commission to himself and some other
bishops, to make the experiment. He began with Mr,
Rogers, Mr. Cardmaker, and Bp. Hooper, who had been
kept in prison 1 8 months without law. These upon exar
mination were asked, whether they would abjure their
heretical opinions about the sacrament, and submit to the
church as then • established ; which they refusing, were
declared obstinate heretics, and delivered over to the
secular power. Mr. Rogers was burnt in Smithfield, a
pardon being offered him at the stakej which he refused,
though he had a wife and ten small children unprovided
for. Bp. Hooper was burnt at Gloucester. He was not
suffered to speak to the people ; and was used so barba
rously in the fire, that his legs and thighs Were roasted,
and one of his hands dropt off, before he expired:1 His,
last words were, " Lord Jesus receive my spirit."
About the same time Mr. Saunders, another minister,
was burnt at Coventry. When he came to the stake he
said, " Welcome the cross of Christ ; welcome everlasting
life." Dr. Taylor, of Hadley, suffered next. Gardiner used
him very roughly, and after condemning and degrading
him, sent him to his own parsonage to he burnt; which he
underwent with great courage, though he. had barbarous
usage in the fire, his brains being beat out with one of
the halberts. Gardiner seeing himself disappointed,
meddled no further, but committed the prosecution of the
bloody work, to Bonner, who acting the more like a
cannibal than a christian, condemned without mercy all
that came before him, and ordering them to be kept in
the most cruel durance* till they were delivered over to
the civil magistrate. He tore off the beard of Tomkins
a weaver in Shoreditch, and held his hand in the flame of
a candle, till the smews and veins shrunk and burst. He
put others in dungeons^ and in the stocks, and fed thera.

1554. MARY. 61
with bread and water ; and when they were brought before
him, insulted over tlieir misery in a most brutish manner.
In the months of March and April, Bp. Ferrars and
ten others were brought to the stake. But these burnings
were disliked by the nation, who began to be astonished
at the courage and constancy of the martyrs ; and to be
shocked at the unrelenting severity of the bishops, who
being reproached with their cruelties, threw the odium
upon the King and Queen. At the same time a petition
was printed by the exiles' beyond sea, and addressed to
the Queen, putting her in mind, — "That the Turks tole
rated Christians, and the Christians in most places tolerated
Jews. That no papist had been put to death for " religion
in king Edward's time. And then they beseech the no
bility and common people, to intercede with her majesty,
to put a stop to this issue of blood, and at least grant her
subjects the same liberty, she allowed strangers, of trans
porting themselves into foreign parts." — But it had no
effects Philip being informed of the artifices of the
bishops, caused his confessor Alphonsus to preach against
these severities, which he did in the face of the whole
court; Bonner himself pretended to be sick of them ; but
after some little recess he went on. And though Philip
pretended to be for milder-measures, yet he and the Queen
signed a letter to Bonner, to quicken him to his pastoral
duty ; whereupon he redoubled his fury, and in the month
of June condemned nine protestants at once to the stake
in Essex ; and the council wrote to the sheriffs, to gather
the gentry together, to countenance the executions with
their presence.
In the month of July, Mr. John Bradford, a most
celebrated preacher in king Edward's days, suffered mar
tyrdom. He was an eminent christian, and is said to have
done as much service to the reformation by his letters from
prison, as by his preaching in the pulpit. Endeavours
were used to turn him, but to no purpose. He was brought
to the stake with one John Lease, an apprentice of 19
years old ; he kissed the stake and the faggots ; but being
forbid to 'speak to the people, he only prayed with his
fellow-sufferer, and quietly submitted to the fire. His
last words were, Strait is the gate, and narrow the way,

62 HISTORY OF THE PUfilTANS; CHAP.' Iff.'
that leadeth unto eternal life, and few there be that find
it. From Smithfield the persecution spread all over thef
country ; in the months of June and July eight men and
one Woman were burnt in Kent ; arid in the months of
August and September twenty-five more in Suffolk, Essex^
and Surry. But the greatest sacrifice to popish cruelty*
was yet to come : On the 16th of October, BpS. Ridley1
and Latimer, were martyred at one stake in Oxford;
Latimer died presently, but Ridley was a long time in
exquisite torments, his lower parts being burnt before
the fire reached his body. His last words to his fellow-
sufferer were, " Be of good heart, brother* for God will
either; assuage the fury of the flame, of enable us to abide*
it." Latimer replied, " Be of good comfort, for we shall
this day light such a candle in England, as I trust by God's1
grace shall never be put out." The very same day Gardiner
tlieir great persecutor, was struck with the illness of which
he died; and which held him in great agonies till the 12th
of November, when he expired. He would nof sit tlowfl
to dinner, till he had received the news from Oxford of
the burning of the two bishops* which was not till four
o'clock in the afternoon ; arid while he was at dinner, he
was seized with the distemper that put an end to his
life. When Bp. Day spoke to him of justification
through the blood 6f Christ; he said, if you open that
gap to the people then farewell all again, He con
fessed he had sinned with Peter, but had not repented
with him; Mr. Archdeacon Philpot was burnt on the 18th
of December, and behaved at the stake with the courage
and resolution of the primitive martyrs.
On the 21st of March following, Apb. Cranmer suffered^
He had been degraded by Bps. Thiilby and Bonner;
Bonner insulted him in ari indecent manner, but Thirlby
melted into tears; After this, by much persuasion, and
in hope of life, he set his-hand to a paper, iri which he
renounced the errors of Luther and Zuinglius, and
acknowledged his belief of the corporal presence, the
pope's supremacy, purgatory, and invocation of saints,*
&c. This was quickly published to the world, with great
triumph among the papists, and grief to the reformers.;
But the unmerciful Queen was stiU resolved to ham his

1555. MARY. €jt
life, and accordingly sent down a writ for his execution ;
she could never forgive the share he had in her mother's
divorce, and in driving the pope's authority out of Eng
land. Cranmer suspecting the design, before the warrant
came down, prepared a true confession of his faith* which
he carried in his bosom to St. Mary*s church, ori the day
of his martyrdom, where he was raised on ah eminence,
that he might be seen by the people, arid hear his own
funeral sermon. Never was a more awful and melancholy
spectacle ; an archbishop, once the second man in the
kingdom, now clothed in rags, and a gazing stock to the
world ! Cole the preacher magnified his conversion, as
the immediate hand of God, and assured him of a great
many masses to be said for his soul. After sermon he
desired Cranmer to declare his own faith, which he did
with tears, professing his belief iri the holy scriptures,
and the apostles' creed ; and then Came to that, Which he
said troubled his conscience more thari any thing he had
done in his life, and that was, his subscribing the above-
mentioned paper, out of fear of death and love of life ;
and therefore when he came to the fire he was resolvedj
the hand that signed it, should burn first. The assembly
was all in confusion at this disappointment ; and the bro
ken-hearted archbishop shedding abundance of tears, was
led immediately to the stake ; and being tied to it, he
stretched out his right hand to the flame, never moving it
but once to wipe his face, till it dropt off. He ofteh cried
out, that unworthy hand ! His last words were, " Lord
Jesus receive my spirit."
It is not within the compass of my design to write a
martyrology of these times; nor to follow Bp. Bonner and
his brethren, through the rivers of protestant blood
Which they shed. The whole year 1556 was one continued
persecution, in which popery triumphed in all its false
and bloody colours, Bonner not content to burn heretics
singly, sent them by companies to the stake. Such as
were suspected of heresy, were examined upon the articles
Of the corporal presence of Christ in the sacrament, &c.
and the mass; and if they did not make satisfactory
answers, they were without any farther proofs condemned
to the flames, Women wecfe not spared, nor infants ki

64 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Ill,
the womb. In the isle of Guernsey a woman with child
sentenced to be burnt, was delivered in, the flames, and
the infant being taken from her, was ordered by the magis
trates to be thrown back into the fire. At length the
butcherly work growing too heavy for the hands employed
in it, the Queen erected an extraordinary tribunal for
trying of heresy, like the Spanish inquisition; and issued
out a proclamation, that such as received heretical books,
should immediately be put to death by martial law. She
forbid prayers to be made for the sufferers, or even to
say, God bless them. So far did her fiery zeal transport
her. Upon the whole, the -number of them who suffered
death for the' reformed religion in this reign, were no
less than 277 persons of whom were five bishops, 21
clergymen,. 8 gentlemen, 84 tradesmen, 100 husbandmen,
labourers and servants, 55 women, and four children.
Besides these, there were 54 more under prosecution,
seven of whom were whipt,. and 1 6 perished in prison ;
the rest who were making themselves ready for execution,
were delivered by the merciful interposure of Divine Pro
vidence in the Queen's death. I might add, these mer
ciless papists carried their fury against the reformed be
yond the grave; for they ordered the bones of Fagius
and Bucer, to be dug out of their graves, and having ridi
culously cited them by their commissioners to appear,
and give an account of their faith, they caused them to be
burnt for non-appearance. Is it possible after such a re
lation of things, for any protestant to be in love with
high commissions, and laws to deprive men pf their lives,
liberties and estates, for matters of conscience ? And yet
these very reformers, when the power returned into their
hands, were too much inclined to such engines of cruelty.
The controversy about predestination and free-will
appeared first among the reformers at this time. Some
who were in the King's Bench prison for the. profession of
the gospel, denied the doctrines of absolute predestina
tion and original sin. They were men of strict and holy
lives, but warm for their opinions, and unquiet in their
behaviour. Mr. Bradford had frequent conferences with
them, and gained over some to his own persuasion, Brad
ford was apprehensive that they would do a great deal of

1*55. MARY. 65
mischief in the church, and there in concert with Bps.
Ferrar, Taylor, and Philpot, wrote to Cranmer, Ridley,
and Latimer, to take some cognizance of the matter,
and consult together about a remedy. Upon this occa
sion, Ridley drew up a letter of God's election and pre
destination, and Bradford wrote another upon the same
subject. But this contention could not be laid asleep
for some time, notwithstanding their common sufferings
in the cause of religion. They wrote one against another
in prison, and dispersed tlieir writings abroad in the world.
These unhappy divisions gave great advantage to the
papists, who took occasion from hence, to scoff at the
professors of the gospel, as disagreeing among themselves.
They blazed abroad their infirmities, and said, They were
suffering for the}- knew not what. Besides these, it seems
there were some few in prison for the gospel that were
Arians, and disbelieved the divinity of Christ. Two of
them la^- in the King's Bench, and raised such quarrel
some disputes, that the marshal was forced to separate
them : and in the year 1556, the noise of their con
tentions reached the ears of the council, who sent Dr.
Martin to examine into the affair. I mention these dis
putes, to shew the frailty and corruption of human nature,
even under severe sufferings, and to point qut the first
beginning of those debates, which afterwards occasioned
unspeakable mischiefs to the church : for though the
Pelagian doctrine was espoused but by a very few of the
"English reformers, and was buried in that prison where
it began for almost fifty years, it revived in the latter end ^
of Elizabeth's reign, under the namgjrf Arminianism,
and within tlie compass of a few years, supplanted the
received doctrine of the reformation.
Many of the clergy who had been zealous professors
of the gospel under Edward VI. through fear of death
recanted and subscribed ; some out of weakness, who
as soon as the danger was over, revoked their subscrip
tions, and openly confessed their fall : of this sort were
Bps. Scory and Barlow, the famous Mr. Jewel, and others.
Among the common people, some went to mass to pre
serve their lives, and yet frequented the assemblies of the
VOL. I. E

66 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
protestants, holding it not unlawful to be present with
their bodies at the service of the mass, as long as their
spirits did not consent. Bradford and others wrote with
great warmth against these temporizers, and advised their
brethren not to consort with them. They also published
a treatise upon this argument, entitled, The mischief
and hurt of the mass ; and recommended the reading it,
to all who had defiled themselves with that idolatrous
service. But though many complied with the times, and some
concealed themselves, shifting from one place to another;
others resolved with the hazard of their lives to join
together and worship God, according Co the service book
of King Edward. There were several of these congre
gations which met in the night, and in secret places.
Great numbers in Suffolk and Essex, constantly frequented
these private assemblies, and came not at all to the
public service; but the most considerable congregation
was in and about London. It was formed soon after
Mary's accession, and consisted of above 200 members ;
and they had divers preachers ; they met sometimes about
Aldgate, sometimes in Blackfriars, sometimes in Thairies- .
street, and sometimes on board of ships, when they had
a master for their purpose : sometimes they assembled
in the villages near London, to cover themselves from the
bishop's officers and spies ; and especially at Islington ;
but here, by the treachery of a false brother, the con
gregation was at length discovered and broken. Mr.
Rough their minister, and Mr. SimpSon their deacon,
being apprehended and burnt, with many others. Indeed
the whole church was in the utmost danger ; for Simpson
the deacon used to carry the book wherein the names of
the congregation were contained, to their private assem
blies, he happened that day, through the good providence
of God, to leave it with Mrs. Rough the minister's wife.
When he was in the Tower, the Recorder of London
examined him strictly, and because he would neither
discover the book nor the nariies, he was put upon a rack
.three, times in one day. He was then sent to Bonner,
who said to the spectators, — "You see what a personable
man this is; and for his patience, if he was not an heretic,

1555. MARY. 67
I should much commend him, for he has been thrice
racked iri one day, and iri my house has endured some
sorrow, and yet I never saw his patience moved." — •
Notwithstanding this, Bonner condemned him, and ordered
him 'first "into the stocks in his coal-house, and from
thence to Smithfield, where with Messrs. Fox and Davenish,
two others of the church taken at Islington, he ended his
life iri the flames. ;i
Many escaped the fury of the persecution, by flying
into foreign countries. Some went into France and
Flanders, some to Geneva^ and others into those parts
of Germany and Switzerland, where the reformation had
taken place ; the magistrates receiving them with great
humanity, and allowing them places for public worship.
But the uncharitableness of the Lutherans on this occa
sion was very remarkable ; they hated the exiles because
they were Sacrameritarians,' and when any English came
among them for shelter, they expelled them their cities ;
so that t'hey found little hospitality where Lutheranism was
professed. Philip Melancthon interceded with the senate
on their behalf, but the clergy were so zealous for their
corisUbstabtiation, that they irritated the fnagistrates every
where against them. The number of the refugees are
computed at above 800. • ,
The exiles were most numerous at Frankfort, where
that contest and division began, which gave rise to the
Puritans, and to that separation from the church of
England which continues to this day. It will therefore be
necessary to trace it from its original. Messrs. Whitting-
harii, Williams, Sutton and Wood, with their families and
friends, came to settle at the city of Frankfort ; and upon
applicatiqn to the magistrates, were admitted to a part
nership in the French Church, for a place of worship ;
the two congregations being to meet at different hours,
as they should agree, but with this proviso, That before
they entered they should subscribe the French confession
of faith, and not quarrel about ceremonies, to which the
English agreed ; and after consultation among themselves
they concluded, by universal consent of all present, not
to answer aloud after the minister, nor to use the litany
E 2- "¦'--- 

68 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Ill,
and surplice ; but that the service should begin with a
general confession of sins, then the people to sing a
psalm in metre in a plain tune, after which the minister
to pray for the assistance of God's holy spirit, and so
proceed to the sermon ; after sermon, a general prayer
for all estates, and particularly for England, at the end of
which was joined the Lord's prayer, and a rehearsal of
the articles of belief ; then the people were to sing
another psalm, and the minister to dismiss them with a
blessing. They took possession of their church, and
having chosen a minister and deacons to serve for the
present, they sent to their brethren who were dispersed,
to invite them to come to Frankfort, \vhere they might
hear God's word truly preached, the sacraments rightly
administered, and scripture discipline used, which in
their own country could not be obtained.
The more learned clergy, and some younger divines,
settled at Strasburgh, Zurich, and Basil, for the benefit
of the libraries of those places, and of the learned con
versation of the professors, as well as in hopes of some
little employment in the way of printing. The congre
gation at Frankfort sent letters to these places, beseeching
the English divines to send some of their number, whom
they might choose, to take the oversight of them. In
their letter they commend their new settlement, as nearer
the policy and order of scripture, than the service-book
of King Edward. The Strasburgh divines demurring
upon the affair, the congregation at Frankfort invited
Mr. Knox, Mr. Haddon, and Mr. Lever, whom they
elected their ministers. At length the students of Zurich
sent them word, that unless they might be assured, that
they would use the same order of service concerning
religion, as was set forth by King Edward, they would
not come to them, for they were fully determined to admit
no other. To this the Frankfort congregation replied,
that they would use the service-book as far as God's word
warranted it ; but as for the unprofitable ceremonies
though some qf them were tolerable, yet being in a
strange country, they could not submit to use them ; and
indeed they thought it better that they should never be
practised.

1556. MARY. 69
But this not giving satisfaction, Mr. Chambers, and
Mr. Grindal came with a letter from the learned men of
Strasburgh, in which they exhort them in most pressing
language to a full conformity ; they say, they make no
question but the magistrates of Frankfort will consent
to the use of the English service, and therefore they
cannot doubt of the congregation's ready endeavours
to reduce their church to the exact pattern of King
Edward's book, as far as can possibly be obtained. Things
being in this unsettled posture at Frankfort ; King
Edward's book being used in part, but not wholly ; and
there being no prospect of an accommodation with their
brethren at Strasburgh, they resolved to ask the advice
of Calvin ; who having perused the English liturgy, took
tiotice, — "That there were many tolerable weaknesses
in it} which because at first they could not be amended,
were to be suffered ; but that it behoved the learned,
grave, and godly ministers of Christ, to enterprize farther
and to set up something more filed from rust, and purer.
If religion had flourished till this day in England, many
of these things should have been corrected. But since
the reformation is overthrown, and a church is to be set
up in another place, where you are at liberty to establish
what order is most for edification, I cannot tell what they
mean, who are so fond of the popish dregs." — Upon this
letter, the Frankfort congregation agreed not to submit
to the Strasburgh divines, but to make use of so much
of the service-book as they had already done, till the end
of April ; and if any new contention arose among them in
the mean time, the matter was to be referred to Calvin,
Martyr, Bullingen, &c.
However Dr. Cox, who had been tutor to Edward VI.
a min of an high spirit, arid of great credit with his coun
trymen, coming to Frankfort with some of his friends,
broke through the agreement, and interrupted the public
service, by answering aloud after the minister ; and the
Sunday following, one of his company, without the con
sent of the congregation, ascended the pulpit and read
the whole litany. Upon this Mr. Knox, their minister,
taxed the authors of this disorder, in his sermon, with

70 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IH.
a breach of their agreement ; and further affirmed, that
some things in the. service-book were superstitious and
impure. The zealous Dr. Cox reproved him for cen-
soriousness ; and being admitted with his company to vote
in the congregation, got the majority to forbid Mr. Knox
to preach any more. But Knox's friends applied to the
magistrate, who. commanded them to unite with the French
church both in discipline and ceremonies, according to
their agreement. Dr. Cox and his party finding Knox's
interest among the magistrates too strong, had recourse
to. an unchristian method to get rid of him. This divine
someyears before when he was in England, had published
an., English book, called an admonition to christians; in
which he had said, That the Emperor was no less in
enemy to Christ than Ne,r°. F.pr which, and some other
expressions in. the book, .tbesei gentlemen accused him
of, high treason against the Emperor. The senate being
tender of the Emperor's honour, and not willing to embroil
themselves in a controversy, of this nature, desired Mr,
Knox, in a respectful manner, to depart the city.
After this, . Cox's party being strengthened by tlie
arrival of several English divines from other places, pe
titioned the magistrates for the free use of King Edward's
service-book, which they were pleased to allow. Thus
the old congregation was broke up by Dr. Cox and his
friends, who now carried all before them. They chose
new church-officers, taking no notice of the old ones, arid
set up the .s,ervice-book without interruption. . Knox's
adherents wquld have left the matter to the arbitration
of divines, which the others refused, and wrote to Mr.
Calvin, to countenance their proceedings, which that
great divine declined ; and after a modest excuse for re
fusing to intermeddle in their affairs, told them that, in
his opinion they were too much addicted to the English
ceremonies; nor could he see to what purpose it was,
to burden, the church with such hurtful and offensive
-things, when there was liberty to have' a simple and more
pure order., He bhmied, their conduct to Mr. Knox, which
be saidr was neither godly nor brotherly ; and concludes,
with beseeching them to prevent divisions among them
selves. This pacific letter having no effect, the old con-

1557. MARY. 71
gregation left their countrymen in possession of their
church, and departed the city. Mr. Fox with a few more
withdrew to Basil ; and the rest to Geneva, where they
were received with great humanity, and having a church
appointed them, chose Messrs. Knox and Goodman
their pastors. Here they set up the Geneva discipline,
which they published in English, under the title of the
service, discipline, and form of common prayers and ad
ministration of Sacraments, used in the English church
of Geneva. This is a fair statement of the original breach or schism
between the English exiles, on account of the service
book of King Edward ; which made way for the distinc
tion, of Puritans and Conformists. It is evident that Dr.
Cox and his friends were the aggressors, by breaking in
upon the harmony of the congregation of Frankfort, at
that time in peace, and under an agreement to go on in
their way of worship for a limited time, which time was not
then expired. He artfully ejected Mr. Knox from his
ministry, and brought in the service book with a high
hand ; whereby those who had been in possession of the
church almost two years? were obliged to depart the city,
and set up their worship in another place. They might
have used own own forms, without imposing them upon
others, and breaking a congregation to pieces that had
settled upon a different foundation, with the leave of
the government, under which they enjoyed protection.
But they insisted, that because the congregation of Frank
fort was made up of English men, they ought to have
the form of an English church ; that many of them had
subscribed to the use of the service book ; and that the
departing from it at this time, was pouring contempt on
the martyrs, who were sealing it with their blood. The
Others replied, that the laws of their country relating to
the service book were repealed : and as for their sub
scription, it could not bind them from making nearer
approaches to the purity of the christian dispensation,
especially where there was no established protestant
church in England, and they were in a strange country,
where the vestments and ceremonies gave occasion of
offence. Besides, it was allowed on all hands, that

72 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. UU
the book itself was imperfect, and it was credibly re
ported, that the Abp. of Canterbury had drawn up a
form of common prayer, much more perfect, which he
could not introduce, because of the corruption of the
clergy. As for discipline, it was out of question that it
was very defective, the service book itself lamenting the
want of it ; and therefore they apprehended, that if the
martyrs themselves were in their circumstances, they
would practise with the like latitude, and reform those
imperfections in the English service, which they attempted,
but could not accomplish in their own country.
Dr. Cox having settled Mr. Horn in the pastoral
office, in the room of Mr. Whitehead who resigned, after
some time left the place. But within six months a new
division arose, occasioned by a private dispute between
Mr. Horn, the minister, and Mr. Ashby, one of the prin
cipal members. Mr. Horn summoned Ashby to appear
at the vestry before the elders and officers of the church:
Ashby appealed from them as parties, to the whole church,
who appointed the cause to be brought before them; but
Mr. Horn and the officers protesting against it, chose
rather to lay down their ministry than to submit to a popular
decision. The congregation being assembled on this
occasion, gave it as their opinion, that iri all controversies
among themselves, and especially in cases of appeals, the
dernier resort should be in the people. It is hardly ere--
dible what heats and divisions these quarrels occasioned to
the scandal of religion and their own reproach At length
the magistrate interposed, and advised them to bury all
past offences in oblivion, and to choose new officers in the
room of those that had resigned; and since their disci
pline was defective, as to the points of controversy that
had already arose, they commanded them to appoint cer
tain persons of their own number, to draw up a new form,
or correct and amend the old one; and to do this before
they chose their ecclesiastical officers, that being all
private persons, they might agree upon that which was
most reasonable in itself, without respect of persons or
parties. Hereupon fifteen of their members were ap
pointed to the work, which after some time they finished ;
and having been subscribed by the church, was confirmed

1556. MARY. 73
bv the magistrate ; and 28 more were added to the etiurch
and subscribed ; but Mr. Horn and his party, to the num
ber of 12 dissented, and appealed to the magistrates
who had the patience to hear their objections, and the
others reply. But Mr. Horn and his friends not prevailing
left the congregation to their new discipline, and departed
the city; from which time they continued in peace. Du
ring these troubles died Dr. Poynet, late Bp. of Win
chester, born in Kent, and educated in Queen's Coll.
Oxon, a very learned and pious divine, who was in such
favour with King Edward, for his practical preaching,
that he preferred him first to the bishopric of Rochester,
and then to Winchester. Upon the accession of Mary,
he fled to Strasburgh, where he died before he was full
40 years old, and was buried amidst the lamentations of
his own confltrymen.
To return to England ; both the universities were
visited this year. At Cambridge they burnt Bucer and
Fagius, with their books and writings. At Oxford, the
visitors went through all the colleges, burning the English
bibles, and such heretical books as they could find. They
took up the body of Peter Maiy's wife, out of one of, /,
the churches, and buried it in a dunghill, because having
been once a nun, she had broke her vow; but the relics
w'ere afterwards dug up again in Elizabeth's reign, and
mixed with the bones of St. Fridiswide, that they might
never more be disturbed by papists. The persecution
was carried on with all imaginable fury; and a design
set on foot to introduce the inquisition. Cardinal Pole
being thought too favourable to heretics, for releasing
several who were brought before him, upon their giving
ambiguous answers, had his legantine power taken from
him, and was recalled ; but upon his submission he was
forgiven, and continued here till his death, though he
had little influence afterwards, either in the courts of
Rome or England, being a clergyman of too much tem
per for such violent times.
The Princess Elizabeth was in constant danger of her
life, throughout the whole course of this reign. Upon
the breaking out of Wyat's conspiracy, she was com
mitted to the Tower, and led in by the traitor's gate; her

74 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. HI.
own servants being removed, and no person allowed, to
have access to her : The governor used her hardly, not
suffering, her to walk in the gallery, or upon the leads.
After some time she was sent to Woodstock, in custody
of Sir Henry Benefield, who used her so ill, that she ap
prehended they designed to put her privately to death.
Here she remained under close confinement, being seldom
indulged to walk in the gardens. The politic Bp. Gar
diner often moved the Queen, to put her out of the way,
saying, It was, to no purpose to lop off the branches while
the tree was standing. But King Philip was her friend ;
who sent for her to court, where falling upon her knees
before the Queen, she protested her innocence, as to all
conspiracies and treasons against her majesty; yet the
Queen still hated her: However after that, her guards
were discharged, and she was suffered to retire into the
country, where she gave herself wholly to study, meddling
in no sort of business, being always apprehensive of
having spies about her. The princess complied outwardly
with her sister's religion, avoiding as much as she could
any intercourse with the bishops, who suspected her of an
inclination to heresy from her education. The Queen
herself was apprehensive of the danger of the popish
religion, if she died without issue ; and was often urged
by her clergy, especially when her health was visibly
declining, to secure the Roman catholic religion, by de
livering the kingdom from such a presumptive heir; and
as her majesty had no scrapie of conscience about spilling
human blood in the cause of religion ; the preservation
of the princess was little less than a miracle, and was
owing under God, to the protection of King Philip, who
despairing of issue from his Queen, was not without ex-.
pectations from the princess.
But the hand of God was against Queen Mary and
her government, which was hardly attended with one
prosperous event; for instead of having issue by her
marriage, she had only a false conception, after which
there was little or no hopes of her having a child. This
increased the eagerness of her temper; and her husband
being much younger than she, grew weary of her, and
at length left her to look to his hereditary dominions,

1558. MARY. 15
after he had lived with her about 15 months. There
being a war between Spain and France, the Queen was
obliged to take part with' her husband ; this exhausted
the treasure of the nation, and occasioned the loss of all
the English dominions upon the Continent. In the be
ginning of the year, the strong town of Calais was taken,
which had been in possession of the English 210 years :
afterwards the Frencli took Guines, and the rest of that
territory ; nothing being left except the isles of Jersey
and Guernsey. The English (says a learned writer) had
lost their heart's ';' the government at home being so unac
ceptable, that they were not much concerned to support
it, for they began to think heaven itself was against it.
Indeed there were strange and unusual commotions in
the heavens. Great mischief was done in many places by
thunder and lightning ; by deluges; by excessive rains ;
and by stormy winds. There was a contagious distemper
like the plague, that swept away great numbers of people,
so that in many places there were not priests to bury the
dead, nor men to reap the harvest. Many bishops died,
which made way for protestant ones, in the next reign.
The parliament was dissatisfied with King Philip's de
mands of men and money, for the recovery of Calais;
and the Queen herself grew melancholy, upon the loss
of that place, and the other misfortunes of the year. She
had been declining in health ever since her pretended
miscarriage, which was vastly increased by the absence
of her husband, her despair of issue, and the cross acci
dents attending her government. Her spirits being now
decayed, and a dropsy coming violently upon her, put an
end to her unhappy life and reign, in the 43d year of her
age, and 6th of her reign.
Queen Mary was a princess of severe principles,
constant at her prayers, and very little given to diversions.
She did not mind any branch of government so much as
the church, being entirely at the disposal of her clergy,
and forward to sanction all their cruelties. She had deep
resentments of her own ill usage, in her father's and
brother's reign, which easily induced her to take revenge,
though she coloured it over with a zeal against heresy.
She was perfectly blind in matters of religion, her con-

?6 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 1H,
science being absolutely directed by the Pope and her
confessor, who encouraged her in all the barbarities
exercised against the protestants, assuring her, that she
was doing God and his church good service. There is but
one instance of a pardon of any condemned for heresy,
during her reign, Her natural temper was melancholy ;¦
And her infirmities together with the misfortunes of her1
government, made her so peevish, that her death was
lamented by none but her popish clergy. Her reign was
in every respect calamitous to the nation, and ought to be
transmitted down to posterity in characters of blood*

CHAP. IV.

ELIZABETH.

State of the Nation. — Return of the exiles. — Proceedings
of Parliament. — Act of Supremacy. — Court of high
commission. — Remarks.— Act of Uniformity .—Proceed
ings of Convocation. — Principles of Reformers and pu
ritans. — Queen's injunctions. — Popish Clergy deprived.
— Terms of Conformity. — Scots' Reformation. — Associa
tion of the Reformed. — They take up Arms. — Treaty of
Edinburgh. — Sad state of the Clergy and Universities. —
Miles Coverdale. — John Fox. — The Queen urged to
enforce the habits. — Arguments against them. — Pro
ceedings with the London Clergy. — Hardships of the
Puritans. — Rise of the separation. — Affairs of Scotland.
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S accession to the crown, gave
new life to the reformation : as soon as it was known
beyond sea, most of the exiles returned ; and those who
had concealed themselves at home began to appear ;
but the public religion continued for a time in the same
posture the Queen found it : the popish priests kept their
livings and went on celebrating mass. None of the
protestant clergy who had been ejected, in the last reign
were restored ; and orders were given against all inno
vations. Though the Queen had complied with the
changes in her sister's reign, it is well known she was a
favourer of the reformation; but her majesty proceeded
with great caution, for fear of raising disturbances in her
infant government. No prince ever came to the crown
under greater disadvantages. The Pope had pronounced
her illegitimate ; upon which the Queen of Scots put in
her claim to the crown, All the bishops and clergy were

7& HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. IV.
her declared enemies. The nation was at war with France^
and the treasury exhausted; the Queen therefore by
the advice of her privy council, resolved to make peace
as soon as possible, that she might be more at leisure to
proceed in her intended alterations of religion, which
though very considerable, were not so entire as the best
and most learned protestants of these times desired. The
Queen inherited the spirit of her father, and affected
great magnificence in her devdtions, as well as in her
court. She was fond of many of the old rites and cere
monies in which she had been educated. She thought
her brother had. stript religion too much of its ornaments ;
and,. made.. the. doctrines of the church too narrow in
sqtne , points. .It, was therefore, with .difficulty that she
was. prevailed pn,t to go the length of King Edward's re
formation. The only thing( hei; majesty did before the meeting
of parliament, was to prevent pulpit disputes ; for some
of the reformed that had been preachers in Edward's
time, began to make use of his service-book without
authority ; this alarmed the popish clergy and gave occa
sion to a proclamation, by which all preaching of ministers,
or others,, was prohibited ; and the people were charged
to, hear no othe^, doctrine or preaching, but, the epistle
and gospel for the day, and the ten commandments in
English, without any exposition or paraphrase. The
proclamation admits of the- litany, the Lord's prayer,
and the creed in English ; but no public prayers were to
be read in the -church, except such as were appointed by
law, till -the meeting of -parliament.
¦'¦'• While the exiles, were preparing to return home ;
conciliatory letters passed between them : those of Geneva
4esired a mutual forgiveness, and prayed their brethren of
Frankfort* &c. to unite with them in preaching God's
word, and in endeavouring to obtain such a form of wor
ship, as they had seen practised in the best reformed
churches.: The others replied, that it would not be in
their power to appoint what ceremonies should be
observed; but they were determined to submit in things
indifferent, and hoped those of Geneva would do so too ;
however,1 they would join with them in petitioning the

155S. ELIZABETH. 79-
Queen, that nothing burdensome might be imposed;
Both parties congratulated her majesty's accession ; but
they were reduced to the utmost poverty and distress.
They came home, bringing nothing with them but much
experience, as well as learning. Those who could comply
with the Queen's establishment, were quickly preferred,
and the rest neglected, for though suffered to preach in
the churches for some time, they were afterwards suspend
ed, and f educedto as great poverty as ever.
It had been happy if the sufferings of the exiles had
taught them a little more forbearance ; or that they had
followed the advice of their learned friends and patrons
beyond sea, to go through with the reformation, and clear
the church of all the relics of popery and superstition at
once. The exiles seemed resolved to follow this advice,
and make a bold stand for a thorough reformation ; and if
they had done so, they might have obtained it.
But to return to the parliament. The court took such
measures about elections as seldom fail of success ; the
magistratesof the counties and corporations were changed,
and the people who were weary of the late persecutions
were encouraged to exert themselves, in favour of such
representatives as might make them easy ; so that when
the houses met, the majority were on the side of the
reformation. The temper of the house was first tried by a
bill to restore to the crown the first fruits and tenths,
which Queen Mary had returned to the church. It passed
the Commons without much opposition, but in the house
of Lords, all the bishops voted against it. By another
act they repealed some of the penal laws, and enacted,
that no person should be punished for exercising the
religion used in the last year of King Edward. They
appointed the public service to be performed in the
vulgar tongue. They empowered the Queen to nominate
bishops to the vacant bishoprics by- conge d' clire, as at
present. They suppressed the religious houses founded by
Queen Mary, and annexed them to the crown; but the two
principal acts passed this session, were the acts of SUPRE
MACY, and of UNIFORMITY.
The former is entitled* an act for restoring to the crown
'the ancient jurisdiction over the-state ecclesiastical and

80 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS". CHAP. IV.
spiritual; arid for abolishing foreign power. It is the
same for substance with the 25th of Henry VIII. but the
commons incorporated several other bills into it ; for
besides the title of supreme governor in all causes eccle
siastical and temporal, which is restored to the Queen,
the act revives those laws of Henry VIII. and Edward VI.
which had been repealed in the late reign. It forbids
all appeals to Rome, and exonerates the subjects from
all exactions heretofore paid to that Court ; and as it
revives King Edward's laws, it repeals a severe act made
in the late reign for punishing heresy ; and three other
old statutes mentioned in the said act. In short, by
this single act of the supremacy, all that had been done
by Queen Mary was in a manner annulled, and the exter
nal policy of the church restored to the same footing as it
stood on at the death of Edward VI.
There is a remarkable - clause in this act, which gave
rise to a new court, called the Court of HIGH COM
MISSION. The words are these, "The Queen and her
successors shall have power, by their letters patents
under the great seal, to assign, name, and authorize, as
often as they shall think meet, and for as long time as
they shall please, persons being natural born subjects,
to use, occupy, and exercise under her and them, all
manner of jurisdiction, privileges, and pre-eminences,
touching any spiritual or ecclesiastical jurisdiction*
within the realms of England and Ireland, &c. to visit,
reform, redress, order, correct and amend all errors, here
sies, schisms, abuses, contempts, offences and enormities
whatsoever. Provided, that they have no power to deter
mine anything to be heresy, but what has been adjudged
to be so, by the authority of the canonical scripture,
or by the first four general councils, or any of them; or
by any other general council, wherein the same was de
clared heresy by the express and plain words of canonical
scripture; or such as shall hereafter be declared to be
heresy by the high court of parliament, with the assent of
the clergy in convocation."
Upon the authority of this clause, the Queen appointed
a certain number of commissioners for ecclesiastical
causes, who exercised the same power that had been

1558 ELIZABETH. 81
lodged in the hands of one vicegerent in the reign of
Henry VIII. and how sadly they abused their power in
this and the two next reigns, will appear in the sequel
of this history. They did not trouble themselves much
with the express words of scripture, or the four first gene
ral councils, but entangled their prisoners with oaths ex
officio, and the inextricable mazes of the popish canon
law ; and though all ecclesiastical courts ought to be
subject to a prohibition from the courts of Westminster,
this privilege was seldom allowed. The act makes no
mention of an arbitrary jurisdiction of fining, imprison
ing, or inflicting corporal punishments on the subjects,
and therefore can be construed to extend no further than
to suspension or deprivations; but notwithstanding this,
the commissioners sported themselves in all the wanton
acts of tyranny, till their very name became odious to
the whole nation ; s insomuch that their proceedings were
condemned by the united voice of the people, and the
court dissolved by act of parliament, with a clause, that
no such jurisdiction should be revived for the future in
any court whatsoever.
Bishop Burnet says, that the supremacy granted by
this' act is short of the authority that king Henry had ;
nor is it the whole that the Queen claimed, who some
times stretched her prerogative beyond it. But since it
was the basis of the reformation, and the spring of all
its future movements, it will be proper to enquire what
powers were thought to be yielded the crown by this act
of supremacy, and some others made in support of it.
Henry VIII. in his letter to the convocation of York
assures them, that he claimed nothing more by the Su
premacy, than what christian princes in the primitive
times assumed to themselves in their own dominions. But
it is capable of demonstration, that the first christian em
perors did not claim all that jurisdiction over the church
in spirituals, that Henry did, who was made absolute
lord over the consciences of his subjects, it being therein
enacted, that whatsoever his majesty should enjoin in
matters of religion should be obeyed by all his subjects.
It is very certain that the Kings and Queens of England
VOL. I. F

82 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
never pretended to the character of sjsiritual persons, or
to exercise any part of the ecclesiastical function in their
own persons. When the adversaries of the supremacy
objected the absurdity of a lay person being head of a
spiritual body, the Queen endeavoured to remove the
difficulty, by declaring in her injuctibns to her visitors,
" That she did not, nor would she ever challenge autho
rity and power to minister divine service in the church;
nor would she ever challenge any other authority, than
her predecessors Henry VIII. and Edward VI. used."
But abating this point, it appears very probable, that
all the jurisdiction and authority claimed by the pope,
as head of the church, in the times preceding the refor
mation, was tranferred to the king by the act of supre
macy, and annexed to the imperial crown, as far as was
consistent with the laws of the land, though it has since,
undergone some abatements. 1: The Kings and Queens
of England claimed authority in matters of faith, and to
be the ultimate judges of what is agreeable or repugnant
to the word of God. They published instructions or in
junctions concerning matters of faith, without consent of
the clergy, and enforced them upon the clergy under
the penalties of a praemunire ; which made it a little
difficult to understand that clause of the 20th article of
the church, which says, the church has authority in
matters of faith, 2. With regard to discipline, the Kings
and Queens of England seem to have had the keys at
their girdle, and therefore at the coronation of King
Charles I. the bishop was directed to pray, " That God
would give the King Peter's key of discipline, and Paul's
doctrine." 3. As to rites and ceremonies the act of uni
formity says expressly, " That the Queen's majesty, by
advice of her ecclesiastical commissioners, or of her me
tropolitan, may ordain and publish such ceremonies or
rites, as may be most for the advancement of God's glory,
and the edifying of the church." Accordingly her majesty
published her injunctions, without sending them into
convocation or parliament, and erected a court of high
commission, consisting of commissioners of her own nq-
mination, to see them put in execution. Nay, so jealous
was Elizabeth of this branch of her prerogative, that she

1558. ELIZABETH. 83
would not suffer her high court of parliament, to pass
any bill for the amendment or alteration of the ceremo
nies of the church. 4. The Kings of England claimed
the sole power of the nomination of bishops; and the
deans and chapters were obliged to choose those whom
their majesties named, under penalty of a praemunire :
and after they were chosen and consecrated, they might
not act but by commission from the crown. They held
tlieir very bishoprics, for some time, durante beneplacito.
5. No convocations or synods of the clergy can assemble
but by a writ or precept from the crown ; and when assem
bled, they can do no business without the king's letters
patent, appointing them the particular subjects they are
to debate upon, and after all, their canons are of no
force, without the royal sanction. Upon the whole it is
evident, by the express words of several statutes, that
all jurisdiction, ecclesiastical as well as civil, was vested
in the king, an# taken away from the bishops, except by
delegation frSm him. The king was chief in the deter
mination of all causes in the church ; he had authority
to make laws, ceremonies and constitutions, and without
him no such laws, ceremonies, or constitutions were to
be of «force. And, lastly, all appeals which before had
been made to Rome, are for ever hereafter to be made to
his majesty's chancery, to be ended and determined, as
..the manner now is, by delegates.
I am sensible, that the constitution of the church has
been altered in some things since that time : but let the
reader judge, by what has been recited from acts of par
liament, of the high powers that were then intrusted with
the crown ; and how far they were agreeable with the
natural or religious rights of mankind. The whole body
of the papists refused the oath of supremacy, as incon
sistent with their allegiance to the pope ; but the puritans
took it under all these disadvantages, with the Queen's
explication in her injunctions ; that is, that no more was
intended, than that her majesty, under God, had the
sovereignty and rule over all persons born in her realms,
either ecclesiastical or temporal, so as no foreign power
had, or ought to have authority over them. They appre-
F 2

84. HISTORY Otf THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.,
hended this to be the natural right of all sovereign prince*
in their dominions, though there had been no statute1
law for it ; but as they did not admit the government 06
the church to be monarchical, they were of opinion^ that
no single person, whether layman or ecclesiastic, ought
to assume the title of supreme head of the church on
earth, in the sense of the acts abovementioned. The2 -
powers of the civil magistrate seem chiefly to regard thef
civil welfare of his subjects : He is to protect them in
their properties, and in the peaceable enjoyment of their
civil and religious rights ; but there is no passage in the
New Testament that gives him a commission to be lord of
their consciences, or to have dominion over their faith ;
rior is this agreeable to reason, because religion ought to
be the effect of a free and deliberate choice. Why must
we believe as the King believes, any more than as the
clergy or pope ? If every man could believe as he would f;
or if all men's understandings were exaoxly of a size ; or
if God would accept of a mere outward profession, when
commanded bylaw; then it might be reasonable there
should be only one religion, and one uniform manner of
worship : But to make laws, obliging men's -practice
under severe penalties, without or against the light of*'
their consciences, is an invasion of the kingly office of
Christ, and must be subversive OF all sincerity.
On the other hand, the jurisdiction of the church is
purely spiritual. No man ought to be compelled, by '
rewards or punishments, to become a member of any
christian society, or to continue of it any longer, than
he apprehends it to be his duty. All the ordinances of
the church are spiritual, and so are her weapons and
censures. The weapons of the church are scripture and
reason. These are her pillars and the walls of her defence.
The censures of the church are admonitions, reproofs,
or declarations of unfitness for her communion, which
are of a spiritual nature, and ought not to affect men's
lives, liberties, or estates. No man ought to be cut off
from the rights of a subject, merely because he is dis
qualified for christian communion. Nor has any church
authority from Christ, to inflict corporal punishment*
upon those, whom she may justly expel her society;

1558. ELIZABETH. 85
These are the weapons of civil magistrates, who may
punish the breakers of the laws with corporal pains and
penalties ; but the kingdom of Christ is " not of this
WORLD." If these principles had obtained at the reformation,
there would have been no room for the disturbance of
any, whose religious principles were not inconsistent with
the safety of the government. Truth and charity would
have prevailed ; the civil powers would have protected
the church in her spiritual rights ; and the church, by
instructing the people in their duty to their superiors,
would have supported the state. But the reformers, as
well puritans as others, had different notions. They were
for one religion, one uniform mode of worship, one form
of church government with which all must comply out
wardly, whatever were their inward sentiments; it was
therfore resolve%to have an act of parliament to establish
an uniformity of public worship, without any indulgence
to tender consciences : neither party having the wisdom
or courage to oppose such a law, but both endeavouring
to be included in it.
To make way for this, the papists who were in pos
session of the churches, were first to be vanquished ; the
Queen therefore appointed a public disputation before
her privy council and both houses of parliament, between
nine of the bishops, and the like number of protestant
divines, upon these three points : — 1. " Whether it was
not against scripture and the custom of the ancient church,
to use a tongue unknown to the people in the common
prayers and sacraments ?" 2. " Whether every church had
not authority to appoint, change, and take away rites and
ceremonies, so that the same were done to edifying ?" 3,
" Whether it could be proved by the word of God, that in
the mass there was a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead
and the living ?"
The disputation was to be in writing ; but the papists
finding the populace against them, broke it off after the
first day, under pretence that the catholic cause ought not
to be submitted to such an arbitration, though they had
not these scruples in the reign of Mary, when it was known the
F 3

86 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
«
conference would issue in their favour, The reformed
had a great advantage by their adversaries quitting the
field in this manner, it being concluded from hence, that
their cause would nqt bear the, light; which prepared*the
people for further changes.
The papists being vanquished, the next point was to
unite the reformed among themselves, and get such an
establishment as might make them all easy; for though
the troubles at Frankfort were hushed, and letters of for
giveness had passed betwen the contending parties ; and
though all the reformers were of one faith ; yet they were
far from agreeing about discipline and ceremonies, each
party being for settling the church according to their
own model ; some were for the late service and discipline
of the English at Geneva; others were for^ the service-
book of Edward VI. and for withdrawinmno farther from
the church of Rome, than was necessaryro recover purity
of faith, and the independency of the church upon a
foreign power. Rites and ceremonies were (in then*
opinion) indifferent; and those of the church of Rome
preferable to others, because they were venerable and
pompous, and because the people had been used to them :
these were the sentiments of the Queen, who therefore
appointed a committee of divines, to review King
Edward's liturgy, and to see if in any particular it was
fit to be changed. Their instructions were» t0 strike'"
out all offensive passages against the pope, and to make
people easy about the belief of the corporal presence of
Christ in the sacrament; but not a word in favour of the
stricter protestants.
Her majesty was afraid of reforming too far; she was
desirous to retain images in churches, and crucifixes, &c.
with all the old popish garments ; it is not therefore to be
wondered, that in reviewing the liturgy of King Edward,
no alterations were made in favour of those whq were now
called PURITANS ; from their attempting a purer form
of worship and discipline than had yet been established.
The Queen was more concerned for the papists, an(I
therefore in the litany, this passage was struck out, — From
the tyranny of the bishop of Rome, and all his detestable
enormities, gooa Lorif deliver us. The rubric that declared,

1559. ELIZABETH. 87
that by kneeling at the sacrament no adoration was
intended to any corporal presence of Christ, was ex
punged. The committee of divines left it at the people's
liberty, to receive the sacrament kneeling or standing,
but the Queen and the parliament restrained it to kneel
ing ; so that the enforcing this ceremony was purely an
act of the state. Some of the collects were a little altered ;
and thus the book was presented to the two houses, and
passed into a law, being hardly equal to that which was
set out by King Edward. For whereas in that liturgy all
the garments were laid aside, except the surplice, the
Queen now returned to King Edward's first book, wherein
copes and other garments were ordered to be used. — The
title of the act is, An act for the uniformity of common
prayer, and service in the church, and administration of
the sacraments. This act took place from the 24th of
June. Heath, ^bp. of York made an elegant speech
against it, in which among other things he observes very
justly, That an act of this consequence ought to have had
the consent of the clergy in convocation, before it passed
into a law, " Not only the orthodox, but even the Arian
Emperors ordered that points of faith, should be examined
in councils ; and Gallio hy the light ofnature knew that
a civil judge oughtlibTToTneilcue with matters of religion."
But he was over-ruled; the act of supremacy which passed
the house the very next day, having vested this power in
the crown. " The Queen was empowered with the advice
of her commissioners or metropolitan, to ordain and
publish such further ceremonies and rites, as may be for
the advancement of God's glory, &c. And had it not been
for this clause, of a reserve of power to make what alter
ations her majesty thought fit, she told Abp. Parker, that
she would not have passed the act.
Upon this fatal rock of uniformity in things merely
indifferent, (even in the opinion of the imposersj was the
peace of the church of England split. The pretence was
decency and order ; but it seems a little strange, that
uniformity should be necessary to the decent worship of
God, when in most other things, there is a greater beauty
in variety. It is not necessary to a decent dress, that" men's
cloths should be all of the same colour and fashion ; nor

) i

88 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV..
would there be any indecorum or disorder, if in one con
gregation the sacrament should be administred kneeling,
in another sitting, and in a third standing ; or if in one
and the same congregation, the minister was at liberty to
read prayers either in a black gown or surplice. The
rigorous pressing of this act, was the occasion of all the
mischiefs that befel the church for above eighty years.
What good end could it answer to press men into the
public service, without convincing their minds ? If there
must be one established form, there should certainly,
have been an indulgence to tender consciences. When
there was a difference in the church of the Romans,
about eating flesh, and observing festivals, the apostle
did not pinch them with an act of uniformity, but allowed
a latitude, Rom. xiv. 5. Had our reformers followed tins,
apostolical precedent, the church of England would have
made a more glorious figure iiv the protestant world,
than it did by this compulsive act of uniformity.
Sad were the consequences of these two laws, both
to the papists and puritans. The papists in convo
cation made a stand for the old religion; and agreed
upon various articles of their faith to be presented to the
parliament; nor did the, convocation move any further in
matters of religion, it being apparent that they were
against the reformation.
As soon as the sessions was ended, the oath of supre
macy was tendered to the bishops, who all refused it,
except the bishop of Landaff, to the number of fourteen ;
the rest of the sees being vacant. Of the deprived bishops
three retired beyond sea ; Heath, Abp. of York, was suf
fered to live at his own house, where the Queen went
sometimes to visit him ; Tonstal and Thirleby Bps. of
Durham and Ely, resided at Lambeth in the house of
Abp. Parker, with freedom and ease; the rest were suffered
to go at large upon their parole; only Bonner Bp. of
London, White of Winchester, and Watson of Lincoln,
whose hands had been deeply stained with the blood of
the protestants, were made close prisoners ; but they
had a sufficient maintenance from the Queen. Most of
the monks returned to a secular life ; but the nuns and
others retired to foreign countries.

1559, ELIZABETH. 89
Several of the reformed exiles who were offered
bishoprics, refused them, on the account of the habits and
ceremonies, &c, ; and many who accepted, did it with
trembling; from the necessity of the times, and in hopes
by their interest with the Queen, to obtain an amendment
in the constitution of the church,
The sees were left vacant for some time, to see if any
of the old bishops would conform ; but neither time, nor
any thing else, could move them ; at length, after twelve
months, Dr. Parker was consecrated Abp. of Canterbury,
by some of the bishops that had been deprived in the late
reign, for not one of the present bishops would officiate,
This, with some other accidents, gave rise to the story
of his being consecrated at the Nag's-Head Tavern in
Cheapside, a fable that has been sufficiently confuted by
our church historians ; the persons concerned in the con
secration, were Barlow and Scory Bps. elect of Chichester
and Hereford; Coverdale the deprived Bp. of Exeter,
and Hodgkins, suffragan of Bedford, The ceremony
was performed in a plain manner, without gloves or,
sandals, ring or slippers, mitre or pall, or even without
any of the Aaronical garments, only by imposition of
hands and prayer. Strange ! that the archbishop should
be satisfied with this in his own case, and yet he so zealous
to impose the popish garments upon his brethren.
But still it has been doubted, whether Parker's conse
cration was perfectly canonical. 1. Because the persons
engaged in it had been legally deprived, and were not
yet restored. 2. Because the consecration ought by law
to have been directed according to the statute of the 25th
of Henry VIII. and not according to King Edward's
ordinal ; as that book had been set aside in the late reign,
and was not yet restored. These objections being fre
quently thrown in the way of the new bishops by the
papists, made them uneasy ; they began to doubt of the
validity of their consecrations, or at least of their legal
title to their bishoprics. The affair was at length brought
before parliament, and to silence all future clamours,
Parker's consecration, and those of his brethren were
confirmed by parliament.
Soon after the archbishop was installed, he consecrated

'SO HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
several of his brethren, whom the Queen had appointed
to the vacant sees. Thus the reformation was restored,.
and the church of England settled ori its present basis.
The new bishops being poor, made a mean figure in com
parison of their predecessors : they were unacquainted
with Courts and equipages, and numerous attendants ;
but as they grew rich, they quickly rose in their deport
ment, and assumed a lordly superiority over their brethren.
The hierarchy being now at its standard, it may not
be improper to set before the reader in one view, the
principles upon which it stands, with the different sen
timents of the puritans; by which he will discover the
reasons why the reformation proceeded no further.
1. The Court reformers apprehended, that every
prince had authority to correct all abuses of doctrine and
worship, within his own territories. From this principle,
' the parliament submitted the consciences and religion of
the whole nation, to the disposal of the King ; and in
case of a minority to his council ; so that the King was
sole reformer, and might model the doctrine and discip
line of the church as he pleased, provided his injunctions
did not expressly contradict the statute law of the land.—
The Puritans disowned all foreign jurisdiction over the
church, as much as their brethren, but could not admit
of that extensive power the crown claimed by the supre
macy, apprehending it unreasonable, that the religion
of a whole nation, should be at the disposal of a single
lay-person. However they took the oath, with the Queen's
explication in her injunctions, as only restoring her
majesty to the ancient and natural rights of sovereign
princes over their subjects.
2. It was admitted by the Court reformers, that the
church of Rome was a true church, though corrupt in some
points of doctrine and government ; that all her ministra
tions were valid, and that the pope was a true bishop of
Rome, though not of the universal church. It was thought
necessary to maintain this, for the support of the character
of our bishops, who could not otherwise derive their
succession from the apostles. But the Puritans affirmed
the pope to be antichrist, the church of Rome to be no
true church, and her ministrations to be superstitious and

1559. ELIZABETH. 9f
idolatrous; they renounced her communion, and durst not
risk the validity of their ordinations, upon an uninter
rupted line of succession from the apostles, through their
hands. 3. It was agreed by all, that the holy scriptures were
a perfect rule of faith ; but the bishops and CoUrt re
formers did not allow them a standard of discipline or
church government, affirming that our Saviour and his
apostles left it to the discretion of the civil magistrate,
in those places where Christianity should obtain, to accom
modate the government of the church to the policy of the
state. But the Puritans apprehended the scriptures to be a
standard of discipline, as well as doctrine ; at least that
nothing should be imposed as necessary, but what was
expressly contained in, or derived from them by necessary
consequence. And if it should be proved, that all things
necessary to the government of the church, could not
be deduced from scripture, they maintained that the dis
cretionary power was not vested in the civil magistrate,
but in the spiritual officers of the church.
4. The Court reformers maintained, that the practice
of the primitive church for the first four or five centuries,
was a proper standard of church government ; and in some
respects better than that of the apostles, which was only
accommodated to the infant state of the church, while
it was under persecution, whereas theirs was suited to
the grandeur of a national establishment. Therefore they
-only pared off the later corruptions of the papacy, from
the time the pope usurped the title of universal bishop,
¦and left those standing which they could trace a little
higher, such as archbishops* metropolitans, archdeacons,
suffragans, rural deans, &c. which were not known in the
apostolic age, or those immediately following. Whereas
the Puritans were for admitting no church officers or
ordinances, but such as are appointed in scripture. They
apprehended that the form of government ordained by
the apostles was aristocratical, according to the consti
tution of the Jewish sanhedrim, and was designed as a
pattern for the churches in after-ages, not to be departed
from in any of its main principles; and therefore they
paid no regard to the customs of the papacy, or the prac-

82 HISTORY OT THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
tice of the earlier ages of Christianity, any farther than
they corresponded with the scriptures.
5. Our reformers maintained, that things indifferent
in their own nature, which are neither commanded nor
forbidden in the scriptures, such as rites, ceremqnies,
habits, &c. might be settled, determined, and made neces.-
sary, by the command of the civil magistrate ; and that
in such cases it was the indispensable duty of all subjects
to observe them. Whereas the Puritans insisted, that
. those things which Christ had left indifferent, ought not
to be made necessary by any human laws. And that such
rites and ceremonies as had been abused to idolatry, and
tended to lead men back to popery, were no longer
indifferent, but were to be rejected as unlawful,
6. Each party agreed too well, in asserting the necessity
of uniformity in public worship, and of using the sword
of the magistrate, for the support and defence of their
principles, of which they both made an ill use, whenever
febey could grasp the power into their hands. The standard
of uniformity, according to the bishops, was the Queen's
supremacy and the laws of the land; according to the
Puritans, the decrees of provincial and national synods,
allowed and enforced by the civil magistrate : but neither
party were for admitting that liberty of conscience, which
is every man's right, as far as is consistent with the peace
,of the c^vil government.
The principle upon which the bishops justified their
severities against the puritans, in this and the following
reigns, was, the subjects obligation to obey the laws of their
country in all things indifferent, which are neither com*
manded nor forbidden by the laws of God, And Abp,
Tillotson in one of his sermons, represents the dissenters
as "an humourous and perverse set of people, in not
complying with the service and ceremonies of the church,
for no other reason but beqause their superiors require-
them." But if this were the truth, it is a justifiable
reason for their dissent, supposing the magistrate requires
that which is not within the bounds of his commission.
Christ is the sole law-giver of his church, and has enjoined
all things necessary ;to be observed in it to the end of the
world ; therefore, where he. has indulged a liberty to bis

1559. ELIZABETH. 93
followers, it is as much their duty to maintain it, as to
observe any other of his precepts. If the civil magistrate
should by a stretch of the prerogative, dispense with the
laws, or injoin new ones, according to his arbitrary
pleasure, without consent of parliament, would it deserve
the brand of perverseness to refuse obedience, if it were
for no other reason, but because we will not submit to an
arbitrary, dispensing power ? Besides, if the magistrate
has a power to impose things indifferent, and make them
necessary in the service of God, he may dress up religion
in any shape, and instead of one ceremony, may load it
with a hundred.
To return to the history. The reformation being thus
settled, the Queen issued commissions for a general
visitation, and published a body of injunctions, com
manding her loving subjects obediently to receive, and
truly to observe and keep them, according to their offices,
degrees and states : and the penalties for disobeying them,
were suspension, deprivation, sequestration of fruits and
benefices, excommunication, and such other corrections,
as to those who have ecclesiastical jurisdiction under her
majesty, should seem meet.
The major part of the visitors were laymen, any two of
them were impowered to examine into the state of all
churches ; to suspend or deprive such clergymen as were
unworthy, and to put others in their places ; to proceed
against the obstinate by imprisonment, church censures,
or any other legal methods. They were to reserve pen
sions for such as quitted their benefices by resignation ;
to examine into the condition of all that were imprisoned
for religion, and to discharge them ; and to restore all to
their benefices who had been unlawfully deprived.
This was the first high commission that was issued.
It gave offence to many, that the Queen should authorise
lay-visitors to proceed by ecclesiastical censures ; but this
was no more than is frequently done by lay-chancellors,
in the ecclesiastical Courts. It was much more unjustifiable
for the commissioners to go beyond the censures of the
church* by fines, imprisonments, and iniquisitory oaths,
to the ruin of some' hundreds of families, without the
authority of that statute which gave them being, or any
other.

94 HISTORY OF1 THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV*.
Mr. Strype assures us, that the visitors took effectual
care to have all the instruments and utensils of idolatry
and superstition demolished, and destroyed out of the
churches. But it does not appear, that the articles of
injunctions empowered them absolutely to remove all
images out of the churches ; the Queen herself was as yet
undetermined in that matter. However it is certain, that
the visitors commanded the prebendaries and archdeacon
of London, to see that the cathedral of St. Paul?s be
purged and freed from all and singular images, idols, and
altars ; and in the place of the altars to provide a decent
table, for the ordinary celebration of the Lord's supper.
The populace was on the side of the reformation,
having' been provoked with the cruelties of the late times :
great numbers attended the commissioners, and brought
into Cheapside, Paul's church-yard, and Smithfield, the
roods and erucifixes that were pulled down, and in some
places the vestments of the priests, &c. and burnt them
to ashes. Nay, they went further, and in the warmth of
their zeal, broke the painted glass windows, rased out
some ancient inscriptions, and spoiled those monuments
of the dead that had any ensigns of popery upon them.
But the Queen disliked these proceedings ; she had a
crucifix, with the Virgin and St. John, still in her
chapel ; and when Sandys, Bp. of Worcester spoke to
her against it, she threatened to deprive him. The cru
cifix was after some time removed, but replaced in the
year 1570. To put some stop to these proceedings, her
majesty issued a proclamation, " prohibiting the defacing
or breaking any monument, tomb or grave, or breaking
any images of Kings, Princes, or Nobles, &c. set up only
in memory of them to posterity, and not for any religious
honour; or the defacing or breaking any images in glass
windows in any churches, without consent of the ordinary."
It was with great 'difficulty, and not without a sort of
protestation from the bishops, that her majesty consented
to have so many monuments of idolatry removed out of
churches ;, but she would not part with her altar, or cru
cifix, out of her own chapel. The gentlemen and singing
children appeared there in their srirplices, and the priests
in their copes; the altar was furnished with rich plate,

1559. ELIZABETH. 95
with two gilt candlesticks, with lighted candles, and a
massy crucifix of silver in the midst : the service was sung
not only with the sound of organs, but with the artificial
music of cornets, sackbuts, &c. on solemn festivals. The
ceremonies observed by the knights of the gnrter, in their
adoration towards the altar, which had been abolished by
King Edward, and revived by Queen Mary, were retained.
In short, the service of the Queen's chapel, and in sundry
cathedrals, was so splendid and showy, that foreigners.
could not distinguish it from the Roman, except that it
was performed in the English tongue. By this method
most of the popish laity were deceived into conformity,
and came regularly to church for nine or ten years, till
the pope being out of all hopes of an accommodation,
forbid them, by excommunicating the Queen, and laying.
the whole kingdom under an interdict.
When the visitors had gone through the kingdom, and
made the report of the obedience given to her majesty's
injunctions, it appeared that above 243 clergymen had
quitted tlieir livings. Most of the inferior beneficed clergy
kept their places, as they had done through all the changes
of the three last reigns ; and without all question, if the
Queen had died, and the old religion had been restored,
they would have turned again ; but the bishops and some
of the dignified clergy, having sworn to the supremacy
under King Henry, and renounced it again under Queen
Mary, they thought it might reflect a dishonour upon their
character to change again, and therefore resolved to hold
together, and by their weight endeavour to distress the
reformation. Upon so great an alteration of religion,
the number of recusants out of 9,400 parochial bene
fices was inconsiderable ; and yet it was impossible to
find protestants of a tolerable capacity, to supply the
vacancies, because many of the stricter sort, who had
been exiles for religion, could not come up to the terms
of conformity, and the Queen's injunctions.
It may seem strange, that amidst all this concern for
the new form of worship, no notice should be taken of the
doctrinal articles, which King Edward had published,
for avoiding diversities of opinions, though her majesty
might have, enjoined them, by virtue of her supremacy

Sff HISTORY OF THE PURlTANSi CHAP. lVt
as well aslier brother ; but the bishops durst not venture
them into convocation, because the majority was for the
old religion* and the Queen was not very fond of her
brother's doctrines. To supply this defect for the present,
the bishops drew up a declaration of their faith, in which
they insist upon these terms of ministerial conformity 5
the oath of supremacy, compliance with the act of unifor
mity, and this declaration of faith. There was no dispute
among the reformers, about the first and last of these
qualifications, but they differed upon the second *• many
of the learned exiles, and others, refusing to accept of
livings in the church according to the act of uniformity,
and the Queen's injunctions. If the popish habits and
ceremonies had been left indifferent, or other decent ones
appointed in their room, the seeds of division had been
prevented ; but as the case stood, it was next to a miracle,
that the reformation had not fallen back into the hands of
the papists ; and if some of the puritans had not complied
for the present, in hopes of the removal of these grievances,
in more settled times, this would have been the sad con
sequence ; for it was impossible, with all the assistance
they could get from both universities, to fill up the
parochial vacancies with men of learning and character.
Many churches were long destitute, and many mechanics,
altogether as unlearned as the most remarkable of those'
who were ejected, were preferred to dignities and livings,
who being disregarded by the people, brought great
discredit on the reformation, while others of the first rank
for learning, piety, and usefulness in tlieir functions, were
laid by in silence. There was little or no preaching all
over the country; the Bp. of Bangor had but two preachers
in all his diocese. It was enough if the parson could read
the service, arid sometimes an homily. The bishops were
sensible of the calamity ; but instead of opening the door
a little wider, for some of the more conscientious and
zealous reformers, they admitted the meanest and most
illiterate, who would come up to the terms of the law;
and published a second book of homilies for their further
assistance. It is hard to say at this distance of time, how far the
bishops were to blame for their servile and abject com-

*560\ ELIZABETH. 97
pliance with the Queen ; yet one is ready to think, that
those who had drunk so deep of the cup of persecution,
and had seen the dreadful effects of it, in the fiery trial
of their brethren the martyrs, should have insisted as one
man, upon a latitude for their conscientious brethren in
points of indifference; whereas their zeal ran in a quite
different channel ; for when the sword was put into their
hands, they were too forward in brandishing it over the
heads of others, and even to outrun the laws, by sus
pending* depriving, fining, and imprisoning men of true
learning and piety, popular preachers, declared enemies
of popery and superstition, and of the same faith with
themselves, who wei'e fearful of a sinful compliance with
things that had been abused to idolatry.
All the exiles were now come home, except a few of
the puritans that stayed at Geneva, to finish their trans
lation of the bible. They compared Tyndal's old English
bible, first with the Hebrew, and then with the best modern
translations ; they divided the chapters into verses* which
the former translators had not done; they added some
figures, maps and tables, and published the whole this
year at Geneva, in quarto* with a dedication to the Queen,
Sind an epistle to the reader, which are left out in the
later editions; because they touched somewhat roughly
upon certain ceremonies retained in the chvrch of Eng
land, which they excited her majesty to remove, as having
a popish aspect ; and because the translators had pub
lished marginal notes, some of which were thought to
affect the Queen's prerogative, and to allow the subject
to resist tyrannical kings. And when the proprietors
petitioned for reprinting it in England for public use, it
was refused, and the impression stopt, till after the death
of the archbishop, The author of the ' Troubles at Frank
fort,' published in the year 1575 complains, that, " if
the Geneva bible be such as no enemy of God can justly
find fault with, then may men marvel that such a work,
being so profitable, should find so small favour, as not
to be printed again." The exceptionable notes were on
Exodus xv. 19. where disobedience to kings is allowed.
& Chron. xix. 16. where Asa is censured for stopping, short
VOL I. G

98 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, IV.
at the deposing of his mother, and not executing her.
Rev. ix. 3. where the locusts that come out of the smoke,
are said to be heretics, false teachers, worldly, subtile
prelates, with monks, friars, cardinals, patriarchs, arch
bishops, bishops, doctors, batchelors, and masters. But
notwithstanding these, and some other offensive passages
ih the notes, the Geneva bible was reprinted, and was
in such repute, that some who had been curious to search
into the number of its editions say, that by the Queen's
own printers it was printed above thirty times.' However,
for a present supply, Tyndal and Coverdale's translation
printed in the reign of Henry' VIII. was revised for the
use of the church of England, till the bishops, should
publish a more correct one; which they had now un
dertaken. Together with the exiles, the Dutch and German pro
testants, who in the reign of Edward VI. had the church
in Austin Friars assigned them for a place of worship,
returned to England, with John a Lasco, their superinten
dent. They petitioned the Queen to restore them to their
church and privileges, which her majesty declined, because
she would not admit of a stranger, to be superintendent
of a church within her bishop's diocese. To take off
this objection, a-Lasco resigned, and the people chose
Grind al bishop of London their superintendent, and then
the Queen confirmed their charter. The French pro
testants wese also restored to their church in Threadneedle-
street. The reformation took place this year in Scotland,
by the preaching of Mr. J: Knox, who shunned no danger,
nor feared the face of any man in the cause of religion.
He had been a preacher in England in King Edward's
time, then an exile at Frankfort, and" at last one of the
minsters of the English congregation at Geneva, from
whence he returned 1559, and settled at Perth, but was
a sort of evangelist over the whole kingdom. He main
tained this position, " That if kings and princes refuse
to reform religion, inferior magistrates and the people
being ' directed and instructed in the truth, by their
preachers, may lawfully reform within their own bounds
themselves ; and if all or the far greatest part be enlight
ened by the truth, they may make a public reformation."

1560. ELIZABETH. 99
Upon this principle, the Scots reformers petitioned the
Queen dowager, regent for her daughter Mary, now in
France, for liberty to assemble publicly or privately for
prayer, for reading- and explaining the scriptures, and
administering the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's-
supper in the vulgar tongue; and the latter in both kinds,
according to Christ's institution. This reasonable peti
tion being rejected, certain noblemen and barons formed
an association, resolving- to venture their lives and fortunes
in this cause ; and they encouraged as many of the curates
of the parishes within their districts, as were willing to
read the prayers and lessons in English, but not to ex
pound the scriptures till God should dispose the Queen
to grant them liberty. This being executed at Perth and
the neighbouring parts, without disturbance, the associa
tion spread, fand was signed by great numbers even in the
capital. Upon this they presented another petition, re
presenting to the regent the unseasonableness of her
rigour against the protestants, considering their numbers ;
but she was deaf to all moderate councils. At the meet
ing of the parliament, the congregation or heads of the
association, presented the regent with sundry articles re
lating to liberty of conscience, to lay before the house,
which she suppressed and would not suffer to be debated ;
whereupon they drew up the following protestation, and
desired it might be recorded. " That since they could
not procure a reformation, agreeable to the word of God,
from the government, that it might be lawful for them to
follow the dictates of their consciences. That none that
joined with them in the profession of the true faith should
be liable to any civil penalties, or incur any damages for
so doing. They protest that if any tumults arise on the
score of religion, the imputation ought not to lie upon
them who now humbly entreat for a regular remedy ; and
that in all other things they will be most loyal subjects."
The regent acquainted the court of France with the si
tuation of affairs, and received an order, to suffer no
other religion but the Roman catholic to be professed, with
a promise of large supplies of forces to support her.
Upon this she summoned the magistrates of Perth, and
G 2

100 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
the reformed ministers to appear before her at Stirling,
with a design to have them banished. The ministers ap
peared accordingly, being attended with vast crouds of
people armed and prepared to defend them, agreeably to
the custom of Scotland, which allowed criminals to come
to their trials attended with their relations and friends.
The regent astonished at the sight, prayed J. Areskin to
persuade the multitude to retire, and gave her parole that
nothing should be decreed against the ministers ; but they
were no sooner gone quietly home, than she condemned
them for non-appearance.
This news being brought to Perth, the burghers en
couraged by great numbers of the nobility arid neigh
bouring gentry, formed an army of 7000 men, under
the command of the Earl of Glencarne, for the defence
of their ministers against the regent, who was marching
with an army of Frencli and Scots, to drive them out of
their country ; but being informed of the preparation of
the burghers, she consented to a treaty, by which it was
agreed, that she should be received with honour into the
city, and be suffered to lodge in it some days, provided she
would promise to make no alteration in religion, but refer
all to the parliament ; the Scots forces on both sides to
be dismissed : But the reformed had no sooner disbanded
their army, and opened their gates to the regent, than she
broke all the articles, set up the mass, and left a garrison
of French in the town, resolving to make it a place of arms.
Upon this notorious breach of treaty, as well as the
regent's declaration, that promises were not to be kept.
With heretics, the congregations of Fife, Perth, Dundee*
Angus, Mears and Montrose, raised a little army, and
signed ah engagement to assist each other, in maintaining
the reformation with their lives and fortunes. Mr. Knox
encouraged them by his sermons, and the populace being
warmed, pulled down altars and images, plundered the
monasteries, and dismantled the churches of their super
stitious ornaments. The regent marched against them
at tlie head of 2000 French and 2000 Scots in French pay,
but being afraid to venture a battle, she retreated to Dun
bar, and the confederates made themselves masters of
Perth, Scone, Sterlin, and Lithgoe. At length a truce

1560. ELIZABETH. 101
was concluded, by which the ministers of the congrega
tion had liberty to preach in Edinburgh for the present;
but the regent having soon after received large recruits
from France, repossessed herself of Leith, and ordered it
to be fortified, and stored with all necessary provisions ;
the confederates desired her to demolish the works, alledg-
ing it to be a violation of the truce ; but she commanded
them upon their allegiance to lay down their arms ; and
marching directly to Edinburgh, obliged them to retire
to Stirling whither the French troops followed them, and
dispersed them into the mountains. In this low condition
they published a proclamation, discharging the regent of
her authority, and threatening to treat as enemies all that
obeyed her orders ; but not being able to stand their
ground, they threw themselves into the arms of Queen
Elizabeth, who being sensible of the danger of the pro
testant religion, and of her own crown, if Scotland should
become entirely popish, under the government of a Queen
of France, who claimed the crown of England ; entered
into an alliance to support the confederate protestants
in their religion and civil liberties.
Among other articles of this treaty it was stipulated,
that the Queen should send forces into Scotland, to con
tinue there till the restoration to its liberties, and till the
French were driven out of the kingdom. Accordingly
her majesty sent an army of 7000 foot, and 12,000 horse,
which joined the confederate army of like numbers. This
army was afterwards reinforced by a large detachment
under the command of the Duke of Norfolk ; after which
they took the city of Leith, obliged the Queen regent
to shut herself up in the castle of Edinburgh, where she
soon died. The French offered to restore Calais, if the
Queen would recal her forces from Scotland; but she
refused. At length the troubles of France requiring alj
their forces at home, plenipotentiaries were sent into
Scotland to treat with Elizabeth about withdrawing the
French forces, and restoring the Scots to their parliament
tary government. The treaty was concluded the begin
ning of August, whereby a general amnesty was granted;
the English and French forces were to withdraw in two
0 3

102' HISTORY OF 'THE PURITANS. CHAP, IV.'
months, and a parliament to-be called with all convenient-
speed, to settle the affairs of religion and the kingdom;
but Francis and Mary refused to ratify it. Before the-
parliament met, Francis '.died, and left Mary Queen of
Scots a young widow. , The late treaty not being ratified,
the parliament had no direct authority from the crown, but-
assembled by virtue of the late treaty, and received the
folio wing, petitions from the barons and gentlemen con
cerning, .religion. 1. "That the doctrines of the Roman
church should be suppressed by act of parliament, in
those exceptionable points therein mentioned. 1, " That
the discipline of the ancient churchbe revived. 3. "That
the : pope's usurped authority be discharged. AH which
was' voted, and the ministers were desired to draw up a
confession of faith,- which they expressed in 25 articles,
agreeable, to the sentiments of Calvin, and the foreign
reformers. The confession being read in parliament was
carried but with three dissenting voices ; the popish pre?
lates offering nothing in defence of their religion. By
another act, the pope's authority was abolished, and read
ing mass was made punishable ; for the first offence, with
loss of goods ; for the second, banishment ; and for the
third, death. This was carrying matters with a high hand:
Upon the breaking up of the parliament, a commission was
directed to Messrs. Knox, Willock, Spptiswocd and some
other divines, to draw up a scheme of discipline for the
church, which they did pretty much upon the Geneva
plan. ' They also appointed superintendents to plant arid
erect kirks, and to appoint ministers in such counties as
should be committed to their care, where there were none
already. But then they add, These men must not live like
idle bishops, but must preach themselves twice or thrice
a week, and visit their districts every three or four months,
to inspect the lives and behaviour of the parochial mini
sters, to redress grievances, or bring them before an as
sembly of the kirk. The superintendents- were to he'
chosen, by the ministers and elders of the several pro
vinces; and to be deprived by them for misbehaviour-.
The assemblies of the kirk were divided into classical,
.provincial, and national, in which last, the dernier resort'
©f all kirk jurisdiction was lodged.

1561. ELIZABETH. 103
When this plan of discipline was laid before the
estates, it was referred to further consideration, and had
not a parliamentary sanction, as the reformers expected.
But after the recess of the parliament, several noblemen,
and chief gentlemen of the nation, met together, and
signed it, resolving to abide by the new discipline, till
it should be confirmed or altered by parliament. From
this time the old hierarchical government was disused,
and the kirk was governed by general, provincial, and
classical assemblies, with superintendents, though there
was no law for it, till some years after.
To return to England. The popish bishops behaved
rudely towards the Queen and her new bishops. They
admonished her majesty by letter, to return to the religion
of her ancestors, and threatened her with the censures of
the church if she refused. This not prevailing, the pope
himself exhorted her by letter, to reject evil counsellors,
and obey his fatherly admonitions, assuring her, that if
she would return to the bosom of the church, he would
receive her with like affection, as the father in the gospel
received his son. The Nuncio that was sent with this
letter, offered in the pope's name to confirm the English
liturgy, to allow of the sacrament in both kinds, and to
disannul the sentence against her mother's marriage; but'
the Queen would not part with her supremacy. Another
Nuncio was sent this summer with other proposals, but
was stopt in Flanders, and forbid to set foot in the realm.
The Emperor and other Roman catholic princes,interceded
with the Queen to grant her subjects of their religion
permission to keep up a separate communion ; but her
majesty was too politic to trust them ; upon which they
entered on more desperate measures.
Abp. Parker visjted his diocese this summer, and found'
it in a deplorable condition; the major part of the bene
ficed clergy being either mechanics or mass priests in
disguise ; many churches were shut up, and in those that
were open, not a sermon was to be heard in some counties
within 20 miles ; " the people perished for lack of know
ledge ;" while men who were capable of instructing them
were kept out of the church, or denied preferment But
the Queen was not so much concerned for this; as for'

104- HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. IV.
maintaining her supremacy \ for which purpose his grace
by her order, drew up a form of subscription, to be made
by all that held any ecclesiastical preferment. With which
most who favoured the reformation, as well as great
numbers of time-serving priests, complied, but some
refused and were deprived. The next thing the arch
bishop undertook was, settling the calendar, and the
order of lessons to be read throughout the year, which his
grace, as one of the ecclesiastical commissioners, pro
cured letters under the great seal to reform. Before this
time it had been left to the discretion of the minister tq>
change the chapters appointed for some others that were
more for edification. If this indulgence had been con
tinued, one considerable difficulty to the puritans had
been removed, (viz.) their obligation to read the apochry-
phal lessons : and surely there could be no great danger
in this, when the minister was confined within the canon
of scripture. But this liberty was not long allowed, though
the admonition being never legally reversed, Abp. Abbot
was of opinion, that it was in force in his time, and ought
to have been indulged the clergy throughout the course
of this reign. But the governing bishops were of another
mind, they would trust nothing to the discretion of the
minister, nor vary a tittle from the act of uniformity.
Hitherto there were few or no peculiar lessons for
holidays and particular Sundays, but the chapters of the
old and new testament were read in course, without any
interruption or variation ; so it is in the common prayer,
book of 1549. fol. In the second edition of that book
under Edward VI, there were proper lessons for some
few holidays, but none for Sundays ; but now there was
a table of proper lessons for the whole year. At the end
of this common prayer book, there were certain prayers
for private. and family use, which in the latter editions are
either shortened or left out. The design seems to have
been, to confine all devotion to the church, and to give
no liberty to clergy or laity, even in their closets or
families, to vary from the public forms. An admonition
was published at the same time, and set up in all churches,
forbidding all parsons under the degree of a master of arts,
,to preach or expound the scriptures, or to innovate or-

15G1. ELIZABETH. 105
alter any thing, or use any other rite but only what is set
forth by authority ; these were only to read tlie homilies.
And as by reason of the scarcity of ministers, the bishops
had admitted into the ministry, artificers, and others not
brought up to learning, and some of base occupation, it
was now desired, that no more tradesmen should be
ordained, till the convocation met, and took some better
order in this affair.
But it was impossible to comply with this admonition ;
for so many churches were vacant, that in some places
there was no preaching, nor so much as reading an homily,
for many months together. In sundry parishes it was,
hard to find persons to baptize or bury the dead ; the
bishops therefore were obliged to admit of pluralists,
non-residents, civilians, and to ordain such as offered
themselves, how meanly soever they were qualified,
while others, who had some scruples about conformity,
stood by unprovided for ; the learned and industrious Mr.
Fox the martyrologist was of this number, for in a letter
to his friend Dr. Humphreys, he writes thus ; " I still
wear the same clothes, and remain in the same sordid
pondition, that England received me in, when I first came
home out of Germany, nor do I change my degree or
order, which is that of the mendicants ; or if you will, of
the friars preachers," Thus pleasantly did this grave and
learned divine reproach the ingratitude of the times.
The puritans complained of these hardships to the Queen,
but there was no remedy.
The two universities could give little or no assistance
to the reformers ; for the professors and tutors being of
the popish religion, had trained up the youth in their own
principles for the last six or seven years, Some of the.
heads of colleges were displaced this summer, and pro^
testants put in their room ; but it was a long time before
they could supply the necessities of the ehurch. There
were only three protestant preachers in the university of
Oxford in 1563, and they were all puritans ; and though
by the next year the clergy were so modelled, that the^
bishops procured a convocation that favoured the reform
ation, yet they were such poor scholars that many of them
could hardly write their names.

lQS'i HISTORY "OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV,; .;
Indeed the reformation went heavily on. The Queen;
could scarce be persuaded to part with images, or consent ,
to the marriage of the clergy ; for she commanded that no
head , or member of any collegiate or cathedral church,
should bring a wife or any other woman within the pre-
ciijcts of it, on pain of forfeiture of all ecclesiasticah
promotions: And : "her v majesty would have absolutely
forbid the marriage of the clergy, if Secretary Cecil had y
not briskly interposed. She repented that she had made .;
any married men bishops ; and told the archbishop in
anger, that she intended to publish other~ injunctions,
which his grace understood to be in favour of popery; upon
which the archbishop wrote to the secretary, that he' was
sorry the Queen's mind was so turned; but in such a case
he should think it his duty to obey God rather than man.
Upon the whole, the Queen instead of improving her.
brother's reformation, often repented she had gone so far.
When her majesty's second parliament met, a remark
able act . was passed, " for assurance of the Queen's
royal power over all states and subjects within her.-;
dominions" ¦ It was a confirmation of the act of supre
macy. But the archbishop by the Queen's order wrote
to. the bishops, not to tender the oath of supremacy but
incase of necessity, and never to press it a second time
without his special direction; so that none of the popish
bishops or divines were burdened with it, except Bonner
and qne,or ,.twoa more. , The convocation was opened at
St. Paul's the day after the meeting of the parliament;
Mr. Day provost of Eaton preached the sermon, and
Alexander Nowel dean of St. Paul's, was chosen prolocutor.
Her majesty having directed letters of lipence to review
the dqctrine and discipline of the church, they begafl
with the doctrine, and reduced the 42 articles of Edward
VI- to the number of 39, as at present:
:.$ It has been warmly disputed, whether the' first clause'
of the 20th article, " the church has power to decree .
rites and ceremonies, and authority in controversies of
faith," was a part of the article which passed the synod,
and was. afterwards confirmed by parliament. It is certain
ly not, among King , Edward's articles; nor is it iri
that original manuscript of the articles, subscribed' by*

1562, ELIZABETH, 107
both houses of convocation with their own hands. It seems
more probable that the clause was some way or other
surreptitiously inserted by those who were friends of the
church's power, than struck out by the puritans, as Laud
and his followers have published to the world ; for it is
hard to suppose, that a foul copy as this is pretended to'
be, should be so carefully marked and subscribed by
every member of the synod with their own hands, and yet
not be perfect ; but is not improbable that the notary or
reo-ister, who transcribed the1 articles into the convocation
book, with the names of them that subscribed, might by
direction of his superiors privately insert it ; and so it
might appear in the records, though it was not in the
original draught. The controversy is of no great moment
to the present clergy, because it is certain, the clause was
a part of the article confirmed by parliament at the resto
ration of Charles II.
When the articles were concluded, and the sub
scription finished, all the bishops subscribed, except
Gloucester and Rochester. Of the lower house there are
upwards of an hundred hands ; but whatever their learning
was, many of them wrote so ill, that it is hard to read their
names.- Among the subscribers are several of the learned
exiles, who were dissatisfied with the constitution. But
the articles did not pass into a law, and become a part of
the establishment, till nine years after, though some of
the more rigid- bishops of the ecclesiastical commission
insisted upon subscription from this time.
The next considerable affair that came under debate,
was the rites and ceremonies of the church. And Several
papers were presented to the lower house, including most
of the articles which afterwards formed the ground of
their separation from the church.
When these articles were debated, the majority of
those present were for approving them, but when the
proxies were counted, the scale was turned ; and by the
majority of one single voice, and that not a person present
to hear the debates, it was determined to make no alter-?
ation in the ceremonies, nor any abatements of the present
establishment, although the names of the persons who
subscribed for a further reformation were numerous $n4
con derabla for learning and ability.

108 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
How shameful was this treatment of the puritans at
this period, that when such considerable abatements
had been made in favour of the Roman catholics, nothing
should be indulged to those of the same faith, and who
had suffered in the same cause, with themselves, especially
when the controversy was about points which one party*
apprehended to be sinful, and the other acknowledged
to be indifferent. Sundry other papers and petitions were
drawn up, by the lower house of convocation, in favour
of a further reformation, but nothing passed into a law.
The church having carried their point against the
puritans in convocation, we are now to see what use they.
made of their victory. The plague being in London and
several parts, of the country this summer, put a little stop
to their zeal for uniformity ; some were indulged, but
none preferred, who scrupled the habits. In proof of this,
we may produce the examples of two of the whorthiest
and most learned divines of the age; one was father
Coverdale, formerly Bp. of Exeter, who with Tyndal
and Rogers first translated the Bible into English after
Wickliffe. This prelate was born in Yorkshire, and bred
at Cambridge : and was made Bp. of Exeter, 1551. Upon
the accession of Mary he was imprisoned, and narrowly
escaped the fire ; but by the intercession of the King of
Denmark, was sent over into that country ; and coming
back at her death, assisted at the consecration of Queen
Elizabeth's first Abp, of Canterbury; yet because he
could not comply with the ceremonies and habits, he
Was neglected, and had no preferment. This reverend
Wan being now old and poor, Grindal Bp. of London
gave him the small living of St. Magnus at the bridge foot,
Where he preached quietly about two years ; but not
coming up to the conformity required, he was persecuted;
and obliged to relinquish his parish a little before his
death, in the 81st year of his age. He was a celebrated
preacher, admired and followed by all the puritans ; but
the act °f uniformity brought down his gray hairs with
sorrow to the grave.
The other was that venerable man John Fox, the
inartyrologist, a grave, learned, and laborious divine^
ancl exile for religion, who employed his time abroad*

1563. ELIZABETH. 109
in writing the acts and monuments of that church, which
would hardly receive him into her bosom ; and in collect
ing materials relating to the martyrdom of those that
suffered for religion, in the reigns of Henry VIII. and
Mary; all which he published first in Latin, for the
benefit of foreigners, and then in English, for the service
of his own country. No book ever gave such a mortal
wound to popery as this ; it was dedicated to the Queen*
and was in such high reputation, that it was ordered to be
set up in the churches ; where it raised in the people an
invincible horror and detestation of that religion, which
had shed so much innocent blood. Elizabeth had a par
ticular esteem for Fox; but though reduced to very great
poverty and want, he had no preferment in the church,
because he scrupled the habits, till at length, by the
intercession of some great friend, he obtained a prebend
in the church of Sarum, which he made a shift to hold.
to his death, though not without some disturbance from
the bishops.
The parochial clergy both in city and country had an
aversion to the habits; they wore them sometimes, in
obedience to the law, but more frequently administered
without them ; for which some were cited into the spiritual
courts, and admonished, the bishops not having yet
assumed the courage, of proceeding to suspension and
deprivation. At length the matter was laid before the
Queen; and it was represented, that some perform divine
service and prayers in the chancel, others in the body of
the church ; some in a seat made in the church, some in
the pulpit with their faces to the people ; some keep
precisely to the order of the book, some intermix psalms
in metre ; some say with a surplice, and others without
one. That the table stands in the body of the church hi
some places, in others it stands in the chancel ; in some
places the table stands altarwise, distant from the wall
a yard ; in others in the middle of the chancel, north and
south ; in some places the table, is joined, in others it
stands upon tressels ; in some the table has a carpet, in
others none. — That some administer the communion with
surplice and cap ; some with surplice alone ; others with
none ; some with chalice, others with a communion cup ;

110 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
others with a common cup ; some with unleavened bread,
and some with leavened. — That some receive kneeling,
others standing, others sitting ; some baptize in a font,
some in a bason ; some sign with the sign of the cross,
others sign not ; some minister in a surplice, others with
out ; some with a square cap, some with a round cap, some
with a button cap, some with a hat ; some in . scholars
cloaths, some in others.
Her majesty was highly displeased with this report,
and especially that her laws were so little regarded ; she
therefore directed a letter to the Abps. of Canterbury
and York, to confer with the bishops of the ecclesiastical
commission, and to enquire what diversities there were
among the clergy in doctrine, rites, and ceremonies,
and to take effectual methods, that an exact uniformity
be maintained, in all external rites and ceremonies,
as by law and good usages are provided for ; and that none
hereafter be admitted to any ecclesiastical preferment,
but who is well diposed to common order, and shall
formally promise to comply with it. To give countenance
to this strictness, it was reported that some of the warmer
puritans had turned the habits into ridicule, and used
unhandsome language to those that wore them; which
according to Strype, was the occasion of their being
pressed afterwards, with so much rigor: but whatever
gave occasion to the persecution that followed, Or who
ever was at the head of it, supposing the insinuation
to be just, it was very hard that so great a number of
useful ministers, who neither censured their brethren,
nor abused their indulgence, should be turned out of
their benefices, for the indiscretion of a few. The
bishops in their letters to the foreign divines, had pro
mised, not to urge their brethren in these things, and
when opportunity served to seek reformation of them ;
but now they took themselves to be released from their
promises, and set at liberty by the Queen's express com
mand to the contrary ; their meaning being, that they
would not do it. of their own accord.
The puritans and their friends foreseeing the storm,
did what they could to avert it. Pilkington, Bp. of Dur
ham wrote to the Earl of Leicester to use his interest

1564. ELIZABETH. 'Ill
With the Queen in their behalf He said that compulsion
should not be used in things of liberty. He prayed the
earl to consider, how all reformed countries had cast away
popish apparel, with the pope, and yet we contend to keep
it as an holy relic. That many ministers would rather
leave their livings than comply; and the realm had a
great scarcity of teachers ; many places being destitute
of any. — That it would give incurable offence to foreign
protestants , and since we had forsook popery as wicked,
he did not see how their apparel could become saints and
professors of the gospel. — Whittingham clean of Durham
wrote to the same purpose, as did others, who dreaded
the consequences of imposing that as necessary, which
at best was only indifferent, and in the opinion of many
wise and learned men superstitious ; and all made what
friends they could among the courtiers.
The nobility were divided, and the Queen herself
seemed to be at a stand, but the archbishop spirited her
forward; and having received her majesty's letter, autho
rizing him to proceed, he entered upon his work with vigour
and resolution. The bishops Jewel and Horn preached
at Paul's cross to reconcile the people to the habits. Jewel
said, he did not come to defend them, but to shew, that
they were indifferent, and might be complied with. Horn
went a little further, and wished those cut off from the
church, that troubled it about white or black garments,
round or square caps. The puritans were not allowed to
preach against the habits, but they expostulated with the
bishops, and told them, that in their opinions, those ought
rather to.be cut oft", which stopt the course of the gospel,
and that grieved and offended their weak brethren, by
urging the remnants of antichrist more than God's com
mandments, and by punishing the refusers of them more
extremely, than the breakers of God's laws.
. The archbishop, with the bishops of London, Ely,
Winchester, andUincoln, framed sundry articles to enforce
the habits, which were afterwards published under the title
of Advertisements. But when his grace brought them to
court, the Queen refused to give them her sanction. The
archbishop chafed at the disappointment, said that the
' court had put him upon framing the advertisements ; and

112 HISTORY OF TtlE PURITANS; CHAP', if;
if they would not go on, they had better never have done*
anything; nay, if the council would not lend their help
ing hand against the non-conformists, as they had done
heretofore in Hooper's days, they should only be laughed
at for all they had done. But still the Qrieen was so cold,
that when the Bp. of London came to Court* she spoke
not a word to him about redressing the neglect of confor
mity, in the city of London, where it was most disregarded.-
Upon which the archbishop applied to the secretary, de
siring another letter from the Queen, to back their en
deavours for conformity, adding in some heat, " If yoii
remedy it not by letter, I will no more strive against the1
stream, fume or chide who will,"
Not one of the first set of bishops after the reforma
tion, approved of the habits, or argued for their conti
nuance from scripture, antiquity, or decency, but sub-'
mitted to them out of necessity, and to keep the church
in the Queen's favour. How much are the times altered t
Our first reformers never ascribed any holiness or virtue
to the vestments, but wished and prayed for their removal j
whereas several modern conformists have made them es
sential to their ministrations, and have represented reli
gion as naked and defective without them.
Though the reformation in Scotland was not fully esta*
Wished, yet the superintendent ministers, and commis
sioners of charges within that realm, directed a letter the
very first opportunity, " To their brethren the bishops*
and pastors of England, who have renounced the Romari
antichrist, and do profess with thetti the Lord Jesus Christ
in sincerity." This letter does riot enter into the debate,
whether the habits are simply indifferent or riot ; but pleads
in a most earnest and pathetic manner for toleration and'
forbearance, and that the deprived ministers may be re
stored. If surplice, cornet-cap rind tippet, say they, have
been badges of idolatry, what have the preachers of chris
tian liberty, and the open rebukers of all superstition, to
do with the dregs of the Romish beast? Our brethren;
that of conscience refuse that unprofitable apparel, do
neither damn yOurs, nor riiolest you, that use such vain
trifles. If ye shall do the like by them, we doubt riot but
you will therein please God, ann comfort th& hearts <tf

1564. ELIZABETH. 113
many. It was the unanimous opinion of the foreign
divines, that the habits ought to be laid aside by authority ;
and that in the mean time, they should not be urged upon
those that scrupled them : but they were not so well
agreed in the lawfulness of wearing them till they were
taken away; though their fears of the return of popery,
if the ministers should desert tlieir stations ; their com
passion to the souls of the people, who were perishing
for lack of knowledge ; and their hopes, that the Queen
would quickly be prevailed with to remove them ; made
most of them apprehend, they might be dispensed with
for the present.
The ' English laity were more averse to the habits
than the clergy ; as their hatred of popery increased, so
did their aversion to the garments. There was a strong
party in the very Court against them. But the protestant
populace throughout the nation, were so enflamed, that
nothing but an awful subjection to authority could have
kept them within bounds. Great numbers refused to
frequent those places of worship, where service was
ministered in that dress; they would not salute such
ministers in the streets, nor keep them company ; nay,
if. we may believe Whitgift, in his defence against Cart-
wright, " They spit in their faces, reviled them as they
went along, and shewed such like rude behaviour,"
because they took them for papists in disguise, for time-
servers, and half-faced protestants, that would be content
with the return of that religion whose badge they wore.
There was indeed a warm spirit in the people, against
every thing which came from that pretended church,
whose garments had been so lately dyed with the blood
of their friends and relations. Upon the whole, I leave
the reader to determine, how far the wisdom and moder
ation of the Queen can be vindicated, in imposing these
habits on the clergy; or the bishops be excused for im
prisoning, suspending, and depriving, some of the most
useful preachers in the kingdom, on account of things
which in their own opinion were but barely tolerable;
and in the judgment of their brethren were absolutely
sinful. VOL. I. H

114 HISTORY -OP --THE 'PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
We have already mentioned the Queen's letter, in
obedience to which Abp. Parker wrote to his brethren of
the ecclesiastical commission, and in particular'to'Grindal
Bp. of London, there being in that city the greatest
number of clergy, and of the best learning, that refused
the apparel, to consult proper methods, to reduce them
to an exact uniformity. After some debate, the coni-
missioners agreed upon certain Advertisements, -as they
were called, partly for due order in preaching and
administring the sacraments ; and partly for the apparel
of persons ecclesiastical.
But here the commissioners surely broke through the
act of submission, by which they are obliged, never to
make or execute any canons or constitutions, withoidt the
royal assent. But the bishops presumed upon their
interest with her majesty; they knew her mind, though
she refused, for political reasons, to ratify their adver
tisements, telling them that the oath of canonical
obedience was sufficient, to bind the inferior Clergy to
their duty, without the interposition of tlie crown. Parker
therefore went on ; arid having cited the puritan clergy
to Lambeth, admonished some, and threatened others :
but Grindal withdrew, being naturally averse to methods
of severity, and afraid of apreeniunire : his grace took -a
great deal of pains to gain him over, and by his arguments
(says S try pe) brought him to a good resolution. He also
applied to the council for the Queen's and their assist
ance ; and to the secretary of state, beseeching him to
spirit up the Bp. of Londori to his duty, which Was done
accordingly. What pains will some men take to draw
their brethren into a snare, and force them to be partners
in oppression and cruelty !
Among those whom the archbishop cited before him,
were Mr. T. Sampson, dean of Christ Church, and Dr.
Humphreys, president of Magdaleri Col. Oxon ; men of
high renown throughout the nation, for learning, piety,
and zeal for the reformation ; and both exiles for religion
in Queen Mary's reign. Upon their appearance, the
archbishop urged them with the opinions of Bucer and
Martyr; but the authority of these divines, not being
sufficient to remove their scruples, they were ordered

15&5. ELIZABETH. 115
not to depart the city, without leave. After long attend
ance, and many checks from some of the council for
-their refractoriness, they framed a supplicatory letter in
a very elegant but submissive style, and sent it to the
archbishop, and the rest of the ecclesiastical commis
sioners. In which they protest before God, what a bitter
grief it was to them, that there should be such dissentions
about a cap and surplice, among persons of the same faith.
They alledge the authorities of St. Austin, Socrates, arid
Theodoret, to shew that in their times, there was a variety
• of rites and observances which break not unity and con
cord. They beseech the bishops therefore, " If there was
any fellowship in Christ," that they would follow the
direction of St. Paul about things in their own nature
indifferent, " that every one should be persuaded in his
own mind." Conscience, say they, is a tender thing,
and all men cannot look upon the same things as iri-
,'different; if therefore these habits seem so to you, you
are not to be condemned by us ; on the othei- hand, if
they do not appear so to us, we ought not to be vexed by
you. They then appeal to antiquity, to the practice 6f
-'other reformed churches, and to the consciences of the
¦ ;bishops themselves ; and conclude thus. — Wherefore We
most humbly pray, that a thing which is the care and
pleasure of papists, and which you have no great value
for yourselves, and which we refuse not from any contempt
of authority, but from an aversion to the common enemy,
may not be our snare nor our crime.
Sottie of the .reasons they urged against wearing
and enforcing the habits, were these; 1. Apparel ought
to be Worn as meat ought to be eat ; but according to
Paul, meat offered to idols ought not to be eaten, there
fore popish apparel ought riot to be worn. 2. We ought
-not to give offence in matters of mere indifference,
therefore the bishops who are of this opinion, ought not
'to enforce iftie habits. 3. Popish garments have many
Superstitious mystical significations, for which purpose
¦ they are consecrated by the papists ; we ought therefore
to Consecrate them also, or lay them wholly aside. 4. Our
ministrations are supposed by some not to be valid, or
2-H

116 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
acceptable to God, unless performed in popish apparel;
and this being a prevailing opinion, we apprehend it
highly necessary to disabuse the people. 5. Things in-.
different ought not to be made necessary, because then
they change their nature, and we l°se our christian
liberty. 6. If we are bound to wear popish apparel when
commanded, we may be obliged to have shaven crowns,
and to make use of oil, spittle, cream, and all the rest of
the papistical additions, to the ordinances of Christ.
The ecclesiastical commissioners were very much
divided in their opinions, how to proceed with these men.
Some were for answering their reasons, and for enforcing
the habits with a protestation, that they wished them
taken away. Others were for connivance ; and others for
a compromise: accordingly a pacific proposition was
drawn up, which Humphreys and Sampson were willing
to subscribe, with the reserve of the apostle, "all things
are lawful, but all things edify not." But the archbishop,
who was at the head of the commission, would abate
nothing; for he told them peremptorily in open Court,
that they should conform to the habits; or $>art with their
preferments. To which our divines replied, that their
consciences could not comply, be the event what it might
Upon this they were both put under confinement ; but
the storm fell chiefly upon Sampson, who was detained
in prison a considerable time, as a terror to others ; and
by a special order from the Queen, was deprived of his
deanery; nor could he ever obtain, after. this, any higher
referment in the church, than the government of a poor
ospital. Humphrey's place was not at the Queen's disposal ;
however he durst not return to Oxford, even after he had
obtained his release out. of prison, but retired to one Mrs.
Warcup's in Berkshire, a most devout woman, who had
run all hazards for harbouring the persecuted protestants
in the late times : from hence he wrote a most excellent
letter to the Queen, beseeching her majesty's favour
about the habits : and he made so many friends at Court,
that at length he obtained a toleration, but had no. pre
ferment in the church till ten or twelve years after,, when
he was persuaded to wear, the habits. For although the

h<

1565, ELIZABETH. 117
Bp. of Winchester presented him to a small living Within
the diocese of Salisbury, Jewel refused to admit him*
and said he was determined to abide by his resolution,
till he had good assurance of his conformity. The Oxford
historian says, Humphreys was a moderate, conscientious
nonconformist, a great and general scholar, an able
linguist, a deep divine ; and that for his excellency of
style, exactness of method, and substance of matter
in his writings, he went beyond most of our Theologists.
As Sampson was thus deprived, so were others who
would not enter into bonds to wear the square cap. Of
this number was George Withers, a man of good learning,
preacher at Bury St. Edmunds : but at the pressing
instances of the people, he sent a letter to the archbishop
to let him know, he would rather strain his conscience a
little, than discourage the godly, or let the wicked have
their mind. He afterwards preached at Cambridge, and
pressed the university to destroy the superstitious paint
ings in the glass windows, whicli occasioned some
disorder ; upon which, not long after, he travelled to
Geneva, Zurich, and other places, and after some years,
returned and became parish minister of Danburyin Essex,
submitting to the rites for peace sake, though he did riot
approve of them, which was the case of many others.
While the case of the Oxford divines was under con
sideration, his grace was consulting how to reduce the
London puritans : he was afraid to press them with the
advertisements, because the Queen could not be prevailed
with to put the seal to them ; he therefore sent them
again to the secretary with a letter to the Queen, pray
ing, that if not all, yet at least those articles that related
to the apparel, might be returned with some authority.
But the Queen was firm to her former resolution ; she
would give no authority to the advertisements ; but to
support her commissioners issued a proclamation, peremp
torily requiring uniformity in the habits, on pain of pro
hibition from preaching, and deprivation.
Hereupon the archbishop consulted with men learned
in the civil law, what method to proceed in ; and then
concluded with the consent of the rest of the commis-
H 3

1 1$ - HISTORY OF THE PORITANS. CHAP. IV. •
sioners, to summons the whole body of pastors- and curates,(
within the city of London, to appear at Jij-ambeth, and?
to examine every one of them upon this question,
whether they would promise conformity to the apparel;
established, by law, and testify the, same- by subscription
of their hands ? Those who demurred w&re immediately,
to be suspended, and after three months, deprived, of:
their livings. To prepare the, way for this general
citation, it was thought proper, first, toF summon Fox,, the*
martyrologist, that the: reputation of hjjs great piety,
might give the greater countenance to the. proceedings. .
of the commissioners ; but when they called, upon., him;
to subscribe, he took, his Greek Testament out Oif his...
pocket, and said, to this I will subscribe. Afldr when
they offered him the canons, he. refused,, saying, "Thave
nothing in the church but a,prebend in Salisbury, and
much good may it do you, if you take it from me." But .
the commissioners had. not, courage enough to deprive, a.
divine of so much merit, who held up the -ashes of Smiths
field before their eyes.
On the day appointed for. the appearance of the Lon
don clergy, the archbishop desired tlie secretary of state.,,,
with some of the nobility and Queen's council, to coun
tenance the proceedings of the commissioners, with their,
presence, but they refused to be concerned, in such
disagreeable work. When the ministers appeared, in..
Court, Mr. Cole a clergyman, being placed by the side
of the commissioners in priestly apparel, the bishop's
chancellor from the bench, addressed them in these
words: "My masters, and ye ministers of London, the,
council's pleasure is, that strictly ye keep the unity of
apparel, like this man who stands here canonically
habited with a square cap, a scholar's gown priest-like,,
a, tippet ; and. in the church a linen surplice. Ye that wilt,
subscribe, write volo; those that will not subscribe, write
¦nolo: be brief, make no words." — When some of the,
clergy offered to speak he interrupted them, and cried,:
peace, peace. Apparitor call over the churches, , and ye
masters answer presently sub pana contemptus. Great-
was the anguish and distress of. those ministers, who. cried,
out for compassion to themselves and families, saying,

1565. ELIZABETH. 119
" We shall be killed in our souls for this pollution of
ours." After much persuasion and many threatenings,.
sixty-one out of a hundred, were prevailed with to sub
scribe,, and thirty-seven absolutely refused ; of which
last number, as the archbishop acknowledged, were the-
best, and some preachers. These were immediately
suspended, from the ministry, with signification, that if
they did not conform within three months, they were tos
be deprived. Tlie archbishop imagined that their be
haviour would have been rough and clamorous,, but;
contrary to his expectations it was quiet, and modest.
To the reasons they assigned to justify their rejection^
of the popish habits, and. every thing else that was. offered,,
from the danger of the reformation, and the ruin of so*
many poor families; the commissioners replied, it was not.
their business to argue, and debate, but to execute the.
Queen's injunctions. Parker seemed pleased with the;
resolution of his chancellor, and said, that he did not.-
doubt, when the ministers had felt the smart of poverty,,
they -would comply; for the. wood (says he) is yet but
green. He declared, further, that he was fully, bent to go.
through with the work he had begun; and the rather,,
because the Queen would have him try with his own.
authority,, what he could, do for order, This raised his.
ambition, and put. him upon soliciting the secretary of.
state by letter for his countenance; in one. of which he .
tells him* that if he wasuot better backed, there would-
be fewer Winchesters, as.is desired,, referring to Stephen.
Gardiner, the bloody persecuting bishop. of Winchester in;
Mary's reign ; " but for my part, says he, so that my prince
may, win honour, 1 will be. very gladly the rock of offence;
since the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can
do to me." These were the weapons, and this the Ian- ,
guage,.. of one whom. Mr. Strype calls the mild and gentle
archbishop. !
The nonrconformists.had juster thoughts of him; he
was at the'.head of all their sufferings, and pushed them;
with) unrelenting vigour. The, Queen, might have been;
softened;, the secretary, of state and courtiers declared-
they could not keep pace. with .hina ; Grindal relented, and*
the, Bp. of Durham declared, he wquld rather lay dowiij

120 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
his bishopric, than suffer such proceedings in his diocese.
But Parker was above these reproaches, and instead of
relaxing, framed such injunctions for the London clergy,
as had never been heard of in a protestant kingdom, or a
free government. The commissioners obliged every
clergyman that had cure of souls to swear obedience to
all the Queen's injunctions and letters patent; to all
letters from the lords of the privy council ; to the articles
and injunctions of their metropolitan ; to the articles and
mandates of their bishop, archdeacon, chancellors, &c.
And in a word, to be subject to the controul of all their
superiors with patience. To gird these injunctions close
upon the puritans, there were appointed iri every parish,
four or eight censors, spies, or jurats, to take cognizance
of all offences given or taken. These were under oath,
enjoined to take particular notice of the conformity of
the clergy and of the parishioners, and to give in their
presentments when required ; so that it was impossible for
an honest puritan to escape the high commission.
By these methods of severity, religion and virtue
were discountenanced for the sake of their pretended
ornaments ; the consciences of good men were entangled,
and the reformation exposed to the utmost hazard. Many
churches were shut up in the city of London for want of
ministers, to the grief of all good men, and the inexpres
sible pleasure of the papists, who rejoiced to see the
reformers weakening their own hands, by silencing such
numbers of the most useful and popular preachers, while
the country was in distress for want of them. Bishop
Sandys in one of his sermons before the Queen some
years after, tells her majesty, that many of her people,
especially in the northren parts, perished for want of
saving food. Many there are, says, he, that hear not
a sermon in seven years, I might safely say in seventeen :
their blood will be required at somebody's hands.
But to make thorough work with the refusei-s of the
habits, the archbishop called in all licences, according
to the advertisements, and appointed all preacher*
throughout his whole province, to take out new ones;
this was to reach those who were neither incumbents, nor
curates in parishes, but lecturers* or occasional preachers.

1565. ELIZABETH. 121
All parsons and curates were forbid to suffer any to preach
in their churches, upon any former licences given by the
archbishop ; and such as took out new licences, bound
themselves for the future, not to disturb the public
establishment, or vary from it. And because some when
they had been discharged from their ministry in one
diocese for nonconformity, got a settlement in another,
it was now appointed that such curates as came out of
other dioceses, should not be allowed to preach, without
letters testimonial from the ordinary where they last
served. But those puritans who could not with a good
conscience take out new licences, kept their old ones,
and made the best use of them they could.
There was still one door of entrance into the ministry
left open to the puritans, which the archbishop used all
his interest to shut, but could not prevail. It was a pri
vilege granted the university of Cambridge by Pope
Alexander VI. to licence twelve ministers yearly, to preach
any where throughout England, without obtaining licences
from any of the bishops. But the archbishop sent to
secretary Cecil their chancellor, praying him to set aside
this practice. 1. Because the present licences varied
from the original bull, being given out by the vice-
chancellor, whereas they ought to be in the name of the
chancellor only. 2. Because it was unreasonable to give
licences for life ; whereas they ought to be only during
our pleasure, or as long as they behave well. 3. But that
which troubled the archbishop most, was the clause that
infringed on his own and his brethren's jurisdiction, that
they might preach without a licence from any of the
bishops. This was thought insufferable ; the vice-chan
cellor therefore was sent for to town, to defend the
privilege of the university, which he did to the satisfaction
of the chancellor; but the archbishop was so angry, that
he declared he would not admit any of their licences,
without the chancellor's name ; nor could he imagine,
that the vice-chancellor, by his pretended experience and
skill in the civil law, could inform his honour of any thing,
that he was not capable of answering. But here his grace
met with a disappointment, for the university retained
their, privilege, and made use of it to the relief of the
puritans.

122 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
In the Queen's progress this year, her majesty visited"
the university of Cambridge, and continued there five-
days, being entertained by the scholars, with speeches
and disputations. On the third day of her being there,
a philosophy act was kept by Thomas Byng, of Peter-
house, on these two questions. 1. Whether monarchy..
be not the best form of government? 2. Whether fre
quent alterations of the laws are dangerous? Theoppo-.;
nents were Mr. Cartwright, of Trinity Coll. Mr. Chadder-
ton, of Queen's ; Messrs. Preston and Clark, of King's Coll.
wfio performed their parts to the satisfaction of the Queen,
and the whole audience; but it seems Preston pleased
her majesty best, and was made her scholar, with the
settlement of a, salary. The divinity questions were, 1.
Whether the authority of the scripture is greater than
that of the church? 2. Whether the. civil magistrate
has authority in ecclesiastical affairs? These were the.,
tests of. the times. At the close of the disputation, the'
Queen made a short and elegant oration in. latin,, encou
raging the scholars to pursue their studies,, with a promise-.
of her. countenance and protection.
But this learned body was soon after thrown into con
fusion, by the controversy of the habits, especially of the/
surplice. Longworth, master of St. John's, being absent ¦
from his, college, the students came to chapel on a festival,
day, without their hoods and surplices,, to the number of
300, and continued to do so for some time; the master
making no complaint, nor attempting to recover them to -
uniformity. In Trinity College all except three, declared
against the surplice, and many in. other colleges were-
ready to follow their example. The news of this being
sent to court, it was easy to. foresee an impending storm:
several members of the university wrote to the secretary,
humbly beseeching his intercession with . the Queen, that;,
they might noti be forced to receive, a popish ceremony,;
which they had laid. aside;, assuring him that nothing but,
reason, and conscience, had induced them to do as they?
had done. But Cecil sent, them an.angry answer* admonish
ing them to return quietly to the habits,, as they, had used;
them before. He also wrote to the vice-chancellor, re-
quiring him to call together the heads of the colleges, .

15£5. ELIZABETH. 123-
and let them. know, that as. they tendered the honour of
God, the preservation of christian unity, the reputation
of the university, the favour of the Queen, and his own
good will they should continue the use of the habits.
T,he heads of colleges being sensible of the risk the.
university would run of being disfurnished of students,,
if the habits were pressed, applied again to the chan
cellor Cecil, to intercede with the Queen for a dispensa
tion. But this was highly resented at Court, and Long-
wqrth, master of St. John's was sent for before the com
missioners, and obliged to sign a recantation, and read it.
in the church ; the rest made their peace by letters of
submission : All the heads of colleges were commanded
to assist the vice-chancellor, in bringing the scholars
to an uniformity in the habits, which nevertheless they
could not accomplish for many years. Whitgift seeing
which way the tide of preferment ran, drew his pen in.
djefence of the hierarchy in all its branches, and became
a, most potent advocate for the habits. But the university;
of Cambridge was. still a sanctuary for the puritans.
To return to the puritan clergy: Crowley, the sus-s
vended, minister of Cripplegate, seeing a corpse coming
to be buried at his church, attended with clerks in their
surplices, singing before it, threatened to shut the church
doors against them; but the singing men resisted, re
solving to go through with their work, till the alderman's
deputy threatened, to lay them by the heels for breaking
the peace; upon which they shrunk away, but complained"'
to the archbishop,; who sending for Crowley,, deprived, him
of his living, and confined him to his house, for saying.
" he would not suffer the wolf to come to his flock :" He*
also bound the deputy in a hundred pounds, to be ready-
when he should be called for. Crowley was a learned*
man, and had been an exile, in Queen, Mary's days, he
was very diligent in disputing against certain priests;
in the Tower, and took a great deal of pains, to bring
them over to their allegiance to the Queen, from the un
lawfulness of deposing princes, upon any pretence what?-'
soever. He writ divers learned books, died a nonconr
formist, and was buried in the church of Cripplegate.,
Ariiqng-the deprived ministers, some betook themselves,,
to the study of physic, and other secular employments;'

124 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IJ.
some went into Scotland, or beyond sea ; others got to
be chaplains in gentlemen's families ; but many who had
large families were reduced to beggary. Many churches
were shut up, and the people ready to mutiny for want
of ministers. Six hundred persons came to a church in
London, to receive the communion on Palm Sunday, but
the doors were shut, there being none to officiate. The
cries of the people reached the court; the secretary
wrote to the archbishop to supply the churches, and re
lease the prisoners; but his grace was inexorable, and
had rather the people should have no sermons or sacra
ments, than have them without the surplice and cap.
But Grindal, Bp. of London, was weary of the un
pleasant work ; and having a real concern to promote the
preaching of the word of God, he would not act against
the ministers, otherwise than as he was pushed forwards ;
and when the eyes of his superiors were turned another
way, he would relax again. When the secretary and
archhishop sent to him to provide for his charge, and fill
up the vacant pulpits; he told them it was impossible,
there being no preachers; all he could do was to supply
the churches by turns, which was far from stopping the
murmurs of the people.
This was the sad condition of the city of London ; the
very bread of life being taken from the people, for the
sake of a few ceremonies: And if it was thus in the
city, how much worse must it be in those distant coun
tries, where her majesty's injunctions were rigidly exe
cuted ? And yet with all this rigour, it was not in the
power of the Queen and her bishops, to reconcile the,
clergy and common people to the habits. The Queen
herself was in earnest, and her archbishop went into the
most servile measures, to fulfil her commands, the high
commission was furious, but the council were backward
to countenance their proceedings.
All applications to the Queen, and her commission
ers being ineffectual, the suspended ministers thought it
their duty to lay their case before the world ; accordingly
they published a small treatise this year, in vindication of
their conduct, intitled, " a declaration of the doino-s of
those ministers of God's word and sacrament in the city

1566. ELIZABETH. 125
of London, which have refused to wear the upper ap
parel, and ministering garments of the Pope's church."
Other pamphlets were also published in defence of the
suspended ministers, whicli the bishops appointed their
chaplains to answer : and they likewise printed some
new testimonies of foreign divines, without their consent,
with a collection of tracts on obedience to the magistrate
and Melancthon's exposition of Rom. xiii. 1. " Let every
soul be subject to the higher powers." From whence they
conclude, that because things are barely tolerable, though
offensive, dangerous, and in their own opinions, to be
removed out of the church, as soon as an opportunity
shall offer, yet in the mean time they may be imposed
under the penalties of suspension, deprivation, and
imprisonment. The puritans replied to all these attempts
of their adversaries ; their tracts were eagerly sought
after, and had a wide spread among the people; upon
which the commissioners had recourse to their last remedy,
which was the further restraint of the press. They com
plained to the council, that notwithstanding the Queen's
injunctions, the differences in the church were kept open
by the printing and publishing of seditious libels ; and
hereupon they procured a decree of the star-chamber,
to abridge the liberty of the press.
The puritans being thus foreclosed, by sequestrations,
imprisonments, the taking away of their licences to preach,
and the restraint of the press, most of them were at a
loss how to behave, being unwilling to separate from a
church, where the word and sacraments were truly admi
nistered, though defiled with popish superstitions ; and
continued preaching as they had opportunity, and could
be dispensed with for the habits, though some were ex
cluded all parochial preferment. But there were great
numbers of the common people, who abhorred the habits
, as much as the ministers, and would not frequent the
churches where they were used, thinking it as unlawful
to countenance such superstitions with their presence, as
if they themselves were to put on the garments. These
were distressed where to hear; some staid without the
church till service was over, and the minister was enter
ing upon his prayer before sermon ; others flocked after

1'26 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHA^P. iV".
father Coverdale, who preached without the 'habits; but
'being turned out of his church at St. Magnus, London-
Bridge, they Were obliged to send to 'his house on Satur
days, to know where they might hear him the next day :
The government took umbrage -at this : ;and he durst riot
inform them any -moTe'df his preaching, for fear of offend
ing his superiors. At length, after having waited about
Veight weeks, to se'e-if the Queen would have compassion
/on them, several of the deprived ministers had a solemn
Consultation with, their friends, in' which after prayer, arid
fa Serious debate about the lawfulness and necessity of
'separating from the established church, fftfey came to this
3tfgreement — That since they could ;not have- the word of
"G%d preached, nor the sacraments administered wrtb'out
'idqlatraris "geare, as- they called it^ and since there had
been a separate congregation in London, arid another
at Geneva, in Queen Mary's time, Which Used a book arid
order "of preaching, administration of sacrarhents and
'discipline, that the great Mr. Calvin had approved of, arid
which was'fr&e from the superstitions of the English ser
vice ; that therefore it Was their duty in their present
'Circumstances, to break off from the public churches, and
1Kb assemble, as they had opportunity, in private houses,
or elsewhere, to worship God in a manner that might not
IcSSend against the light of their consciences. Had the
Use of habits and a few ceremonies been left discretid-
nary, both ministers and people had been easy ; but it was
COMPELLING THESE THINGS BY LAW, as they
told the archbishop, that made them separate.
It was debated among them, Whether they should use
as much of the common prayer and service of the church
as was riot offensive, or resolve at once, since they wCre
j! Cut off "from the church of England, to set up the purest
and best formof Worship, most consonant to the holy scrip-
lures, arid to the practice of the foreign reformers; the
latter of these Was concluded upon, and accordingly they
laid aside the English liturgy, arid made use of the
'Geneva service book.
Here was the a;ra or date of the SEPARATION. The
btea-Ch might easily have been made up at first, but;it
wi'dehed by degrees; the passions of tlie contending

1566. ELIZABETH. 127
parties increased, till the fire, which for some years was
burning under ground, broke out into a civil war, and
with unspeakable fury destroyed the constitution both of
church arid state.
I leave the reader to judge at whose door the begin
nings of these sorrows are to be laid, each party casting
the blame on the other. The conformists charged the
deprived ministers with disobedience to the Queen, with
obstinacy, preciseness, and with breakiugthe peace of the
church for matters of no consequence ,'to salvation. The
ministers, on the other hand, thought it cruel usage -to
be turned out of the church for things Which their ad
versaries acknowledged to be of mere indifference;
whereas they took it upon their consciences, and 'were
ready to aver in the most solemn manner, that they deem
ed them unlawful. They complied as- far as they could
with the establishment, while they were in it, using as
much of the liturgy as was not offensive, and taking the
oath of supremacy ; they were as dutiful subjects to the
Queen as the bishops, and declared themselves ready to
obey in all things lawful ; and when they could not obey,
patiently to suffer her displeasure. After all this, to im
pute the behaviour of the nonconformists to obstinacy
and peevishness, was very uncharitable. What could
move them to part with their livings, or Support them
under the loss, but the testimony of a good conscience ?
When they could not be sensible, their nonconformity
would be followed with poverty and disgrace, with the loss
of their characters and usefulness in the church, and
with numberless calamities to themselves and families,
unless it should please God to soften the Queen's heart
in their favour.
In Scotland all things were in confusion. The young
Queen Mary, after the death of her husband Francis II.
returned into her own country, upon ill terms with Eliz
abeth, who could not brook her assuming the arms of
England, and putting in her claim to the crown, on the
pretence of her bastardy, which most of the popish pow
ers maintained, because she was born during the life of
Queen Catharine, whose marriage had been declared
valid by the pope. Elizabeth offered her a safe conduct,

128 HISTORY OT THE PURITANS. CHAP. IT.
if she would ratify the treaty of Edinburgh; but she
chose rather to run all risks -than submit. Mary was a
bigotted papist, and her juvenile amours and follies soon
entangled her government, and lost her crown. As soon
as she arrived in Scotland, she had the mortification to see
the whole nation turned protestant, and the reformation
established by laws so secure and strict, that only herself
was allowed the liberty of mass in her own chapel, and that
without pomp, or ostentation. The protestants of Scotland,
by the preaching of Knox, and others, having imbibed
the strongest aversion to popery, were for remqying at
the greatest distance from its superstitions. The general
assembly petitioned her majesty, to ratify the acts of par
liament for abolishing the mass, and for obliging all her
subjects to frequent the reformed worship. But she re
plied, that she saw no impiety in the mass, and was
determined not to quit the religion in which she was
educated, being satisfied it was founded on the word of
God. To which the general assembly answered a little
coarsely, that turcism stood upon as good ground as popery ;
and then required her in the name of the eternal God, to
inform herself better, by frequenting sermons, and con
ferring with learned men : but her maj esty gave no ear to
their counsels.
In the year 1564, the Queen married Lord Darnley,
who was joined with her in the government- By him she
was brought to bed of a son, afterwards James I. King
of England; and while she was with child of him, she
received a fright by her husband's coming into her cham
ber with his servants, and putting to death her favourite
David Rizzo, an Italian musician, who was sitting with
her at table. This was said to have such an influence upon
the prince, who was born of her, that he never loved the
sight of a sword. Soon after this, the King himself was
found murdered in a garden, the house in which the
murder was committed, being blown up with gun -powder,
to prevent the discovery. Upon the King's death, the
Earl of Bothwel became the Queen's favourite, and as
soon as he had obtained a divorce from his lawful wife,
she took him into her marriage-bed, to her very great
infamy, and the regret of the whole. Scots nation^ who

U66V . ELIZABETH. \29
took up arms to revenge the late King's murder) and
dissolve the present incestuous rriarriage. When the two
armies were ready to engage, Bothwel fled to Dunbar;
and the Queen being apprehensive her soldiers would not
fight in such an infamous cause* surrendered herself to
the confederates* who shut heir Up in the Castle of Lock-
levin, arid obliged her to resign the crown to her young
Bon, under the regency of the Earl of Murray : frorri
hence she made her escape into England, where she was
detained prisoner by Elizabeth almost 18 years, and then
put to death. Bothwel turned pirate, and being taken
by the Danes* was shut up for ten years in a noisom prison
in Denmark, till he lost his senses and died mad.
The Earl of Murray being regent of Scotland, con
vened a parliament and assembly at Edinburgh, in which
the pope's authority was again discharged, and the act
bf parliament for renquncing the jurisdiction of Rome,
was confirmed, and all acts passed in former reigns, for
the support of popish idolatry, were annulled. The new
confession of faith was ratified* and protestant minis
ters, and those of their communion, declared to be the
only true and holy kirk within that tealmt The examina
tion and admission of minister's, is declared to be only
in the power arid disposition of the church ; with a saving
clause for lay-patrons. By another act, the Kings at their
Coronation for the future, are to take an oath to maintain
the reformed religiori, then professed : and by another,
hone but such as profess the reformed religion, are capa
ble of being judges or proctors* or of practisiflg in any of
the Courts of justice * except those who held offices
hereditary, or for life.
The general assembly declared their approbation
bf the discipline of the reformed churches of Geneva
and Switzerland ; and for a parity airiohg ministers* iri
bpposition to the claim of the bishops as a sUperiqr Order.
All church affairs were managed by provincial* classical,
and national assemblies ; but these acts of , the general
assembly, not being Confirmed hy parliament, episcopal
government was not legally abolished, but tacitly sus
pended till the King came of age. However, the general

VOL. I,

ISO HISTORY OF THE PURITANS^ CHAP. IV,
assembly shewed their power of the keys at this time, by
deposing the bishop of Orkney for iharrying the Queen
to Bothwel, who was supposed to have murdered the late
King ; and by making the countess of Argyle do penance
for assisting at the ceremony.

CHAP. V.

ELIZABETH.
Puritans'1 objections against the Hierarchy of the Church. —
Sufferings of the Puritans. — Dangerous state of the
Reformation. — Bishops' Bible. — Popish confederacy. —
The Queen excommunicated and her Subjects absolved
from their allegiance by a Popish Bull. — Proceedings
of Spiritual Courts. — Cartwright's opposition. — Proceed
ings ^Parliament for Reformation. — Bp. Jewess death.
— Death of Mr. White. — Puritans suspended. — Applica
tion of the Puritans to Parliament. — Cartwright's
controversy with Whilgift. — First Presbytery at
Wandsworth. — Growth of Popery. — Sad state of Reli
gion. — Massacre at Paris. — Death of John Knox. —
Persecution. — Ministers deprived. — Mr. White's examin
ation. — Death of Parkhurst. — A sham Plot. — Reforma
tion of Guernsey and Jersey. — State of Popery.— Family.
of Love. — Death of Abp. Parker.
f¥lHOUGH all the puritans of these times, would have
-*• remained within the church, might they have been
indulged in the habits and a few ceremonies, yet they
were far from being satisfied with the Hierarchy. They
had other objections besides those for which they were
deprived, and which they laboured incessantly to remove.
First, They complained of the Bishops affecting to be
thought a superior order, and claiming the sole right of
ordination, and of ecclesiastical discipline. They dis
liked the temporal dignities annexed to their office, and
their engaging in secular employments, as tending to
exalt them too much above tlieir brethren, and not so
l 2

132 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
agreeable to their characters as ministers of Christ, nor
consistent with the due discharge of their spiritual func
tion. Secondly, They excepted to the titles and offices
of archdeacons, deans, chapters, and other officials
belonging to cathedrals as having no foundation in
scripture. Thirdly, they cpmphpned of the exorbitant
power and jurisdiction of the bishops and their chancellors
in tlieir spiritual courts, as derived from the canon law of
the pope, and not from the word of God, or the statute
law of -the land. They complained of their fining, im-
prisoning? depriving, ai*d putting men to excessive
charges for small offences ; arid' that the highest censures,
such as excommunication and absolution, were in the
hands of layhien, and not in the spiritual officers of the
church. Fourthly, They lamented the want of a godly
discipline, and were uneasy at the promiscuous and
general access of all persons to the Lord's table. The
church being described in her articles as a congregation
of faithful persons, they thought it necessary, that a
power shpuld be lodged somewhere, to enquire into the
qualifications of such as desired to be of her communion.
Fifthly, Though they did not dispute the lawfulness of
set fonq's of prayer, provided a due, liberty was allowed
for prayers of their own, before and after sermon ; yet
they disliked sqihe things in the public liturgy ; as the
frequent repetition of the Lord's prayer ; the interrup
tion of the 'prayers, by the frequent responses of the
people, which in some places seem to be little better than
vain repetitions, and are practised in. no other ^protestant
church in the w01;id> They excepted to some passages
iti the offices of marriage and burial, &.o. which,- they very
unwillingly cqmplied with ; as jn the office, of marriage*
" with my body L thee worship ;" and in the, office of burial,
" in sure apd certain hope of the, resurrection to eternal
life," to be pronounced over the worst of men, unless in a
very few excepted cases, Sixthly, They disliked the
reading of the apocryphal books in the church; and
though they did not disapprove the homilies, they thought
that no man ought to be ordained a nvinister.in the church,
who was incapable of preaching. One of their great
complaints therefore, throughout the course of this reiga

1561 ELIZABETH. 133
was, .jtiat there were so many dumb ministers, pluralists^
and non-residents; and that presentations to benefices
were in tlie liands of the Queen, bishops, or lay-patrons,
when they ought to arise from the election of the people^
Seventhly, They disapproved of the observation of sundry
of the church festivals or holidays. We have no example,
say they, in the Old or New Testament, of any days
appointedin commemoration of saints ; and to observe the
fast in Lent of Friday and Saturday, &c. is unlawful and
superstitious.. Eighthly, They disallowed of the cathedral
mode of worship ; pf singing their prayers, and chaunting
the psalms, which the ecclesiastical commissioners iri
tdward Vlth's time advised the laying aside. Nor did
'they approve of musical instruments, which were not in
use in the church for above 1200 years after Christ.
Finally they scrupled conformity to certain rites and
ceremonies, which were enjoined by the rubric, or the
Queen's injunctions j as,
1. To tlie sign of the cross in baptism, which is no
part of the institution as recorded in scripture; and having
abused to superstition by the church of Rome, and
been had in such reverence by some protestants, that
baptism itself has been thought imperfect without it, they
apprehend it ought to be laid aside, &c.
2. They excepted to the use of god-fathers and god
mothers, to the exclusion of parents from being sureties
for the education of tlieir own children. If parents were
dead, or in a distant country, they were as much for spon--
sorsto undertake for the education of the child, as their
adversaries ; but when the education of children is by the
laws of God and nature intrusted to parents, who are
bound to form them to virtue and piety, they apprehend
it very unjustifiable to release them totally from that
promise, and deliver up the child to a stranger ; as was
then' the constant practice, and is since enjoined by the
29th canon. They also disliked the god-fathers answering
in the name of the child, and not in their own.
3, They disapproved the custom of confirming children,
as soon as they could repeat the Lord's prayer and their
Catechism, by which they had a right to come to the
13"

134 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. v7
sacrament, without any other qualification; this might be;
„done by children of five or six years old. They were also
dissatisfied with that part of the office, where the bishop
laying his hand upon the children, prays that God would
by this sign certify them of his favour and goodness, which
seems to impute a sacramental efficacy to the imposition
of his hands.
4. They excepted against the injunction of kneeling
at the sacrament of the Lord's supper, which they appre
hended not so agreeable to the example of Christ and his
apostles, who gave it to his disciples, rather in a posture
of feasting than of adoration. Besides, it has no foundation
in antiquity for many hundred years after Christ ; and
having since been grossly abused by the papists to idolatry,
in their worshiping the host, it ought, say they, to be laid
aside ; and if it should be allowed-, that the posture was
indifferent, yet it ought not to be imposed and made a
necessary term of communion ; nor did they approve of
either of the sacraments being administered in private ; no
not in cases of danger.
5. To bowing at the name of Jesus, grounded upon a
false interpretation of that passage of scripture, " At the
name of Jesus every knee shall bow ;" as if greater exter
nal reverence was required to that name, than to the per
son of our blessed Saviour, under the titles of Lord,
Saviour, Christ, Emmanuel. The puritans maintained, that
all the names of God and Christ, were to be had in equal
reverence, and therefore it was beside all reason to
bow the knee, or uncover the head, only at the name of
Jesus. 6. To the ring in marriage. This they sometimes,
complied with, but wished it altered. It is derived from
the papists, who make marriage a sacrament, and the
ring a sort of sacred sign, or symbol. They also disallowed
the forbidding of marriage at certain times of the year,
and then, licensing it for money.
T.To the wearing of the surplice, and other cereriiohiesV
to be used in divine service ; concerning which the church
says, that though they were devised by men, yet they
are reserved for decency, order, and edification, &c
But the puritans saw no decency in the vestments j nay,

1567. , ELIZABETH. 13S
they thought them a disgrace to the reformation, and in
the present circumstances absolutely unlawful, because
they had been defiled with superstition and idolatry; and
because many pretended protestants placed a kind of
holiness in them; Besides, the wearing them gave coun
tenance to popery, and looked as if we were fond of being
thought a branch of that communion, which we had so
justly renounced. But suppose them to be indifferent,
they gave great offence to weak minds, and therefore
ought not to be irhposed, when there was no foundation
for the use of them, in scripture or primitive antiquity .-—
These things, say they, every one should endeavour to
reform in his place, ministers by the word, magistrate^
by their authority, and the people by prayer.
There was no difference in points of doctrine, between
the puritans and conformists ; so that if we had but one
article more, we have the chief heads of controversy
between the church of England, and the protestant
dissenters at this day ; and that is, lt The natural right
"that every man has to judge for himself, and make
" profession of that religion he apprehends most agreea-
"ble to truth, as far as it does not affect the peace and
" safety of the government he lives under; without being
" determined by the prejudices of education, the laws of
"the civil magistrate, or the decrees of councils, churches,
" or synods." This principle would effectually put an end
to all impositions ; and unless it be allowed, I am afraid
our separation from the church of Rome can hardly be
justified. The Bible, and that only, is the religion of
protestants ; and every one by making use of the helps
and assistances that God has put into his hands, must
learn and understand it for himself as well as he can.
It will appear hereafter, what sort of discipline the
Puritans would have introduced ; but these were the
objections that hindered their compliance with the present
establishment, and for which they were content to "suffer
the loss of all things." Those who remained within the
church, became itinerant preachers, lecturers, or chaplains.
The chief leaders of the separation, according to Fuller,
were Coleman, Button, Halingham, Benson, White,
Rowland, and Hawkins, all beneficed within the diocese

p. " ¦ r • - f - ^ r
136 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V,
London, These had their followers of the laity, who
forsook thqir parish churches, and avssemblecj with the
deprived ministers in woods, and private houses, to
worship God without the habits, and ceremonies of the
phurch. The Queen being informed of their proceedings,
sent to, her commissioners to take effectiial measures to
keep the laity tp their, parish churches, and to let them
know, that if they frequented any separate conventicles,
qr' broke through ; the ecclesiastical laws, they should
for the first offence be deprived of their freedom of tl^e
pity of London, and after that, abide whart further punish
ment she should direct, This was avast stjeteh.' of th|i
prerogative; there being no law as yet to disfranchise, any
man for not coming to chinch,.
But notwithstanding this threatening message, they
went on with their assemblies, and on the 19th of June,
agreed to have, a. sermon and a communion at Plumbers-
hall, which, they .hired, for that day under pretence of a
Wedding; but, here the sheriffs of 'Loqdqn detected and
broke them up, when they were assembled to, the number
of about 100 ; most of them were taken into custody, and
.some sent to the Compter, and next day seven or eight
of the chief were brought, before the Bp, of London",
The bishop charged them with absenting from, their paris^
churches, and with seating up separate assemblies for
prayer and preaching, and ministering the, sacrament,
He told them, that by, these proceedings, they condemned
the church of England, which was well reformed according
to the word of God, and those martyrs who had shed their
blood for it. To which one of them replied, in the namej
of the rest, that they condemned them not, but only
stood for the truth of Qod's word, Then the bishop asked
the elder of them, Mr. John Smith, what he could answer?
Who replied, that they thanked God for the reformation ;
that as long as they could hear the word of God preached
without idolatrous gejar about it, they never assembled
in private, houses; but when it came tq this point, that all
their preachers were displaced who would riot subscribe
to the apparel, so that they could hear none of them in
the church for the space of seven or eight weeks, except

1567. ELIZABETH. 137
father Coverdale, they began to consult what to do ; and
remembering there had been a congregation of protestants
in the city of London in Mary's days, and another of
English exiles at Geneva, that used a book framed by
them there, they resolved to meet privately together, and
use the said1 book. And finally, Mr. Smith offered7 in the
name of- the rest, to yield, and do penance at St. Paul's
Cross, if the bishop and the commissioners with him, could
reprove that book, or any tiling else that they held, by
the word of God.
The bishop told him, they could not reprove the book,
but that was no sufficient answer for his not going to church.
To which Smith replied, that, he would" as sqon gro to mass,
as to some churches, and particularly to his own parish
church ; for the minister that officiated there, was a very
papist. Others said the same of other parish priests.
The bishop asked, if they accused any of them by name;
upon which one of them presently named Mr; Bedel,
who was there present, but the bishop would not enquire
into the accusation.
The Dean of Westminster, who was one of the eccle
siastical commission, charged them with derogating -from
the Queen's authority of appointing indifferent things
in God's worship. To which one- of them answered,
that.it lay not in the authority of a prince, nor the liberty
of a christian man, to use and defend1 that which apper
tained to papistry, idolatry, and the pope's canon law.
Another said, that these things were preferred before tlie
word of God and the ordinances of Christ.1 The bishop
asked- them what was preferred ? One of them answered
boldly, that which was upon tlie bishop's head; and upon
his back; their copes and surplices, and canon laws.
Another said, that he thought both prince and people,
ought to obey the word of God. To whicli the bishop
yielded, except in things that were indifferent, whicli
God had neither commanded nor forbid; in these he
asserted, that princes had authority to order and com
mand. Whereupon several of them cried out, prove that,
where find you that ? But the bishop would not enter into
the debate, alledging the judgment of the learned Bul-
Hnger; to which1 Smith replied, that perhaps they could

18* HISTORY OF THE PURITANSJ CHAP. Vt
•shew Bullinger against Bullinger,. in the affair of the
habits. The bishop asked them, whether they would be deter
mined by the church of Geneva. Mr. Smith replied,
that they reverenced the learned in Geneva, and in other
places, but did not build their faith and religion upon
them. The bishop produced the following passage out of
one of Beza's letters against them ; that against the
bishops and prince's will* they should exercise their office,
they the ministers of Geneva did much the more tremble
at it. Mark, says the bishop, how the learned Beza,
trembles at your case. Whereupon one of them said, they
knew the letter well enough, and that it made nothing
against them, but rather against the prince and the bishops;
.Beza and ihis learned brethren trembled at their case, iri
proceeding to such extremities with men, as to drive them
against their wills to that, which they did not care td
mention. How the bishop could think this was levelled
against the non-conformists is hard to understand.
Mr. Hawkins produced a passage out of MelancthonV
that ."When the opinion of holiness, or necessity, is put
into things indifferent, they darken the light of the goS^
pel." The bishop replied, that the ceremonies and habits,*
were not commanded of necessity. To which Hawkins
rejoined, that they had made them matters of necessity, as
many a poor man had felt to his cost, who had been dis
charged of his living for con-conformity. When the
bishop had occasionally observed, that he had formerly
said mass, but was sorry for it ; one of them answered, he
went still in the habit of a mass-priest. To which he re
plied, that he had rather minister without the cope and
surplice, but for order sake, and obedience to the Queen:
When some of the commissioners urged them with the
reformation of King Edward, one said, that they never
went so far in his trine,.. as to make a law that none should
preach or minister without the garments. Sundry other
expressions of warmth passed on both sides ; at length one
of them, delivered to Justice Harris, their book of order,
the Geneva book and. challenged any of the commissioners
to disprove it by the word of God, and they would give
' over. The bishop said, they reproved it not, but they

1568. ELIZABETH, 139
liked not their separate assemblies, to trouble the common
quiet of the realm against the Queen's will. But the
others, insisted on their superior regards to the word of
God. In conclusion, the prisoners not yielding to the
bishop, were sent to Bridewell, where they with their
brethren, and sundry women, were kept in durance above
a year: At length, their patience and constancy having
teen sufficiently tried, an order was sent from the lords
of the council to release them; with an admonition to
behave themselves better for the future. Accordingly
twenty-four men, and seven women were discharged.
But neither the arguments nor sufferings of the puri
tans,- nor their great and undissembled piety, had any in
fluence upon the commissioners, who had their spies in all
suspected places, to prevent their religious assemblies ;.
and gave out strict orders, That no clergyman should be
permitted to preach in any of the pulpits of London,
without a licence from the Abp. of Canterbury, or the
Bp. of London.
The persecution of the protestants in France and thfr
Low Countries, was hot and terrible about this time.
The King of France broke through all his edicts, for the
free exercise of the reformed religion ; he banished their
ministers, and much blood was spilt in their religious wars.
In the Netherlands, the Duked'Alva breathed out nothing
feut blood and slaughter, putting multitudes to death for
religion. This occasioned great numbers to fly into
England, which multiplied the Dutch churches in London,
and elsewhere. The Queen, for their encouragemeirt?
allowed them the liberty of their own mode of worship,
and as they brought their manufactures over with them,
they proved very beneficial to the trade and commerce
of the nation.
Even in England the hearts of all good men were
ready to fail, for fear of the return of popish idolatry ;
the Queen being suddenly seized with a severe fit of
sickness this summer, which brought her to the very point
of death, and the presumptive heir, Mary, late Queen
of Scots, being a bigotted papist. The Queen, together
with her bodily distemper, was under great terror of mind
for her sin9, and for not discharging the duty of her

140 HISTORY OF THR PURITANS, CHAJ*. V.
high station as she ought : She said, she had forgotten
her God, to whom she had made many vows', and been
unthankful to him. Prayers were composed, arid publicly
read in all churches for her majesty's recovery, in Which
they petitioned, that God would heal her soul, and curie
her mind as well as her body, The papists were never
more sanguine in their expectations, nor tlie reformation
ih greater danger, than noW; and yet Bridewell, arid
other prisons, were full of puritans. But at length, it
pleased Alinighty God to dissipate for the present tne
clouds that hung over the reforriiatidh by the Queen's
recovery. This year was published the bible called the Bishops'
Bible, with a preface by Parker. It was only Cratimer's
translation revised arid corrected by Several bishops arid
learned men. The design was to set aside the Geneva
translation, which had giveri offence; Iri the beginning!
before the book of Genesis, is a Map of the^ lattid of
Canaan ; before the New Testament, is inserted a map of
the places mentioned in the four evangelists, and" the
journies of Christ and his apostles. There are various
cuts dispersed through the book, and several genealogical
and chronological tables, With the arrris of divers noblemen,
particularly those of Cranmer and Parker. These ,ai>e
also some references and marginal notes, for the explica*
tion of difficult passages. This was the bible that Was
read in the churches, till the last translation of James I,
took place.
But there was anbtfier storm gathering abroad, which
threatened the reformation over all Europe ; most of th6
popish princes having entered into a league to extirpate
it out ofr the world: The principal confederates4 were
the Pope, the Emperor, the Kings of Spain, France, and
Portugal ; with the Duke of Savoy and some lesser pf Jrices ;
Their agreement was, to endeavour by force of arm£ 16
depose all protestant kings or potentates, arid to place
catholics in their room ; arid to displace, banish, and
condemn to death, all well-wishers, and assistants of the
clergy of Luther and Calvin, while the pope was to
thunder out his anathemas against the Queen of England,
to interdict the kingdom, and to absqlve her subjects

1568. ELIZABETH. t*t
from their allegiance. In proseeusion of this league, war
was already begun in France, Holland, arid >n several parts
of Germany, with unheard-of cruelties against the re
formed. Under these difficulties, the protestant princes
of Germany entered into a league, for their common
defence, and invited the Queen of England to acqedjs
tp it fler majesty sent Sir Henry KiUigrew over to the
glectpr PaHtine with a handsome excuse; and »' *he
sarne time qrdered her ambassador in France, to offer her
mediation between that King and his protestant subjects:
But the confederacy was not to be broken by treaties ;
upon which her majesty, by way of self-defence, and to
ward off the storm from he.r own kingdoms, assisted the
confederate protestants qf France and Holland, with men
and money. This was the second time the Queen had
supported them in their religious wars against their natural
Kings. The foreign popish princes reproached her fotf
it; and her majesty's ministers had much ado to recon
cile it, with the court doctrines of passive obedience and
non -resistance. , :
At home the papists were in motion, having vast ex
pectations from certain prqphecies, that the Queen should
not reign above twelve years ; their numbers were formi
dable, and such was their latitude, that it was not easy
to bring them within the verge of the laws. In Lancashire
the Common Prayer-book was laid aside, churches were
shut up, and the mass celebrated openly. The Queen
sent down commissioners of enquiry, but all they could
do, was to bind some of the principal gentlemen to their
good behaviour in recognizances. Two of the. colleges of
Oxford, (viz.) New College and Corpus Christi, were so
over-run with papists, that the Bp. of Winchester their
visitor, was forced to break open the gates of the college,
and send for the ecclesiastical commission to reduce them
to order. Great numbers of papists harboured in the imi3
of court, and in several other places of public resort,
expecting with impatience the death of the Queen, and
the succession of the presumptive heir Mary, late Queen
of Scotland.
Towards the latter end of the year, the Earls of Nor
thumberland and Westmoreland, with their friends, to the

J42 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
number of 4000, broke out into open rebellion; their
pretence was, to restore the popish religion, and deliver
the Queen of Scots. In the city of Durham they tore the
Bible and Common Prayer-book to pieces, and restored
the mass in all places wherever they came ; but hearing
of the advance of the Queen's army under the Earl of
Suffolk, they fled northward and mouldered away, without
standing a battle : The Earl of Northumberland was taken
in Scotland, and executed at York, with many of his
confederates ; but the Earl of Westmoreland escaped into
Flanders, and died in poverty. No sooner was this rebel
lion over, but Lord Dacres excited another on the
borders of Scotland; but after a small skirmish with the
governor of Berwick, he was defeated and fled, and the
rabble was pardoned. There was a general ¦ commotion
among the papists in all parts of the kingdom, who would
have united their forces, if the northern rebels had main
tained their ground.
\, To give new life to the catholic cause, the pope pub?
lished a bull, excommunicating the Queen, and absolving^
her subjects from their allegiance. This alarmed the
administration, and put them upon their guard; but it
quickly appeared, that the pope's thunderbolts had lost
their terror; for the Roman catholic princes, not being
forward to encourage the court of Rome's pretended
pqwer of excommunicating princes, continued their cor
respondence with the Queen ; and her own Roman catholic
subjects remained pretty quiet; though from this time,
they separated openly from the church. But the Queen
took hold of the opportunity, to require all justices of
peace, and other officers in commission, throughout all
the counties in England, to subscribe their names to an
instrument, professing their conformity and obedience
to the act of Uniformity in religion, and for due resorting
to their parish churches to hear common prayer. This
affected puritans as well as papists. The gentlemen of
the inns of court were also cited before the ecclesiastical
commission, and examined about their resorting to church,
and receiving the sacrament, of which" most of them
were very negligent. This raised a clamour, as if the
Queen intended, to ransack into men's consciences j in

1569. ELIZABETH. 14$
answer to which she published a declaration, that she had
no such intention. That she did not enquire into the
sentiments of people's minds, but only required an exter
nal conformity to the laws; and that all that came to
church, and observed her injunctions, should be deemed
good subjects." So that if men would be deemed hypo
crites, her majesty would leave them to God; but if
they would not conform, they must suffer the law.
When the next parliament met, they passed a law,
making it high-treason, to declare the Queen to be an
heretic, schismatic, tyrant, infidel, or usurper ; to publishi
or put in use the pqpe's bulls ; to be reconciled to the
church of Rome, or to receive absolution by virtue of
them. The concealing, or not discovering offenders
against this act, is misprision of treason. A protestation
was likewise drawn up, to be taken by all reputed papists ;
and that the puritans might not escape without some note
of disloyalty, another protestation to the same effect was
drawn up for them. There was no manner of occasion
for this last protestation ; for in the midst of these com
motions, the puritans continued the Queen's faithful and
dutiful subjects, and served her majesty as chaplains iii
her armies and navy, though they were not admitted into
the churches. One would have thought the formidable
conspiracies of the Roman catholics, should have alie
nated the Queen's heart from them, and prevailed with
her majesty to yield something, for the sake of a firmer
union among her protestant subjects ; but instead of this,
the edge of those laws that were made against popish rescu-
ants, was turned against protestant nonconformists, which
instead of bringing them into the church, like all other
methods of severity, drove them further from it.
This year died Mr. A. 'Kirigsmilf, born in Hampshire,
and educated in All Souls' Coll. Oxoii. He had such a
strong memory, that he could readily rehearse in the
Greek language, all Paul's epistles to the Rqirians and
Galatians, and other portions of scripture memoriter. He,
was a most pious and religious person, undervaluing all
worldly profit, in comparison of the assurance of his sal
vation. In 1563, there were only three preachers in the,
»fuversity, of whom Kingsmjll was one; but after somq

144" HISTORY OF THE PURITANS., CHAP. V*
time, when conformity was pressed, and Sampson deprived
of his deamy, he withdrew from the kingdom, resolving
to live in one of the best reformed churches for doctrine
and discipline, the better to prepare himself for the ser
vice of the church ; accordingly he lived three years al
Geneva, from thence he removed to Lausanrie, where he
died in the prime of his days, leaving behind him ari.
excellent pattern of piety, devotion* and all mariner of
virtue. The rigdrotis execution of the penal laws, made busi
ness for the Civilians j many were cited into the spiritual
courts, and after long attendance, and heavy charges^
were suspended or deprived ; the pursuivant, or messeh-'
ger of the Court, was paid by the mile ; the fees Weref
exorbitant,, which the prisoner must satisfy before he id
discharged ; the method of proceeding was dilatory and
ifexatiou's, though they seldom called any witnesses fa
support the charge* but usually tendered the defendant
an oath, to answer the interrdgataries of the court ; ana
if he refused the oath, they examined him. without it, and
convicted him uponhiS own confession; if thfe prisoner"
was dismissed, he was almost ruined With the Costs* ana
bound in a recognizance to appear again, Whensoever' the
court should require him. We shall meet with many?
sad examples of sUeh proceedings* in the latter part of
this reign. The honest puritans made conscience" of not
denying any thing they were charged with, if it was true,
though they might certainly have put theif accuser* oil
proof of the change : Nay, most of them thought them
selves bound to confess the truth, and bear a public tes-*
timony to it, before the civil magistrate, though it was
riiade use of to their disadvantage.
The controversy with the church, which had hitherto
Heett Chiefly confined to the habits,, to the Cross irt bap-1
tUna, and kneeling at the Lord's supper, began how td
open into Several more considerable branches* by the
lectures of Mr. Cartwright, fellow of Trinity Coll. Carii>
bridge, a courageous man, a popular preacher, a profound'
scholar, and master of an elegant latin stile ; he was iri
bdgh esteem in the university, khis lectures being fre
quented fey vast crouds of scholars* and when ne preacfe-

1570. ELIZABETH. 145
ed at St. Mary's, they were forced to take down the
windows. Beza says of him, that he thought there
was not a more learned man under the sun. This divine,
in his lectures, disputed against certain blemishes of the
English hierachy, and particularly against these six,
which he subscribed with his own hand.— That the names
and functions of archbishops and archdeacons ought to
be abolished, as having no foundation in scripture. — The
offices of the lawful ministers of the church, viz. bishops
and deacons, ought to be reduced to the apostolical in
stitution; the bishop to preach the word of God and
pray, and deacons to take care of the poor. — The go
vernment of the church ought not to be intrusted with
bishops, chancellors, or the officials of archdeacons ; but
every church should be governed by its own minister
and presbyters. — Ministers ought not to be at large, but
every one should have the charge of a certain flock. — No
body should ask, or stand as a candidate for the ministry.
— Bishops should not be created by civil authority, but
ought to be fairly chosen by the church. These propo
sitions are said to be untrue, dangerous, and tending to
the ruin of learning and religion ; they were therefore
sCnt to secretary Cecil, chancellor of the universitity,
who advised the vice-chancellor to silence the author,
or oblige him to recant. Cartwright challenged Dr.
Whitgift, who preached against him, to a public dispu
tation, which he refused unless he had the Queen's licence;
and Whitgift- offered a private debate by writing, which
the other declined, as answering no valuable purpose.
Other dangerous and seditious propositions, as they were
called, were collected out of Cartwright's lectures, and
sent to court by Dr. Whitgift, to incense the Queen and
chancellor against him.
These were some of Cartwright's dangerous and se
ditious doctrines, which" he touched occasionly in his
lectures, but with no design to create discord, as appears
by a testimonial sent to . the secretary of state in his
favour, signed by fifteen considerable names in the uni
versity; in which they declare, that they had heard his
lectures, and that he -never touched upon the controversy
: VOL. i, K

14.6 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Vi
of the habits; and though he had advanced some pro
positions with regard to the ministry, according to which
he wished things might be regulated, he did it with all ima
ginable caution and modesty. Other letters were also-
written in his favour, but it was resolved to make him an
example. Cartwright himself sent an elegant latin letter
to the secretary, in which he declares, that he waved all
occasions of speaking concerning the habits, but owns he
had taught that our ministry declined from the ministry
of the apostolical church in some points, according to
which he wished it might be modelled, however* that he
did this with all imaginable caution, as almost the whole
university would witness, if they niight be allowed. He
prayed the secretary to hear and judge the cause himself;
which was so far from novelty, that it was as venerable
for its antiquity as the apostolic age; but though the
secretary was convinced, that his behaviour was free
from arrogance, or an intention to cause trouble, and that
only as a public reader in the university, he had given
notes of the difference between the ministry in the times
of the apostles, and the present ministry of the church
of England, yet he left him to the mercy of his enemies,
who poured upon him all the infamy and disgrace their
power would admit. They first denied him his- degree of
doctor in divinity, then forbid his reading public lectures,
and at last deprived him of his fellowship, and expelled
him the university. A short and compendious way qf
confuting an adversary ! Mr. Cartwright being now out
of all employment, travelled beyond sea, and settled a
correspondence with the most celebrated divines in the
protestant universities of Europe. Wlrtle he was abroad,
he was chosen minister to the English merchants at Ant
werp, and afterwards at Middleburgh, where he conti
nued two years, with little or no profit to himself; and
then returned to England, being earnestly solicited there
unto. We shall hear more of the sufferings of this emi
nent divine for his nonconformity.
This year Grindal, Bp. of London, being translated
to York, Sandys, Bp. of Worcester, was removed to
London ; in his primary ..visitation he charged his clergy-r
To keep strictly to the book of Common Prayer. Not

ISH. ELIZABETH. 147
to preach without a licence. To wear the apparel, that
is, the square cap, and scholars gOWn, and in divine ser
vice, the surplice. Not to admit any of the other parishes
to their communion. He also ordered all clerks tolera
tions to be called in ; by which it appears, that some few
of the nonconformists had been tolerated or dispensed
with hitherto, but now this was at an end. However, the
puritans encouraged one another by conversation and
letters, to stedfastness in their opposition to the corrup
tions of the church, and not to fear the resentments of
their adversaries.
There was a spirit in the parliament, to attempt some
thing in favour of the puritans, upon whom the bishops
bore harder every day. Mr. Stricklarid offered a bill
for a further reformation in the church, and introduced
it with a speech, proving, that the Common Prayer-
Book, with some superstitious remains of popery in the
church, might easily be altered without any danger to
religion. He enforced it with a second speech: upon
which the treasurer of the Queen's household stood up,
and said, — All matters of ceremonies were to be referred
to the Queen, and for them to meddle with the royal
prerogative was hot convenient. Her majesty was so
displeased with Mr. Strickland's motion, that she sent
for him before the council, "and forbid him the parliament-
horise, which alarihed the members, and occasioned so
many warm speeches, that she thought fit to restore him.
This was a bold stroke at the freedom of parliaments, and
carrying the prerogative to its utmost length. Brit Strick
land moved further, That a confession of faith should be
published and confirmed by parliaftient, as it was in other
protestant countries; and that a committee might be
appointed to confer with the bishops on this head. The
coinmittee drew up certain articles, according to those
whicli passed the convocation of 1562. but left out others.
The' archbishop" asked them, why they left out the article
for homilies, and for the consecrating of bishops, and
some others relating to the hierachy. Mr. Wentworth re
plied, because they had not yet examined, how far they -
were agreeable to the word of God, having confined,
K 2 ' I

148 HISTORY OF THE PVR.ITANS. CHAP.. Y.
themselves chiefly to doctrines. The archbishop replied,,
surely you will refer yourselves wholly to us the bishops
in these things ? To which Wentworth replied warmly,
" No, by the faith I bear to God, we will pass nothing
before we understand what it is, for that were to make
you popes : Make you popes who list, for we will make
you none." So the articles relating to discipline were
waved, and an act was passed, confirming all the doctrinal
articles agreed upon in the synod of 1562,
It appears from this act that those articles of the
church which relate to its discipline, were not designed
to be the terms of ministerial conformity; and if the
Queen and the bishops had governed themselves accord
ingly, the separation had been stifled in its infancy ; for
there was hardly a puritan in England, who refused sub
scription to the doctrinal articles.
But notwithstanding this act, many that held benefices
and ecclesiastical preferments, and that offered to conform
to the statute, were deprived -in the following part of
this reign; which was owing to the bishops servile com
pliance with the prerogative, and pressing subscription to
more than the law required. It deserves further to be
taken notice of, that by a clause in this act, the parlia
ment admits of ordination by presbyters without a bishop ;
which was afterwards disallowed by the bishops in this
reign ; as well as at the restoration of Charles II, when
the church was deprived of great numbers of learned
and useful preachers, who scrupled the matter of re-
ordination, as thpy would at this time, if it had been in
sisted on. Many of the present clergy had been exiles:
for religion, and had been ordained abroad, according,
to the custom of foreign churches, but would not be re-
ordained, any more than those of tlie popish communion ?
therefore, to put an end to alt disputes the statute com-t
prehends papists, and likewise such as received their
orders in some of the foreign reformed churches, when
• they were in exile under Queen Mary.
It is probable-that the controverted clause of the 20th-
article, " the church liath power to decree rites and cere
monies and authority, in controversies of faith," was not
among the articles' of 1562,, though it might be, according

1371. ELIZABETH. 149
to Laud and Heylin, inserted in the convocation book of
1571, but what has this to do with the act of parliament,
which refers to a book printed nine years before ? Be
sides, it is absurd to charge the puritans with striking out
the clause, as Laud has done; they having no share in
the government of the church at this time, nor interest
to obtain the least abatement in their favour ; nor does it
appear, that they disapproved the clause under proper
regulations : One might rather suppose, that the Queen
should take umbrage at it as an invasion of her preroga
tive, and that therefore some zealous churchmen, finding
the articles defective upon the head of the church's au
thority, might insert it privately, to avoid the danger of
a praemunire- But after all, subscription to the doctrinal articles of
the church only, has been reckoned a very great griev
ance by many pious and learned divines, both in the church
and out of it ; for it is next to impossible to frame 36
propositions in any human words, to which ten thousand
clergymen can give their hearty assent and consent. Some
that agree to the doctrine itself, may dissent from
the words and phrases by which it is expressed ; and
others, who agree to the doctrines of Christianity, may
have some doubts about the deeper and more abstruse
points of speculation. It would be hard to deprive a man
of his living, and shut him out from all usefulness in the
church, because he doubts of the local descent of Christ
into hell : or, Whether the best actions of men before
their conversion have the nature of sins ; or whether every
thing in the three creeds, commonly called the Apostles'
the Nicene, and the Athanasian, may be proved by;most
certain warrants of holy scripture, and are therefore to
be believed and received,. Wise and good men may have
different sentiments upon the doctrine of the decrees,
which are a depth that no man can fathom. These, and
some other things, have galled the consciences of the
clergy, and driven them to evasions, destructive of mo
rality, and the peace of their own minds. Some have
subscribed them as articles of peace, contrary to the very
title, which nays, They are for avoiding diversity of opi-
K3

150 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP-- V.
nions. Others have tortured, the words to a meaning
contrary to the known sense of the compilers. Some sub
scribe them with a secret reserve " as far as they are
agreeable to the word of God ;" and so they may subscribe
the council of Trent, or even the aleoran. Others sub
scribe them not as doctrines which they believe, but as
doctrines that they will not openly contradict and oppose;
and others, I am informed, put no sense upon the articles
at all, but only subscribe them as a test of their obedience
to their superiors, who require this of them, as the legal
way to preferment in the church. How hard must it be
for men of learning and probity fo submit to these shifts!
when no kind of subscription can be a barrier against
ignorant or dishonest minds. Of what advantage is uni
formity of profession withoutan agreement in principles?
If the fundamental articles of our faith, were drawn up
in the language of holy scripture ; or if those who are
appointed to examine into the learning, and other qua
lifications of ministers, were to be judges of their or
thodox confessions of faith, it would answer a better
purpose, than subscription to human creeds and articles.
Though the commons were forbid to concern them
selves with the discipline of the church, they ventured
to present an address, to the Qneeu, complaining, " That
for lack of true discipline in the church, great numbers
are admitted ministers that are infamous in their lives, and
amorig those that are of ability, their gifts in many places
are useless, by reason of pluralities and non-residency,
whereby infinite numbers of your majesty's subjects are
like to " perish for lack of knowledge-" By means of this,
together with the common blaspheming of the Lord's name,
the most wicked licentiousness of life, the abuse of excom
munication, the commutation of penance, the great num
bers of atheists, schismatics daily springing up, and the
increase of papists, the protestant religion is in imminent
danger : Wherefore in regard first and principally to the
glory of God, and next in discharge of our bounden
duty to your majesty; besides being moved with pity
towards so many thousands of your majesty's subjects,
daily in danger of being lost for want of the food of the
word, and true discipline, we the commons in this present

1571. ELIZABETH. 151
parliament assembled, are humbly bold to open the griefs,
and to beseech your majesty, &c. But the Queen
broke up the parliament without taking any notice of the
supplication. The convocation which sat with this parliament assem
bled April 3d, when Mr. G. Alcock, presented a sup
plication to them in behalf of the deprived ministers,
praying their interest with the Queen for a redress of
their grievances. But the convocation, instead of re
moving their burdens encreased them, by framing cer
tain new canons of discipline, against the puritans ; as,
that the bishops should call in all their licences for preach
ing, and give out new ones to those who were best qua
lified; and among the qualifications they insist not only
upon subscription to the doctrines of the church, enjoined
by parliament, but upon subscription to the Common
Prayer-book, and Ordinal for consecration of archbishops,
bishops, priests, and deacons, as containing nothing con
trary to the word of God. And they declare, that all
such preachers who do not subscribe, or that disturb
peoples minds with contrary doctrine, shall be excommu
nicated. But as these canons never had the sanction of
the broad seal, surely the enforcing them upon the puri
tans was a stretch of power hardly to be justified. Bishop
• Grindal confessed they had not the force of a law, and
might possibly involve them in a prcemunire; and yet
the bishops urged them upon the clergy of their several
dioceses. They cancelled all the licences of preachers,
and insisted peremptorily on the subscription above-
mentioned. The complaints of the ministers under these hardships,
reached the ears of the elector palatine of the Rhine,
who was pleased to order the learned Zanchy, professor
of divinity in the university of Heidelburgh, to write to
the Queen of England in their behalf, beseeching her
majesty, not to insist upon subscriptions, or upon wearing
the habits which gave such offence to great numbers of
the clergy, and was like to make a schism in the church.
The letter was inclosed to bishop Grindal, who when he
had read it, would not so much as deliver it to the Queen,
for fear of disobliging her majesty, whose resolution was

152. HISTORY OT THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
to put an end to all distinctions in theclirirch, by pressing
the act of uniformity. Instead therefore of relaxing, orders
Were sent to all churchwardens not to suffer any to read,
pray, preach, or minister the sacraments in any churches,
chapels, or private places, without a new licence from
the Queen or the archbishop, or bishop of the diocese'/
The more resolved puritans, were hereby reduced to the
necessity of assembling in private, or of laying down their
ministry. Thoughall the bishops were obliged to go into these
measures of the court, yet some were so sensible of the
want of discipline, and of preaching the word, that they
permitted their clergy to enter into associations for pro
moting of both. The ministers of the town of North
ampton, with the consent and approbation of Dr. Scam-
bler their bishop, the mayor of the town, and the justices
of the county, agreed upon various regulations for wor
ship and discipline.
Here was a sort of association, or voluntary disciplkwj
introduced independent of the Queen's injunctions, or
canons of the church ; this was what the puritans were
contending for, and would gladly have acquiesced in, if
it might have been established by law.
Besides these attempts for discipline, the clergy, with
leave of their bishop, encouraged religious exercises
among themselves, for the interpretation of some text of
scripture, one speaking to it orderly after another; these
were called prophesyings from the apostolical direction,
1 Cor. xiv. 31. Ye may all prophecy one by one, that all
may learn, and all be comforted. Strype calls this, a
well minded, and religiously disposed combination of
both bishop, magistrate, and people. It was designed to
stir up an emulation in the clergy to study the scriptures,
that they might be more capable of instructing the people
in christian knowledge ; and though men of loose prin
ciples censured it, yet the ecclesiastical commissioners,
who had a special letter from the Queen, to inquire into
novelties, and were acquainted with the scheme above-
mentioned, gave them as yet neither check nor disturb
ance; but when her majesty was informed that they were
nurseries of pi>rit;mism, and tended to promote alterations

1571. ELIZABETH. 154
in the government of the church, she quickly suppressed
them, as will be seen in its proper place.
This year put a period to the life of the eminent John
Jewel, Bp of Salisbury, author of the famous apology
for the church of England, which was translated into for-
reign languages, and ordered to be chained in all the
parish churches of England. He was born in Devonshire,
1522. and educated in Christ-church College, Oxoii.
In Edward's reign, he was a zealous promoter of the
reformation ; but not having the courage of a martyr, he
yielded to some things against his conscience in the reign
of Maiy, for which he asked pardon of God, and the
church, among the exiles in Germany, where he continued
a confessor for the gospel till Elizabeth's accession, when -
he returned house, and was preferred to the bishopric of
Salisbury. He was one of the most learned men among
the reformers, a calvinist in doctrine, but for absolute
obedience to his sovereign, in all things of an indifferent
nature, which led him not only to comply with all the
Queen's injunctions about the habits, when he did hot
approve them, but to bear hard upon the consciences of
hfe brethren, who were not satisfied to comply. He was
a truly pious man, and died in a comfortable frame of
mind. Some of his last words were, "I have not so lived
that I am ashamed to die ; neither am I afraid to die, for
we have a gracious Lord. There is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness. Christ is my righteousness. Lord let
thy servant depart in peace.
In the same year died Mr. D. Whitehead, a great
scholar, and a most excellent professor of divinity. He
was educated in Oxford, was chaplain to Queen Anne
Bullen, and one of the four divines nominated by Cranmer,
to bishoprics in Ireland. In the beginning of Mary's
reign', he-went into voluntary exile, and resided at Frank
fort, where he answered the objections of Dr. Home,
concerning church-discipline and worship. Upon his
return into England, he was chosen one of the disputants
against the popish bishops, and shewed himself so pro
found a divine, that the Queen, out of her high esteem
for him, offered him the arch-bishopric of Canterbury;
but he refused it from puritanical principles, and would

154 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
accept of no preferment in the church* as it then stood : i.
He excused himself to the Queen, by saying, he could
live plentifully on the gospel without any preferment ; and
accordingly did so : He went up and down like an apostle, .
preaching the word where it was wanted ; and spent hia
life in celibacy, which gained him the higher esteem with
the Queen, who had no great affection for married priests. <¦
He died this year in a good old age.
¦ Our archbishop was very busy this summer, with the
Bps. of Winchester and Ely, in harassing the puritans ;
for which purpose he summoned before him the principal
clergy of both provinces, who were disaffected to the
uniformity established by law, and acquainted them, that
if they intended to continue their ministry, they must take
out new licences, and subscribe the articles framed accord
ing to a new act of parliament, for reforming, certain
disorders in ministers j otherwise they must resign quietly,
or be deprived. He took in the bishops above-mentioned
to countenance his proceedings, but Grindal declared he
would not be concerned, if his grace proceeded to suspen
sion and deprivation.
In the month of June, the archbishop cited the chief
puritan divines about London to Lambeth. These divines
being willing to live peaceably, offered to subscribe the
articles of religion, as far as concerned the doctrine and
sacraments only, and the book of common prayer, as far
as it tended to edification, it being acknowledged on all
hands, that there were some imperfections in it j praying
with respect to the apparel, that neither party might con
demn the other, but that those who wore it, and those who
did not, might live in unity and concord. How reasonable
soever this was, the archbishop told them peremptorily,
that they must come up to the standard of the Queen's
injunctions, or be deprived. Goodman was also required i
to renounce a book that he had wrote many years ago, :
when he was an exile, against the government of women ; ,
which he refused, and was therefore suspended. Strype
says, that he was at length brought to revoke it, and
signed a protestation concerning his dutiful obedience
to the Queen's person, and government. Lever quietly
resigned his prebend in the. church of Durham. Browne ¦->

U71. .ELIZABETH. IM
being,, domestic chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk, his
patron undertook to screen him; but the archbishop sent
him word, that no place within her majesty's dominions,
was exempt from the jurisdiction of the commissioners,
and tlierefore if his grace did not forthwith send up his
chaplain, they should be forced to use other methods.
This was that Robert Browne, who afterwards gave name
to that denomination of dissenters, called Brownists ; but
his family and relations covered him for the present.
Johnson was domestic chaplain to the Lord-keeper Bacon,
at Gorambury, where he used to preach and administer the
sacrament in his family: he had also some place at St.
Albans, and was fellow of King's College, Cambridge.
He appeared before the commissioners, but refusing to
aubscribe to the book of common prayer as agreeable to
tlie word of God, he was suspended, though he assured
them, that he used the book, and thought for charity saJse
it might be suffered, till God should grant a time of more
perfect reformation : that he would wear the apparel,
though he judged it neither expedient nor for edification j
and that he was willing to subscribe all the doctrinal arti
cles of the church, according to the late act of parliament :
but the commissioners insisted peremptorily upon an ab
solute subscription, as above, he was suspended, and
resigned his prebend in the church of Norwich ; and
about two years ofter, he fell into further troubles which
cost him his life.
The learned Beza, writ to the bishops, not to be the
instruments of such severities ; and being informed that
a parliament was shortly to be called, in which a consul
tation was to be had concerning the establishing of religion,
he excited the Lord treasurer to endeavour some refornta-
tion of discipline ; " For I will not dissemble, says he,
that not a few complain of divers things wanting in the
church ; and when I say not a few, I do not mean that
worse sort, whom nothing pleases but what is perfect, and
absolute in all respects; but I understand godly learned
men, and some that are best affected to God's church* and
lovers, of their nation. I look upon the reformation of
discipline as of great importance to the peace and welfare
of the nation, and the strengthening of the reformation j

iS6 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
and therefore, there is nothing the Queen's majesty and
her council should sooner think of than this, however
great and difficult the work might be, especially since the
English nation affords so many divines of prudence, learn
ing, and judgment, in these affairs r if they together
with the bishops, to whom indeed especially, but not
alone, this care belongs, would deliberate hereupon, I
doubt not but such things would follow, whence other
nations would take example." Thus did this learned
divine intercede for the recovery of discipline, and the
ease of tender and scrupulous consciences. But this
was more than our archbishop thanked him for, after
he had taken so much pains in pressing the act of
uniformity. The parliament met May 8. the Lord-keeper opening
it with a speech, in which he recommerided to the houses
ih the Queen's name, to see that the laws relating to the
discipline arid ceremonies of the church, were put in
due execution) and that if any farther laws were wanting,
they should consider of them, and so, says his Bordship,
Gladius Gladium juvetbit, the civil sword will support, the
ecclesiastical, as before time has been used. But the
parliament seeing the ill use the Queen and bishops made
of- their spiritual power, instead of framing new laws to
enforce the ceremonies, ordered two bills to be brought
iir to regulate them : in one of which, the hardships that
the puritans complained of were redressed. The bills
passed smoothly through the commons, and were referred-
to a select Committee of both houses, which alarmed the
bishops, and gave the Queen such offence, that two days
after she sent to acquaint the commons by their speaker,
that k'was her pleasure, that no bills concerning religion
should henceforth be received, unless the same should
be first considered, and approved by the bishops or clergy
in convocation ; and further, her majesty commanded
them to deliver up the two bills last read in the house,
touching rites and ceremonies. This was a high strain
of. tlie prerogative, and a blow at the very root of the
freedom of parliament. But the commons sent her ma
jesty the bills with a servile request, that she would not
tonceive an" ill opinion of the house, if she should hot

1572. ELIZABETH* 157
approve them. Her majesty sent them word, within a day
or two, that she utterly disliked the bills, and never re
turned them. This awakened a noble spirit of liberty
among some of the members ; many free speeches were
made upon the occasion, and among others, Peter Went
worth, Esq. stood up and said, " That it grieved him to see,
how many ways the liberty of free speech in parliament,
had been infringed. Two things, says he, do great hurt
among us, one is a rumour that run about the house, when
the bill about the rites of the church was depending ;
take heed what you do, the Queen liketh not such a mat
ter, she will be offended with them that prosecute it. The
other is, that sometime a message was brought to the
house, either commanding or inhibiting our proceedings."
He Added, " that it was dangerous always to follow a
prince's mind, because the prince might favour a cause
prejudicial to the honour of God, and the good of the
state. ' Her majesty has forbid us to deal in any matter of
religion, unless we first receive it from the bishops. This
was a doleful message ; there is then little hope of reform
ation. I have heard from old parliament men, that tlie
banishment of the pope, and the reforming, true religion,
had its beginning from this house, but not from the
bishops ; few laws for religion had their foundation from
them; and I do surely think, before God I speak it, that
the bishops were the cause Df that doleful message." But
for this speech, and another of the like nature, Wentworth
was sent to the Tower.
In the mean time the late act for subscribing the
articfes, was put in execution all over England, together
with the Queen's injunctions ; and according to Strype's
computation, 100 clergymen were deprived this year,
for refusing to subscribe. The university of Cambridge
was a nest of puritans ; and many of the graduates were
disaffected to the discipline of the church, who being
men of learning, had great numbers of followers ; but
Whitgift, the vice-chancelior, watched them narrowly,
and kept them under. Mr. Clarke in one of his sermons
at St. Mary's had said, that there ought to be a parity
among the ministers in the church ; and that the hierar
chical, orders of archbishops, patriarchs,, metropolitans.

i& hist&ry Of The puritans. chAp. v,
&c. was introduced into the church by Satan. Fdr which
he was summoned before the vice-chancellor and heads
of colleges, and refusing to recant, was expelled thff
university. Clarke wrote a handsome Latin apology to
Lord Burleigh, their present chancellor, in which he
confesses, that it was his opinion, that the church of Eng
land might be brought nearer to the apostolic character
or likeness ; but that this must not be said either in the
pulpit or desk, under the severest penalties. The chan
cellor knowing him to be a good scholar, and in cortsider-
- ation that he had been hardly dealt with, interceded
for him* but to no purpose." Messrs. Browning, Deering,
and others, met with the like usage. De6ring was a man
bf good learning, and made a chief figure in the univer
sity ; he was also reader at St. Paul's, London, and a' most
popular preacher ; but being an enemy to the superior
order of bishops* he fell into theharidsof the commis
sioners, and was silenced.
The puritans finding it in vain to hope for a reformation
from the Queen or bishops, resolved for the future fo
apply to parliament, and stand by the constitution; for
this purpose they made interest among the members, and
compiled a treatise, setting forth their chief grievances in
one view ; it was drawn up by Mr. Field* minister of
Aldermary, London, assisted by Mr. Wilcox, and wasf
revised by several of the brethren- It wag entitled ari
Admonition to the Parliament!" with Beza's letter
to the Earl of Leicester, and Gualter's to Bp. Parkhurst,
for reformation of church discipline, annexed. ' It con
tains the platform of a church; the manner of electing
ministers; their several duties, and their equality* iri
government. It then exposes the corruptions of the
hierarchy, and the proceedings of the bishops, with some
severity of language ; and concludes with a petition to the
bouses, that a discipline more consonant to the word of
God, and agreeing with the foreign reformed churches,
may be established by law. The authors theihselvesy yiz.
Messrs. Field and Wilcox, presented it to the house, fol*
-which they were sent for into custody, and by the influence.
of the bishops committed to Newgate. Upqn this,; thfe
boot already printed was suffered to go abroad^ and'liad.

1572.- ELIZABETH, 139
gone through three or four editions within the compass of
two years, notwithstanding all the endeavours of the
bishops to find out the press,
The imprisonment of the two ministers, occasioned the
drawing up a second admonition* by Mr. CARTWRIGHT,
lately returned from beyond sea, with an humble petition
to the two houses, for relief against the subscription re
quired by the ecclesiastical commissioners, which they
represent had no foundation in law* but was an act of
sovereignty in the crown, and was against the peace of
their consciences ; and that many had lost their places
and livings for not complying ; they therefore beseech
their honours, . to take a view of the causes of their non-
subscribing, that it might appear they were not disobe
dient to the church of God, or to their sovereign ; and
they most humbly entreat, for the removal and abolishing
of such corruptions and abuses in the church, as with -held
their compliance. Two other pamphlets were published
on this occasion, one entitled, " An exhortation to the
bishops to deal brotherly with their brethren ;" the other,
" An exhortation to the bishops and clergy, to answer a
little book that was published last parliament ; and an
exhortation to other /brethren, to judge of it by God'*
word, till they saw it answered."
The prisoners themselves, drew up an elegant Latin
apology to the Lord treasurer Burleigh, in which they
confess their writings the admonition, but that they at
tempted not to correct or change any thing in the hier
archy of themselves, but referred all to the parliament,
hoping by this means that all differences might be com
posed in a legal way, and the corruptions complained of,
might be removed, to the preventing any schism or
separation in the church. However, the treasurer had not
courage to intermeddle with an affair, which might em
broil him with the Queen, or at least with her ecclesiastical
commissioners, though it was well enough known he had
a good will to the cause. But the commissioners, not con
tent with the severity of the law, sported themselves in an
arbitrary manner with the miseries of their fellow-crea
tures ; detained them in prison beyond the time limited
¦by the statute j and though .the inhabitants of Aldermary,

160 HISTORY OT THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
London, presented two supplications for the enlargement
of their valuable pastor, and learned and faithful preacher,
as they called Mr. Field ; and though some great friends
interceded for them, they could not obtain their release.
The archbishop sent his chaplain to confer with them in
prison, after they had been there three months, for which
they were thankful. The conference began with a suitable
prayer, which Mr. Field made, and was carried on with
such decency, as moved the chaplain's compassion ; but
nothing would prevail with the inexorable commissioners
to release them, till they had suffered the extremity of
the law, and paid their fees, though the keeper gave it
under his hand, that they were so poor, as not to have
money to pay for their lodgings or victuals. To return to
the Admonition, which consisted of twenty-three chap
ters, under the following titles. Chap. I. Whether Christ
forbiddeth rule or superiority to ministers. II. Of the
authority of the church in things indifferent. III. Of the
election of ministers. IV. Of ministers having no pasto
ral charge ; and of ceremonies used in ordering ministers.
V. The residence of the pastors. VI. Of ministers that
cannot preach, and of licences to preach. VII. The
apparel of riiinisters. VIII. Of archbishops, metropolitans^
bishops, archdeacons, &c. IX. The communion book. X.
Of holidays. XI. What kind of preaching is most effectual.
XII. Preaching before the administration of the sacra
ments. XIII. Reading the scriptures. XIV. Ministering
and preaching by deacons. XV. The communion. XVI.
Baptism. XVII. Of seniors, or government by elders.
XVIII, Discipline of the church. XIX. Deacons and
widows. XX. The authority of the civil magistrate in
ecclesiastical matters. XXI. Subscribing the communion
book. XXII. Cathedral churches. XXIII. Of civil offices in
ecclesiastical persons. These were the chief heads of
cqhiplaint, which the puritans having laid before the
world, the bishops thought themselves obliged to answer.
Dr! J. Whitgift, master of Trinity Coll. and vice-chan
cellor of Cambridge, was appointed to this work, wiiich
he performed with great labour and study, and dedicated
it to the church of England. His method was unexcep
tionable; the whole text of the admonition being set

1572. ELIZABETH. 161
down in paragraphs, and under each paragraph the doctor's
answer. Before it was printed it was revised and corrected
by archbishop Parker, Bp. Cooper, Bp. of London, and
Pern, Bp. of Ely ; so that in this book, says Strype, may
be seen all the arguments for and against the hierarchy,
drawn to the best advantage.
Whitgift's book was answered by Mr. Cartwright,
whose performance was called a master piece in its kind,
and had the approbation of great numbers in the univer
sity of Cambridge, as well as foreign divines. Whitgift
replied to Cartwright, and had the thanks of the bishops
and of the Queen; who as a reward for his excellent
and learned pains, made him dean of Lincoln, while
Cartwright to avoid the rigor of the commissioners, was
forced to abscond in friends' houses, and at length retire
into banishment.
But it was impossible for these divines to settle the
controversy, because they were not agreed upon one and
the same standard, or rule of judgment. Cartwright
maintained, that the holy scriptures were not only a
standard of doctrine, but of discipline and government;
and that the church of Christ in all ages, was to be regu
lated by them. He was therefore for consulting his bible
only, and for reducing all things as near as possible to
the apostolical standard. Whitgift went upon a different
principle, and maintained that though the holy scriptures
.were a perfect rule of faith, they were not designed as a
standard of church discipline or government ; but that
this was changeable, and might be accommodated to the
civil government we live under ; that the apostolical
government was adapted to the church in its infancy, and
under persecution, but was to be enlarged and altered as
the church grew to maturity, and had the civil magistrate
on its side. The doctor tlierefore, instead of reducing
the external policy of the church to scripture, takes
into his standard, the four first centuries after Christ; and
those customs that he can trace up thither, he thinks
proper to be retained, because the church was then in
its mature, state, and not yet under the power of antichrist.
The reader will judge of these principles for. himself
VOL. I. L

162 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
One is ready to think, that the nearer we can come to
the apostolical practice the better; and the less our re
ligion is incumbered with rites and ceremonies of later
invention, the more it must resemble the simplicity that
is in Christ. If our blessed Saviour had designed that
his worship should be set off with pomp and grandeur,
and a multitude of ceremonies, he would have told us so ;
and it may be have settled them, as was done for the
church of the Jews; but nothing of this appearing, his
followers should be cautious of inserting human com
mandments or traditions, into the religion of Christ, lest
they cast a reflection upon his kingly office.
The dispute between Whitgift and Cartwright, was
managed with some sharpness ; the latter thought he had
reason to complain of the hardships himself and his bre
thren suffered ; and Whitgift having the government on
his side, thought he stood upon higher ground, and might
assume a superior air; when Cartwright and his friends
pleaded for indulgence because they were brethren, the
doctor replies, "What signifies their being brethren;
anabaptists, arians, and other heretics, would be account
ed brethren ; their haughty spirits will not suffer theiri
to see their error ; they deserve as great punishment as
papists, because both conspire against the church. If
they are shut up in Newgate, it is a meet reward of their
disorderly doings; for ignorance may not excuse libels
against a private man, much less when they slander the
whole church." — How would the doctor have liked this
language in the mouth of a papist sixteen years before ?
But this has been the method of warm and zealous dis
putants ; the knots they cannot untie with their fingers,
they would fain cut asunder with the sword.
Thus Whitgift routed his adversary ; he had already
deprived him of his professor's chair, and of his degree
of doctor of divinity, and being now vice-chancellor, of
Cambridge, he got him expelled the university upon the
following pretence : Cartwright being senior fellow of
his college, was only in deacon's orders ; the doctor being
informed of this, and that the statute requiring such to
take upon them the order of priesthood, might be inter-.
preted to priest's orders, concluded he was perjuredi

1572. ELIZABETH. 163
upon whicli he summoned the heads of colleges together,
and declared that Cartwright had broken his oath, and
without any further admonition, pushed his interest
among the masters, to rid the college of a man, whose
popularity was too great for his ambition, insomuch that
he declared he could not establish order in tlie university,
while a person of his principles was among them ; after
this he wrote to the archbishop, and begged his grace to
watch at court, that Cartwright might get no advantage
against him, for says he, he is flatly perjured, and it is
God's just judgment that he should be so punished, for
not being a full minister. A very mean and pitiful
triumph !
The Queen also, and her commissioners, brandished
their swords against Cartwright and his followers ; her
majesty by proclamation called in the admonition, comr
manding all her subjects, who had any in their possession,
to bring them to the bishop of the diocese, and not to
sell them, upon pain of imprisonment ; upon which Stroud
the publisher, brought in thirty four, and his wife burnt
the rest that were unsold : This Mr. Stroud was the sus
pended minister of Cranbrook, an excellent preacher,
and universally beloved ; but being reduced to poverty,
was forced to condescend to the low offices of correcting
the press, and of publishing books for a livelihood ; when
he appeared before the Bp. of London upon this
occasion, his lordship reproached him for laying down
the ministry, though Parker had actually deprived him,
and forbid him to preach six years before.
The bishops were no less careful to crush the favourers
of the admonition ; for when Mr. Wake of Christ Church,
had declared in favour of it, in a sermon at Paul's Cross,
the Bp. of London sent for him next morning into
custody ; but he made his escape : Mr. Crick, chaplain
to the Bp. of Norwich, having also Commended the
book in a sermon at the same place, the archbishop sent
a special messenger to apprehend him ; and though he
escaped for the present, he afterwards fell into the hands
of the commissioners, and was deprived ; the like mis
fortune befel Dr. Aldrich, an eminent divine, and dignitaiy
L 2

164 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
of the church, with many others ; notwithstanding which
Sandy's, Bp. of London, in bis letter to the treasurer,
calls for further help ; the city, says he, will never be
quiet, till these authors of sedition, who are now esteemed
as gods, as Field, Wilcox, Cartwright, and others, be far
removed from the city ; the people resort to them, as in
popery they were wont to run on pilgrimages ; if these
idols, who are honoured as saints, were removed from
hence, tlieir honour would fall into the dust, and they
would be taken for blocks as they are, A sharp letter
from her majesty would cut the courage of these men,
Good, my lords, for the love you bear to the church of
Christ, resist the tumultuous enterprises of these new
fangled fellows. These were the weapons with which
the doctor's answer to the admonition was enforced; so
that we may fairly conclude with Fuller the historian, that
if Cartwright had the better of his adversary in learning,
Whitgift had more power to back his arguments; and" by
this he not only kept the field, but gained the victory, .
On the other hand it is certain, vast numbers of the
clergy both in London and the two universities, had a high
opinion of Cartwright's writings ; he had many admirers ;
and if we may believe his adversaries, wanted not for
presents and gratuities; Many hands were procured. in
approbation and commendation of his reply to Whitgift ;
and some said, they would defend it to death. In short,
though Whitgift's writings might be of vise to confirm
those who had already conformed, they made no converts
among the puritans, but rather confirmed them in their
former sentiments.
In the year 1573, Whitgift published his defence
against Cartwright's reply ; in which he states the differ
ence betweeen them thus, — The question is not, whether
many things mentioned in your Platform of Discipline
were fitly used in the apostle's time, or may now be Weljl
used in sundry reformed churches, this is not denied 5 but
whether, when there is a settled order in doctrine and
government established by law, it may stand with godly
and christian wisdom, to attempt so great alterationas
this Platform must needs bring in, with disobedience to
the prince and laws, and uuquietness of the. church, and

1572. ELIZABETH. 165
offence, of many consciences. If this were the whole
question, surely it might stand with the wisdom of tlie
legislature in settled times, to make some concessions
in favour of pious and devout men ; nor can it be incon
sistent with godly and christian wisdom, for subj ects to
attempt it, by lawful and peaceable methods.
Two years after Cartwright published a second reply
to Whitgift's defence ; it consisted of two parts ; the first was
intitled, The second reply of T. C. against Dr. Whitgift's
second answer touching the church discipline ; with these
two sentences of scripture in the title page. " For Ziori's
sake I will not hold my tongue ; for Jerusalem's sake I will
not rest, till the righteousness thereof break forth as the light,
&c." — Ye are the Lord's remembrancers : Keep not silence.
It is dedicated to the church of England, and all that love
the truth in it. In his preface, he answers divers personal
matters between the doctor and himself : He reminds him
of his illegal depriving him of his fellowship, and pro
nouncing him perjured. He says, he never opened his
lips for the divinity chair, as he had falsely charged him :
That he had never desired the degree of a doctor, but
by the advice of more than a dozen learned ministers,
who considering his office of divinity reader, thought lie
ought to assume the title. He added, that he never re
fused a private conference with Whitgift, but that he
offered it, and the other refused it, saying, he was incor
rigible ; indeed he did refuse private conference by wri
ting, having had experience of his adversary's unfaith
fulness ; and because he thought that the doctrine he had
taught openly, should be defended openly. Whitgift
charged him, that after he was expelled the college, he
went up and down doing no good, but living at other men's
tables. How ungenerous was this ! After the doctor had
taken away his bread* and stopt his mouth, that he might
not preach,to reproach him with doing no good, and being
beholden to his friends for a dinner. Cartwright owned,
that he was poor ; that he had no house of his own ; and
that it was with small delight he lived upon his friends,
though he still did what little good he could, in instructing
their children. Whitgift charged his adversary further,
L3

166 HISTORY OF THE PURfTANS. CHAP.; fl
with want of learning, though he had filled the divinity
chair with vast reputation, and had been stifed by
Beza, the very Sun of England: He taxes him with
making extracts of other men's notes* and that he had
scarce read one of the ancient authors he had quoted.
To which Cartwright modestly replied, that as to great
-reading he would let it pass ; for if Whitgift had read all
the Fathers* and he scarce one, it would easily appear
to the learned world by their writings ; but that it was
-sufficiently known, he had hunted him with more hounds
than one. .
The strength of his reply, lies in reducing the po
licy of the church as near as possible to the standard of
scripture ; for when Whitgift alledged some of the fathers
of the 4th and 5th century on his side, Cartwright replied,
That forasmuch as the fathers have erred, and that cor
ruptions crept early into the church* therefore they ought
to have no further credit, than their authority is war
ranted by the word of God and. reason; to press their
bare authority without relation to this, is to bring an
intolerable tyranny into the church of God.
The second part of Cartwright's reply, was not pub
lished till two years afterwards, when he was fled out of
the kingdom ; it is intitled, " the rest of the second reply
of Thomas Cartwright, against master doctor Whitgift's
answer, touching the church discipline, in which he shews
that church government by an eldership is by divine
appointment, and of perpetual obligation. He then con
siders the defects of the church of England, and treats
of the power of the civil magistrates in ecclesiastical
matters; cf ecclesiastical persons bearing civil offices;
and of the habits. He apologizes for going through.
with the controversy at such a distance of time, but he
thought it of importance, and that it need not be ashamed
of the lio-ht. But he was sensible he strove against the
stream, and that his wovk might be thought unseasonable,
his adversary being now advanced so much above him ;
for this year Whitgift was made a bishop, when poor
Cartwright was little better than a wandering beggar,
Thus ended the controversy between these two cham
pions; so that Fuller, Heylin, and' Collier, must be mis-

1572. ELIZABETH, 167
taken, when they say, Whitgift kept the field, and carried
off a complete victory, Cartwright having certainly the
last word. But whoever had the better of the argument,
Whitgift got the most by it ; and when he was advanced
to thepinacleof church-preferment, acted an ungenerous
part towards his adversary for many years, persecuting
him with continual vexations and imprisonments, and
pointing all his church artillery against him ; not suffering
him so much as to defend the common cause of Christianity
against the papists, when he was called to it ; however at
length, being wearied with the importunities of great men,
or growing more temperate in his old age, he suffered him
to govern a small hospital in Warwick, given him by the
Earl of Leicester, where this great and good's man's grey
hairs came down with sorrow to the grave.
But notwithstanding all this opposition from the Queen
and her commissioners, the puritans gained ground ; and
though the press was restrained, they galled their adver
saries with pamphlets, which were privately dispersed
both in city and country. Parker employed all his emis
saries to discover their printing presses, but to no
purpose ; whereupon he complained to the treasurer.
The puritans, he says, are justified, and we judged tq be
extreme persecutors ; if the sincerity of the gospel should
end in such judgments, I fear the council will be over
come. The puritans slander us with books and libels,
lying they care not how deep, and yet the more they
write, the more they are applauded and comforted. The
scholars of Cambridge were generally with the puritans,
but the masters and heads of colleges were against them ;
so that many who ventured to preach for the discipline,
were deprived of their fellowships, and expelled the
university* or obliged to a public retractation.
There being no further prospect of a public reforma
tion by the legislature, some of the leading puritans agreed
to attempt it in a more private way ; for this purpose they
erected a presbyter at Wandsworth, a village five miles
from the city, coyeniently situated for the London
brethren, as standing on the banks of the river Thames.
On the 20th of November, eleven elders were chosen,
and their offices described in a register, intitled, the orders

16$ HISTORY- OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
of Wandsworth. This was the first presbyterian church
in England. All imaginable care was taken to keep
their proceedings secret, but the bishop's eye was upon
them, who gave immediate intelligence to the high com
mission, upon which the Queen issued out a proclamation,
for putting the act of uniformity in execution ; but though
the commissioners knew of the presbytery, they could not
discover the members of it, nor prevent others being
erected in neighbouring counties.
While the Queen and bishops were defending the
out-works of the church against the puritans, and bracirig
up the building with articles, canons, injunctions, and
penal laws, enforced by the sword of the civil magistrate,
the papists were sapping the very foundation ; for upon
publishing the pope's bull of excommunication against
the Queen, great numbers deserted the public worship,
and resorted to private conventicles to hear mass, while
others who kept their stations in the church, were secretly
undermining it. In Yorkshire they went openly to mass,
and were so numerous* that the protestants stood in awe of
them. In London there was a great resort to the Portu
guese ambassador's chapel ; and when the sheriff, by order
of the Bp. of London, sent his officers to take some of
them into custody, the Queen was displeased, and ordered
them iriimediately to be released.
Sad was the state of religion, says Strype, at this time}
" the substantials being lost in contending for externals;
the churchmen heaped up many benefices upori them
selves, and resided upon none : neglecting their cures.
Many of them alienated their lands, made unreasonable
leases, and waste of woods, and granted reversions, and
advowsons to their wives and children. — Among the laity
there was little devotion ; the Lord's day greatly pro
faned, and little observed ; the eommon prayers not fre
quented ; some lived without any service of God at all ;
many were mere heathens and atheists ; the Queen's own
Court an harbour for epicures and atheists, and a kind of
lawless place, because it stood in no parish ; which things
made good men fear some sad judgments impending over
the nation." The governors of the church expressed no
concern for suppressing of vice, and encouraging virtue;

1572. ELIZABETH. 169
there were no citations into the commons for immoralities ¦
but the bishops were every day shutting the mouths of the
most pious, useful, and industrious preachers in the
nation, at a time when the Queen was s^c^ °f tue
small pox, and troubled with fainting fits, and the whole
reformation depended upon the single thread of her life.
« This precarious state of religion was the more terrible,
because of the Parisian massacre, on the 24th of August,
when great numbers of protestants having been invited
to Paris, on pretence of doing honqur to tlie King of
Navarre's marriage to the King's sister, ten thousand were
massacred rn one night, and twenty thousand more in
other parts of the kingdom, within the compass of a few
weeks, by his majesty's commission ; no distinction being
made between the highest and the meanest of the people ;
they spared neither women nor children in the cradle
Many who escaped, fled to Geneva and Switzerland, and
great numbers into England, to save their lives. The
protestant princes of Germany were awakened with this
butchery; and the Queen put the coasts into a posture of
defence, but made no concessions, for uniting her protes
tant subjects among themselves.
This year died John Knox, the apostle and chief
reformer, of the kirk of Scotland. This divine came into
England, in the reign of Edward VL and was appointed
one of the itinerant preachers for the year 1552, he was
afterwards offered a parochial living in London, but re^
fused it; upon King Edward's death, he retired beyond
sea, and became preacher to the English exiles at
Frankfort, till he was artfully spirited away by the con
trivance of Mr. Cox, now Bp. of Ely, for not reading the
English service. He afterwards preached to the English
at Geneva; and upon the breaking up of that congre
gation, he returned to Scotland, and was a great instrument
in the hand of, providence, for the reformation of that
kirk. He was a son of thunder, and feared not the face
•of any man in the cause of religion, which betrayed him
•sometimes into too coarse treatment of his superiors,
^oweyer, he. had the respect of all the protestant nobility,
and gentry of his country; and after a life of great service
and labour, died comfortably in the midst of his friends.,

1?6 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V*
in the 67th year of his age, being greatly supported in hia
last hours from the 17th chapter of St. John, and 1 Cor.
15th chapter, both which he ordered to be frequently read
to him : his body was attended to the grave, with great
solemnity and honour.
The Queen being incensed against the puritans, for
their late applications to parliament* reprimanded the
bishops for not suppressing them, resolving to bend all
the powers of the crown that way. Accordingly eoimmis->
sioners were appointed Under the great seal, in every
shire, to put in execution the penal laws, and the Queen
published a proclamation in the month of October, de
claring her royal pleasure, that all offenders against the
act of uniformity should be severely punished. Letters
were also sent from the Lords of the council to the bishops,
to enforce her majesty's proclamation, in which, after
having reproached them with holding their Courts only to
get money, or for such like purposes, they now require
them in her majesty's name, either by themselves, or by
their archdeacons to visit, and see that the habits with all
the Queen's injunctions, be exactly and uniformly ob
served in every church of their diocese ; and to punish all
refusers, according to the ecclesiastical laws. The Lord
treasurer also made a long speech before the commissioners
in the star chamber, in which, by the Queen's order, he
charged the bishops with neglect, in not enforcing her
majesty's proclamation; and said the Queen could not
satisfy her conscience without crushing the puritans, &c.
The treasurer therefore, or some other member, proposed
in council, that all ministers throughout the kingdom
should be bound in a bond of 2001. to conform in all
things to the act of uniformity, and in case of default,'
their names to be returned into the Exchequer by the
bishop, and the bond to be sued. If this project had
taken place, it would have ruined half the clergy of the
kingdom. Another occasion of these extraordinary proceedings
of the Court, is said to arise from the accidental madness
of one Peter Birchet, of the Middle Temple, who had the
name of a Puritan, but was disordered in his senses; this,
man came out of the Temple in his gown, and seeing Mi.

1572. ELIZABETH. 171
Fitzgerard, lieutenant of the pensioners, Sir William
Winter, and Mr. Hawkins, officers of the Queen's navy,
riding through the Strand, with their servants on foot,
came up to them, and suddenly struck Hawkins with a
dagger, through the right arm into the body about the arm-
hole, and immediately ran into the Bell-Inn, where he was
taken, and upon examination being asked, whether he
knew Mr. Hawkins? He answered, he took him for Mr.
Hatton, captain of the guards, and one of the privy cham
ber, whom he was moved to kill by the spirit of God, by
which he should do God and his country acceptable service,
because he was an enemy of God's word, and a maintainer
of papistry. In which opinion he persevered without any
signs of repentance, till for fear of being burnt for heresy,
he recanted before Sandys, Bp. of London, and the rest
of the commissioners. The Queen asked her two chief
justices, and attorney-general, what corporal punishment
the villain might undergo for his offence ; it was proposed
to put him to death as a felon, because a premeditated
attempt with an intention of killing, had been so punished
by Edward II. though the party wounded did not die; but
the Judges did not apprehend this to be law. It was then
moved, that the Queen by virtue c'i her prerogative, should
put him to death by martial la ,v ; and accordingly a warrant
was made out under the great seal for his execution,
though the fact was committed in time of peace. This
made some of the council hesitate, apprehending it might
prove a very bad precedent. At length the poor creature
put an end to the dispute himself, for on the 10th of
November, he killed his keeper Longworth, as he was
looking upon a book in the prison window; for this crime
lie was next day indicted and arraigned at the King's
Bench, where he confessed the fact, saying, that Long-
worth in his imagination was Hatton : there he received
judgment for murder, and the next day, had his right hand
first cut off at the place "in the Strand where he struck
Hawkins, and was then immediately hanged on a gibbet,
and continued hanging there for three days. The poor
man talked very wildly, and was by fits downright mad,
so that if he had been shut up in Bedlam after his first
attempt, as he ought to have been, all further mischief

17.2 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
had been prevented. However, it was very unreasonable
to lay this to the charge of the puritans, and to take occa
sion from hence, to spread a general persecution over
the whole kingdom ; but the Queen was for laying hold
Of all opportunities, to suppress a number of conscientious
men, whom she often would say, she hated more than the
papists. The commissioners being thus pushed forwards, sent
letters to the bishops, exhorting them to command their
archdeacons, and other ecclesiastical officers, to give it iri
charge to their clergy and questmen, to present the names
and simames of all non-conformists in their several
parishes, before the first week in Lent. A letter of this
sort was sent, among others, by the old Bp. of Norwich,
to his chancellor. This was very unacceptable work, to
a man who was dropping into his grave ; but he gave
orders as he was commanded, and many ministers of his
diocese being returned unconformable, were suspended
from reading common prayer, and administering the
sacraments, but allowed still to catechise youth, several
of whom offered to preach to some congregations, as the
bishop should appoint, of which his lordship writ to the
archbishop, but his grace refused to set them on work,
and continue their parts in the public exercises or pro-
phecyings, for which the bishop was severely reprimanded,
and threatened by the commissioners, with the Queen's
high displeasure; whereupon he allowed his chancellor
to silence them totally, though it was against his judg
ment. But after all, his lordship being suspected of remiss
ness, Parker directed a special commission to commissaries
f his own appointing, to visit his diocese parochially;
which they did, and reported, that some ministers were
absent, and so could not be examined ; other churches had
no surplices, but the ministers said they would wear them
when provided ; but that there were about three hundred
non-conformists, whom they had suspended ; some of
whom, as the good old bishop writes, were godly and
learned, and had done much good.
The heads of the puritans being debarred the liberty
of preaching and printing, challenged their adversaries
to a public disputation : this had been allowed the pro-

1572. ELIZABETH. 173
fcestants in Mary's reign, and the papists at the accession of
Elizabeth ; but the Queen and council would not now
admit, that what was established by law, should be ex
posed to question, and referred to the hazard of a dispute.
Instead therefore of a conference, they took a shorter
way, by summoning the disputants before the ecclsiastical
commission, to answer to sundry articles exhibited against
them, and among others to this, whether the common
prayer book is every part of it grounded upon holy scrip
ture ? An honour hardly to be allowed to any human
composure : and for pot answering to the satisfaction of
the commissioners, Messrs. Wyburne, Johnson, Brown,
Field, Wilcox, Sparrow, and King, were deprived, and
the four last committed to Newgate, from whence two of
them had been but lately released. They were told fur
ther, that if they did not comply in a short time they
should be banished ; though there was no law for inflicting
such punishment. Cartwright was summoned among the
rest, but wisely got out of the way, upon which the com
missioners issued an order for his apprehension. But he
lay concealed among his friends, till an opportunity offered
4>f leaving the kingdom.
Mr. Deering, reader of St. Paul's, was also suspended
for some trifling words spoken against the hierarchy in
•conversation ; and in order to his restoration was obliged
to subscribe four articles, viz.. To the supremacy; to the
thirty-nine articles ; to the book of common prayer ; and
.that the_word and sacraments are rightly administered in
the church of England ; which he did, with some few
exceptions. The commissioners then examined himupon
fifteen or twenty articles more ; to all which he gave wise
and modest answers, yielding as, much as his principles,
and the nature of things would admit ; but beings called,
as it were, before an inquisition, as he thought himself
not bound to be his own accuser, so he prayed their
..honours, that what he had said might not be interpreted
. to his prejudice ; yet the commissioners ungenerously
took advantage of his answers, and deprived him of his
lecture. But he appealed from the commissioners to
the council, who were pleased to restore, him, which
.considerably galled the archbishop..

Y)4 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
Mr. Deering was a learned, pious, and peaceable
non-conformist ; his printed sermons are polite and ner
vous. In his letter to the Lord treasurer Burleigh on this
occasion, he offered to shew before any body of learned
men, the difference between bishops of the primitive
church, and those of the present church of England, in
the following particulars: — 1. Bishops and ministers then
were in one degree, now they are diverse.— 2. There were
then many bishops in one town, now there is but one in a
whole country. — 3. No bishop's authority was more thart iri
one city, now it is in many shires. — 4. Bishops then used
no bodily punishments, now they imprison, fine, &c. — 5.
The primitive bishops could not excommunicate, or ab
solve, merely by their own authority, now they may. — 6.
Then, without consent of presbyters, they could make
no ministers, now they do. — 7. They could confirm no
children in other parishes, they do now in many shires. —
8. They had before but one living, now they have divers.— -
9. They had neither officials, commissaries nor chan
cellors. — 10. They dealt in no civil government, by any
established authority. — 11. They had no right to alienate
any parsonage, or let it in lease.. — 12. Then they had a
church where they served the cure, as those we call parish
priests, though they were metropolitans or archbishops;
so that Ambrose, St. Austin, and others, who lived as late
as the 4th or 5th century, and were called bishops, had
very little agreement with ours. But for this our
archbishop never left him, till he was silenced again and
deprived. On the 29th of Jan. a number of the clergy in the
diocese of Peterborough, all preachers, were first sus
pended for three weeks, and then deprived of their livings;
four of them were licensed by the university, as learned
and religious divines, and three of them had been moder
ators in the exercises. The reasons of their deprivation
were not for errors in doctrine, or depravity of life, but
for not subscribing two forms of the commissioners
devising, one called/orma promissionis, the other forma
abjurationis. In the forma promissionis they swear and
subscribe, " To use the service and common prayer
book, and the public form of administration of sacraments,

1573. ELIZABETH. 175
and no other ; that they will serve in tlieir cures according
to the rites, orders, forms, and ceremonies prescribed ; and
that they will not hereafter preach or speak any thing
tending to the derogation of the said book, or any part
thereof, remaining authorized by the laws and statutes
of this realm." In the fnma abjurationis, they subscribe
and protest upon oath, " That the book of consecration
of archbishops and bishops, and of the ordering of deacons,
set forth in the time of Edward VI. and confirmed by
authority of parliament, doth contain in it all tilings
necessary for such consecration and ordering, having in
it nothing that is either superstitious or ungodly, accord
ing to their judgment; and therefore that they which be
consecrated, and ordered according to the same book,
be duly, orderly, and lawfully ordained and conse
crated, &c.
The ministers offered to use the book of common
prayer, and no other; and not to preach against the
same before the meeting of the next parliament ; but
apprehending the oath and subscription to be contrary to
the laws of God and the realm, they appealed to the
Abp. of Canterbury ; who denied their appeal. Hereupon
they presented a supplication to the Queen, and another
to the parliament, 1 ut could not be heard, though their
case was most compassionate, for they hacl wives and
large families of children, which were now reduced
to poverty and want, so that (as they say iji their sup
plication) if God in his providence does not help, they
must beg.
In the room of the deprived ministers, certain out
landish men succeeded, who could hardly read so as
to be understood, the people were left untaught ; instead
of having two sermons every Lord's day, there was
now only one in a quarter of a year, and for the most
part, not that. The parishioners signed petitions to the
bishop for their former preachers, but to no purpose ;
they must swear and subscribe, or be buried in silence.
On the 20th of September, Mr. R. Johnson, already
mentioned, sometime domestic chaplain to the lord-keeper
Bacon, then minister of St. Clement's, near Temple-bar,
was tried at Westminter-haU for non-conformity; it

176 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
was alledged against him, That he had married without
the ring; and that he had baptized without the cross. Mr.
Pierce says, he was also accused of a misdemeaner, be
cause when once he was administering the sacrament,
*the wine falling short, he sent for more, but .did not
consecrate it afresh, accounting- the former consecration
sufficient for what was to to be applied to the same use;
but nothing of this kind appears in his two indictments;
tut for the other offences, viz. for omitting, these words-ia
the office of baptism, I receive this child into the con
gregation Of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the
sign of the cross, in token* &c. And. for omit ting. these
words in the marrying of Leonard Morris and Agnes
Mifes, "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee
worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow,
in the name of the Father, &c." and for refusing to sub
scribe, he was shut up in close prison for seven Weeks,
till he died in great poverty and want.
The officers of the spiritual courts planted their spies
in all suspected parishes, to make observation of those
who came not to church, and cause them .to be sum
moned into the Commons, were they were punished at
pleasure. The keepers were charged to take notice, of
such as came to visit the prisoners* or bring them relief ;
and upon notice given, spies were set upon them to bring
them into trouble. Complaints havebeen made of their rude
language to* the bishops, and the rest of the commission
ers ; and it is possible that their lordly behaviour, and
arbitrary proceedings, might sometimes make tlieir pas
sions overflow. Oppression will make a wise man mad.
But in their examinations nothing of this kind appears.
Qn the other hand, it is certain the conduct of the com
missioners was high and imperious ; their Under officers
were ravenous, and greedy of gain; the fees of the
court were exorbitant; so that if an honest puritan fell
into their hands, he was sure to be half ruined before he
j£Ot_.out, though he' was cleared of the accusation. In
short, the commissioners treated those that came before
them, neither like men nor christians, as will appear,
among many others, by the following examination of
Mr. White, a substantial citizen of London, who had been

1573. ELIZABETH, 177
fined, and tossed from one prison to another, contrary to
law and justice, only for not frequenting his parish church.
His examiners were the Lord chief justice ; the master of
the rolls ; the master of the requests ; -Mr. Gerard * the
dean of Westminster; the sheriff of London, and the
clerk of the peace. After sundry others had been dis
patched, Mr. White was brought before them, whom the
Lord chief justice, among other things* playing upon his
name, told him he was as black as the devil ; that he was the
most wicked and contemptuous person who had been
brought before him ; and then, said his Lordship, " I swear
by God, thou art a very rebel ;" and, " I will have your
head from your shoulders ; have him to the gate
house, &c."
These severities against zealous protestants, of pious
and sober lives, raised the compassion of the common people,
and brought them over to their interests. It was a great
grief to the archbishop, says Mr. Strype, and to other good
bishops, to see persons going off from the first establish
ment Of the protestant religion among us, making as if
the service-book was unlawful, -and the ecclesiastical state
antichristian ; and labouring to set up another government
and discipline. — But who drove them to these extremities?
Why were not a few amendments in the liturgy yielded
to at first, whereby conscientious men might have been
made easy ; or liberty given them to worship God in their
own way ?
Notwithstanding the dangers already mentioned,
"people resorted to the suffering puritans in prison, as in
popery they were wont to run on pilgrimage : (These are
the Bp. of London's words.) Some aldermen, and several
wealthy citizens, gave them great and stout countenances,
and persuaded others to do the like."
Separate communions were established, where the
sacrament of the Lord's supper was administered privately,
after the manner of the foreign reformed churches ; and
those who joined with them, according to Abp. Parker,
signed a solemn protestation relating to the reasons of their
separation. To this protestation the congregation did severally
VOL. I. M

178 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP*, f.
swear, and then received the communion for the ratified
tion of their assent ; if we may believe the relation of Abp.
Parker, though his grace had not always the best informa
tion, nor was sufficiently careful to distinguish between
subscribing and swearing. ,
Many non-conformists who were willing to be at ease,/
and avoid the hazard of persecution, took shelter in the
French and Dutch churches, and joined themselves to
their communion : there were not many of this sort, be
cause they understood not their language. But the Queen
and council had their eye upon them, and resolved to drive
them from this shelter ; for this purpose a letter was writ
frqm the council board,, to the ministers' and elde«s of the
Dutch church in London, particularly requiring that they
should not receive into their communion any of the realm,
that offered to join with them, and leave the customs
and practice of their native country, lest the Queen'
should be moved to banish them, out of the kingdom.
Endeavours had been used, to bring these churches-
under the jurisdiction or sup erin tendency of the
bishop of the diocese, for the time being;, but they
pleaded their charter, and that Grindal, while Bp. of
London, was their superintendent only by their own ean-
sent; however a quarrel happening sometime after int tlie
Dutch church at Norwich, the Queen's commissioners
interposed'; and because the elders refused to own their
jurisdiction, they banished all their three ministers;
which struck such a terror" into those of London, that
when they received the council's letter, they were peu-
fectly submissive, and after returning, thanks for their
own liberties, they promised to expel all such out of
their church ; and for the future not to receive any
English, who from such principles, should separate
themselves from the customs of their own country.
Gualter, Bullinger,, and other foreign divines, again
this year addressed the bishops their correspondents, for
moderation, but nothing could be obtained ; only Park-
hurst, Bp. of Norwich, lamented the case, and wished to
God, that aU the English people would follow the church
of Zurich, as the most absolute pattern. "The papists,
says he, lift up their crests, while protestants walk about

1574. ELIZABETH; 179
the streets dejected and sorrowful ; for at this time/ there
are not a few preachers, that have laid down their cures
of souls, and left them to fools and idiots, and that for
this reason, because they would not use the linen garment,
called a surplice. New and severe edicts are lately pub
lished here, against such as refuse to observe our cere
monies : Pray God give a good issue, and have mercy upon
all the churches of Christ."
The prophesy ings of the clergy, begtin in 1 57 1, had
by this time spread into the dioceses of York, Chester,
Durham, and Ely; the Bp. of London set them Up in
several parts of his diocese ; as did most of the other
bishops. The clergy were divided into classes, or associa
tions, under a moderator appointed by the bishop ; their
meetings were once a fortnight ; the people were present
at the sermon ; and after they were dismissed, the members
of the association whose names were subscribed in a
book, censured the performance. These exercises were
bf great service, to expose the errors of popery, and
spread the knowledge of the scriptures among the
people. But the Queen was told by the archbishop, that they
Were no better than seminaries of puritanism ; that the
more averse the people were to popery, the more they were
in danger of non-conformity: that these exercises tended
to popularity, and made the people so inquisitive, that
they would not submit to the orders of their superiors,
as they oUght. It was said further, that some of the
ministers disused the habits, and discoursed on church
discipline ; and that others were too forward to shew their
abilities, to the discouragement of honest men of lower
capacities; and that all this was notorious in the diocese
of Norwich. Hereupon the Queen gave the archbishop
private orders, to put them down every where, and to
begin with Norwich; his grace accordingly wrote to
Matchet, one of his chaplains in that diocese, requiring
Sum to repair to his ordinary, and shew him, how the
Qrieen had willed him to suppress those vain prophe-
syi.ngs.; and that thereupon he should require the said
ordinary, in her majesty's name, immediately to discharge
them from anv further such doings.
M2

180 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
This was very unacceptable news to the good old bishop,
Who taking hold of the word vain, wrote to the archbishop,
desiring to be resolved, whether he meant thereby the
abuse, or some vain speeches used in some of these con
ferences ; or in general, the whole order of those exercises ?
Of which he freely declared his own approbation, saying,
" That they" had, artd still did bring singular benefit to the
church of God, as well in the clergy as in the laity, and
were right necessary exercises to be continued, so the same
were not abused, as indeed they had not been, unless in
one or two places at the most ; whereof after he had know
ledge, he writ an earnest letter to his chancellor, that such
persons as were over busy speakers should be put to silence,
unless they would subscribe to the articles of conformity
in religion, or else promise not to intermeddle with any
matter established and commanded by her majesty;
which was performed accordingly, since which tithe he had
not heard, but all things had succeeded quietly without
Offence to any."
The arChbishop was vexed at this letter, and wrote
back to his chaplain, that it was one of his old griefs, that
this bishop had shewn his letter to his friends, who had
eluded its true meaning, by standing upon the word vain.
It is pity, says he, that we should shew any vanity iri our
obedience. In the mean time the bishop of Norwich,
applied to the privy council, who knew nothing of this
affair ; but were surprised at the archbishop's order, and
gave his lordship instructions to uphold the prophesyihgs,
The archbishop was surprized, to see his orders
countermanded by the privy council ; but his grace took
no notice of it to them, only acquainted the Queen with
it; by whose direction he renewed his application to tlie
bishop ; that whereas he understood he had received letters
from the council, to continue the prophesyings, contrary
to. the Queen's express command, he desired to know,
what warrant they had given, him for their proceedings :
upon this the Bp. of Norwich wrote back to the Bp. of
London, who was one of those that had signed the letter,
for advice; but his lordship and the council were afraid to
meddle any further.
Parker being thus supported by the Queen, wrote a^an*

1574. ELIZABETH. 181
to Norwich, commanding the bishop peremptorily to obey
the Queen's orders, upon pain of her majesty's high
displeasure ; and advised him not to be led by fantastical
folk, nor take such young men into his counsels, who when
they had brought him into danger, could not bring him
out of it. Of my care I have for you and the diocese,
(says the archbishop) I write thus much.
Upon this the good old bishop submitted; and thus
were these religious exercises suppressed in one diocese,
which was but the prologue to their downfal, over the whole
kingdom. But his lordship did not long survive this distinguishing
mark of the archbishop's displeasure, for towards the
latter end of the year, he departed this life, in the 63d
year of his age, to the great loss of his diocese, and of
the whole church of England, John Parkhurst, Bp. of
Norwich, was born at Guilford in Surry, and educated
in Merton Coll. Oxon. He had been domestic chaplain to
Queen Catherine Parr, tutor to Bp. Jewel, and rector of
the rich parsonage of Clive; all which he forsook, during
the. reign of Queen Mary, and was an exile at Zurich in
Switzerland, where he was so delighted with the order and
discipline of that church, that he could often wish the
church of England had been modelled according to it.
He was an open favourer of the puritans, and never entered
willingly into any methods of severity againt them. He
would willingly have allowed a liberty of officiating in the
church, to such as could not conform to the ceremonies ;
but by command from above, he was forced sometimes to
obey his superiors, contrary to his judgment. The bishop
was a zealqus protestant, and a great enemy to popery; a
learned divine, a faithful pastor, a diligent and constant
preacher, and an example to his flock, in righteousness, in
faith, in love, in peace, in word, and in purity. He was
exceeding hospitable, and kept a table for the poor; and
was universally beloved, honoured, and esteemed, by his
whole diocese.
Many well disposed persons in the parishes of Balsham
in Cambridgeshire, and of Strethall in Essex, met together
on holidays, and at other times, after they had done work,
M3

182 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V*
to read the scriptures, and to confirm qne another in the
christian faith and practice ; but as soon as the commis-:
sioners were informed of their assemblies, the parsons,
of the parishes were sent for, and ordered to suppress
them; though the honest people declared themselves
conformable to the orders of the church, and that they
met together after dinner, or after supper, upon holidays
only, for their own and their families instruction, "for.
the reformation of vice, and for a further acquaintance
with the word of God. But our archbishop had rather
these poor people should be drinking and gaming at an
ale-house, than engaged in a religious assembly, not ap
pointed by public authority.
Mr. Sampson, late dean of Christ Church, Oxon, was
this year struck with the dead palsy on one side, which
made him resign his lecture in the church of Whittington
college* which he had held to this time. It was in the
gift of the Cloth- workers' company, to whom he recom-
riiended Mr. Deering for his successor; but Deering being
silenced for non-conformity, the archbishop utterly refused
him, which Sampson complained of in a letter to the
treasurer, humbly desiring that if the Cloth- workers,
chose him, that his lordship would use his interest with
the archbishop, not to refuse him ; but his grace was in
flexible, and so the business miscarried.
Sampson was a most exact man in his principles and,
morals; and suffered the loss of all things for a good
conscience. Parker's zeal against the puritans betrayed him some
times into great inconveniences; like a true inquisitor,
he listened to every idle story of his scouts, and sent it
presently to the Queen or council ; and the older he grew,
the more did his jealousies prevail. One of his servants
acquainted him, that there was a design of the puritans,
against the life of the lord treasurer and his own ; and
that the chief conspirator was qne Undertree, encouraged,
by the great Earl of Leicester : The old archbishop was
'almost frightened out of his wits at the news, as appears by
the following passage in his letter to the treasurer : This
horrible conspiracy says he has so astonished me, that my
will and memory are quite gone ; I would I were deac|

1574. ELIZABETH. 183
before I see with my corporal eyes, that which is now
brought to a full ripeness.
The archbishop sent out his scouts, to apprehend the
conspirators that his steward had named, who pretended a
secret correspondence with Undertree; and among others
who were taken into custody, were the reverend Messrs.
Bonham, Brown, and Stonden, divines of great name
among the puritans : Stonden had been one of the preach
ers to the Queen's army, when the Earl of Warwick was
sent against the northern rebels. Many persons of
honour were also accused, as the Earls of Bedford, Leices
ter, and others. But when Undertree came to be exa
mined before the council, the whole appeared to be a sham,
between Undertree and the archbishop's steward, to dis
grace the puritans, and punish them as enemies to the
state, as well as the church. So early was the vile prac
tice of fathering sham plots upon the puritans begun,
which was repeated so often in the next age. Undertree
had forged letters in the names of Bonham, Stonden, and
others ; as appeared to a demonstration when they were
produced before the council, for they were all written
with one hand. When he was examined about his accom
plices, he would accuse no body, but took the whole
upon Irimself ; so that their honours wrote immediately to
the archbishop, to discharge his prisoners. But, which is
a little unaccountable, neither Undertree nor the arch
bishop's steward, received any punishment.
His grace's reputation suffered by this plot ; all im
partial men cried out against him, for shutting up men of
character and reputation in prison, upon such idle reports.
The puritans and their friends reflected upon his honour
and honesty ; and in particular the Bp. of London,
and Dr. Chatterton, master of Queeu's college, Cam
bridge. The Earl of Leicester could not but resent his
ill usage of him, which he had an opportunity to repay
had he been so minded ; the archbishop having executed
an act of justice, as he called it, upon a person in the
late plot, after he had received a letter from court for
bidding him to do it : which was not very consistent with
his- allegiance. But the archbishop braved out his con
duct against every body, after his own brethren the

1-84. HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. -CHAP. V.
bishops, and all the world had abandoned him. One of
the last public acts in which he was employed, was visiting
the diocese of Winchester, and in particular the Isle" of
Wight; and here he made, use of such methods of severity
as made him talked against* all over the country, This
Island was a place of resort for foreign protestants, and
sea-faring men of all countries, which occasioned the
habits and ceremonies not to be so strictly observed as in
other places, their trade and commerce requiring a lati
tude ; when the archbishop came thither with his retinue,
he gave himself no trouble about the welfare of the island,
but turned out all those ministers who refused the habits,
and shut up their churches. This was so great a concern
to the inhabitants, that they sent up their complaints to
the Earl of Leicester, who made such a report to the
Queen, of the archbishop's proceedings, that her majesty
immediately gave order, that tilings should return to their
former channel ; and when he came to court after his
visitation, her majesty received him' coldly, and declared.
her displeasure against his unseasonable severities. The
Bp, of Winchester also complained, that the clergy of
his diocese had been sifted in an unmerciful manner ;•
all which instead of softening this prelate, drew from him
nothing but angry complaints.
There was but one corner of the British dominions,
that our archbishop's arm could not reach, viz. the Isles
of Guernsey and Jersey, these had been a receptacle for
the French refugees from the Parisian massacre; and
lying upon the coasts of France, the inhabitants were
chiefly of that nation, and were allowed the use of
the Geneva or French discipline, by the lords of the'
council. An order of the states of France had been
formerly obtained, to separate them from the jurisdiction
of the Bp, of Constance in Normandy, but no form
of discipline having been settled by law, since the refor
mation, Messrs, Cartwright and Snape were invited to assist
the ministers, in framing a proper discipline for their
churches : This fell out happily for Cartwright, who
being forced to abandon his native country, made this the
place of his retreat. The two divines being arrived, one
was made titular pastor of M.ppnt Orguejl, jn Jersey}

1575. , ELIZABETH. 185
and the other of Castle Cornet in Guernsey. The repre
sentatives of the several churches, being assembled at
St. Peter's Port, in Guernsey, they communicated to them
a draught of discipline, whicli was debated, and accommo
dated to the use of those islands, and finally settled the
year following. The book consists of 20 chapters, and
each chapter of several articles, which were constantly
observed in these islands, till the latter end qf the reign
of James the first, when the liturgy of the church of Eng
land supplanted it.
Though the papists were the Queen's mqst dangerous
enemies, her majesty had a peculiar tenderness for them ;
she frequently released them out of prison, and connived
at their religious assemblies, of which there were above
5000. in England at this time : Many of the Queen's sub
jects resorted to the Portuguese ambassador's house in
Charter-house yard, where mass was publicly celebrated;
and because the sheriffs and recorder of London disturbed
them, they were committed to the Fleet, by the Queen's
express command. At the same time they were practising
against the Queen's life : And that their religion might
not die with the present age, seminaries were erected and
endqwed, in several parts of Europe, for the education
qf English youth, and for providing a successon of mis
sionaries to be sent into England for the propagation of
their faith. The first of these was erected, when the
kingdom was excommunicated; after which many others
were founded, to the unspeakable prejudice of the pro
testant religion. .
The popish nobility and gentry sent over their children
to these colleges for education ; and it is incredible what
a mass of money was collected in England for their main
tenance, out of the estates of such catholics, as were
possessed of abbey-lands ; the pope dispening with their
holding them on these considerations.
The number of students educated in these colleges,
may be collected from hence; that accqrding to Saun
ders an eminent popish writer, there were but 30 old
priests remaining in England, this year, the two colleges
of Douay and Rome alone, in a very few years, sent over
300; and it is not to be doubted, but there was a like
proportion from the rest.

1$6 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V,
About this time began to appear the family of Love,
which derived its pedigree ftom one Henry Nicholas, a
Dutchman. By their confession of faith published this
year, it appears they were high enthusiasts; that they
allegorized the doctrines of Revelation, and under a pre
tence of attaining to spiritual perfection, adopted some
Odd and whimsical opinions, while they grew too lax in
their morals. They had their private assemblies for de
votion, for which they tasted of the severities of the
government. But the weight of the penal laws fell heaviest upon
some of the German Anabaptists, who refused to join with
the Dutch or English churches : There were two sorts
of Anabaptists that sprung up with the reformation in
Germany ; one was of those who differed only about the
subject and mode of baptism, whether it should be ad
ministered to infants or in any other manner, than by
dipping the whole body under water. But others who
bore that name, were mere entlmsiasists, men of fierce
and barbarous tempers, who broke out into a general
revolt, and raised the war called the rustic war. They
had an unintelligible way of talking of rehgion, which
they usually turned into allegory ; and these being joined
in the common name of Anabaptists, brought the others
under an ill character. Twenty-seven of them were appre
hended in a private house, without Aldersgate, where they
were assembled for worship ; four of them recanted, but others
refusing, eleven of them all Dutchmen, were condemned
in the consistory of St. Paul's to be burnt, nineof whom were
banished, and two suffered in Smithfield. Thus the writ
de Haretico comburendo, which had hung up only in
terrorem for seventeen years, was taken down and put in
execution, upon these unhappy men. The Dutch con
gregation interceded earnestly for their lives ; as did Mr^
Fox the martyrologist, in an elegant latin letter to the
Queen, but she was immoveable.
A little before the burning of these heretics, Parker,
Abp. of Canterbury, departed this life : He was
born at Norwich, 1504, and educated in Bennet ColL
Cambridge. In the reign of Edward VI. he married,
and was therefore obliged to live privately under Queen

1575. ELIZABETH. 18?
Mary. Upon Queen Elizabeth's accession, he was ad
vanced to the archbishopric of Canterbury; and how he
managed in that high station, n\ay be collected from the
foregoing history. He wrote a book entitled Antiquitates
Britanicte, which shows him to have had some skill in
ecclesiastical antiquity ; but he was a severe churchman ;
of a rough and uncourth- temper, and of high and arbitrary
principles both in church, and state; a slave to the pre
rogative and the supremacy ; and a bitter enemy to the
puritans, whom he persecuted beyond the limits of the
law. His religion consisted in a servile obedience to the
Queen's injunctions, and in regulating the public service
of the church : but he had too little regard for public
virtue ; his entertainments and feastings being chiefly on
the Lord's day. He was a considerable benefactor to
Bennet College, the place of his education, where he
ordered his MS. papers to be deposited, which have been
of considerable service to the writers on the English re
formation. He died of the stone in the 72d year of his
age, and was interred in Lambeth Chapel, where his body
rested till the end of the civil wars; when Col. Scott
having purchased that palace, took down the monument
and buried the bones in a dunghill, where they remained
till some years after the restoration, when they were de
cently deposited near the place where the monument had
stood, which was now again erected to his memory.

CHAP. VI.

ELIZABETH.
Parliamentary Proceedings. — Rise of the Controversy about
Discipline. — Ministers Deprived. — Death, of Bp. Pil-
kington. — Prophesyings regulated. — Suppressed. — Abp.
Grindal sequestered and confined. — Dean Whittington's
troubles. — His death. — Great scarcity of Preachers. — .
Sufferings of Mr. Stubbs. — Full Conformity required.
—Statutes against seducing the* Queen's Subjects to Po
pery, and obliging to attend the Church. — Rise of the
Brqwnists. — Their principles. — Their persecutions.-—
Execution of Campion the Jesuit. — Mr. Wright's suffer-
ings.-^-Mr. Copping and Mr. Thacker put to death for
Non-Conformity. — Low State of Religion. — Death and
Character of Mr. Gilping. — Death of Abp. Grinda~k

flRINDAL, Abp. of York, succeeded Parker in the
^^ see of Canterbury. He was a divine of mgjjirate
principles, and moved no faster in severity against the
puritans, than his superiors obliged him. Sandys was
translated from London to York, and Aylmer was ad
vanced to the see of London. This last was one of the
exiles, and had been a favourer of puritanism. In the
convocation of 1562, when the question about the habits
was debated, he withdrew, and would not be concerned
in the affair ; but on his advancement he became a new
convert, and a cruel persecutor of the Puritans. He was
a man of a quick spirit, and of no extraordinary cha
racter. The parliament being now sitting, a bill was brought
into the house of Lords, to mulct such as did not come
to church and re 'eive the sacrament, with the payment
of certain sums of money ; but it was thought proper to

1575. ELIZABETH. 139
drop it for the present. The convocation was busy in
framing articles, oh the admitting of fit persons to the
ministry, and establishing good order in the church. Thir
teen of them were published witli the Queen's licence,
though they had not the broad seal ; but the other two,
for marrying at all times of the year, ahd for private bap
tism in cases of necessity, her majesty would not coun
tenance. One of the articles makes void all licences for
preaching, but provides, that such as should be thought
meet for that office, should be re-admitted without diffi
culty or charge. This had been practised once and again
in Parker's time, and was now renewed, that by disquali
fying the whole body of the clergy, they might clear the
church of all the non-conformists at once ; and if all the
bishops had been equally severe, in renewing their licences',
the church would have been destitute of all preaching ;
for the body of the conforming clergy were so ignorant
and illiterate, that many who had cure for souls, were in-
capableof preaching, or even of reading to the edification
of the hearers ; being obliged by law only to read the
service, and. administer the sacrament in person Once iri
half ayear, on forfeiture of five pounds to the poor.
The non-conformist ministers, under the character of
curates or lecturers, supplied the defects of these idle
drones, for a small recompence from the incumbent, and
the-*foluntary contribution of the parish; and by their
warm* and affectionate preaching, gained the hearts of the
people: they resided upon their curacies, and went from
house to house, visiting their parishioners, and instructing
their children, as long as they could keep their licences.
Thus most of the puritan ministers remained as yet within
the church, and their followers attended upon the word,
and sacraments in such places, where there were sober and
orthodox preachers.
But still they continued their associations and private
assemblies for recovering the discipline of the church, to
a more primitive standard : this was a grievance to the
Queen and Court bishops, who were determined against
all such innovations. Strange L That men should confess
hi their public service, every first day of Lent, that there
was a godly discipline in the primitive churdh ; that this

J90i HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, vi
discipline is not exercised at present in the church of
England, but that it is much to be wished that it were re
stored ; and yet that they should not ohly never attempt
to restore it, but set themselves with violence and oppres
sion, to crush all endeavours that way !, for the reader will
observe* that this was one chief occasion of the sufferings
of the puritans, in the following part qf this reign.
Some of the ministers of Northampton and Warwick-'
shire* in one of their associated meetings, agreed upon"
certain rules of discipline iri their several parishes ; but
as soon as they began to practise them, the Court took the
alarm, and sent letters to the new archbishop to suppress
them. His grace accordingly sent to the bishops of those
dioceses, to see things reduced to their former state, and
if need were, to send for assistance from himself or the
ecclesiastical commissioners : accordingly the two heads
of the association, were taken into custody, and sent up
to London, Some time after there Was another assembly
at Mr. Knewstub's church, at Cockfield in Suffolk, where?
sixty clergymen of Norfolk^ Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire,
met to confer' on the common prayer, arid, come to some
agreement as to what might be tolerated, and what was to
be refused. They consulted also about apparel, holidays,
&c. From thence they adjourned to Cambridge, at the
time of the next commencement, and from thei^e to
London* where they hoped to be concealed,- by the
general resort of the people to parliament. Their design
was to introduce a reformation without a separation.. The
chief debate in their assemblies was, how far this or the1
other particular might consist with the peace of. the ,
church, and be moulded into a consistency with episco+
pacy. They ordained no ministers; and though they
maintained the choice of the people to be the essential
call to the pastoral charge, yet most of them admitted of
ordination and induction by the bishop only, as the officer'
appointed by law, that the minister might be enabled to
demand his iegal dues from the parish.
In the room of that pacific prelate Parkhurst* Bp- of
Norwich, the Queen nominated Dr. Freke, a divine of a
quite different spirit, who in his primary visitation, made
sad havoc among the puritan ministers. Among others

1575; ELIZABETH. 191
A/fho were suspended in that diocese, were* Messrs. More,
Crick, Leeds, Roberts, and Dowe, all ministers in or
near the city of Norwich : they addressed the Queen and
council for relief; but were told, that her majesty was fully
bent to remove all who would not be persuaded to conform
to established orders. Mr; Gawton, minister of Goring,
in the same diocese, being charged with not wearing the
surplice, nor observing the order of the Queen's book, he
confessed the former, but said that iri other things he was
conformable, though he did not keep exactly to the rubric.
When the bishop charged him with holding divers errors,
he answered* we are here not above half a dozen uncon
formable ministers in this city ; and if you will confer with
us by learning, we will yield up our very lives, if we are
not able to prove our doctrines to be consonant to the
word of God. After his suspension, he sent his lordship a
bold letter, in which he maintained, that Christ was the
only lawgiver in his church.
Mr. Harvey, another minister of the same city, was
cited before the bishop, for preaching against the hier
archy of bishops and their ecclesiastical officers; and for
which he was suspended from his ministry, with Messrs.
Vincent Goodwin and John Mapes. Mr. Rockrey, of
Queen's Coll. Cambridge, a person of great learning and
merit, was expelled the university for non-conformity to
the habits. Lord Burleigh the chancellor got him. restored,
and dispensed with for a year, at the end of which, the
master of his college admonished him three times, to con
form himself to the custom of the university in the habits,
which he refusing, was finally discharged, as an example
to others. About the same time, Mr. Greenham, minister
of Drayton, was suspended, a man of a most excellent
spirit, who though he would not subscribe or conform to
the habits, avoided speaking of them, that he might not
give offence ; and whoever reads his letter to Cox, Bp.
of Ely, will wonder what sort of men they must be, who
could bear hard on so peaceable a divine. Some time
before the death of Abp. Parker, Mr. Stroud the suspended
minister of Cranbrook, returned to his parish church, but
being represented to the present archbishop as a disturber
of the peace, he was forbid to continue his accustomed

192 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP^ VJ.
.exercises' in the church, and commanded to leave the
"country; but the good man was so universally beloved,.
that the whole county of Kent almost, signed' petitions
to the archbishop, for his continuance among them.
Such a reputation had this good man among all who
had any taste for true piety, and zeal for the pro
testant religion! By the threatening of Aylmer, Bp. of
London, he had been prevailed with to subscribe With
some reserve, for the support of a starving family; and
yet he was continually vexed in the spiritual courts.
Two eminent divines of puritan principles died this:
year; one was James Pilkington, Bp. of Durharii; he was
descended from a considerable family near Bolton in
Lancashire, and was educated in St. John's, Cambridge,.
of which he was rnaster. In the reign of Mary, he was an
exile for the gospel; upon the accession of Elizabeth, he
Was nominated to the see- of Durham* being esteemed
a learned man and a profound divine; but could hardly
be prevailed with to accept it, on account of the habits,
to which he expressed a very great dislike ; " he Was always
a great friend and favourer of the non-conformists, and
a truly pioUs bishop. He died in peace at his house at
Bishops Aukland, in the 56th year of his age. ¦ The other
was Mr. E. Deering. He was fellow of Christ Coll. Camb,
apious and faithful preacher; a learned man arid fine orator,
but in one of his sermons before the Queen, took'tlie
liberty to say, that when her majesty was under persecu
tion, her motto was Tanquamovis ; but now it-might be,
Tariquam indomita juvenca, As an untamed heifer: for
which he was forbid preaching at Court for the future, arid
lost all his preferments in the church.
Abp. Grindal had endeavoured to regulate the pr6-
phesyings, and cover them from the objections of the
Court, by enjoining the ministers to observe decency arid
order, by forbidding them to meddle with polities' arid
church government, and by prohibiting all non-Conformist
ministers and laymen from being speakers. The other
bishops also iii their several dioceses, published a number
of, conciliatory regulations. But the Queen was resolved
to suppress them ; and having sent for the archbishop, told
.him, she was informed- that the rites and - ceremonies* of

1576. ELIZABETH. 193
the church, were not duly observed in these prophesyings;
that persons not lawfully called to be ministers exercised
in them ; that the assemblies themselves were illegal, not
being allowed by public authority; that the laity neglected
their secular affairs, by repairing to these meetings, which
filled their heads with notions, and might occasion disputes
and seditions in the state ; that it was good for the church to
have but few preachers, three or four in a county being
sufficient. She further declared her dislike of the number
of these exercises, and therefore commanded him perernp-
torily to put them down. Letters of this tenor were sent to
all the bishops in England; most of whom complied
readily with the Queen's letter, and put down the pro
phesyings; but some did it with reluctance, and purely in
obedience to the royal command.
But our archbishop, he who had complied with all the
Queen's injunctions, and with the severities of the eccle
siastical commissioners against the puritans hitherto, is
now distressed in conscience, and constrained to disobey
the royal commands in an affair of much less consequence
than others he had formerly complied with. Instead there
fore of giving directions to his archdeacons, to execute
the Queen's commands, he writes a long and earnest let
ter to her majesty, to inform her of the necessity and use
fulness of preaching, and of the subserviency of the exer
cises; in the conclusion of which he puts her in mind,
that though she was a great and mighty princess, she was
nevertheless a mortal creature, and accountable to God ;
and concludes with a declaration, that whereas before there
were not three able preachers, now there were thirty fit
to preach at Paul's Cross, and forty or fifty besides, able to
instruct their own cures. That therefore he could not with
out offence of the majesty of God, send out injunctions
for suppressing the exercises. The Queen was so inflamed
with this letter, that she determined to make an example
of the honest archbishop, as a terror to the whole bench :
she would not suffer her commands to be disputed by the
primate of all England, but by an order from the Star
chamber, confined him immediately to his house, and
sequestered him from his archiepiscopal function for six
VOL. I. N

194 History of the puritans'* chap, ut
months. This was a high display of the supremacy, when
the head of the church, being a woman, without consulting
the bishops, or any of the clergy in convocation assembled,
shall pronounce so peremptorily iri a matter purely re
specting religion ; and for non-compliance, tie up the
hands of her archbishop, who is the first mover under the
prince in all ecclesiastical affairs.
Before the expiration Of the six riionths, Grindal was
adyisedto make his subhiission, which he did so far as to
acknowledge the Queen's mildness arid gentleness in his
restraint, and to promise Obedience for the future.; but- he
could not be persuaded to retract his opinion) arid confess
his sorrow for what was past ; there was therefore some
talk of depriving him, which being thought top severe,
his -sequestration was still continued till about a year
before his death ; however his grace never recovered the
Queen's favour. Thus ended the prophesy ings, or reli
gious exercises of the clergy ; an useful institution for
promoting christian knowledge and piety, at a time when
both were at a very low ebb in the nation. The Queen
put them down for no other reason, but because they
enlightened the people's minds in the scripture, and
encouraged their enquiries after truth ; her majesty being
always of opinion, that knowledge and learning in the '
laity, would only endanger their peaceable submission to
her absolute will and pleasure.
This year put an end to the life of that eminent divine,
Mr. T. Lever, a great favourite of Elizabeth till herefusei
the habits. He was master of St. John's Coll. Cam. in
the reign of Edward VI. and reckoned one of the most
eloquent preachers in those tinies. He had a true .zeal
for the protestant religion, and was an exile for it, all the.
reign of Mary. Upon Elizabeth's accession, he niighf!
have had the highest prefermentin the church, but could not
accept it, upon the terms Of subscription and wearing the.
habits; he was therefore suspended by the ecclesiastical
conunissioriers ; till his , great name, and singular merit,
refleGtuvg an odium upon those who had deprived the
church of his labours, arid exposed him a second time to
poverty and want, he was at length dispensed with,, and
made archdeacon of •Coe/ahd ijaaster of Sherburne hospital-

1577. ELIZABETH. l"5
near Durham, where he spent the remainder of his days,
in great reputation and usefulness: he was a resolute
non-conformist, and wrote letters to encourage the de
prived ministers to -stand by their principles, and wait
patiently for a further reformation. Had he lived a little
longer, he had befen persecuted by the new bishop* as
•his brother Whittingham was; but God took him away
4'rom- the evil to come : and he was succeeded in the hos
pital* by his brother Ralph Lever,
Mr. Cartwright, Upon his return from the isle of
(Guernsey, was chosen preacher to one of the English
"factories at Antwerp: these factories submitted to the
discipline of the Dutch churches, among whom they lived,
•and their ministers became members of the consistories.
While Cartwright washere, many of the English, who were
4iot<satisfied with the terms of conformity, ot the English
^nanner of givihg orders, Went over thither, arid were
¦ordained by the presbyters of those churches; nay,
some who had received . deacons orders in the church of
(England, chose to be made full ministers by the foreign
Consistories. Pilkingt-on, late Bp. of Durham, was succeeded by Dr.
Barnes, Bp. of-Ca-rlisle, a prelate of severer principles than
<his predecessor ; who having in vain attempted to reduce
the elergy of his diocese to ah absolute conformity, com
plained to his metropolitan of the lax government of his
predecessor, and Of the numbers of non-Cqhformists,
Whom he could not reduce to the established orders of tlie
«faureh;. Upon this Sandys, the new Abp, of York, re
solved to visit his whole province, and to begin with
Durham, where Dean Whittingham was the principal man
fender the bishop; he was a divine of great learning, and
of long standing in the church* but not ordained accord
ing to the form'of the English service. The accusation
again st~ him, was branched out into thirty-five articles,
and forty-nine interrogatories, the chief whereof was his
Geneva ordination. The dean, instead qf answering the
charge, Stood by the rights of the church of Durham, and
denied the archbishop's power of visitation, upon which
bis grace was -pleased to exeomriiuhicate him ; but Whit-
.fc'S '

196 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Vl,
tingham appealed to the Queen, Who directed a com
mission to the archbishop, to the lord president of the
council in the north, and to the dean of York, to deter
mine the validity of his ordination, and to enquire into
the other misdemeanors contained in the articles. The
president of the north was a favourer of the puritans* and
Dr. Hutton, dean of York, was of Whittiragham's princi
ples, and boldly averred, that the dean was ordained in a
better sort than even the archbishop himself^ so that the
commission came to nothing.
But Sandys, vexed at the disappointment, and at the
calling in question his right of visitation, obtained another
commission directed to himself, and some others whom he
could depend upon, to visit the church of Durham. The
chief, design was to deprive Whittingham as a layman;
when the dean appeared before the commissioners, he
produced a certificate under the hands of eight persons^
for the manner of his ordination in these words;—" It
pleased God, by the suffrages of the whole congregation,
at Geneva, orderly to choose Mr. W. Whittingham, unto
the office of preaching the word of God and ministering
the sacraments; and he was admitted minister ; arid so
published, with such other ceremonies as here are used
and accustomed." It was objected, that here was no
mention of a bishop or. superintendent, nor of any.external
solemnities, nor so much as of imposition of hands-; the
dean replied, there was mention in general of the cere
monies of that church, and that lie was able to prove his
' vocation to be the same that all the ministers of Geneva
had; upon which the Lord president rose up and said,
that he could not in conscience agree to deprive him for
that cause only, for (says he) it will be ill taken by all the
godly and learned both at home and abroad, that we should
allow of the popish massing priests in our ministry, and
disallow of ministers made in a reformed church i where
upon the commission was adjourned sine die..
But the death of Mr. Whittingham, which happened
about six months after, put an end to this and. all his
other trqubles : he was born in Chester, and educated in
Brazen Nose Coll. Oxon ; he was afterwards translated
to Clirist Church, when it was founded by Henry VIII.

1577. ; ELIZABETH. 197
being reckoned one of the best scholars in the university.
In the reign of Queen Mary, he was with the exiles at
Frankfort, and upon the division there went with part of
the congregation to Geneva, and became their minister.
He had a great share in translating the Geneva bible, and
the psalms in metre. Upon his return home, he was pre
ferred to the deanery of Durham, where he spent the
remainder of his life. He did good service against the
popish rebels in the north, and in repelling the Abp. of
York, from visiting the church of Durham; but he was at
best but a lukewarm conformist, an enemy to the habits,
and a promoter of the Geneva doctrine and discipline.'
However, he was a truly pious and religious man, an
excellent preacher, and an ornament to religion. He
died while the cause of his deprivation, for not being
ordained according to the rites of the English church, was
depending in the 65th year of his age.
We have mentioned the Bp. of Norwich's severity in
his primary visitation ; his lordship went on still in the
same method, not without some marks of unfair designs;
for the incumbent of Sprowtori, being suspected to be of
the family of Love, his lordship deprived him, and im
mediately begged the living for his son-in-law, who was
already archdeacon of Suffolk. He shewed no mercy to
his suspended clergy, though they offered to subscribe, as
far as the laws of the realm required. At length they
petitioned their metropolitan Grindal, who though in dis
grace, licensed them to preach throughout the whole
diocese of Norwich, durante beneplacito, provided they did
not preach against the established orders of the church,
nor move contentions about ceremonies; but still they
were deprived of their livings.
Mr. Lawrence, an admired preacher, and incumbent
of a parish in Suffolk, was suspended by the same bishop,
for not complying with the rites and ceremonies of the
church. Mr.. Calthorp, a gentleman of quality in the
county, applied to the Lord treasurer in his behalf ; and
tlie treasurer writ to the bishop, requesting him to take
off his sequestration ; but his lordship replied, that what
ke had done was by virtue of the Queen's letter to him,
.N . 3

19S HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP/.y/K
requiring him tq allow of nq ministers, but suc:h as were
perfectly comformable. Mr. Calthorp replied, and urged.
the great want the church had qf . such good men, 4s Mr,
Lawrence, for whose fitness for his work, he would under
take the chief gentlemen of credit iii the county should
certify; but his sequestration was1 still continued. The
ljke severities were us?d in most other dioceses; The
$$p. of London came not behind the chief of his bre
thren in his persecuting zeal against the puritans; he
gave out orders for apparitors and other officers, to- go from1
church tp church, in time of divine service, to observe the
conformity of the minister, and to make report to her
majesty's commissioners. As this prelate had no com--
passion in his nature* he had little or no regard to the
laws of his country, or th£ cries, of the people after the
Word of God.
Great was the scarcity of preacher* about England,,
ap this- trine ; in the large and populous town of North
ampton, there, was nqt one, not had been for a consider
able trine, though the people applied to tlje bishop of
the diocese, by most humble supplication for the bread
of life. In t}ie county qf Cornwall there Were 140 : cler
gymen,- not qne qf which was capable of preaching a
sgrnipij, and most of them were pluralists and non-resi
dents. Even the city of London, was in a. lamentable
case. One half qf the churches at least were destitute
of preaching ministers. The people of Cornwall com
plained that the greatest part pf their churches*, then 160
ia number, were supplied by men. who were guilty of the
grossest sins.
The ground qf this scarcity, was no other than the
severity of the high commission',, .and the narrow terms
of conformity. Mpst of the old incumbents, says' Dr.
Keltridge, are disguised papists,- fitter to sport with the
timbrel and pipe, than to take into their hands the bqok
of the Lord , and yet there was a rising g^eratiou of
valuable preachers, ready for the iriinis/try; if they might
havp been encouraged ; fojc in a supplication of some of
the students of Cambridge to the parliament about this.'
time,, they acknowledge* that there were.plenty.of able
and vyell furnished men among them, but that they coukt

1573. ELIZABETH. 199
not get into places upon equal conditions ; but unlearned
men, nay the scum of the people, were preferred before
them; so that in this great want of labourers, we (say
they) stand idle in the riiarket-plaCe all the day, being
urged with subscriptions before the bishops, to approve
the Romish hierarchy, and all the effects of that govern
ment, to be agreeable to the word of God, which with no
safety of conscience we can accord unto. They then
offer a confererice or disputatiori, as the Queen and' parlia
ment shall agree, to put an amicable ehd to' these differ
ences, that the church may recover some discipline, that
simony and perjury may be banished', arid' that all who
are willing to promote the salvatiori of souls, may be em
ployed; but the Queen and bishops were against it.
All the public conversation at this time, rail upon the
Queen's riiarriage with the Duke of Anjou, a French papist,
which was thought to be as good as concluded ; the pro
testant part of tlie: nation were displeased with it, arid
sriine expressed their dark apprehensions in the pulpit.
The puritans iri general made a loud protest agairist the
inatcK", as dreading the consequences of a protestant body
being under a popish head. Mr. John Srubbs, a student
of Lincoln's Inn, whose sister Mr. Cartwright had married,
a gentleman of excellent parts, published a treatise this
¦summer, entitled the Gaping Gulph wherein England will
be swallowed up with the Frerich marriage; wherewith the
Queen Was so incensed, that she iriiriiediately issued out
a proclamation to Suppress the book, and to apprehend
the author arid printer. At the same time the lords-' bf
the council Wrote circular letters to the clergy, to remove
all surriuses about the danger of the reformation, incase
the match should take place,, assuring them the Queeti
would suffer no "alterations iri religion,! by any treaty with
the' Duke, and forbidding them in their sermohs or dis
courses to meddle with such high matters. Mr. Stubbs
the author, Singleton 'the printer, and Page the disperser
of the above-mentioned book, were apprehended, and
sentenced to have their right hands cut off, by virtue of
a law made in Mary's reign, against the authors and dis
persed of seditious writings: The printer Was pardoned,
jsut Mr. Stubbs and Page were brought to a scaffold-,

200 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
erected in the market-place at Westminster, where with
a terrible formality their right hands were cut-off by driv
ing a cleaver through the wrist with a mallet; but I re
member, says Cambden, being present, that as soon as
Stubbs' right hand was cut off, ¦ he pulled off. his hat with
his left, and said with a loud voice, God save the Queen j
to the amazement of the spectators, who stood silent,
either out of horror of the " punishment, or pity to the
man, or hatred to the match. Mr. Stubbs proved after-
wards a faithful subject to her majesty, and a valiant comr
mander in the wars pf Ireland. ,?t
At the beginning of the, next sessions of parliament
the commons voted, That as many of their members- as
conveniently could, should on the Sunday fortnight, as
semble and meet together, in the Temple Church, there
to have preaching, and to join together in prayer, with
humiliation and fasting, for the assistance of God's spirit
in all their consultations, during this parliament; and
for the preservation of the Queen's majesty and her
realms. The house was so cautious as not to name their
preachers, for fear they might bethought puritanical, but
referred it to such of her majesty's privy council, as were
members of the house. There was nothing, in this vote
contrary to law, or unbecoming the wisdom qf parliament,
but the Queen was no sooner acquainted with it, than she
sent word by her vice- chamberlain, that she did much
admire at so great a rashness in that house, as to put in
execution such an innovation, without her privity and
pleasure first made known to them. Upon which it was
moved by the courtiers, that the house should acknow
ledge their offence and contempt, and humbly crave
forgiveness, with a full purpose to forbear committing the
like, for the future ; which was voted accordingly. A
mean and abject spirit in the representative body of the
nation !
Her majesty having forbid her parliament to appoint
times for fasting and prayer, took hold, of the opportunity,
and gave the like injunctions to her.clergy ; some of whom,,
after the putting down of the Prophesyings, had ventured
to agree upon days of private fasting- and prayer for the
Queen and clmrcli; and for, exhorting the people to,

1579. ELIZABETH. 201
repentance and reformation of life, at such times and
places where they could obtain a pulpit. All the puritans,
and the more devout part of the conforming clergy, fell
in with these appointments ; sometimes there was one at
Leicester ; sometimes at Coventry and at Stamford, and
in other places; where six or seven neighbouring mini
sters joined together in their exercises ; but as soon as the
Queen was acquainted with them, she sent a warm mes
sage to the archbishop to suppress them, as being set up
by private persons, without authority, in defiance of the
laws, and of her prerogative.
Mr. Prowd, the puritan minister of Burton upon Dun-
more, complains in a melancholy letter to Lord Burleigh,
of the sad state of religion, by suppressing the exer
cises ; and by forbidding the meeting of a few ministers
and chistians, to pray for the preservation of the protes
tant religion, in this dangerous crisis, of the Queen's
marrying with a papist. He doubted whether his lordship
dealt so plainly with her majesty, as his knowledge of these
things required, and begs him to interpose. But the C^ueen
was-determined against all prayers, except what herself
should appoint.
The petitions and supplications to parliament from
London, Cornwall, and some other places, for redress of
grievances, met with no success, the House was so intimi
dated by the Queen's spirited behaviour, that they durst not
interpose any further than in conjunction with some of the
bishops, to petition her majesty as head of the church, to
redress them. The Queen promised to take order about it,
with all convenient speed ; putting them in mind at the same
time, that all motions for reformation in religion, ought to
arise from none but herself. But her majesty's sentiments
differed from the parliament's ; her greatest grief was the
increase of puritans and non-conformists, and therefore
instead of easing them, she girt the laws closer about
them, in order to bring them to an exact conformity. In
formation being 'given, that some who had livings in the
church, and preached weeltiy, did not administer the sa
crament to their parishioners in their own persons, her
majesty commanded her bishops in their visitations, to
enquire after such half conformists, as disjoined one

£§? HISTORY. OF T.H£ PURItrANS. CHAK.VI.
part of their function from; the other, and to compel them
by ecclesiastical censures to perforin the whole, at leas£
|wice a year. The puritan ministers being dissatisfied
with the promiscuous , access of all persons to the com
munion, and wifeh several passages in the office for the
Lord's supper, some of them used to provide qualified
clergymen to administer the ordinance: im their. room' j but!
this was now made a handle for their ejectment : inquisition
was made,, arid those v/ho after admonition would riot con
form to the Queen's- pleasure,, were sent for before thgi
commissioners and deprived, .
Though the, springs. of discipline moved but slowly in
the diocese of Canterbury^ becarisethe hietropolitan^ who
is the, first mover in ecclesiastical causes under tha:©jusefiy
was suspended and in disgrace; yet the sufferings of the
puritans were not lessened, the other bishops who were. u>
tlie high comtnissiori,. doubling., the. diligence j Messrs.
N^h1,- Drewet, and several , others were shot: Up: in ike.
prisons in and about London. Those who were at liberty
had nothing,, to do*, for t'hey might riot preacfij \it public,
without frdl conformity; nor; assemble in> private to mourn
ovCr their own and the nation's sins, without the- danger of
a prison. This exasperated their spirits,, arid put them
upon writing satyri cal pamphlets against their aoVersafcresj
in some Q.f which* there are coarse and' stinging reflections;
on the Unpreaehing clfergy,, calling them,.- "¦' dumb dogs,™
because they took no- pains- for the instruction of their
parishioners'; tlie authors glanced at the'severity of the
laws;. at the pride and ambition of the' bishops; at thp
illegal proceedings qf the high commission, and at the?
unjustifiable rigors of the Queen's goverhmerit; which'her?'
majesty being informed of, procured a statute this; isery
parliament, whereby it is enacted,, that — " If any person
or persons, forty days. after the end of this session, shall
write, or print, or set forth any .manner of book, rliyrtie,
ballad, letter, or writing, containing any matter,, to the
defamation of the Queen's majesty, or to the encouraging
of any insurrectjqn or rebelliqn within this realm, &c.
the said offenders,, upon sufficient proof by two witnesses,
shall safferdeath and loss qf goods, as in. case of felony.'''
-r-Tbis statute was to continue ia force only diirp|f

1-58Q; ELIZABETH. 30J
fche life of the present Queen ; but within that edmpass
of time, sundry of the puritans Were put to deijtfh by vir
tue- of it.
In the same session of parliament, another severe law'
was- ritade, which like a two-edged sword cut down both
papists and puritans ; it was entitled; An act to retain the;
Queew's subjects iri their- due obedience: "By which it is
pvade treason, for any priest or jiefeuie tto seduce any of! the1
Queen*s subjects, frorw the ©staMtshed to tbe 'r-ohiish
rfeligiorii. If any shall reconcile themselves to that religion,
they shall be guilty of treason : and^ to harbour such'
albove twenty days, is misprision of treason. If* anyone:
shall say Mass, foe ShaM forfeit two- hundred- in arks and
suffer a year's imprisonment;- and; they that are present'
a£ hearing rij&SS, shall forfeit one hundred marks arid A-
year's imprisonment>-'--&ut tikf the' act might be more
extensive, and comprehend protestant nori-cbnformists*
#s well as papists, it is further enacted,— "That all persons-
that do' not come to dhureho* chapel* or other pla^e Where
coriimon prayer is said, according to the act of uniformity^
shall forfeit twenty pound's per irionth to the Queen, being'
thereof lawfully Corivicted, -arid suffer imprisonment till
paid. Tliose that are absent for twelve, months shall*, upon
certificate made thereof' into the King's Bench, besides-
tbeir former fine, be bound with, two sufficient sureties in a-
borid: of two hundred pounds, for their good Behaviour.
Every school-master that dOe's not come to' comihon-
prayer, shall forfeit ten pounds a riionth, be disabled from
teaching school, and suffer a year's imprisoriment."-^ThiS'
was making merchandize Of the souls of men ; for ifcis a
sad- case, tc? sell men a licence to do, that which the re--''
ceivers of their money conceive to be unlawful. Resides
the fine was unmerciful ; by the act of uniformity, it was
twelve pence a Sunday for not coining to church, but now'
twenty pounds a month ;' so that the meaner people had
nothing to expect, but to rot in jails' ; which made the
officers unwilling to apprehend them. Thus the i Queen
arid her parliament tacked the puritans to the papists*
and subjected them to the same1 pehal laws,* as if they had
been equal ertemies to her person arid government, arid
te'the protestant religion. A precedent followed by seVeVal
parliaments in the succeeding reigns.

5504: HISTORY OF THE TURITANS. CHAP. VI.
But these violent measures, instead of reconciling the
puritans to the church, drove them further from it. Men
who act upon principles, will not easily be beatenfrom.
them with the artillery of canons, injunctions, subscrip
tions, fines, imprisonments* &c. much less will they esteem'
a church, that fights with such weapons. Multitudes were,
by these methods carried off to a total separation, and so
far prejudiced, as not to allow the church of, England.
to be a true church, nor her ministers true ministers ; they?
renounced all communion with her, not only in the prayers
and .ceremonies, but in hearing the word arid the saera-i
ments. These were the people called Brownists, from
one Robert Brown, a preacher .in the dioce.se of Norwich,.
descended of an ancient and honourable family in Rut-.
landsnire, and nearly related to the Lord treasurer Cecil 'f
be was educated in Corpus Christi Coll. Cam. and preached>
sometimes in Rennet church, where the vehemence of his
delivery, gained him reputation with the people. He.
was first a school-master, , then a lecturer at Islington ; but,
being a fiery, hot-headed young man, he went about the,
countries, inveighing against; the discipline and ceremonies;
of the church, and exhorting the people by no means,
to comply with them. He was first taken notice of by the
Bp. of Norwich,, who committed him to- the custody ofi
the sheriff of the county,, but upon acknowledgment of,
his offence, he was released. ., In the year 1582, he pub
lished a book, calfed, " the life and manners of true
christians;" to which is prefixed, "a treatise of reforma
tion without tarrying for any; and of the wickedness of ,
those preachers wh° will not reform themselves and their,-
charge, because they will tarry till the magistrate com- ;
mand and compel them." For this he was sent for again «
into custody, and upon examination confessed himself
the author, but denied that he was acquainted with the,
publication of the book; whereupon he was dismissed a
second time, at the intercession of the Lord treasurer,
and sent home to his father with whom he continued four ,
years; after this he travelled up and down the countries,;
iri company with his assistant Richard Harrison, preaching
against bishops, ceremonies, ecclesiastical courts, . or-.
daining of ministers, &c, for winch, as he afterwards^

1581. ELIZABETH, 20*
boasted, he had been committed to thirty-two prisons,
in some of which he could not see his hand at noon-day.
At length he gathered a separate congregation of his own
principles ; but tlie Queen and her bishops watching them
narrowly, they were quickly forced to leave the kingdom.
Several of his friends embarked with their effects for
Holland ; and having obtained leave of the magistrates
to worship God in their oWn Way, settled at Middleburgh
in Zealand. Here Mr. Brown forrned a church according
to his own model; but when this handful of people were
delivered from the bishops, their oppressors, they crum
bled into parties among themselves, insomuch that Brown
being weary of his office, returned into England, and
having renounced his principles of separation, became
rector of a church in Northamptonshire: here he lived an
idle and dissolute life, according to Fuller, far from that
Sabbatarian strictness, that his -followers aspired after.
He had a wife, with whom he did. not live for many years,
and a church in which he never preached; atdength being
poor and proud, and very passionate, he struck the con
stable of his parish, for demanding a rate of him ; and
being beloved by no body, the officer summoned him
before a neighbouring justice of peace, who committed
him to Northampton jail ; the decrepid old man not being
able to walk, was carried thither upon a feather bed in
a cart, where he fell sick and died, in the 81st year of
his age. (
• The revolt of Mr. Brown, broke up his congregation
at Middleburgh, but was far from destroying the seeds
of separation, that he had sown in several parts of Eng
land; his followers increased, and made a consider
able figure towards the latter end of this reign; and
because some of his principles were adopted and improved,
by a considerable body of puritans in the next age, I shall
here give an account of them.
The Brownists did not differ from the church of Eng
land in any articles of faith ; but were very rigid and
narrow in points of discipline. They denied the church of
England to be a true church, and her ministers to be rightly
ordained. They maintained the discipline of the church
of England, to be popish and antichristian, and all hel

208 IHSTORY OF THE -PURiTArtS", CHAP. vT;
ordinances , and sacraments invalid. Hence they forbaA
their people to join with them in prayer, in hearing, of
in any part of public worship; nay they not only re*
¦Jiouiiced communion with the church of England, but with'
all other reformed churches, except such as should be of
their own modeL
They apprehended* according to scripture, that every
ehurch ought to be confined within the limits of a single
congregation ; and that the government should be Demo-
craticat,. When a Church was to be gathered, such a*
desired to be members, made a confession of their faith
in the presence of each other, and signed a covenant^..
obliging themselves to walk together in the order of the
(gospel* according to certain rules and agreements therein"
contained. The whole power of admitting and excluding
members, «with the deciding of all controversies, was iri
the>brotherlieod. Their church Officers for preaching the
word, and taking care of the poor, were chosen front
among themselves, and separated to their several offices*
by fasting and prayer, and imposition of the hahds of
some. of the:brethrem They did not- allow the priesthood
to be a distinct order, or to give a man an indelible cha
racter; but as the vote of the brotherhood made him art
officer, and gave him authority ;to preach and administer
the sacraments .among them ; so the s^me p6wer» could!
discharge himfrom his office* and reduce him to the state
of a private member.
* When 'the number of communicants was larger fhati
could meet in one.place, tlie church divided and chose!
new officers from among themselves* as before', .living
together as sister churches; and giving each' other the
right hand of fellowship; or the privilege of corilniuriiojl
with either. One church might -riot exercise jurisdiction
Or autboWfcy over another, but each might give the otbei1
counsel, advice; or admonition, if they walked disorderly^
ot, abandoned 'the capital truths of religion; and if the
offending church did not receive the admonition, tlig
Others were to withdraw, -and puplieiydisbwrt theni as &
church of Ghirist, The powers Of their church officers*
were cqufiiited within the narrbw limit's of their own
society ; the ; pastor of one chared Siiight »Qt administer r

1581. ELIZABETH. 207
the saqrarnents of baptism or the Lord's supper, to any
but those of his own communion, and tlieir immediate
children. They \leclared against all prescribed forms
qf.-prayer. Any lay-brother had the liberty of prophe
sying, or giving a word ;of exhortation iii their chulch
assemblies ; and it was usual after sermon, for some of
the members to, ask questions, and confer with each other
upon tlie doctrines that had been delivered; but as for
church, censures, they were for.an entire separation of the
ecolesiastical and civil sword. In short, every church or
society qf christians meeting in one place, was according
tq the Brownists, a body corporate, having full power
within itself, ; to admit and exclude members;- to -choose
and ordain officers ; and when the good of the society
required it, to depose them, Without being accountable to
any jurisdiction whatsoever.
Some of their reasons for withdrawing from the church
are nqt easily answered : they alledged, that the laws of
the realm, and the Queen's injunctions, had made several
unwarrantable additions to the institutions of Christ,
That there were several. gross errors in the church service.
That these additions and errors were imposed and made
necessary to communion. That if persecution for con
science sake was the mark of a false church, they could
not believe the. church of England to be a true one. Thejr
apprehended further, that the constitution of the hier
archy was .too bad to be mended; that the very pillars Of
it were rotten, and.thatthe structure must be begun aiiew,
Since therefore all christians are obliged to preserve the
ordinances of Christ pure and undefiled, they resolved to
lay a new foundation, and keep as near as they eould to
the primitive pattern,, though it were with the hazard of all
that was dearto them in the world.
This scheme of the Brownists, seems to be formed upon
the practice of the apostolical churches, before the gifts
of inspiration arid prophecy were ceased, and is therefore
hardly practicable in these latter ages, wherein the
infirmities; and passions of private persons, too often take
place of their gifts and graces. Accordingly they were
involved in frequent quarrels and divisions; but their
chief crime was their uncharitablgness, in unchurching

208 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP.' VI.
the whole christian world, and breaking off all manner
of communion in the hearing the word, in public prayer,
and in the administration of the sacraments, not only
with the church of England, but with all foreign reformed
churches, which though less pure, ought certainly to be
owned as churches of Christ.
The heads of the Brownists, were Mr. Brown himself
and his companion Mr. Harrison, together with Mr. Tyler,
and others, who were now in prison for spreadirig his
books; the two last being afterwards put to death for it.
The bishop of Norwich used them cruelly, and was
highly displeased with those who shewed them any coun
tenance. When the prisoners above-mentioned, with
Mr. Handson .and some others* complained to the justices
at their quarter-sessions, of their long and illegal im
prisonment, their Worships were pleased to move the bishop
in their favour; with which his Lordship was so dissatis
fied, that he drew up twelve articles of impeachment:
against the justices themselves, and caused them to be
summoned before the Queen and council, to answer for
their misdemeanors. In the articles, they are charged
with countenancing Copping, Tyler, and other disorderly
clergymen. They are accused of contempt of his lord
ship's jurisdiction, in refusing to admit divers ministers
whom he had ordained, because they were ignorant and
could only read; and for removing one Wood from his
living on the same account. Sir R. Jermin and Sir J.
Higham, and Robert Ashfield, and T. Badley, Esqrs.
gentlemen of Suffolk and Norfolk, and of the number
of the aforesaid justices, gave in their answer to the
bishop's articles in the name of the rest ; in which, after
asserting their own conformity to the church, they very
justly tax his lordship with cruelty, in keeping men so
many years in prison, withOut bringing them to a trial,
according to law ;, and are ashamed that a bishop of the
church of England should be a patron of ignorance, and
an enemy to the preaching of the word of God. Upon
this the justices were dismissed. But though the Lord
Treasurer, Lord North, and others, wrote to the bishop,
that Mr. Handson, who was a learned and useful preacher,
might have a licence granted him, the angry prelate de-

1581. ELIZABETH. 209
clared peremptorily, that he never should have one, unless
he would acknowledge his fault, and enter into bonds for
his good behaviour for the future.
While the bishops were driving the puritans out of the
pulpits, the nobility and gentry received them into their
houses, as chaplains and tutors to their children ; not
merely out of compassion, but from a sense of their
real worth and usefulness ; for they were men of undis
sembled piety, and devotion ; mighty in the scriptures ;
zealous for the protestant religion; of exemplary lives;,
and indefatigably diligent in instructing those committed;
to their care. Here they were covered from their oppres
sors; they preached in the family and catechised the
children ; which without all question, had a considerable
influence upon the next generation.
The papists were very active all oyer the country ;
swarms of Jesuits came over from the seminaries abroad,
in defiance of the laws, and spread their books of de
votion and controversy among the common people ; they
had their private conventicles almost in every market
town in England; in the northern counties they were
more numerous than the protestants. This put the go-r
vernment upon enquiring after their priests; many of
whom .were ¦ apprehended, and three were executed . for
an example, but the'rest were spared, because the Queen's
match with the duke of Anjou, was still depending. How
ever the protestants in the Netherlands, being in distress,
the Queen assisted them with men and money, for which
they delivered into her majesty's hands, the most irirpor-
tant fortresses of their country, which she garrisoned with
English: She also sent relief to the French protestants,, ,
who were at war with their natural prince ; and ordered
a collection all over England, for the relief of the city
of Geneva, besieged by the Duke of Savoy'; which
measures were hardly consistent with her own principles
of government ; but as Rapin observes, Queen Elizabeth's
zeal for the protestant religion, was always subordinate to
her private interest.
About this time the Queen granted a commission of con
cealments; to some of her hungry courtiers, by which they '
VOL. i. o"

210 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
were empowered to enquire into the titles of church
lands and livings ; all forfeitures, concealments, or lands
for which the parish cOuld not produce a legal title, were
given to them : The articles of enquiry seem to be le
velled against the puritans, but through their sides, they
must have made sad havock with the patrimony of the
Church. This awakened the bishops, who fell upon their
knees before the Queen*- and entreated her majesty, if
she had any regard for the church, to supersede the com
mission ; which she did* though it is well enough known,
the Queen had no scruple of conscience, about plundering
the church of its revenues.
To return to the puritans ; Mr. Wright, domestic chap
lain to the late Lord Rich of Rochford, fell into the hands
of the Bp. of London last year; he was a learned man,
and had lived fourteenyears in the university of Cam
bridge; but being dissatisfied with episcopal ordination,
went over to Antwerp, and was ordained by the laying on
of the hands of the presbytery of that place. Upon his
return home, Lord Rich took him into his family, where
lie preached constantly in his lordship's chapel, and no
where else, because he could obtain no licence from the
bishop. He was an admired preacher, and universally
beloved by the clergy of the county, for his great se
riousness and piety. While his lordship was alive, he
protected him from danger, but his noble patron was no
sooner dead, than the Bp. of London laid hands on
him, and confined him in the. Gate-house, for saying, that
to keep the Queen's birth-day as an holiday was to make
her an idol. When the good man had been shut up from
his family and friends several months, he petitioned the
bishop to be brought to his trial, or admitted to bail. But
all the answer his lordship returned was, that he deserved
to lie in prison seven years. This usage, together with
Mr. Wright's open and undisguised honesty and piety,
moved the compassion of his keeper, in so much that his
poor wife being in childbed and distress, he gave him leave
with the private allowance of the secretary of state, to
make her a visit at Rochford, upon his parole ; but it hap
pened that Dr. Ford the civilian, meeting him upon the
road, acquainted the bishop with his escape, who there-

1582. ELIZABETH. 211
upon fell into a violent passion, and sending immediately
for the keeper, demanded to see the prisoner. The keeper
pleaded the great compassion of the case ; but the bishop
threatened to complain of him to the Queen, and have
him turned out. Mr. Wright being informed of the
keeper's danger, returned immediately to his prison, and
wrote to the Lord Treasurer on his behalf, and he was
pardoned. M
But the bishop resolved to take full satisfaction of the
prisoner; accordingly he sent for him before the com
missioners, and examined him upon articles concerning
the book of Common prayer ; rites and ceremonies ; pray
ing for the Queen and the church ; and the established
form of ordaining ministers. He was charged with preach
ing without a licence ; and with being no better than a
mere layman. To which he made the following answers ;
that he thought the book of Common prayer, in the
main good and godly, but could not answer for every
particular. That as to the rites and ceremonies, he
thought his resorting to churches where they were used,
was a sufficient proof that he allowed them. That he
prayed for the Queen, and for all ministers of God's
word, and consequently for archbishops and bishops, &c.
That he was but a private chaplain, and kriew no law that
required a licence for such a place. But he could not
yield himself to be a mere layman, having preached seven
years in the university with licence ; and since that time,
having been regularly ordained, by the laying on of the
hands of the presbyters at Antwerp. The bishop having
charged him with saying, that the election of ministers
ought to be by their flocks, he owned it, and supposed it
not to be an error ; and added further, that in his opinion
every minister was a bishop, though not a lord bishop ;
aud that his Lordship of London must be of the same
opinion, because when he rebuked Mr. White for striking
one of his parishioners, he alledged that text, " That a
bishop must be no striker : which had been impertinent,
if Mk. White, being only, a minister, had not been a
bishop. When his Lordship charged him with saying,
There were no lawful ministers in the church of England,
0 2

212 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
he replied, " I, will be content to be condemned, if I bring,,
not 200 witnesses for my discharge of this accusation. I
dp as certainly believe that there are lawful ministers in,
England, as that there is a sun in the. sky. In Essex. L
can bring 20 godly ministers, all preachers, who will tes
tify that they love me, and have cause to think that I lovert
and reverence them. I preached seven years in the uni
versity of Cambridge witlnapprobation, and have a testi
monial to produce, under , the, , hands and seals of the
master and fellows of Christ's college, being all ministers^
at that time, of my go.od behaviour." However aU he4
could say was to no purpose, the bishop would not allow,
his orders, and therefore pronounced him a layman, and;
incapable of holding any living in the church.
Many honourable gentlemen in Essex petitioned* the,
Bp. of London for a licence, that Mr. Wright might,
preach publicly in any place within his (diocese/; but his.
Lordship always refused it, because he was no minister,
that is, had only been ordained among the foreign churches.,
This was certainly contrary to law ; for the statute, of 13.
Eliz. cap, 12. admits the ministrations of those, who, had,
only been ordamed in the manner of the Scots, or, other
foreign churches : There were, some scores, if not, hun
dreds of them, now in the church, and the Abp. of Can-?
terbury at thjs very time, commanded Dr. Aubrey,-, his
vicar-general, to license Mr. Mqrrison, a Septs divine, whft/
had no other ordination, than what, he received from a
Scots presbytery, to preach oyer his whole prpykicg: This.
licence was as full' a testimonial, of the .validity of pres-
byterian ordination, as can be desired. But the^pther,
notion was growing; into fashion; all orders ; of .men .are,
for assuming some peculiar characters and powers tp them
selves; the bishops will be a distinct and. superior order
to presbyters ; and no man must he a munster of Chrjst,
on whom they lay not their hands.
The behaviour of the Bp. of London, towards the
Puritans, moved the compassion of some of , the conform-:
ing clergy. The whole country also exclaimed/against,
the bishops- for their high proceedings; the justices of.
peace of the county of Suffolk, were so moved, that not
withstanding his Lordship's late citation of them before

1582. , , ELIZABETH. 2T3
the council, they wrote again to their honours, praying
them to interpose in behalf of the injuries that were
offered, to divers godly ministers. The words of their
supplication are worth remeihbering, because they dis
cover the Cruelty of the commissioners, who made no
distinction between the vilest criminals, and conscientious
ministers. — " The painful ministers of the word, say they*
are marshalled with the worst malefactors, presented,
indicted, arraigned, and condemned for matters, as we
presume, of very slender moment : Some for leaving the
holidays unbidden ; some for singing the psalm Nunc
dimittis in the morning ; some for turning the questions
in baptism concerning faith, frorii the infants to the god
fathers, which is but You for Thou ; some for leaving out
the cross in baptism; some for leaving out the ring in
marriage. A most pitiful thing it is, to see the back of
the law turned to the adversary [the papists] and the edge
with all the sharpness laid upon the sound and true-hearted
subject." This supplication produced a letter frorii the council,
to the judges of assize, commanding them not to give
ear to malicious informers against peaceful and faithful
ministers, nor to riiatch them at the bar with rogues, felritt'B^
or papists, but to put a difference in the face of the .world}
between those of another faith and they who differ only
about ceremonies, arid yet diligently arid soundly preach
true religion. The judges were struck with this letter;
arid the Bp. of London, with bis attendants, returned front
his visitation full of discontent. Indeed his Lordship had
made himself so riiany enemies, that he grew weary of
his bishopric, and petitioned the Queen to exchange it
for that Of Ely, that he might retire arid be out Of the
way ; or rather, that he might kindle a new flame in those
parts ; but her majesty refused his request.
NdtvvitHstahding these slight appearances in favour of
the puritaTis, two ministers of the Brownist persuasioii
were cohderimed and put to death this summer for non
conformity^ viz'. Mr. Thacker hanged at St. Edmundsbury,
and Mr. Copping two days after. Their indictments were
for spreading certain books, seditiously penned by Robert
0 3

214 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
Brown, against the book of Common prayer, establised
by the laws of this realm'. The sedition charged upon
Brown's book was, that it subverted the constitution of
the church, and acknowledged her majesty's supremacy
civilly, but not otherwise. This the judges took hold of to
aggravate their offence to the Queen, after they' had
passed sentence upon them, on the late statute against
spreading seditious libels, and for refusing the oath of
supremacy. Mr. Copping had suffered a long and illegal
imprisonment from the bishop of his diocese ; hiswife being
brought to bed while he was under confinement, he was
charged with not suffering his child to be baptised ; to
which he answered, that his conscience1 could not admit it
to be done With god-fathers and god-mothers, and he could
get no preacher to do it without. He was accused further
with saying* The Queen was perjured, because she had
sworn to set forth God's glory directly, as by the scrips
tures are appointed, and did not ; but these were only
circumstances, to support the grand charge of sedition,
iri spreading Brown's book. However, it seemed a little
hard to hang men for spreading a seditious book, at a time
when Brown, the author of that very book, was pardoned
and set at liberty. Both the prisoners died by their prin
ciples; for though Dr. Still the archbishop's chaplain,
and others, conferred with them, yet at the very hour of
their death they remained immoveable: They were both
sound in the doctrinal articles of the church of England,
and of unblemished lives. One Wilsford a layman should
have suffered with them, but upon conference with
secretary Wilson, who told him the Queen's supremacy
might be understood, only of her majesty's civil power
over ecclesiastical persons, he took the oath and was dis
charged. ;
While the bishops were thus harrassing conscientious
ministers, for scrupling the ceremonies of the church,
practical religion was at a very low ebb ; the fashionable
vices of the times were, prophane swearing, drunkenness,
revelling, gaming, and prophahation of' the Lord's day;
yet there was nO discipline for these offenders, nor do I
find any such cited into the spiritual courts, or shut-up
in prisons. If men came to their parish churches, and

1583. ELIZABETH. 215
approved of the habits and ceremonies, other offences
were overlooked,' and the court was easy. At Paris Gar
dens, in Southwark, there were public sports on the Lord's
day. On the 13th of January being Sunday, it happened
that one of the scaffolds, being crouded with people fell
down, hy which accident some were killed, and a great
many wounded. This was thought to be a judgment from
heaven ; for the lord mayor in tlie account he gives of it
to the treasurer, says, " that it gives great occasion to
acknowledge the hands of God, for such abuse of his
sabbath-day, and moveth me in conscience to give order
for redress of such contempt of God's service : adding,
that for this purpose he had treated with some justices of
peace in Surrey, who expressed a very good zeal, but
-alledged want of commission, which he referred to the
consideration of his Lordship." But the Court paid no
regard to such remonstrances ; and the Queen had her
ends, in encouraging the sports, pastimes, and revellings
of the people on Sundays and holydays.
This year died the famous northern apostle Mr. Bernard
Gilpin, minister of Houghton in the bishopric of Durham.
He was born at Kentmire, in Westmoreland, of an ancient
and honourable family, and was entered into Queen's
College, Oxford, in the year 1533. He continued a papist
all the reign of Henry the VHIth, but was converted by
the lectures of Peter Martyr, in the beginning of the
reign of Edward the Vlth, He Was remarkably honest,
and ppen to conviction, but did not separate from the
Romish communion, till he was persuaded the pope was
antichrist. Tonstal, Bp. of Durham, was his uncle by
the mother's side, by whose encouragement he travelled
to Paris, Lovain, and other parts, being still for the real
presence of Christ in the sacrament, though not for tran-
substantiation. Returning home in the days of Queen
Mary, his uncle placed him first in the rectory at Essing-
don, and afterwards at Houghton, a large parish contain:
ing fourteen villages; here he laboured in the work of
the ministry ; and was often exposed to danger, but con
stantly preserved by his uncle Bp. Tonstal, who was
averse to burning men for religion. Miserable and hea
thenish was the condition of these northern counties at

216 HISTORY OF, THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
this time, with respect to religion ! Mr. Gilpin beheld it
with tears of compassion, and resolved at his own expence
to visit the desolate churches of Northumberland, and
the parts adjoining, once every year to preach the gospel,
and distribute to the necessities of the poor, which he
continued to his death; this gained him the veneration
of all ranks of people in those parts : but though he had
such a powerful skreen as Bp. Tonstal, yet the fame of
,his doctrine, which was Lutheran, reaching the ear(s of
Bonner, he sent for him to London ; the reverend man
ordered his servant to prepare him a long shirt, expecting
to be buimt, but before he came to London, Queen Mary
died. Upon the accession of Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Gilpin
having a fair estate of his own, erected a grammar school,
and allowed maintenance for a master and usher, himself
choosing quit of the school, such as he liked best for his
own private instruction. Many learned men, who after
wards, adorned the church by their labours and upright
ness of life, were educated by him in his domestic
academy. Many gentlemen's sons resor,ted*to him, some
of whom wore boarded in the town, and others in his own
house ; besides, he took many poor men's sons under his
care, educated and wholly supported them.
In the year 1560, he was offered the bishopric of Car-*
lisle, and was urged to accept it by the Earl of Bedford,
Bp. Sandys, and others, with the most powerful motives*;
but he desired to be excused, and in that resolution re
mained immoveable. But though Mr. Gilpin would not be
a bishop, he supplied the place of one, by preaching, by
hospitality, by erecting schools, by taking care of the
poor, and providing for destitute churches ; in all which
he was countenanced and encouraged, by the learned
Pilkington, then Bp. of Durham, by whom be was excused
from subscriptions, habits, and a strict observance of
ceremonies, it being his fixed opinion, that no human
invention should take place in the church, instead of a
divine institution. After Bp. Pilkington's death, Dr.
Barnes was chosen his successor, who was disgusted at
Mr. Gilpin's popularity, and gave him trouble*, oncewhen
he was setting out upon bis annual visitation, the bishop..
summoned him to preach before him, which he excused;

15SS. ELIZABETH. 21?
in the handsomest manner he could, and went his pro
gress; but upon his return, he found himself suspended
for contempt, from all ecclesiastical employments. The
bishop afterwards sent for him again on a sudden, and
commanded him to preach, but then he pleaded his sus
pension, and his not being provided ; the bishop immedi
ately took off his suspension, and would not excuse his
preaching, upon which he went into the pulpit, and
discoursed upon the high charge of a christian bishop ;
and having exposed the corruptions of the clergy, he
boldly addressed himself to his lordship in these words : —
" Let not your lordship say, these crimes have been com
mitted without my knowledge, for whatsoever you your
self do in person, or suffer through your connivance*to
be done by others, is wholly your own ; therefore in the
presence of God, angels and men, I prorfOunce your
fatherhood to be the author of all these evils ; and I and
this whole congregation, will be a witness in the day of
judgment, that these things have come to your ears." —
All men thought the bishop would have deprived Mr.
Gilpin for this freedom, as soon as he came out of the
pulpit, but by the good providence of God, it had a quite
different effect, the bishop thanked him for his faithful
reproof; and after this suffered him to go on with his
annual pregress, giving him no further disturbance. At
length his lean body being quite worn out with labour, and
feeling the approaches of death, he commanded the poor
to be called together, and took a solemn leave of them ;
afterwards he did the like by his relations and friends ;
he then giving himself up to God, died in the 66th
year of his age. He was a heavenly man, endued with a
large and generous soul, of a tall stature of body with a
roman nose ; his clothes were neat and plain ; for lie was
frugal in his own dress, though very bountiful to others.
His doors w'ere always open for the entertainment of
strangers. ¦ He boarded in his own house twenty-four
scholars, most of whom were upon charity. He kept a
table for the poor every Lord's *day, from Michaelmas to
Easter, and expended five hundred pounds for a free
school for their children. Upon the whole, he was a
pious, devout, and open hearted divine;, a conscientious

218 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. . qHAP.. VI.
V
non-conformist, but against separation. He was ac
counted a saint by his very enemies, if he bad any such,
being full, of faith and good works ; and was at last put into
his grave, as a shock of corn fully ripe.
The same year died Edmund Grindal, Abp. of Can
terbury, born at Copland in the county of Cumberland,
in the year 1519, and educated in Cambridge. He was a
famous preacher in King Edward's days, and was nomin
ated by him to a bishopric, when he was only thirtyTthree
years of age; but that King dying soon after, hewentieto
exile, and imbibed the principles of a further reformation,
than, had as yet obtained in England. Upon Elizabeth's
accession, he returned to England, and was advanced
first to the see of London, and then to York and Canter
bury, though he could hardly persuade himself for some
time, to wear the habits, and. comply with the ceremonies
of the church ; nor did he ever heartily approve them,
yet thought it better to support the reformation on that
foot, than hazard it back into the hands of the papists.
He was of a mild and moderate temper, easy of access,
and affable even in his highest exaltation. He is blamed
by some, for his gentle usage of the puritans, though he
used them worse than he would have done, if he had been
left to himself. About a year or two after his promotion
to the see of Canterbury, he lost the Queen's favour •on
account of the prophesyings, and was suspended for some
years, during which time, many puritan ministers took
shelter in the counties of Kent and Surry, &c. which
made more work for his successor. The goOd old arch
bishop being blind and broken hearted, the Queen took
off his sequestration about a year before his death, and
sent to acquaint him, that if he would resign, he should
have her favour, and an honourable pension ; which he
promised to accept within six months ; but Whitgift who
was designed for his successor, refusing to enter upon
the see while Grindal lived, he made a shift to hold it til
his death, which happened in the sixty-third year of his
age. He was certainly a learned and venerable prelate,
and had a high esteem for the name and doctrines of
Calvin, with whom, and with the German divines, he
held a constant correspondence. His high stations did

1583. ELIZABETH. 219
not make hiin proud ; but if we may believe his successor
in the see of York, Abp. Sandys, he must be tainted with
avarice, as most of the Queen's bishops were ; because
within two months after he was translated to Canterbury,
he gave to his kinsmen and servants, and sold for round
sums of muney to himself, six score leases and patents,
even then when they were thought not to be good in
law. But upon the whole, he was one of the best of
Elizabeth's bishops. He lies buried in the chancel
of the church at Croydon, where his effigy is to be
seen at length, in his doctor's" robes, and in a praying
posture, *

CHAP. VII.

ELIZABETH,

Whitgift made, Abp. of Canterbury. — His reasons for
Subscription. — Distressed state of Non-subscribers. —
Their Petitions to the Counsel. — The oath ex officio.—
Conference at Lambeth. — Bp. Aylmer's severities against
the Puritans. — Remarks. — Hardships of the Country
Clergy. — Book of Discipline. — Application of the Puri
tans to Parliament.^-Bills for Reformation. — Puritans
> apply in vain to Convocation. — State of Popery. —
Persecutions. — Writings of Puritans suppressed* —
Despair qf Redress — Proceedings of the High Com
mission. — Quiet behaviour of the Puritans. — Cry of
the People for Preaching. — The Puritans' proceedings
in their Classes. — Death of Mr. Fox, the Martyn-
ologist. — Rise qf the Controversy on the Divive Right qf
Episcopacy.— Spanish Invasion.
TTPON the death of Grindal, Whitgift, Bp. of Wor-
'-' cester, was translated to the see of Canterbury.
He had distinguished himself in the controversy against
the Puritans, and was therefore thought the most proper
person to reduce their numbers. Upon his advancement,
the Queen charged him "to restore the discipline of the
church, and the uniformity established by law, which
(says her majesty) through the connivance of some pre
lates, the obstinacy of the puritans, and the power of
some noblemen, is run out of square." Accordingly the
very first week, his grace published the following articles,
and sent them to the bishops of hi? province, for their
direction in the government of their several dioceses.

1583. ELIZABETH. 221
Art. I. "That all preaching, catechising, and praying in
any private family, where any are present besides the
family, be utterly extinguished. 2. That none do preach
or catechize, except also he will read the whole service*
and administer the sacraments four times a year. 3. That
all preachers, and others in ecclesiastical orders, do at
all times wear the habits prescribed. 4. That none be
admitted to preach, unless he be ordained according to
the manner of the church of England. 5. That none be
admitted to preach, or execute any part of the ecclesias
tical function, unless he subscribe the following articles.
First, to the Queen-'s supremacy over all persons, and in
all. causes ecclesiastical and civil, within her. majesty's
dominions. Secondly, to the book of common prayer,
and of the ordination of priests and deacons, as contain
ing nothing contrary to the word of God ; and that they
will use it in all their • public ministrations and no other.
Thirdly, to. the thirty-nine- articles of the church- of Eng
land, agreed upon in the synod of 1562, and afterwards
confirmed by parliament." And with what severity his
grace enforced these articles, will be seen presently..
It is easy to observe, that they were all levelled at the
Puritans ; but the most disinterested civil lawyers of these
times were of opinion, thathis grace had no legal autho
rity to impose those, or any other articles' upon the clergy,
without the broad seal ; and that all his proceedings upon
them, were an abuseof the royal prerogative, contrary
to tlie laws- of the land, and consequently so many acts of
oppression upon the subject.
Notwithstanding these objections, the archbishop in
his primary metropblitical visitation, insisted peremp
torily, that all. who enjoyed any office or benefice in the
churchy should, subscribe the three articles above-men
tioned; the second of which he knew the Puritans would
refuse : accordingly two hundred and thirty-three ministers
were suspended for not subscribing ; besides great
numbers in the diocese of Peterborough,- in- the city of
London, and in other counties ; some of whom were
dignitaries in the church, and most of them graduates in
the; university ; of these some were allowed time, but
forty-nine were absolutely -deprived at once. Among the'

12* history qt the pcritan?.. chap, vrr.
suspended ministers his grace, shewed some particular
favour to tliQse of Sussex, at the intercession of some
great persons ; for after a long dispute and many argu
ments before himself at Lambeth, he accepted of the
subscripti , of six or seven, with their own explication
of the rubrics, and with a declaration that their subscrip
tion was not to be understood in any other sense, than as
far as the books were agreeable to the word of God, and
to the substance of religion established in the church of
England, and to the analogy of faith ; and that it did not
extend to anything- not expressed* in the said books. Of
all which the archbishop allowed them an authentic copy
in writing, and ordered his chancellor to send letters to
Chichester, that the rest of the suspended . ministers
in that County, might be indulged the same favour..
Many pious men strained their consciences on this
Occasion ; some subscribed the articles with this protes
tation in open Court, as far as they are agreeable to the
Word of God ; and others dempto secundo, that is, taking
away the second. Many upon better consideration,, re
lented their subscribing in this manner, and would have
rased their names, but it was not permitted. Some who
were allured to subscribe, with the promises of favour,
were ,neglecfed"and forgotten, and troubled in the Com
missaries Court as much as before. The Court took no
notice of their protestations or reserves; they wanted
nothing but their hands, and when they had got them,
they were all listed under the same colours, and published
to the world as absolute subscribers.
The body of the inferior clergy, wished, and prayed
for some amendments in the service-book, to make their
brethren easy, But Whitgift was to be influenced by no
arguments ; he was against all alterations in the liturgy,
for this'general reason, lest the church should be thought
to have maintained an error : which is surprizing to come
from the mouth of a bishop, who had so lately separated
from the infallible church of Rome. His grace's argu
ments for subscription to his articles, are no less remark
able. 1. If you do not subscribe to the book of common
prayer, you do in effect say, there is no true service of
God, or administration, of sacraments in the land.; 2. If

1583. ELIZABETH. 228 i
you do not subscribe the book of ordination of priests,
y&c. then our calling must be unlawful, and we have 116
true ministry, nor church in England. 3. If you do not
subscribe the book of the thirty-nine articles, you deny
true doctrine to be established among us, which is the
main note of a true church. Could an honest man, and
a great scholar be in earnest with this reasoning ? Might
not the puritans dislike some things in the service-book,
without invalidating the whole ? Did not his grace know,
that they Offered to subscribe to the use of the service-
book, as far as they could apprehend it consonant to
truth, though they could not give it under their hands, that
there was nothing in it contrary to the Word of God, nor
prorillse to Use the whole, without the least variation,
in their public ministry ? But according to the arch
bishop's logic, the church must be infallible, or no church
at all. The liturgy must be perfect in every phrase and
sentence, or it is no true service of God ; and every article
of the church must be agreeable to scripture, or they
contain no true doctrine, at all. He told the ministers,
that all who did not subscribe his articles were* schis
matics; that they had separated themselves from the
church; and declared peremptorily, that they should be
turned out of it.
Loud were the cries of these poor sufferers and their
distressed families to heaven for mercy, as well as to their
superiors on earth 1 Their temptations were strong, for
as men they were moved with compassion for their wives
and little ones ; and as faithful ministers of Christ, they
were desirPUs to be useful, and to preserve, the testimony
of a good conscience. Some throughirailty, Were over
come and submitted, but most of them cast themselves
and families upon the providence of God ; having wrote
to the Queen, to the archbishop, and to. the Lords of the
council ; and after some time to the parliament, for a
friendly conference, Or a public disputation, when and
where, and before whom they pleased; though without
success. ,
The ministers of Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Essex, Oxford
shire, Kent, London, and those of the diocese of Ely and
^Cambridgeshire, wrote to the Lords of the council,

22* HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Vlf.
representing in most moving language their unhappy
circumstances, — "We commend, say they, to your honour's"*
compassion our poor families, but much more do we
commend our doubtful, fearful, and distressed consciences,
together with the cries of our poor people, who are
hungering after the word, and are now as sheep having no
shepherd. We have applied to the archbishop, but can
get no relief, we therefore humbly beg it at your honour's'
hands." — They declare theL- readiness to subscribe the
doctrinal articles qf the cnurch, according to the stat.
13 Eliz. cap. 12. and to the other articles, as far as they
are not repugnant to the word of God. And they pro
mise further, if they may be dispensed with as to subscrip
tion, that tliey will make no disturbance in the church, nor"
separate from it.
The Kentish ministers in their supplication, to the
Lords of the council, professed their reverence for the
established church, and their esteem for the book of
common prayer, so far as that they saw no necessity of
separating from the unity of the church on that account :
that they believed the word preached, and the sacraments "
administered according to authority, touching the sub-
starice, to be lawful. They prOmised to shew themselves
obedient to the Queen, in all clauses ecclesiastical and
civil; but then they added, that there were many things
that needed reformation, which therefore they could not
honestly set their hands to. They conclude with praying
for indulgence.
The London ministers applied to the convocation, and
fifteen of them offered to subscribe to the Queen's
supremacy, to the use of the common prayer book, and
to the doctrinal articles of the church, if they might be
restored ; but then add,-; — " We dare not say there is
nothing in the three books, repugnant to the word of God,
till we are otherwise enlightened; and therefore humbly
pray our brethren in convocation, to be a means to the
Queen anil ^parliament, that we may not be pressed to
an absolute subscription, &c." This petition was presented '
to. the convocation, in the first sessions of the next par
liament, in the name of the ministers of London that had
refused to subscribe the articles lately enforced 'upon

15St;" ELIZABETH'." 225
them; with an humble' request to have their, doubts
satisfied by conference, or any other way.
Among the suspended ministers of London, was the
learned and virtuous Mr. Barber, who preached four times
a week at Bow church: his parishioners to the number
of 120, signed a petition to thO Lord Mayor and court of
aldermen for his release, but that court could not obtain
it. March 4th the learned Mr. Field and Mr. Egerton
were suspended. Mr. Field had been often in bonds for
hon-conformity ; he was minister of Aldermary, and had
admitted an assembly of ministers to be held at his house,
among whom were some Scots divines, who being dis
affected to the hierarchy, the assembly was declared an
"unlawful conventicle, and Mr. Field suspended from his
ministry for entertaining them ; but the rest were deprived
for not subscribing.
Many gentlemen of reputation both in city and coun
try, appeared for the suspended ministers, as well out of
regard to their poor families, 'as for the sake of religiori,
it being impossible to supply so many vacancies, as were
made in the church upon 'this occasion.' The gentlemen
of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Kent, interceded with
the archbishop, alleging that it was very hard to deal with
men so severely for a few rites and ceremonies, when* they
were neither heretics nor schismatics, and when the
country wanted their usual preaching. The parishioners
of the several places from whence the ministers were
ejected, signed petitions to the Lord treasurer, and others
of the Queen's council, beseeching them, that their
ministers being of ah upright and holy conversation, and
diligent preachers of the word 'of God, might be restored.
A petition was sent to the counsel from Norwich",
' signed with 176 hands, and many letters and supplications
from the most populous towns in England. But these
appeals of the puritans "and their friends, did them nO
service ; for the Watchful archbishop, whose eyes Were
about him, wrote to the council to put them in mind,— -
" That the cause of the puritans did not lie before them :
that he wondered -at the "presumption of the ministers, to
bring his doings in question before their lordships, and
VOL. 1. --•- ' : ' p

226 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VH.
at their proud spirit, to dare to offer to dispute before so
great a body, against the religion established by law, and
against a book so painful^ .penned, and confirmed by the
highest authority." — He then adds, — " That it was not for
him to sit in his place, if every curate in his diocese must
dispute with him; nor could he do his duty to the Queen,
if he might not proceed without interruption ; but if
they would help him, he should soon bring them to com
ply." — -As to the gentlemen who petitioned for their
ministers, he told them to their faces, that he would not
suffer their • factious ministers, unless tiiey would sub
scribe: that no church ought to suffer its, laudable rites
to be neglected: that though the ministers were not here
tics, they were schismatics, because they raised, a
contention in the church, about things not necessary to
salvation. And as for lack of preaching, if the gentlemen
or parishioners woulddet him dispose of their livings, he
would take care to provide them with able men. Thus this
great prelate, who had complied with the popish religion,
and kept his place in the university through-all the-reign
of Queen Mary, was resolved to bear^down all. opposition,
and to display -his sovereign power against those, whose
consciences were not. as flexible-as his own.- -'. . ,.-¦»
But not content with his-. .episcopal jurisdiction,- his
grace solicited the Queen for. a new Ecclesiastical Com
mission, andjgave her majesty these, weighty. reasons for
it, among others,. 1. Because the puritans contemn the
ecclesiastical censures. 2. Because, the commission may
order a search for seditious books, and.examine the writer
or publishers upon oath, which a bishop cannot. . 3;.Be-
cause the ecclesiastical commission can punish by- fines,
which are very commodious to .the government-; or by
imprisonment, which will strike more -terror into the
puritans. 4.. Because a notorious fault cannot be notori
ously punished^ but by- the commission,, 5.- Because the
whole ecclesiastical law,' is hut a carcase without, asoul,
unless.it be quickened bythecommission. — The Queen,
who was already disposed to methods. of severity, easily
gave way to the archbishop's arguments, andorderedra
new high commission to be prepared.,- - . ... \. :. . s v.y.-<i
The Court of High Commission was so called, because

15S4. ELIZABETH. 227
it claimed a larger jurisdiction, and higher powers, than
the ordinary courts of the bishops; its jurisdiction ex
tended over the whole kingdom, and was the same in a
manner with that which had been vested in the single
person of Lord Cromwel, vicar general to King Henry
the VHIth, though now put into commission; but the
council for Mr. Cawdrey, whose case was argued before
all the judges, questioned whether the court had any
foundation at all in law ; it being doubtful whether the
Queen could delegate her ecclesiastical authority, or the.
commissaries act by virtue of such delegation.
But admitting the court to be legal, it will appear that
both the Queen and her commissioners, exceeded the
powers granted them bylaw; for it was not the intendment
of the act of supremacy, to vest any new powers in the
crown, but only to restore those which were supposed to
be its ancient and natural right. Nor do the acts above
recited, authorize the Queen to dispense with the laws
of the realm, or act contrary to them; or to set aside the
ordinary legal course of proceeding, in other courts, of
judicature, by indictments, witnesses, and a jury of twelve
men; nor do they empower her to levy fines, and inflict
what corporal punishments she pleases, upon offenders •
but in all criminal cases, where the precise punishment
is not determined by the statute, her commissioners were
to be directed and governed, by the common law of the
land. Yet contrary to the proceedings in other courts, and
to the essential freedom of the English constitution, the
Queen empowered her commissioners, to enquire into all
misdemeanors, not only by the Oaths of twelve men, and
witnesses, but by all other means and ways they
COULD DEVISE; that is, by inquisition, by the rack, by
torture, or by any ways and means, that forty- four
sovereign judges should devise. Surely this should have
been limited to ways and means, warranted by the laws
and customs of the realm. Further, her majesty empowers
her commissioners, to examine such persons as they sus
pected upon their corporal oaths, for the better trial
and opening of the truth, and to punish those that refused
p 2

325 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
the oath, by fine or imprisoment, according to their* dis
cretion. This refers to the oath ex officio mero, and was
not in the five first commissions.
It was said in 'behalf of this oath, by Dr. Aubrey, the
civilian, that though it was not warranted by the letter
of the statute of the 1st of Elizabeth, yet the canon law being
in force, before the making of that statute, and the commis
sion warranting the commissioners to proceed according
tq the law ecclesiastical, they might lawfully administer it,
according to ancient custom. To which it was answered,
That such an oath was never allowed by any canon of the
church, or general council, for a thousand years after
Christ ; that when it was used against the primitive chris
tians, the pagan emperors countermanded it ; that it was
against the pope's law in the decretals, which admits of
such an inquisition only in cases of heresy ; nor was it
ever used in England, till the reign of Henry IV th, and
then it was enforced as law, only by a haughty archbishop,
without consent of the commons of England, till the 25th
of Henry the VIHth, when it was utterly abrogated. This
pretended law was again revived by Maty, but repealed
by the 1st of Elizabeth, and so remained. Besides, as this
purging men by oath, has no foundation in the law of the
land, it is undoubtedly contrary to the law of nature
and nations, where this is a received maxim. No man is
bound to accuse himself. The Queen therefore had no
power to authorize her commissioners, to set up an inqui
sition, and administer an oath to the suspected person, to
answer all questions the court should put to him, and to
convict him upon those answers ; or if they could con
front his decarations, to punish him as perjured.
If any persons disobeyed the orders and decrees of the
court, by n°t appearing at their summons, &c. the com
missioners were empowered to punish them by fine or im
prisonment, at their discretions. This also was contrary
to law, for the body of a subject is to be dealt with ac
cording to the law of the land, as Magna Charta and the
law saith. The clerk felon in the bishop's prison, is the
King's prisoner, and not the bishop's. If then the 'Queen
by her ecclesiastical commission, could not dispense with
thela'weof the land, it is evident that the long and arbi-

1584. ELIZABETH. 229
trary imprisonments of the puritan clergy, before they
had been legally convicted, and all tlieir confinements
afterwards, beyond the time limited by the statutes, were
so many acts of oppression; and every acting bishop or
commissioner, was liable to be sued in an action of false
imprisonment. The law says, no man shall be fined beyond his estate
or ability. But the lines raised by this court in the two
next reigns, were so exorbitant, that no man was secure
in his property; though according to Lord Clarendon,
their power of levying any fine at all, was very doubtful.
Some for speaking an unmannerly word, or writing what
the court was pleased to construe a libel, were fined from
five hundred to ten thousand pounds, and perpetual im
prisonment ; some had their ears cut off and their noses
slit, after they had been exposed several days in the
pillory ; and many families were driven into banishment ;
till in process of time the court became such a general
nuisance, that it was dissolved by parliament, with a clause
that no such court should be erected for the future. Fur
ther, the commission gives no authority to the court to
frame articles, and oblige the clergy to subscribe them.
It empowers them to reform all errors, heresies and schisms,
which may lawfully be reformed, according to the power
and authority, limited and appointed by the laws and sta
tutes of the realm. But there never was a clause in any
of the commissions, empowering them to enforce sub
scription to articles of their own devising. Therefore
their doing this, without a special ratification under the
great seal, was no doubt an usurpation of the supremacy,
and brought them within the compass of a prarnunire.
Lastly, though all spiritual courts (and consequently the
high commission) are and ought to be subject to prohi
bitions from the supreme courts of the law, yet the com
missioners would seldom or never admit them, and at
length terrified the judges from granting them : So that
upon the whole, their proceedings were for the most part
contrary to the act of submission of the clergy, contrary
to the statute laws of the realm, and no better than a
spiritual inquisition. p 3

230 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS.. CHAP. VII.
If a clergyman omitted any Of the ceremonies in his
public ministrations, or if a parishioner bore an ill-will
to his minister; he might inform the commissioners by
•letter, that he was a suspected person ; upon which a
-messenger was sent to his hbuse with a citation to appear
before the commission. The messenger who brought
'them up, had thirty-three' shillings and four-pence for
forty-one miles. Upon their appearing before the com-
^nissioners, they were committed prisoners seven weeks,
before they were called to their trial. When brought tq
'the bar, the court immediately tendered them the oath,- to
¦answer all. questions to the best of their knowledge; by
which they were obliged . not only to accuse themselves,
"but frequently to bring their relations and friends info
trouble; The party to be examined, was not to be ao»
"-quainted with the interrogatories before-hand, nor to have
¦a copy of his answers, which were lodged with the secre.
%ary of the court, against the day of his trial, If the com
missioners could not convict him upon his own confession,
then they examined their witnesses, but never cleared
him upon Iris own oath. If they could not reach him* by
their ordinary jurisdiction as bishops, they would then sit
as ecclesiastical commissioners, if they could not convict
him upon any statute, then they had recourse to their old
obsolete law ecclesiastical ; so that the prisoner seldom
knew by what law he was to be tried, or how to prepare
for his defence. Sometimes men were obliged to a long
attendance, and at other times condemned in haste without
uny trial. Mr. Brane, a Cambridge minister,- being sent
for to Lambeth, made his appearance before the archy
bishop and two other commissioners, and being com
manded to answer the interrogatories of the court upon
bath, lie refused unless he might first see them, and w"te
down his answers with his own hand; which his grace re*
fusing, immediately gave him his canonical admonitions,
pnce, twice, and thrice ; and caused him to be registered
for contempt, and suspended. The twenty-four articles
which the archbishop framed for theseryice of the court,
no honest man could answer upon oath, without exposing
himself to the mercy of his adversaries. The wit of man
gould invent n°thjng more ljke an inquisition. When

1584. ELIZABETH. 231
the Lord treasurer Burleigh had read them, and seen the
execution they had done upon the clergy, he wrote his
grace the following letter : from which the reader will
form a tolerable judgment of their spirit and bearing.
" // may please your grace,
" lam sorry to trouble you so oft as I do, but I am
more troubled myself, not only with many private petitions
of sundry ministers, recommended for persons of credit,
and peaceable in their ministry, who are greatly troubled
by your grace, and your colleagues in commission ; but I
am also daily charged by counsellors and public per
sons, with neglect of my duty, in not staying your grace's
vehement proceedings against ministers, whereby papists
are greatly encouraged, and the Queen's safety endan
gered.^— I have read over your twenty-four articles, found
in a Romish stile, qf great length and curiosity, to examine
all manner of ministers in this time, without distinction
of persons, to be executed ex qfficio.mero. — And I find them
so curiously, penned, so full of branches and circumstances,
that I think the inquisition of Spain, used not so many
questions to comprehend and to trap their priests. I know
your canonists can defend these with all their particles ;
but surely, -under correction, this judicial and canonical
sifting poor ministers, is nqt to edify or reform. And iri
charity I think they ought not to answer to all these nice
points, except they were notorious papists or heretics. I
write with the testimony of a good conscience. I desire
the peace-and unity of the church. I favour no sensual
and wilful . recusant ; but I conclude, according to my
simple. judgment, this kind of proceeding is too much
favouring of the Romish inquisition ; and ¦ is a device
rather to seek for offenders, than to reform any. — It is not
charitable to send poor ministers to your common register,
to- answer upon so many articles atone instant, without a
copy of, the articles or their answers. — I pray your grace
bear with this one (perchance) fault, that I have willed the
ministers- not "to answer these articles, except their con
sciences may suffer them."
July 15, 1584. W. Cecil.
This excellent letter was so far from softening the
archbishop, that two days after, he returned his lordship;

23? HISTORY ©JF THE PURITANS. CHAP.-VIt
a long answer, vindicating his interrogatories, from the,
practice of the Star-chamber, the Court of Marches, and
other places. The treasurer found it was to no purpose' to
contend, and therefore replied in a short but smart letter,
in which lie tells hifri, " That after reading his grace's
long answer, he was not satisfied in the point of seeking.
by examination, to have ministers accuse themselves, and
then punish them for. their own confessions; That he would
not call his proceedings captious, but they were scarcely.
charitable; his. grace might therefore deal with his friend
Mr. Brayne as he thought fit,— but -when by. examining
him, it was meant only tq sift Mm with twenty-four arti
cles, he had cause to pity the poor man."
The archbishop being desirous to give satisfaction tor
the treasurer, sent him two papers of reasons, one tq
justify the articles, and the other the manner of proceeding
ex mero officio. In the latter his lordship gives the fol
lowing reasons among others, for proceeding ex mero.
officio. If we proceed only by presentment and witnesses,
then papists, brownists, and family men would expect the
like measure. It is hard to get witnesses against the.pu-
ritans, because most pf the parishioners favpur them, and
therefore, will not present them, nor appear against them.
?. There is great trouble and charge in examining wit
nesses, and sending for them from distant parts. 4. If
archbishops a,nd bishops should be driven to use proofs
by witnesses only, the execution of the law wojild.be
partial, their charges in procuring and producing witnesses
would be intollerable ; and they should not be able to
make quick dispatch enough with the sectaries. These
were the arguments, of a protestant archbishop ! I do not
Wonder that they gave no satisfaction to the wise treasurer;
for surely, all who have any regard for the laws of their
country, or the civil and religious rights of mankind, must
be ashamed of them.
The, treasurer having given up the archbishop, the
lords of the council, took the cause in hand, and wrote'to
his grace and the Bp. of London, in. favour of the deprived
ministers, : In their fetter they tell tlieir lordships, " That
they had heard qf sundry cqmplaints out of diyers. coun
ties of proceedings against a. great number of eccles^-

15S4,- ... -ELIZABETH. ES8
aatical persons, some parsons, some vicars, some curates,
but all preachers; some deprived, and some suspended
by their lordships' officers, chancellors, &c. but that they
had taken no notice qf these things, hoping their lordships
would have staid their hasty proceetliugs, especially against
such as did earnestly instruct the people against popery.
But now of late, hearing of great numbers of zealous
and. learned preachers suspended from their cures in the
county of Essex, and that there is 110 preaching, prayers,
or sacraments in most of the vacant places : that in some
few of them,- JPerA<?ns_ neither of learning nor good name
are appointed ; and that in other places of the country*
great numbers, of persons that occupy cures, are notori
ously unfit; most for lack of learning ; many chargeable
with great and- enormous faults, as drunkenness, filthinesS
pf life, gaming at cards, haunting of alehouses, &c. against
whom they, 'the. council, heard of no proceedings, but
thatlhey were quietly suffered." — To fix this charge home
on the bishops, they sent with their letter a catalogue of
parnes ; one column of learned ministers deprived ; a
second .of unlearned and vicious persons continued; a
matter very lamentable, say they, for this time ! and a
third of pluralists and non-residents; "against these latter
we the. council have heard of no inquisition ; but of greai?
diligence, and extreme usage against those that were
known to be diligent preachers ; we therefore pray your
Jordships, to have some charitable consideration of their
causes, that people may not be deprived of their diligent,
learned, and zealous pastors, for a few points ceremonial,
which entangled their consciences." But this excellent
remonstrance had no manner of influence upon pur
archbishop. All that the puritans could obtain, was a kind
of conference between the Abp. of Canterbury and the
Bp. of Winchester on the one part, and Dr. Sparke
and Mr. T ravers on the other, in the presence of the
Earl of Leicester, Lord Gray, and Sir Francis Walsing-
ham. The conference was at Lambeth, concerning things
needful to be refosmed in the Book of Common Prayer.
Dr. Sparke requested they might open the conference "by
prayer, when, framing himself to begin to pray, the arch-
tjishop interrupted him saying, he should make no prayers

234 HISTORY Of THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
there, riorturn that place into a conventicle. Mr. Travers
joined with Dr. Sparke, and desired that it might be law
ful for them to pray before they proceeded any further;
but the archbishop not yielding thereunto^ terming it a
conventicle if any such prayer' should be offered to be
made; Lord Leicester and Sir Francis Walsingbam' de
sired Dr.' Sparke to content himself,- seeing they doubted
hot, but that he had prayed already before his cOming
thither. Dr. Sparke therefore omitting to use such prayer
as he had proposed,- made a short address to God' in very
few; words, though the archbishop continued to interrupt
him all the while. --, M" ' t< " . '--
Wi The conference continued two days/ at the close of
Which neither party being satisfied, the noblemen request
ed some favour for the ministers. Mr. Strype'says the
ministers were convinced and confirmed; but it is evident
he knew not the disputants, nor had seen the^ebate. Tra
vers was a noh-coriformist to' his death,* arid Sparke ap
peared at their head at the Hampton Court? conference,
the beginning' of the hext reign. Nor was the archbishop
% oftned, but father confirmed in his former resolution:
•- Aylmer, Bp. of London, cahie not behind his metro
politan in acts of severity. Strypesays, he wasthe chief
mover in the ecclesiastical commission5, arid had as high a
spirit as the greatest lord in the land.' -During Grindal's
disgrace, he harrassed the London clergy *with' new inter
rogatories 'and articles, three or -four -times; a year/ He
•advised the heads Of the University of Cambridge (with
Whom he had nothing to do) to call -in all their licences,
and expel every 'man who would not wear the apparel,
saying, that the " folly that is 'bound up ' in the heart of
a child* is to be expelled with the rod of discipline." In
his visitation this summfer, he suspended about thirty-height
cfergymenMn Essex* "ariiong whom Was'Mr.' CareW,,! of
Hatfield'; Mr. Knight, of Hamps'tead ; 'and Mr: Gifford,
of Maiden. -¦-><<'¦ •-¦¦,• ' *.'¦
* :,iMr. GareW was a zea-lOus- promoter of the- welfare • of
souls, ahd mourned over the want of a learned and preach-
in <>¦ ministry : He was ordained by the Bp. of Wor
cester, and licensed by Abp. Grindal and the Bp. of
London - himself, who commended his preaching.; but!

1584. ELIZABETH. 235
being too forward in acquainting his diocesan by letter,
that in Essex, within the compass of sixteen miles, there
were twenty-two non-residents, 'thirty insufficient-ministers,
and at the same time, nineteen preachers silenced for not
subscribing; his lordship iristead of being pleased with
the information, sent for Carew before the cofnmissioners,
and charged him falsely without the least evidence, with
setting up a presbytery, and with contemning ecclesias
tical censures. It was alledged against him further, that
he was chosen by the people'; that he had defaced the
book of common prayer, and had put several frOm the
communion, when there was more need to allure them to it,
&c'. But to make 'short work, the bishop tendered Mm the
oath ex officio, which Carew' refusing* he was eonimitted
to the Fleet, arid ' another' clergyman sent ; down to sup-
"ply his place. Mr. Allen the pafrori, in whom the right
<6f presentation was by inheritance, refusing to admit the
bishop's reader, Was summoned before' his- lords-hip, ah&
committed to prison; because (as the warrant expresses
ft), he behaved seditiously iri withstanding the authority
of the' Court : nay,'the very sexton was reprirhanded, and
ordered not to meddle witiv the church any more; and
because he asked;his lordship simply,' whether his meaning
was, that 'he should''- not come :to. church anymore, he
committed him' for ridiculous behaviour! : Both' Allen and
^Carew offered bail, Which' was refused unless they would
admit his 'lordship's' ^clergyman. ,/rAfter 'eight weeks im
prisonment,' they appealed to the privy council and were
released; with which- his lordship was so displeased, that
fie sent the council a very' angry letter, calling the priso
ners knaves, rebels'* rascals, &c. and told'their honofrrs,
that if such men were countenanced,- he-must yield up his
Authority i an'd the* bishop never left "J him, till he had
lirinte'd hfm out of the diocese! — : ' t;c ':
Tyif'.'Knight suffered six bioriths imprisonment, for not
wearing1 the apparef, arid was fined one huhdred marks.
Mr. Negus was suspended ori the same- account: twenty-
eight of his parishioners signed a letter, beseeching him
to conform; but he protested he could not do it with a
good Conscience, and so was deprived. Mr. Gifford of
Maiden was a m°dest man* an(l irreprpvable in his life, \

23« HISTORY "OF THE PURITANS. CHAP.: VM-
aixd a great preacher.' He had written learnedly against
the Brownists, and by his diligence had written a won-;
derful reformation in the town ; but "being informeaV
against for preaching up a limited obedience to the magis
trate, he was suspended and imprisoned. After some
time, he was brought to :his trial, and his accuser failing
in his evidence, he was released. But the Bp. of London
setting his spies upon him, he was imprisoned again for
non-conformity. Upon this he applied to the lord
treasurer, who applied to the archbishop in' his favour ; but
his grace having consulted his brother of London, told his
lordship that he was, a ring-leader of the non-conformists;
that he himself had received complaints against him, and
was determined to bring him before the high commission,
The parishioners of Maiden presented a petition in his
behalf : but to put an end to all further application, the
archbishop wrote to the treasurer, — "that he had rather die,
or live in prison all the days of his life, than relax the
;rigor of his proceedings, by shewing favour to one, which
might give occasion to others to expect the same, and
undo all that he had been doing ; he therefore beseeches
his lordship not to animate this froward people by writing
in their favour." — Sir Francis Knollys the Queen's kins
man, and treasurer of her chamber, seconded the treasurer.
Some of the ministers were indicted at the assizes, for
omitting the cr-oss in baptism, and for not wearing the
surplice once every month, and at every communion,
Most of them were deprived, or to avoid it, forced to quit
their livings and depart the country. Among these were
the excellent Mr. Dyke, preacher first at Coggeshal in
Essex, and afterwards at St, Albans' in Hertfordshire,
whose character was without blemish, and whose practical
writings discover him to be a divine of considerable
learning and piety : he was suspended, and a* last de
prived, because he continued a deacon, and did not enter
into priest's orders, which the bishop supposed he
accounted popish. He also refused to wear the surplice,
and troubled his auditory with notions that thwarted the
established religion. The parishioners being concerned
for the loss of their minister, petitioned the Lord Burleigh
to intercede for them.

1384. ELIZABETH.  • 237
Upon which Lord Burleigh wrote to the bishop to
restore him, promising that if he troubled the congregation
with innovations any more, he would, join with the bishop
against him ; but his lordship excused himself, insinuating
that he was charged with incontinence ; this occasioned
a farther enquiry into Dyke's character, which was cleared
up by the woman herself that accused him, who confessed
her wicked contrivance, and openly asked him forgive
ness. His lordship therefore insisted upon his being
restored, forasmuch as the best clergyman in the world
might be thus slandered. For this favour,, says the trea
surer, I shall thank your lordship, and will not solicit you
any more, if hereafter he-should give just cause of public
offence, against the orders of the church established. But
all that the treasurer could say was ineffectual ; the Bp.
of London was as inexorable as his grace of Canterbury.
The inhabitants of Essex had a vest esteem for their
ministers ; they could not part from them without tears .=¦
when they could not prevail with the bishop, they applied
to the parliament, and to the lords of the privy council.
I have before me two or three petitions from the hundreds
of Essex, and one from the county, signed by Francis
Barrington, Esq. at the head of above two hundred gentle
men and tradesmen, house-keepers; complaining in the
strongest terms, that the greatest number of their present
ministers were unlearned, idle, or otherwise of scandalous
lives; and that those few from whom they reaped know
ledge and comfort, were molested, threatened, and
put to silence for small matters in the common prayer,
though they were men of godly lives and conversations.
The bishop was equally severe in other parts of his"
diocese. Mr. Benison, a city divine of good learning,
had been suspended and kept in prison several years, on
pretence of some irregularity in his marriage: the bishop
charged him with being married in an afternoon, and
in the presence of two or three hundred people by Mr.
Field a non-conformist ; for this he was committed to the
Gate-house, where lie had lain ever since 1579. At length
he applied to the Queen and council, and in the state of
his case, declares that he had invited only forty persons
to the solemnity, arid that of them there were only twenty

25$ HISTORY Ot THE PtfRlTAftS. CHAP. Vlt
present; that he was married in a morning, and according
to law ; and when the bishop sent for him, and charged
him with sedition* he cleared himself to his satisfaction j
but that after he was gone home, he gate private order
under his own hand* for his being- apprehended and sent
to the Gate-hohse ; that he was shut up there in a dun-*
geon eight days, without knowing the cause of his
imprisonment, though Dr. Hammond, and his faithful
father Fox, who were both at the wedding, and saw the
whole proceeding, went to the bishop and assured him,
that he was without wickedness, or fault in that way he
W«ht about to charge him; his lordship however, would
nptrelease him, without such bonds for his good behaviour
and appearance, as the prisoner could not procure.
. - The council were so moved with Benison's case, that
they sent his lordship a letter in his favour urging the
injustice of his sufferings, and praying for suitable1 relief.
After spme time the bishop returned this answer ;— I be
seech your lordships to consider, -that it is a rare example
thus to press a bishop for his zealous- service to the Queen
and the peace of the church* especially the man being
found worthy to be committed for non-conformity, to say
nothing of his contemptuous using of -me; nevertheless*
since .it pleaseth your lordships to require some reasonable
sum of money, I pray you to consider my poor estate and
great charges otherwise, together with the great vaunt the
man will make of his conquest over a bishop. I hope
therefore your lprdships will be favourable to me, and
refer it to myself, either to bestow upon him some small
benefice, or otherwise to help him as opportunity offers.
Or if this shall not satisfy the man, or content your lord
ships, leave him to the trial of the law, which I hope will
pot be so plain for him , as he taketh it. Surely, my Lordsj
this and. the like must greatly discourage me in this poor
service of mine in the commission. What recompence
the poop man had for long imprisonment I cannot find;
But he was too wise to go to law with a bishop of the court
9.f high commission, who had little conscience or honour*
and who- notwithstanding his poor estate and great charges,
left behind him above 16,000/. in money, an immense sum.
for those times*. , ,

1584. ELIZABETH. 239
His lordship complained that he was hated like a dog,
and commonly styled the oppressor of the children, of God ;
and that he was in danger .of being mobed in his progress,
at Maiden, and other places; which is not strange, con
sidering his mean appearance, being a very little man,
and his high and. insulting behaviour, towards those who
were examined by him, attended, with. ill, language and a
cruel spirit.
How different was this from the apostolic character of
a bishop?. .Nay,, how different was this bishop from him-r
self before he put on his lawn sleeves ! . For in his book,
entitled "A harbour for faithful subjects," published soon
after the Queen's accession, are these words. — '* Come off
ye .bishops, , away with your superfluities, yield up your
thousands; be content with hundreds, as they be in other
reformed churches, where be as great, learned men as you
are.. Let your portion be priest-like, and not prince-like ,j
let the Queen have the. rest of your, temporalities and
other.lands, to maintain these wars which you procured,
and your mistress, left her ; and with the rest tq build and
found schools throughout the realm; that every parish
may -have his preacher, every city his superintendent)
to live honestly and not pompously, which will never be,
unless your lands be dispersed and bestowed upon many,
which now feedeth and fatteth but one; remember tha£
Abimelech, when David in his banishment would have
dined with him, kept such hospitality, that he had no bread
in his, house to give him, butt-he shew-bread.. Where was
all-has. superfluity, to keep your pretended hospitality ?
For that is the cause you pretend why you must have
thousands, -as though you were commanded to keep
hospitality rather with a thousand, than with a hundred.
I would ourqountryman Wickliff's book de ecclesia were in
print, there should you see that your wrinches and cavil?
lations be nothing worth." — When the bishop was put in
mind of this, passage, he made no other reply than that of
St. Paul, "When. I was a child, I jspake as a child, I
thought as aphild!"
"... The case of those clergymen who were sent for up to
Lambeth,Jrom the remotest parts of the kingdom, was yet
harder. Among these,, the case of Mr. Paget, minister

240 HISTORY "OF THE PURITANS. CHAK VII1.
of the parish church of Kilkhampton, in the diocese of
Exon, was very moving; this divine, at the time of hil
presentation, acquainted his patron and ordinary, that he
could hot with quietness of conscience use some "rites';
ceremonies and Orders appointed in the service-book;
who promised, that if he wotild take the charge of the said
cUre, he should not be urged to the precise observation
of them ; upon which condition, . he accepted the charge^
and was admitted arid regularly inducted. Mr. Paget was
a lame man, but in the opinion of Mr. Strype, a learned^
peaceable, ahd quiet divine', who had complied with the
customs arid devotions of the church, ahd was indefatigable1
in his work, travelling up and dowri the neighbouring
couritry, to preach the plain principles of religion; but
Mr. Farmer, curate of Barnstable, envying his popularity,
complained of him to the high Commission. 1. Because he
did not mention in his prayers the Queen's supremacy
over both estates. 2. Because he bad said that the sacra
ments were but dumb elements, and did not avail without
the word preached. 3. Because he had preached that
Christ did not descend into hell both body and soul. 4:
That the pope might set up the feast of jubilee, as well'
as the feasts bf easter and pentecost. 5. That holy days
and fasting days were but the traditions of men, which we
were not obliged to follow. 6. That he disallowed the use
of organs in divine service. 7. That he called ministers
that don't preach dumb dogs ; and those that have twO
benefices, knaves. 8. That -he preached that the late1
Queen Mary was a detestable woman and a wicked
Jezebel. But when Mr. Paget appeared before the commis
sioners, lie was only articled according to the common1
form, for not observing the book of common prayer, and
tlie rites and ceremonies of the church. To which he1
made a suitable anSwer. But his answer' riot proving
satisfactory, he was immediately suspended ; and ventur
ing to preach, after his suspension, was deprived ; land
the patron disposed of the living to another. Having a
numerous family he set up a little School, but the arms of
the commissioners reached hirii even there-; for being
required to take out a licence, they tendered him th*

1584. Elizabeth. 241
articles to subscribe, which he refusing, they shut up his
School aud sent him a begging. Thus this learned and
useful divine, was silenced till the death of Whitgift, after
which he was instituted to the living of St. Anne, within
Aldersgate. Mr. Walter Travers, sometime fellow of Trinity Coll.
Cam. came into trouble this year. He had been ordained
at Antwerp, and being an admired preacher, a fine gen
tleman, and of great learning, became domestic chaplain
to secretary Cecil, and lecturer at the temple. Dr. Alvey
the master dying about this time, Travers was recom
mended to succeed him, by the doctor on his death-bed,
and by the benchers of the house, in a petition to the
treasurer on his behalf; but the archbishop interposed,
declaring peremptorily, that unless he would be re-
Ordained according to the usage of the church of England,
3nd subscribe to his articles, he would not admit him.
Upon which he was set aside, and Mr. Hooker preferred.
He continued lecturer about two years longer, and was
then deprived of his lectureship* and deposed from the
ministry. The treasurer, and others qf Travers' friends,
advised him, for peace sake, to be re-ordained ; but he
replied in a letter to his lordship, that this wquld be to
Invalidate his former orders ; and not only so, but as far
as in him lay, to invalidate the ordinations of all foreign
churches. He prayed his lordship to consider further*
whether his subscribing the articles of religion, which only
concern the profession of the true christian faith, and doc
trine of the sacraments, as agreed upon in the convocation
of 1562, which most willingly, and with all his heart, he
assented to according to the statute, did not qualify him
for a minister in the church, as much as if he had b^en
ordained according to the English form. But the archr
bishop was determined to have a strict eye upon the Inns
Qf Court, and to bring them to the public standard ; and
the rather, inasmuch as some of them pretended to be
exempted from his jurisdiction* for though in all other
places, the sacrament was received in the posture, of
kneeling, the templers received it to this very time sitting.
Travers would have introduced the posture qf standing
VOL. 1. . Q

242 HISTORY OF TflE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
at the side of the table, but the benchers insisted upon
their privilege, and would receive it in no other posture.
than sitting. The archbishop, in order to put an end
to this practice, would admit none but ail high conformist,
that they might be obliged to receive it kneeling or not
at all. The harder the church pressed upon the puritans,, the
more were they disaffected to , the national establishment,.
and the more resolute in their attempts for a reformation
of discipline. There was a book in high esteem among.
them at this time, entitled, " The holy discipline of the
church described in the word of God," in Latin, by Mr,
Travers, and printed at Geneva. It was translated into
English this year, with a preface by Mr. Cartwright, and,
designed to be published for more general use ; but it was,
seized at the press : the archbishop advised that all the(
copies should be burnt, as factious and seditious, but one-
was found in Mr. Cartwright's study, after his death, and
re-printed under this new title, "A directory of govern
ment, anciently contended for, and as far as the time-
would suffer, practised by the first non-cOnformists, in.
the days of Queen Elizabeth," &c. It contains the sub
stance of those alterations in . discipline, which the
puritans of these times contended for. Another treatise,:
dispersed privately about this time, against the discipline'
of the church, was entitled, "An abstract of certain acts-.
of parliament, and of. certain of her majesty's injunctions-
and canons, &c." The author's design was to shew, that
the bishops in their ecclesiastical courts had exceeded:
their power, and broke fhrpugh the laws and statutes of
the realm ; which was so notorious, that the answerer
instead of confuting the abstracter, blames :him for stabbing
religion by the sides of the bishops. But who was in
fault ? Shall the liberties and properties of mankind, be
trampled upon. by a despotic power, and the poor sufferers,
not allowed to hold up the, laws and statutes of the land, 'to
their oppressors, because of their great names or religious
characters ?
The affairs of the church, were in this ferment* when
the parliament met in which the puritans, despairing of all
other relief, resolved to make their utmost efforts for a

1584. ELIZABETH. 243
further reformation Of church discipline* and if the
Queen would have taken the advice of her two houses,
they had been made easy. Three petitions were offered
to the house ; one touching liberty for godly preachers ;
a second to exercise and continue their ministry; and a
third for a speedy supply of able men for destitute places.
Soon after this Dr. Turner stood up, and put the house
ih rememberance of a bill and book, which he had here
tofore offered to the house ; the bill was entitled, " An act
concerning the subscription of ministers," and proposes,
" That no other subscription but what is enjoined by the
13th of Elizabeth, be required of any minister or preacher
in the church of England, &c. The book consisted of 34
articles of complaint, but by advice of the house, the
substance of the petitions Were reduced by the ministers
into 16 articles, which he desired might be imparted to
the house of Lords, and they be requested to join with
the Commons, in exhihiting them by way of humble suit
to the Queen.
This petition Was attended with a moving supplication
to the Queen and parliament, in the name of thousands
of the poor untaught people of England, in which they
complain, that in many of their congregations, they had
none to break the bread of life, or preach the word of
God : that the bishops in their ordinations, had no regard
to such as were qualified to preach, provided they could
only read, and conformed to the ceremonies : that they
deprived such as were capable of preaching, ort account
of ceremonies which do not edify, but are rather unpro
fitable burthens to the church ; and that they molest the
people that go from their own parish churches to seek the
bread of life, when they have no preaching at home.
They complain, that there are thousands of parishes
destitute of the necessary means of salvation, and
therefore pray the Queen and parliament to provide a
remedy. In answer to the petition last mentioned, the Bp. of
Winchester, in the name of his brethren, drew up a reply
perfectly corresponding with the temper and character
of the bench. The debates upon the last head of their
Q 2

244 HISTORY OV THE PURITANS. CHAP. VH.
reply running very high, a bill was, ordered to be brought
in immediately against pluralities and non-residence,
and for appeals from the ecclesiastical courts. It was
said in favour of the bill, that noii-residencies and plu?
ralities were evil in their own nature ; that they answered
no valuable purpose, but hindered the industry of the
clergy, and were a means to keep the country in igno
rance, at a time when there were only 3000 preachers ta
supply 9000 parishes. The archbishop drew up his reasons
against the bill, and prevailed with the convocation to
present them, in an address to the Queen ; wherein they
style themselves her majesty's poor distressed supplicants,
now in danger, from the bill depending in the house of
commons against pluralities and non-residencies; which
"say they," impeacheth your majesty's prerogative;
lesseneth the revenues of the crown ; overthrows the
study of divinity in both universities ; will deprive men
of the livings they lawfully ppssess ; \p\\\ beggar the
clergy ; will bring in a base and unlearned ministry ; lessen
the hospitality of cathedrals ; be an encouragement to
students to go over to foreign seminaries, where they may
b'e better provided for; and in a word, will make way for
anarchy arid confusion."
And-to give some satisfaction to the public, they pre
sented six articles to the Queen, as the sum of all that
needed amendment. The first was, that none should be
admitted into holy orders under twenty-four years of age ;
that they should have presentation, to a cure; that they
should bring testimonials of their gqod life; and that tiie
bishop might refuse whom he thought fit, without the
danger of a quare impedit. The second was, to restrain
the commutation of penance except upon great consi
deration, of which the bishop to, be judge. The third
Was to restrain licences to marry without bands. The
fourth to moderate some excesses about excommunication.
The fifth for restraining pluralities of benefices. The
sixth concerning fees to ecclesiastical officers, and their
servant?. But even these articles lay by till the year
1.59,7, when they were confirmed in convocation, and
afterwards incorporated among the canons.
In the mean thne* the bill against pluralities passed

1584. ELIZABETH. 245
the house of commons, and was sent up tq the lords,
where the Abps. of Canterbury anil York, and Bp. of
Winchester made long speeches, shewing, that neither
the cathedrals, nor professors in the universities, could
subsist without them. To prove this, they produced a
list of the small value of many ecclesiastical livings,
according to the Queen's books. To which it was replied,
that there were many suspended preachers would be glad
of the smallest of those livings, if they might have them
without molestation ; however, that it was more proper
to go upon ways and means for the augmentation of smaller
livings, than to suffer the poor people to perish for lack
of knowledge, while the incumbents were indulged in
idleness and sloth ; but the weight of the bench of
bishops, with the court interest, threw out the bill,
This exasperated the commons to that degree, that
after the holidays they resumed the debate of the bill of
petitions, and ordered several other bills to be brought in,
to clip the wings of the bishops, and lessen the power of
the spiritual courts. One was for swearing bishops in the
Courts of Chancery and JKing's-bench, that they should
act nothing against the common law of the land. Another
to reduce their fees. A third, for liberty to marry at all
times of the year. A fourth for the qualification of
ministers. And a fifth for restoring of discipline. The
act for qualifying ministers, annuls all popish ordina
tions; and disqualifies such as were not capable of
preaching, as well as those who were convicted of pro-
faneness, or any kind of immorality ; but obliges the
successor to allow the deprived minister a sufficient
maintenance, atthediscretion of the justices of the quarter
sessions ; and if the living be not sufficient, it is to be
done by a parish rate. It insists upon a careful examina
tion and trial of the qualifications of candidates for the
ministry by the bishop, assisted by twelve of the laity;
and makes the election, or consent of the people, necessary
to his induction to the pastoral charge. The bill for disr
cipline is for abolishing the canon law, and all the
spiritual courts ; and for bringing the probates of testa
ments, and all civil business into the cotirts pf
^3

246 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, VH,
Westminster-hall ; it appoints a presbytery or eldership
in each parish, which together with the minister, shall
determine the spiritual business of the parish, with an
appeal to higher judicatories incases of complaint.
The bill for the qualification of ministers, passed the
commons, which put the archbishop into such' a fright,
that the very next day, he wrote a letter to the Queeii, in
which he advised her majesty to make alteration by canon,
and not by statute, that she inight reserve rife power
in her own hands.
The Queen was so pleased with the archbishop's
advice, that she immediately sent a message to the com;
mohs by the Lord treasurer, to reprimand them for en
croaching upon her supremacy, and for attempting what
she had forbidden, and to command the Speaker to'see
that no bills touching reformation shOuld be exhibited 'j
and if any such were exhibited, she commands him upon
his allegiance not to read them. The commons now saw
their mistake, in vesting the whole power of reforming
the policy of the church, in the single person of the
Queen, who knew how to act the sovereign, and display
her prerogative as well as her father. Had it been reserved
to the whole legislature, Queen, Lords and Commons,
with advice of the representative body of the clergy, it
had been m°re equitable; but now if the whole nation
were dissatisfied, not an insignificant rite or ceremony
must be changed, or a bill brought into either house bf
parliament, without an infringement of the prerogative:
no lay-person in the kingdom must meddle with religion
except the Queen; the hands of lords and commons are
tied up, her majesty is absolute in the affairs of the church,
and no motion for reformation must arise from any but
herself. The archbishop's reasons against the bill for marrying
at any time of the year, are very extraordinary; it is
contrary (says his grace) to the old canons ; and it tendeth
to the slander of the church, as having hitherto main
tained an error. Is it then a slander to the church of
England, or to any protestant chunc-h, to say she is fallible
and may have maintained an error ? Have not fathers
and councils erred ? Nay, in the very church of Rome,

UU. , ELIZABETH. 247
which alone lays claim to infallibility, have we not
read of one pope- and council reversing the decrees of
another ? The twenty-first article of the church of
England says, that general councils may err, and some
times have erred, even in things pertaining to God. And
jf a general council may err, even in things of importance
to salvation, surely it can be no slander to say a convo
cation, a parliament, or a single person may mistake, in
^commanding to abstain from meats, and forbidding to
marry at certain times of the year.
While the puritans were attending the parliament,
they did not neglect the convocation : a petition was
presented to them in the name of the ministers, who
refused to subscribe the archbishop's three articles,
wherein they desire to be satisfied in their scruples,
.which the law admits, but had not hitherto been attempted.
The convocation rejecting their petition, the ministers
printed tlieir apology to the church, and humble suit to
the high court of parliament, in which they mention
several things in the public service, as repugnant to the
word of God ; and conclude with an earnest supplication
to be continued in their callings, considering their being
set apart to the ministry, and the obligations they were
under to God and their people ; they protest they will
do anything they can without sin, and the rather, because
they are apprehensive, that the shepherds being stricken,
their flocks will be scattered.
The puritans last resort was to the archbishop,
who had. a prevailing interest in the Queeii ; a paper
was therefore published, entitled, "Means how to
settle a godly and charitable quietness in the church."
But the . archbishop would abate nothing, nor admit
, of the least latitude from the national establishment. He
framed an answer to the proposals, in which he insists
upon a full conformity, telling the petitioners, that it
was none of his business to alter the ecclesiastical laws,
or dispense with them ; which was all they were to expect
from him. What could wise and good men do more in a
peaceable way, for the liberty of their consciences, or a
further reformation in tlie church ? They petitioned- the
Queen, applied to both houses of parliament, and

24$ HISTORY 6$ THE TURITANS. CHAP. Vii.
addressed the convocation and bishops ; they moved no
^editions or riots, but fasted ahd: prayed for the Queen
and church, as long as they were allowed ; and when they
could serve them no longer, they patiently submitted to
suspensions and deprivations, fines and imprisonments, till
it should please God, of his infinite mercy, to open a door
for their further usefulness.
;. The papists made their advantages of these divisions^
.a plot was discovered this very year against the Queen's
life, for which Lord Paget and others fled their country;
and one Parry was executed, who was to have killed her
¦majesty, as she was riding abroad, to which (it is said) the
pope encouraged him, by granting him his blessing, and
^.plenary indulgence and remission of all his sins; assuring
him that besides the merit of the action in heaven, his
.holiness would make himself his debtor in the best manner
ahe. could, and therefore exhorted him to put his most holy
and; honourable purposes in execution. Mary Queen of
rScots. was big with expectation of the crown of England
at, this? time, from the preparations of foreign popish
princes; who were determined to make the strongest
efforts to set her upon the throne, and to restore the
..catholic religion in England; but they could not get
ready, before her head was laid doWh upon the block.
;. The parliament Which met again in November, being
serisible of the importance of the Queen's life, entered
into a voluntary association to revenge her death, if that
.Sfho'uld happen through any violence. They also ihade a
•.severe statute against Jesuits and seriiinary priests, or others
who engaged in plots, by virtue Of the bull of excommu
nication Of Pope Pius V. ahd against any subject of Eng
land* that should go abroad for education in any of the
popish seminaries. Yet none of these things could move
, the QuSen or bishops, to take any steps towards uniting
. protestants among themselves. But to putan effectual stop
to the pens of the church's adversaries his grace applied
to the Queen for a further restraint of the press, Which
.he obtained, and published by'autliority of the Star-cham
ber; However, notwithstanding this edict, the archbishop
was far from enjoying a peaceable triumph, the puritans
finding Ways and means from abroad, to propagate their
writings, and expose the severity of their adversaries,

1585. ELIZABETH. 24$
Some faint attempts were made this summer for re
viving the exercises called prophesyings, in the diocCse of
Chester, where the clergy were very ignorant: Bp.
Chadderton drew up proper regulations, in imitation of
those already mentioned ; but the design proved abortive.
The Bp. of Litchfield and Coventry, also published
Some articles for his visitation, which favoured of purita=-
hism, as against non-residents, for making a more strict
enquiry into the qualifications of ministers, and for re
straining unworthy communicants. He also erected a kind
of judicatory, consisting of four learned divines with
himself, to examine such as should be presented for
ordination. When the archbishop had read them Over,
he called them the well-spring of a pterniciousi platform,
and represented them to the Queen, as contrary to law,
and to the settled state of the church ; the bishop wrote
a defence of his articles to the archbishop, shewing their
consistency with law, and the great advantage which might
arise from them; but Whitgift would hear of nothing that
looked like a puritanical reformation.
The Lord's day was nOw much profaned, by the eri-
couraging of plays and sports in the evening, and some*-
times in the afternoon. Mr. Smith in his sermon before
the university of Cambridge, the first Sunday in Lent,
maintained the unlawfulness of these plays ; for Which he
Was summoned before the vice-chancellor, and upon exa
mination offered to prove, that the christian Sabbath oUgllt
10 be observed by an abstinence from all worldly business,
and spent in the works of piety and charity ; though he
did not apprehend we were bound to the strictness of the
Jewish precepts. The parliament had taken this matter
Into consideration, and passed a bill for the better and
inpre reverent observation of the Sabbath, which the
speaker recommended to the Queen in an elegant speech,
but her majesty refused to pass it, under pretence bf hot
suffering the parliament to meddle with matters of reli
gion, Which was her prerogative. However the thing
appeared so reasonable, that without tlie sanction of a law,
the religious observation of the sabbath grew into esteeiri
with all sober persons, ahd after a few years became the
distinguishing mark of a puritan.

250 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
This summer Mr. Cartwright returned from abroad,
having spent five years in preaching to the English con
gregation at Antwerp ; he had been seized with an ague,
which ended in an hectic, for which the physicians advised
him to his native air. Upon this he wrote to the Earl of
Leicester and the Lord treasuer, for leave to come home ;
these noblemen made an honourable mention of him in par
liament, but he could. not obtain, their mediation with the
Queen for his pardon, so that as soon as it was known he
was landed, though in a weak and languishing condition,
he was apprehended and thrown into prison ; when he
appeared before the archbishop, , he behaved with that
modesty and respect, as softened the heart of his great
adversary, who upon promise of his peaceable and quiet
behaviour, suffered him to go at large; but all their
interest could not procure him a licence to preach. How
ever the Eari made him gpyernor of an hospital in War
wick, where he was connived at for a time, and preached
with a licence.
Messrs. Fenner and Wood, two other suspended ministers,
were released after twelve months imprisonment, upon a
general subscription to the articles, as far as the law re
quired, and a promise to use the book of Common Prayer,
and no other ; but such was the clamour on all hands, by
reason of. the three articles to be subscribed by all who
had livings already, as well as those that should hereafter
take orders, that secretary Walsingham went over to Lam-
~beth, and told his grace, that it would stop in a great mea^
sure the complaints which were brought to court, if he
wquld require subscription only of such, as were hereafter
to enter into holy orders, and suffer those already in places,
to proceed in the discharge of their duty, upon condition
of their giving bond to read the Common Prayer, accord
ing to the usages and laws prescribing the same; which
the archbishop promised to comply with.
But the non-subscribing divines who were unpreferred,
might not so much as teach school for a livelihood, for the
archbishop would grant no licence without subscribing ;
and from this time his licences to teach grammar, and
even reading and writing, were granted only from year to
year: The school-masters were to be full conformists;

J5S5. ELIZABETH. 251
they were limited to a particular diocese, and were not
authorized to teach elsewhere ; they were to instruct their
scholars in nothing but what was agreeable to the laws
and statutes of the realm ; and all this only during the
bishop's pleasure. Such was the rigour of the times !
Mr. Travers had been lecturer at the Temple with Mr.
Hooker the new master about two years, but with very
little harmony or agreement, one being a strict Calvinist,
the other a person of larger principles; the sermon in the
.morning was very often confuted in the afternoon, and
vindicated again the next Lord's day. The writer of
Hooker's life reports, that the morning sermon spoke thp
language of Canterbury, the afternoon that of Geneva.
Hooker complaining of this usage, the archbishop took
the opportunity to suspend Mr. Travers at once, without
any warning; for as he was going up into the pulpit to
preach on the Lord's day afternoon, the officer served him
with a prohibition upon the pulpit stairs ; upon which,
instead of. a sermon, he acquainted the congregation with
his suspension, and dismissed them. The Jreasons given
for it were, 1. That he was not ordained according to the
rites of the church of England. 2. That he had broken the
orders of the 7 th of the Queen, that disputes should not
be brought into the pulpit.
Mr. Travers in his own vindication drew up a petition,
or supplication to the council, in which he complains of
being judged and condemned before he was heard ; and
then goes on to answer the objections alledged aganst
him in the prohibition. To this Mr. Hooker wrote an
answer, which he concludes with his unfeigned desires that
all animosities ought to be buried in oblivion ; and that
there may be no' strife among them but this, who shall
pursue peace, unity,- and piety, with the greatest vigour
and diligence,
But the council interfered not in the affair, Travers
was left to the mercy of the archbishop, who could never
be prevailed with to take off his suspension, or license
him to preach in any part of England; upon which he
accepted an invitation into Ireland, and became provost
of Trinity college in the university of Dublin; here he
Was tutor to the famous Dr. Usher, afterwards archbishop

252 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
of Armagh, who always had him in high esteem ; but
being driven from thence by the wars, he returned after
some years into England, and spent the remainer of his
days in silence, obscurity, and great poverty ; lie was a
learned man, a polite preacher, an admirable orator, and
ojie of the worthiest divines of his age. But all these
qualifications put together, cotild not atone for the single
crime of his con -conformity.
Mr. Cartwright being forbid preaching, had been en
couraged by the Earl of Leicester and Secretary Wal-
singham, to answer the Rhemist translation of the new
testament, published with annotations in favour of popery;
divers doctors and heads of houses of the university of
Cambridge, solicited him to the same Work, as appears by
their epistle prefixed to the book; the like encourage
ment he received from sundry ministers in London and
Suffolk, hone being thought so equal to the task as himself;
arid because Cartwright Was poof, the secretary of state
sent him 1001. with assurance of such further assistarice
as should be necessary ; Cartwright accordingly applied
himself to the Work, but the archbishop by his sovereign
authority, forbid him to proceed, being afraid that his
writings would do the hierarchy more damage, than they
would do service to the protestant cause : The book there
fore was left unfinished, and nOt published till the year
1618. to the great regret of the learned world, and reproach
of the archbishop.
The sufferings of Mr. Gardiner, the deprived minister
of Maiden in Essex, would have moved compassion in any
except the Bp. of London. I will represent theih in his
own words, as they were sent to him in form of a sup
plication. " My duty in humble-wise remember, my lord,
" I am cast into prison by your lordship, for a matter
which about seven years past was slanderously raised up
against me ; I was by course of law cleared. I have been
extremely sick in prison ; I thank God I am amended, but
yet so that the physicians say my infection from the prison
will be very dangerous. I have a poor wife and five
children which are in a lamentable case : I had six chil-

15S6. ELIZABETH. 253
dren at the beginning of my imprisonment; but by
reason of my sickness in prison, my wife being constrained
tq attend upon me, one of my children for want of some-
bqdy to oversee them, was drowned in a tub of wort. If
your lordship have no compassion on me, yet take pity
upon the widow and fatherless (for in that state are now
my wife and poor infants) whose tears are before the Lord.
I crave no more but this, to be bailed ; and if I am found
guilty of any breach of law, let me have extremity with
out any favour. Your lordship's to command in Christ,
JOHN GARDINER."
Mr. Giles Wigginton, minister of Sedbrugh, having
been deprived at Lambeth fo* non-conformity, and ano
ther inducted into his living, went home, and being de
nied entrance in the church, preached a kind of farewell
sermon to his parishioners in the church-yard, and ad
ministered the sacrament, having no peace in his mind,
till he had done it, though his brethren in the ministry
would have dissuaded him ; after this he retired with his
wife and children, to Borough-bridge, but was arrested
in his journey, by a pursuivant from the Abp. of York,
and sent to Lancaster goal, 50 miles distant from the
place where he was arrested, in a hard and cold winter ;
there he was shut up among felons, and condemned
prisoners, and worse used than they, or than the rescu-
sant papists. From hence he sent up his case to Sir
Walter Mildmay, one of the privy council, but with little
suceess ; for he was a warm non-conformist, and a bold
preacher against the lordly proceedings of the bishops,
for which, and for refusing the oath ex officio, he suffered
a. long imprisonment. He was afterwards apprehended
again upon suspicion of his being one of the authors of
Martin Mar Prelate, which he denied, but confessing he
did not dislike the book, he was therefore confined in the
Compter and the Gate-house, till, I believe, he consented
to leave the realm.
In the parliament that met this year, the puritan mi
nisters made another effort for parliamentary relief, for

&5i' HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, Vii.
which purpose they presented an humble supplication to
the house of commons. To this supplication was annexed
a survey of some shires and counties, by which the miser
able state of the church for want of an able and suf
ficient ministry appears; it was taken in the years 1585-
and 1586, by some persons employed for that purpose
against the meeting of the parliament, but it is too large
to be inserted.
This survey takes notice, that after 28 years establish
ment of the church of England, there were only. 2000
preachers to serve near 10,000 parish churches, so that
there were almost 8000 parishes without ministers. To>
this account agrees that of Mr. Fenner who lived in these
times, and says, that a third part of the ministers of Eng
land, were covered with a cloud of suspensions ; that if
persons would hear a sermon, they must go in some places,
5, 7, 12, yea, in some counties 20 miles, and at the same
time be fined 12d. aSabbath for being absent from their
own parish church, though it be proved they were hearing
a sermon, elsewhere, because they had none at home. Nor.
is it at. all strage it should be thus in the country, when
the Bp. of London, enjoined his clergy iri his visita
tion this very year, I . That every parson should have a
bible in Latin and English. 2. That they should have
Bullinger's Decads. 3. That they should have a paper
book, and write in it the quantity of a sermon every week.
4. That such as could not preach themselves, should be
taxed at four purchased sermons a year. What a miser
able state of things was this ! when many hundreds of
pious and conscientious preachers were excluded the
church, and starving with their families for want of em
ployment. < With the supplication and survey above-mentioned, a
bill was offered to the house of commons for a further
reformation ; wherein after a. recital of their grievances,
they pray that the book hereunto annexed, entitled " A
book of the form of common prayer, &c. and every
thing therein contained, may be from henceforth autho
rized and put iii use and practice, throughout all her'
majestv's dominions, any former law, custom, or statute
to the contrary, in any wise notwithstanding." The book;

1586. ELIZABETH. 25.5
contained prayers before and after sermon, but left a
liberty for variation if it was thought proper. The minister
was to pray and give thanks in "the words there pivs'-ribed,
or suchlike. In the creed it leaves the article of Christ's
descent into hell more at large. It omits three of the
thirty-nine articles (viz.) the 34th, 35th, and 36th. It
takes the jurisdiction of the church out of the hands of
the spiritual courts, and places it in an assembly of minis
ters and elders in every shire, who shall have power to
examine, approve, and present ministers, to the several
parishes for their election, and even to depose them with
the consent of the bishop, upon their misbehaviour.
Some bold speeches were made in parliament against
tlie arbitrary proceedings of the bishops, by Mr. Went
worth and others, for which those members were sent to
the Tower; at which the house was so intimidated, that
they would not suffer the bill to be read. Besides the
Queen sent both for the bill and petition out of the house,
and ordered the speaker to acquaint them, " That she was
already settled in her religion, and would not begin
again; that changes in religion were dangerous; that it
was not reasonable for them to call in question the estab
lished religion, while others were endeavouring to
overthrow it; that she had considered the objections, and
looked upon them as frivolous ; and that the platform itself
was most prejudicial to her crown, and to the peace of her
government."; — Nay, so incensed was the Queen with these
attempts of the puritans, that in drawing up a general
pardon to be passed in parliament, she ordered an excep
tion to be made of such as committed any offence against
the act of uniformity, or were publishers of seditious books
or pamphlets. The convocation, contrary to all custom and usage,
continued sitting after the parliament, and gave the Queen
a subsidy or benevolence. This precedent Apb. Laud
made use of in the year 1640, to prove the lawfulness of
a convocation sitting without a parliament. All they did
further, was to address the Queen with an offer to main
tain by disputation, that the platform of the puritans was
absurd in divinity, and dangerous to the state; which
the non-conformists would willingly have debated, but,
the others knew the Queen and council would not admit it.

25S HISTORY. OF THE PURITANS. CHAP.. VH,
The press was in the hands of the archbishop, who
took, all possible care to stifle the writings of the puri
tans, while he gave licence to Ascanio an Italian merchant,
and bookseller in London, to import what popish books
he thought fit, upon this very odd pretence, that the
adversaries arguments being better known by learned men,
might be more easily confuted. But was it hot a shorter
way to confute them in the high commission ? Or might
not the same reason have served for licensing the books
of the puritans ? But his grace seems to have been in no,
fear of popery, though this very year another assassination
plot was discovered, for which Ballard a priest,, and about
twelve or fourteen more, were executed. Remarkable
are the words of this. Ballard, who declared upon examin
ation to Sir Francis Knollys, treasurer of the Queen's
household, and a privy counsellor, " That he would desire
no better books to prove his doctrine of popery, than the,
archbishop's writings against Cartwright, and his injunc
tions set forth in her majesty's name. That if any men
among the protestants lived virtuously, they were the
puritans* who renounced their ceremonies, and would. not
be corrupted with pluralities. That unlearned and reading
ministers were rather a furtherance than a hinderance to
the catholic cause. That though the bishops owned her
majesty to be supreme governor in causes ecclesiastical,
yet they did not keep their courts in her majesty's name;
and that though the names and authority of archbishop^
and bishops, &c. were in use in the primitive church, they
forgot that they were then lords or magistrates of order"
only, made by the prince, and not lords of absolute power,
juling without appeal. — This was written by Mr. Trea
surer himself, upon which Sir Francis advised in council,
that special care should be taken of popish recusants ; and
that the absplute authority of private bishops, without
appeal should be restrained ; . that they might not eon*
demn zealous preachers against the pope's supremacy, for
refusing to subscribe unlawful articles, nor without tha
assembly of a synOdical council of preachers, forasmuch
as the absolute, authority of the bishops, and their am
bition and covetausness, had a tendency to leadi people
back tq popery. But how much truth soever there wash*

1586. ELIZABETH. 257
these observations, the Queen and archbishop were not
to be convinced.
The puritans being wearied out with repeated appli
cations to their superiors for relief, began to despair, and
in orte of their assemblies came to this conclusion ; that
since the magistrate could not be induced to reform the
discipline of the church, by so many supplications that
therefore after so many years waiting, it was lawful to
act without him, and introduce a reformation in the best
manner they could. And their book entitled, " The holy
discipline of the church, described in the word of God,"
being revised, was subscribed by above five hundred
names, all beneficed in the church of England, useful
preachers, of unspotted lives and characters, and many of
them of, the university of Cambridge, where they had a
strong and powerful interest.
Besides the puritans already mentioned as suffering
this year, the learned Dr. Walward, divinity professor at
Oxford, was enjoined a public recantation, and suspended
till he had done it, for teaching, that the order of the Jewish
synagogue and eldership, was adopted by Christ and his
apostles into the christian church, and designed as a
perpetual model of church government. He was also
bound in a recognizance of 1001. for his good behaviour.
Mr. Harsnet of Pembroke -hall, was imprisoned at the
same time, for not wearing the surplice. Mr. Edward
Gillibrand, fellow of Magdalen Coll. Cam. was forbid
preaching, and bound in a recognizance of 1001. to revoke
his errors in such words as the commissioners should
appoint. His crime was speaking against the hierarchy,
and against the swelling titles of archbishops and bishops ;
for which Whitgift told him, he deserved not only to be
imprisoned and suspended, but to be banished the univer
sity. Mr. Farrar, minister of Langham in Essex, was
charged with rebellion against the ecclesiastical laws, and
suspended for not wearing the babits. Bishop Aylmer told
him, that except he and his companions would be con
formable, in good faith he and his brethren the bishops,
would in one quarter of a year, turn them all out of the
church.— Mr. Udall of Kingston upon Thames, was
VOL. I. R

2.5S, HISTORY O-F THE PURITANS. CHAP. -VH,
suspended, and imprisoned, for keeping a -private fast, in
his parish : — and four other ministers, were imprisoned,
and obliged to give bond for their, good behaviour.
In the month of May, Mr. Settle was summoned before,
the archbishop, ahd charged with .denying the article, of
the descent of our Saviour's soul into hell, or the,place of
the damned. -Mr. Settle confessed it was his opinion, that
Christ did not descend locally into hell, and that Calvin
arid -Beza were of his mind ; which put the arohbishop into
such a passion, that he called him ass, dolt, fool. Mr.
Settle said, he pugTit not to rail >at him being a minister.
qf the gospel. What, said the archbishop, dost thou
think much to be called ass and dolt? I have called many
of thy betters so. True, said Mr. Settle ; but the question
is, how -lawfully have you done so ? Then said the
archbishop, thou sliarlt preach no more in my diocese.
Mr. Settle answered, I am called to preach the gospel,
and I will not cease to do it. The archbishop replied
with a stern countenance, neither, you, nor any one in
England, shall preach without my leave. He then charged
Mr. Settle with not observing the order of the service-
book ; with not using the cross in baptism ; with disallow
ing the baptism of midwives; and not using the words
in marriage, with this ring I thee wed. The Dean of
Winchester asked him, if he had subscribed. Settle
answered, yes, as far as the law required ; that is, to the
doctrines of faith and the sacraments, but as touching
dther rites and ceremonies, he neither could nor -would.
Then said the archbishop, thou shalt he subject to the
ecclesiastical authority. Mr. Settle replied, I thank God
you can use no violence but upon my :poor body. So his
grace committed him to the Gate-house, there to be kept
close prisoner. Sandys, Abp. of York, was no less active
iri bis provirice. He was a severe governor, hasty and
passionate ; but it was said in excuse for him and some
others, that the civilians by their, emissaries and spiesttutned
informers, and then pushed the bishopsiforward, to bring
business into the spiritual courts.
About this time Dr. Bridges, afterwards Bp. of Oxford,
wrote against -the. puritans, and maintained that they were
aot grievously afflicted unless it were caused by their own

l;58'7. ELIZABETH. 25d
deserts. The doctor was answered by Mr. Fenner. But
after all it may 'be questioned, whether the history of
former ages can furnish an example of so many severities
against divines of one and the same faith, for a few trifling
ceremonies; or of a more peaceable and christian beha
viour under sufferings. Camden indeed complains of
their dispersing pamphlets against the church and prelates,
in a time Of .common danger, when the nation was in arms
against the Spanish invasion ; but these pamphlets were
only to shew, that the danger of the return of popery
(whidh all men were now apprehensive of) arosfe front
stopping the mouths of those ministers, who were most
zealous against it. It had been easy at this time to have
distressed the government and the hierarchy, for the cry
of the people was against the bishops; but the puritans
here andin Scotland were more afraid of the return of
popery than their adversaries: those in Scotland entered
unto an -association, to assenible in arms at what time and
place their King should require, to assist the Queen of
England, against the Spaniards : and their brethren in
London took the ^opportunity to petition the Queen for
the liberty of their preachers, that the people might be
better instructed in the' duties of obedience to their civil
governors, and not be left" a prey to priests and Jesuits,
who -were no better than traitors to her majesty and the
kingdom. But the Queen gave them no answer; the
whole reformation must "be hazarded rather than the
puritans relieved. After this, they applied to the Lord
Mayor and-court of aldermen, beseeching them to address
tlie Queen, 'to make some better provision for the city;
and to enforce their petition, they laid before them a new
survey of the ministry of London, taken this very year,
with'the names of every parish priest and curate set down
against his living and curacy. With the survey they
offered-divers reasons to prevail with the court to appear
for them; 'but the aldermen were afraid to interpose.
Such was the scarcity -of -preachers, and the thirst of the
people after knowledge, that the suspended ministersof
Essex, •petitioned the parliament for some remedy, —
"Such say they'is the cry of the people to us day and
R 2

269 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. ITI!
nightfor the bread of life, that our bowels yearn within us j
and remembering the solemn denunciation of the apostle,
" Woe be to us if we preach not the gospel," we begin
to think it our duty to preach to our people as we have
opportunity, notwithstanding our suspension, and to com
mit our lives and whole estates to almighty God, as- to a
faithful creator ; and under God to the gracious clemency
of the Queen, and of this honourable house." — Many
suspended preachers came out of the countries and took
shelter in the city. But to prevent as much as possible
their getting into any of the pulpits of London, all the
ministers arid church-wardens of the city were charged by
the high commissioners, " Not to suffer any to preach in
their churches, or to read any lectures, they not being in
their own cures, but only such whose licences they shall
first have seen and read, and whom they shall find to be
licenced thereto* either by the Queen, or by one of the
universities of Cambridge or Oxford, or by the Abp.. of
Canterbury, or the Bp. of London.
Under all these discouragements the puritans kept
close together, hoping one time or other that providence
would appear for their relief. They maintained their
classes and associations, wherein they agreed upon cer
tain general rules for their behaviour. In another
provincial synod it was agreed, that the oppressions
offered to others, and especially to the ministers, by the
bishops and their officials in their spiritual courts, should
be collected and registered. If this had been preserved
entire, more of the sufferings of these great and good men
would have appeared, and many works of darkness,
oppression and cruelty, would have been brought to light,
which now must be concealed till the day of judgment.
The danger with which the nation was threatened from a
foreign invasion, gave a little check to the zeal of the;
bishops against the puritans for the present ; however,
this year Mr. Cawdery, minister of South Luffingham, was
suspended, imprisoned, and deprived by the Bp. of
London ; he had a wife and seven children, which were
cast upon providence; but this divine gave hislordship
some farther trouble, as will be seen hereafter. Mr..
Wilson, who had been suspended some time before,

1587. ELIZABETH. 261
moved for a release in the bishop's court ; but because he
Tefused to subscribe, his suspension was continued, and
himself treated by the civilians with great inhumanity.
Mr. Hildersham, whom Mr. Fuller represents as a hea
venly divine, being at this time fellow of Trinity Coll.
Cam. was suspended by the commissioners, for preaching
occasionally before he had taken orders, and obliged to
sign his recantation. This recantation was by the arch
bishop's appointment, to be uttered in Trinity Hall
chapel, before Easter. In the mean while he was sus
pended from the profits of his fellowship, and stood bound
to appear before the commissioners the first court- day of
Easter term, if he did not before that time recant. Whe
ther Mr. Hildersham recanted I am not certain, but he
left the university and settled at Ashby de la Zouch, where
he continued a deep sufferer for non-conformity 43 years,
having been suspended and put to silence by the high-
commission no less than four times, and continued under
that hardship almost 20 years.
This year put an end to the life of the famous mar-
tyrologist John Fox, a person of indefatigable labour
and industry, and an exile for religion in Queen Mary's
days : he spent all his time abroad in compiling the acts
and monuments of the church of England, which were
published first in Latin, and afterwards when he returned
to his native country, in English, with enlargements;
vast was the pains he took in searching records, and
collecting materials for his work ; and such was its esteem,
that it was ordered to be set up in all the parish churches
in England. Mr. Fox was born at Boston in Lincolnshire,
1517. educated in Brazen Nose Coll. Oxon. He was
afterwards tutor to the Duke of Norfolk's children, who
in the days of Queen Mary conveyed him privately out
of the kingdom. He was a most learned, pious, and
judicious divine, of a catholic spirit, and against all
methods of severity in religion. But he was shamefully
neglected for some years because he was a non-conformist,
and refused to subscribe the canons and ceremonies ; nor
did he get any higher preferment in the church than a
prebend of Salisbury, though the Queen used to call him
R 3

2.62 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VH.
father, and professed a high veneration for him. He. died.
in London in the 70th year of his age, and lies buried^ in
Cripplegate church, where his monument is still, to be
seen, against the south wall of the chancel, with a flat
marble stone over his remains,
It has been observed, that our first reformers admitted
only two orders of church officens to. be of divine appoint
ment,, viz. bishops and deacons, a presbyter and bishop
according to them being two names for the same office ;
but Dr. Bancroft the archbishop's chaplain, in a sermon
at Paul's Cross,, maintained,, that the bishops of England
were a distinct order from priests,, and had superiority
over them jure divino, and directly from God. He
affirmed this to be God's own appointment, thoughinot by
express words, yet by necessary consequence;, and that
the denial of it was heresy. The doctor confessed,, that
Aerius had maintained, there was no difference hetween
a priest and a bishop; but that Epiphanius had pro
nounced his assertion full of folly; and that it had been
condemned as heresy by the general council of the church ;
that Martin and his companions had maintained the same
opinion : but that St. Hierom and Calvin had, confessed,
that bishops have had superiority over presbyters, ever
since the times of St. Mark the evangelist. This was new
and strange doctrine to the churchmen of these times.
It had been always said,, that tlie superiority of the order
of bishops above presbyters* had been a politic human
appointment, for the more orderly government of the
church, begun about the third or fourth century; but
Bancroft was one of the first,, who by the archbishop's
directions, advanced it into a divine right. His sermon
gave offence to many of the clergy and to all the friends
of the puritans about the court, who would have brought
the preacher into a premunire, for saying, that any subject
of this realm hath superiority over the persons of the
clergy, otherwise than from and by her majesty's authority.
But the doctor retorted this argument upon the disciplin
arians, and added, that it was no better than a sophism,
because the 'prince's authority may, and very often does
confirm and corroborate that which is primarily from the
laws of God. Sir Francis Knollys, who had this affair at

l;5-88. ELIZABETH. 263
heart, told the archbishop that Bancroft's assertion was
contrary to the command of Christ, who condemned all
superiority among the apostles. Whitgift said, the doc
tor's sermon had done much good, though he himself
rather wished than believed it to be true; it was new
doctrine at this time. Most of the clergy who approved
the superiority of the episcopal order, were against the
divine right; but the bishops in the next age revived
the debate, and carried their pretensions so high* as
to subvert the very foundations upon which they built.
The Queen having suffered Mary Queen of Scots to
be beheaded, all the Roman Catholic princes were
alarmed, and threatened revenge; among others* the
Spaniards- hastened their Invincible Armada, to reduce
England to the catholic faith, which had been three years
preparing at a prodigious expence : the fleet was well
manned, and furnished with strange instruments of torture
for the English heretics ; they came, through the channel
like so many floating castles* being to take in a land army
from the Low Countries ; but partly by storms, and partly
by tlie valour and wise conduct of the Queen's admirals
and sea captains, the whole fleet was burnt and destroyed,
so that not a Spaniard set foot upon English ground ; nor
was there a ship left entire to carry the news back to Spain.
The Queen ordered the coasts to be well guarded, and
"raised a land army, which she animated by appearing ai:
the head of them. A terror was spread through, the
whole nation, by reports of the engines of cruelty that
were aboard the fleet ; their barbarous usage of the poor
protestants in the Low Countries under the Duke D'Alva
was remembered, as well as their bloody mass acres of the
poor Indians in America: but the storm blowing over by
tlie blessing of God upon the Queen's arms, the nation
was soon restored to its former tranquility,
The following winter the Queen summoned a parlia
ment, in order to defray the extraordinary expences of
the- year, and make some new laws against the papists.
The puritans having expressed their zeal for the Queeii
and the protestant religion, by listing in her army and
navy, thought it adviseable once more to address the
houses for some- favour in point of subscription. Upon the

264 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, VII.
delivery of the petition, one of the members stood up
and moved, that an enquiry might be made, how far
the bishops had exceeded the laws in the prosecution of
her majesty's protestant subjects. Another moved, for
reviving the bill against pluralities and non-residents,
which was brought in, and having passed the commons
was sent up to the lords, This alarmed the convocation,
who addressed the 'Queen to protect the church; and
flattered her with the title of a goddess. Hereupon the
Queen forbid the house of lords to proceed, and sent for
those members of the house of commons into custody
who had dared to break through her orders, of not
meddling with affairs of religion without her special alr
lowance ; which put an end to all expections of relief for
the present.
This year died the learned Mr. Thomas Sampson ;
he was born about the year 1517, and educated at Oxford *
he afterwards studied at the Temple, and was a means of
converting the famous martyr John Bradford to the pro
testant religion ; he took orders from Abps. Cranmer
and Ridley, who dispensed with the habits at his request,
and became rector of All-hajlows Bread-street : he was
a famous preacher in the reign of King Edward; but
upon the accession of Mary he fled to Strasburgh, and
was highly esteemed by the learned Tremelius. When
Elizabeth came to the crown, she offered him the bishopric
of Norwich, which he refused for no other reason, but
because he could not conform to the habits and cere
monies, In 1561, he was installed Dean of Christ church,
Oxon : but soon after was deprived by sentence of Abp,
Parker for non-conformity. He afterwards contented
himself with the mastership of an hospital in Leicester*
where he spent the remainder of his days in peace. He
was seized with the dead palsy on one side before he
died ; but continued preaching and writing to the last,
and was in high esteem over all England for his learning,
piety, and zeal for the protestant religion. He died at
his hospital with great tranquility and comfort in his non-r
conformity, in the 72dyear of his age.
Soon after him died the very learned Dr. Lawrence
Humphreys,, a great friend and companion pf Sampspn's{

1588. ELIZABETH. 265
he was born in Buckinghamshire, and educated in
Magdalen Coll. Oxon, of which he was perpetual fellow.
In the reign of Mary he obtained leave to travel,, and
continued at Zurich till Queen Elizabeth's accession,
when he was made Queen's professor in divinity; he
was afterwards President of Magdalen Coll. and Dean
of Gloucester, which was the highest preferment he
could obtain, because he was a non-conformist from
the ceremonies of the church. The Oxford historian
says, he was a moderate and conscientious non-conformist,
and stocked his college with a generation of that sort
of men, that could not be rooted out in many years :
he was certainly a strict Calvinist, and a bitter enemy
of the papists ; he was a great and general scholar, an
able linguist, and a deeper divine than most of his age :
he published many learned works, and at length died in
his college, in the 63d year of his age, having had the
honour to see many of his pupils bishops, while he who
was every way their superior, was denied preferment for
his puritannical principles.
To these we may add the venerable Edwin Sandys,
Abp. of York, an excellent and frequent preacher in
his younger days, and an exile for religion in Mary's
reign. He was afterwards successively Bp. of Worces
ter, London, and York, and a zealous defender of the
laws against non-conformists of all sorts; when argu
ments failed, he would earnestly implore the secular
arm ; though he had no great opinion either of the
discipline or ceremonies of the church, as appears by
his last will and testament, in which are these remarkable
expressions. *' I am now, and ever have been persuaded, that some
of these rites and ceremonies are not expedient for
this church now ; but that in the church reformed, and
in all this time of the gospel, they may better be dis
used by little and little, than more and more urged."
Such a testimony from the dying lips of one who
had been a severe persecutor of honest men, for
things which he always thought had better be disused
than urged, deserves to be remembered. He died in
the 69th year of his age, and was buried in the collegiate

2§j6 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Mtl,
ohurchof Southwell, where there is a monument erected
to. his memory,, with his own effigies on the top,, and
a great number of his children kneeling round' the;
sides of it.

CHAP. VIII.

ELIZABETH.
Publication of Satyrical Pamphlets. — Mr. UdaVs sufferings
and death. — Examination of Mr. Cartwright and: his
Brethren. — Star-chamber. — Powers of the Commis
sioners debated. — Queen's Message to Parliament: —
Act for punishing those who refused to attend the
Established! "Church.- — Brownists persecuted: — Barrow
and Greenwood put to Death for their Non-conformity.
Affecting Narrative of Mr. Penny. — Sufferings of Ptt-
pis-ts. — Affairs of Scotland.— Remarks. — Bp. of London
persecutes the Puritans. — Sabbatarian Controversy.- —
Darrel's Case. — Puritans turned over ta the AsiinAs^ —
Proceedings of tlie. Spiritual Courts,— Character of
the Puritans. — 'State of Religion during this Reign.—
The Queen's Death and Character.
"¥T7"HILE there was any hopes of compromising matters
* between the church and puritans, the controversy
was carried on with some decency ; but when all these hopes
were at an end, the contending parties loaded each other
with the heaviest reproaches. The public press being, shuit
against the puritans, some of them purchased a private.
one, and carried it from one county to another to prevent
a, discovery. It was first set up at Moulsey in Surry; from
thence it was conveyed to Fawsley in Northamptonshire ;
from thence to Norton, from thence to Coventry; from
Coventry, to Woolston in Warwickshire, and from thence
to Manchester- in Lancashire, where it was discovered.
Sundry satyrical pamphlets were printed and dispersed all

268 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VHI4
over the kingdom, displaying on both sides, abundance of
of the lowest buffoonery and ridicule. It is sad, when a
controversy about serious matters runs these dregs:
ridicule and personal reflection may expose an adversary
and make him ashamed, but will never convince or re
concile ; it carries with it a contempt which sticks in the
heart, and is hardly ever to be removed ; nor do I remem
ber any cause that has been served by such methods. Yet
after all, it was impossible for the bishops to wipe off from
themselves the charge of persecution and violation of the
laws. To put a stop to these pamphlets, the Queen sent a
letter to the archbishop, commanding him to make dili
gent enquiry after the printing press, and issued out her
royal proclamation, " for the bringing in all seditious and
schismatical books, and prohibiting any of her subjects
from keeping any books in their custody, against the order
of the church, or the rites and ceremonies of it."
As soon as the printing press was discovered, his
grace wrote to the treasurer to prosecute the persons with
whom it was found ; but like an able politician, wishes it
might be done by the lords of the conncil, rather than by
the ecclesiatical commissioners, because they had already
suffered for supporting the government, which was wound
ed through their sides. Accordingly those who had pos
session of the puritan press, together with the printer and
the disperser, were deeply fined in the star-chamber ? and
others were put to death.
The archbishop being now in his visitation, had fra
med twenty-two articles of enquiry, upon which the
church-wardens of every parish were to be examined
upon oath. By these articles they were to swear, that
their minister was exactly conformable to the orders of the
church, or else to impeach him ; and to declare further,
whether they knew of any of their neighbours or fellow-
parishioners, that were common swearers, drunkards,
usurers, witches, conjurers, heretics ; any man that had
two wives ; or women that had two husbands ; whether
they knew any that went to conventicles or meetings
for sayino- prayers in private houses; any that were of
a"e and did not receive the sacrament at church, three times

1589. ELIZABETH. 269
a year ; withfothers, calculated to dissolve all friendship in
country towns, and set a whole diocese in a flame. When
Sir Francis Knollys had read the articles he sent them to
the treasurer, calling them by their proper name, articles
of inquisition, highly prejudicial to the royal prerogrative :
But there was no stopping his grace's career.
Among the divines who suffered death for the libels
above-mentioned, where Mr. Udal, whose case being pe
culiarly hard, I shall give the reader an abstract of it. He
had been minister of Kingston upon Thames ; where having
been silenced by the official Dr. Hone, he lay by for half
a year, having no farther prospect of usefulness in the
church. At length the people of Newcastle upon Tyne
wanting a minister, prevailed with the Earl of Hunting
don to send him to them : when he had been there about
a year, he was sent for to London by Lord Hunsdon
and the Lord chamberlain, in the name of the privy
council : and on the 13th of January, appeared before
the commissioners, when he was interrogated by the Bp.
of Rochester, and Lord Chief Justice Anderson. The
bishop began the examination in this manner : Bishop.
Have you the allowance of the bishop of the diocese to
preach at Newcastle ? Udal. There was neither bishop
of the diocese, nor Abp. of York at that time. For-
tescue. By what law then did you preach at Newcastle,
being silenced at Kingston ? Udal. I know no law against
it, seeing I was silenced only by the official, whose autho
rity reaches not beyond his archdeaconry. L. C. J.
Anderson. You are called to answer concerning certain
books, thought to be of your writing. Udal. If it be any
of Martin's books, (one of the pamphlets before alluded.
to) I have disowned them a year and a half ago at Lam
beth. L, C. J. Anderson. Who was the author of the
demonstration, or the dialogue ? Udal. I shall not answer..
Anderson. Why will you clear yourself of Martin, and
not of these ? Udal. Because I would not be thought to
handle the cause of discipline as Martin did; but I think
otherwise of the other books, and care not though they
should be fathered upon me ; I think the author did well,
and therefore would not discover him if I knew him ; but
would hinder it all I could. L. C. J. Anderson. Why

#7& HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Villi
dare you not confess, if you be the author ? Udal. I have
sard, 1 liked df the books, and the matter handled in themj
but^whether I made th'em, orno, I will not answer, for by
tbe'law I am not obliged to it Anderson. That is true,
if it concerned the loss of your life [and yet the judges
tried and condemned him for his life.] Udal. I pray your
lordship, does not the law say, "TSTo man shallbeput tq
answer without presentment before justices on matters of
record, or by due proofs and writ original, &c. Anderson.'
That is law if it be not repealed. Bishop of Rochester.
Pray let me as;k you a question concerning your book. But
Udal was upon his guard, and Said, It is hot yet proved to "be
mine. Mr. Solicitor. I am sorry, Mr Udal,you willnot answer
or take ah oath, which 'by law you ought to do ; but he
did not say by what law. Udal. Sir, if I have a liberty
bylaw, there is no reason Why I Should not challenge it r
Shew me by what law I am obliged to accuse myself.
Dr. Lewin. You have taken the oath heretofore, *Why
should you not take it now ? Udal. I then voluntarily
confessed certain things Concerning my preaching df the
points of discipline, which could never 'have been proved;
and when my friends laboured to have me restored to my
ministry, the archbishop answered, there was sufficient
matter against me by my own confession, why I should not
be restored ; Whereupon I covenanted with my own heart
never to be my own accuser again.
At length the bishop 'told him his sentence for that
time, was to be sent to the Gate-house : where lie was
kept close prisoner, and not suffered to have pfen, ink, or
paper, ot any body to speak with 'him. At the end'of the
half year, 'he was removed to the White Lion in South-
wark, ahd 'So carried to the assizes at Croydon.
'On the 23d of July, Mr. Udal Was brought to Croydon
with fetters on his legs, and indicted upon cfhe statute 1%
Eliz. cap. *2. before Baron Clarke and 'Mr. Serjeant
Flickering, fer'writing a wicked, scandalous and seditious
lfbdl, called a demonstration of discipline, dedicated to
the supposed "governors df the church of England, in
Whicli is this "passage;'" Who canwithout blushing deny
you .(the bishop) to be the cause of all ungodliness?
BoraSinuch as your governmentgives Hberty'for amah to

1580. ELIZABETH. 271
be'any thing but a sound christian ; it is more 'free in
these days to be a papist or a wioked man, than what we
should be; I could live twenty years as nuoh in England,
and it may be in a bishop's house, and not be molested :
So true it is, that you care for nothing !but the mainte
nance of your dignities, be it to the damnation of your
own souls, and infinite millions more."-^These are the
words of the indictment. To which Mr. Udal pleaded
not guilty, and put himself upon the trial of his country.
In opening the cause, Mr. Dalton the Queen's counsel
made a long invective against the new discipline, which
he affirmed was not to be found in tlhe word of God. To
whom Udal replied, This being a controversy «m\ong
learned divines, he thought Mr. Dalton might have sus
pended his judgment, since he had formerly shewed some
liking to the cause. Upon whioh'the judge said, Sirrah,
sirrah ! answer to the matter. Mr. Dalton, go on to the
proof of the points in the indictment, which were these
three : 1. That Udal was the author of the book. 2.
That he had a malicious intent in making it. 3. That 'the
matters in the indictment were felony by the statute, 23
Elizabeth, cap. 2,
The first point was, to prove Udal to be the author Of
the book ; and -here it is observable, that the witnesses
were not brought into court, but only their examinations,
which the register swore to. And first Stephen Chatfield's
articles were produced, which contained a report of cer
tain papers he had seen in Udal's study. Upon seeing
them, he asked, whose writings they were ? Udal an
swered, a friend's. Chatfield then desired him to rid his
hands of them, for he doubted they concerned the rstatfe.
He. added, that Udal told him "another time, that if they
put him to silence, he would give the bishops such a blow
as they never had. Chatfield was called to witness these
things, but appeared not. Dalton said, he went out Of the
way on purpose. The judge said, Mr. Udal, you are glad
of that. Mr. Udal answered, my lord, I wish heartily he
were here; for as I am sure, he could never say anything
against me to prove this point; so I am able to prove it
to be true, thut he is very "sorry that he ever made any
complaint against me, confessing he did it in anger when

272 HISTORY OF THE PURITANSi CHAP. VIII.
Martin came first out, and by their suggestions whom he
had proved since to be very bad men. Mr. Udal added,
that the book was published before this conversation with
Chatfield, The. examination of Nicolas Tomkins before ther
commissioners, was next produced. This Tomkins was
now beyond sea, but the paper said, that Udal had told
him, he was the author. But Tomkins himself sent word,
that he would not for a thousand pounds affirm any more,'
than that he had heard Udal say, that he would not doubt;
but set his name to the book, if he had indifferent judges.
And when Udal offered to produce his witnesses, the judge
said, that because the witnesses were against the Queen's
majesty they could not be heard.
The confession of Henry Sharp of Northampton was
then read, who upon oath before the Lord Chancellor
had declared, that he heard Mr. Penry say, that Mr.
Udal was the author of the Demonstration. This was
the whole evidence of the fact upon which he was con
victed, not a single living witness being produced in
court; so that the prisoner had no opportunity to"
ask any questions, or refute the evidence. And what
methods were used to extort these confessions, may
easily be imagined from the confessors flying their:
country, and then testifying their sorrow for what they
had said.
To prove the sedition, and bring it within the statute,
the council insisted upon his threatening the bishops,1
who being the queen's officers, it was construed a threat
ening of the Queen herself. The prisoner desired liberty
to explain the passage, and his counsel insisted, that an
offence against the bishop, was not sedition against the
Queen; but the judge gave it for law, that they who
spake against the Queen's government, in causes eccle
siastical, or her laws, proceedings, and ecclesiastical
officers, defamed the Queen herself. Upon this the jury
were directed to find him guilty of the fact, and the
judgestook upon them the point of law, and condemned
him as a felon. They might as well have condemned
him without the form of a trial, for the statute was
undoubtedly strained beyond the intent of it, to reach

1590. ELIZABETH. 273
his life. He behaved modestly and discreetly at the
bar ; and having said as much for himself as must have
satisfied any equitable persons, he submitted to the judg
ment of the court.
Mr. Udal was convicted at summer assizes, 1590, but
did not receive sentence till the lent assize ; in the mean
time he was offered his pardon, if he would sign an acknow-
ment of his guilt and contrition, and throw himself upon
the Queen's mercy as a felon. But no arguments or
threatenings of the judges could prevail with him to
make such a sacrifice of the dignity of his innocence and
sincerity. But the day before sentence was to be passed
he offered a very manly and humble submission drawn up
by himself. He also often and with great earnestness,
petitioned his judges for their mediation with the
Queen, in most dutiful language ; but the court would do
nothing unless he signed their submission.
At the close of the lent assizes being called to the bar
with the rest of the felons, and asked what he had to say,
why judgment should not be given against him, according
to the verdict, he delivered in a paper consisting of reasons
against tile judgment, in the conclusion of which he
speaks thus : — " If all this prevail not, yet my Redeemer
liveth, to whom I commend myself, and say as sometime
Jeremiah said in a case not much unlike, Behold,- 1 am
in your hands to do with me whatsoever seemeth good
unto you, but know you this, that if you put me to death
you shall bring innocent blood upon your own heads, and
upon the land. As the blood of Abel, so the blood of
Udal will cry to God with a loud voice, and the righteous
judge of the land will require it, at the hands of all that
shall be guilty of it."
But nothing would avail, unless he would sign the sub
mission the court had drawn up for him ; which his
conscience not suffering him to do, sentence of death
was passed upon him, and execution openly awarded;
but next morning the judges, by direction from court,
gave private order to respite it till her majesty's pleasure
was further known. The Dean of St. Paul's and Dr.
Andrews were sent ,to persuade him to sign the submis-
V0L. I. S

27* HISTORY OF *HE PURITANS. CHAP. VH!,
sion ; which he peremptorily refused. But as the Queen
had been misinformed of his belief, he sent her majesty
a short confession of his faith, with an humble request,
that if her majesty would not graciously be pleased to
pardon him* she would change his sentence into banish
ment, that the land might not be charged with his blood.
King James of Scotland wrote to the Queen, requesting
most earnestly, tfcat for the sake of his intercession,
Udal might be relieved of his present straight, promising
to do tlie like for her majesty in any matter she should
recommend to him. The Turkey merchants offered
also to send him as chaplain to one of their factories
abroad, if he might have his life and liberty ; to which
Udal consented. The writer of Abp. Whitgift's life
says the archbishop yielded to this petition ; that the
Lord keeper promised to further it ; and that the Earl of
Essex had a draught <of a pardon ready prepared, with
this condition annexed, that he should never return with
out the Queen's licence ; but her majesty never signed it,
and the Turkey ships going away without him, poor un
happy Udal died a few months after ih the marshalsea
prison, quite heart-broken with sorrow and grief. Fuller
says he was a learned man, and of a blameless life, pow
erful in prayer, and no less profitable than diligent in
preaching. He was decently interred at St. Geofge,
Southwark, being honoured with the attendance of great
numbers of the London ministers, who visited him in
prison, and now wept over the remains of a man, who
after a long ahd severe trial of his faith and patience*
died for the testimony of a good conscience, and stands
upon record as a monument of the Oppression and cruelty
of the government under which he suffered.
Though the moderate puritans publicly disowned the
libels above-mentioned, and oondemned the spirit with
which they were written, they were nevertheless brought
into trouble for their associations. Among others, Cart
wright, father of the puritans, and master of the new
hospital at Warwick, was suspended by bis diocesan, and
summoned before the high commissioners, who committed
him to the Fleet with 15 of his brethren. At their first
appearance the commissioners asked them, where they

1590. ELIZABETH. 27S
held their associations or assemblies, and how often? Who
were present, and what matters were treated of? Who
corrected or set forth the book of discipline, and who
had subscribed or submitted to it ? Whether in a chris
tian monarchy the King is supreme governor of the
church ? or whether he is under the government of pastors,
doctors, and such like ? Whether it be lawful for a sovereign
prince to ordain ceremonies, and make orders for the
church? Whethertheecclesiastical government established
in England be lawful, and allowed by the word of God ?
Whether the sacraments ministered according to the book
of Common prayer, are godly and rightly ministered, &c.
Mr. Cartwright's answer to these interrogatories
was said by the civilians to be insufficient ; upon
which they exhibited 31 articles against him, September
1st, 1590, and required him to answer them on oath. The
first 24 articles charge him with renouncing his episcopal
orders, by being re-ordained beyond sea, with interrupting
the peace, and breaking the orders of the church since
he came "home ; and with knowing the authors or printers
of Martin Mar-Prelate. Article 25. Charges him with
penning, or procuring to be penned, the Book of Disci
pline ; and with recommending the practice of it. Article
26. Charges him with being present at sundry pretended
synods, classes, or conferences of ministers in divers coun
ties. Article 27. That at such synods they subscribed
the Book of Discipline, and promised to govern them
selves by it as far as they could. Article 28. Charges him
with ¦setting up particular conferences in several shires,
which were to receive the determinations of the general
assembly, and put them in practice. Mr. Cartwright
offered to clear 'himself of some of these articles upon
oath, and to give his reasons for not answering the rest,
but if this would not satisfy, he was determined to submit
to the punishment the commissioners sbould award [which
was imprisonment in the Fleet] ; praying the Lord trea
surer to make some provision for the poor people of War
wick who had no minister. The rest of Cartwright's
brethren refusing the oath for the same reasons, viz. be
cause they would not accuse themselves, nor Tiring their
s 2

276 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
friends tinto trouble, were committed to divers prisons.
But the archbishop, by advice of the treasurer, was not
present at the commitment of his old adversary.
On the 13th of May they were brought before the
Star-chamber, which was a court made up of certain
noblemen, bishops, judges, and counsellors of the Queen's
nomination, to the number of twenty or thirty, with her
majesty at their head, who is the sole judge when present,
the other members being only to give their opinion to
their sovereign by way of advice, which he (or she) dis
allows at their pleasure : but in the absence of the
sovereign the determination is by a majority, the Lord
chancellor or keeper having a casting vote. The deter
minations of this court, (says Mr. Rushworth) were not
by the verdict of a jury, nor according to. any statute law
of the land, but according to the royal will and pleasure,
and yet they were made as binding to the subject as an act
of parliament. In the reign of Henry VII. the practice
of that court was thought to intrench upon the common
law, though it seldom did any business ; but in the latter
end of this, and during the two next reigns, the court sat
constantly, and was so unmerciful in its censures and
punishments, that the whole nation cried aloud against it
as a mark of the vilest slavery. Lord Clarendon says,
"There were very few persons of quality in those times
that had not suffered, or been perplexed, by the weight
and fear of its censures and judgments; for having ex
tended their jurisdiction from riots, perjuries, and the
most notorious misdemeanors, to an asserting of all pro
clamations, and orders of state, to the vindicating illegal
commissions and grants of monopolies, no man could hope
to be any longer free from the inquisition of that court,
than he resolved to submit to those and the like extraor
dinary courses."
When Cartwright and his brethren appeared before
the court, Mr. Attorney general inveighed bitterly
against them for refusing the oath, and when Mr. Fuller,
counsel for the prisoners stood up to answer, he was com
manded silence, and told, that far less crimes than theirs
had been punished with the gallies or perpetual banish
ment, which latter he thought proper for them," provided

1591. ELIZABETH. 277
it was in some remote place from whence they might not
return. From the star-chamber they were remanded back
to the high commission, where Bancroft had a long argu
ment with Cartwright about the oath; from thence they
were returned again to the star-chamber, and a bill was
exhibited against them with twenty articles ; in answer to
which they maintain, that their associations were very
useful, and not forbidden by any law of the realm : that
they exercised no jurisdiction, nor moved any sedition,
nor transacted any affairs in them, but with a due regard
to their duty to their prince, and to the peace of the
church ; that they had agreed upon some regulations to
render their ministry more edifying* but all was voluntary,
and in breach of no law; and as for the oath, they refused
it, not in contempt of the court, but as contrary to the laws
of God and nature.
This answer not being satisfactory they were remanded
to prison, where they continued two years without any
further process, or being admitted to bail ; in the mean
time King James of Scotland interceded for them, with
the Queen, requesting her majesty to shew favour to
Mr. Cartwright and his brethren, because of their great
learning and faithful travels in the gospel. Cartwright
himself petitioned for his liberty, as being afflicted with
excessive pains of the gout and sciatica, which were
much increased by lying in a cold prison ; he wrote a
most humble and pious letter to the Lady Russel, and
another to the Lord treasurer, beseeching them to pro
cure his enlargement with the Queen, though it were
upon bond, expressing a very great concern that her
majesty should be so slightly offended with him, since he
had printed no books for thirteen years past that could
give the least uneasiness; and that he never had a finger
in any other satyrical pamphlets ; and further, that in the
course of his ministry for five years past at Warwick, he
had avoided all controversy. Dr. Goad, Dr. Whitaker,
and two others of the university, wrote an excellent letter
to the treasurer in favour of the prisoners, beseeching
his lordship that they might not be more hardly dealt
with than papists; but this not prevailing, after six
s 3

978 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP, VTA.
months they petitioned the Lords of the council to be
enlarged upon bail, and wrote to the treasurer to second
it, assuring his lordship of their loyalty to the Queen, and
peaceable behaviour in the church.
They also applied to the archbishop, who refused to
consent to their enlargement, unless they wouid under
their hands declare the church of England to be a true
church, and th& whole order of public prayers, &c.
consonant to the word of God, and renounce for the
future all their assemblies, classes and synods ; which
they declined. These applications proving ineffectual,
they resolved at last to address the Queen herself, for
which purpose they drew up a declaration, containing
a full answer to the several charges brought against
them. It was not till some time after this that Mr, Cartwright
was released, upon promise of his quiet and peaceable '
behaviour, and restored to his hospital in Warwick, where
he continued without further disturbance the rest of his
days; but many of his brethren remained under suspen
sion, while their families were starving, Mr; Bubboek
of Oxford, one of the number, an excellent divine, was
called before the commission for saying, that a great
nobleman (meaning the archbishop) had kneeled down
to her majesty, for staying and hindering her intent to
reform religion. But his grace not being willing to insist
lipon this, commanded him to subscribe, and in case of
refusal to enter into bonds not to preach any more, nor
to come within ten miles of Oxford ; which Mr. Hubbock,
declined, saying, — " He had rather go to prison than
consent to be silent from preaching, unless he was con
vinced that he had taught false doctrine, or committed
any fault worthy of bonds." Sir Francis Knollys and the
lyreasurer interceeded for him, but to no purpose.
These high proceedings of the commissioners, brought
their pqwers under examination ; most were of opinion
that they exceeded the law, but some thought the very
court itself was illegal, imagining the Queen could not
delegate her supremacy to others. Mr. Cawdery, late
minister of Luffingham in Suffolk, had been suspended
by the Bp. of London for refusing the oath ex officio; but

1591. ELIZABETH. 279
not acquiescing in his lordship's sentence* the bishop
summoned him before the high commissioners, who de
prived him for non-conformity and lack of learning, and
gave away his living to another, though Mr. Cawdery was
one of the most learned clergymen, and best preachers
in the country, and offered to give proof of his learning
before his judges. When this wquld not be accepted, he
pleaded with tears his wife and eight poor children that
had no maintenance, but the hearts of the commissioners
not being mollified, Mr. Cawdery was advised to appeal
to the court of exchequer, and proceed against the chap
lain who had possession of his living. On this occasion
the jurisdiction of the court was argued before all the
judges. Dr. Aubrey the civilian confessed, that their
proceedings were not warrantable by the letter of the
statute 1st Eliz. but were built upon the old canon law
still in force; though it has been shewn that their pro
ceeding by way of inquisition was warranted by no law at
all; yet the judges confirmed the proceedings of the
court, and left Mr, Cawdery with his large family to
starve as a layman. The suit cost Mr. Cawdery's friends
a round sum of money, besides two and twenty journeys
which he made to London. But it was a brave stand for
the rights of the subject, and staggered the archbishop so
much, that he declined the business of the cqmmission
afterwards, and sent most of his prisoners to the star-
chamber. While these causes were depending, sundry
books were wrote for and against the oath ex officio ;
among others Mr. Morrice, attorney of the court of
Wards, and member of parliament,, published a treatise
to prove, that no prelates, or ecclesiastical jndges, have
authority to compel any subject of the land to an oath,
except in causes testamentary or matrimonial. Morrice's
book was answered by Dr. Cosins a civilian, in his apology
for the ecclesiastical proceedings ; to which Morrice had
prepared a reply, but the archbishop hearing of it, sent
for him, and forbid the publication. This was his grace's
shortest way of ending controversies.
Though Mr, Cartwright and his brethren above-
mentioned had the resolution to lie in goal for two years,
rather than take the oath ex- officio, pthers put of weakness,

280 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
or some lower principle, yielded to it, and discovered their
classes, with the names of those that were present at
them. These divines confessed upon examination, that
they had several meetings with their brethren in London ;
that there had been assemblies of ministers in Cambridge,
Northamptonshire , and Warwickshire ; that at these
meetings there were usually between twelve and twenty
ministers present ; that they had a moderator ; that they
begun and ended with prayer ; and that their usual de
bates were, how far they might comply with the establish
ment rather than forego their ministry ; here they revised
their book of discipline, and consulted of peaceable
methods in subordination to the laws, for promoting a
reformation in the church, and how far they might exercise
their own platform in the mean time : but the worst part
of their confession was, their discovering the names of
the brethren who were present, which brought them into
trouble. The reasons they gave for taking the oath were,
1. Because it was administered by a lawful magistrate. .- 2.
Because the magistrate had a right to search out the truth
in matters relating to the public safety. 3. Because it was
impossible to keep things any longer secret. 4, Because
there was nothing criminal in their assemblies, and the
magistrate might suspect worse things of them than were
true; and though their confessions might bring some
into trouble, they might deliver others who where sus
pected. How far these reasons will justify the confessors,
I leave with the reader ; but it is certain they purchased
their own liberties at the expence of their brethren's ; for
they had the favour to be dismissed, and lived without
disturbance afterwards.
To render the puritans odious to the public, all en
thusiasts without distinction were ranked among them ;
even Hacket and his two prophets, Arthington and Cop-
pinger: Hacket was a blasphemous, ignorant wretch*
who could not so much as read ; he pretended to be King
Jesus, apd to set up his empire in the room of the Queen's,
who, he said, was no longer to be Queen of England ;
he defaced her majesty's arms, and stabbed her picture
through with his dagger, in the house where he lodged,
Being apprehended and put upon the rack, he confessed

1591. ELIZABETH. 281
every thing they would have him, and upon his trial
pleaded guilty, declaring he was moved thereunto by the
spirit; he was hanged July 18th, and died raving like a
madman. Coppinger starved himself in prison, but
Arthington lived to recover his senses and was pardoned.
Dr. Nichols says, that by the solicitations of these men,
the puritans stirred up the people to rebellion, their
design being communicated to Cartwright, Egerton, and
Wigginton ; whereas there was not a single puritan con
cerned with them, Fuller speaks candidly of the matter;
" This business of Hacket, says he, happened unseasonably
for the presbyterians ; true it is, they as cordially
detested his blasphemies as any of the episcopal party;
and such of them as loved Hacket the non-conformist,
abhorred Hacket the heretic, after he had mounted to so
high a pitch of impiety." However Cartwright wrote an
apology for himself and his brethren, against the asper
sions of Dr. Sutcliff, in which he declares, he had never
seen Hacket nor Arthington, nor ever had any conference
with them by letter or message. Had there been any
ground for this vile charge, we should no doubt have
found it among their articles of impeachment.
At the opening of the new parliament, the Queen
signified her pleasure to the house, that they might redress
such popular grievances as were complained of in their
several counties, but should leave all matters of state to
herself and the council ; and all matters relating to the
church, to herself and the bishops. What an insignificant
thing is a representative body of the nation, that must
not meddle with matters either of church or state ! But
her majesty was resolved to let them see she would be
obeyed, for when Messrs. Wentworth and Bromley moved
the house to address the Queen to name her successor, she
sent for them, together with Messrs. Welsh and Stephens,
and committed them to prison, where Wentworth remained
many years. When it was moved in the house to address
the Queen for the release of their members, it was an
swered by those privy counsellors who were of the house,
that her majesty had committed them for causes best known
to herself; that the house must not call the Queen to
account for what she did of her royal authority ; that the

282 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
causes of their restraint might be high and dangerous ;
that her majesty did not like such questions, nor did it
become the house to deal in such matters.
After this it was a bold adventure of Mr. Attorney
Morrice, and for which he paid very dear, to move the
house, to enquire into the proceedings of the bishops
in their spiritual courts, and how far they could justify
their inquisition, their subscriptions, their binding the
Queen's subjects to their good behaviour^ contrary to the
laws of God and of the realm; their compelling men to
take oaths to accuse themselves ; and upon their refusal to
degrade, deprive, and imprison them at pleasure* and
not to release them till they had complied. At the same
time he offered two, bills to the house ; one against the
oath ex officio,, and the other against their illegal impri
sonments ; which last he prayed might be read presently.
Sir Francisj KnoHys seconded the attorney, and was fol
lowed by Mr. Beal, who spoke on the same side; on which
the. Queen forbid him the court, and commanded him
to absent from parliament. These debates awakened
the civilians in the house, and particularly Mb. Dalton,
who opposed the reading of the bill, because the Queen
had often forbid them to meddle with the reformation of
the church ; which Sir Robert Cecil, one of her majesty's
secretaries of state confirmed. As soon as the Queen
was acquainted with the proceedings of the house, she
sent for the speaker Coke, and commanded him to tell the
house, that it was wholly in her power to call, to determine,
to assent or dissent, to any thing done in parliament ; that
the calling of this was only,, that such as neglected the
service of the church might be compelled to it with some
sharp laws ; and, that the safety of her majesty's person
and the realm might be provided for ; that it was not
meant that they should meddle with matters of state or
causes ecclesiastical ; that she wondered they should
attempt a thing so contrary to her commandment ; that
she was highly offended at it, and that it was her royal
pleasure, that no bill touching any matters of state and
causes ecclesiastical should be there exhibited. At the
same time Mr. Attorney Morrice was seized on in the
house by a serjeant at arms, discharged from his office

1592. ELIZABETH. 283
in the court of the dutchy at Lancaster, disabled from
any practice in his profession, as a barrister at law, and
kept for some years prisoner in Tutbury Castle.
If there had been a just spirit of English liberty in the
house of commons, they would not have submitted so
tamely to the insults of an arbitrary court, which arrested
their members for liberty of speech, and committed them
to prison ; which forbid their redressing the grievances
©f church and state, and sent for their bills out of the
house and cancelled them. These were such acts of
sovereign power, which none of her majesty's predecessors
had dared to assume, and which cost one of her successors
his crown and his lifes. But this parliament, instead of
asserting their own and the people's liberties, stands upon
record for one of the severest acts of oppression and
cruelty, that ever was past by the representatives of a
protestant nation, and a free people. It is entitled, an
act for the punishment of persons obstinately refusing to
come to chureh, and persuading others to impugi* the
Queer's authority in ecclesiastical causes. It is here
enacted,---" That if any person above the age of sixteen
shall obstinately refuse to repair to some church, chapel,
or usual place of common prayer, to hear divine service,
for the space of one month, without lawful cause ; or shall
at any time, forty days after the end of this session., by
printing, writing, or express words, go about to persuade
any of her majesty's subjects to deny, withstand, or
impugn her majesty's power Or authority in causes eccle
siastical; or shall dissuade them from coming to church,
to hear divine service, or receive the communion according
as the law directs; or shall be present at any unlawful
assembly, conventicle, or meeting, under colour or pre
tence of any exercise of religion, that every person so
offending, and lawfully convicted, shall be committed
to prison without bail, till they shall conform and yield
themselves to come to church, and sign a declaraition of
their conformity. But in case the offenders against this
statute, being lawfully convicted, shall not submit and
sign the declaration within three months, then they shall
ABJURE THE REALM AND GO INTO PERPETUAL BANISHMENT.
And if they do not depart within the time limited by the

284 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
quarter sessions, or justices of peace; or if they return at
any time afterwards without the Queen's . licence, they
shall SUFFER DEATH WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY. — So
that as the Lord chancellor King observed at the trial
of Dr. Sacheverel, the case of the non-conformists by
this act, was worse than that of felons at common law,
for these were allowed the benefit of clergy, but the
others were not. This statute was levelled against the
laity as well as the clergy; and the severe execution of it
with that of the 23d of Elizabeth, in this and the following
reigns, brought infinite mischiefs upon the kingdom;
many families being forced into banishment ; some put to
death, as in cases of treason ; and others as the authors of
seditious pamphlets.
The moderate puritans made a shift to evade the force
of this law, by coming, to church when common prayer
was almost over, and by receiving the sacrament in some
churches where it was administered with some latitude ; but
the weight of it fell upon the separatists, who renounced
all communion with the church in the word and sacraments,
as well as in the common prayer and ceremonies ; these
were called brownists or barrowists, from one Barrow
a gentleman of the Temple, who was now at their head.
We have given an account of their distinguishing princir
pies in 1580, since which time their numbers were
prodigiously increased, though the bishops pursued them,
and shut them up in prison without bail, or troubling
themselves to bring them to a trial. Sir Walter Raleigh
declared in parliament, that they were not less than twenty
thousand, divided into several congregations in Norfolk
and Essex, and in the parts about London: there were
several considerable men now at their head, as Mr. Smith,
Mr. Jacob, the learned Mr. Ainsworth, the Rabbi of his
age, and others.
The congregation about London being pretty numerous,
formed themselves into a church, Mr. Francis Johnson
being chosen pastor by the suffrage of the brotherhood,
Mr. Greenwood teacher, Messrs. Bowman and Lee, dea
cons, Messrs. Studley and Kinaston, elders, all in one
clay, at the house of Mr. Fox, in Nicholas-Lane, in 1592.
Seven persons were baptised at the same time without

1592. ELIZABETH. 285
godfathers or godmothers, Mr. Johnson only washing
their faces with water, and pronouncing the form, I
baptize thee in the name, &c. The Lord's supper was
also administered in this manner; five white loaves being
set upon the table, the pastor blessed them by prayer, after
whicli having broke the bread, he delivered it to some,
and the deacons to tlie rest, some standing and others
sitting about the table, using the words of the apostle, 1
Cor. xi. 24. In the close they sung a hymn, and made a
collection for the poor. When any person came first into
the church he made this protestation or promise, that he
would walk with them so long as they did walk in the way
of the Lord, and as far as might be warranted by the word
of God.The congregation being obliged to meet in different
places to cover themselves from the bishop's officers, was
at length discovered on a L°r(i's day at Islington, in the
very same place where the protestant congregation
met in Queen Mary's reign ; about fifty-six were taken
prisoners, and sent two by two to the goals about London,
where several of their friends had been confined for a
considerable time. At their examination they confessed,
that for some years they had met in the fields in the sum
mer time, at five of the clock in the morning of the Lord's
day, and in the winter at private houses ; that they con
tinued all day in prayer and expounding the scriptures;
that they dined together, and after dinner made a collec
tion for their diet, and sent the remainder of the money to
their brethren in prison ; that they did not use the Lord's
prayer, apprehending it not to be intended by our blessed
Saviour to be used as a form, after the sending down of
the Spirit at pentecost Their adversaries charged them
with several extravagancies about baptism, marriage, lay-
preaching, &c. from which they vindicated themselves
in a very solid and judicious reply, shewing how far they
disowned, and with what limitations they acknowledged
the charge. But the bishops observing no measures with
this people, they ventured to lay their case before the
Lords of the council in an humble petition. But the
privy council were afraid to move in an affair that lay more
immediately before the high commission.

286 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIIl
' Mr. Smith one of their ministers, after he had been in
prison twelve months, was called before the commission
ers, and being asked whether he would go to church?
answered, that he should dissemble and play the hypo«-
crite if he should do it to avoid trouble, for he thought
it utterly unlawful; to which one of the commissioners
answered, Come to church and obey the Queen's laws, and
be a dissembler, be a hypocrite, Or devil if thou wilt. Upon
his refusal he was remanded to the Clink, and his bre
thren to the. Fleet, where by order of Mr. Justice Young,
one of the commissioners, they were shut up in close
rooms, not being allowed the liberty of the prison ; here
they died like rotten sheep, some of the disease of the
prison, some for want, and others of infectious distem
pers. Among those who perished in prison was Mr. Roger
Rippon, who dying in Newgate, his fellow-prisoners put
this inscription upon his coffin.
" This is the corpse of Roger Rippon, a servant of
Christ, and her majesty's faithful subject; who is the
last of sixteen or seventeen which that great enemy of
God, the Abp. of Canterbury with his high commission
ers have murdered in Newgate within these five years,
manifestly for the testimony of Jesus Christ," &c. Many
copies of this inscription were dispersed among friends,
for which some were apprehended and confined. The
privy council taking notice of the above-mentioned sup
plications, the prisoners in the several gaols about London,
to the number of 59, joined in a petition to the Lord
treasurer, to which they subscribed their names. Among
the names subscribed to this petition is Mr. H. Barrowe,
an ingenious and learned man, but of too warm a spirit,
as appears by his book, entitled, " A brief discovery of
false churches." This gentleman having been several
years in prison, sent another supplication to the attorney-
general and also to the privy council, for a conference
with the bishops, or that their ministers might be confer
red with in their hearing, without taunts or railing, for
searching out the truth in love. But all these petitions
were rej ected ; and these pious and conscientious persons,
after a long and illegal imprisonment, were abandoned
to the severity of an unrighteous law; some of them

1592. ELIZ/VBETH. 287
being publicly executed as felons, and others proscribed
and sent into banishment.
Among the former were, Mr. Barrowe of Gray's-Inn,
and Messrs. Greenwood and Penry, ministers; the two first
had been in prison some years, and several times before
the commissioners. Barrowe was apprehended at the
Clink prison in Southwark, where he went to visit his
brother Greenwood ; he was carried immediately to Lam
beth, where the archbishop would have examined him
upon the oath ex officio, but he refused to take it, or to
swear at all upon the bible ; but, says he, by God's grace,
I will answer nothing but the truth. So the archbishop
took a paper of interrog&Lories into his hand and asked
him, 1 . Whether the Lord's prayer might be used in the
church? He answered, that in his opinion it was rather
a summary than a form, and not finding it used by the
apostles, he thought it should not be constantly used by
us. 2. Whether forms of prayer may be used in the
church? He answered, that none such ought to be im
posed. 3. Whether the Common Prayer be idolatrous or
superstitious ? He answered, that in his opinion it was so.
4. Whether the sacraments of the church are true sacra
ments and seals of the favour of God ? He answered,
he thought as they were publicly administered they were
not. B. Whether the laws of the church are good ? He
answered, that many of them were unlawful and antichris-
tian. 6. Whether the church of England is a true church ?
He answered, that as it was now formed it was not ; yet
that there are many excellent good christians of it. 7.
Whether the Queen be supreme governor of the church,
and may make laws for it ? He answered, that the Queen
was supreme governor of the church, but might not make
laws other than Christ had left in his word. 8. Whether
a private person may reform if the prince neglects it ?
He answered that no private persons might reform the
state, but they are to abstain from any unlawful thing
commanded by the prince. 9. Whether every particular
church ought to have a presbytery ? He answered in the
affirmative. After this examination he was remanded to
close prison, and denied a copy of his answers* though
he earnestly desired it.

288 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII,
His next examination was before the archbishop, the
Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, Lord Buckhurst, and
the Bp. of London, at Whitehall, where he found twelve of
his brethren in the same circumstances with himself,
but was not admitted to speak to them. Being called into
another room, and kneeling down at the end of the table,
the Lord Treasurer spoke to him thus. Treasurer, Why
are you in prison? Barrowe, upon the statute against
recusants. Treasurer, Why will you not go to church?
Barrowe, because I think the church of England as esta
blished by law not a church of Christ, nor their manner
of worship lawful. After a long debate on this head the
treasurer said, you complain of injustice, where have you
wrong ? Barrowe, in being kept in prison without due
trial ; and in the misery we suffer by a close imprison
ment contrary to law. The archbishop said, he had matter
to call him before him for an heretic. Barrowe replied,
that you shall never do, I may err, but heretic by the grace
of God I will never be. It being observed that he did
not pay such reverence to the Abp. and Bp. of London
as to the temporal Lords, the chancellor asked him, if he
did know those two men, pointing to the bishops. To which
he answered, that he had cause to know them, but did not
own them for Lord bishops. Being then asked by what
name he would call the archbishop; he replied that he
was a monster, a persecutor, a compound of he knew not
what, neither ecclesiastical nor civil, like the second
beast spoken of in the revelations : Upon which the arch
bishop rose out of his place, and with a severe coun
tenance said, My lords, will you suffer him ? So he was
carried away.
Mr. Greenwood the minister was examined after the
same manner before the archbishop of Canterbury, the
Bps. of London and Winchester, the Lords chief justices,
the Lord chief baron, and the Master of the rolls : He had
interrogatories put to him as Barrowe had, but refused to
swear, and made much the same answer with the other.
At length, they together with Saxio Bellot, gent. Daniel
Studley, and Robert Bowlle, were indicted at the sessions
house in the Old-Bailey, upon the statute of 23 Eliz. for
writing and publishing sundry seditious bpoks and pam-

1592. ELIZABETH. 289
phlets, tending to the slander of the Queen and govern
ment ; when they had only wrote against the church; but
this was the archbishop's artful contrivance, to throw off
the odium of their death from himself to the civil ma
gistrate; for as the learned Mr. Hugh Broughton observes,
*s though Messrs. Barrowe and Greenwood were condemned
for disturbance of the state; yet this would have been
pardoned, and their lives spared, if they would have pro
mised to come to church." — Upon their trial they behaved
with constancy and resolution, shewing no token of recog
nition, says the attorney, nor prayer for mercy : they
protested their inviolable' loyalty to the Queen, and obe
dience to her government; that they never wrote, nor so
much. as intended any thing against her highness, but only
against the bishops and the hierarchy, of the church;
which was apparent enough. However the jury brought
them all in guilty. Bellot desired a conference, and
with tears confessing his sorrow for what he had done,
was pardoned. Bowlle and Studley being looked upon
only as accessaries, tliough they continued firm, declaring
their unshaken loyalty to the Queen, and refusing to ask
for mercy, were reprieved, and sent back to prison ; but
Barrowe and Greenwood were to be made examples.
Sentence of death being passed upon them, sundry divines
were appointed to persuade them to recant ; who not
succeeding, they were brought in a cart to Tyburn, and
exposed under the gallqws for sqme time to the people,
to see if the terrors of death would affright them; but
remaining constant, they were brought back to Newgate,
and on the sixth of April, carried a second time to Tyburn
and executed. At the place of execution they gave such
testimonies of their unfeigned piety towards God, and
lpyalfy to the Queen, praying so earnestly for her long
and prosperous reign, that when Dr. Reynolds who at^-
tended them, reported their behaviour to her majesty, she
repented that she had yielded to their death. They had
been in close prison ever since the year 1590, exposed
to all the severities of cold, hunger, and nakedness, which
Mr. Barrowe represented in a supplication to the Queen,
concluding with an earnest desire of deliverance from their
YOL, I. T

290 HISTORY. OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
present miseries, though it were by death ; but the arch
bishop intercepted the paper, and endeavoured to pre
vent the knowledge of their condition from coming to the
Queen. Thus fell these two excellent gentlemen a sa
crifice to the resentments of an angry prelate.
About six weeks after this, Mr. J. Penry or Ap-Henry,
a Welsh divine, was executed for the same crime, in a
cruel and inhuman manner. He was a pious and learned
man, (says Strype) but mistaken in his principles, and hot
in his temper; a zealous platformer, and a declared enemy
of the archbishop. He was born in the county of Breck
nock, and educated first at Cambridge, and afterwards in
St. Alban's-Hall, Oxford, where he entered into holy
orders being well acquainted with arts and lauguages. He
preached in both universities with applause, and after
wards travelling into Wales, was the first, as he said, that
preached the gospel publicly to the Welsh, and sowed
the good seed among his countrymen. In the year 1588,
he published a view of such public wants and disorders
as are in her majesty's country of Wales, with an humble
petition to the high court of parliament for their redress :
wherein is shewed not only. the necessity of reforming
the state of religion- among that people, but also the only
way in regard of substance to bring that reformation to
pass. He also published an exhortation to the governors
and people of her majesty's country of Wales, to labour
earnestly to have the preaching of the gospel planted
among them.
When Martin-mar-prelate, and the other satyrical
pamphlets against the bishops were published, a special
warrant was issued from the privy council, to seize and
apprehend Mr. Penry, as an enemy of the state; and
that all the Queen's good subjects should take him so
to be. To avoid being taken he retired into Scotland,
where he continued till this present year. Here he made
many observations of things relating to religion, for his
own private use; and at length prepared the heads of a
petition, or an address to the Queen, to shew her majesty
the true state of religion, and how ignorant she was of
many abuses in the church of England, especially in the
management of ecclesiastical matters ; and likewise to

1593. ELIZABETH. 291
intercede for so much favour, that he might by her autho
rity, have liberty to go into Wales, his native country, to
preach the gospel. With this petition he came from
Scotland, resolving to finish and deliver it with his own
hand, as he should find opportunity; but upon his arrival
he was seized with his papers in Stepney parish, by the
information of the vicar, in the month of May, and ar
raigned, condemned, and executed hastily the very same
month. It appears by this petition, as well as by his letter sent
to the congregation of separatists in London, that Mr.
Penry was a Brownist. His book of observations was also
seized, out of which were drawn articles of accusation
against him. He was indicted upon the statute of 23
Eliz. chap. 2d. for seditious words and rumours uttered
against the Queen's most excellent majesty, tending to
the stirring up of rebellion among her subjects; and was
convicted of felony in the King's-bench, before the Lord
chief justice Popham. He received sentence of death May
25, and was executed on the 29th of the same month. It was
designed to indict him for the books published in his name ;
but by the advice of counsel, Mr. Penry drew up a paper,
entitled, Mr. Penry's declaration, That he is not in danger
of the law for the books published in his name. Here he
observes, that the statute was not intended against such as
wrote only against the hierarchy of the church ; for then
it must condemn many of the most learned protestants
both at home and abroad ; but relates to such as defame
her majesty's royal person : whereas he had always wrote
most dutifully of her person and government, having
never encouraged sedition, or insurrection against her
majesty, but the contrary : nor had he ever been at any
assembly or conventicle, where any, under or above the
number of twelve, were assembled with force of arms, or
otherwise, to alter any thing established by law : nor was
it his opinion that private persons should of their own
authority, attempt any such thing ; for he had always
wrote ana" spoke to the contrary. But however, if all this
had been true, he ought to have been accused within one
month of the crime, upon the oath of twp witnesses, and
T 2

292 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
nave been indicted within one year ; otherwise the statute
itself clears him in express wprds.
The court apprehending this declaration might occa
sion an argument at law, set aside his printed books, and
convicted him upon the petition and private observations
above-mentioned, which was still harder, as he represented
it himself in a letter to the lord treasurer, immediately.
after his condemnation, with which he inclosed a protes
tation, declaring that he wrote his observations in Scot
land; that they were the sum of certain objections made
by people in those parts against her majesty and her go
vernment, which he intended to examine, but had not so
much as looked into them for fourteen or fifteen months
past, that even in these writings so imperfect, unfinished,
and inclosed within his private study, he had shewn his
dutifulness to the Queen, nor had he ever a secret wan
dering thought of the least disloyalty to her majesty.
It was never known before this time, that a minister
and a scholar was condemned to death for private papers
found in his study ; nor do I remember more than once
since that time, in whose case it was given for law, that
scribere est agere, that to write has been construed an
overt-act ; but Penry must die right or wrong ; the arch
bishop was the first man who signed the warrant for his
execution, and after him Puckering and Popham. The
warrant was sent immediately to the sheriff, who the very
same day erected a gallows at St. T. Waterings; and
while the prisoner was at dinner, sent his officers to bid
him make ready, for he must die that afternoon ; accord
ingly he was hurried in a cart to the place of execution;
when he came thither the sheriff would not suffer him to
speak to the people, nor make any profession of his faith
towards God, or his loyalty to the Queen, but ordered
him to be turned off in a hurry.
The court being struck with this behaviour of the
Brownists, began to be ashamed of hanging men for,se-
dition against the state, who died with such strong pro
fessions of loyalty to the Queen and government, and
therefore could surfer only for the cause of religion. This
raised an odium against the bishops and the high com
missioners, who all men knew were at the bottom pf these

1593. ELIZABETH 293
proceedings. It is said the Queen herself was displeased
with them when she heard of the devotion and loyalty of
the sufferers. It was therefore resolved to proceed for the
future oir the late statute of the 31st Eliz. to retain the
Queen's subjects in their obedience; and instead of
putting the Brownists to death, to send them into banish
ment. Upon this statute Mr. Johnson pastor of the
Brownist church, was convicted, and all the goals were
cleared for the present; though the commissioners took
care within the compass of another year to fill them again.
The papists were distressed by this, and the statute of
23 Eliz. as much as the Brownists, though they met with
much more favour from the ecclesiastical courts ; the
Queen either loved or feared them, and would often say,
she would never ransack their consciences if they would
be quiet ; but they were always libelling her majesty, and in
continual plots against her government. While the Queen
of Scots was alive, they supported her pretensions to the
crown, and after her death they maintained in print the
title of the Infanta of Spain : They were concerned with
the Spaniards in the invasion of 1588, which obliged the
Queen to confine some of their chiefs in Wisbech Castle,
and other places of safety, but she was tender of their
lives. In the first eleven years of her reign, not one
Roman catholic was prosecuted capitally for religion ;
in the next ten years, when the pope had excommuni
cated the Queen and the whole kingdom, and there had
been dangerous rebellious in the north, there were only 12
priests executed, and most of them for matters against the
state. In the ten following years, when swarms of priests
and Jesuits came over from foreign seminaries, to invite
the catholics to join with the Spaniards, the laws were girt
closer upon them, fifty priests being executed, and fifty
five banished ; but as soon as the danger was over, the
laws were relaxed, and by reason of the ignorance and
laziness of the beneficed clergy, the missionaries gained
over such numbers of proselytes in the latter end of this
reign, as endangered the whole government and reforma
tion in the beginning of the next.
The last and finishing hand was put to the presbyterian
" T 3

294 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
discipline in Scotland this year. That kingdom had been
governed by different factions during the minority of King
James, which prevented a full settlement of religion. The
general assembly in 15.66 had approved of the Geneva
discipline, but the parliament did not confirm the votes of
the assembly,1 nor formally deprive the bishops of their
power, though all church affairs from that time were
managed by presbyteries and general assemblies. In the
year 1 574, they voted the bishops to be only pastors of
one parish; and to shew their power, they deposed the
Bp- of Dunkeld, and delated the Bp. of GlasgOw. In
the year 1577, they ordained that all bishops be called by
their own names ; and the next year voted the very name
of a bishop a grievance. In the year 1580, the general
assembly with one voice declared diocesan episcopacy to
be unscriptural and unlawful. The same year king James
with his family, and the whole nation, subscribed a con
fession of faith, with a solemn league and covenant an
nexed, obliging themselves tq maintain and defend the
protestant doctrine and the presbyterian government-
After this the bishops were restored by parliament to some
parts of their ancient dignity : and it was made treason
for any man to procure the innovation or diminution of
the power and authority of any of the three estates; but
when this act was proclaimed, the ministers protested
against it, as not having been agreed to by the Kirk. In
the year 1587, things took another turn, and his majesty
being at the full age of twenty-one, consented to an act
to take away bishops' lands and annex them to the crown.
In the year 1590 it was ordained by the general assembly,
that all that bore office in the kirk, or should hereafter
do so, should subscribe to the book of discipline, In the
year 1592, all acts of parliament whatsoever made by the
King's highness or any of his predecessors, in favour of
popery or episcopacy, were annulled ; and in particular,
the act of May 3.2, 1584, " For granting commissions to
bishops or other ecclesiastical judges, to receive presen
tations to benefices, and give collations thereupon.
This act, for the greater solemnity, was confirmed
again in, 1593, aiid again this present year, so that from
this time, to 1612, presbytery was undoubtedly the Ifga}

1594. ELIZABETH. 295
establishment of the kirk of Scotland, as it had been in
fact ever since the reformation. To return to England ;
several champions appeared about this time for the cause
of episcopacy, but the most celebrated performance, and
of geatest note, was Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, in
eight books : the four first of which were published this
year; the fifth in 1597, and the three last not till many
years after his death, for which reason some have sus
pected them to be interpolated, though they were depo
sited in the hands of archbishop Abbot, from whose copy
they were printed, about the beginning of the civil wars.
This is esteemed the most learned defence of the
church of England, wherein all that would be acquainted
with its constitution (says a learned prelate) may see upon
what foundation it is built. Hooker begun his work while
master of the Temple, but meeting with some trouble,
and many interruptions in that place, the archbishop at
his request, removed him to Boscum in the diocese of
Salisbury, and gave him a minor prebend in that church;
here he finished his four first books ; from thence he
was removed to the parsonage of Bishopsborn in Kent,
where he finished his work and his life in the 47th year
of his age.
The main pillars of Mr. Hooker's fabric, and the foun
dation of all human establishments, are these, that the
church, like other societies, is invested with power to make
laws for its well-being ; and that where the scripture is
silent, human authority may interpose. All men allow,
that human societies may form themselves after any
model, and make what laws they please for their well-
being ; and that tlie christian church has some things in
common with all societies as such, as the appointing time
and place, and the order of public worship, &c. but it
must be remembered, that the christian church is not a
meer voluntary society, but a community formed and
constituted by Christ the sole king and lawgiver of it, who
has made sufficient provision for its well-being to the end
of the world. It does not appear in the New Testament,
that the church is empowered to mend or alter the con
stitution of Christ, by creating new officers, or making
new laws, though the christian world has ventured upon

296 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIH.
it. Christ gave his church prophets, evangelists, pastors
and teachers, for the perfecting the saints, and edifying
his body; but the successors of the apostles in the go
vernment of the church apprehending these not sufficient,
have added patriarchs, cardinals, deans, archdeacons,
canons, and other officials, The church is represented
in scripture as a spiritual body ; her ordinances* privi
leges, and censures, being purely such; but later ages
have wrought the civil powers into her constitution, and
kept men within her pale, by all the terrors of this world,
as fines, imprisonments, banishments, fire and sword. It
is the peculiar excellence of the gospel worship to be
plain and simple, free from the yoke of Jewish ceremo
nies; but the antichristian powers thinking this a defect,
have loaded it with numberless ceremonies of their own
invention ; and though there are laws in scripture sufficient
for the direction of the church, as constitued by Christ
and his apostles, they have thought fit to add so many
volumes of ecclesiastical laws, canons, and injunctions,
as have confounded, if not subverted the laws of Christ.
Whereas if men considered the church as a spiritual
body, constituted by Christ its sole lawgiver for spiritual
purposes, they would then see that it had no concern with
their civil rights, properties and estates, nor any power to
force men to be of its communion, by the pains and pe
nalties of this world. The laws of the New Testament
would appear sufficient for the Well-being of such a society;
and in cases where there are no particular rules or injunc
tions, that it is the will of Christ and his apostles, there
should be liberty and mutual forbearance ; there would
then be no occasion for christian courts (as they are called)
nor for the interposition of human authority, any further
than to keep the peace. Upon the whole, as far as any
church is governed by the laws and precepts of the New
Testament so far is it a church of Christ; but when it
sets up its own by-laws as terms of communion, or works
the policy of the civil magistrate into its constitution, it
is so far a creature of the state.
Hooker's two last propositions are inconsistent with
the first principles of the reformation, viz, that all that are
born within the confines Of an established church, and are

1594. ELIZABETH. 297
baptized into it, are bound to submit to its ecclesiastical
laws, under such penalties as the church in her wisdom
shall direct. Must I then be of the religion of the coun
try where I am born? that is, at Rome a papist; in
Saxony a lutheran ; in Scotland a presbyterian ; and in
England a diocesan prelatist; and this under such penal
ties as the church in her wisdom shall think fit ? Must I
believe as the church believes, and submit to her laws
right or wrong ? Have I no right as a man and a christian,
to judge and act for myself, as long as I continue a loyal
and faithful subject to my prince ? Surely religious prin
ciples and church communion should be the effect of exa
mination and a deliberate choice, or they lose their name,
and degenerate into hypocrisy or atheism.
• From general principles, Hooker proceeds to vindicate
the particular rites and ceremonies of the church, and to
clear them from the exceptions of the puritans, which
may easily be done when he has proved, that the church
has a discretionary power to appoint what ceremonies, and
establish what order she thinks fit ; he may then vindicate
not only the ceremonies of the church of England, but
all those of Rome, for no doubt that church alledges all
her ceremonies conducive to her well-being, and not in
consistent with the laws of Christ.
This year died Dr. John Alymer, Bp. of London, whose
character has been sufficiently drawn in this history ; he
was born in Norfolk, educated in Cambridge, and in
Mary's reign an exile for religion ; he was such a little
man, that Fuller says, when the searchers were clearing
the ship in which he made his escape, the merchant put
him into a great wine butt that had a partition in the
middle, so that Aylmer sat enclosed in the hinder part,
while the searchers drank off the wine which they saw
drawn out of the head on the other part ; he was of an
active, busy spirit, quick in his language, and after his
advancement of a stout and imperious behaviour : in his
younger days he was inclined to puritanism, but when he
was made a bishop he became a resolute champion of the
hierarchy, and a bitter persecutor of his former friends.
In his latter days he was very covetous, and too lax in his
morals : he usually played at bowls on Sundays in the

298 IHSTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
afternoon-; and' used such language at his game, as justly
exposed his character to reproach,; but with all these
blemishes,- the . writer of his life, Mr. Strype, will have
him a learned, pious, and humble bishop. He died at
Fulham, in the 74th year of his age.
Aylmer was succeeded by Dr. Fletcher, Bp. of Wor
cester, who in his primary visitation gave out 27 articles
of enquiry to the church-wardens concerning their
preachers ; as, whether they prayed for the Queen as
supreme head over all persons and causes within her
dominions, ecclesiastical and temporal? Whether they
were learned, or frequented conventicles, or taught
innovations, or commended the new discipline, or spoke
in derogation of any part of the common prayer, or did
not administer the sacrament in their own persons at cer
tain times of the year? &c. By these, and such like
enquiries, the prisons which had been lately cleared,
were replenished ; for by an account sent to the Queen
from the ecclesiastical commissioners towards the close of
this year, it appears that in the different prisons there
were eighty-nine prisoners for religion ; some popish
recusants, and the rest protestant non-conformists ; of
whom twenty-four had been committed by the ecclesias
tical commission, and the rest by the council and the
bishops' courts. But his lordship's proceedings were
quickly interrupted, by his falling under her majesty's
displeasure a few months after his translation, for mar
rying a second wife, which the Queen looked upon as
indecent in an elderly clergyman ; for this she banished
him the court, and commanded the archbishop to suspend
him from his bishopric ; but after six months, her majesty
being a little pacified, ordered his suspension to be taken
off, though she would never admit him into her presence,
which had such an influence upon his great spirit, as was
thought to hasten his death, which happened the next
year, as he was sitting in his chair smoaking a pipe of
tobacco. The year following he was succeeded by Dr.
Bancroft, the great adversary of the puritans.
These violent proceedings of the bishops drove great
numbers of the Brownists into Holland, where their leaders,
Johnson, Smith* Ainsworth, Robinson, Jacob, and others

1595. ELIZABETH. 299
were gone beforehand, and with the leave of the states
were erecting churches after their own model in various
places. Their church at Amsterdam had like to have been
torn in pieces at first by intestine divisions, but afterwards
flourished under a succession of pastors for above a hun
dred years. Mr. Robinson pastor of the church at
Leyden, first struck out the congregational or independent
form of church government, and at length part of this
church transplanting themselves into America, laid the
foundation of the noble colony of New England, as will
be seen hereafter.
Hitherto the controversy between the church and
puritans had been chiefly about habits and ceremonies,
and church- discipline, but now it began to open upon
points of doctrine ; for this year Dr. Bound published his
treatise OF the sabbath, wherein he maintains the mo
rality of a seventh part of time for the worship of God ;
that christians are bound to rest on the Lord's day as
much as the Jews on the Mosaical sabbath, the command
ment of rest being moral and perpetual ; that therefore
it was not lawful to follow our studies or worldly business
on that day ; nor to use such recreations and pleasures as
were lawful on other days, as shooting, fencing, and bow-
Jing, &c. This book had a wonderful spread among the
people, and wrought a mighty reformation ; so that the
Lord's day, which used to be prophaned by interludes,
may-games, morrice-dances, and other sports and recrea
tions, began to be kept more precisely, especially in
corporations. All the puritans fell in with this doctrine,
and distinguished themselves by spending that part of
sacred time in public, family, and private acts of devotion,
which tlie governing clergy exclaimed against as a
restraint of christian liberty ; as putting an unequal lustre
on the Sunday, and tending to eclipse the authority of the
church in appointing other festivals. Mr. Rogers, author
of a commentary on tlie thirty-nine articles, writes in his
preface, That it was the comfort of his soul, and would be
to his dying day, that he had been the man, and the means,
tliat the Sabbatarian errors were brought to the light and
knowledge of the state. But I should have thought this
clergyman might have had as much comfort upon a dying

$00 HISTORY of THEPURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
bed, if he had spent his zeal in recommending the
religious observation of that sacred day. Bound might
carry his doctrine too high, if he advanced it to a level
with the Jewish rigors; but it was certainly unworthy the
character of divines to encourage men in shooting, fenc
ing, and other diversions on the Lord's day, which they are
forward enough to give way to, without the countenance
and example of their spiritual guides. Abp. Whitgift
called in all the copies of Bound's book, by his letters
and officers at synods and visitations,' and forbid it to be
reprinted ; and the Lord chief justice Popham did the
same; both of them declaring, that the sabbath doctrine
¦agreed neither with the doctrine of our church, nor with
the laws arid orders of this kingdom ; that it disturbed the
peace of the commonwealth and church, and tended to
"schism in the one, and sedition in the other ; but notwith
standing all this caution, the bbok was read privately
more than ever. The archbishop's head was no sooner
laid, than Bound prepared his book for the press a second
^time, and published it with large' additions, and such was
its reputation, that scarce any comment or catechism was
published, by the stricter divines for many years, in which
the morality of the sabbath was not strOngly recommended
and urged : but this controversy will return again in the
next reign.
All the protestant divines in the church, whether
puritans or others, seemed of one mind hitherto about
the doctrines of faith, but now there arose a party which
were first for softening, and then for overthrowing the
received opinions about predestination, perseverance,
free-will, effectual grace, and the extent of our Saviour's
redemption. The articles of the church of England were
thought by all men hitherto to favour the explication
of Calvin ; but these divines would make them stand
neuter, and leave a latitude for the subscriber to take
either side of the question. All the puritans to a man
maintained the articles of the church to be calvinistical,
and inconsistent with any other interpretation, and so did
far the greatest number of the conforming clergy ; but as
the new explications of Arminius grew into repute, the
ealvinists were reckoned old fashioned divines, and at

1595. ELIZABETH. 301
length branded with the character of doctrinal pu
ritans. The debate began in the university of Cambridge,
where Mr. Barret, in a sermon declared himself against
Calvin's doctrine about predestination and falling from
grace ; reflecting with some sharpness upon that great
divine, and advising his hearers not to read him. For
this he was summoned before the vice-chancellor and heads
of colleges, and obliged to retract in St. Mary's church,
according to a form prescribed by his superiors ; which he
read after a manner that shewed he did it only to save his
place in the university. This was so offensive to the scho
lars, that forty or fifty graduates of the several colleges
signed a petition, desiring some further course might be
taken with him, that the great names which he had re
proached, as P. Martyr, Calvin, Beza, Zanchius, &c.
might receive some reparation. Both parties appealed to
the archbishop, who blamed the university for their -too
hasty proceedings, and seemed to take part with Barret ;
but the heads of colleges in a second letter vindicated
their proceedings, desiring his grace not to encourage
such a bold, corrupt, and unlearned young fellow, and
insisted on the rights and prerogatives of the university.
At length Mr. Barret was sent for to Lambeth, and having
been examined before the archbishop and some other
divines, they agreed that he had maintained some errors,
and enjoined him in an humble manner to confess his
ignorance and mistake, and not to teach the like doctrines
for the future; but he chose rather to quit the university.
This Barret was a conceited youth, who did not treat his
superiors with decency : in one of his letters he calls the
grave and learned Mr. Perkins, a little contemptible
fellow : but at last he turned papist. The fire was no
sooner kindled, than it was observed that Barret and his
friends were countenanced by the high conformists and
Roman catholics, and that his adversaries took part with
the puritans, which. was like to produce a new division in
the church.
To put an end to these disputes, the heads of the
university sent Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Tyndal to Lambeth,
to consult with. the archbishop, and some other learned

302 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
divines upon these points ; who at length concluded upon
the following nine propositions, commonly called the
Lambeth articles, to which the scholars in the university
were strictly enjoined to conform their judgments. The
articles were as follow; 1. That God from eternity has:
predestinated some persons to life, and reprobated others
to death. 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestin
ation to life, is not foreseen faith or good works, or any
other commendable quality in the persons predestinated,
but the good will and pleasure of God. 3. The number of
the predestinate is fixed, and cannot be lessened or en^
creased. 4. They who are not predestinated to salvation,
shall be necessarily condemned for their sins. S. A true,
lively, and justifying faith, and the sanctifying influence
of the spirit, is not extinguished, nor does it fail, or go
off either finally or totally. 6. A justified person has a
full assurance and certainty of the remission of his sins,
and of his everlasting salvation by Christ. 7. Saving
grace is not communicated to all men ; neither have all'
men such a measure of divine assistance, that they may
be saved if they will. 8. No person can come to Christ
unless it be given him, and unless the Father draws him ;
and all men are not drawn by the Father that they may
come to Christ. 9. It is not in every one's will and power
to be saved.
. These high propositions were drawn up, and consented1
to by Abp. Whitgift, Dr. Fletcher, Bp. of London, Dr.
Vaughan, elect of Bangor, and some others : they were
sent to Dr. Hutton, Abp. of York, and Dr. Young of
Rochester, who subscribed them, only wishing that the
word necessarily in the fourth article, and those words in
the seventh article, if they will, might be omitted. The
archbishop in his letter which he sent to the university
with the articles, sajs they are to look upon them not as
new laws and decress, but only as an explication of certain
points which they apprehended to be true, and correspon
dent to the doctrine professed in the church of England,
and already established by the laws of the land. But
forasmuch as they had not the Queen's sanction, he de
sires they may not become a public act, but used
privately and with discretion. He adds, that her majesty

1595. ELIZABETH. 303
was fully persuaded of the truth of them', which is strange,
when she commanded Sir R. Cecil to signify to the arch
bishop, That she misliked much that any allowance had
been given by his grace and his brethren for any such
points to be disputed, &c.
The Queen's design was to stifle the controversy
in its birth; for if she was dissatisfied with the archbishop's
private determinations, she was downright angry with Dr.
Baro, a Frenchman, and one of the divinity professors at
Cambridge, for continuing the debate. She said, that
being an alien, and humanely harboured and infranchised
both himself and family, he ought to have carried him
self more quietly and peaceably. His case was this ; in a
sermon preached before the university, he asserted, 1.
That God created all men according to his own likeness
in Adam, and consequently to eternal life, from which he
rejects no man but on the account of his sins. 2. That
Christ died for all mankind, and was a propitiation for the
sins of the whole world, original and actual : the remedy
provided by him being as extensive as the ruin of the fall.
3. That the promises of eternal life made to us in Christ,
are to be generally and universally taken and understood,
being made as much to Judas as to Peter. For these pro
positions he was summoned before the vice-chancellor
and heads of colleges, who examined him by several
interrogatories, and commanded him peremptorily tq
abstain from those controversies in his lectures and ser
mons for the future. They acquainted Secretary Cecil by
letter with their proceedings, in the which they call his
doctrines popish, and say, that for fourteen or fifteen
years he has taught in his lectures, and preached in his
sermons, divers points of doctrine contrary to those which
have been taught and read ever since her majesty's reign,
and agreeable to the errors of popery, by which means
they fear the whole body of that religion will break in upon
them ; they therefore pray his lordship's assistance for the
suppressing' them.
On the other hand Baro wrote to the archbishop to keep
him in his place, promising obedience to his grace's com
mands, and to keep the peace of the university by dropping
the controversy in silence. He also wrote to Secretary

304 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
Cecil to put a stop to the proceedings of the vice-chanr
cellor, which he together with the archbishop accomplished ;
but the university not being satisfied with him, he was
obliged next year to quit his professorship and retire to
London, where he died two or three years after. The
divines of Oxford, and indeed all the first reformers,
were in the same sentiments with those of Cambridge
about the disputed points ; Calvin's institutions being read
publicly in the schools by appointment of the convocation*
though perhaps they might not go the full length of the
Lambeth articles, nor express themselves with the
straightness of those who lived afterwards, when those
doctrines had been publicly opposed by Arminius and his
followers. The article of our Saviour's local descent into hell,
began to be questioned at this time. It had been the
received doctrine of the church of England, that the soul
of Christ being separated from his body, descended locally
into hell, that he might there triumph over satan, as before
he had over death and sin. But the learned Hugh
Broughton, the rabbi of his age, whom King James
would have courted into Scotland, convinced the world
that the word hades, used by the greek fathers for the
place into which Christ went after his crucifixion, did not
mean hell, or the place of the damned, but only the state
of the dead, or the invisible world. It was further debated,
whether Christ underwent in his soul the wrath of God,
and the pains of hejl, and finished all his sufferings upon
the cross before he died. This was Calvin's sentiment,
and with him agreed the puritan divines, who preached
it in their sermons, and inserted it in their catechisms.
On the other hand, Bp. Bilson in his sermons at Paul's
Cross maintained, that no text of scripture asserted the
death of Christ's soul, or the pains of the damned to be
requisite in the person of Christ before he could be our
ransomer, and the Saviour of the world. But still he
maintained the local descent of Christ into hell ; and that
by the course of the creed the article must refer npt to
Christ living upon the cross, but to Christ dead ; and that
he went thither notto suffer, but to wrest the keys of hell
and death out of the hands of the devil. When these ser r

1596. ELIZABETH. 305
mons were printed, they were presently answered by
Mr. Jacob, a learned Brownist. Bilson, by the Queen's
command, defended his sermons, in a treatise entitled, a
survey of Christ's sufferings. The controversy was warmly
debated in both universities ; but when the learned com
batants had spent their artillery it dropt in silence,
without any determination from authority, thongh it was
one of the articles usually objected to the puritans,
for which they were suspended their ministry.
Among other reproaches cast upon their clergy, one
was, that they deluded the people by claiming a power to
exercise the devil. One would think here was a plot of
some cunning, designing men, to conjure the people into
the belief of the discipline ; but all vanishes in the pecu
liar principles of a weak and honest man, whose name
was Darrel, and minister of Nottingham. This divine was
of opinion, that by the power of prayer the devil might
be cast out of persons possessed; and having tried the
experiment upon one Darlin, a boy of about fourteen
years old with supposed success, and upon some others,
he was importuned by one of the ministers, and several
inhabitants of the town of Nottingham, to visit one W.
Somers, a boy that had such convulsive agonies, as were
thought to be preternatural, insomuch that when Darrel
had seen them, he concluded with the rest of the spec
tators that he was possessed, and advised his friends to
desire the help of godly and learned ministers to en
deavour his recovery, but excused himself from being
concerned, lest if the devil should be dispossessed, the
common people should attribute to him some special gift of
casting out devils ; but upon a second request from the
mayor of Nottingham, he agreed with Mr. Aldridge and
two other ministers, with about one hundred and fifty
neighbouring christians, to set apart a day for fasting and
prayer, to entreat the Lord to cast out Satan, and deliver
the young man from his torments ; and after some time
the Lord they say was entreated, and they blessed God
for the same. A few days after, the mayor and some of
the aldermen began to suspect that Somers was a cheat,
and to make him confess, they took him from his parents
Vol. i. u

306 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
and committed him to the custody of two men, who with
threatnings prevailed with him to acknowledge, that he
had dissembled and counterfeited all he did. Upon this
he was carried before the commission, where at first he
owned himself a counterfeit, and then presently denied
it. again ; but being thoroughly frighted, he fell into fits
before the commissioners, which put an end to his exa
mination for the present. After some time, being still in
custody, he returned to his confessing, and charged Darrel
with training him up in the art for four years. Upon ,
this Darrel was summoned before the commissioners,
and brought witnesses with him to prove, that Somers had
declared in a very solemn manner that he had not dissem
bled; upon which he was dismissed* and the commission
dissolved; but the affair making a great noise in the
country, Darrel was sent for to Lambeth, and after a long -
hearing before the archbishop, and others of the high
commission, he was deposed from his ministry, and com-i
mitted close prisoner to the Gaterhouse, for-being acces
sary to a vile imposture, where he continued many years;
While Darrel was in the prison, he wrote an apologyj to
shew that people in these latter days may be possessed:
with devils ; and that by prayer and fasting theiuncfean
spirit may be cast out; In the end- of which he makes
this protestation ; "If I have confederated more qr less
with, Somers, Darling* or any of the rest; if ever I set.
eye on them before they were possessed, then let me not
onjy he made a laughing-stock, and a ,by-wqrd to all men,
but rase my name also out of the book of life, and let me:
have my portion with hypocrites."
It has been observed, that the bishops had now wisely
transferred the, prosecution of the^ puritans . from them*-
selves to the temporal courts, so that- instead, of being
summoned before thehigh commission, they were indicted
at theassizes, and tried at common law ; this being thought
more adviseable, to take off the odium from the church;
Judge Anderson discovered his zeal against them this
summer in an extraordinary manner, for in his charge to
the jury at Lincoln he told them, that the country was
infested with Brownists, with disciplinaries and erectors
of presbyteries ; which he spoke with so much wrath,

1597w ELIZABETH. 307
with so many oaths, and such reviling language, as of
fended the gentlemen upon the bench. He called the
preachers knaves, saying, that they would start up into
the pulpit and speak against every body. He was for ex
tending the statute of recusancy to such who went at any
time to hear sermons from their own parish churches,
though they usually attended in their places, and heard
divine sendee dutifully. When Lord Clinton and the
deputy lieutenants, and justices of those parts* obtained
the bishop's allowance for a day of fasting and prayer at
Lowth, upon an extraordinary occasion, his Lordship
urged the jury to find a bill against them, upon the sta
tute of conventicles.
Mr. Allen minister of that parish, being indiGted by
means of a revengeful justice of peace, for not reading
all the prayers at once, was obliged to hold up his hand at
the bar, when Judge Anderson standing up, spoke to him
with a fierce countenance ; and having insinuated some
grievous faults against the man, called him oftentimes,
knave, rebellious knave, with more such opprobrious lan
guage, though it was known all over the country that
Mr. Allen was a good preacher ; that he had subscribed ;
was esteemed by the bishop ; was conformable in his affec
tions ; and behaved upon this occasion with all humility
and submission. But his lordship had said in his charge,
that he would hunt all the puritans out of his circuit.
One thing was remarkable in Mr. Allen's arraignment,
that when upon some point wherein judgment in divinity
was required, Mr. Allen referred himself to the bishop
(bis ordinary then sitting upon the bench), the judge
took him up with marvellous indignation, and said, he was
both his ordinary and bishop in that place.
Thus the puritan clergy were put upon a level with
rogues and felons, and made to hold up their hands at
the bar among the vilest criminals; there was hardly an
assize in any county in England, but one or more mi
nisters, through the resentments of some of their parish
ioners, appeared in this condition, to the disgrace of their
order, and the loss of their reputation and usefulness;
besides being exposed to the insults of the rude multitude,
U2

•308 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
Archbishop Whitgift was busy this summer about elec
tions for the ensuing parliament. Strype says, his grace
took what care he could to prevent such as were disaf
fected to the constitution of the church, that is, all pu
ritans, from coming into the house ; but some thought it
a little out of character for an archbishop to appear so
publicly in the choice of the people's representatives. The
house being thus modelled, did not meddle with the foun
dations of discipline, or form of public worship * but
several bills were brought in to regulate abuses in spiritual
courts. These and all other bills of this nature, were
according to custom quashed by a message from the
Queen, forbidding them to touch her prerogative; and
assuring them, that she would take the grievances com
plained of into her princely consideration. Accordingly
her majesty referred these matters to the convocation; it
being her steady maxim, not to proceed in affairs of the
church by statutes, which the parliament alone could
repeal, but rather by canons, which she could confirm or
dispense with at pleasure. The convocation drew up some
regulations relating to ecclesiastical courts, which the
Queen confirmed by her letters patent.
But still the ecclesiastical courts were an insufferable
grievance : the oppressions which people underwent from
the bottomless deep of the canon law, put them upon
removing their causes into Westminster-hall, by getting
prohibitions to stay proceedings in the bishops' courts, or
in the high commission. This awakened the archbishop,
who in order to support the civilians, drew up certain
queries to be considered by the lords and judges of the
land touching prohibitions.
The archbishop caused a list to be made of divers
cases, wherein the christian court, as he called it, had
been interrupted by the temporal jurisdiction ; and of
many causes that had been taken out of the hands of
the bishops' courts, the high commission, and the court of
delegates; the former authorised by immediate commis
sion from the Queen, and the latter by a special commis
sion upon an appeal to her court of Chancery. But not
withstanding all these efforts of Whitgift and his suc
cessor Bancroft, the number of prohibitions increased

1598. ELIZABETH. 309
every year; the nobility, gentry, and judges, being too
wise to subject their estates and liberties to a number
of artful civilians, versed in laws of most uncertain
authority, and strangers to the common and statute
law, without the check of prohibition ; when it was no
torious, that the canon law had been always since the
reformation controuled by the laws and statutes of the
realm. Thus the civilians sunk in their business under
the two next archbishops, till Laud governed the church,
who terrifying the judges from granting prohibitions, the
Spiritual courts, Star-chamber, Council table, and high
commissioners rode triumphant, fining, imprisoning, and
banishing men at their pleasure, till they became as
terrible as the Spanish inquisition, and brought upon the
nation all the confusions and desolations of a civil war.
From this time to the Queen's death, there was a kind
of cessation of arms between the church and puritans ;
the combatants were out of breath, or willing to wait for
better times. Some apprehended that the puritans were
vanquished, and their numbers lessened by the severe
execution of the penal laws ; whereas it will appear by
a survev in the beginning of the next reign, that the non
conforming clergy were about fifteen hundred. But the
reason was this, the Queen was advanced in years, and
could not live long in a course of nature, and the next
heir to the crown being a presbyterian, the bishops were
cautious of acting against a party for whom his majesty
had declared, not knowing what revenge he might take,
when he was fixed ori the throne ; and the puritans were
quiet in hope of the expected change.
Notwithstanding all former repulses from court, the
Queen's last parliament renewed their attacks upon the
ecclesiastical courts ; a bill being brought in to examine
into bishops' leases, and to disable them from taking fines,
another against pluralities and non-residents, and another
against commissaries and archdeacons' courts. Multitudes
of complaints came to the house against the proceedings
of the ordinaries ex mero officio, without due present
ments preceding, and against the frequent keeping their,
courts, so that the church-wardens were sometimes cited
u 3

310 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
to two or three spiritual courts at once ; complaint was
made of their charging the country with quarterly bills %
of the great number of apparitors, afid petty summoners,
who seized upon people for trifling offences; Of the
admission of curates by officials and commissaries,
without the bishops' knowledge, and without testimonials
of their conversation ;-- of scandalous commutations of
penance, and divers abuses of the like kind ;' but the
Queen would not suffer the house to debate them, refer
ring them to the archbishop, who wrote to his brethren
the bishops* to endeavour as much as possible to reforrii
the above-mentioned grievances, which says he, have
produced multitudes of complaints in parliament ; and
hdd they not been prevented by great circumspection^
and promise of careful reformation, there might perhaps,
have ensued the taking away of the whole* ; or most of
those courts.- -' ••'-• -
There was another bill brought into the house, to pun
ish voluntary absence frorii 'the church ; the forfeiture was
to be twelve pence each Sunday, to be levied by distress;
by a warrant from a justice of peace; but the- bill was
opposed, -be'cause there was" a severe law already against
recusants, of twenty pounds per month ; and because,
if this bill should pass, a justice of peace's bouse would
like a- quarter sessions ; be crowded wifh a multitude of
informers: It was likewise against magna charta, which
entitles every man to be tried by his peers, whereas by
this aCt, two witnesses before a justice of peace were
sufficient. The bill however was engrossed, and 'being
put to the question, it was lost. -. ' ' ...-.-,
This year died the learned William Perkins, born at
Marston in Warwickshire, and educated in Christ's Coll.
Cam. of which he was fellow: He was one Of the
most famous practical writers and preachers of his age ; and
being a strict Calvinist, he published several treatises in
favour of those doctrines, which involved him in a contro
versy with Arminius then professor of divinity at Leyden,
that continued to his death. He was a Puritan non-coii-
formist, and a favourer of the discipline, for which
he was once or twice before the high commission;
but his peaceable behaviour, and great fame in the learned

1602. ELIZABETH. 311
world, procured him a dispensation from the persecu
tions of his brethren. His works which were printed in
three vols. fol. shew him to have been a most pious,
holy, and industrious divine, considering he lived only
forty-four years.
To sum up the state of religion throughout this long
feign. It is evident that the parliament, the people, and
great numbers of the inferior clergy, were for carrying,
the reformation further than the present establishment;
The first bishops came into it with this view; they declared
against the popish habits and ceremonies, and promised
to use all their interest with the Queen for their removal ;
but how soon they forgot themselves, the foregoing
history has fully discovered. Most of the reformers were
of erastian principles, looking upon the church as a mere
creature of the state. They gave up every thing to the
crown, and yielded to the supreme magistrate the absolute
direction of the consciences, or at least of the religious
profession of all his subjects. They acknowledged only
two orders of clergy of divine institution, viz. bishops or
priests, and deacons. They admitted the ordinations of
foreign churches by mere presbyters, till towards the
middle of this reign, when their validity began to be dis-1
puted and denied. Whitgift was the first who defended
the hierarchy, from the practice of the third, fourth and-
fifth centuries, when the Roman empire became christian ;
but Bancroft divided the bishops from the priesthood, and
advanced them into a superior order by divine right, With
tlie sole power of ordination, and the keys of discipline ;
so that from his time there were reckoned three orders
of clergy in the English hierarchy, viz. bishops, priests,
and-deacons. Thus the church advanced in her claims,
and', removed by degrees to a greater distance from the
foreign, protestants.
. The controversy with the puritans had only- a small
beginning, viz. the imposing of the popish habits and a
few indifferent ceremonies ; but it opened by degrees.
into a reformation of discipline, which all confessed was
wanting; and at last the doctrinal articles were debated.
The Queen and the latter bishops would not part with a
pin out of the hierarchy, nor leave a latitude in the most

312 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
trifling ceremonies, but insisted upon an exact uniformity
both in doctrine and ceremonies, that all might unite in
the public standard. The- Puritans in their Writings and
conferences, attempted to shew the defects of the establish
ment from scripture, and from the earliest ages of the
church ; and what they suffered for it has been in part
related ; the suspensions and deprivations of this long
reign amounting to several thousands ; but when it appear
ed that nothing was to be abated, and that penal laws
were multiplied and rigorously executed, they endeavour
ed to erect a sort of voluntary discipline within the church,
for the ease and satisfaction Of -their own consciences
being unwilling to separate ; till at length the violence
of persecution drove some of them into the extremes of
Brownism, which divided the puritans, and gave rise to a
new controversy, concerning the necessity of a separa-:
tion from the established church, of which we shall heat
more hereafter; but under all their hardships their
loyalty to the Queen was untainted, and their behaviour
peaceable ; they addressed the Queen and parliament, and
bishops for relief, at sundry times; and remonstrated
against the arbitrary proceedings of the spiritual courts,
making use of no other weapons but prayers and
tears, attended with scripture and argument.
The chief principles of the Puritans have been
already related. They were no enemies to the name or
function of a bishop, provided he was no more than a
stated president of the college of presbyters in his diocese,
and managed the affairs of it with their concurrence and
assistance. They did not object against prescribed forms
of prayer, provided a latitude was indulged the minister
to alter or vary some expressions ; and to make use of a
prayer of his own conception before and after sermon.
Nor had they an aversion to any decent and distinct
habits for the clergy that were not derived from popery,
But upon the whole, they were the most resolved protes
tants in the nation, zealous Calvinists, and warm and affec
tionate preachers.
It is not pretended that the Puritans were without
their failings; no, they were men of like passions and
infirmities with their adversaries; and while they endea,-

1602. ELIZABETH. 313
voured to avoid one extreme, they might fall into another;
their zeal for their platform of discipline, would I fear,
have betrayed them into the imposition of it upon others,
if it had been established by law. Their notions of the
civil and religious rights of mankind were narrow and
confused, and derived too much from the theocracy
of the Jews, which was now at an end. Their behaviour
was severe and rigid, far removed from the fashionable
freedoms and vices of the age, and possibly they might
be too censorious, in not making those distinctions between
youth and age, grandeur and mere decency, as the nature
and circumstances of things would admit ; but with all
their faults, they were the most pious and devout people
in the land ; men of prayer, both in secret and public,
as well as in their families; their manner of devotion
was fervent and solemn, depending on the assistance of
the divine spirit, not only to teach them how to pray, but
what to pray for as they ought. They had a profound
reverence for the holy name of God, and were great
enemies not only to prophane swearing, but to foolish
talking and jesting; they were stricts observers of the
christian sabbath or Lord's day, spending the whole of
it in acts of public and private devotion and charity. It
was the distinguishing mark of a puritan in these times
to see him going to church twice a day with his
bible under his arm. And while others were at plays
and interludes, at revels, or walking in the fields, or at
the diversions of bowling, fencing, &c. on the evening
of the sabbath, these with their families were employed
in reading the scriptures, singing psalms, catechising
their children, repeating sermons and prayer. Nor was
this only the work of the Lord's day, but they had their
hours of family devotion on the week days, esteeming
it their duty to take care of the souls as well as bodies
of their servants. They were circumspect as to all the
excesses of eating, drinking, apparel, and lawful diver
sions, being frugal in house-keeping, industrious in their
particular callings, honest and exact in their dealings,
and solicitous to give to every one his own. These were
the people who were branded with the name of precisians,
PURITANS, SCHISMATICS, ENEMIES TO GoD AND THEIR

314 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
country, and throughout the course of this reign under
went Cruel mockings, bonds and imprisonment.
Practical religion was all this reign at a very low ebb ;
the greatest part of the clergy being barely capable of
reading prayers and a homily. In the remoter countries
and villages the people were either papists, or np better
than heathens. If any among the clergy or laity were
remarkably pious, strict observers of the sabbath, and
declared enernies of prpphaneness, and popery, says Mr.
Osburn, they were either real puritans, orjaranded with
that invidious name; and great numbers of the inferior
clergy and people in cities and corporations,, were of this
number. The conforming r clergy lost ground? and the.
Order of bishops, by spending, their zeal more about the
external forms of worship, than in painful preaching
and. encouraging practical religion, grew into, contempt ;-,
popery gained ground in the country, by the diligence of
the missionaries, and the ignorance and laziness of the
established clergy ; whilst puritantism prevailed in cities
and corporations: So that as Parker observed, the Queen.
was the only friend of .the church; and supported it by
a vigorous execution of the penal laws, and by, resolving
to admit of no motion for reformation, but what should
arise from herself. . ¦, •
Thus things continued tq the Queen's death: ..her;
majesty was grown old and infirm, and under a visible.
decay of natural spirits* some say for the loss of the Earl.
qf Essex, whom she had lately beheaded; but others,,
from a just indignation tq see herself neglected by thosje,
who were too ready to w°rship the rising sun. This,
threw her into a melancholy, attended with a drowsiness,,
and heaviness in her" limbs; which was followed' with a,
loss of appetite, and all the marks of an approaching;
dissolution:' Upon this she retired, to Richmond; and,
having caused her inauguration ring, which was grown
into the flesh, and become painful, to be filed off, she
languished till the 24th of March, and then died,, in the
70th year of her age, and 45th of her reign.
Elizabeth was a great and successful princess at home,
and the support of the protestant interest abroad* while-
it was in its infancy; for without her assistance, neither

1602. ELIZABETH. 315
the Hugonots in France, nor the Dutch reformers, could
have stood their ground : she assisted the protestants of
Scotland against their popish Queen, and the Princes of
Germany against the Emperor ; whilst at the same time
she demanded an absolute submission from her own sub
jects; and would not tolerate that religion at home, which
she countenanced and supported abroad. As to her own
religion, she affected a middle way between popery and
puritanism, but her majesty was more inclinable to the
former ; disliking the secular pretensions of the court
of Rome over foreign states, though she was in love with
the pomp and splendour of their worship : On the other
hand, she approved of the doctrines of the foreign re
formed churches, but thought they had stripped religion
too much of its ornaments, and made it look with an
unfriendly aspect upon the sovereign power of princes.
She understood not the rights of conscience in matters of
religion ; and is therefore justly chargeable with perse
cuting principles. More sanguinary laws were made in
her reign, than in any of her predecessors: her hands
were stained with the blood of papists and puritans ; the
former were executed for denying her supremacy, and
the latter for sedition or non-conformity. Her greatest
admirers blame her for plundering the church of its re
venues, and for keeping several sees vacant many years
together for the sake of their profits. The Queen was
devout at prayers, yet seldom or never heard sermons
except in Lent ; and would often say, that two or three
preachers in a county were sufficient. She had high
notions of the sovereign authority of princes, and of her
own absolute supremacy in church affairs: And being of
opinion that methods of severity were lawful to bring her
subjects to a outward uniformity, she countenanced all
the engines of persecution, and stretched her prero
gative to support them beyond the laws, and against the
sense of the nation. However notwithstanding all these
blemishes, Queen Elizabeth stands upon record as a
wise and politic princess, for delivering the kingdom from
the difficulties in which it was involved at her accession ;
for preserving the protestant reformation against the potent
attempts of the Pope, the Emperor, and King of Spain

316 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
abroad, and the Queen of Scots and her popish subjects
at home ; and for advancing the renown of the English
nation beyond any of her predecessors. Her majesty
held the balance qf Europe, and was in high esteem
with all foreign princes, the greatest part of her reign ;
and though her protestant subjects were divided about
church affairs, they all discovered a high veneration for
her royal person and government; on which accounts she
was the glory of the age in which she lived, and will be the
admiration of posterity.

PART IL— CHAP. I.

ELIZABETH.
The House of the Stuarts. — Behaviour of King James in
Scotland. — Expectations of Puritans and Papists. —
Millenary Petitions. — Conference at Hampton Court. —
Remarks. — Proclamation to enforce Conformity. — Mr,
Cartwright's death. — Death of Abp. Whitgift.— Pro
clamation against Jesuits and Puritans. — The King's
Arbitrary Government. — Proceedings of Parliament
and Convocation. — Abstract of the Book of Canons. —
Persecution qf the Puritans. — Retire to Holland. — The
persecuted Brownists. — Lawfulness of separation from
the Church of England. — Gun Powder Plot. — Oath of
Allegiance. — Puritans unwilling to separate from the
Church..— Guernsey and Jersey reduced to Conformity. —
Death and Character of Armenius. — Proceedings of
Parliament in favour of Puritans. — Affairs of Scotland.
Abp. Bancroft's Death and Character.
fT^HE royal house of the Stuarts has not been more
¦*¦ calamitous to the English church and nation, in the
male descendants, than successful and glorious in the
female : the four Kings of this line while in power, were
declared enemies of our civil constitution ; they governed
without law, levied taxes by the prerogative, and endea
voured to put an end to the very being of parliaments.
With regard to religion ; the two first were neither sound
protestants nor good catholics, but were for reconciling the
two religions, and meeting the papists half way ; but the
two last went over entirely to the church of Rome, and died
professedly in her communion. The female branches of

318 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. T. II. CH. 1.
this family being married among foreign protestants, were
of a different stamp, being more enclined to puritanism
than popery; one of them, Mary, eldest daughter of
Charles I. was mother of WILLIAM III. the glorious
deliverer of these kingdoms from popery and slavery ; and
another, Elizabeth daughter of James I. was grandmother
of George I. in whom the protestant succession took
place, and whose numerous descendants in the person and
off-spring of George II. are the defence and glory of th e
whole protestant interest in Europe.
James was thirty-six years of age when he came to
the English throne, having reigned in Scotland from his
infancy^ In 1589, he married the Princess Anne, sis
ter to the King of Derimark, by whom he had three
children living at this time, Henry, Prince of Wales, who
died before he was* nineteen years of age. Elizabeth
married to the Elector Palatine, ahd Charles, who suc
ceeded his father in his kingdoms. His majesty's be
haviour in Scotland raised the expectations and hopes
of all parties; the puriians relied upon his education;
upon his subscribing' the solemn league" and covenant;
and upon various solemn repeated declaratipns ; in par
ticular, one made in the general assembly at Edin
burgh, 1590, when standing with his bonnet off, and
his hands lifted up to heaven, " he praised God that
he was born in the time of the light of the gospel,
arid in such a place, as to be Kmg of such a church,
the purest kirk in the world. The church of Geneva,
says he, keep Easter' and Christmas, what have they for
them? They have no institution. As for our neigh
bour kirk of England, their service is an evil ; they say
mass in English ; they want nothing of the mass but
the liftings. I charge you, my good ministers, doctors,
elders, nobles, gentlemen, arid barons, to stand to your,
purity, and to exhort' the people to do the same ; and
"I" forsooth, as long as I brook my life, shall maintain
the same." And upon his leaving Scotland, to take
pbssession of the crown of England, he gave public
thanks to God in the kirk of Edinburgh, " Thatlhe^
Ii'adi left both kirk arid kingdorii in that state which he
intended" not to alter any ways," his subjects living -in,

1603. ELIZABETH. 319
peace." But that all this was Kingcraft, or else his
majesty changed his principles with the climate. The
Scots ministers did not approach him with the distant
submission and reverence of the English bishops, and
therefore within nine months after he ascended the
throne of England, he renounced presbytery, and estab
lished it for a maxim, " no bishop no king." So soon
did this pious monarch renounce his principles, if he
had any, and break through the most solemn vows
and obligations ! When the long parliament addressed
Charles I. to set up presbytery in the room of epis
copacy, his majesty objected his coronation oath, in
which he had sworn to maintain the clergy ill their
rights and privileges ; but James had no scruples of
conscience ; for without so much as asking the consent
of parliament, general assembly, or people, he entered
upon the' most effectual measures to subvert that kirk
discipline, which with hands lifted up to heaven, he had'
sworn to maintain at his coronation, and had after
wards solemnly subscribed with his Queert and family.
The papists put the king in remembrance, that he
was born of Roman catholic parents, and had been
baptized according to the rites and ceremonies of the
church of Rome ; that his mother, of whom he usually '
spoke with reverence, was a martyr for that church; and'
that he himself; upon sundry occasions, had expressed
no dislike to her doctrines, though he disallowed of
the usurpations of the court of Rome over foreign prin
ces ; that he had called the church of Rome, his mo
ther church ; and therefore they presumed to welcome
his majesty into England with a petition for an open
toleration. But .the bishops of the church of England made the
earliest application for his majesty's protection and fa
vour. As soon as the Queen was dead, Abpi Whitgift
sent the Dean of Canterbury, express into Scotland, in
the name of all the bishops and clergy of England, to-
give his majesty assurance of their unfeigned duty and
loyalty ; to kriow what commands he had for them with
respect to the ecclesiastical courts, and to recommend
the church of England, to his countenance and favour.

320 illSTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. 11, CH. J.
The King replied, that he would uphold the govern
ment of the church- as the Queen left it; which com
forted the timorous arChbishop, who had sometimes
spoken with great uneasiness of the Scotch mist.
. Upon his majesty's arrival all parties addressed him,
and among others the Dutch and French churches, and
the JEnglish puritans ; to the former his majesty pro
mised favour and protection ; but the latter, whatever
they had reason to expect, met with very different usage.
Notwithstanding all the precautions that were taken to
secure the elections of members for the next parliament;
the archbishop wished he might not live to see it, for fear
of some alterations in the church ; -for the puritans were
preparing petitions, and printing pamphlets in their own
vindication, though by the archbishop's vigilance, not a
petition or pamphlet escaped without a speedy and effec
tual answer.
While the King was in his progress to London, the
puritans presented their millenary petition, so called,
because it was said to be subscribed by a thousand hands,
though there were not more than eight hundred out of
twenty-five counties. It is entitled, the humble petition
of the ministers of the church of England, desiring
reformation of certain ceremonies and abuses of the
church. The King was presented with sundry other
petitions of the like nature, from most of the counties he
passed through ; but the heads of the two universities
having taken offence at the millenary petition, for de
mising away the impropriations annexed to bishoprics and
colleges*, expressed their resentment in different ways :
those of Cambridge passed a decree, — " That whosoever
in the university should openly oppose by word or writing,
or any other way, the doctrine or discipline of the church
of England established by law, or any part thereof, should
be suspended from any degree already taken, and be dis
abled from taking any degree for the future." — About the
same time the university of Oxford published an answer
to the ministers' petition, which abundantly displays the
high' spirit of the university ; it reproaches the ministers
iu very severe. language for subscribing, and then com
plainings it reflects upon them as factious men, for

1603. ELIZABETH. 321
affecting a parity in the church, and then falls severely on
the Scots reformation, which his majesty had so publicly
commended before he left that kingdom. It throws a.n
odium upon the petitioners, as being for a limited monar
chy, and for subjecting the titles of Kings to the appro
bation of the people. It then goes on to vindicate all the
grievances complained of, and with beseeching his majesty
not to suffer the peace of the state to be disturbed, by
allowing these men to disturb its polity. They then com
mend the present church government as the great support
of the crown, and calculated to promote unlimited subjec
tion ; and aver, — " That there are at this day more learned
men in this land, in this one kingdom, than are to be found
among all the ministers of religion in France, Flanders,
Germany, Poland, Denmark, Geneva, Scotland, or all
Europe besides." — Such a vain-glorious piece of self-
applause is hardly to be met with. They must have a mean
opinion of the King's acquaintance with the learned world,
to use him in this manner, at a time when though there were
some very considerable divines among ourselves, there
were as many learned men in the foreign universities, as
had been known since the reformation, whose works have
transmittedtheir great names down to posterity.
And that the divines of Cambridge might not come
behind their brethren of Oxford, the heads of that uni
versity wrote a letter of thanks to the Oxonians, for their
answer to the petition, in which — " They applaud and
commend their weighty arguments, and threaten to battle
the puritans with numbers; forif Saul has his thousands,
say they, David has his ten thousands." A mean and pitiful
triumph over honest and virtuous men, who aimed at
nothing more than to bring the discipline of the church
a little nearer the standard of scripture ! But that his
majesty might part with his old friends with some decency,
and seem to answer the request of the petitioners, he
agreed to have a conference with the two parties at
Hampton Court, for which purpose he published a pro
clamation, for their hearing and determining things
pretended to be amiss in the church. In this proclamation
he declares his determination to preserve the ecclesiastical
VOL. I. x

322 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH. I.
state in such form as he found it established by the law,
only to reform such abuses as he should find apparently
proved. The archbishop and his brethren had been indefatigable
in possessing the king with the excellency of the English
hierarchy, as coming near the practice of the primitive
church, and best suited to a monarchical government ;
they represented the puritans as turbulent and factious,
inconsiderable in number, and aiming at confusion both
in church and state ; and yet after all, the old archbishop
was doubtful of the event. The place of conference Was
the drawing room, within the privy chamber at Hampton
Court ; the disputants on both sides were nominated by
the King. For the church, there were nine bishops, and
about as many dignitaries* viz. Whitgift, Abp. of Can
terbury, Bancroft, Bp. of London, Matthew, Bp. of
Durham, Bilson, Bp. of Winchester, Babington, Bp. of
Worcester, Rudd, Bp. of St. David's, Watson, Bp. of
Chichester, Robinson, Bp. of Carlisle, and Dove, Bp. of
Peterborough. .. Andrews, Dean of the chapel, Overal,
Dean of St. Paul's, Barlow, Dean of Chester, Bridges,
Dean of Salisbury, Field, Dean of Gloucester, King, Arch
deacon of Nottingham ; besides the Deans of Worcester
and- Windsor.
For the puritans were only four ministers, Dr. J. Ray-
nolds, Dr. T. Sparks, professors of divinity in Oxfqrd,
Mr. Chadderton and Mr, Knewstubs of Cambridge. The
divines for the church appeared in the habits of their
respective distinctions; but those for the puritans in fur
gowns, like the Turkey merchants, or the professors in
foreign universities. When the King conferred with the
bishops he behaved with softness, and a great regard to
their character ; but when the puritan ministers stood
before him, instead of being moderator, he took upon
him the place of respondent, and bore them down with his
majestic frowns and threatenings, in the midst of a
numerous croud of courtiers, all the Lords of the council
being present-; while the bishops stood by and were little
more than spectators of the triumph. The conference
continued three days, the first was with the bishops and
deans alone, the puritan ministers not being present ;

1603. ELIZABETH. 323
when the King made a speech in commendation of the
hierarchy of the church of England, and congratulated
himself, that — " He was now come into the promised land ;
that he sat among grave and reverend men, and was not
a King, as formerly, without state ; nor in a place where
beardless boys would brave him to his face, &c.
In the common prayer book his majesty had some
scruples about the confirmation of children, as if it im
ported a confirmation of baptism. But the archbishop on
his knees replied, that the church did not hold baptism
perfect without confirmation. Bancroft said it was of
apostolical institution, Heb. vi. 2. where it is called, the
doctrine of the laying on of hands. But" to satisfy the
King, it was agreed that the words examination of
children should be added to confirmation. His majesty
excepted to the absolution of the church, as too nearly
resembling the pope's pardon. But the archbishop is
said to clear it up to the King's satisfaction, only to the
rubric of the general absolution these words were to be
added for explanation sake, remission of sins. He further
objected to private baptism, and baptism by women. It
had been customary till this time for bishops to licence
midwives to their office, and to allow their right to baptize
in cases of necessity, under an oath.
But notwithstanding the oath, Whitgift assured the
King, that baptism by women and lay-persons was not
allowed by the church. Others said it was a reasonable
practice, the minister not being of the essence of the
sacrament. But the King not being satisfied, it was
referred to consideration, whether the word curate or
lawful minister, might not be inserted into the rubric for
private baptism. Concerning excommunication for lesser
crimes in ecclesiastical courts, it was agreed, that the
name should^be changed, but the same censure retained,
or an equivalent thereunto appointed. These were
all the alterations that were agreed upon between the
King and bishops, in the first day's conference.
Mr. Galloway, who was present at the conference,
gives this account of it to the presbytery of Edinburgh
" That on January 12th, the King commanded the bishops,
X 2

324 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH. I.
as they would answer it to God in conscience, and to
himself, upon their obedience, to advise among them
selves, of the corruptions of the church in doctrine,
ceremonies and discipline ; who after, consultation re
ported, that all was well ; but when, his majesty with great
fervency brought instances to the contrary, the bishops on
their knees craved with great earnestness, that nothing
might be altered, lest popish recusants punished by
penai statutes for their disobedience, and the puritans
punished by deprivation from their callings and livings
for non-conformity* should say, . they had just cause to
insult upon them, as men who had travailed to bind them
to that which by their own mouths now was confessed to be
erroneous." , Mr. Strype calls this an aspersion ; but I ant
apt to think him mistaken, because Mr. Galloway adds*
" When sundry persons gave . out copies of these actions,
I' myself took occasion^ as I was an ear and eyewitness tq
set them down* and presented therri to his majesty, who with
his own hand' mended somethings, and eked others that I
had omitted."— It is very certain, that Bp. Barlow, in the
account he published of the conference, and of winch he
repented on his death-bed, has. cutoff and concealed all
the speeches that his majesty made against the corruptions
of tlie church, artd the practices qf the prelates, for five
hours together,' according to the testimony of Andrews,
Dean of the chapel, who said, that his majesty did that
day wonderfully play the puritan.
, The, second day's conference, when the four ministers
were called in* with Mr. Galloway minister of Perth on the
one part, and two bishops and six or eight, deans on the
other, therest being secluded. The King being seated" in his
chair* with his nobles and privy counsellors arodnd him*
fet them know, he was now ready to hear their objections
against the establishment. Whereupon Dr. Raynolds*
in the name of his brethren, humbly requested. . 1. That
the doctrine of the church might be preserved pure,
according to God's word. 2. That good pastors plight be
planted in all churches, to preach in the same. 3. That
the book of common prayer ^might be fitted to: more
increase of piety. 4, That church government might be
Sincerely ministered according to God's word. — With

1603. ELIZABETH! 325
regard to the doctrine of the church he requested, that to
those words in the 16th article, we may depart from
grace, may be added, neither totally nor finally ; to make
them consistent with the doctrine of predestination in the
17th article ; and that the nine articles of Lambeth be
ipserted. That in the 23d article these words, in the
congregation, might be omitted, as implying a liberty
for men to preach out of the cpngregafibri without a law
ful call. That in the 25th article the ground for con
firmation might be examined ; one passage confessing it
to be a depraved imitation of the apostles, and another
grounding it on their example ; besides, that it was too
much work for a bishop.
Here Bancroft no longer able to contain hirhself, falling
upon his knees, begged the King with great earnestness
to stop the doctor's mouth, according to an ancient canon,,
that schismatics are not to be heard against their bishops.
It is not reasonable, says he, that men who have sub
scribed to these articles, should be allowed to plead against
their own act, contrary to the statute 1st Eliz. The King
perceiving the bishop in a heat,- said, My Lord, You Ought.
not to interrupt the doctor, but either let him proceed!, Or
answer what he lias objected. Whereupon he replied, —
"That as to Dr. Raynold's first objection, the doctrine of'
predestination was a desperate doctrine ; and had made
many people libertines,, who are apt to say, If I shall be
saved, I shall be saved ; he therefore desired it might be
left at large. That his second objection Was trifling,
because by the practice of the church, none but licensed
ministers might preach or administer the sacrament. And t
as to the doctor's third objection he said, that the bishops
had their chaplains and curates to examine such as were
to be confirmed ; and that in ancient time, none confirmed
but bishops."— To which Raynolds replied in the words of
St. Jerom, that it was rather a coriipliment to the order,
than from any reason or necessity of the thing. And
whereas the bishop had called liim a schismatic, he desired
his majesty, that that imputation might not lie upon him ;
which occasioned a great deal of mirth and raillery
between the King and his nobles about the unhappy
x-3

326 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH. I.
puritans ! In conclusion the King said, he was against
increasing the number of articles, or stuffing them with
theological niceties ; because were they never so explicit,
there will be no preventing contrary opinions. As to con-.
firmation, he thought it not decent to refer.the solemnity
to a parish priest, and closed his remarks with thismaxim,
NO BISHOP, NO KING.
After a long interruption the doctor proceeded, and
desired a new catechism ; to which the King consented,
provided there might be no curious' questions in it, and
that our agreement with the Roman catholics in some
points might not be esteemed heterodoxy. He further
desired a new translation of the bible, to which his majesty
agreed, provided it were without marginal notes, saying,
that of all the translations, the Geneva was the worst,
because of the marginal notes, which allowed disobedience
to Kings. The doctor, complained of the printing and
dispersing popish pamphlets, which reflecting on Ban
croft's character, the King said, what was done of this kind
was by warrant from the court, to nourish the schism
between the seculars and Jesuits, which was of great ser
vice. Doctor, you are a better college-man, than states-!
¦ man. To which Raynolds replied, that he did not intend
such books as were printed in England, but such as were
imported from beyond sea ; and this several of the privy-
council owned to be a grievance. The doctor having
prayed that some effectual remedy might be provided
against the profanation of the Lord's day, declared he had
lio more to add on the first head.
2. With regard to preaching, the doctor complained of
pluralities in the church ; and prayed that all parishes
might be furnished with preaching ministers. Upon
which Bancroft fell upon his knees, and petitioned his
niajesty, that all parishes might have a praying ministry,
for preaching is grown so much in fashion, says he, that the
¦service of the "church is . neglected. Besides pulpit
harangues are \ery dangerous ; he therefore humbly
moved, that the number of homilies might be increased,
and that the clergy might he obliged to read them instead
of sermons, in which many vented their spleen against
their superiors. The King asked the plaintifl's their

1603. ELIZABETH. 327
opinion of the bishop's motion ; who replied, that a
preaching ministry was certainly best and most useful,
though they allowed, where preaching could not be had,
godly prayers, homilies, and exhortations, might do much
good. The Lord chancellor said, there were more livings
that wanted learned men, than learned men livings ; let
all therefore have single coats, before others have doublets.
Upon which Bancroft replied merrily, but a doublet
is good in cold weather. The King put an end to the
debate, by saying he would consult the bishops upon this
head. 3. But the doctor's chief objections were to the ser
vice-book and church-government: here he complained
of the late subscriptions, whereby many were deprived
of their ministry, who were willing to subscribe to the
doctrinal articles of the church, to the King's supremacy,
and to the statutes of tlu realm. He excepted to the
reading the apocrypha ; to the interrogatories in baptism,
ahd to the sign of the cross; to the surplice, and other
superstitious habits; to the ring in marriage; to the
churching of women by the name of purification. He
urged, that most ef these things were reliques of popery ;
that they had been abused to idolatry, and therefore ought,
like the brazen serpent, to be abolished. Mr. Knewstubs
said, these rites and ceremonies were at best, indifferent,
and therefore doubted, whether the power of the church
could bind the conscience without impeaching christian
liberty. Here his majesty interrupted them, and said,
that he apprehended the surplice to be a very comely
garment ; that the cross was as old as Constantine, and
must we charge him with popery ? Besides it was no more
a significant sign than imposition of hands, whicli the
petitioners allowed in ordination ; and as for their other
exceptions, they were capable of being understood in a
sober sense ; " But as to the power of the church in things
indifferent, says his majesty, I will not argue that point
witli you, but answer as Kings in parliament, le Roi
s'avisera. This is like Mr. John Black, abeardless boy, who
told me the last conference in Scotland, that he would
hold conformity with me in doctrine, but that every man
as to ceremonies was to be left to his own liberty ; but I

328" HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH, I..
will have none of that; I will have one doctrine, one
discipline, one religion in substance and ceremony ;
Never speak more to that poifit, how far you are
bound to obey."
4. Raynolds was going on, to complain of excom
munication by lay-chancellors; but the King having said
he should consult the bishops on that head, the doctor
desired that the clergy might have assemblies once in three
weeks ; that in rural deanries they might have the liberty
of prophesyings, as in Abp. Grindal's time ; that those
cases which could not be resolved there, might be referred
to the archdeacon's visitation, and from thence to the
diocesan synod, where the bishop with his presbyters
should determine such points as were too difficult for the
other meetings ; — Here the King broke out into a flame,
and instead of hearing the doctor's reasons, or command
ing his bishops to answer them, told the ministers, that
he found they were aiming at a Scots presbytery, — " which,
says he, agrees with monarchy as well as God and the
devil ; then Jack, and Tom, Will, and Dick shall meet,
and at their pleasure censure both me and my council.
Therefore pray stay one seven years before you demand
that of me, and if then, you find me pursy and fat, and
my windpipe stuffed, I will perhaps, hearken to you ; for
let that government be up, and I am sure I shall be kept
in breath ; but till you find I grow lazy, pray let that
-alone. I remember how they used the poor lady, my
mother in Scotland, and me in my minority." Then
turning to the bishops, he put his hand to his hat and
said, — " My Lords, I may thank you that these puritans
plead for my supremacy, for if once you are out and they
in place, I know what would become of my supremacy,
for no Bishop no King. Well, doctor, have you any
thing else to offer ?" The doctor replied in the negative,
unci the King then rising from his chair, said, — " If this be
all your party have to say, I will make them conform, or I
will hurry them out of this land, or else worse ;" and he was
as good as his word.
Thus ended the second day's conference, after four
hours discourse, with a perfect triumph on the side of the
tfhurch; the puritan ministers were insulted, ridiculed,

1603. ELIZABETH. 32»
and laughed to scorn, without either wit or good manners:
one of the council said, he now saw that a puritan was a
protestant frighted out of his Wits. Another, that the ,
ministers looked more like Turks than Christians, as ap
peared by their habits. Sir Edward. Peyton confessed,
that Dr. Raynolds and his brethren had not freedom of
speech ; but finding it to no purpose to reply they held
tlieir peace. On the other hand, the bishops and courtiers
flattered the King's wisdom and learning beyond measure,
calling him the Solomon of the age. Bancroft fell upon,
his knees, and said, " I protest my heart melteth for joy,
that Almighty God, of his singular mercy, has. given us
such a King, as since Christ's time has not been." Chan
cellor Egerton said, he had never seen the King and
priest so fully united in one person. His majesty was, no
less satisfied with his own conduct ; for in his. letter to Mr.
Blake, a Scotsman, he told him, that he had soundly,
peppered off the puritans, that they had fled before liim,
and that their petitions had turned him more earnestly
against them. "It were no reason, says his majesty, that
those who refuse the airy sign of the cross after baptism,
should have their purses stuffed with any more solid and
substantial crosses. They fled me so from argument to
argument, without ever answering me directly, that I was
forced to tell them, that if any of them, when boys, had
disputed thus in the college, the moderator would have
fetched them up, and applied the rod to their backs. I
have a book of theirs that may convert infidels, but shall
never convert me, except by turning me more earnestly
against them." This was the language of the Solomon of
the age. I leave the reader to judge, how much superior
this wise monarch was in the knowledge of antiquity, or
the art of syllogism to Dr, Raynolds, who was the
oracle of his time for acquaintance with ecclesiastical
history, councils and fathers, and had lived in a college
all his days.
The third day's conference, the bishops and deans were
first called into the privy- chamber with the civilians, to
satisfy the King about the high commission and the. oath
ex officio, which they might easily dp, as being principal
branches of his prerogative. When the King said he

530 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH. I.
approved of the wisdom of the law in making the oath ex
officio, the old archbishop was so transported as to cry
out, "undoubtedly your majesty speaks by the special
assistance of God's spirit." A committee of bishops and
privy counsellors was then appointed to consider of lessen
ing the charges in the high commission, and for planting
schools, and proper ministers in the kingdom of Ireland,
and on the borders of England and Scotland. After
which Raynolds and his brethren were called in, not to
dispute, but only to hear the few alterations or explana
tions in the common prayer book already mentioned;
which not answering their expectations, Mr. Chadderton
fell on his knees, and humbly prayed, that the surplice
arid cross might not be urged on some godly ministers in
Lancashire ; and Mr. Knewstubs desired the same favour
for some Suffolk ministers ; which the bishops were going
to oppose, but the King replied with a stem countenance:
" We have taken pains here to conclude in a resolution
for uniformity, and you will undo all by preferring the
credit of a few private men to the peace of the church ;
this is the Scots way, but I will have none of this arguing ;
therefore let them' conform, and that quickly too, or they
shall hear of it ; the bishops will give them some time, but
if any are of an obstinate and turbulent spirit, I will have
them enforced to conformity."
Thus ended this MOCK CONFERENCE, for it
deserves no better name, all things being previously con
cluded between the King and the bishops, before the
puritans were brought upon the stage, to be made a spec
tacle to their enemies, and borne down, not with calm
reason and argument, but with the royal authority, I ap
prove, or I dissent; the King making himself both judge
and party. No wonder therefore, if Dr. Raynolds fell
below himself, and lost some part of his esteem with the
puritans, being over-awed by the place and company,
and the arbitrary dictates of his sovereign opponent.
The puritans refused to be concluded by this conference,
because the ministers were not of their choosing, nor of
one judgment in the points of controversy ; because the
points in controversy were not thoroughly debated ; be
cause the prelates interrupted at their pleasure those of

MOS. ELIZABETH. 331
the other side ; that they were checked by the King
himself, and that the prelates only were present at the
first day's conference, when the principal 'matters were
determined. " Therefore they offered, if his majesty
would give them leave in one week's space to deliver his
majesty in writing, a full answer to any argument or
assertion propounded in that conference by any prelate;
and in the mean time they averred them to be most vain
and frivolous."
If the bishops had been men of moderation, or if the
King had discovered any part of that wisdom he was
flattered with, all parties might have been made easy at
this time ; for the bishops in such a crisis would have com
plied with any thing his majesty had insisted on ; but the
King's cowardice, his love of flattery, his high and
arbitrary principles, and his mortal hatred of the puritans,
lost one of the fairest opportunities that had ever offered,
df healing the divisions of the church.
On the 5th of March the King published a proclama
tion, in which he says, " That though the doctrine and
discipline of the established church were unexceptionable,
and agreeable to primitive antiquity, nevertheless he had
given way to a conference, to hear the exceptions of the
non-conformists, which he had found very slender ; but
that some few explanations of passages had been yielded
to for their satisfaction , therefore now he requires and
enjoins all his subjects to conform to it, as the only public
form established in this realm; and admonishes them not
to expect any further alterations, for that his resolutions
were absolutely settled. It was a high strain of the
prerogative, to alter a form of worship established by law,
merely by a royal proclamation, without consent of par
liament or convocation, for bv the same power that his
majesty altered one article in the liturgy, he might set
aside the whole; every sentence being equally established
by act of parliament ; but this wise monarch made no
scruple of dispensing with the laws. However the force of
all proclamations determined with the King's life, and
there being no subsequent act of parliament to establish
these amendments, it was argued very justly in the next
reign, that this was not the liturgy of the church of

332 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH. I.
England established by, law, and consequently not binding -
upon the clergy.
A fortnight before this conference was held, died the
learned Thomas Cartwright, qne of the chief of the puri
tans, and a great sufferer for non-conformity. He was
born in Hertfordshire, and entered into St. John's college^
Cambridge, where he became a hard student, never
sleeping above five hours in a night. During the reign of
Mary he left the university* and became a lawyer's clerk ;
but upon the accession of Elizabeth ,he resumed his
theological .studies, and was chose fellow of Trinity; Coll.
The year after he bore a part in the philosophy act before
the Queen. In .1567, he commenced batchelor of divinity,
and three years after was chosen Lady Margaret's pro
fessor. He was such a pqpular preacher, that when his
turn came to preach at St. Mary's, the sexton was obliged
to take down the windows. But Mr. Cartwright venturing'
in some of his lectures to shew the defects of the discipline
of the church, as it then stood, was questioned forit before
the vice-chanqellor, denied his doctor's degree, and ex
pelled the university, as has been related. He then
travelled to Geneva, and afterwards, became preacher to
the , English. merchants at Antwerp. King Jamesinvited
him to be professor in his university, Of St. Andrews, which
he declined. After his return from Antwerp , he was often
in trouble by suspensions, deprivations, and long impri
sonment ; at length the grea,t.Earl of Leicester,, who.knew
his worth, made him governor of his hospitalin Warwick,
where he ended his days. He was certainly one of the,
most learned and acute disputants of his age, but very ill
used by the governing clergy. He wrote several books,
besides his controversy with Abp. Whitgift, as his Latin
comment on Eccleshistes, dedicated to King James, in
which he thankfully acknowledges his being appointed
professor to a Scots university ; his celebrated confutation
of the Rhemish translation of the New Testament, to
which work he, was solicited by the principal divines of
Cambridge. Such an opinion had these great men of
his abilities and learning. He was a person.of uncommon
industry and piety, ferventin.prayer ;,a frequent preacher,
and of a meek and humble spirit, lnjiisqld.agehe.wa*

1603s ELIZABETH. 333
so troubled with the stone' and gout by frequent lying in
prisons* that he was obliged always to study on his knees.
His last sermon was on Eccles. xii. 7. " Then shall the
dust return to the earth, and the spirit shall return to God
wlio gave it." The Tuesday following he was two hours
on his knees in private prayer, and a few hours after
quietly resigned, his spirit to God.
Sjx weeks after him, died his great antagqnist John
Whitgift, Abp. :of Canterbury; who was born at Great
Grimsbj*, and educated in Pembroke-hall, and was fellow
of Peter-house, Cambridge. He complyed with the
changes in Mary's reign, though he disapproved of her
religion. Having been a celebrated champion for the hierarchy^
the Queen advanced hint first to the bishopric of Wor
cester, and then to the province of Canterbury. He
was- a severe governor' of the church, pressing conformity
with the utmost rigor, in which her majesty always gave
liim;her countenance and support. He regarded neither
the-intreaties of poor ministers, nor the intercessions of
courtiers,: being steady to the laws, and evert out-going
them in the cause of uniformity. He would give fair
wOrds and good language, but Would abate nothing. Clio-
fer^was his chief infirmity; which has sufficiently appear
ed by the account already given of the many persecutions,
oppressions, and unjustifiable hardships the puritans suf
fered under his administration ; notwithstanding which
they .increased* prodigiously, insomuch that towards the
latter* end of his life, his grace grew weary of the invidious
«mfployment; and being afraid of King James's first
parliament* died with grief before it met, desiring rather
to give an account of his bishopric^ to God, than exercise
it among men. He had been at court the first Sunday in
Lfent, and as he was going to the council-chamber to
dinner^ was seized with the dead palsy on the right sideb
and with the loss of his speech; upon which he was carried
first to the lord treasurer's chamber, and then to Lambeth*
where the King visited him, btit not being able to converse,
he lifted up his eyes and hand, and said pro ecclesia Dei,
which were his last words. He would have wrote some
thing, but could not hold his pen. His disease increasing,

334 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P, II. CH. t.
he presently expired in the 73d year of his age, and
was buried at Croydon, where he has a fair monument,
with his effigies at length upon it. He was an hospitable
man, and usually travelled with a great retinue ; in 1589,
he came into Canterbury with a train of five, hundred
horse, of which one hundred were his own servants. He
founded an hospital and free school at Croydon, and
though he was a cruel persecutor of the puritans, yet
compared with his successor Bancroft, he was a valuable
prelate. Before the meeting of the parliament the King issued
two proclamations, one commanding all Jesuits and priests
in orders to depart the kingdom, wherein he was very
careful to let the world know, that he did notbanish them
out of hatred to the catholic-religion ; but only for main
taining the pope's temporal power over princes. The
other was against the puritans, in which there was no
indulgence for tender consciences, all must conform, or
suffer the extremities of the law. The King opened his
first session of parliament with a long speech, in which
there are many strokes in favour of tyranny and arbitrary
power: His, majesty acknowledges the Roman church to
be " his mother church, though defiled with some infir
mities and corruptions. That his mind was ever free from
persecutions for matters of conscience, as he hopes those
of that religion have proved since his first coming. : He
pities the laity among them, and would indulge their
clergy if they would but renounce the pope's supremacy,
aud his pretended power to dispense with the murder of
Kings. He wishes that he might be a means of. uniting
the two religions, for if they would but abandon their late
corruptions, he would meet them in the mid way, as having
a great veneration for antiquity in the points of ecclesias
tical policy. But then as to the puritans or novelists, who
do not differ from us so mueh in points of religion, as in
their confused form of policy and purity ; those, says he,
are discontented with the present church government ;
they are impatient to suffer any superiority, which makes
their sectin sufferable in any well-governed commonwealth."
The bishops and their adherents were pleased with
this speech, because the king seem resolved not to indulge

I €03. ELIZABETH. 335
the puritans at any rate; the catholics did not like his
majesty's distinction between the laics and clerics ; but
the puritans had most reason to complain, to see so much
charity expressed towards papists, and so little for them
selves. All protestants in general heard with concern the
King's offer to meet the papists half-way. What does he
mean ? say they ; is there no difference between popery
and protestantism, except the pope's authority over
princes? Are all other doctrines to be given up? Are
the religions the same? And is this the only point upon
which we separated from the church of Rome? Thus
unhappily did this pretended protestant prince set out,
with laying the foundation of discontent among all ranks
of his people.
His majesty made frequent mention in his speech, of
his hereditary right to the crown, and of his lineal
descent ; that he was accountable to none but God ; and
that the only difference between a rightful King and a
tyrant is, that the " one is ordained for preserving the
prosperity of his people, the other thinks his kingdom
and people are ordairied to satisfy his unreasonable appe
tites." Further, his majesty altered the writs for electing
members, and took upon him to describe, what sort of
representatives should be elected, not by way of exhor
tation but of command, and as indispensible conditions of
their being admitted into the house, and which were to be
judged of and determined in the court of Chancery. He
threatened to fine and disfranchise those corporations
that did not choose to his mind, and to fine and imprison
their representatives if they presumed to sit in the house.
When the house of commons met, he interrupted their
examinations of elections, and commanded the return of
¦Sir Francis Goodwin, whose election they had set aside,
to be brought before him and his judges. Most of those
who approached his person laboured to inspire him with a
design of making himself absolute ; or rather to confirm
him in that resolution. The bishops were of this number ;
and from this time there has appeared among the clergy a
party of men, who have carried the obedience of the
subject, and the authority of the crown, as high as in
the most arbitrary monarchies.

335 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. P. II. CH. I.
But though the court and bishops were so well agreed,
the parliament passed some acts which gave them unea
siness ; as the revival of the statute of Edward VI. Which
enacts, that all processes, citations, judgments, &c. in
any ecclesiastical courts, shall be issued in the King's
name, and under the King's seal of arms. The bishops
were said to be asleep when they suffered, this elaUse to
pass ; but the Laudean clergy broke through it afterwards,
as they did through every thing else that stood in the way
of their sovereignty. It was farther enacted; that all
leases or grants of church lands to the King, or his heirs,
&c. for more than twenty-one years for the future, should
be made void ; which put an effectual stop to the alienation
of the church's revenues. The marriages of theelergy
were also legitimated, by reviving the statute of Edward
VI. for that purpose.
The convocation which sat with the parliament was
veryactive against the puritans. The see of Canterbury
being vacant, Bancroft, Bp. of London presided, and
produced the King's licence to make canons : he deli
vered a book of canons of his own preparing to the lower
house for their approbation. About the same time Messrs,
Egerton, Fleetwood, Clark, and other puritan divines,
presented a petition for reformation of the bookiof com
mon-prayer; but instead of receiving it, they admo
nished them and their adherent* to be obedient and con
form before Midsummer-day, or else they should' undergo
the censures of the church. In the mean time the canons
were revising. May 23d, there was a debate in the' upper
house upon the cross in baptism, when Bancroft and some
others spoke vehemently for it ; but Dr. Rudd, Bp. of
St. David's, stood up, and made a speech replete with
sentiments of charity and moderation towards the perse
cuted puritans, whom he was ashamed to see driven to
oblivion* and bitter distress, by the merciless spirit of his
bigotted brethren.
The Bps. of London* &c. answered the Bp. of St.
David, but when his lordship would have replied, he was
forbid by the president, and submitted ; affirming that as
hothine was' "more- dear to him than the peace of the
church, he was determined to use the best means he could

1604. JAMES I. 337
to draw others to unity and conformity with himself, and
the rest of his brethren. And thus the debate ended.
The book of Canons found an easy passage through
both houses of convocation, and was afterwatvls ratified
by the King's letters patent under his great seal, hut
not being confirmed by act of parliament, it has several
times been adjudged in the courts of Westminster-hall,
that they bind only the clergy, the laity not being repre
sented in convocation. The book contains one hundred
and forty-one articles, collected out of the injunctions,
and other episcopal and synodical acts of the reigns of
Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth, and are the same that
are now in force. By these we discern the spirit of the
church at this time, and how freely she dispensed her
anathema's against those who attempted a further refor
mation. The canons relating to the puritans deserve a
particular mention, because they suffered severely under
them. These canons ordain that whosoever shall affirm,
that the church of England is not apostolical ; that the
worship of the church is corrupt, superstitious, and un
lawful, or contains ANY THING repugnant to scripture;
that any of the thirty-nine articles are in any part super
stitious or erroneous ; that the rites and ceremonies of
the church are anti-christian and superstitious; that the
government of the church is repugnant to the word of God ;
that the form of consecrating bishops, priests, or deacons,
contains any thing repugnant to the word of God, &c. ;
that all such of the established hierarchy should be ex
communicated and not restored but by the archbishop, after
repentance and public revocation of their wicked error.
Canon IX. Whosoever shall separate from the com
munion of the church of England, and combine together
in a new brotherhood, calling themselves true and lawful
churches, and assuming a right to make rules for church
government without the King's authority, and publish,
that their pretended church has groaned under the burden
of certain grievances imposed on them by the church of
England, let them be excommunicated, ipso facto, and not
restored. They who are acquainted with the terrible conse-
VOL. I. Y

338 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 1.
quences of an excommunication in the spiritual courts, must
be sensible of the new hardships put upon the puritans
by these canons; suspensions and deprivations from their
livings, were not now thought sufficient punishments for
the sin of non-conformity ; but the puritans, both clergy
and laity, must be turned out of tlie congregation of the
faithful : they must be rendered incapable of sueing for
their lawful debts ; they must be imprisoned for life by
process out of the civil courts, or until they make satis
faction to the church ; and when they die, they must be
denied christian burial; and so far as lies in the power of
the court* be excluded the kingdom of heaven. O un-
eharitableness! papists excommunicate protestants, be-?
cause by renouncing the the catholic faith they appre
hend them guilty of heresyj but for protestants of the
same faith to excommunicate their fellow-christians and
subjects, and deprive them of their liberties, properties,
and estates, for a few ceremonies, or because they have
not the same veneration for the ecclesiastical constitution
with themselves, is hardly to be parallelled in the annals
of barbarity. The King in his ratification of these canons, com*
mand& them to be diligently observed and executed ; and
for the better observation of the same, that every parish
minister shall read them over once every year in his
church, on a Sunday or holiday, before diyine service;
and all archbishops, bishops, and (Others, having eccler
sjastieal jurisdiction, are commanded to see them put in
execution, and not spare to execute the penalties in thena
severally mentioned .on those that wilfully break or neg
lect them. I shall leave the reader to make his own com
ment on the proceeding of this synod, only observing,
that after they had finished their decrees, they were
prorogued, when Dr- Overal being prolocutor, they gave
tlie King four subsidies, but did no more church business
till the time pf their dissolution.
Bancroft, Bp. of London, being translated to the see
;pf Canterbury, was succeeded by Vaughan, Bp. of Ches
ter ; upon his advancement the Dutch and French nMnfc-
ters within his diocese, presented hini with an address for
his protection and favour, which his Lordship declared

1604. JAMES I. 339
himself ready to grant. Thus tlte foreign churches enjoyed
liberty and peace, while his majesty's own subjects, of die
same faith and discipline with them, were harrassed out
of the kingdom. Bancroft was a divine of a rough tem
per, a perfect creature of the prerogative, and a declared
enemy of the religious and civil liberties of his country.
He was for advancing the prerogative above law, and for
enlarging the jurisdiction of the spiritual courts, by
advising his majesty to take from the courts of Westmin
ster-hall to himself, the whole rightof granting prohibitions ;
for this purpose he framed twenty -five grievances of the
clergy, and .presented them to the King for his appro
bation; but tlie judges having declared them to be con
trary to law, they were set aside. His grace revived the
persecution of the puritans ; enforcing the strict observ
ance of all the festivals of the church; reviving the use
of copes, surplices, caps, hoods, &c. obliging the clergy
to subscribe over again to the three articles of Whitgift,
which by the. 36th canon, they were to declare they did
wiUingly and from the heart. By these methods of
severity above three hundred ministers were silenced or
deprived ; some of whom were excommunicated and cast
into prison, others were forced to leave their native country
and go into banishment, to preserve their consciences.
To countenance and support the archbishop's proceed
ings, the King summoned the twelve judges into the star-
chamber, and demanded their judgments upon three
questions; there were present the Bps. of Canterbury
and London, and about twelve lords of the privy council.
The lord chancellor opened the assembly with a sharp
speech against the puritans, as disturbers of the peace,
declaring that the King intended to suppress them, by
having the laws put in execution; and then demanded in
his majesty's name the opinion of the judges, by whose
determinations the whole body of the clergy are excluded
the benefit of the common and statute law : for the King
without parliament may make what constitutions he
pleases: His majesty's high commissioners may proceed
upon these constitutions ex officip, and the subject may
not open his complaints tq the King, or petition for relief,
Y 2

340 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
without being fineable at 'pleasure, and coming within
danger of treason or felony.
Before the breaking up of the assembly some of the
lords declared, that the puritans had raised a false rumour
of the King, as intending to grant a toleration to papists;
which offence the judges conceived to be heinously
fineable by the rules of common law, either in the Bench,
pr by the King in council ; or now, since the statute of
3 Hen. VII. in the Star Chamber. And the lords severally
declared, that the King was discontented with the said
false rumour, and had made but the day before a protes
tation to them, that he never intended it, and that he
would spend the last drop of blood in his body before he
would do it; and prayed, that before any of his issue
should maintain any other religion than what he truly
professed and maintained, that God would take them out
of the world. The reader will remember this solemn pro
testation hereafter. After these determinations the arch
bishop resumed fresh courage, and pursued, the puritans
without the feast compassion. A more grievous perse
cution is not to be met with in any prince's reign.
The whole clergy of London being summoned to Lam
beth, in order to subscribe over again, many absconded*
and such numbers refused, that the church was in danger
of being disfurnished, which awakened the court, who had
been told that the non-conformists were an inconsiderable
body of men. Upon this surprising appearance, the
bishops were obliged v to relax the rigor of the canons for
a while; and to accept of a promise from some, to use
the cross and surplice ; from others to use the surplice only ;
and from others a verbal promise, that they might be
used,, not obliging themselves to the use of them -at all;
the design of which was to serve the church by them at
present, till the universities could supply them with new
men; for they had a strict eye upon those seminaries of
learning, and would admit no young scholar into orders,
without a full and absolute subscription to all the articles
and canons.
The puritans who separated from the church, or in
clined that way, were treated with yet greater rigor. Mr.
Mounsel, minister of Yarmouth, and Mr. Lad, a merchant

1604. JAMES I. 341
of that town, were imprisoned by the high commission,
for a supposed conventicle, because that on the Lord's
day after sermon, they joined with Mr. Jackler their late
minister, in repeating the heads of the sermon preached
that day in the church. Mr. Lad was obliged to answer
upon oath certain articles, without being able to obtain a
sight of them before hand ; and after he had answered
before the chancellor, was cited up to Lambeth, to an
swer them again before the high commissioners upon a
new oath, which he refusing, without a sight of his former
answer, was thrown into prison, where he continued a
long time, without being admitted to bail. Mr. Mounsel
the minister was charged further, with signing a complaint
to tlie lower house of parliament, and for refusing the
oath ex officio, for which he also was shut up in prison
without bail, At length being brought. to the bar upon
a writ of Habeas Corpus ; and having prevailed with
Nic. Fuller, Esq. a bencher of Gray's-Inn, and a learned
man in his profession, to be their counsel ; he moved, that
the prisoners might be discharged, because the high com
missioners were not empowered by law to imprison, or to
administer the oath ex officio, or to fine any of his majesty's
subjects. This was reckoned an unpardonable crime, and
instead of serving his clients, brought the indignatjon of
the commissioners upon himself. Bancroft told the King,
that he was the champion of the non-conformists, and
ought tlierefore to be made an example, to terrify others
from appearing for them ; accordingly he was shut up in
.close prison, from whence neither the intercession of his
friends, nor his own most humble petitions, could obtain
his release to the day of his death.
This high abuse of the church power obliged many
learned ministers and their followers to leave the kingdom,
and retire to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other places of
-the Low countries, where English churches were erected
after the presbyterian model, and maintained by the states
according to treaty, with Queen Elizabeth, as the French
and Dutch churches were in England. Besides, the Eng
lish being yet in possession of the cautionary towns,
many went over as chaplains to regiments, which together
Y 3

342 HISTORY OF TH£ PURITANS. CHAP, I.
with the merchants that resided in the trading cities, made
a considerable body.
But the greatest number of those who left their native
country for religion were Brownists, or rigid separatists*
of whom Messrs. Johnson, Ainsworth, Smith and Robinson,
were the leaders, Mr. Johnson erected a church at Am
sterdam, after the model of the Brownists, having the
learned Mr. Ainsworth for teacher. These two published
to the world a confessiori of faith of the people called
Brownists, not much 'different in doctrine from the har
mony of confessions ; but being men of warm spirits*
they fell to pieces about points of discipline ; Johnson
excommunicated his own father and brother for trifling
matters, after having rejected the mediation of the pres
bytery of Amsterdam. This divided the congregation, in
somuch that Mr. Ainsworth and half the congregation
excommunicated Johnson, who after some time returned
the same compliment to Ainsworth, At length the contest i
grew so hot, that Amsterdam could not hold them; John
son and his followers removed to Embden, where he soon
after dying, his congregation dissolved. Nor did Mr.
Ainsworth and his followers live long in peace: upon
which he left them and retired to Ireland, where he con
tinued some time, but when the spirits of his people were
quieted, he returned to Amsterdam, and continued with
them to his death. This Mr. Ainsworth was author of an
excellent little treatise, entitled, " an arrow against ido
latry, and of a most learned commentary on the five
books of Moses, by which he appears to have been a great
master of the oriental languages aud of Jewish anti
quities. His death was sudden, and not without suspicion
of violence; for it is reported, that having found a
diamond of very great value in the streets of Amsterdam
he advertised it in print, and when the owner, who was
a Jew, came to demand it, he offered him any acknow
ledgment he would desire ; but Ainsworth, though poor,
Would accept of nothing but a conference with some of
his rabbies upon the prophecies of the Old Testament
relating to the Messias, wiiich the other promised ; but not
having interest enough to obtain it, and Ainsworth
being resolute* it is thought he was poisoned. His cqn-.<

1604. JAMES I. 343
gregation remained without a pastor for some years after
his death, and then chose Mr. Canne, author of the mar
ginal references to the bible, and sundry other treatises.
Mr. Smith was a learned man, of good abilities, but
of an unsettled head, as appears by the preface to one
of his books, in which he desires that his last writings may
always be taken for his present judgment. He was for
refining upon the Brownists' scheme, and at last declared
for the principles of the baptists; upon this he left Am
sterdam, and settled with liis disciples at Ley ; where
being at a loss for a proper administrator of the ordi
nance of baptism, he plunged himself, and then per
formed the ceremony upon others, which gained him the
name of a se Baptist. He afterwards embraced the tenets
of Arminius, and published certain conclusions upon
those points, which Mr. Robinson answered, but Smith
died soon after, and his congregation dissolved.
Mr. Rawlinson was a Norfolk divine, beneficed about
Yarmouth, where being often molested by the bishop's
officers, and his friends almost ruined in the ecclesiastical
courts, he removed to Leyden, and erected a congregation
upon the model of the Brownists. He set out upon the
most rigid principles, but by conversing with Dr. Ames,
and other learned men, became more moderate; and
though he always maintained the lawfulness and neces
sity of separating from those reformed churches among
whom he lived, yet he did not deny them to be true
churches, and admitted their members to occasional com
munion, allowing his own to join with the Dutch churches
in prayer and hearing the word, but not in the sacraments
and discipline; which gained him the character of a
semi-separatist. Mr. Jacob was born in Kent, and educated in St.
Mary Hall, where he took the degrees in arts, entered
into holy orders, and became precentor of Christ Church
Coll. and afterwards beneficed in his own country at
Cheriton. He was a person thoroughly versed in theo
logical authors, but withal a most zealous puritan. He
wrote two treatises against Johnson the Brownist, in
defence of the church of England's being a true church,
and afterwards published Reasons taken put of GodPs

344 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
word, and best human testimpnies, proving a necessity of
reforming our churches of England, &c.but going to Ley
den, and conversing with Mr. Robinson, he embraced his
sentiments of discipline and government, and transplanted
them into England as will be seen in its proper place. •
This difference among the puritans engaged them in a
warm controversy among themselves, about the lawfulness
and necessity of separating from the church of England,
while the conforming clergy stood by as spectators of the
combat: Most of the puritans were for keeping within
the pale of the church, apprehending it to be a true church
in its doctrines and- sacraments, though defective in dis
cipline, and corrupt in cereriionies, yet being a true
church they thought it unlawful to separate, though they
could hardly continue in it with a good conscience. They,
submitted to suspensions and deprivations, and when they
were driven out of one diocese took sanctuary in another*
being afraid of incurring the guilt of schism by forming
themselves into separate communions. Whereas the
Brownists maintained, that the church of England, in its
present constitution, was no true church of Christ, but a
limb of antichrist, or at best a mere creature of the state ;
.that their ministers were not rightly called and ordained,-
nor the sacraments duly administered ; or supposing it to be
a true church, yet as it was owned by their adversaries, the
conforming puritans, to be a very corrupt one, it must be
as lawful to separate from it, as for the church of England
to separate from Rome. The conforming puritans evaded
this consequence, by denying the church of Rome to
be a true Church ; nay affirming it to be the very anti
christ ; but the argument remained in full force against
the bishops, and that part of the clergy who acknowledged
the church of Rome tqbe a true church.
It is certainly as lawful to separate from the corrup
tions of one church as of another ; and it may be necessary
to do so, when those corruptions are imposed as terms
of communion. Let us hear Abp. Laud, in his con
ference with the Jesuit Fisher.— "Another i church, says
his grace, may separate frqm Rome, if Rome will separate
from Christ, and so far as it separates from him, and
\lihu faith, so far may another church separate ' from it.

1604. , JAMES I. 345
I grant the church of Rome to be a true church in essence,
though corrupt in manners and doctrine. And cor
ruption of manners, attended with errors in the doctrines
of faith, is a just cause for one particular church to
separate from another." His grace then adds, with regard
to the church of Rome; "The cause of the separation is
yours, for you thrust us from you because we called for
truth and redress of abuses; for a schism must' needs be
theirs whose the cause of it is ; the woe runs full out of the
mouth of Christ, even against him that gives the offence,
not against him that takes it. It was ill done of those,
whoever they were, who first made the separation ; I
mean not actual but causal, for as I said before, the
schism is theirs whose the cause of it is; and he makes
the separation who gives the first just cause of it, not he that
makes an actual separation upon aj ust causepreceding.." Let
the reader carefully consider these concessions, and then
judge how far they will justify the separation of the pro
testant non-conformists at this day.
This year was famous for the discovery of the Gun-
POWDER-PLOT, which was a contrivance of the papists to
blow up the King and the whole royal family, with the
chief of the protestant nobility and gentry, November 5tb,
the first day of their assembling in parliament ; for this
purpose a cellar was hired under the house of Lords, and
stored with thirty-six barrels of gun-powder, covered
over with coals and faggots. But the plot was discovered
the night before, by means of a letter sent to the Lord
Monteagle, advising him to absent himself from the
house, because they were to receive a terrible blow, and
not to know who hurt them. Monteagle carrying the
letter to court, the King ordered the apartments about the
parliament-house to be searched ; the powder was found
under the house of Lords, and Guy Faux with a dark
lanthorn in the cellar, waiting to set fire to the train when
the King should come to the house the next morning.
Faux being apprehended confessed the plot, and im
peached several of his accomplices, eight of whom were
tried and executed, and among them, Garnet provincial of
the English jeuits, whom the pope afterwards canonized.
The discovery of this murderous conspiracy was

346 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. I,
ascribed to. the royal penetration ; but Mr. Osborne and
others with great probability say, that the first notice of
it came from Henry IV. of France, who heard of it from
the Jesuits ; and that the letter to Monteagle was an artifice
of Cecil's, who being acquainted beforehand with the
proceedings of the conspirators, suffered them to go their
full length. Even Heylin says, that the King and his
council mined with them, and undermined them, and by
so doing blew up their whole invention. However it is
agreed on all hands, that if the plot had taken place H
was to have been fathered on the puritans ; and as if the
King was in the secret, his majesty in his speech to the
parliament November 9th, takes .particular care to bring
them into reproach ; for after having cleared the Roman
Catholic religion from encouraging such murderous prac
tices, he adds, that the cruelty of the puritans was
worthy of fire, that would not allow salvation to any
papists. So that if these unhappy people had been blown
up, his majesty thinks they had met with their deserts.
Strange ! that a puritan should be so much worse than a
papist* or deserve to be burnt for uncharitableness, when
his majesty knew that the papists were so much more
criminal in this respect than they, not only denying sal
vation to the puritans, but to all who are without the pale
of their Own church. But what was all this to the plot ;
except it was to turn off the indignation of the people
from the papists, whom the King both feared and loved,
to the puritans, who in a course of forty years sufferings
had never moved the least sedition against the state* but
who would not be the advocates or dupes of an unbounded
prerogative !
The discovery of this plot occasioned the drawing up
the oath OF allegiance, Or of submission and obedience
to the King as a temporal sovereign, independent
of any other power upon earth ; which quickly passed
both houses, and was appointed to be taken by all the
King's subjects ; this oath is distinct from the oath of
supremacy, which obliges the subject to acknowledge his
majesty to be supreme head of the church as well as the
state, and might therefore be taken by all such Roman
catholics as did not believe the pope had power to depose

1605. JAMES I. 34T
Kings, and give away their dominions. Accordingly
Blackwell their superior, and most of the English catholics
submitted to the oath, though the pope absolutely forbad
them on pain of damnation ; which occasioned a now
debate, concerning the extent of the pope's power in
temporals, between the learned of both religious. Car
dinal Bellarmine under the feigned name of Tortus,
wrote against the oath, which gave occasion to King
James's apology to all christian princes ; wherein, after
clearing himself from the charge of persecuting the
papists, he reproaches his holiness with ingratitude, con^r
sidering the free liberty of religion that he had granted
the papists, the honours he had conferred on them, the
free access they had to his person at all times, the general
gaol delivery of all Jesuits and papists convict, and the
strict orders he had given his judges not to put the laws in
execution against them for the future. All which was true,
while the puritans were imprisoned and fined, or forced
into banishment. The parliament, on occasion of this
plot, appointed an annual thanksgiving on the 5th of
November, and passed another law, obliging all persons
to come to church under the penalty of twelve pence every
Suriday they were absent, unless they gave such reasons
as should be satisfactory to a justice of peace. This, like
a two-edged sword, cut down all separatists, whether pro
testants or papists.
To return to the puritans, the more moderate of whom
being willing to steer a middle course, between a total
separation and absolute conformity, were attacked by
some of the bishops with this argument. — " All those who
wilfully refuse to obey the King in all things indifferent,
and to conform themselves to the orders of the church
authorized by him, not contrary to the word of God, are
schismatics, enemies to the King's supremacy and the
state, and not to be tolerated in church or commonwealth.
But you do so, therefore you are not to be tolerated in
the church or commonwealth." The puritans denied the
charge, and returned this argument upon their accusers.
f All those who freely and willingly perform to the King
and state all obedience, not only in things necessary, but
indifferent, commanded by law, and that have been

348 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHaP. i.
always ready to conform themselves to every order of the
church authorized by him, not contrary to the word of
God, are free from all schism, friends to the King's
supremacy and to the state, and unworthy in this manner
to be molested in church or commonwealth. But there is
none of us that are deprived or suspended from our
ministry, but have been ever ready to do all this ; there-*
fore we are free from schism, friends to the King's supre->
macy, and most unworthy of such molestation as we
sustain." This being the point of difference, the puritans offered
a public disputation upon the lawfulness of imposing
ceremonies in general; and in particular upon the sur
plice, the cross in baptism, and kneeling at the com
munion ; but were refused. Upon which the Lincolnshire
ministers drew up an apology for those ministers who are
troubled for refusing of subscription and conformity, and
presented it to the King; it begins with a declaration of
their readiness to subscribe the first of the three articles
required by the 36th canon, concerning the King's supre
macy ; but to the other two, say they, we cannot subscribe,
because we are persuaded, that both the book of common
prayer, and the other book (of articles) to be subscribed
by this canon (which, yet in some respects, we reverently
esteem) contain in them sundry things which are not
agreeable, but contrary to the word of God. They were
answered by Bp. Moreton and Dr. Burges, who after
having suffered himself to be deprived for non-conformity,
was persuaded by King James to conform, and write in
defence of his present conduct against his former argu
ments. Moreton endeavours to defend the innocence of
the three ceremonies from scripture, antiquity, the tes
timony of protestant divines, and the practice of the
non-conformists themselves in other cases, and has said
as much as can be said in favour of them ; though it is
hard to defend the imposing them upon those who esteem
them unlawful, or who apprehend things indifferent,
ought to be left in the state that Christ left them.
It appears that the puritans were now removing to a
greater distance from the church ; for whereas Mr. Cart-
•wright and his brethren wrote sharply against the cere-

1*305. - JAMES I. 54»
monies as inconvenient, now they are opposed as absolutely
unlawful, neither to be imposed nor used. The cruel
severeties of Bancroft and the high commissioners were
the occasion of this; for being pushed upon one of these
extremes, either to a constant and full conformity, or to
lay down their ministry in the church* many of them at
one of their conferences, came to this conclusion* tjj.at if
they could not erijoy their livings without subscribing
over again the three articles above-mentioned, and declar
ing at the same time, they did it willingly ANb from
their hearts, it was their duty to resign. These were
Galled brethren of the second separation, who were con
tent to join with the church in her* doctrines and
sacraments, though they apprehended it unlawful to
declare their hearty approbation of the Ceremonies; and
if their conduct was grounded upon a conviction that
it was their duty as christians to bear their testimony
against all unscriptural impositions in the worship of God,
it must deserve the commendation of all impartial and
consistent protestants. No men could go greater lengths
for the sake of peace than they were willing to do; for
in their defence of the ministers' reasons for refusal of
subscription to the book of common prayer, they begin
thus, " we protest before the almighty God, that we
acknowledge the churches of England as they be estab
lished by public authority, to be true visible churches
of Christ; that we desire the continuance of our ministry
in them above all earthly things, as that without which
our whole life would be wearisome and bitter to us ; that
we dislike not a set form of prayer to be used in our
churches; nor do we write with an evil mind to deprave
the book of common-prayer, ordination, or book of homi
lies; but to shew our reasons why we cannot subscribe to
all things contained in them."
These extreme proceedings of the bishops* strengthened
the hands of the Brownists in Holland, who with great
advantage declared against the lawfulness of holding
communion with the church of England at that time, not
only because it was a corrupt church, but a persecuting
one. On the other hand, the yourtger divines in the
church who preached for preferment, painted the sepa-

350 History of The purttaNS. chap., t
ratists in the most odious colours, as heretics, schismatics^
fanatics, precisians, enemies to God and the King, and of
unstable minds. The very same language which the
papists had used against the first reformers.
To remove these reproaches, and to inform the world
of the real principles of the puritans qf these times,. Mn
Bradshaw published a small treatise, entitled ENGLISH
Puritanism, containing the main opinions of the rigidest'
sort of those that went by that name in the realm qf
England, which the learned Dr. Ames translated into'
Latin for the benefit of foreigners. The reader will learn
by the following abstract of it, the true state of their case,.
as well as the near affinity between the principles of the
ancient and modern non-conformists.
Concerning religion in generals— -The puritans hold
and maintain the absolute perfection of the scrip
tures, both as to faith and worship ; and that whatsoever
is enjoined as a part of divine service, that cannot
be warranted by the said scriptures, is unlawful. 2.
That all inventions of men, especially such as have-
been abused to idolatiy, are to be excluded out of the?
exercises of religion. 3. That all outward means instituted
to express and set forth the inward worship of God, are
parts of divine worship, and ought therefore evidently to
be prescribed by the word of God. 4. To institute and
ordain any mystical rites or ceremonies of religion,.
and to mingle the same with the divine rites and cere
monies of God's ordinance, is gross superstition,
Concerning the church. — 1. They maintain, that every
congregation ordinarily joining together in the true
worship of God, is a true visible church of Christ. 2. That
all such .churches are in all ecclesiastical matters equal,
and .ought to have the same officers, adminstrations, orders,.
and forms of worship. 3. That Christ has not subjected
any .church to any other superior ecclesiastical jurisdiction
titan to that which is within itself, so that if a whole church-
shojuld err in any matters of faith and worship, no other
churches or spiritual officers, have power to 'censure or
punish thein, but are only to counsel aud advise them. 4.
That every church ought to have her own spiritual officers
and ministers resident with her; and those such as are

1605; JAMES I. 351
enjoined by Christ in the New Testament, and no other.
5. That every church ought to have liberty to choose their
own spiritual officers. 6. That if particular churches err
in this choice, none but the civil magistrate has power
to controul them, and oblige them to make a better choice.
7. That ecclesiastical officers or ministers in one church,
ought not to bear any ecclesiastical office in another ;
and they are not to forsake their callings without just
cause, and such as may be approved by the congregation;
but if the congregation will not hearken to reason, they
are then to appeal to the civil magistrate, who is bound
to procure them justice. 8. That a church having chosen
its spiritual governors, ought to live in all canonical
obedience to them, agreeable to the word of God, and if
any of them be suspended, or unjustly deprived, by
other ecclesiastical officers, they are humbly to pray the
magistrate to restore them ; and if they cannot obtain it,
they are to own them to be their spiritual guides to the
death, though they are rigorously deprived of their minis
try and service. 9. That the laws and orders of tlie
churches warranted by the word of God, are not repuo--'
nant to civil government, whether monarchical, aristocra-
tical or democratical ; and we renounce all jurisdiction that
is repugnant or derogatory to any of these, especially
to the monarchy of this kingdom."
Concerning the ministers of the word, and elders. — l.
They hold, that the pastors of particular congregations
are the highest spiritual officers in the church, over whom
there is no superior pastor but Jesus Christ. 2. That no
pastor ought to exercise, or accept of any civil jurisdiction
or authority, but ought to be wholly employed in spiritual
offices and duties to that congregation over which he is
set. 3. That the supreme office of the pastor is to preach
the word publicly to the congregation ; and that the
people of God ought not to acknowledge any for their
pastors that are not able by preaching to interpret and
apply the word of God to them. A. That in public wor
ship the pastor only is to be the mouth of the congregation
to God in prayer ; and that the people are only to testify
their assent by the word Amen. 6. That the church has
no power to impose upon her pastors or officers, any other

35£ HISTORY- OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. ' f.
Ceremonies or injunction, than what Christ has appointed.
7. That in every church there should also be a doctor to
instruct and catechize the ignorant in the main principles
of religion. 8. They hold, that the congregation should
choose other officers as assistants to the ministers in the
government of the church, who are jointly with the mi
nisters to be overseers in the manners and conversation
of all the congregation. 9. That these are to be chosen
Out of the gravest, and most discreet members, who are
also of some note in the worid, and able, if possible, to
maintain themselves.
Concerning the civil magistrate. — 1. They hold, that
the civil magistrate ought to have supreme civil power
over all the churches within his dominions: but that as
he is a christian, he ought to be a member of some one
of them ; which is not in the least derogatory to his
civil supremacy. 2. That all ecclesiastical officers are
punishable by the civil magistrate, for the abuse of their
ecclesiastical offices; and much more if they intrude
upon the rights and prerogatives of the civil authority.
3. They hold the pope to be anti-christ, because he
usurps the supremacy over Kings and princes ; and
therefore all that defend the popish faith, and that
are for tolerating that religion, are secret enemies of the
King's supremacy. 4. That all archbishops, bishops,
deans, officials, &c, hold their offices and functions, at
the King's will and pleasure, merely jure humane ; and
whosoever holdeth, that the King may not remove them,
and dispose of them at his pleasure, is an enemy to his
supremacy. Let the reader now judge, whether there was sufficient
ground for the calumny and reproach that was cast upon
the puritans of these times: But their adversaries having
oft'eh charged them with denying the supremacy, and
with claiming a sort of jurisdiction over the King himself,
. they published another pamphlet this summer, entitled
"protestation of -the King's supremacy, made in the
name of the afflicted ministers, and opposed to the shame
ful calumniations of the prelates." To which was an
nexed, an humble petion for liberty of conscience.

1606* JAMES L 353
But though the principles of submission are laid down
with great latitude, and though the practice of the Pu
ritans was agreeable to them, yet their enemies did not
fail to charge them with disloyalty, with sedition* and
With disturbing the peace of the state. Upon which the
ministers of Devon and Cornwall published another small
treatise, entitled, "A removal of certain imputations
laid upon the ministers, &c." in which they say, " Let
the bishops sift well our courses since his majesty's happy
entrance in among us, and let them name wherein we have
done aught that may justly be said ill to become the mi
nisters of Jesus Christ. Have we drawn any sword ? Have
We raised any tumult ? Have we used any threats ? Hath
the state been put into any fear or hazard through us?
Manifold disgraces have been cast upon us, and we have
endured them; the liberty of our ministry hath been
taken from us, and, though with bleeding hearts, we have
sustained it. We have been cast out of our houses, and
deprived of our ordinary maintenance, yet have " we*
blown no trumpet of sedition. These things have gone
very near us, and yet did we never so much as entertain
a thought of violence. The truth is* we have petitioned
the King and state ; and who hath reason to deny us that
liberty? we have craved of the prelates to deal with us
according to law* and is not this the common benefit of
every subject? We have besought them to convince our
consciences by scripture, Alas! what would they have"
us to do ? Will they have us content ourselves with this
only, that they are bishops, and therefore for their great
ness ought to be yielded to ? The weight of episcopal
power may oppress us but cannot convince us."
It appears from hence, that the Puritans were the
King's faithful subjects; that they complied to the utmost
limit of their consciences, and that when they could not
obey, they were content to suffer. Here are no princi
ples inconsistent with the public safety ; no marks of he
resy, impiety or sedition ; no charges of ignorance* or
neglect of duty ; how unreasonable then must it be, to
silence and deprive such men ? to shut them up in prison,
or send them with their families a-begging, while their
vol. I, z

354 HISTORY OF THE, PURITANS. CHAP. I.
pulpit doors were to be sliut up, aridthe're was a famine
in many parts of the country, not of bread, but of the
word of the Lord ; yet these honest men were not only
persecuted at home, but restrained from retiring into
his majesty's dominions abroad ; for when the ecclesias
tical courts had driven them from their habitations and
livelihoods, and were still hunting them by their inform
ers from one end of the land to the'ofiher* several fami
lies crossed the ocean to Virginia, and invited their friends
to follow; but Bancroft being informed 'that great num
bers were preparing to embark, obtained a proclamation
prohibiting them to transport themselves to Virginia,.
without a special licence from the King ; a severity hardly
to be parallelled ! nor was it ever imitated in this Country
except by Abp. Laud.
The Isles qf, Guernsey and Jersey having enjoyed the
discipline .of the French churches without disturbance, all
the reign of Elizabeth, upon the accession of the present
King, addressed his majesty for a confirmation of If;
which he was. pleased to grant by a letter under the privy
seal. But Bancroft and some of his brethren the bishops*
having possessed the King with the necessity of a general
uniformity, throughout all his doniinions, these islands-
were to- be, mqluded ; accordingly Sir John Peyton, a
zealous churchman, was appointed governor, with secret
instructions to root out the Geneva discipline, and plant
the „ English liturgy and ceremonies in its room. This
gentleman taking advantage of the synod's appointing a
minister to a vacant living according to custom, protested'
against it, as injurious to the King's prerogative, and
complained to court, thattiie Jersey ministers had usurped
the. patronage of the benefices of the island ; that they
admitted men to livings without, the forta of presentation,
which was a loss to the crown in its first fruits; that by
the connivance or allowance of former governors, they
exercised a kind of arbitrary jurisdiction; and therefore
prayed that his majesty would settle the English disci
pline among them. The Jersey ministers alledged in their
own defence, that the presentation to livings was a branch
of their discipline, that the payment of .first fruits and
tenths had never been demanded since they were disen-

1606. JAMES I. 353
gaged from the see of Constance ; and they pleaded
his majesty's royal confirmation of their discipline. But
this pious King had very little regard to promises, oaths,
or charters, when they stood in the way of his arbitrary
designs ; he ordered therefore his ecclesiastical officers to
pursue his instructions in the most effectual manner.
Accordingly they took the presentations to vacant livings
into their own hands, without consulting the presbytery ;
they annulled the*, oath, whereby all ecclesiastical and
civil officers were obliged to swear to the maintenance of
their discipline ; and whereas all who received the holy
sacrament were required to subscribe to the allowance of
the general form of church government in that island, the
King's attorney-general and his friends now refused it.
Their elders likewise were cited into the temporal courts
and stripped of their privileges ; nor had they much better
quarter in the consistory, for the governor and jurats made
the decrees of that court ineffectual, by reversing them in
the Town-Hall. Complaint being made to the court of
these innovations, the King sent them word, that to avoid
all disputes for the future, he was determined to revive
the office and authority of a dean, and to establish the
English common prayer-book among them, which he did
accordingly; and ordered the Bp. of Winchester, in
whose diocese they were, to draw up some canons for the
dean's direction in the exercise of his government ; which
being done, and confirmed by the King, their former
privileges were extinguished. Whereupon many left the
islands and retired into France and Holland; however
others made a shift to support their discipline after a
manner in the island of Guernsey, where the episcopal
regulations could not take place.
Mr. Parker a puritan minister already mentioned,
published this year a very learned treatise " of the cross
in baptism." But the bishops instead of answering it,
persuaded the King to issue a proclamation, with an offer
of a reward for apprehending him, which obliged him
to abscond. A treacherous servant of the family having
informed the officers where he had retired, they came and
searched the house, but by the special providence of God
z 2

556 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
he was preserved, the only room they neglected to search:
being that in which he was concealed, from whence he
heard them quarrelling and swearing at one another; one
saying, they had not searched that room, and another con-
, fidently asserting the contrary, and refusing to suffer it
to be searched over again. Had he' been taken he bad
been cast into prison, where without doubt he must have
died. When he got into Holland he would have been
chosen minister of the English church at Amsterdam, but
the magistrates being afraid of disobliging King James,
he went to Doesburgh, and became minister of that gar
rison, where he departed this life.
This year died the famous Dr. John Raynolds, King's,
professor in Oxford, at first a zealous papist, while his
brother William was a protestant, but by conference and
disputation the brothers converted each other, William
dying an inveterate papist, and John an eminent pro
testant. He was born in Devonshire* and educated in
Corpus Christi Coll. Oxford, of which he was afterwards
president. He was a prodigy for reading, his memory
being a living library. Dr. Hall used to say, that his
memory and reading were near a miracle. He had turned
over all writers prophane and ecclesiastical, as councils,
t fathers* histories, &c. He was a critic in the languages;
of a sharp wit and indefatigable industry ; his .piety and
.sanctity of life were so conspicuous, that the learned
Cracanthorp used tq say* that to name Raynolds was to
commend virtue itself. Yet he was a man of distinguished
modesty and humility. In short says the Oxford historian,
nothing can be spoken against him, but that he was the
pillar of puritanism, and the grand favourer of non
conformity. At length after a severe and mortified life,
he'diedih his college, aged 68, and was buried in St. Mary's
church. Soqn after died the famous Mr. Brightman, author of
a commentary upon Jftie Song °f Solomon, and the Re
velations : He was born at Nottingham, and bred in
Queen's Coll. Cambridge, where he became a champion
for non-conformity to the ceremonies. He was afterwards
presented by Sir J. Osbourne to the rectory of Haunes
in Bedfordshire, spending the remainder of his days in

1-609. JAMES I. 357
hard study, and constant application to his charge, as far
as his conscience would admit. His life, says Mr. Fuller,
was angelical; his learning uncommon; he was a close
student, of little stature, and such a master of himself,
that he was never known to be moved with anger. His
daily discourse was against episcopal government, which he
prophesied would shortly be overthrown, and the govern
ment of the foreign protestant churches erected in its
place. He died suddenly upon the road, as he was riding
with Sir J. Osbourne in his coach, by a sudden obstruction
of the liver or gall, aged 51.
The King having given the reins of the church into
the hands of the prelates and their dependants, these in
return became zealous champions for the prerogative,
both in the pulpit and from the press. Two books were
published this year, which maintained the most extravagant
maxims of arbitrary power ; one wrote by Cowel, vicar
general to the archbishop, wherein he affirms, 1. That
the King is not bound by the laws, or by his coronation
oath. 2. That he is not obliged to call parliaments to
make laws, but may do it without them. 3. That it is a
great favour to admit the consent of the subject in giving
subsidies. The other, by Dr. Blackwood a clergyman,
who maintained that the English were all slaves from the
Norman conquest. The parliament would have brought
the authors to justice, but the King protected them by
proroguing the houses in displeasure; and to supply his
necessities began to raise money by monopolies o*f divers
manufactures, to the unspeakable prejudice of the trade
of the kingdom.
This year died the famous Jacobus Arminius, divinity
professor in the university of Leyden, who gave birth to
the famous sect still called by his name. He was born at
Gudewater, 1560. His parents dying in his infancy, he
was educated at the public expence by the magistrates of
Amsterdam, and was afterwards chosen one of the minis
ters of that city in 1588. Being desired by one of the
professors of Franequer to confute a treatise of Beza's
upon the supralapsarian schefne of predestination, he fell
himself into the contrary sentiment. In 1600, he was
z 3

353 HISTORY OF - THE PURITANS. CHAP. I,
Called to succeed Junius in the divinity, chair of Leyden,
and was the first who was solemnly created doctor of
divinity in that university, Here his notions concerning
predestination and grace, and the extent of Christ's re
demption, met with a powerful opposition from Gomarus
and others. But though his disciples increased prodi
giously in a few years, yet the troubles he met with
from his adversaries, and the attacks made upon his cha
racter and reputation, broke his spirits, so that he sunk
into a melancholy disorder, attended with a complication
of distempers, which hastened his end, after lie had been
professor six, years, and had lived forty-nine. He is re
presented as a divine of considerable learning, piety and
modesty, far from going the lengths of his successors,
Vorstius, Episcopus, and Curcellteus ; yet his doctrines'
occasioned such confusion in that country, as could not
be terminated without a national synod, and produced
great distractions in the church of England, as will be
seen hereafter.
In the parliament which met this summer, the spirit
of English liberty began to revive; one of the members
made a bold speech in the house of commons, containing
a particular representation of the grievances of the na
tion, and of the attempts made for the redress of them.
But tq put a stop to such dangerous speeches, the King
summoned both houses to Whitehall, and told them that
he did not intend to govern by the absolute power of a
King, though he knew the power of Kings was like the
divine power; for, says his majesty, as God can create
and destroy, make and unmake at his pleasure, so kings
can give life and death, judge all and be judged by none ;
they can exalt and abase, and like men at chess, make a
pawn take a bishop or a knight. After this he says, as it
was blasphemy to dispute what God might do, so it was
sedition in subjects to dispute what a King might do in
in the height of his power. He commanded them there
fore not fo meddle with the main points of govern
ment, which would be to lessen his craft, who had beert
thirty years at his trade in Scotland, and served an ap
prenticeship of seven years in England.
The parliament not terrified with this high language,

-1.610, JAMES I. 359
went on steadily in asserting their rights; and twenty of
the lower house presented a remonstrance, in which they
declare, — " That whereas they had first received a mes
sage, and since by his majesty's speech had been com
manded to refrain from debating upon things relating
to the chief points of government ; they do hold it their
undoubted right to examine into the grievances of the
- subject, and to enquire into tlieir own rights and proper
ties, as well as his majesty's prerogative ; and they most
humbly and instantly beseech his gracious majesty, that
without offence to the same, they may according to the
undoubted right and liberty of parliament, proceed in
their intended course against the late new impositions.
But the king instead of concurring with his parliament,
was • so disgusted with their remonstrance, that he dis
solved them, without passing any one act this session,
after they had continued above six years; and was so
out of humour with the spirit of English liberty that
was growing in the houses, that he resolved if possible
to govern without parliaments for the future. This was
done by the advice of Bancroft, and other servile court
flatterers, and was the beginning of that mischief, says
Wilson, which when it came to a full ripeness, made such
a bloody tincture in both kingdoms as never will be got
out of the bishops' lawn sleeves.
From the time that James came to the English throne
and long before, if we may believe Dr. Heylin, his
majesty had projected the restoring episcopacy in the
kirk of Scotland, and reducing the two kingdoms to one
uniform government and discipline; for this purpose Abp.
Bancroft maintained a secret correspondence with him,
and corrupted oiie Norton, an English bookseller at
Edinburgh, to betray the Scots affairs to him, as he con
fessed with tears at his examination. Upon his majesty's
arrival in England he took all occasions to discover his
aversion to the Scots presbyterians, taxing them with
sauciness,. ill-manners, and an implacable enmity to kingly
power; he nominated bishops to the thirteen Scots
bishoprics which himself had formerly abolished ; but their
revenues being annexed to the crown, their dignities
were little more than titular. In the parliament held at

360 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I,
Perth in 1606, his majesty obtained an act to restore the
bishops to their temporalities, and to repeal the act pf
annexation; by which they were restored to their votes
in parliament, and had the title of lords of parliament,
contrary to the sense both of clergy and laity,
In the convention at Linlithgow, consisting of noble*
men, statesmen, and some court ministers, it was agreed,
that' the bishops should be perpetual moderators of the
kirk assemblies, undpr certain cautions, and with a decla-
ratioti that they had no purpose to subvert the discipline
of tb.e kirk, of to exercise any tyrannous or unlawful
jurisdiction over their brethren ; but the body of the
ministers being uneasy at this, another convention was
held at Linlithgow, and a committee appointed to com
promise the difference ; who, when they met debated, 1.
Whether the moderators of kirk assemblies should be
constant or circular; and 2. Whether the caveats should be
observed. But coming to no agreement, they adjourned
to Striveling, where the bishops with great difficulty
carried their point. And to increase their power, his
majesty pleased next year, contrary to law, to put the high
commission into their hands. Still they wanted the sanc
tion of a general assembly, and a spiritual character. — To
obtain the former an assembly was held at Glasgow, means
having been used by the courtiers to model it to their
mind. In that costly assembly the bishops were declared
moderators in every diocesan assembly, and they or their
deputies, moderators in their weekly exercises ; ordination
and deprivation of ministers, visitation of kirks, excom
munication and absolution, with presentations to benefices,
were pinned to the lawn sleeves ; and it was farther voted,
1. That every minister at his entry shall swear obedience
to his ordinary. 2. That no minister,-, shall preach or
speak against the acts of this assembly ; 3. That the ques*
tion of the parity or imparity of pastors shall not be men
tioned in the pulpit under pain Of deprivation. This was
a vast advance upon the constitution of the kirk.
To obtain a spiritual character superior to the order
of presbyters, it was necessary that the bishops elect
should be consecrated by some of the same order ; for
this purpose the king sent for three of them info Eng-

1610. JAMES I. 361
land, and issued a commission under the great seal to
the Bps. of London, Ely, Bath and Wells, and Ro
chester, requiring them to proceed to their consecration
according- to the English ordinal : Andrews, Bp. of Ely,
was of opinion, that before their consecration they ought
to be made priests, because they had not been ordained
by a bishop. This the Scots divines were unwilling to
admit, through fear of the consequences among their
own countrymen ; for what must they conclude concern
ing tlie ministers of Scotland, if their ordination as
presbyters was not valid ? Bancroft therefore yielded,
that where bishops could not be had, ordination by
presbyters must be valid, otherwise the character of the
ministers in most of the reformed churches might be
questioned. Abbot, Bp. of London, and others were of
opinion, that there was no necessity of passing through
the inferior orders of deacon and priest, but that the
episcopal character might be conveyed at once, as ap
pears from the example of St. Ambrose, Nectarius, Eu-
cherius, and others, who from m re lay-men were
advanced at once into the episcopal chair. But whe
ther this supposition does not rather weaken the argu
ments of bishops, being a distinct order from presbyters,
I leave with the reader. However the Scots divines
were consecrated, and upon their return into Scotland
conveyed their new character iii the same manner to
their brethren. Thus the King, by an usurped supre
macy over the kirk of Scotland, and other violent and
indirect means, subverted tlieir ecclesiastical constitution ;
and contrary to the genius of the people, and the pro
testation of the general assembly, the bishops were
made lords of council, lords of parliament, and lords
commissioners in causes ecclesiastical ; but with all their
high titles they sat uneasy in their chairs, being ge
nerally hated both by the ministers and people.
About ten days after this consecration, Bancroft, Abp.
of Canterbury, departed this life ; he was born at Farn-
worth, in Lancashire, and educated in Jesus Coll. Cam
bridge. He was first chaplain to Cox, Bp. of Ely, who
gave him the rectory of Teversham near Cambridge. In
'1585, he proceeded D. D. and being ambitious of pre-

362 HISTORY Of THE PURITANS. ,;¦ CHAP. I.
ferment, got into the service of Sir C. Hatton, by whose
recommendation he was made a prebendary of Westmin
ster. Here he signalized himself by preaching against the
Puritans; a sure way to preferment in those times. He
also wrote against their discipline; and was the first in the
church of England who: openly maintained the divine
right of the order of bishops. While he sat in the high
commission, he. .distinguished himself by an uncommon
zeal against the nan-conformists,, for which he was pre
ferred, first to the bishopric of London, and upon Whit
gift's decease to the see of Canterbury ; how he behaved
in that high station has been sufficiently related. This
prelate left behind him no extraordinasy character for
piety, learning, hospitality^ or any other episcopal quality.
He was of a rough inflexible temper, yet a. tool of the
prerogative, and an enemy to the laws and constitution
of his country. Some have represented him as inclined
to popery, because he maintained several secular priests
in his own house; but this, was done, say his advocates, to
keep up the controversy, between them and the Jesuits.
Lord Clarendon says, that he understood the church
excellently well, that he hadl almost rescued it out of the
hands of the Calvinian party,, and very much subdued the
unruly spirit of the non-conformists; and that' he- coun
tenanced men of learning. His lordship might have
added, that he was covetous, passionate, ill-natured, and
a cruel persecutor of good men ; that he laid aside the
hospitality becoming a bishop, and lived without state or
equipage, which gave occasion . to the following satire
upon his death. •
Here lies his grace in cold clay clad,
Who died for want of what he bad* -

PART II.— CHAR, II.

JAMES I.
Abbot succeeds Bancroft. — Heretics Burnt. — State of the
Court.— Death of the Prince of Wales. — Reformation
in Ireland.— Scots Settlement in Ireland.— Rise qf
Independents in England, — The King preaches in the
Star-Chamber. — Synod of Dort. — Proceedings in Scot
land. — Book of Sports. — Puritans settle in New-England.
i-r-Rise of Americans' at Court. — The King's arbitrary
Behaviour. — Laws against Papists relaxed. — Remarks.
— Abp. Abbot accidently kills a Man and retires from
Court. — Spanish Match. — A New Parliament. — The
King's Death. — State of Religion during his Reign. —
The Character of King James. — Character of his
Court.
"OANCROFT was succeeded by Dr. George Abbot,
¦*-* Bp. of London, a divine of a quite different spirit
from his predecessor. A sound protestant,1- a thorough
Calvinist? an avowed enemy to popery, and even sus
pected qf puritanism, because he relaxed the penal. laws,
jwhereby says Lord Clarendon, " He unravelled all that
his predecessor had been doing for many years, who if
he had lived a little longer, would have subdued the
unruly spirit of the non -conformists, and extinguished
that .fire in England which had been kindled at Geneva ;
but Abbot considered the christian religion no otherwise
than as it abhorred aud reviled popery, and valued those
men most who did that most furiously. He enquired but
little after the strict observation of the discipline of the
church, or conformity to the articles or canons established,

364 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IL
and did not think so ill of the presbyterian discipline as he
ought to have done, but if men prudently forbore a pub
lic reviling at the hierarchy and ecclesiastical government,
they were secure from any inquisition from him, and were
equally preferred. His house was a sanctuary to the most
eminent of the factious party, and he licensed their per
nicious writings." This is the heavy charge brought
against one of the most religious and venerable prelates
of his age, and a steady friend of the constitution in
church and state. If Abbot's moderate measures had been
constantly pursued, the liberties of England had been
secured, popery discountenanced, and the church pre
vented from running into those excesses, which first
proved its reproach and afterwards its ruin.
Upon the death of Arminius, the curators of the
university of Leyden chose Conradus Vorstius his suc
cessor. This divine had published a very exceptionable
treatise concerning the nature and properties of God, in
which he maintained, that God had a body ; and denied
his proper immensity and omniscience, as they are com
monly understood. He maintained the divine Being to be
limited and restrained, and ascribed quantity and mag
nitude to him. The clergy of Amsterdam remonstrated
to the sfates against his settlement at. Leyden, the country
being already too much divided about the Arminian tenets.
To strengthen their hands they applied to the English
ambassador to represent the case to King James; and
prevailed with the curators to defer his induction into the
professorship till his majesty had read over his book;
which having done, he declared Vorstius to be an arch-
heretic, a pest, a monster of blasphemies ; and to shew
his detestation of his book, ordered it to be burnt pub
licly in St. Paul's church-yard, and at both universities ;
in the conclusion of his letter to the States on this occa
sion he says, " As God has honoured us with the title
of defender of the faith, so, if you incline to retain
Vorstius any longer, we shall be obliged not only to sepa
rate and cut ourselves off from such false and heretical
churches, but likewise to call upon all the rest of the
reformed churches to enter upon the same common con
sultation, how we may best extinguish and send back to

1611. JAMES I. 365
hell these cursed (Arminian) heresies that have newly
broken forth. And as for ourselves, we shall be necessi
tated to forbid all the youth of our subjects to frequent
an university that is so infected as that of Leyden." His
majesty also sent over sundry other memorials, in which he
styles Vorstius a wicked Atheist ; Arminius an enemy to
God. And Bertius having wrote that the saints might
fall from grace, he said the author was worthy of the
fire. At length the King published his royal declaration in
several languages, containing an account of all he had
done in the affair of Vorstius, with his reasons ; which
were, his zeal for the glory of God, his love for his friends
and allies, and fear of the same contagion in his own
kingdom; but their High Mightinesses did not like his
intermeddling so far. in their affairs. However, Vorstius
was dismissed to Gouda, where he lived privately till the
synod of Dort, when he was banished the seven provinces ;
he then retired to Tonningen, where he died a professed
Socinian. His majesty had a further opportunity of discovering
his zeal against heresy this year, upon two of his own
subjects. One was Bartholomew Legate an Arian ; he
was about forty years of age, of ailuent tongue, excellently
well versed in the scriptures, and of an unblameable
.conversation. James himself and some of his bishops, in
vain conferred with him, in hope of convincing him of his
errors. Having lain a considerable time in Newgate, he
was at length brought before Bp. King in his consistory
at St. Paul's, who with some other divines and lawyers there
assembled, declared him a contumacious and obdurate
heretic, and certified the same into chancery by a signi-
ficavit, delivering him over to the secular power ; where
upon he was brought to Smithfield, and in the midst of a
vast concourse of people burnt to death. A pardon was
offered him at the stake if he would recant, but here-
fused it.
Next month Edward Wightman of Burton upon Trent,
was convicted of heresy by Dr. Neile. Bp. of Coventry and
Litchfield, and was burnt at Litchfield. He was charged
in the warrant with the heresies of Arius, Cerinthus,

366 HISTORY OF THE F-URITANS. CHAP. H.
Manichseus', and the Anabaptists. There was another
condemned to the fire for the same heresies; but the
constancy of the above-mentioned sufferers moving pity
in the spectators, it was thought better to suffer him to
linger out a miserable life in NeWgate, than awaken too far
the compassions of the people.
Nothing was minded at court but luxury and diversions.
The affairs of the church were left fo the bishops, and
the affairs of state to subordinate magistrates, or the chief
ministers, while' the King himself sunk into a most indolent
and voluptuous life, suffering himself to he gOverned hf &
favourite, in the choice of whom he had no regardto
virtue or merit* but to youth, beauty* gracefulness of pef-
son, arid fine clothes, &c. This, exposed him to the
contempt of foreign powers, who from this trine paid him
very little regard. At the same time he was lavish arid
profuse in his expences and grants to his hungry courtiers,
whereby he exhausted his exchequer, and was obliged to
have recourse to arbitrary and illegal methods of raising
money by the prerogative. By these means he lost the
hearts of his people, which all his .king-craft could never
recover, and laid the foundation of those calamities, that
in the next reign threw church and state into such convul
sions, as threatened their final ruin.
But while the King and his ministers were wounding
the protestant religion and the liberties of England, it
pleased Almighty God to lay the fonridatiori of their
recovery by the marriage of the King's daughter Elizabeth
to Frederick V; Elector Palatine of the Rhine, from whom
the present Royal family is descended. The match was>
promoted by Abp. Abbot, and universally approved. by alii
the Puritans in England, as the*grand security of the prates--
tant succession in case of failure of heirs from the King's
son. Mr. Echard says, they foretold by a distant fore
sight, the succession of this family to the crown ; and it
must be owned, that they were always the delight of the
puritans, who prayed heartily for them, and upon all occa
sions exerted themselves for the support of the family in
their lowest circumstances.
The solemnity of these nuptials was retarded some
months, by the untimely death of Henry Prince of Wales.

1612. JAMESL 367
Some have suspected that the King caused him to be
poisoned, though there is no sufficient proof of it ; the
body being opened, his liver appeared white, and his
spleen and diaphragm black, his gall without choler, and
his lungs spotted with much corruption, and his head full
of blood in some places, and in others full of water. It
is certain the King was jealous of his son's popularity,
and asked one day, if he would bury him alive ; and upon
his death Commanded, that no person should appear at
court in mourning for him. This prince was one of tlie
most accomplished persons of his age, sober, chaste, tem
perate, religious, full of honour and probity, and never
heard to swear an oath : neither the example of the King
his father, nor of the whole court, was capable of cor
rupting him in these respects. He had a great soul full
of noble and elevated sentiments, and was as much dis
pleased with trifles as his father was fond of them. He
had frequently said, that " if ever he mounted the throne,
his first care should be to try to reconcile the puritans to
the church of England." As this could not be done
without each party's making gome concessions, and as
such a proceeding was directly contrary to the temper of
the court and clergy, he was suspected to countenance
puritanism. To say all in one word, Prince Henry was
mild and affable, though of a warlike genius, the darling
of the puritans, and of all good men; and though he
lived about eighteen years, no historian has taxed him
with any vice.
To furnish the exchequer with money several new pro
jects were set on foot. His majesty created a new order of
Knights Baronets : the number not to exceed two hundred,
and theexpence of the patent one thousand ninety-five
pounds; He sold letters patent for monopolies. He
obliged s/ich as were worth forty pounds a year to com
pound for riot being knights. He set to sale the highest
honours and dignities of the nation : the price for a Baron
was ten thousand pounds ; for a Viscount fifteen thousand ;
and twenty thousand for an Earl. Those who had defec
tive titles were obliged to compound to set them right.
And finally, the star-chamber raised their fines to an
excessive degree. But these projects not answering the

368 HISTORY 0F THE PURITANS. CHAP. Ih
King's necessities, he was obliged at last to call a parlia-4
ment. When the houses met, they proceeded immediately
to consider of and redress grievances, upon which the
King dissolved them, before they had enacted one statute,
and committed some of the principal members of the
house of commons to prison* without admitting them to
bail, resolving again to raise money without the aid of
parliament. This year the articles of the church of Ireland were
ratified and confirmed ; the reformation of that kingdom
had made a slow progress in the late reign, by reason of
the wars between the English and natives, and the small
proportion of the former to the latter. The natives had a
Strong prejudice against the English, as coming into the
country by conquest; and being bigotted papists, their
prejudices were inflamed by Henry the VIHth's throwing
off the pope's supremacy, which threatened the loss of
their religion, as well as their civil liberties. In the reign
of Philip and Mary they Were more quiet, when a law was
passed against bringing in the Scots and marrying with
them, which continued in force during the whole reign of
Elizabeth, and was a great hindrance to the progress of
the protestant religion in that country ; however an uni
versity was erected at Dublin in 1593, and furnished with
learned professors from Cambridge of the calvinistical
persuasion. James Usher, afterwards the renowned Abp.
of Armagh, was the first student who was entered into
the college. The discipline of the Irish church was
according to the model of the English; bishops were
nominated to the popish dioceses, but their revenues
.being alienated, or in the hands of papists, or very much
diminished by the wars, they were obliged to throw the
revenues of several bishoprics together, to make a toler
able subsistence for one. The case was the same with the
inferior clergy, forty shillings a year being a common
allowance for a vicar in the province of Connaught, and
sometimesonly sixteen. Thus, says Collyer, the authority
of the bishops went off, and the people followed their own
fancies in the choice of religion.
At the Hampton Court conference the King proposed
sending preachers into Ireland* complaining that he was

1615. JAMES I. 369
but half monarch of that kingdom, the bodies of tlie
people being only subject to his authority, while their
consciences were at the command of the pope; yet it does
not appear that any attempts were made to convert them
till after 1607, when the act of the third and fourth of
Philip and Mary being repealed, the citizens of London
undertook for the province of Ulster. These adventurers
built Londonderry, fortified Colrain, and purchased a
great tract of land in the adjacent parts. They sent over
considerable numbers of planters, but were at a loss for
ministers; for the beneficed clergy of the church of Eng
land being at ease in the enjoyment of their preferments,
would not engage in such a hazardous undertaking, it fell
tlierefore to the lot of tlie Scots and English puritans ;
the Scots by reason of their vicinity to the northern
parts of Ireland, transported numerous colonies; they
improved the country, and brought preaching into the
churches where they settled ; but being of the presbyterian
persuasion they formed their churches after their own
model. The London adventurers preyailed with several
of the English puritans to remove, who being persecuted
at home, were willing to go any where within the King's
dominions for the liberty of their consciences ; aiid more
would have gone, could they have been secure of a toler
ation after they were settled ; but their chief resource
was from the Scots.
Mr. Blair one of their number was a zealous presby
terian, and scrupled episcopal ordination, but the bishop
of the diocese (Bangor) compromised the difference,
by agreeing that the other Scots presbyters of Mr.
Blair's persuasion should join with him, and that such
passages in the established form of ordination, as Mr.
Blair and his brethren disliked, should be omitted, or
exchanged for others of their own approbation. Thus
was Mr. Blair ordained publicly in the church of Bangor ;
the Bp, of Raphoe did the same for Mr. Levingston ; and
all the Scots who were ordained in Ireland from this time
to 1642, were ordained after the same manner ; all of
them enjoyed the churches and tithes, though they re
mained presbyterian, and used not the liturgy ; nay the
bishops consulted them about affairs of common con-
VOL. I. A A ,

370 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. if.
cernment to the church, arid some bf them were members
of the convocation in 1634. They had their monthly
meetings at Antrim, for the promoting of piety and the
extirpation of popery. They had also their quarterly
communions, by which means great numbers of the
inhabitants were civilized, and many became serious
christians. Mr. Blair preached before the judges of assize
on the Lord's day, at the desire of the Bp. of Down, and
his curate administered the sacrament to them the same
day ; so that there was a sort of comprehension between
the two parties, by the countenance and approbation of
the great Abp. Usher, who encouraged the ministers in
this good Work. And thus things continued till the adminis
tration of Abp. Laud, who by dividing the protestants
weakened them, and made way for that enormous growth
of popery, which ended in the massacre of almost all the
protestants in the kingdom. It appears from hence, that
the reformation of Ireland was built upon a puritan
foundation, though episcopacy was the legal establish
ment; but it was impossible to make any considerable
progress in the conversion of the natives, because of their
bio-otry and prejudice against the English nation, whose
language they could not be persuaded to learn.
The protestant religion being now pretty well estab
lished, it was thought adviseable to frame some articles of
their common faith, according to the custom of other
churches ; some moved in convocatioii to adopt the articles
of the English church, but this was over-ruled, as not so
honourable to themselves, who were as much a national
church as England, nor so consistent with their indepen
dency ; it was therefore voted to draw up a new confession
of their own ; the draught was referred to the conduct of
Usher, then provost of Dublin College ; and passed both
houses of convocation and parliament with great unani
mity, and being sent over to the English court was
approved in council, and ratified this year in the King's
name. These articles seem contrived to compromise the
difference between the church and the puritans ; and they
had that ; effect till 1634, when by the influence of Abp.
Laud and of the Earl of Strafford, these articles were set
.,asule, and those of the church of England received in
their room.

16 1-5, JAMES I. 371
To return to England. Among the puritans who fled
from the persecution of Bp. Bancroft, was Mr. Jacob.
This divine having conferred with Mr. Robinson, pastor
of an English church at Leyderi, embraced his sentiments
of church discipline* since known by the name of Inde
pendency. In the year 1610, Mr. Jacob published at
Leyden a small treatise in octavo, entitled " The divine
beginning and institution of Christ's true visible and
material church;"' and followed it next year with another
from Middleburgh, which he called "An explication and
confirmation of his former treatise." Some time after he
returned to England, and having imparted his design of
setting up a separate congregation, like those in Holland,
to the most learned puritans of those times, it was not
condemned as unlawful, considering there was no pros
pect of a national reformation. Mr. Jacob therefore
having summoned several of his friends together, and
having obtained their consent to unite in church- fellowship,
for enjoying the ordinances of Christ in the purest man
ner, they laid the foundation of the first Independent, or
congregational church in England, after the following
manner. Having observed a day of solemn fasting and
prayer for a blessing upon their undertaking, towards, the
close of the solemnity each of them made open confession
of their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ ; and then standing
together they joined hands, and solemnly covenanted
with each other in the presence of Almighty God, to walk
together in all God's ways and ordinances., according as
he had already revealed, or should further make . them
known to them. Mr. Jacob was then chosen pastor by the
suffrage of the brotherhood, and others were appointed
to the office of deacons, with fasting and prayer and
imposition of hands. The same year Mr. Jacob published
a protestation or confession in the name of certain
christians, shewing how far they agreed with the church
of England, and wherein they differed, with the reasons
of their dissent drawn from scripture ; to which was added,
a petition to the King for the toleration of such christians.
And some time after he published a collection of sound
reasons, shewing how necessary it is, for all christians to.
A A 2

372 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II,
walk in all the ways and ordinances of God in purity, and
in a right church way. Mr. Jacob continued with his;
people about eight years, but in 1624, being desirous to
enlarge his usefulness, he went with their consent to Vir
ginia, where he soon after died. Thus according to the
testimony of the Oxford historian, and some others,.
Mr. Jacob was the first Independent minister in Eng
land, and this the first congregational church. Upon
the departure of Mr. Jacob his church chose Mr. Lathorp
their pastor, whose history will be resumed in its pro
per place.
The King was so full of his prerogative, that he
apprehended he could convince his subjects of its unli
mited extent; for this purpose he turned preacher in
the Star-chamber, and took his text, Psalm lxxii. 1„
" Give the King thy judgments* O God, and thy righte
ousness to the king's son." After dividing and subdividing,.
and giving the literal and mystical sense of his text,
he applied it to the judges and courts of judicature,
telling them, that the King sitting in the throne of God,
all judgments centre in him, and therefore for inferior
courts to determine difficult questions without consulting
him, was to encroach upon his prerogative, and to limits
his power, which it was not lawful for the tongue of a
lawyer, nor any subject to dispute. As it is atheism and
blasphemy to dispute what God can do, says he, so it is,
presumption, and an high contempt to dispute what King*
can do or say; it is to take away that mystical reverence
that belongs to them who sit in the throne of God. Then-
addressing himself to the auditory he advises them, " Not
to meddle with the King's prerogativeor honour. Plead not,,
says he, upon puritanical principles, which make all
thing? popular, but keep within the ancient limits."
In speaking of recusants he says there are three sorts*
1. Some that come now and then to chrarch ; these (the
puritans) areformalto thelaws, butfalsetoGod. 2. Others.
that have their consciences misled, some of these (the?
papists that swear allegiance) live as peaceable subjects^
3. Others are practising recusants, who oblige their servants
and tenants to be of their opinion. These are men of
pride and presumption. I am loath lo bang a priest

1616. JAMES I. 373
only for his religion, and saying mass ; but if they refuse
the oath of allegiance, I leave them to the law. He con
cludes with exhorting the judges to countenance the
clergy against papists and puritarts ; adding, God and the
King will reward your zeal.
It is easy to observe from hence, his majesty's impla
cable aversion to the puritans, was founded not merely
or principally on their refusal Of the ceremonies, but on
their principles of civil liberty and enmity to absolute
monarchy; for all arguments against the extent of the
prerogative are said to be founded on puritan principles.
A King with such maxims should have been frugal of
his revenues, that he might not have stood in need of
parliaments ; but our monarch was extravagantly profuse,
and to supply his wants delivered back this year to the
Dutch their cautionary towns, which were the keys of
their countiy, for less than a quarter part of the money
that had been lent on them.
This year died the. learned and judicious Mr. Baynes,
born in London, and educated in Christ's Coll. Cambridge
of which he was a fellow. He succeeded Mr. Perkins in
the lecture at St. Andrew's church, where he behaved with
that gravity and exemplary piety, as rendered him univer
sally acceptable to all who had any taste of serious religion,
till Abp. Bancroft sending Dr. Harsnet to visit the university,
called upon Mr. Baynes to subscribe according to the
canons, which he refusing, the doctor silenced him, and put
down his lecture. Mr. Baynes appealed to the archbishop,
but his grace stood by his chaplains, and threatened to lay
the good ol d man by the heels, for appearing before him
with a little black edging upon his cuffs. After this Mr.
Baynes preached only occasionally, as he could get
opportunity, and was reduced to such poverty and want
that he said, " He had not where to lay his head ;" but
at length death put an end to his sufferings. He published
a Commentary upon the Ephesians; the Dioclesans'
trial against Dr. Downhamj, and some other practical
treatises. Dr. Sibbes says, he was a divine of uncommon
learning, clear judgment, ready wit, and of much com*
munion with God and his own heart.
The disputes in Holland between the Calvinists and
A A 3

374 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
Arminians upon the five points, relating to election,
redemption, original sin, effectual grace, and perseve
rance rose to such an height, as obliged the States-general
to have recourse to a national synod. Each party had
loaded the other with reproaches, and in the warmth
of dispute, charged their opinions with the most invidious
consequences, insomuch that all good neighbourhood was
lost, the pulpits were filled with unprofitable and angry
disputes, and as each party prevailed, the other were
turned out of tlie churches.' The magistrates were no less
divided than the ministers, one city and town being ready
to take up arms against another. At length it grew into
a state faction, which endangered the dissolution of the
government. Maurice, Prince of Orange, though a re
monstrant, put himself at the head of the Calvinists, or
con tra-remon strants, because they were for the Stadt-
holder, and the magistrates who, were against a Stadtholder
sided with the remonstrants, Or Arminians, among whom
the advocate of Holland, Oldenbarnevelt, and the pen
sionaries of Leyden and Rotterdam, Hogerberts and
Grotius, were the chief. Several attempts were made
for an accommodation, or toleration of the two parties ;
but this not succeeding, the three heads of the remon-
' strants were taken into custody, and the magistrates of
several towns and cities changed, by authority of the
prince, which made way for the choosing such a synod as
his highness desired. The classes of the several towns
met first in a provincial synod, and these sent deputies to
the national one, with proper instructions. The remon
strants were averse to the calling a synod, because their
numbers were as yet unequal to the Calvinists, and their
leaders being in custody, it was easy to foretel their
approaching fate. They complained of injustice in their
summons to the provincial assemblies ; but Trigland says,
that where the remonstrants were weakest, they were
equally regarded with the other party ; but in truth their
deputies were angry and dissatisfied, and in many places
'absented from tlieir classes, and so yielded up their
"power into the hands of their adversaries, who con
demned their principles, and deposed several of their
ministers.

1618. JAMES I. 375
The national synod of Dort consisted of thirty-eight
Dutch and Walloon divines, five professors of the uni
versities, and twenty-one lay-elders, making together
sixty-one persons, of which not above three or four were
remonstrants. Besides these, there were twenty-eight
foreign divines, from Great Britain, from the Palatinate,
from Hessia, &c. ; the French King not admitting his
protestant divines to appear. After the divines as well
domestic as foreign, had produced their credentials, Mr.
Bogerman of Leewarden was chosen president, Messrs.
Roland and Herman Faukelius, of Amsterdam and Middle
burgh assessors ; Heinsius was scribe, and Messrs. Dam-
mon and Festius Hommius, secretaries ; a general fast was
then appointed, after which they proceeded to business.
The names of the English divines were Dr. Carlton,
Bp. of Landaff, Dr. Hall, Dean of Worcester, afterwards
Bp. of Norwich, Dr. Davenant, afterwards Bp. of Salis
bury, and Dr. Samuel Ward, master of Sidney College
Cambridge; but Dr. Hall not being able to bear the
climate, Dr. Goad prebendary of Canterbury, was ap
pointed in his room. Mr. Balcanqual a Scotsman, but
no friend to the kirk, was also commissioned by King
James to represent that church. He was taken into con
sultation, and joined in suffrage with the English divines,
so as to make one college ; for the divines of each nation
gave only one vote in the synod, as tlieir united sense ;
and though Balcanqual did liot wear the habits of the
English divines, nor sit with them in the synod, having a
place by himself as representative of the Scots kirk, yet
his apparel was decent, and in all respects he gave much
satisfaction. His majesty's instructions to them were, 1.
to agree among themselves about the state of any question,
and how far it may be maintained agreeably to the scrip
tures and the doctrine of the church of England. 2. To
advise the Dutch ministers not to insist in their sermons
upon scholastic points, but to abide by their former con
fession of faith, and those of their neighbour reformed
churches. 3. That they should consult the King's honour,
the peace of the distracted churches, and behave in all
things with gravity and moderation. The synod continued
to the 29th of May, in which time there were qne hundred

376 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
and eighty sessions. In the hundred and forty-fifth
session, the Belgic confession of faith was debated and
put to the question, which the English divines agreed to,
except the articles relating to the parity of ministers and
ecclesiastical discipline. They said they had carefully
examined the said confession, and did not find any thing
therein, with respect to faith and doctrine, but what was
in the main conformable to the word of God. They
added, that they had likewise considered the Arminians'
exceptions against the said confession, and declared that
they were of such a nature as to be capable of being made
against all the confessions of other reformed churches.
They did not pretend to pass any judgment upon the arti
cles relating to their church government, but only main
tained that their own church government was founded
upon apostolical institution.
Mr. Hales of Eaton, chaplain to the English ambas
sador Carlton, sat among the hearers for some weeks,
and having taken minutes of the proceedings, transmitted
them twice or thrice a week to his excellency at the
Hague. After his departure Dr. Balcanqual, the Scots
commissioner, and Dr. Ames carried on the correspon
dence. Mr. Hales observes, that the remonstrants
behaved on several occasions very imprudently, not only
in the manner of their debates, but in declining the
authority of the synod, though summoned by the civil
magistrate in the most unexceptionable manner.. The
five points of difference between the Calvinists and
Arminians, after a long hearing, were decided in favour
of the former. After which the remonstrant ministers
were dismissed the assembly, and banished the country
within a limited time, except they submitted to the new
confession; on which occasion some very hard speeches
were mutually exchanged, and appeals made to the final
tribunal of God.
When the opinion of the British divines was read,
npqn the extent of Christ's redemption, it was observed
that they omitted the received distinction between the
sufficiency and efficacy of it ; nor did they touch upon
the received limitation of those passages, which speaking
of Christ's dying for the " whole world," are usually

8618. JAMES I. 377
interpreted of the world of the elect, Dr. Davenant and
some of his brethren inclining to the doctrine of universal
redemption. In all other points there was a perfect har
mony ; and even in this Balcanqual says, King James and
the Abp. of Canterbury desired them to comply, though
Heylin says, their instructions were not to oppose the
doctrine of universal redemption. But Davenant and
Ward were for a middle way between the two extremes i
they maintained the certainty of the salvation of the elect,
and that offers of pardon were sent not only to all who
should believe and repent, but to all who heard the gospel ;
and that grace sufficient to convince and persuade the
impenitent, so as to lay the blame of their condemnation
upon themselves, went along with these offers ; that the
redemption of Christ and his merits were applicable to
these, and consequently there was a possibility of their
salvation. However, they complied with the synod, and
declared their confession in the main, agreeable to the word
of God ; but this gave rise to a report some years after, that
they had deserted the doctrine of the church of England.
When the synod was risen, people spake of it in a very
different manner ; the states of Holland were highly
satisfied ; they gave handsome rewards to the chief
divines, and ordered the original records of their proceed
ings to be preserved amongst their archives. The English.
divines expressed full satisfaction in the proceedings of
the synod. Baxter says, the christian world since the
days of the apostles never had an assembly of more
excellent divines. The learned Jacobus Capellus pro
fessor of Leyden, declared that the equity of the fathers
of this synod was such, that no instance can be given"
.since the apostolic age, of any other synod in which the
heretics were heard with more patience, or which pro
ceeded with a better temper, or more sanctity. But the
favourers of Arminianism poured contempt upon the
synod, and burlesqued their proceedings, and charged
them with partiality and unjustifiable severity. Upon the
whole, in my judgment, they proceeded with as much
discretion and candour as most assemblies ancient or
modern have done, who have pretended to establish
articles for Pther men's faith with penal sanctions. I shall

378 HISTORY OP THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
take leave of this venerable body with this further remark,
that King James's sending over divines to join this
assembly, was an open acknowledgment of the validity
of ordination by mere presbyters; here being a bishop
of the church of England sitting as a private member
in a synod of divines, of which a mere presbyter was the
president. In the summer of 1617, the King made a progress
into Scotland, to advance the episcopal cause in that
country; the chapel of Edinburgh was adorned after the
manner of Whitehall ; pictures being carried from hence
together with the statues of the twelve apostles, which
were set up in the church. His majesty treated his Scots
subjects with a haughty distance ; telling them both in
the parliament and general assembly, " That it was a
power innate, a princely special prerogative which
christian Kings have, to order and dispose external things
in the outward polity of the church, as we with our bishops
shall think fit ; and Sirs, for your approving or disapprov
ing ; deceive not yourselves, I will not have my reason
opposed." Two acts relating to the church were passed
this session ; one concerning the choice of archbishops
and bishops, and another for the restitution of chapters j
but the ministers protesting against both, several of them
were suspended and deprived, and others banished, as the
Melviiis, Mr. Forbes, &c. and as the famous Mr. Calder-
wood, author of the Altare Damascenum, had been
before ; which book when one of the English prelates
promised to answer, the King replied, " What will you
answer, man ? There is nothing here than scripture,
reason, and fathers."
Next year a convention or assembly was summoned to
meet at Perth. It consisted of some noblemen, statesmen,
barons and burgesses, chosen on purpose to bear down
the ministers ; and with what violence things were car
ried, God and all indifferent spectators were witnesses.
In this assembly, the court and bishops make a shift to
carry the following five articles. That the holy sacrament
shal) be received kneeling. That ministers shall be
obliged to administer the sacrament in private houses to
the sick, if they desire it. That ministers may baptize

1618. JAMES I. 379
children privately at home, in cases of necessity, only
certifying it to tlte congregation the next Lord's day;
That ministers shall bring such children cf their parish as
can say their catechism, and repeat the Lord's prayer,
creed, and ten commandments, to the bishops to confirm
and give them their blessing. That the festivals of
Christmas, Easter, Whitsuntide, and the Ascension of
our Saviour, shall for the future be commemorated in the
kirk of Scotland. The King ordered these articles to be
published at the market-crosses of the several boroughs,
and the ministers to read them in their pulpits ; which
the greatest number of the latter refused, there being no
penalty, except the King's displeasure : but the vote of
the assembly at Perth not being sufficient' to establish
these articles into a law, it was resolved to rise all the
interest of the court to carry them through the parliament.
This was not attempted till 1621, when the parliament
ineeting on the first of June, the ministers had prepared
a supplication against the five articles, giving reasons
why they should not be received or confirmed, and came
to Edinburgh in great numbers to support it. Upon this,
the King's commissioner, by advice of the bishops and
council, issued a proclamation, commariding all ministers
to depart out of Edinburgh within twenty hours, except
the settled riiinisters of the city, and such as should have a
licence from the bishop. The riiinisters obeyed, leaving
behind them a protestation against the articles, and an
admonition to the members of parliament not to ratify
them, as they would answer it in the day of judgment.
They alledged, that the assembly of Perth was illegal,
and that the articles were against the privileges of the
kirk, and the established laws of the kingdom : but the
court interest prevailed, and with much difficulty the
articles were ratified, contrary to the sense of the kirk and
nation. This bred a great deal of ill blood, and raised a
new persecution throughout the kingdom, many of the
presbyterian ministers being fined, imprisoned, and
banished by the high commission, at a time when by their
interest with the people, it was in their power to have
turned their task-masters out of the kingdom.
Thus far James proceeded towards the restitution of

380 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II,
episcopacy in Scotland ; but one thing was still wanting
to complete the work, which was a public liturgy, or book
of common-prayer. Several consultations were held upon
this head: but the King being assured it would occasion
an insurrection over the whole kingdom, wisely dropped
it, leaving that unhappy work to be finished by his son,
whose imposing it upon the kirk, without consent of par*
liament or general assembly, set fire to the discontents of
the people, which had been gathering for so many years.
To return to England. This year the learned Mr.
Selden was summoned before the high commission, for
publishing his " History of Tythes," in which he proves
them not to be of divine but human appointment ; and
after many threatnings, was obliged to sign his recan
tation. But notwithstanding his submission, Fuller says,
it is certain that a fiercer storm never fell upon all par
sonage barns since the reformation, than what was raised
by this treatise ; nor did Mr. Selden quickly forget their
stopping his mouth after this manner.
This year died Mr; W. Bradshaw, born at Bosworth
in Leicestershire, and educated in Emanuel Coll. Cam
bridge. He was afterwards removed, and admitted fellow
of Sidney Coll. where he got an easy admission into the
ministry, being dispensed with in some things that he
scrupled. He preached first as a lecturer at Abington
and. then at Steeple-Morton. At length by the recom
mendation of Dr. Chadderton, he was settled at Chatham
in Kent ; but before he had been there a twelve-month,
he was sent for by the archbishop to Shorne, a town
situate between Rochester and Gravesend, and commanded
to subscribe; which be refusing, was immediately sus
pended. The inhabitants of Chatham, in their petition
for his restoration, say, that his doctrine was most whole
some, true, and learned, void of faction and contention ;
and his life so garnished with uublemished virtues and
graces, as malice itself could not reprove him. But all
intercessions were to no purpose : He therefore removed
intp another diocese, where)he obtained a licence, and at
length was chosen lecturer' .of Christ's church in London.
Here he published a treatise against the ceremonies, for
which he was obliged to leave the city. The bishop's

1618. JAMES I. SSI
chancellor followed him with an inhibition to preach, but
by mediation of two friends, the restraint was taken
off. In this silent and melancholy retirement he spent
the vigour and strength of his days. At length, he was
seized with a violent fever, which in a few days put an
end to his life, in the forty-eighth year of his age. He
was full of heavenly expressions in his last sickness, and
died with great satisfaction in his non-conformity. Bp.
Hall gives him this character : " That he was of a strong
brain, and of a free spirit, not suffering himself for smalL
differences of judgment, to be alienated from his friends,
to whom notwithstanding his seeming austerity, he was.
very pleasing in conversation, being full of witty and
harmless urbanity. He was very strong and eager in
arguing, hearty in friendship, regardless of the world, a
despiser of compliments, a lover of reality, full of di
gested and excellent notions, a painful labourer in God's
vineyard, and now no doubt, gloriously rewarded.
In order to put a stop to the growth of puritanism, and
silence the objections of papists against the strictness of
the reformed religion; his majesty this year published
a declaration to encourage recreations and sports on the
Lord's day, contrary to his proclamation in the first year
of his reign, and to the articles of the church of Ireland,
ratified under the great seal, in which the morality of the
Lord's day is affirmed. It was drawn up by bishop
Moreton, and is to this effect : " That for his good people's
recreation, his majesty's pleasure was, that after the end
of divine service, they should not be disturbed, letted,
or discouraged from any lawful recreations; such as
dancing, either of men or women, archery for men, leap
ing, vaulting, or any such harmless recreations; nor
having of May-games, whitsunales, or morrice-dances,
or setting up of May-poles, or other ports therewith used,
so as the same may be had in due and convenient time,
without impediment or let of divine service ; and that
women should have leave to carry rushes to the church
for the decorating of it, according to their old customs j
withal prohibiting all unlawful games to be used on Sun
days only; as bear-bating, bull-baiting, interludes, and
at all times, in the meaner sort of people prohibited,

382 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
bowling." Two or three restraints were annexed to the
declaration, which deserve the reader's notice: 1. No
recusant, that is, papist, was to have the benefit of this
. declaration. 2. Nor. such as were not present at the whole
of divine service. 3. Nor such as. did not keep to their
own parish churches, that is, puritans.. This declaration
Was ordered to be read in all the parish churches of Lan
cashire.; and Wilson adds, that it was to be read in
all the churches of England ; but that Abp. Abbot being
at Croydon, flatly forbid its being read there. It was
certainly an imprudent project, as well as a grief to all
sober protestants; and had the King insisted , upon its
being read. throughout all the churches at this time, -I am
apt to think it would, have produced the same convulsions,
as it did about fifteen years afterwards.
This year and . the next proved fatal to the protestant
interest in Germany, by the. loss of the Palatinate into
the hands of the papists, and the ruin of the Elector
Frederick V. of Bohemia, who had married the King's
only daughter.
Among the Brownists in Holland we have mentioned
Mr. J.Robinson, of Leyden, the father of the Independents,
whose numerous congregation being on the decline, by
their aged members dying off, and their children marrying
into Dutch families, they consulted how to preserve their
church and religion ; and at length, after several solemn
addersses to heaven for direction, the younger part of
the congregation resolved to remove into some part of
America, under the protection of the King of England,
where they might enjoy the liberty of their consciences,
and be capable of encouraging their friends and coun
trymen to follow them. Accordingly they sent over agents
into England, who having obtained a patent from the
crown, agreed with several merchants to become adven
turers in the undertaking. Several of Mr. Robinson's
congregation sold their estates, and made a common
bank, with which they purchased a small ship of sixty
tons, and hired another of one hundred and eighty.
The agents sailed. into Holland with their own ship, to
take in as many of the congregation as were willing to
enihark, while the .other vessel was freighting with all

1620. JAMES I. * 383
necessaries for the new plantation. All things being
ready, Mr. Robinson observed a day of fasting and prayer
with his congregation, and took his leave of the adven
turers with a truly generous and christian exhortation.
On the 1st of July the. adventurers went from Leyden
to Delfthaven, whither Mr. Robinson and the ancients of
his congregation accompanied them ; they continued to
gether all night, and next morning, after mutual em
braces, Mr. Robinson kneeled down on the sea shore, aud
with a fervent prayer committed them to the protection
and blessing of heaven. The adventurers were about
one hundred and twenty, who having joined their other
ship, sailed for New England, but one of their vessels
proving leaky, they left it, and embarked in one vessel,
which arrived at Cape Cod. Sad was the condition of
these poor men, who had the winter before them, and no
accommodations at land for their entertainment; most of
them were in a weakly sickly condition with the voyage,
but there was no remedy ; they tlierefore manned their
long-boat, and having coasted the shore, at length found
a tolerable harbour, where they landed tlieir effects, and
on the 25th of December began to build a store-house,
and some small cottages to preserve them from the wea
ther. Tlieir company was divided into nineteen families,
each-family having an allotment of land for lodgings and
gardens, in proportion to the number of persons of which
it consisted ; and to prevent disputes, the situation of each
family was decided by lot. They agreed likewise upon
some laws for their civil and military government, and
having chosen a governor, they called the place of their
settlement by the name of New Plymouth.
Inexpressible were the hardships these new planters
underwent the first winter ; a sad mortality raged among
them, occasioned by the fatigues of their late voyage,
by the severity of the weather, and their want of neces
saries. The country was full of woods and thickets ; their
poor cottages could not keep them warm ; they had no
physician, or wholesome food, so that within two or three
months, half their company was dead, and of them who
remained alive which were about fifty, not above six or
seven at a time capable of helping the rest; but as the

384 HISTORY OP THE PURITANS. CHAP, ff;
spring came on they recovered, and having received some
fresh supplies from their friends in England, they main
tained their station, and laid the foundation of one of the
noblest settlements in America, which from that time has
proved an Asylum for the protestant non-conformists-
under all their oppressions.
To return to England ; tliough the King had so lately
expressed a zeal for the doctrines of Calvin at the synod
of Doit, it now appeared that he had shaken them off,
by his advancing the most zealous Arminians, at Buck-
eridge, Neile, Harsnet and Laud, to some of the best
bishoprics in the kingdom. These divines apprehending:
their principles hardly consistent with the thirty-nine
articles, fell in with the prerogative, and covered them
selves under the wing of his majesty's pretensions to
unlimited power, which gave rise to a new distinction at
court between church and state puritans. All were pu
ritans with King James, who stood by the laws of the
land in opposition to his arbitrary government, though
otherwise never so good churchmen ; these were pu
ritans in the state, as those who scrupled the ceremo-
monies, and espoused the doctrines of Calvin, were in:
the church. The church puritans were comparatively
few, brut being joined by those who stood by the consti
tution, they became the majority of the nation. To>
balance these, the King protected and countenanced the
Arminians and Papists, who joined heartily with the pre
rogative, and became a state faction against the old Eng
lish constitution. The parties being thus formed grew
up into a hatred of each other. All who opposed the King's
arbitrary measures were called at court by the name of
Puritans ; and those that stood by the crown in opposition-
to the parliament, went by the names of Papists and Ar
minians. These were the seeds of those factions, which
Occasioned all the disturbances in the-following reign.
The Palatinate being lost, and the King's son-in-lavr
and daughter forced to take sanctuary in Holland, the
whole world murmured at his majesty's indolence, both
as a father and a protestant ; these murmurs obliged hint
at length to have recourse to a parliament, from whom he
hoped to squeeze a little money to spend upon his plea,r

1621. JAMES I. 385
stires; at the opening of the session his majesty told them,
that thev were no other than his council, to give him
advice as to what he should ask. It is the King, says he,
that makes laws, and ye are to advise him to make such
as will be best for the commonwealth. With regard to
his tolerating popery, on the account of his son's match,
he professes, he will do nothing but what shall be for the
good of religion ; and as to the Palatinate he says, if he
cannot get it restored by fair means, his crown, his blood,
and his son's blood, shall be spent for its recovery. He
therefore commands them not to hunt after grievances,
but to be quick and speedy in giving him money. Though
the parliament did not credit the King's speech, yet the
occasion was so reasonable, that the commons immediately
voted him two entire subsidies, and the clergy three ;
but finding his majesty awed by the Spaniard, and making
no preparation for war, they began to enquire into
grievances, upon which the King adjourned the houses ;
(a power not claimed by any of his predecessors.) But
upon the day of adjournment the commons drew up a
declaration, wherein they say, " That being touched
with a true sense and fellow-feeling of the sufferings of
the King's children, and of the true professors of the
same christian religion professed by the church of Eng
land in foreign parts, as members of the same body, they
unanimously declare, that they will be ready, to the
utmost of their power, both with their lives and fortunes,
to assist his majesty so, as that he may be able to do that
with the sword which by a peaceable course shall not be
effected." Upon their re-assembling, finding the King still
amused by the Spanish match, while the protestant interest
•in the Palatinate was expiring, the commons drew up a
long remonstrance, in whicli they represent the danger
of the protestant religion from the growth of popery;
from the open resort of papists to the ambassadors' chapels ;
from the frequent and numerous conventicles both in city
arid country ; from the interposing of foreign ambassadors
in their favour; from the compounding of their forfeitures
-for such small sums of money as amounts to little less than
VOL. I. B B

386 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I*.
a toleration ; from the education of gentlemen's children
in popish seminaries, and the licentious printing and
publishing popish books; wherefore they pray his majesty
to take his sword in hand for. the recovery of the palatinate-,
to put the laws in execution against papists, to break off
the Spanish match, and to marry his son to a protestant
princess. The King hearing of this remonstrance, sent
the speaker a letter from New-market to acquaint the
house, that " He absolutely forbid their meddling with
any thing concerning his government,, or with his son's-.
match ;" and to keep them in awe, his majesty declared,
that "He thinks himself at liberty to punish any man's
misdemeanors in parliament, as well during their sitting;
as after, which he means not to spare hereafter upon
occasion of any man's insolent behaviour in the house."
In answer to this letter, the commons drew up a petition
to present with their remonstrance, in which they insist
upon the laws of their country, and the freedom of debates
in parliament. The King returned them a long answer,
which concludes with denying them, what they call
"Their ancient and undoubted right and inheritance."
The commons in debate upon his majesty's answer, drew
up a protestation in maintenance of their claim, and
caused it to be entered i» their journal. Upon this the
King being come to London, declared in council the pro
testation to be null, and with great indignation tore it
out of the book with his own hand. A few days after he
dissolved the parliament, and issued a proclamation, for
bidding his subjects to talk of state affairs. He also
committed the leading members to prison.
The King having parted with his parliament, was at
liberty to gratify the Spaniard, by indulging the papists ;
for this purpose the Lord keeper Williams, by his majesty's
command, wrote to all the judges,, that in their several
circuits they discharge all prisoners for church recusancy ;
or for refusing the oath of supremacy ; or for dispersing
popish books; or hearing or saying mass: or for any
other point of recusancy that concerned religion only.
Accordingly the Jesuits and popish recusants of all sorts
were enlarged, to the number of four thousand ; all pro
secutions were stayed, and the penal laws suspended.

1621. JAMES I. S87
Upon this, great numbers of Jesuits, and other missionaries,
flocked into England ; mass was celebrased openly in the
countries ; and in London their private assemblies were
so crouded, that at a meeting in Black-Friars, the floor
sunk under them and killed the preacher and ninety-three
of the hearers.
While the papists were countenanced, the court and
the new bishops bore hard upon the puritans, filling the
pulpits with men of arbitrary principles, and punishing
those who dared to preach for the rights of the subject.
Mr. Knight of Broadsgate-hall, in a sermon before the
university of Oxford, on 2 Kings xix. 9. advanced this
proposition, that " Subordinate magistrates might lawfully
make use of force, and defend themselves, the common
wealth, and the true religion in the field, against the
chief magistrate, within the cases and conditions follow
ing. 1. When the chief magistrate turns tyrant. 2. When
he forces his subjects upon blasphemy or idolatry. 3.
When any intolerable burdens or pressures are laid upon
them. And, 4. When resistance is the only expedient to
secure their lives, their fortunes, and the liberty of their
consciences." The court being informed of this sermon
sent for the preacher, and asked him, what authority he
had for his assertion ? he answered, Paraeus on Romans
xiiith, but that his principal authority was King James
himself, who was sending assistance to the Rochellers
against their natural prince. Upon this bold answer Mr.
Knight was confined in the Gate- house; Parseus's com
mentaries were burnt at Oxford and London ; his asser
tions were condemned as false and seditious ; and the
university of Oxford in full convocation passed a decree,
" That it was not lawful for subjects to appear offensively
in arms against their King on the score of religion, or on
any other account, according to the scripture." — How
this was reconcileable with the King's assisting the French
Huguenots, I must leave with the reader. But to bind
the nation down for ever in principles of slavery, all
graduates of the university of Oxford were enjoined to
subscribe the above mentioned decree, and to swear, that
they would ALWAYS CONTINUE OF THE SAME
B b 2

38S HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
OPINION. Was there ever such an Unreasonable oath ?
Yet such was the severity and madness of the times !
But to distress the puritans more effectually, the King
sent some directions to the archbishop, to be communicated
to all the clergy of his province. In these directions
there was nothing that could affect papists or arminians,
but almost every article pointed at the puritans. The
King had assisted in maintaining the very doctrines in
Holland, which he forbids to be propagated in England.
The thirty-nine articles were established by law, and yet
not under a bishop or dean may preach on the seventeenth,
concerning predestination. The ministers of God's word
may not limit the prerogative, but they may preach con
cerning its unlimited extent ; and though the second
injunction admits of their expounding the catechism,
Fuller says, the bishops' officials were so active, that in
many places they tied up preachers in the afternoon to
the Very letter of the catechism, allowing them no liberty
to expound or enlarge upon any of the answers. The
puritans had suffered hitherto only /or the neglect of
ceremonies* but now their very doctrine is an offence.
From this time, all Calvinists were in a manner excluded
from court preferments. The way to rise in the church,
was to preach up the absolute power of the King, to
declaim against the rigours of Calvinism, and to speak
favourably of popery. Those who scrupled this, were
neglected, and distinguished by the name of doctrinal
puritans ; but it was the glory of this people that they
stood together, like a wall, against the arbitrary proceed
ings of the King, both in church and state.
Abp. Abbot was at the head of the doctrinal puritans;
and often advised the King to return to the old parlia
mentary way of raising money : this cost him his interest
at court ; and an accident happened this year, which
quite broke his spirits, and made him retire from the
world. Lord Zouch invited his grace to a buck-hunting
in Bramshill-park in Hampshire ; aud while the keeper
was running among the deer, to bring them to a fairer
mark, the archbishop sitting on horseback, let fly a barbed
arrow, which shot him under the arm-pit, and killed him
dead upon the spot. His grace was so distressed in mind

1622. JAMES I. 389
with the accident, that he retired to one of his own alms
houses at Guildford ; and though upon examination of
the case, it was judged casual homicide, he kept that
day as a fast as long as he lived ; and allowed the keeper's
widow twenty pounds a year for her maintenance. The
King also being moved with compassion, sent for him to
Lambeth, and gave him a royal pardon and dispensation to
prevent all exceptions to his episcopal character ; but he
prudently withdrew from the council board, where his
advice had been little regarded before, as coming from a
person of unfashionable principles.
The puritans lost an eminent practical writer and
preacher about this time, Nicholas Byfield, born in
Warwickshire, and educated in Exeter Coll. Oxford.
After four years, he left the university, and went for Ire
land; but preaching at Chester, the inhabitants gave him
an unanimous invitation to St. Peter's church in that city,
where he resided seven years. From thence he removed
to Isleworth in Middlesex, and remained there till his
death, which was occasioned by the stone. His body
being opened, a stone was taken out of his bladder, that
weighed thirty-three ounces, and was in measure about
the edge, fifteen inches and a half ; about the length and
breadth thirteen inches, and solid like a flint ; an almost
incredible relation ! But Dr. Gouge, who drew up this
account, was an eye-witness of it, with many others. Mr,
Byfield was a calvinist, a non-conformist to the ceremonies,
and a strict observer of the sabbath. He published
several books in his life time ; and his commentaries upon
the Colossians and St. Peter, published after his death,
shew him to be a divine of great piety,' capacity and
learning. The Abp. being in disgrace, the council were unani
mous, and met with no interruption in their proceedings.
The puritans retired to the new plantations in America,
and popery came in like an armed man. This was occa
sioned partly by the new promotions at court, but chiefly
by the Spanish match, which was begun about 1617, and
drawn out to a length of seven years, till the palatinate
was lost, and the protestant religion in a manner extirpated
B B 3

390 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
out of the kingdom of Bohemia and other parts of Ger
many ; and then the match itself was broke off. But it
may be proper here to trace this affair from its beginning,
because it was the source of the ensuing calamities of this
and the following reigm Prince Charles being arrived at
the state of manhood, the King had thoughts of marrying
him, but could find no protestant princess of an equal rank.
He despised the princes of Germany, and would hear of
nothing beneath a King's daughter. This put him upon
seeking a wife for him out of the house of Austria, sworn
enemies to the protestant religion ; for which purpose he
entered into a treaty with Spain for the Infanta. Under
eolour of this match, Gondamar the Spanish Ambassador,
made the King do whatever he pleased. If he inclined
to assist his son-in-law in recovering the Palatinate, he was
fold he must keep fair with the house of Austria; or the
match was at an end. If he denied any favours to the
papists at home, the court of Rome, and all the Roman
catholic powers were disobliged, and then it could never
take place. To obviate these and other objections,
his majesty promised upon the word of a King, that no
Roman catholic should be proceeded against capitally ;
and though he could not at present repeal the pecuniary-
laws, that he would mitigate them to the satisfaction of
the catholic King; and the length his majesty went in
favour of papists on this occasion, will appear by the
following articles, which were inserted _ both into the
Spanish and French treaty, which afterwards took place.
The articles of the intended Spanish match relating to
religion, were these. Art. 6, The Infanta herself, her
servants, her children and descendants, and all their
families, serving her highness, may freely and publicly
profess themselves catholics. Art. 5, 7, and 8, Provide
a church, a chapel, and an oratory for her highness, with
all popish ornaments utensils and decorations. 10, and
11, Allow her twenty-four priests and assistants, and over
them a bishop, with full authority and spiritual jurisdic
tion. 13, Admits the Infanta and her servants to procure
from Rome dispensations, indulgences, jubilees, &c, and
-all graces, as shall seem meet to them. 16, Provides that
the laws made against Roman catiiolics in England, or iii

1622 JAMES I. 391
any of the King's dominions, shall not extend to the chil
dren of this marriage ; nor shall they lose tlieir succession
to the crown, although they be Roman catholics. Autho
rizes the Infanta to choose nurses for her children, and to
bring them up in her religion till they are ten years of age.
But the term was afterwards enlarged to twelve; andin
the match with France, to thirteen.
King James swore to the observation of these articles,
in the presence of the two Spanish ambassadors, and
twenty-four privy-counsellors, who set their hands to the
treaty. Besides which, his majesty and the prince of
Wales swore to the four following private ones, 1. That no
laws against papists should hereafter be put in execution.
2. That no new laws shall be made against them ; but
that there shall be a perpetual toleration of the Roman
catholic religion in private houses, throughout all his
majesty's dominions, which his council shall swear to. 3.
That he will never persuade the Infanta to change her
religion. 4. That he will use all his authority and in
fluence to have these conditions ratified by parliament,
that so all penal laws against papists may not only be sus
pended, but legally disannulled.
The words of the prince of Wales's oath were these : —
" I Charles, Prince of Wales, engage myself, that all
things contained in the foregoing articles, which concern
as well the suspension as abrogation of all laws made
against Roman catholics, shall within three years infallibly
take effect, and sooner if possible; which we will have to
lie upon our conscience and royal honour : And I will in
tercede with my father that the ten years of education
of the children that shall be born of this marriage, which
the Pope of Rome desires may be lengthened to twelve,
shall be prolonged to the said term. And I swear, that if
the entire power of disposing this matter be devolved upon
me, I will grant and approve of the said term. Further
more, as oft as the Infanta shall desire that I should give
ear to divines and others, whom her highness shall be
pleased to employ in matters of the Roman catholic reli
gion, I will hearken to them Willingly, without all difficul
ties, and laying aside all excuses."
Under these advantages, the papists appeared openly,

3912 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
and behaved with an offensive insolence ; but the hearts
of all true protestants trembled for themselves and their
posterity. And Abp. Abbot, though under a cloud,
ventured to write to the King upon the subject ;
beseeching him to consider, " Whether by the toleration
which his majesty proposes, he is not setting up that most
damnable and heretical doctrine of the church of Rome,
the whore of Babylon ? How hateful must this be to God,
and grievous to your good subjects, says he, that your ma
jesty, who hath learnedly written against these wicked
heresies, should now shew yourself a patron of those doc
trines, which your pen has told the world, and your con
science tells yourself, are superstitious, idolatrous, and
detestable. Besides, this toleration which you endeavour
to set up by proclamation, cannot be done without a par
liament, unless your majesty will let your subjects see that
you will take a liberty to throw down the laws at your
pleasure. And above all,' I beseech your majesty to con
sider, lest by this toleration your majesty do not draw
upon the kingdom in general, and on yourself in particu
lar, God's heavy wrath and indignation." — But thiswise
King, instead of hearkening to the remonstrances of his '
protestant subjects, put the peace of his kingdom, and the
whole protestant religion, into the hands of the Spaniard,
by sending his son with the Duke of Buckingham, to
Madrid, to fetch home the Infanta; a piece of confidence
that the Solomon of the age should not have been guilty
of. When the prince was gone, , it is said, that Archy,
the King's fool, clapped his cap upon the King's head.
The King asking him the reason, he answered, because he
had sent the prince into Spain. , But says his majesty,
what if he should come back safe ? Why then, says Archy,
" I will take my cap off from your head, and put it on the
King of Spain's."
The Spaniards gave out, that the design of the Prince's
journey was to reconcile himself to the church of Rome.
It is certain the Pope wrote to the Bishop of Conchen, to
lay hold of this opportunity to convert him ; and directed
a most, persuasive letter to the Prince himself to the same
purpose, which the Prince answered in a very obliging
manner, giving the Pope the title ef most holy father,

1623. JAMES I. 393
and encouraging him to expect, that when he came to the
crown there should be but one religion in his dominions,
seeing says he, that both catholics and protestants believe
in one Jesus Christ. He was strongly solicited to change
his religion by some of the first quality, and by the most
learned priests and Jesuits, who caressed his highness with
speeches, dedicated books to him, invited him to their
processions, and gave him a view of their most magnificent
churches and reliques ; by which artifices, though he was
not converted, he was confirmed in his resolution of at
tempting a coalition of the two churches ; for the attempt
ing of which he afterwards lost both his crown and life.
It was happy, after all, that the Prince got safe out of the
Spanish territories ; which as Spanheim observes, that
politic court would not have permitted, had they not con
sidered, that the Queen of Bohemia, next heir to the crown,
was a greater enemy to popery than her brother. But
after all, when this memorable treaty of marriage had
been upon the carpet seven years, and wanted nothing but
celebration, the portion being settled, the Pope's dispensa
tion obtained, the marriage articles sworn to on both sides,
and the very day of consummation by proxy appointed,
it was broke off by the influence of the Duke of Bucking
ham upon the Prince, who ordered the Earl of Bristol not
to deliver the proxy till the time limited by the dispensa
tion was expired ; the King of Spain suspecting the de
sign, in order to throw all the blame upon the King of
England, signed a promise with his own hand and deliver
ed it to the ambassador, wherein he obliged himself to
cause the Palatinate to be restored to the elector Palatine,
in case the marriage took effect ; but his highness was im
moveable, and obliged the King to recal his ambassador.
From this time the prince and duke seemed to turn
puritans, the latter having taken Dr. Preston, one of their
chief ministers, into his service, to consult him , about
alienating the dean and chapter lands to the purposes of
preaching. They also advised the King to convene a
parliament, which his majesty did, and made such a speech
to them, as one would think impossible to come from the
same lips with the former. I assure you, says he, speak
ing of the Spanish match, on the faith of a christian King,

394 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, H,
that it is res integra presented unto you, and that I stand
not bound, nor either way engaged, but remain free to
follow what shall be best advised. His majesty adds, — " I
can truly say, and will avouch it before the seat of God
and angels, that never King governed with a purer, sin-
cerer, and more uncorrupt heart than I have done ; far
from ill-will and meaning of the least error and imperfec
tion in my reign. It has been talked of my remissness
in maintenance of religion, and suspicion of a toleration
of popery, but as God shall judge me, I never thought nor
meant, nor ever in word expressed any thing that savoured
of it. I never in my treaties agreed to any thing to the
overthrow and disannulling of those laws, but had in
all a chief regard to the preservation of that truth which
1 have ever professed." — The reader will remember how
this agrees with the marriage articles above mentioned, to
which the King had sworn.
But the parliament taking things as the King had repre
sented them,- advised his majesty to break off the match,
and to declare war for the recovery of the Palatinate ; and
at the same time petitioned his majesty, that all Jesuits
and seminary priests might be commanded to depart the
realm ; that the laws might be put in execution against
popish recusants ; that all such might be removed from
court, and ten miles from London. To which the King
made this remarkable answer, which must strike the reader
with surprize and wonder, — " What religion I am of my
books declare ; I wish it may be written in marble, and re
main to posterity as a mark upon me, when I shall swerve
from my religion ; for he that dissembles with God is not
to be trusted with men. I protest before God, that, my
heart hath bled when I have heard of the increase of
popery. God is my judge, it hath been such a grief
to me, that it has been as thorns in mv eyes, and pricks
in my sides. It hath been my desire to hinder the
growth of popery; and I could not be an honest man,
if I had done otherwise. I will order the laws to be
put in execution against popish recusants as they were
before these treaties, for the laws are still in being, and
were never dispensed with by me; God is my judge, theyN
were never so intended by mc." — What solemn appeals to

1624. JAMES I. 395
heaven are these, agltinst the clearest and most undeniable
facts ! It requires a good degree of charity, to believe this
prince had either religion or conscience remaining. For
though he assured his parliament, that his heart bled with
in him when he heard of the increase of popery, yet this j
very parliament presented him with a list of fifty-seven
popish lords and knights who were in public offices, none
of whom were displaced, while the puritan ministers were
driven out of the kingdom, and hardly a gentleman of that
character advanced to the dignity of a justice of peace.
The parliament being prorogued, the King instead of
going heartily into the war, or marrying his son to a pro
testant princess, entered into a treaty with Lewis XIII. for
his sister Henrietta Maria. Upon this occasion the Abp,
* of Ambrun was sent into England, who told the King, the
best way to accomplish the match for his son, was to grant
a full toleration to catholics. The King replied, that he
intended to grant it, and was willing to have an assembly
of divines to Compromise the difference between protest
ants and papists, and promised to send a letter to the Pope
to bring him into the project. In this letter, the King
stiles the Pope Christ's vicar, and head of the church uni
versal, and assures him, he would declare himself a catholic
as soon as he could provide against the inconveniences of
such a declaration ; but whether this was so or not, it is
certain he immediately relaxed the penal laws against
--papists, and permitted Ambrun to administer confirmation
to ten thousand catholics at the door of the French am
bassador's house, in the presence of a great concourse of
people. In the mean time, the treaty of marriage went
forwards, and was at last signed, in the thirty-three public
articles, and three secret ones, wherein the very same, or
greater advantages, were stipulated for the catholics than
in those of Madrid ; but before the dispensation from the
Pope could be obtained, his majesty fell sick at Theobalds
of a certain ague, which put an end to his life, not without
suspicion of poison, in the 59th year of his age.
To review the course of this reign ; it is evident that
both popery and puritanism increased prodigiously, while
the friends of the hierarchy sunk into contempt; this was
owing partly to the spiritual promotions, and partly to the

3% HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. If.
arbitrary maxims of state that the King had advanced. In
promoting of bishops the King discovered a greater regard
to such as would yield a servile compliance to his absolute
commands, than to such as would fill their sees with
reputation, and be an example to the people of religion
and virtue. The fashionable doctrines at court were such
as the King had condemned at the synod of Dort, and
which in the opinion of the old English clergy, were sub
versive of the reformation. The new bishops admitted
the church of Rome to be a true church, and the Pope,
the first Bp. of Christendom. They declared for the law
fulness of images in churches; for the real presence; and
that the doctrine of transubstantiation was a school nicety.
They pleaded for confession to a priest ; for sacerdotal
absolution, and the proper merit of good works. They
gave up the morality of the sabbath, and the five distin
guishing points of Calvinism, for which their predecessors
had contended. They claimed an uninterrupted suc
cession of the episcopal character from the apostles
through the church of Rome, which obliged them to main
tain the validity of her ordinations, when they denied the
validity of those of the foreign protestants. Further, they
began to imitate the church of Rome in her gaudy cere
monies, in the rich furniture of their chapels, and the
pomp of their worship. They complimented the Roman
catholic priests with their dignitary titles, and spent all
their zeal in studying how to compromise matters with
Rome, while they turned their backs upon the old protes
tant doctrines of the reformation, and were remarkably
negligent in preaching, or instructing the people in chris
tian knowledge.
Things were come to such a pass, that Gondamar the
Spanish Ambassador wrote to Spain, that there never was
more hopes of England's conversion, for " there are more
prayers, says he, offered to the mother than to the son of
God." The priests and Jesuits challenged the established
clergy to public disputations ; the Duke of Buckingham's
mother being a papist, a conference was held in her pre
sence between Fisher a Jesuit on the one part, and Drs.
White, Williams, and Laud on the other. Each of them
disputed with the Jesuit a day before a great concourse of

16'Jk JAMES I. "97
people, but not to the countess's conversion, which was
not at all strange upon their principles. Amongst other
popish book that were published, one was entitled, " A.
new gag for the old gospel ; which Dr. Montague, rector
of Stamford Rivers answered in such a manner, as gave
great offence to the old clergy, yielding up all the points
above-mentioned, and not only declaring for Arminianism,
but making dangerous advances towards popery itself.
The book occasioning a great noise, Messrs. Ward and
Yates, two ministers at Ipswich, made a collection of the
popish and arminian tenets it contained, in order to lay
them before the next parliament ; but the author, with the
King's leave, took shelter under the royal wing, and pre
pared for the press, his " Apello Casarem," or a just
appeal from two unjust informers. However, before the
book was published the King died.
These advances of the court divines towards popery,
made most of the people fall in with the puritans, who
being constant preachers, and of exemplary lives,
wrought them up by their awakening sermons to an abhor
rence of every thing that looked that way. Many of the
nobility and gentry favoured them. Lady Bowes, after
wards Lady Darcy, gave a thousand pounds per annum, to
maintain preachers in the north, where there were none,
aud all her preachers were silenced non-conformists. Almost
all the famous practical writers of this reign, except Bp.
Andrews, were puritans, and sufferers for non-conformity,
and their works have done great service to religion. The
character of these divines was the reverse of what Selden
gives of the clergy of these times, in his history of tithes,
where he taxes them with ignorance and laziness. Upon
the whole, if we may believe Mr. Coke, the puritan party
had gathered so much strength, and was in such reputation
with the people, that they were more in number than all
the other parties in the kingdom put together.
With regard to King James himself, it is hard to draw
Iris just character, for no prince was ever so much flattered
who so little deserved it. He was of a middle stature,
not very corpulent, but stuffed out with clothes*
which hung so loose, and being quilted, were so thick,
as to resist a dagger. His countenance was.homely, and

398 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. If.
his tongue too big for his mouth, so that he could not
speak with decency. While he was in Scotland he ap
peared sober and chaste, and acquired a good degree of
learning, but upon his accession to the English crown he
threw off the mask, and by degrees gave himself up to
luxury and ease, and all kinds of licentiousness. His
language was obscene, and his actions very often lewd
and indecent. He was a profane swearer, and would often
be drunk, and when he came to himself would weep like
a child, and say, he hoped God would not impute his
infirmities to him. He valued himself upon what he called
KING-CRAFT, which was nothing else but deep hypo
crisy and dissimulation in every character of life, resulting
from the excessive timorousness of his nature. If we
consider him as a King, he never did a great or generous
action throughout the course of his reign, but prostituted
the honour of the nation beyond any of his predecessors.
He stood still while the protestant religion was suppressed
in France, in Bohemia, in the Palatinate, and other parts
of Germany. He surrendered up the cautionary towns
to the Dutch for less than a fourth part of the value, and
suffered them to dispossess us of our factories in the
East-Indies. At home he committed the direction of all
affairs in church and state to two or three favourites, and
cared not what they did if they gave him no trouble. He
broke through all the laws of the land, and was as absolute
a tyrant as his want of courage would admit. He revived
the projects of monopolies, loans, benevolences, &c. to
supply his exchequer, which was exhausted by his pro-
fuseness towards his favourites, and laid the foundation
of all the calamities of his son's- reign. Upon the whole,
though he was flattered by hungry courtiers as the Solomon
and Phoenix of his age, he was in the opinion of Bp«
Burnet, " the scorn of the age, a mere pedant,, without
true judgment, courage, or steadiness; his reign being
a continued course of mean practices."
It is hard to make any judgment of his religion, for
one while he was a puritan, and then a zealous church
man ; at first a calvinist and presbyterian, afterwards a
remonstrant or arminian, and at last a half, if not an entire
doctrinal papist. Sir R. Winwopd saysj that as long ago>

1624. JAMES I. 890
as 1596, he sent Mr. Ogilby, a Scots baron, to Spain, to
assure his catholic majesty he was ready to turn papist,
and to propose an alliance with that King and the Pope
against the Queen of England ; but for reasons of state
the affair was hushed. Rapin says he was neither a sound
protestant, nor a good catholic, but had formed a plan of
uniting both churches, which must effectually have ruined
the protestant interest, for which indeed he never ex
pressed any real concern. I am rather of opinion that all
his religion was his boasted King-craft. He was certainly
the meanest prince that ever sat upon the British throne:
England never sunk in its reputation, nor was so much
exposed to the scorn and ridicule of its neighbours, as
in his reign. How willing his majesty was to unite with
the papists the foregoing history has discovered ; and
yet in the presence of many Lords, and in a very remark
able manner, he made a solemn protestation, "That he
would spend the last drop of blood in his body before he
would do it ; and prayed, that before any of his issue
should maintain any other religion than his own, the
protestant, that God would take them out of the world."'
How far this imprecation took place on himself or any
of his posterity must be left to the determination^ of
an omniscient Being.

CHAP. I.

C HARLES I.
Character of Charles I. — Character qf his Queen. — Of Abp.
Laud : — Of the Judges.— State of Arminianism : — Of
Popery. -Loss of Rochelle.— Arbitrary methods of raising
Money. — King's Coronation. — A New Parliament,
Restraint of the Press.— Abp. Abbot suspended. — War
with France. — Petition qf Right. — Parliament's remon
strance. — Irish Bishops protest against the Toleration
of Popery. — Proceedings with the Parliament. — Mem
bers taken into Custody. — King's. Speech at the Dis
solution of Parliament. — Remarks. — Libels against
Laud. — The King's reasons for dissolving Parliament. —
Proclamation against prescribing . a Time for calling
Parliaments. — Death and Character of Dr. Preston.
'OEFORE we enter upon this reign, it will be proper
"^ to take a short view of the court, and of the most
active ministers under King Charles I. for the first
fifteen years. The King came to the crown at the age of
twenty -five years, being born at Dumferling in Scotland, in
the year 1 600, and baptised by a presbyterian minister of
that country. In his youth, he was of a weakly constitution,
and stammering speech; his legs were somewhat crooked,
and he was suspected (says Mr. Eachard) to be of a per
verse nature. When his father, King James, came to the
English crown, he took him from his Scots tutors, arid
placed him under those who gave him an early aversion
to that kirk, and to those doctrines of Christianity, which
they held in the greatest veneration. As the court of
James leaned towards popery and arbitrary power, so did

lees, Charles i. 401-
the Prince, especially after his journey into Spain ; where
he imbibed not only the pernicious maxims of that court,
but their reserved and distant behaviour. He began his
reign upon most arbitrary principles, and though he had
good natural abilities, was always under the direction of
some favourite, to whose judgment and conduct he was
absolutely resigned. Nor was he ever master of so much
judgment in politics, as to discern his own and the nation's
true interest, or to take the advice of those who did.
With regard to the church, he was a punctual observer of
its ceremonies, and had the highest dislike and prejudice
to that part of his subjects who were against the eccle
siastical constitution.
Upon his majesty's accession, and before the solemnity
of his father's funeral, he married Henrietta Maria*
daughter of Henry IV. and sister of Lewis XIII. The
marriage was solemnized by proxy ; first at Paris, with all
the ceremonies of the Romish church, and afterwards at
Canterbury, according to the rites of the churchof Eng-=
land ; the articles being in a manner the same with those
already mentioned in the Spanish match. Her majesty
arrived at Dover, June 13, and brought with her a long
train of priests and menialservantsof the Romish religion ;
for whose devotions a chapel was fitted up hi the King's
house at St. James's. The Queen' Was agreeable, beau
tiful, . and possessed of great vivacity ; by which she
obtained an unusual influence with the King, who held
her in perfect adoration. But she loved intrigues,, without
any manner of judgment in contrivance or execution*
this match was a greater judgment to the nation than the
plague, which then raged in the land; for considering'
the malignity of the popish religion, the imperiousness of
the French government, the influence of a stately Queen,
and the share she must needs have in the education of her
children, it was easy to foresee it might prove very fatal
to our English Prince and people, and lay in a vengeance
to future generations. The Queen was a very great bigot
to her religion ; her conscience was directed by her
confessor, assisted by the Pope's nuncio, and a secret
cabal of priests and Jesuits. These controuled the Quee%
VOL. I* . C C .,

402 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. .1.
and she the King ; so that in effect the nation was governed
by popish councils, till the long parliament.
The prime minister under the King was Vn.IJERs,
Duke of Buckingham, a graceful young gentleman, but
very unfit for his high station. He had a full possession
of the King's heart, insomuch that his majesty broke
measures with all his parliaments for his sake, Upon the
Duke's death, Laud, then Bp. of London, became the
chief minister both in church and state. : He was born at
Reading, and educated in St.. John's Coll. Oxford, upon
the charitable donation of Mr. White, founder of Mer
chant Taylor's school. Here he .continued till he was fifty
years of age, and behaved in such a manner, that no
body knew what to think of him?" I would! knew (says
the pious Bp. Hall in one of his letters) whereto find you ;
to-day you are with the Romanists, to-morrow with us; our
adversaries think you ours, and we theirs ; your conscience
finds you with both and neither : how, long will you halt in
this indifferency ? By the interest of Bp. Williams, he
was first advanced to a Welch bishopric, and from thence
by degrees Jo the highest preferments in church and state.
He was a little man, of a, quick and rough temper, im
patient of. contradiction even at the council table, of
arbitrary principles both, in church and state, always
inclined to methods of severity, especially against the
puritans: vastly fond of external pomp and ceremony in
divine worship ; and though lie was not an absolute papist,
he was ambitious of being the sovereign patriarch of three
kingdoms. Lord Chief Justice Finch was a man of little know
ledge in his profession, except it was for making the laws
of the land give place to orders of council. Mr. Attorney-
General Noy was a man of affected pride and morosify,
who valued himself upon. making that to be. law .which. all
Other men. believed not to be so. Indeed all the judges
were of this stamp, who instead of upholding the law, as
tlie defence and security of the subject's privileges, set it
aside upon every little occasion, distinguishing between
a rule of law, and a rule of government : so that those
whom, they could not convict, by, statute law, were sure
to suffer by the rule of government, or a kind of political

1625. CHARLES I. 403
justice. The judges held their places during the King's
pleasure; and when the prerogative was to be stretched
in any particular instances, Laud would send for their
opinions before-hand, to give the greater sanction to the
proceedings of the council and star-chamber, by whom
they were often put in mind, that if they did not do his
majesty's business to satisfaction, they would be removed.
Upon the whole, they were mercenary men, and scandalous
"to their profession.
The courts of Westminster-Hall had little to do
between the crown and the subject; all business of this
kind being transferred to the council table, the star-
chamber, and the court of high commission. The
Lord-keeper Finch, upon a demurrer put into a bill, that
had no other equity than an order of council, declared
upon the bench, that while he was keeper, " no man
-should be so saucy as to dispute those orders, but that the
wisdom of that board should always be ground good
enough for him to make a decree in chancery." Judge
"*Berkeley, upon a like occasion declared, that " there was
a rule of law, and a rule of government, that many things
that might not be done by the rule of law, might be done
by the rule of government :" his lordship added, that " no
act of parliament could bind tlie King not to command
away his subjects' goods and money." The commissioners
not content with the business that was brought before them,
sent their commissaries over the whole kingdom, to
superintend the proceedings of the bishops' courts in their
several dioceses, which of themselves made sufficient
havoc among the puritans, and were under a general
odium for the severe exercise of their power : butif the
bishop or his officers, were negligent in their citations, or
shewed any degree of favour to the puritan ministers,
notice was immediately sent to Lambeth, and the accused
persons, were cited before the high commission, to their
utter ruin. They > also detained men in prison many
months, without bringing them to a trial, or so much as
acquainting them: with the cause of their commitment.
¦All which was so much the worse, because they knew that
the court had no jurisdiction of fining : at all ; for the
C'..e 2

4G4 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHIP*' I.
house of commons, in the third and seventh of James I.
resolved, that the court of high commission's fining and
imprisoning men for ecclesiastical offences, was an intol
erable grievance, oppression, and vexation, not warranted
by the statute 1 Eliz. chap. 1. And Sir E. Coke with the
restof the judges, at a conference with the prelates, in the
presericO of King James, gave it as their unanimous
opinion, that the high commission could fine in no case,
and imprison only in cases of heresy and incontinence of
a minister, and that only after conviction, but not by way
of process before it:" so that the jurisdiction of the court
to fine was not only questionable, but null ahd void-
Notwithstanding which, they hunted after their prey with
full cry.
Upon the accession of Charles to the throne, the Duke
of Buckingham threw off the mask, and shook hands with
his old friend Dr. Preston, whom he never loved, any
further than as a tool to promote his interest among the
people. Laud was his confessor and privy-counsellor for
the church, whose first care was to have none but arminian
and anti-puritanical chaplains about the King : for this
purpose, he drew up a small treatise and put it into the
Duke's hand, proving the Arminian doctrines to be ortho
dox ; and shewing in ten particulars, that the anti-arminian
tenets were no better than doctrinal puritanism. Agree
ably to this scheme, he presented the Duke with a list of
divines for his majesty's chaplains, distinguishing their
eharacters by the two capital letters, O. for Orthodox, that
is Arminian, and P. for Puritans, that is Calvinists. At
the same time, he received orders to consult Bp. Andrews
how to manage, with respect to the five distinguishing
points of Calvinism, in the ensuing convocation; but the
wise bishop advised his brother by all means to be quiet,
and keep the controversy out of the house; It was there
fore wisely dropt, the majority of the lower house being
zealous calvinists; and forty-five of them had made a
covenant among themselves to oppose every thing that
tended towards pelagianism, or semi-pelagianism : but
the controversy was warmly debated without doors, till the
King put a stop to it by his royal declaration.
Popery advanced hand in hand with arminianism, an*

1625. CHARLES I. 405
began the disputes between the King and his first parlia
ment. His majesty towards the close of his speech,
having asked their assistance for the recovery of the Pala
tinate, assured them that though he had been suspected
as to his religion, he would let the world see, that none
should be more desirous to maintain the religion he pro
fessed than himself. The houses thanked the King for
his most gracious speech ; but before they entered
upon other business, joined in a petition against popish
recusants. They pray, that the youth of the kingdom may be
educated under protestant school-masters; which his
majesty promised : — That provision might be made against
transporting children to popish seminaries, and for
recalling those that were there. Answ. To this his ma
tt
jesty agreed. That no popish recusant be admitted to
come to court, but upon special occasion according to
statute 3. Jac. Answ. This also his majesty promised.
That the laws against papists be put in execution, and that
a day be fixed for the departure of all Jesuits and seminary
priests out of the kingdom, and that no natural-born
subject, nor strange bishops, nor any other by authority
from the see of Rome, confer any ecclesiastical orders or
exercise any ecclesiastical function upon your majesty's
subjects. Answ. It shall be so published by proclamation.
That your majesty's learned council may have prders to
consider of all former grants of recusant lands, that such
may be avoided as are avoidable by law. Answ, It shall
be done, according as is desired. That your majesty give
order to your judges and all officers of justice, to see the
laws against popish recusants duly executed, Answ. His
majesty leaves the laws to their course. That your majesty
will remove from places of authority and government
.all popish recusants. Answ. His majesty will give order
accordingly. That order be taken for disarming all popish
recusants convict according to law, and that popish re
cusants be commanded to retire to their houses, and be
confined within five miles of home. Answ. The laws shall
be put in execution. That none of your majesty's natural-
born subjects go to hear mass at the houses or chapels of
C C 3 ,

406 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
foreign ambassadors. Answ. The King Will give order
accordingly. That the statute of 1 Eliz. for the payment
of twelve-pence every Sunday by such as absent from
divine service in the church, without a lawful excuse, be
put in execution. Answ. TheKing promises the penalties
shall not be dispensed with. That your majesty will ex
tend your princely care to Ireland, that the like courses
may be taken there for establishing the true religion,
Answ. His majesty will do all that a religious King can do
jn that affair.
It is surprizing that the King should make these pro
mises to his parliament within six months after he had
signed his marriage articles, in which he had engaged to
set all Roman catholics at liberty, and to suffer no search
or molestation of them for their religion, and had in con'-
sequence of it pardoned twenty Romish priests. But as a
judicious Writer observes, it seems to have been a maxim
in this and the last reign, that no faith is to be kept with
¦parliaments, ¦ The papists were apprized of the reasons of
state that obliged the King to comply outwardly- with what
he did not really intend; and therefore though his majesty
directed a letter to his archbishop, to proceed against
popish recusants, and a proclamation was published to
recal the English youth from popish seminaries, little
•regard was paid to them. The ' King -himself released
eleven Romish priests Out of prison, by special warrant
the next day; the titular Bp. of Chalcedon, appointed a
popish vicar-general and archdeacons all over England.
And when the next parliament petitioned for the removal
of papists from offices of trust, it .appeared, by a list
annexed to their petition, that there were no less than
fifty-nine of the nobility and gentry of that religion then
in the commission.
But the King not only connived at the Roman catholics
at homej but unhappily contributed to the- ruin of the
protestant religion abroad. Cardinal Richlieu having
formed a design to extirpate the Hugonots of France, by
securing all their places of strength, laid siege to Rochelle,
a sea-port town with a good harbour, and a number of
ships sufficient for its defence. Richlieu taking advantage
#f the King's late match with France, sent to borrow seven

1625r CHARLES I. mi
or eight ships, to be employed as the King of France
should direct, who appointed them to block up the harbour
of Rochelle; but when the honest sailors were told where
they were going, they declared they would rather be
thrown over-board, or hanged upon the top of the masts,
than fight against their protestant brethren. Notwith
standing Admiral Pennington and the French officers used
all their rhetoric to persuade them, they remained in
flexible. The admiral therefore acquainted the King,
who sent him a warrant to the following effect : " That he
should consign his own ship immediately into the hands of
the French admiral, with all her equipage, artillery, &c.
and require the .other seven to put themselves into the
service of the Frencli King ; and in case of backwardness
or refusal, to use all forcible means, even to tlieir sink
ing," In pursuance of this warrant, the ships were
delivered into the hands of the French, but all the Eng
lish sailors and officers deserted except two. The French
having got the ships and artillery, quickly manned them
with sailors of their own religion, and joined the rest of the
French fleet, they blocked up the harbour, destroyed the
little fleet of the Rochellers, and cut off their communica
tion by sea with their protestant friends, by which means
they were reduced to all the hardships of a most dreadful
famine; and after a long blockade both by sea and
land, were forced to surrender the chief bulwark of
the protestant interest in France, into the hands of the
papists. To return to the parliament ; it has been remembered,
that Mr. Montague, a clergyman, and one of the King's
chaplains, published a book- in 1623, entitled "A new
gag for an old goose," in answer to a popish book entitled
" A gag f°r the new gospel." The book containing sun
dry propositions tending to the public disturbance, was
complained of in the house of commons, who after having
examined the author at their bar, referred him to the Abp.
of Canterbury, who dismissed him, with an express pro
hibition to write no more about such matters. But Mon
tague being encouraged from court, went on and pub
lished- "An appeal to Caesar," designing it for Kino-
James, but he being dead before it was ready, it was

408 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP.4,
dedicated to King Charles, and recommended at first by
several bishops, who upon better consideration artfully
withdrew their names from before it; aud left Dr. White
to appear by himself, as he complained publicly. The
appeal was calculated to promote arminianism, to attempt
a reconciliation with Rome, and to advance the King's
prerogative above law. The house appointed a committee
to examine into its errors ; after which ihey voted it to be
contrary to the articles of tho church of England, and
bound the author in a recognizance of two thousand,
pounds for his appearance.
Bp. Laud apprehending this to be an invasion of the
prerogative, and a dangprous precedent, joined with two
other bishops in a letter to the Duke of Buckingham, to
engage his 'majesty to take the cause into his own hands :
this letter had its effect, and procured Montague his
auietus at present. The King declared he would bring
the cause before the council, it being a branch of his
supremacy to determine matters of religion. He expressed
his displeasure against the commons, for calling his chap
lain to their bar, and for alarming the nation with the
danger of popery. But these affairs, together with the
King's assisting at the siege of Rochelle, made such a
noise at Oxford, where the parliament was re-assembled,
because of the plague at London, that the King was
obliged to dissolve them before they had granted the
-supplies necessary for carrying on the war. Nor did his
majesty pass any act relating to religion, except. one,
• which was soon after suspended by his royal declaration ;
it was to prevent unlawful pastimes on the Lord's day.
However this law was never put in execution. Men were
reproached and censured for too strict an observation of
the Lord's day, but none that I have met wi|h for the pro,
fanation of it.
His majesty having dismissed his parliament before
- they had given him the necessary supplies for the war with
Spain, resolved to try his credit \n borrowing money, by
way of loan, of such persons as were best able to lend {
for this purpose gentlemen were taxed at a certain sum,
¦ and had promissory letters under the privy-seal to be
repaycd in. eighteen months. With this money the king

1656. CHARLES I. 409
fitted out a fleet against Spain, which after it had waited
about two months for the plate-fleet, returned without
doing any action worth remembrance.
The ceremony of the King's coronation, was another
expence which his majesty thought fit to provide for by
issuing out a proclamation, that all such as had forty
pounds a year or more, and were not yet knights, should
come and receive the order of knighthood, or compound
for it. This was a new grievance loudly complained of,
in the following parliaments. The coronation was per
formed by Abp. Abbot, assisted by Bp. Laud as Dean of
Westminster, who besides the old Regalia which were in
bis custody, that is, the crown, the sceptre, the spurs,
&c. of king Edward the confessor, brought forth an old
crucifix, and placed it upon the altar. As soon as the
archbishop had put the crown upon the king's head, and
performed the other usual ceremonies, his majesty being
seated on the throne, ready to receive the homage of
the lords, Bp. Laud came up to him and read the following
extraordinary passage, which is not to be found in former
coronations. " Stand and hold fast, from henceforth,
the place to which you have been heir by the succession
of your fore-fathers, being now delivered to you by the
authority of Almighty God, and by the hands of us, and
till the bishops and servants of God. And as you see the
clergy to come nearer to the altar than others, so remem
ber, that in all places convenient you give them greater
honour, that the Mediator of God and man may establish
you in the kingly throne, to be a mediator between the
clergy and the laity, and that you may reign forever with
Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords."
This and sundry other alterations were objected to the
archbishop at his trial.
The King's treasury being exhausted, and the war con
tinuing with Spain, his majesty was obliged to call a new
parliament ; but to avoid the choice of such members as
had exclaimed against the Duke of Buckingham, and
insisted upon redress of grievances, the court pricked
them down for sheriffs, which disqualified them from being
re-chosen members of parliament; of this number were
"Sir E. Coke, Sir I|. Philips, and Sir T. Wentworth, after-

410 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, I.
wards Lord Strafford. The houses met Feb. 6, and fell
immediately upon grievances. A committee for religion
was appointed, of which Mr. Pym was chairman, who
examined Mr. Montague's writings, (viz.) his Gag, his
Appeal, and his treatise of the Invocation of Saints, out
of which they collected several opinions contrary to the
book of homilies and the thirty-nine articles, and which
they reported to the house. In what manner the commons
designed to prosecute this impeachment is uncertain, for
Montague was not brought to his defence, the King
having intimated again to the house, that their proceed
ings against him without his leave was displeasing to him ;
that as to their holding him to bail, he thought his ser
vants might have the same protection as an ordinary bur
gess, and therefore he would take the cause, into his
own hands ; and soon after dissolved the parliament.
Though the arminian controversy was thus wrested out
of the hands of the parliament, it was warmly debated
without doors ; Montague was attacked in print from
various quarters, and conferences were appointed to de
bate the point, of the possibility of the elect's falling from
grace. But upon the whole, these conferences served
rather to increase the differences than abate them. The
King therefore issued out a proclamation, containing
express commands not to preach or dispute upon the con
troverted pointsof arminianism ; but the execution of this
proclamation being in the hands of Laud, and the bishops
of his party, the edge was turned against the puritans, and
jt became, says Rushworth, the stopping of their mouths,
and gave an uncontrouled liberty to the tongues and
pens of the arminian party. Others were of opinion,
that Laud and Neile procured this injunction, in order
to have an opportunity to oppress the calvinists who should
venture to break it,"while the disobedience of the contrary
party should be winked at. The puritans thought they
mi«rht still write in defence of the received doctrine of
the thirty-nine articles, but the press being in the hands
of their adversaries, some of their books were suppressed,
some were mutilated, and others that got abroad were called
in, and the authors and publishers questioned in the star-
chamber and high commission, for engaging in a contro-

I6S6. CHARLES I. 411
versy prohibited by the government. By these methods
effectual care was taken, that the puritan and calvinian
writers should do their adversaries no harm. Bp.
Laud, with two or three of his chaplains, undertaking to
judge of truth and error, for all the wise and great men of
the nation, in doing which they were so shamefully partial,
that learning and industry were discouraged, men of gravity
and great experience not being able to persuade them
selves to submit their labours to be mangled and torn in
pieces by a few younger divines, who were both judges
and parties in the affair. At length the booksellers being
almost ruined, preferred a petition to the next parliament,
complaining, that the writings of their best authors were
stifled in the press, while the books of tlieir adversaries,
papists and arminians, were published and spread over the
whole kingdom.
The case was just the same with regard to books against
popery : the Queen and the Roman-catholics must hot
be insulted, and therefore all offensive passages, such
as calling the pope antichrist, the church of Roine no true
church,ax\A everything tending to expose images in churches,
crucifixes, penance, auricular confession, and popish abso
lution, must be expunged. Terrible were the triumphs
of arbitrary power over the liberty and property of the
subject, in the intervals between and the Succeeding par
liament; gentlemen of birth and character, who refused
to lend what money the council was pleased to assess
them, were taken out of their houses and imprisoned at
a great distance from their habitations.
Those of the lower sort who refused to lend were
pressed for the army, or had soldiers quartered upon them,
who by their insolent behaviour disturbed the peace of
families, and committed frequent felonies, and barbarous
cruelties ; insomuch that the highways were dangerous
to travel, and the markets unfrequented. The King
would have borrowed one hundred thousand pounds
of the city of London, but they excused themseves.
However, his majesty got a round sum of money
from the papists, by issuing a. commission to the Abp.
of York, to compound with them for all their forfeitures
that had been due for recusancy, since the tenth of James I.

412 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 1.
or that should be due hereafter. By this fatal policy,
men well affected to the hierarchy, though enemies to
arbitrary power, were obliged to side with the puritans to
save the nation, and enable them to oppose the designs- of
,the court.
To convince the people that it was their duty to submit
to the loan, the clergy were employed to preach up the
doctrines of passive-obedience and non-resistance, and
to prove that the absolute submission of subjects to the
royal will and pleasure, was the doctrine of holy scripture.
One of the sermons preached upon this subject by Dr.
Sibthorp was dedicated to the King, and carried it to
Abp. Abbot to be licensed, which the honest old prelate
refused, for which he was suspended from all his archier
piscopal functions, and ordered to retire to Canterbury
or Ford, a moorish, unhealthy place, five miles beyond
. Canterbury. The sermon was then carried to the Bp.
of London, who licensed and recommended it as " A ser
mon learnedly and discreetly preached, agreeable to the
ancient doctrine of the primitive church, both for faith
, and good manners, and to the established doctrine of the
church of England."
Abbot had been out of favour for some time, because
he would not give up the laws and liberties of his country,
nor treat the Duke of Buckingham with that servile sub
mission that he expected. Heylin says the King was
displeased with him for being too favourable to the puri-
tans, and that for this reason he seized his jurisdiction,
and put it into hands more disposed to severity. Fuller
says, that a commission was granted to five bishops,
whereof Laud was one, to suspend him for casual homi
cide that he had committed seven years before, and of
which he had been cleared, in the reign of King James;
besides his grace had a royal dispensation to shelter him
from the canons, and had ever since exercised his juris
diction without interruption, even to the consecrating of
Laud himself to a bishopric. But the commission
mentions no cause of his suspension, and only takes notice,
that the archbishop cannot at present, in his own person,
attend the services which are otherwise proper for his
connusance and jurisdiction. But why could he not

H>27. CHARLES I. 413
attend them? Because his majesty had commanded him
to retire for refusing to license Sibthorp's sermon. The
blame ofthi? severity fell upon Laud, as if not having
patience to wait for tlie old prelate's death, he was desirous
to step into the ardiiepiscopal chair while he was alive ;
for no sooner was Abbot suspended, than his jurisdiction
was put into the hands of five bishops by commission, of
whom Laud was the chief.
There was another prelate that gave the court some
uneasiness, viz. Dr. Williams, Bp. of Lincoln, who being
in disgrace retired to his diocese, and became very popu
lar among his clergy. He declared against the loan, and
fell in with the puritans and country-party, insomuch that
Sir J. Lamb and Dr. Sibthorp, informed the council, that
they were grieved to see the Bp. of Lincoln give place to
unconformable ministers, when he turned his back upon
those who were conformable ; that the puritans ruled all
with him ; and that divers of them in Leicestershire be
ing convened before the commissaries, his lordship would
not admit proceedings to be had against them. That they
(the commissaries for the high commission) had informed
the bishop, of several of the factious puritans in his diocese
who would not come up to the table to receive the com
munion kneeling ; of their keeping unlawful fasts and
meetings; that one fast held from eight in the morning
till nine at night ; and that collections for money were made
without authority, upon pretence for the Palatinate : that
therefore they had desired leave from the bishop to pro
ceed against them ex officio ; but the bishop replied, that
he would not meddle against the puritans, that for his part
he expected not another bishopric ; they might complain
of them if they would to the council table, for he was un
der a cloud already. He had the Duke of Buckingham for
his enemy, and therefore would not draw the puritans upon
him, for he was sure they would carry all things at last.
Besides he said, the King in the first year of his reign,
had given answer to a petition of the lower house at Oxford
in favour of the puritans.
It appeared by the information of others, that Lamb
and Sibthorp pressed the bishop again to proceed against
the puritans in Leicestershire ; that the bishop then asked

414 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Si
them, what sort of people they were, and of what condi-r
tion ? to which Sir J. Lamb replied, in the presence of Dr-
Sibthorp, " That they seemed to the world to be such as
would not swear, whore, nor be drunk, but yet they would
lye, cozen, and deceive ; that they would frequently hear
two sermons a day, and repeat the same again too, and af
terwards pray, and that soirietimes they would fast all day
long." — Then the bishop asked whether the places where
those puritans were, did lend money freely upon the col
lection for the loan ; to which Sir J. Lamb and Dr. Sib
thorp replied that they did. Then said the bishop, no mart
of discretion can say, that that place is a place of puritans :
for my part I am not satisfied to give way to proceedings
against them; at which Sibthorp was- much discontented,
and said he was troubled to see that the church was no bet
ter regarded. This information being transmitted to the
council, was sealed up for the present, but was afterwards
with some other matters, produced against his lordship in
the star-chamber.
Though the King was at war with Spain, and with the
house of Austria, and if I may be allowed to say it, with bis-
own shbjects, though he had no money in his exchequer*
and was at the greatest loss how to raise any ; yet he suf
fered himself to be prevailed with to enter into a new war
with France, under the colour of maintaining the protest
ant religion in that country, without so much as thinking of
ways and means, to support it. But when one considers the
character of this King and his ministry, it is hard to believe
that this could be the real motive of the war ; for his ma
jesty and his whole court had a mortal aversion ta the
French hugonots, Buckingham had no religion at all;
Weston and Conway were catholics; and Laud and Neile
thought there was no salvation for protestants out of the
church of England; how then can it be supposed that they
should make war in defence of a religion for which they
had the utmost contempt? Lord Clarendon says the war
was owing to Buckingham's disappointment in his amours
at the French court; but it is more likely he advised it to1
keep up the misunderstan dings between the King and his
parliaments, by continuing the necessity of raising money
by extraordinary methods, upon which his credit andre-

1627. CHARLES I. 415
putation depended. War being declared, the Queen's do
mestics were sent home, and a fleet was fitted out, which
made a fruitless descent upon the isle of Rhce, under the.
conduct of the Duke of Buckingham, with the loss of five
thousand men. This raised a world of complaints and
murmurs against the Duke, and obliged the weak and un
happy King to try the experiment of another parliament.
As soon as this resolution was taken in council, orders
were dispatched to all parts of the kingdom, to release the
gentlemen imprisoned for the loan, to the number of
seventy-eight, most of whom were chosen members for the
ensuing parliament. In the mean time, his majesty went
on with raising money by excise; and instead of palliating
the. mistakes of his government, put on an. air of high
sovereignty, and told his parliament, that if they did not
provide for the necessities of the state, he should use those
other means that God had put into his hands, to save that
which the follies of other men would hazard. " Take not
this, says his majesty, as a threatning, for I scorn to
threaten my inferiors, but as an admonition from him,
who by nature and duty, has most care of your preservation
and prosperity. But the parliament not being awed by
this language, began with grievances ; and though they
voted five subsidies, they refused to carry the bill through
the house, till they had obtained the royal assent to their
petition of right, which asserted, among others, the
following claims contained in Magna Charta. 1. That no
freeman shall be detained in prison by the King and
privy-council, without the cause of commitment be. ex
pressed, for which by law he ought to be detained. 2.
That an Habeas Corpus ought not to be denied, where
the law allows it. 3. That no tax, loan, or, benevolence,
shall be imposed without act of parliament. 4. Thatn©.
man shall be fore-judged of life or limb, or be exiled or
destroyed, buf by the judgment of his peers, according
to the laws of the land, or by act of parliament. The
King gave the royal assent to this bill in the most ample
manner, which I mention, that the reader may remember
what regard his majesty paid to it in the twelve succeeding
, years of his reign.
- In the vaean time, the house of Lords'. went upon Man.-

416 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, 1.
waring's sermons, who had followed Sibthorp, in asserting
the prerogatives of the King against the rights of the
people, and passed the following sentence upon the
authority; " That he be imprisoned during pleasure, and
be 'fined one thousand pounds; that he make his sub
mission at the bar of the house, and be suspended from
his ministry for three years ; that he be disabled for ever
from preaching at court, be uncapable of any ecclesiastical
or secular preferment, and that his sermons be burnt in
London and both universities." Pursuant to this sen
tence, Manwaring appeared upon his knees at the bar of
the house, and made an ample acknowledgment and sub
mission, craving pardon of God, the King, the parliament^
and the whole commonwealth, in words drawn up by a
committee: but the houses were no sooner risen, than his
fine was remitted, and himself preferred first to the living
of Stamford Rivers, with a dispensation to hold St Giles's.
in the fields, then to the Deanery of Worcester, and aftei?
some time to the bishopric of St. David's. Within a
month after this, Montague was promoted to the bishopric
of Chichester, while he lay under the censure of parlia
ment. At his consecration at Bow church, Mr. Jones a
stationer of London stood up, and excepted against his
qualification for a bishopric, because the parliament had
voted him incapable of any preferment in the church ; but
his exceptions were over-ruled, not being delivered in by
a proctor ; though Jones averred that he could not prevail
with any one to appear for him, though he offered them
their fees. Sibthorp the other incendiary, was made pre
bendary of Peterborough, and rector of Burton Latimer
in Wiltshire ; though the Oxford historian confesses he
had nothing to recommend him but his forwardness and
servile flattery.
While the mortey bill was going through the house of
Lords, the commons were busy in drawing up a remon
strance of the grievances of the nation, with a petition fo*
redress r but as soon as the King had obtained his money,
he prorogued the parliament. The commons ¦ being;
disappointed of presenting their remonstrance, dispersed;
it through the nation ; but the King called it in, and aftes
some time published an- answer drawn up by Laud, as*

1626. CHARLES I. 417
was proved against him at his trial. The remonstrance
besides the civil grievances of billetting soldiers, &e.
complains with regard to religion, I. Of the great increase
of popery by the laws not being put in execution ; by
conferring honours and places of command upon papists;
by issuing out commissions to compound for their recu
sancy, and by permitting mass to be said openly at
Denmark-house and other places. — 2. Tlie remonstrance
complains of the discountenancing orthodox ministers,
though conformable and peaceable in their behaviour,
insomuch that they are hardly permitted to lecture where
there is no constant preaching ; — That their books are
prohibited,' when those of their adversaries are licensed
and published ; — That the bishops Neile and Laud are
justly suspected of arminianism and popish errors, &c. —
3. The remonstrance also complains of the growth of
arminianism, as a cunning Way to bring in popery!
Although the answer denies or evades the truth
of the alledgments" contained iri this reriionstrance, a
letter written at this time by a Jesuit in England, to the
rector of the college at Brussels, sufficiently supports the
parliament's charge, and shews how arminianism and
popery, which have no natural connection, came to be
limited at this time against the protestant religion, and
the liberties of England : the following is the substance
of it. — " Let not the damp of astonishment seize upon your
ardent and zealous soul, says the Jesuit, in apprehending'
the unexpected calling of a parliament ; we (the papists)
have not opposed; but rather furthered it. You must know
the council is engaged to assist the King by way of pre
rogative, in case the parliament fail. The elections have
been in such confusion of apparent factiori, as that wiiich
we were wont to procure with much art and industry, when
tlie Spanish match was in treaty. We have strongly
fortified our faction, and have added two bulwarks more ;
for when King James lived, he was very violent against
arminianism, and interrupted our strong designs in Hol
land. Now we have planted that' sovereign drug, armini
anism, which we hope will purge the protestants from
their heresy, and it flourishes and bears fruit in due
vcyir. I, D -D'

418 HISTORY 0-F THE PURITANS. CHAP. £•
season. The materials that build up our bulwark, are the
projectors and beggars of all ranks and qualities ; however,
both these factions co-operate to destroy the parliament,
and to introduce a new species and form of government,
which is oligarchy. These serve as mediums and instru
ments to ourend* which is the universal catholic monarchy ;.
our foundation must be mutation, and mutation will cause
a relaxation. We proceed now by counsel and mature
deliberation, how and when to work upon the Duke's;
(Buckingham's) jealousy and revenge ; aad in this we
give the honour to those that merit it, which are the
church catholics. There is another matter of consequence
which we must take much into our consideration, which is.
to stave off puritans, that they hang not in the Duke's ears^
they are an impudent subtile people, and it is to be
feared lest they should negociate a reconciliation between
the Drike and the parliament at Oxford and Westminster;,
but now we assure ourselves, that we have so handled the-
matter, that both the Duke and parliament are irrecon-
cileable. The letter then goes on to say, that for the better
prevention of the puritans, the arminians* have already
locked up the Duke's ears, and we have those of our own
religion that stand continually at the Duke's chamber, to
see who. goes in and out. I cannot choose bat laugh to" see.
how some of our own coat have accoutred themselves ;,
and it isadriiirable how in speech and gesture they act the
puritans. The Cambridge scholars, to their woeful ex
perience shall see, we can act the puritans a little better
than they have done the Jesuits. They have abused our
sacred patron in jest, but we will make them smart for it
in earnest. But to return to the main fabric, our founda
tion is arminianism; the arminians and projectors affect
mutation ; this we second and enforce by probable argu
ments. We shew how the King may free himself of his
ward, and raise a vast revenue without being beholden to
his subjects, which is by way of excise. Then our church.
catholics shew the means how to settle the excise, whichs
must be by a mercenary army of foreigners,, tlieir horse
will eat up the country where they come, though they he-.
well paid, much more if they be not paid.. The army is.

1623. CHARLES I. 419
to consist of twenty thousand foot, and two thousand
horse ; so that if the country rise upon settling the excise,
as probably they will, the army will conquer them, and
pay themselves out of the confiscation. Our design is to
work the protestants as well as the catholics to welcome a
conqueror. We hope to dissolve trade* to hinder the
building of shipping, and to take away the merchant
ships, that they may not easily light upon the West India
fleet, &c. It appears from this letter, that PURITANISM
was the only bulwark of the constitution, and of the
protestant religion, against the inroads of popery and
arbitrary power,
4. To go on with the parliament's remonstrance, which
complains further of the miserable condition of Ireland,
where the popish religion is openly professed, and their
ecclesiastical discipline avowed, monasteries, nunneries
and other religious houses re-edified, and filled with men
and women of several orders, even in the city of Dublin
itself. The parliament knew more of the affairs of Ireland
than Bp. Laud ; the agents for that kingdom had repre
sented the protestant religion in great danger, by the
suspending all proceedings against them ever since the
King came to the crown ; by this means they were become
so bold, that when Lord Falkland summoned their chiefs
to meet at Dublin, in order to a general contribution for
defence of the kingdom against a foreign invasion, they
declared roundly, that they would contribute nothing
without a toleration, and liberty to build religious houses j
upon which the assembly was dismissed. This awakened
the protestant bishops, who met together, and signed a
protestation, against popery as superstitious and idolatrous.
But notwithstanding the papists gained their point, and
in the fourth year of the King's reign had a toleration
granted them, in consideration of the sum of one hun
dred and twenty thousand pounds to be paid in three
years. With regard to the building religious houses, it is
wonderful that neither the King nor his prime minister
should know any thing of it, when the Lord deputy
Falkland had this very summer issued out a proclamation
D D2

420 HISTORY. OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
in the preamble of which it is stated, that the papists
have dared of late, not only to assemble themselves in
public places, but also have erected houses and buildings,
called public oratories, colleges, mass^houses, and con
vents of friars, monks and nuns, in the eye and open
view of the state, and elsewhere* and do frequently
exercise jurisdiction against his majesty's subjects, by
authority derived from Rome. Could such a proclamation
be printed and dispersed over the kingdom of Ireland,
without being known to the English court ?
The see of London becoming vacant this summer,
Laud was translated to it, and the Duke of Buckingham
being stabbed at Portsmouth by Felton, this ambitious
prelate became prime minister in all affairs both of church,
and state. One of the bishop's first enterprizes, after his
translation, was to stifle the predes.tinarian controversy,
for which purpose he. procured the thirty-nine articles to,
be reprinted, with a declaration in the King's name, which
says among other things, that if any public reader in the
universities, or any other person, shall affix; any new sense.
to any article, or shall publicly read, or hold disputation
on either side ; or if any divine in the universities shall
preach, or print any thing either way» they shall be liable
to censure in the ecclesiastical commission, and, we will see
there shall be due execution upon them." The calvinist
divines understood, the King's intention, and; complained
in a petition of " The restraints they were Laid under by
his. majesty's forbidding them to preach the saving, doc-.-
trines of God's free grace in election, and predestination ,
to eternal life, according to the seventeenth, article of thei
church. That this had brought them under a very uncom
fortable dilemma, either by falling under the divine
displeasure, or of being censured for opposition to his-
majesty's authority, in case they preached or published
in defence of the. received doctrines of the church..
Therefore they humbly intreat, that his majesty would be
pleased to take, the forementioned evils and grievances
into his princely consideration, and apply such speedy
remedies as may both cure the present distemper, and
preserve the church, and state from those plagues, with-,
which their neighbours had not been a little distressed."

1628. CHARLES I. 421
But this address was stopt in its progress, and never reach
ed the King's ears.
In pursuance of his majesty's declaration, all books
relating to the arminian controversy were called in by
proclamation and suppressed, and among others Mon
tague's and Manwaring's, which was only a feint to cover
a more deadly blow to be aimed at the puritans ; for. at
the same time Montague and Manwaring received fhe
royal pardon, and were preferred to some pi the best
livings in the kingdom, as has been observed, while the
answers to their books, were not only suppressed, butthe
publishers questioned in the star-chamber. The King
put pn the same thin disguise with regard to papists ; a
proclamation was issued out against priests and Jesuits,
and particularly against the Bp- of Chalcedon; orders
were also sent to the Lord Mayor of London, to make
search after them and commit them to prison, but at the
same time his majesty appointed commissioners, to com
pound with them for their recusancy ; so that instead of
being suppressed, they became a branch of the revenue,
and Sir R. Weston, a notorious papist, was created Earl of
Portland, and made Lord high treasurer of England.
When the parliament met according to prorogation,
they began again with grievances of religion : Oliver
Cromwell, being of the committee, reported to the
house the countenance that was given by Dr. Neile, Bp.
of Winchester, to divines who preached arminian and
popish docfrine : he mentioned the favours that had been
bestowed Upon Montague and Manwaring, who had been
censured the last sessions of parliament ; and added, " If
this Be the way to church-preferment, what may we
expect ?" Upon debating the King's late declaration,
the house voted, " That the main end of that declaration
was to suppress the puritan party, and to give liberty to
the contrary side." After several warm and angry speeches
against the new ceremonies that began now to be intro
duced into the church, the house entered into the following
vow. " " We the commons in parliament assembled do
claim, protest, and avow for truth, the sense of the articles
of religion which were established by parliament in the
DD3

422 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
thirteenth year of our late Queen Elizabeth, which by the
public act of the church of England, and by the general
and current exposition of the writers of our church have
been delivered unto us. And we reject the sense of the
Jesuits and arminians, and all others that differ from us."
Bp. Laud in his answer to this protestation asks, " Is
there by this act any interpretation of the articles or not ?
If none, to what end is the act ? If a sense or interpreta
tion be declared, what authority have laymen to make it 1
for interpretation of an article belongs to them only that
have power to make it." — To which it might be answered,
that the commons made no new interpretation of the
larticles, but avowed for truth the current sense of expo
sitors before that time, in opposition to the modern
interpretation of Jesuits and arminians, But what author
rity have laymen to make it ? Answer, the same that they
had in the 13th of Elizabeth to establish them, as the
doctrine of the church of England; unless we will say
with Mr. Collyer, that neither the sense of the articles,
nor the articles themselves, were established in that
parliament or in any other ; if so, they are no part of the
legal constitution, and men may subscribe the words
without putting a'ty sense upon them at all ; an admirable
way to prevent diversity of opinions in matters of faith !
But his Lordship adds,-^-" That it is against the King's
declaration, which says, we musj: take the general meaning
of them, and not draw them aside any way, but take them
in the literal and grammatical sense." — Has the King
then a power, without convocation or parliament, to,
interpret and determine the sense of the articles for the
whole body of the clergy ? By the general meaning of
the articles, the declaration seems to understand no one
determined sense at all. Strange! that so learned and
wise a body of clergy and laity, in convocation and parlia-r
ment should establish a number of articles with this
title  " For the avoiding of diversity of opinions, and
for the establishing of consent touching true religion,"
without any one determined sense! The bishop goes on,
and excepts against the current sense of expositors,
" Because they may, and perhaps do go against the
literal sense." Will his lordship then abide by the literal

1628. CHARLES I. 423
and grammatical sense ? No, for he adds, if an article
bear more senses than one, a man may choose what sense
his judgment directs him to, provided it be a sense,
according to the analogy of faith, till the church deter
mine a particular sense ; but it is the wisdom of the
church to require consent to articles in general as much as
may be, and not require assent to particulars." — His lordship
had better have spoken out and said, that it would be the
wisdom of the church to require no subscriptions at all.
To what straits are men driven to comply with the laws,
when their sentiments differ from the literal and gramma
tical sense of the articles of the church ? Mr. Collyer says,
they have no established sense; King Charles in his
declaration, that they are to be understood in a general
sense, but not to be drawn aside to a particular determi
ned sense. But I am afraid this reasoning is too wonder
ful for the reader.
While the parliament were expressing their zeal
•against arminianism and popery, a new controversy arose,
which provoked his majesty to dissolve them, and to
resolve to govern without parliaments for the future ; for
though the king had so lately signed the petition of right
in full parliament, he went on with levying money by his
royal prerogative. A bill was depending in the house to
grant his majesty the duties of tonnage and poundage ;
but before it was passed, the Custom-house officers seized
the goods of three eminent merchants for non-payment.
One was fined two thousand pounds, besides the loss of
his goods, and suffered six years imprisonment. The
warehouses of another were locked up, and himself taken
Out of the house of commons and imprisoned. This
occasioned some warm speeches against the Custom-house
officers and farmers of the revenues ; but the king took
all the blame on himself, and seht the house word, that
what the officers had done, was by his special direction
and command, and that was not so much their act as his
own. This was a new way of covering the unwarrantable
proceedings of corrupt ministers, and was said to be the
advice of the Bps. Laud and Neile ; a contrivance that
laid the foundation of his majesty's ruin, It is a maxim
in law, that, " The King can do no wrong," and that all

424, HISTORY OF THE PURITANS.' CHAP. I.
mal-administrations are chargeable upon lus ministers ;
yet now, in order to skreen his servants, his majesty will
make himself answerable for their conduct. So that if
the parliament will defend their rights and properties, they
must charge the King personally, who in his own opinion
was above law, and accountable for his actions to lione but
pod, It was moved in the house, that notwithstanding
the king's answer, the officers of the customs should be
proceeded against, by separating their interests from the
King's. But when the speaker, Sir J. Finch, was desired
to put the question he refused, saying the King had comr
manded the contrary. Upon which the house adjourned,
and were then adjourned by the King's order, when meeting
again, and requiring the speaker to put the former ques
tion, he again refused, and said he had the King's order
to adjourn them to March 16, but they, detained him in
the chair, not without some tumult and confusion, till
they made the following protestation. — 1. Whosoever shall
by favour or countenance, seem to extend or introduce
popery or anriitlianism, shall be reputed a capital enemy
of the kingdom. 2. Whosoever shall advise the levying.
the subsidies of tonnage and poundage, not being granted
by parliament, shall be reputed a capital enemy. 3. If
any merchant shall voluntarily pay those duties, he shall
be reputed a betrayer of the liberties of England, and an
enemy of the same.
The next day warrants wete directed to D. Hollis, Sir
J. Elliot, W- Corkon, B. Valentine, J. Selden, Esqrs. and
four more of the principal members of the house, to
appear before the. council on the morrow : four of them
appeared accordingly, viz. Messrs. Hollis, Elliot, Coriton,
and Valentine ; who refusing to answer out of parliament
for what was said in the house, were committed close
prisoners to the Tower. The studies of the rest were
ordered to be sealed up, and a proclamation issued for
apprehending them; though the parliament not being
dissolved, they were actually members of the house. Ori
the 10th of March, the King came, to the house of Lords,
and without sending for the commons, or passing one
singe act, dissolved the parliament, with a very angry
speech against the leading members of the lower housej

1628. CHARLES I. 425
whom he called vipers, that cast a mist of undutifulness
over most of their eyes. And as those vipers, says his
majesty, must look for their reward of punishment ; so
you, nvy lords, must justly expect from me that favour that
a good King oweth to his loving and faithful nobility.
The undutifulness of the commons was only their keeping
the speaker in the chair, after he had signified that the King
had adjourned them, which his majesty had no power of do
ing, and no King before James I. pretended to adjourn par
liaments, and when he claimed that power, it was complain
ed of as a breach of privilege. It is one thing to prorogue or
dissolve a parliament, and another to adjourn it, the latter
being the act of the house itself* and the consequence
of vesting such a power in the crown might be very fatal ;
for if the king may adjourn the house in the midst of their
debates, or forbid the speaker to put a question when
required, it is easy to foresee the whole business pf parli
ament must be under his direction. The members above-
mentioned were sentenced to be imprisoned, and were
. accordingly keptunder close confinement manyyears, where
Sir J. Elliot died a martyr to the liberties of his country.
Mr. Hollis was fined a thousand marks, Sir J. Elliot two
thousand pounds, Valentine five hundred pounds, and
.Long two thousands marks.
Great were the murmuriqgs of the people upon this
occasion ; libels were dispersed against the prime minister
,Laud; one,. of which says, " Laud look to thyself, be
assured thy life is sought. As thou art the fountain of
wickedness, repent of thy monstrous sins before thou be
taken out of this world ; and assure thyself, neither God
.nor the world can endure such a vile counsellor or whis
perer to live."-r^But to justify these proceedings to the
world, his majesty published a declaration of the causes
of dissolving, the last parliament. The declaration vindi
cates the King's taking the duties of tonnage and poun
dage, from the examples of some of his predecessors,
and as agreeableto his kingly honour. It justifies the silen
cing the predestinarian controversy, and lays the blame
.of not executing the laws, against papists, upon subordi
nate officers and ministers in the country.
But this not quieting the people,, was .followed

426 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
by a proclamation, which put an end to all prospects
of recovering the constitution for the future. The
proclamation declares his majesty's royal pleasure, —
*' That spreaders of false reports shall be severely punish
ed ; that such as chearfully go on with their traces, shall
have all good encouragement : that he will not over-charge
his subjects with any new burdens, but will satisfy himself
with the duties received by his royal father, which he
neither can, nor will dispense with. And whereas, for
several ill ends, the calling of another parliament is
divulged, his majesty declares, that the late abuse having
for the present driven his majesty unwillingly out of that
course, he shall account it presumption for any to pre
scribe any time to his majesty for parliaments, the calling,
continuing and dissolving of which, is always in the King's
own power." Here was an end of the old English con
stitution, for twelve years. England was now an absolute
monarchy ; the King's proclamations and orders of council
were the laws of the land ; the ministers of state sported
themselves in the most wanton acts of power ; and the
religion, laws, and liberties of this country lay prostrate
and overwhelmed by an inundation of popery and op*
pression. This year died Dr. J. Preston, descended of the
family of the Prestons in Lancashire. He was born at
Heyford in Northamptonshire, and was admitted of King's
Coll. Cambridge, 1604, from whence he was afterwards
removed to Queen's Coll. and admitted fellow in 1609.
He was an ambitious and aspiring youth, till having re
ceived some religious impressions under a sermon preached
by Mr. Cotton, at St. Mary's, he became remarkably
serious, and bent all his studies to the service of Christ iri
the ministry. When the King came to Cambridge, Mr.
Preston was appointed to dispute before him : the question
was, whether brutes had reason, or could make syllogisms ?
Mr. Preston maintained the affirmative; and instanced in
a hound, who coming to a place where three ways meet,
smells one way and the other ; but not finding the scent,
runs down the third with full cry, concluding that the hare
not being gone either of the two first ways, must necessa
rily be gone the third. The argument had a wonderful

1658. CHARLES I. 427
effect on the audience, and would have opened a door for
Mr. Preston's preferment, had not his inclinations „ to
puritanism been a bar in the way. He therefore resolved
upon an academical life, and took upon him the care of
pupils, for which he was qualified beyond most in the
^university. Many gentlemen's sons were committed to his
care, who trained them up in the sentiments of the first
reformers ; for he affected the very style and language of
Calvin. When it came to his turn to be catechist, he went
through a whole body of divinity with such general accep
tance, that the outward chapel was usually crouded with
strangers before the fellows came in, which created him
envy. Complaint was made to the vice-chancellor of this
unusual way of catechising, and that it was not safe to suf
fer Mr. Preston to be thus adored, unless they had a mind
to set up puritanism, and pull down the hierarchy ; it was
therefore agreed in the convocation house, that no stranger,
neither townsman nor scholar, should upon any pretence
come to those lectures, which were only designed for the
members of the college.
There was little preaching in the university at this
time, except at St. Mary's, the lectures at Trinity and St.
Andrew's being prohibited ; Mr. Preston therefore, at the
request of the townsmen and scholars of other colleges,
attempted to set up an evening sermon at St. Buttolph's,
belonging to Queen's Coll. but when Dr. Newcomb, com
missary to the Bp. of Ely, heard of it, he came to the
church and forbad it, commanding that evening prayers
only should be read : there was a vast crowd, and earnest
entreaty that Mr. Preston might preach, at least for that
time, but the commissary was inexorable, and to prevent
further importunities went home with his family ; after he
was gone, Mr. Preston was prevailed with to preach ; and
because much time had been spent in debates, they
adventured for once to admit the service that the scholars
might be present at their college prayers. Next day the
commissary went to New-market, and complained both to
the bishop and King ; he represented the danger of the
hierarchy, and the progress of non-conformity among
the scholars, and assured them that Mr. Preston was in
feuph high esteem, that he would carry all before him if

428 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I.
•he was not thoroughly dealt with.; Being called before his
superiors, he gave a plain narrative of the fact ; and
added, that he had no design to affront the bishop or his
commissary. The bishop said, the King was informed
that he was an enemy to forms of prayer, which Mr.
Preston denying, he was ordered to declare his judgment
upon that head, in a sermon at St. Buttolph's church, and
so was dismissed.
Some time after King James being at New-market,
Mr, Preston was appointed to preach before him, which
he performed with great applause, having a fluent speech,
a commanding voice, and a strong memory, to deliver
what he had prepared without the assistance of notes.
The King spake familiarly to him ; and though his ma
jesty expressed a dislike to some of his puritan notions,
commended his opposing the arminians. And the Duke
of Buckingham not knowing what friends he might want
atoiong the populace, persuaded the King to admit him
one of the Prince's chaplains in ordinary, and to wait two
months in the year. Soon after this he Was chosen preacher
of Lincoln's-Inn*, and, upon- the resignation of Dr. Chad
derton, master of Emanuel Coll. at which time he took his
degree of doctor of divinity. The doctor was a gentle
man, a, complete courtier, and in high esteem with the
Duke of Buckingham, who thought by his means to ingra
tiate, himself with. tiie puritans, whose power was growing
•very formidable in parliament. The Duke offered him
the bishopric of Gloucester, but the doctor refused, and
chose rather the lectureship of Trinity church, which he
Jsept-tillhis death. By his interest in the Duke and the
Prince, he did considerable service for many silenced
ministers-; he was in waiting, when King James died, and
came up- with the young King and Duke in a close coach
to London. But some time after the Duke having changed
measures, and finding that he could neither gain over the
puritans to his arbitrary designs, nor separate the doctor
from their interests, he resolved to shake hands with his
chaplain. The doctor foreseeing the storm, was content
to retire quietly to his- college, where it was apprehended
he would have felt some further effects of the Duke's
displeasure, if God in his providence had not cut him out

1628. CHARLES I. 429
work of a different nature, which engaged all his thoughts
to the time of his death.
Dr. Preston had a strong constitution, whicli he wore
out in his study and in the pulpit. His distemper was a
consumption, for which by the advice of physicians, he
changed the air several times ; but the failure of his
appetite with other symptoms of a general decay, pre
vailed with him at length to leave off all medicine, and
resign himself to the will of God. And heing desirous of
dying in his native country, and among his old friends, he
retired into Northamptonshire, where he departed this
life in a most pious and devout manner, in the forty-first
year of his age, and was buried in Fawsley church. His
practical works and sermons were printed by his own
order after his decease.

CHAP. II.

CHARLES I.
Arbitrary methods of Government.— King's Instructions
about Lecturers. — Proceeding's against them. — -Their
Character.— — Sufferings of Mr. Bernard and Mr.
Chauncy .—Rise of the Massachusetts-Bay Colony. —
Dr. Leighton writes against the Bishops, — His Bar
barous sentence. — Bp. Laud's superstitious Consecration
of Creed Church. — Remarks.— Puritan Preachers ex
pelled the University of Oxford, for preaching against
Arminianism. — Sufferings of Ministers for preaching
against Church Sacraments :—0f Mr. Hayden ;—qf
Mr. Sherfield.—and Mr. Workman.— King's progress into
Scotland. — Laud's behaviour in Scotland*— -Death and
Character of Abp. Abbot.
FT1HE ancient and legal government pf England, by
¦*• King, Lords and Commons, being now suspended
by the royal will and pleasure, his majesty resolved ta
supply the necessities of the state, by such other methods
as his council should advise, who gave a loose to their
actions, being no longer afraid of a parliamentary inquiry,
and above the reach of ordinary justice. Instead of the
authority of King and parliament, all public affairs were
directed by proclamations of the King and council, .
which had the force of so many laws, and were bound
upon the subject under the severest penalties. They
levied the duties of tonnage and poundage, and laid what
other imposts they thought proper upon merchandize,
which they let out to farm to private persons ; the number
of monopolies was incredible} there was no branch of the

1629. CHARLES I. 43 1
subjects property that the ministry could dispose of, but
was bought aud sold. They raised above a million a year
by taxes on soap, salt, candles, wine, &c. even to the
gathering of rags. Grants were given out for weighing
hay and straw within three miles of London ; for guaging
red herring barrels, and butter casks ; for marking iron
and sealing lace, with a great many others ; winch
being purchased of the crown, must be paid for by the
subject. His majesty claimed a right in cases of necessity (of
which necessity himself was the solejudge) to raise money
by ship writs, or royal mandates directed to the sheriffs
of the several counties, to levy on the subject the several
sums of money therein demanded, for the maintenance
and support of the royal navy. The like was demanded
for the royal army, by the name of coat and conduct
money when they were to march; and when they were ii»
quarters, the men were billeted upon private houses.
Many were put to death by martial law, who ought to have
been tried by the laws of the land ; and others by the
same martial law were exempted from the punishment,
which by law they deserved. Large sums of money were
raised by commissions under the great seal, to compound
for depopulations, for nuisances in building between high
and low water mark ; for pretended encroachments on the
forests, &c. beside the exorbitant fines of the star-
chamber and high commission court ; and the extra
ordinary projects of loans, benevolences, and free gifts.
Such was the calamity of the times, that no man could call
any thing his own longer than the King pleased ; or
might speak or write against these proceedings, without
the utmost hazard of his liberty and estate.
The church was governed by the like arbitrary and
illegal methods ; Laud being prime minister, pursued his
wild scheme of uniting the two churches of England and
Rome, without the least regard to the rights of conscience,
or the laws of the land, and very seldom to the canons of
the church, bearing down all who opposed him with unre
lenting severity and rigor. To make way for this union,
the churches were not only to be repaired, but ornamented
with pictures, paintings, images* altar-pieces, &c. the

432 HISTORY OT THE PtTRITANS. CHAP. II.
forms of public worship were to be decorated with a num
ber of pompous rites and ceremonies,'in imitation of the'
church of Rome; and the puritans, who were the pro
fessed enemies of every thing that looked like popery,
Were to be suppressed or driven out of the land. To'
accomplish the latter, his lordship presented the Kirig
with certain considerations for settling the church, which'
were soon after published with Some little variation, under
the title of instructions to the two archbishops, concerning'
certain orders to be observed, and put in execution' by
the several bishops.
Here his majesty commands them to see, that his'
declaration for silencing the predestinarian cortfrPversy be
strictly observed ; and that special care be taken of the
lectures or afternoon sermons, in their several dioceses,
concerning which he is pleased to give the following
instructions. 1. That in all parishes the afternoon sermOns'
be turned into catechizing by question and answer/ where
there is not some great cause to break this ancient ahd
profitable order. 2. That every lecturer read divine
service before lecture in his surplice and hood. 3. That
where there are lectures in market towns, they be read by
grave and orthodox divines ; and that they preach in
gowns, and not in cloaks, as toO rriany ' do use. 4. That
no lecturer be admitted, that is not ready and willing to
take upon him a living with Cure of souls. '5. That the
bishops take order, that the sermons of the" lecturers be
observed. 6. That norte under noblemen, and men qua
lified by law, keep a private chaplain. 7. That' care be'
taken, that the prayers and ca'techisings be frequented, as
well as sermons. Of all which his majesty requires all ac
count once a year.
By virtue of these instructions, the Bp. of Loudon
summoned before him all ministers and lecturers in and
about the city, and insisted on their obedience. - He also
sent letters to his archdeacons, requiring them' to sen dr
him lists of the lecturers within their archdeaconries, as'
well in places exempt as not exempt, with the places'
Where they preached,. arid their quality or degree ; as also
the names of such gentlemen, who being' not qualified,
kept chaplairisin their cwirliotises. His ldrdship required7

1629. CHARLES I. 433
Jmem further, to leave a copy of the King's instruction
with the parson of every parish, and to see that they were
-duly observed.
These lecturers were chiefly puritans, who not being
satisfied with a full conformity, only preached in the after
noons, being chosen and maintained by the people. They
were strict calvinists, warm and affectionate preachers,
and distinguished themselves by a religious observation
of the Lord's day, by a bold opposition to popery and the
pew ceremonies, and by an uncommon severity of life.
Their manner of preaching gave the bishop a distaste to
sermons, who was already of opinion that they did more
harm than good, insomuch that on a fast day for the
plague then in London, prayers were ordered to be read
in all churches, but not a sermon to be preached, lest the
people should wander from their own parishes. The
lecturers had very popular talents, and drew great num
bers of people after them. Bp. Laud would often say,
" They were the most dangerous enemies of the state,
because by their prayers and sermons they awakened
the people's disaffection, and therefore must be sup
pressed." Good old Abp. Abbot was of another spirit, but the
reins were taken out of his hands. He had a good opinion
of the lecturers, as men who had the protestant religion
at heart, and would fortify their hearers agairist the return
of popery. When Mr. Palmerlecturer of St. Alphagein
Canterbury, was commanded to desist from preaching by
the archdeacon, because he drew great numbers of factious
people after him, and did not wear the surplice, the
archbishop authorized him to continue : as he did Mr.
Udnay of Ashford, for which he was complained of, as
not enforcing the King's instructions, whereby the com
missioners (as they say) were made a scorn to the factious
and the archdeacon's jurisdiction inhibited. But in the
diocese of London, Laud proceeded with the utmost.
severity. Many lectures were pnt down, and such as
preached against arminianism or the neW ceremonies,
were suspended and silenced.
Mr. Bernard, lecturer of St. Sepulchre's, London,
VOL. I. E E

434 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 11,
having uSed this expression in his prayer before sermon,
" Lord open the eyes pf the Queen's majesty, thaf she
may see Jesus Christ, whom she has pierced with her infi
delity, superstition and idolatry," was called before the
high commission, and upon his humble submission was
dismissed ; but some time after, in a sermon at Cambridge,
speaking offensive words against arminianism and the new
.ceremonies, Laud sent for a copy of his sermon, and
haying cited him before the high commission, required
him to make an open recantation of what he had said,
which his conscience not suffering him to do, he was sus
pended from his ministry, excommunicated, fined one
thousand pounds, condemned in costs of suit, and com
mitted to New prison, where he lay many months, almost
starved for want of necessaries ; of which he complained to
the bishop in sundry letters* but could get no relief unless
he would recant. Mr. Bernard offered to confess his sor^
row and penitence for any oversights, or unbecoming
expressions in his sermons, which were not accepted; so
that in conclusion he was utterly ruined;
Mr. C. Chauncey, minister of Ware, having said in a
sermon, that " The preaching of the gospel would be
suppressed; and- that there was much atheism, popery,
arminianism, and heresy crept into the church," was
questipned for it in the high commission, and not dis
missed till he had made an open recantation. But his
recantation went so much against his conscience, that he
could enjoy no peace till he had quitted the church : when
he retired to New-England, where he made an open
acknowledgment of his sin. Mr. P. Smart, one of the.
prebendaries of Durham, and minister in that city, was
imprisoned by the high commission of York this summer,
for a sermon preached from those words, " I hate all those
that love superstitious vanities, but thy law do I love ;" In
which he took occasion to speak against images and pic
tures, and the late pompous innovations. He was
confined four months before the. commissioners exhibited
any articles against him, and five more before any proctor
was allowed him. From York he was carried up to Lam
beth, and from thence back again to York, and at length
¦was deprived of his prebend, degraded, excommunicated,

1629. CHARLES I. 435
fined five hundred pounds, and committed close prisoner,
where he continued eleven years, till he was set at
liberty by the long parliament : but he died soon after his
release. The King's instructions and the violent measures of the
prime minister, brought a great deal of business into the
spiritual courts ; one or other of the puritan ministers
was every week suspended or deprived, and their families
driven to distress ; nor was there any prospect of relief,
the clouds gathering every day thicker over their heads,
and threatening a violent storm. This put them upon
projecting a farther settlement in New England, where
they might be delivered from the hands of their oppressors,
and enjoy the free liberty of their consciences ; which
gave birth to a second grand colony in North America,
commonly known by the name of the Massachusets-Bay.
Several persons of quality and substance about the cityx>f
London engaging in the design, obtained a charter
whereby the gentlemen and merchants therein named, and
all who should thereafter join them, were constituted a
body corporate and politic, by the name of the governor
and company of the Massachusets-Bay in New Eng
land. They were empowered to elect their own governor,
deputy-governor and magistrates, and to make such laws
as they should think fit for the good of the plantation, not
repugnant to the laws of England. Free liberty of con
science was likewise granted to all who should settle in
those parts, to worship God in their own way. The new
planters being all puritans, made their application to Mr.
Higginson, a silenced minister in Leicestershire, and to
Mr. Skelton another silenced minister of Lincolnshire, to
be their chaplains, desiring them to engage as many °f
their friends as were willing to embark with them. The
little fleet that went upon this expedition, consisted of six
sail of transports, from four to twenty guns, with about
three hundred and fifty passengers, men women and child
ren. They carried with them one huno--ed and fifteen
head of cattle, six pieces of cannon for a fort, with mus
kets, &c. arid a large quantity of ammunition and provision.
The fleet sailed May 11, and arrived the '24th of June
following at a place called, by the new planters, SALEM.
E e 2

436 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
Religion being the chief motive of their retreating
into these parts, that was settled in the first place.
August the 6th, being appointed for the solemnity of
forming themselves into a religious society, the day was
spent in fasting and prayer; aqd thirty persons who de
sired to be of the communion, severally iri the presence of
the whole congregation, declared their consent to a con
fession of faith, and signed a solemn covenant witft God
and with each other. After this they chose Mr. Skelton
their pastor, Mr. Higginson their teacher, and Mr.
Houghton their ruling elder, who were separated to their.
several offices by the imposition of the hands. The firs^
winter proved a fatal one to the infant colony, carrying
off above one hundred of their company, and among the
rest Mr. Houghton, and Mr. Higginson. Hr. Higginson
had been educated in Emanuel Coll. Cambridge, being
afterwards minister of one of the five churches in Leicester,
where he continued till he was deprived for non-con^
formity; but such were his talents for the pulpit, that
after his suspension, the town obtained liberty from Bp.
Williams to chuse him for their lecturer, ahd maintained
him by their voluntary contributions, till he was articled
against in the high commission, and expected every hour
a sentence of perpetual imprisonment : this induced him
to accept of an invitation to remove to New' England.
Mr. Skelton the other minister was a Lincolnshire divine,
who being silenced for non- conformity, accepted of a
like invitation, and died of the hardships Of the country.
From this small beginning is the Massachusets province.
grown to the figure it now makes in the American world.
Next summer the governor went over with a fresh
recruit of two hundred ministers, gentlemen, and others,
who were forced out of their native country by the heat
of the Laudean persecution.
When it appeared that the planters could subsist in
their new settlement, great numbers of their friends with
tlieir families flocked after them every summer. In the
succeeding twelve years of Laud's administration, there
went over about four thousand planters, who laid the,
foundation of several little towns and villages up and
down the country. Upon the whole, it has been computed,

i'62!»; CHARLES I, 4M
that the four1 settlements of New England, viz. Plymouth,
the Massachusets Bay, Connecticut ahd Newhaven, all
which were accomplished before the beginning of the civil
wars, drained England of four or five hundred thousand
pounds in money, (a very great sum in those days) and
if the persecution of the puritans had continued twelve
years longer, it is thought that a fourth part of the riches
of the kingdom would have passed out of it through this
channel. The chief leaders of the people into these parts were
the puritan ministers, who being hunted from one diocese
to another, at last chose this wilderness for their retreat,
Which has proved, through the over-ruling providence of
God* a great accession to the strength and commerce of
these kingdoms; There were seventy-seven divines* who
became pastors of sundry little Churches and congregations
in that country before 1640, all of whom were in orders
in the church of England ; and I must say, though they
were not all of the first rank for deep and extensive
learning, yet they had abetter share of it than most Of tlfe
neighbouring clergy ; and which is of more consequence,
they were men of strict sobi'iety and virtue ; plain, serious,
affectionate preachers, exactly conformable in sentiment
to the doctrinal articles of the church of England, and
took a great deal of pains to promote christian know
ledge, and a reformation of mariners in their several
parishes. To return to England ; though Dr. Davenant, Bp. of
Salisbury, had declared for the doctrine of universal
redemption at the synod of Dort, he was this year brought
into trouble for touching upon the point of predestination,
in bis Lent sermon before the King, on Romans vi. 23*.
" The gift of God is eternal life', through Jesus Christ our
Lord." This was construed as a contempt of the King's
injunctions, for which his lordship was two days after sum
moned before the privy council, where he presented
himself upon his knees, and so had continued, for any
favoured he received from any of his own function then
present; but the temporal Lords bid him rise and stand
to his defence. The accusation Was managed by Dr.
E e 3

438 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. At'
Harsenet, Abp. of York, Laud walking all the while in?
silence, without speaking a word. Harsenet put him in
mind of his obligations to King James ; of the piety of his
present majesty's instructions; and then aggravated hi*
contempt of them with great vehemence and acrimony.
Bp. Davenant replied with mildness,, that he was sorry
that an established doctrine of the chureh: should be so-
distasted ; that he had preached nothing, but what was-
expressly contained in the seventeenth article, and was
ready to justify the truth of it. It was replied,- that the
doctrine was not gainsaid, but the King, had commanded
these questions should not be debated, and therefore his
majesty took it more offensively that any should do it in
his own hearing. The bishop replied, that he never
understood that his majesty had forbid the handling any
doctrine comprised in the articles of the church, but only
the raising new questions* or putting a new sense upon
them, which he never should do ; that in the. King's de-1
claration all the thirty-nine articles are confirmed,- among
which the seventeenth of predestination is one ; that all
ministers are obliged to subscribe to the truth of this*
article, and to continue in the true profession of that as
well as the rest ; the bishop desired it might be shewn
wherein he had trangressed his majesty's commands,
when he had kept himself within the bounds of the article*
and had moved no new or curious questions. To which
it was replied, that it was the King's pleasure, that for the
peace of the church these high questions might be forborn.
The bishop then said, he was sorry he understood, not his
majesty's intention, aud that for time to come he would
conform to his commands. Upon this he was dismissed
without further trouble, and was after some time admitted
to kiss- the King's hand, who did not fail to remind him-
that the doctrine of predestination was too mysterious for
the people's understanding, and therefore he was resolved
not to give leave for discussing that controversy in the
pulpit. Hereupon the bishop retired, and was never after
wards in favour at court.
Soon after Mr.. Madye* lecturer of Christ church, Lon*-
don, was cited before the high commission, and by an
act of court, prohibited to preach any more within the..

1630. CHARLES L 439
diocese of London, because he had disobeyed the King's
declaration, by preaching on predestination. Dr. Burges,
the famous Dr. Prideaux, with others, suffered on the
same account. But Dr. Leighton, a Scots divine, father
of the celebrated prelate of that name, met with severe
usage for venturing to write against the hierarchy of the
church* This divine had published during the last session
of parliament, an " Appeal to the parliament ; or, Zion's
plea against prelacy," wherein he speaks not only with
freedom, but with very great rudeness and indecency
against bishops ; calling them men of blood, and saying,
that we do not read of a greater persecution and higher
indignities done towards God's people in any nation than
in this, since the death of Queen Elizabeth. He calls the
prelacy of the church anti-christian. He declaims
vehemently against the canons and ceremonies ; and adds^
that the church has her laws from the scripture, and that
no King may make laws for the house of God. He styles
the Queen a daughter of Heth, and concludes with
saying what pity it is that so ingenuous and tractable a
King, should be so monstrously abused by the bishops, to
the undoing of himself and his subjects. Now though
the warmth of these expressions can no ways be justified,
yet let the reader consider whether they bear any propor
tion to the sentence of the court. When the cause was
tried, " The defendant, in his answer, owned the writing
of the book, denying any ill intention ; his design being
only to lay these things before the next parliament for
their consideration. Nevertheless, the court adjudged
unanimously, for this offence, " That the doctor should
be committed to the prison of the Fleet for life, and
pay a fine of ten thousand pounds; that the high com
mission should degrade him from his ministry ; and that
then he should be brought to the pillory at Westminster,
while the court was sitting and be whipt; after whipping
be set upon the pillory a convenient time, and have one of
his ears cut off, one side of his nose slit, and be branded in
the face with a double S. S. for a sower of sedition : that
then he should be carried back to prison, and after a few
days be pillory'd a second time in Cheapside, and be
there likewise whipt, and have the other side of his nose

440 HISTORY OF THE PUftlTAtfS. CHaP; U.
slit, and his other ear cut off, and then be shut up in
close prison for the remainder of his life." Bp. Laud
pulled off his cap while this merciless sentence was pro
nouncing, and gave God thanks for itj !
Between passing the sentence and the execution, the
doctpr made his escape out of prison, but was retaken in
Bedfordshire, and brought back tp the Fleet, Oil No*
vember 6, part of the sentence was executed upon him.
He was severely whipt before he was put in the pillory.
Being set in the pillory, he, had one of his ears cut off ;
one side of his nose slit ; branded on the cheek with a
red-hot iron with the letters S. S, On that day sevens-
night his sores upon his back, ear, nose and face, being
nptyet cured,. he was whipt again at the pillory in Cheap-
side, and had the remainder of his sentence executed
upon him, by cutting off the other ear, slitting the other
side of his nose, and branding the other cheek. He was
then carried back to prison, where he continued in close
confinement for ten years, till he was released by the
long parliament. The doctor was between forty and fifty
years of age* of alow stature, a fair compleCtion, and well
known for his learning and other abilities : but his long
and close confinement had so impaired his health, that
when he was released he could hardly walk, see, or hear.
The sufferings of this learned man moved the people's
compassion ; and, I believe, the records of the inquisition
can hardly furnish an example of equal severity. To
make the distance between the church and the puritans
yet wider, and the terms of conformity more difficult* Bp.
Laud introduced sundry pompous innovations in imitation
of popery, that had no foundation in the laws of the realm,
or the canons of the church. These were enforced both
upon clergy and laity* with all the terrors of the high
commission, to the ruin of many families, and the raising
very great disturbances in all parts of the kingdom.
St. Catherine Creed church, London, having been
lately repaired* was shut up till it was again consecrated ;
the formality of which being very extraordinary, may give
,us an idea of the superstition 0f this prelate. January
.16, Laud came thither about nine in the morning, attended
yTith several of the high commission, and some civilians :

163a CHARLfiS t 441
At his approach to the west door of the church, which was
shut and guarded by halberdeers, some who were ap^-
pointed for that purpose* cried with a loud voice, " Openj
open, ye everlasting doors* that the King of gioiy may
come in;" and presently the doors being opened, the
bishop with some- doctors and principal men entered: As
soon as they were come within the place, his lordship fell
down upon his knees, and with eyes lifted up, and hid
arms spread abroad, said; " this place is holy; the ground
is holy : In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
I pronounce it holy." Then walking up the middle isle
towards the chancel, he took up some of the dust, and
threw it into the air several times. When he approached
near the rail of the communion -table, he bowed towards
it five or six times, and returning, went round the church
with his attendants in procession, saying first the hun*-
dredth, and then the nineteenth psalm, as prescribed in
in the Roman pontificale. He then read several collects,
in one which he prays God, to accept of that beautiful
building;" and concludes thus: " We consecrate this
church, and separate it unto thee as holy ground, not to
be prophaned any more to common use." In another he
prays, " that all that should hereafter be buried Within
the circuit of this holy and sacred place, may rest in then4
sepulchres in peace till Christ's coming to judgment, and
may then rise to eternal life and happiness." After this,
•the bishop sitting under a cloth of state in the isle of
the chancel, near the communion table* took a written
book in his hand, and pronounced curses upon those who
should thereafter prophane that holy place by musters of
¦soldiers,, or keeping prophane law courts,, or carrying
burdens through it; and at the end of every curse he
bowed to the east, and said, let all the people say, Amen.
When the curses were ended, which were about twenty,
he pronounced a like number of blessings upon all who
liad any hand in framing and building of that sacred and
beautiful edifice, and on those who had given or should
hereafter give, any chalices, plate, ornaments* or other
utensils ; and at the end of every blessing he bowed to the
east; and said, let all the people say, Amen. After this
followed the sermon, and then the sacrament, which the

4421 History of the puritans. frnAP.w
bishop consecrated and administred after the following
manner. As he approached the altar, he made five or six low
bows, arid coming up to the side of it* where the bread
and wine were covered, he bowed seven times; then,
after reading many prayers, he came near the bread, and
gently lifting up the corner of the napkin, beheld it, and
immediately letting fall the napkin, retreated hastily a
step or two, and made three low obeisances. His lordship
then advanced, and having uncovered the bread bowed
three times as before : then laid his hand on the cup,
which was full of wine, with a cover upon it, which having
let go he stepped back, and bowed three times towards
it; then came near again, and lifting up the cover of
the cup, looked into it, and seeing the wine, he let fall
the cover again, retired back, and bowed as before : After
which the elements were consecrated, and the bishop
having first received, gave it to some principal men in
their surplices, hoods and tippets ; towards the conclusion,
many prayers being said, the solemnity of the consecra
tion ended.
He consecrated St. Giles's church in the same manner,
which had been repaired, and part of it new built. in his
predecessor Mountain's time. Divine service bad been
performed, and the sacraments administered in it for three
or four years since that time without exception ; but as
soon as Laud was advanced to the see of London, he in
terdicted the Church, and prohibited divine service therein,
till it should be re-consecrated, which is more than even
the canon law requires. And various other chapels and
churches were by the bishop's direction, likewise shut up
till they were consecrated in this manner.
This method of consecratirig churches was new to the
people, and in the opinion of the first reformers supersti
tious and absurd ; for though it is reasonable there should
be public buildings reserved and set apart for public
worship, and that at the first opening them, prayers should
be offered for a divine blessing on the ordinances of Christ,
that may at any time be administered in them; yet have
we not the least ground to believe that bishops, or any
other, dignitaries of the church, can by their declaration

1630 CHARLES I. 443
er forms of prayer, hallow the building, or make the
ground holy, or introduce a divine presence or glory.'
Where is their commission ? Or what example have we
of this kind in the new testament ? The synagogues of
the Jews were not consecrated in this manner ; nor was
the temple of Solomon consecrated by a priest, but by a
King. Our Saviour tells his disciples, that, " where
soever two or three of them should be gathered toge
ther in his name, he would be in the midst of them ;" and
the woman of Samaria, that " the hour was coming when
neither at that mountain, nor at Jerusalem, they should
worship the Father." Besides, the changes made by time
and various accidents in towns and cities, render it im
possible to prevent the alienation or profanation of holy
ground ; for to look no farther than the city of London,
would it not be very hard if all the curses that Laud.
pronounced in Creed-church, should rest upon those who
live in houses built by act of parliament, in places where
there were consecrated churches, or church yards before
the fire of London. And what form was there for this
practice in the public offices of the church? A pro
clamation was published last year, commanding the arch
bishops and bishops to take special care that the parish
ehurches in their several dioceses, being places conse
crated to the worship of God, be kept in decent repair,
and to make use of the power of the ecclesiastical court
to oblige the parishioners to this part of their duty. The
judges were also required not to interrupt this good work,
by too easily granting prohibitions from the spiritual.
courts. It seems various churches since the reformation
were fallen to decay ; and some that had been defaced
by the pulling down of images, and other popish relics,
had not been decently repaired, the expence being too
heavy for the poorer country parishes ; it was therefore
thought necessary to oblige them to their duty ; and under
colour of this proclamation, Laud introduced many cf
the. trappings and decorations of popery, and punished
those riiinisters in the high commission court, that ven
tured, to write or preach against them.
His lordship began with his own cathedral of St. Paul's
for repairing and beautifying of which, a subscription and

*4* HISTORY OF THfe PURITANS. CHAP: Hi
contribution Was appointed over the whole kin gdorii; Se*
teral houses and shops adjoining to thte cathedral were#
by an injunction of Council, ordered to be pulled downf
and the Owners to accept of a reasonable satisfaction :
But if they would not coriiply, the sheriff of London;
was required to see them demolished! The fchurch of
St. Gregory's was pulled down, ahd the inhabitants as
signed to Christ's church* where they were to assemble1
for the future;. The bishop's heart was in this work, and
to support the expence, he gave way to many oppres
sions and unjustifiable methods of raising money, by
Compositions with recusants, commutations of penance^
exorbitant fines in the star-Chamber and high Comriiission,
insomrich that it became a proverb* that St. Paul's was*
repaired with the sins of the people. Before 1 640, above"
qne hundred and thirteen thousand pounds was experided;
thereon ;• but the rebuilding the spire, and the inside?
decorations miscarried, by the breaking out of the Civil
War. What these decorations and ornaments of paintings^
carvings, altars, crucifixes, &c. would have been* cari
Only he gUessed by the fashion of the times, and by the":
scheme that Was now formed to recoter arid repair the'r
broken relics of superstition and idolatry* which the1
reformation had left* or to set lip others in imitation of
them ; for though the reformation of Queen Elizabeth
had destroyed a great many monuments of this kind; yet
some were left entire, and Others very little defaced. Iri-
the cathedral of Canterbury, over the door of the choir*
temalaed thirteen images, or statUeS of storte; twelve of
them representing the twelve apostles, and the thirteenth:
iri the middle of them our Saviour Christ. Over these
Were twelve other images of popish saints; In the several-
windows of tlie cathedral were painted the pictures of
St* Austin the monk, the first bishop of that see, and seven?
large pictures of the virgin Mary, with angels lifting, her"-
up to heaven, and under the virgin Mary's feet, were the
sun,mbori, and stars; Besides these,- were many pictures'
of God the Father and of the Holy Ghost, and of our'
Saviour lying ill' a manger, and a large image- of ThOmas
Becket, arid others.

163J. CHARLES I. 445
In tiio cathedral of Durham, there was an altar get upon,
columns decorated with cherubims, pictures and images,
which cost above two thousand pounds. There were three
statues of stpne in the church ; one standing in the
midst, representing Christ with a golden beard, a blue
pap, and sun ""ays upon his h§ad, There was also an
image of God the Father, and many other carved images,
pictures, &c. whicli the present dignitaries of the catbe-j.
dral held in profound admiration * and to keep up the pomp,
they bought copes of mass priests, with crucifixes and
jmages qf the trinity "embroidered upon them, They
had consecrated knives to cut the sacramental bread, and
great numbers of lighted candles upon the altars on Sun
days and saints' days. On Candlemas-day there were nq
less than two hundred, all which, were reckoned among
the beauties of the sanctuary. Bui these. fopperies, says,
Bp. Kennet, did not perhaps gain over one papist, but
lost both the King and bishops the hearts and affections
pf the protestant part of the nation. However, Laud was
mightily enamoured with them, and as soon as he was
translated to Lambeth, repaired the paintings in the -win
dows of that chapel, that had been defaced at the reform
ation, andallwasnow restored, according to the Roman
missafe, and beautified at the archbishop's cost. , The
like reparations of paintings, .pictures, and crucifixes
were made in the King's chapel, and both the universities.
The puritans apprehended these decorations of churches
fended to image worship, and were directly contrary to
jdie homily* of the peril of idolatry ; their ministers there-
for£ preached and wrote against them, and in same places
removed them ; for which they were severely handled in
jjje high commission.
Laud had been chosen chancellor of Oxford last year*
where the puritans soon gave him some disturbance. Mr*
jjill, Mr. Ford, Mr. Thome, and Mr. Giles Hodges, were
charged with preaching against arminianism and the new
ceremonies in their sermons at St.Mary's. Hill made apub-
lic recantation and was quickly released ; but the very texts
of the others gave offence : One preached on Numbers
xiv. 4. " Let us make us a captain, and let us return
into Egypt:'' Apd another on 1 Kings xii. 2. " And he

446 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. H,
cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said,
O altar, altar," &c. These divines being convened before
the vice-chancellor, as offenders against the King's in
structions, appealed to the proctors, who received their
appeal. Upon this, the chancellor complained to the
King, and procured the cause to be heard before his
majesty, when the following sentence was passed upon
them : "ThatMessrs. Ford, Thorn, and Hodges, be expelled
the university ; that both the proctors be deprived of their
places for accepting the appeal; and that Dr. Prideaux
rector of Exeter college, and Dr. Wilkinson principal
of Magdalen-Hall, receive a sharp admonition for their
misbehaviour in this business." Thorn and Hodges, after
a year's deprivation, desiring to be restored, preached
a recantation sermon, and read a written submission in
the convocation house on their bended knees : but Ford
making no address to be restored, returned to his friends
in Devonshire ; and being like to be chose lecturer or
vicar of Plymouth, the inhabitants were required not to
choose him, upon pain of his majesty's high displeasure;
and in case he was chosen, the Bp, of Exeter was com
manded not to admit him.
Mr. Crowder, vicar of Veil near Nonsuch, was about
this time committed closO prisoner to Newgate for six
teen weeks, and then deprived by the high commission,
without any articles exhibited against him, or proof of
a crime. It was pretended that matters against him
were so foul, that they were not fit to be read in court ;
but then they Ought to have been certified to him,
that he might have had an opportunity to disprove or
confess them, which could not be obtained. Mr. Crow
der was a pious man, and preached twice a day, which
was an unpardonable crime so near the court. Sundry
eminent divines removed to New England this year ;
and among others the famous Mr. Elliott, the apostle
of the Indians, who not being allowed to teach school
in his native country, retired to America, and spent a
long and useful life in converting the natives, and with
indefatigable pains translated the bible into the Indian
language. Two very considerable puritan divines were
also removed by death, viz. Mr. Hildersham, born at

1631. CHARLES I. 44?
Stechworth, Cambridgeshire, and educated in Christ's
Coll. Cambridge, of an ancient and honourable family 5
his mother Anne Pole being neice to the cardinal of
that name. His father educated liim in the popish
religion ; and because he would not go to Rome at four
teen or fifteen years of age, disinherited him : but the
Earl of Huntingdon, his near kinsman, sent him to Cam
bridge, where he proceeded M. A. and entered into holy
orders. In 1587, he was placed by the Earl at Ashby
de la Zouch in Leicestershire. But here as in Several
other instances, he was silenced for non-conformity, and
remained under suspension many years. In 1613, he
was enjoined not to exercise any part of the ministe
rial function, till he should be restored : and in 1615,
he was committed to the Fleet, for refusing the oath
ex officio, where he continued three months, and was
then released upon bond. In Nov. 1616, the high com
mission proceeded against him, and because he refused
to conform, declared him a schismatic, fined him two
thousand pounds, excommunicated him, and ordered him
to be attached and committed to prison. But he wisely
absconded, and kept out of the way. In 1625, he was
restored to his living ; but when Laud had the as
cendant, he was silenced again for not reading divine
service in the surplice and hood, and was not restored
till a few months before his death. Though he was a
non-conformist in principle, yet was he a person of
great temper and moderation : he loved and respected
all good men, and opposed the separation of the Brownists,
and the semi-separation of Mr. Jacob. His lectures on
the 51st psalm, and his other printed works, shew him
to have been a most excellent divine. He died in the
sixty-ninth year of his age, having been minister of
Ashby de la Zouch (as the times would suffer him)
above forty-three years.
Mr. Bolton was born at Blackburn in Lancashire,
educated first in Lincoln Coll. and afterwards in Bra
zen Nose Coll. Oxford, of whicli he was fellow. Here
he became famous for his lectures in moral and natural
philosophy, being an excellent Grecian, and well versed
in school divinity, while he continued a profane wicked

448 HISTORY OF THE PURXTANS. CHAP, If,
man. During his residence at college, he contracted an
acquaintance with one Anderton a popish priest, who,
taking advantage of his mean circumstances, would have
persuaded him to reconcile himself to the church of
Rome,- and go over to one of the English seminaries in
Flanders.. Bolton accepted the motion, and appointed
a place of meeting, to conclude the affair : but Ander
ton disappointing him, he returned to the college, and
fell under strong convictions for his former nnsPerit
life ; so that he could neither eat nor sleep, or enjoy
any peace of mind for several months ; till at length
by humiliation and prayer, he received comfort. Upoi\
this, he resolved to enter upon the ministry* and about
two years after, he was presented to the living of Brough-.
ton in Northamptonshire, where he continued till his
death. He was a most awakening and authoritative
preacher, having the most strong masculine and ora
torical stile of any of the age in which he lived. He
preached twice every Lord's day, besides catechizing.
Upon every holy day, and every Friday before the
sacrament, he expounded a chapter : his constant course
was to pray six times a day, twice in secret, twice with his,
family, and twice with his wife, besides many days of
private humiliation that he observed for the protestant
churches in Germany. He was of a copaejy grave pre-t
sence, winch commanded respect in all companies;
zealous in the cause of religion, and yet so prudent as to
escape being called in question all the while he lived in
Northamptonshire. At length he was seized with a tertian
ague, which after fifteen weeks, put a period to his valua
ble and useful life, in the sixtieth year of his age. He
made a most devout and exemplary end, praying heartily
for all his friends that came to see him; bidding them
make sure of heaven, and bear in mind what he had
formerly tpld them in his ministry, protesting that what
he had preached to them for. twenty years, was the truth
of God, as he should answer it at the tribunal of Christ,.
He then retired within himself, and said, " Hold out faith
and patience, your vioxk will speedily be at an end." His
eloquent and excellent writings will recommend his me
mory to latest posterity,

1632. CHARLES I. 449
About 16'27, there was a scheme formed by several
gentlemen and ministers, to promote preaching in the
country, by setting up lectures in the several market
towns of England ; and to defray the expence a sum of
money was raised by voluntary contribution, for the pur
chasing such impropriations as were in the hands of the
laity, the profits of which were to be parcelled out into
salaries of forty or fifty pounds for the subsistence of their
lecturers : the money was deposited in the hands of
ministers and gentlemen, in trust for the abovesaid pur
poses, under the name and character of FEOFFEES. Most
people thought this a very laudable design, and wished it
success; but Laud looked on them with an evil eye, and
represented them to the King as in a conspiracy against
the church, because instead of restoring the impropriations
they purchased to the several livings, they kept them in
their own hands for the encouragement of factious and
seditious lecturers, who were to depend upon their patrons,
as . being liable to be turned out if they neglected their
duty. For these reasons an information was brought against
them by the Attorney-General, as an illicit society,
formed into a body corporate, without a grant from the
King, and not employing the profits according to law.
And notwithstanding all they could say, the court was of
opinion, that their proceedings were contrary to law, and
decreed that their feoffment should be cancelled; that the
impropriations they had purchased should be confiscated
to the King, and the Feoffees themselves fined in the
Star-chamber; however the prosecution was dropt as too
invidious, itappearingin courtby the receipts and disburse
ments, that the Feoffees were out of pocket already above
one thousand pounds. The odium of this prosecution
fell upon Laud, whose chancellor told him upon this
occasion, that he was miserably censured by the separa
tists; upon which he made this reflection in his diary,
" Pray God give me patience, and forgive them."
But his lordship had very little patience with those who,
opposed his proceedings. We have seen his zeal for
pictures and paintings in churches, which some of the
puritans venturing to censure in their sermons and writ*
vol. i, Ff

450, HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
ings, were exposed to the severest punishments. Arnong
these were Mr. Hayden of Devonshire, who being forced
to abscond, was apprehended in the diocese of Norwich
by Bp. Harsenet, who after he had. taken frpm him his
horse, and money, and all his papers, caused him to be
shut up in prison for thirteen weeks ; after which, when
the justices would have admitted him to bail, his lordship
sent him up to the high commission, who deprived him
of his ministry and orders, and set a fine upon him for
preaching against decorations and images in churches;
and afterwards venturing to preach occasionally, without
being restored, he was apprehended again and sent to
the Gatehouse by Abp. Laud, and from thence to Bride
well, where he was whipt and kept to hard labour ; here
be was confined in a cold dark dungeon during a whole
winter, being chained to a post in the middle of a room,
with irons on his hands and feet, having no other food
but bread and water, and a pad of straw to lie on. Before
his release he was obliged to take an oath, and give bond;
that he would preach no more, but depart the kingdom
in a month and not return. . Harsenet did not live to see.
the execution of this part of the sentence, though for his
zeal against the puritans he was promoted to the see of
York, and made a privy counsellor. Some time before his
decease he not only persecuted the Non-conformists,- but
complained of the conformable puritans, as he called.
them, because they complied out of policy, and not in
judgment. How hardfjs the* case, when men shall be
punished for not conforming, and be complained of if
they do conform ! Queen Elizabeth used to say, she
would never trouble herself about the consciences, of her
subjects, if they did but outwardly comply with the laws ;,
whereas this prelate would ransack the very heart,
Henry Sherfiekl, Esq. recorder of the city pf Sarum,,
was tried in the Star-chamber, for taking down some
painted glass out of one of the windows of St. Edmund's.
church in Salisbury, in which were seven pictures of God
the Father, in form of a little old man in a blue and red
coat, with a pouch by his side : qne represents him creat
ing |he sun and moon with a pair of compasses, others
as working pn the business qf the six days creation, and

1632. CHARLES I. 451
at last he sits in an elbow chair at rest. Many simple
people, at their going in and out of church, did reverence
to this window, because, as they said, the Lord their God
was there. This gave such offence to the recorder, who
was also a justice of peace, that he moved the parish at a
vestry for leave to take it down, and set up a new window
of white glass in the place, which was accordingly granted,
six justices of the peace being present. Some time after
Mr. Sherfiekl broke with his staff the pictures of God the
Father, in order to new glaze the window ; an account of
which being transmitted to London, an information was
exhibited against him in the Star-chamber. In his de
fence, Mr. Sherfield says, that the church of St. Edmund's
was a lay fee, and exempted from the jurisdiction of the
bishop of the diocese ; that the defendant, with the rest
of the parishioners, had lawful power to take down the
glass ; and that it was agreed by a vestry that the glass
should be changed, and the window made new ; and that
accordingly he took down a quarry or two in a quiet and
peaceable manner ; but he avers, that the true history of
the creation was not contained in that window, but a false
and impious one : God the Father was painted like an
old man with, a blue coat, and a pair of compasses, to sig
nify his compassing the heavens and the earth. In the
fourth day's work there were fowls of the air flying up
from God their maker, rfyhich should have been the fifth
day. In the fifth day/sWvork a naked man is laying upon
the earth asleep, witlPso much of a naked woman as from
the knees upward growing out of his side, which should
have been the sixth day ; so that the history is false.
Further he declares it impious, to make an image or
picture of God the Father, which he undertakes to prove
from Scripture, from canons and councils, from the man
dates and decrees of sundry Emperors* from the opinions
of ancient doctors of the church, and of our most judi
cious divines since the reformation. He adds, that his
belief is agreeable to the doctrine of the church of Eng
land, and to the homilies, which say, that pictures of God
are monuments of superstition, and ought to be destroyed ;
and to Queen Elizabeth's injunctions, which command
FF2

452 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
that all pictures and monuments of idolatry should be
removed out of churches, that no memory of them might
remain in walls, glass windows, or elsewhere. Mr. Sher-
field concludes his defence v/ith denying, that he was
disaffected to the discipline of the church of England, or
had encouraged any to oppose the government of it.
Though it is hard to make a tolerable reply to this defence,
yet Laud stood up and spake in excuse of the painter,
saying, God the Father was called in scripture the " An
cient of days ;" adding however that for his own part, he
did not so well approve of pictures of things invisible ;
but be the paintings better or worse he insisted strongly,
that Mr. Sherfiekl had taken them down in contempt of
the episcopal authority, for which he moved, that he might
be fined a thousand pounds, and removed from his
recordership ; that he be committed close prisoner to the
Fleet till he pay his fine, and then be bound to his good
behaviour. To all which the court agreed, except to the
fine, which was mitigated to five hundred pounds.
Mr. Workman, lecturer of St. Stephen's, Gloucester,
in one of his sermons asserted, that pictures or images
were no ornaments to churchejj ; that it was unlawful to
set up, images of Christ or saints in our houses, because
it tended to idolatry, according to the homily. *%For which
he was suspended by the high commission, excommuni
cated, and obliged to an open recitation ; he was also
condemned in costs of suit and imprisoned*: * Mr. Work
man was a man of great piety, WiliBp and moderation, and
had served the church of St. Stephen's fifteen years ; in
consideration whereof, and of his numerous family, the
city of Gloucester had given him an annuity of twenty
pounds under their common seal, a little before his trou
bles : but for this act of charity, the mayor, town clerk,"
and several of the aldermen, were cited before the high
commission, and put to one hundred pounds charges, and
the annuity was cancelled. After this Mr. Workman set
up a little school, of which Laud being informed, inhibited
him, as he would answer the contrary at his peril. He
then fell upon the practice of physic, which the archbishop
likewise absolutely forbid ; so that being deprived of all
methods of subsistence, he fell into a melancholy disorder

1633. CHARLES I. 453
and died. — Our bishop was no less watchful over tlie press
than the pulpit, commanding his cliaplains to expunge
out of all books that came to be licensed, such passages
as disallowed of paintings, carvings, drawings, gildings ;
erecting, bowing, or praying before images and pictures;
as appeared by the evidence of Dr. Featiy and others, at
his trial.
This persecuing prelate would have stretched out his
arm not only against the puritans in England, but even to
reach the factories beyond sea, had it been in his power.
The English church at Hamburgh managed their affairs
according to the Geneva discipline, by elders and deacons.
In Holland they conformed to the discipline of the states,
and met them in their synods and assemblies, with the
consent of King James, and of his present majesty, till
secretary Windebank at the instance of the bishop, offered
some proposals to the privy council for their better regu
lation. These proposals were dispatched to the factories,
and the bishop wrote in particular to Delft, that it was his
majesty's express command, that their ministers should
conform themselves in all things to the doctrine and dis
cipline of the church of England, and to all the orders
prescribed in the canons, rubric and liturgy ; and that the
names ofASuch as were refractory should be sent over to
him. But it was not possible to succeed in the attempt,
because most*of jthe English congregations being sup
ported by the statiftjjust by so doing have run the hazard
of losing their maMifenance. and of being dissolved.
However though the bishop could not accomplish his
designs abroad, we shall find him hereafter retaliating his
disappointment upon the French and Dutch churches at
home. His lordship met with better success in Scotland. He
had possessed the King with vast notions of glory in
bringing the kirk of Scotland to conformity with England ;
a work which his father had attempted but left imperfect.
The King readily fell in with the bishop's motion, and
determined to run all hazards for accomplishing this
important design, having no less veneration for the cere
monies of the church of England than the bishop himself.
F F 3

454 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS* CflAP. It
There had been bishops in Scotland for some years,
but they had little more than the name, being subject
to an assembly that was purely presbyterian. To ad
vance their jurisdiction, the king had already renewed
the high commission, and abolished all general assem
blies of the kirk, not one having been held in his reign ;
yet still there was no form of religion, no liturgy, nor
the least appearance of any beauty of holiness. To re1-
dress these grievances, as well as to shew the nation
the pomp and grandeur of the English hierarchy, his
majesty resolves upon a progress into his native couu try
to be crowned, and accordingly set out from London
attended by several noblemen and persons of quality ;
and among others by Bp. Laud. June 18th, his majesty
was crowned at Edinburgh, the ceremony being mana
ged by the direction of his favourite bishop, who thrust
away the Bp. of Glasgow from his place, because
he appeared without the coat of his order, which being
an embroidered one, he scrupled to wear, being a mo
derate churchman.
On the 20th of June the parliament met, and voted
the King a large sum of money, after which his Ma
jesty proposed to them two acts relating to religion ;
one was concerning his royal prerogative, and the ap
parel of kirkmen. The other, a bill for th%ratifi'c a-
tion of former acts touching;, religion. It being the cus
tom in Scotland for King, lords and» commons to sit in
one house, when the question wajj|>put for the first bill
his majesty took a paper out of lps pocket, and said,
" Gentlemen, I have all your names here, and I will-
know who will do me service, and who will not> this
day." Nevertheless it was carried in the negative ; thir
teen lords, and the majority of the commons voting
against it. Th© lords said, they agreed to the act so
far as related to his majesty's prerogative, but dissented^
from that part of it which referred to the apparel of
kirkmen, fearing that under that cover the surplice
might be introduced. But his majesty said, he would
have no distinction, and commanded them to say, Yes*
or no, to the whole bill. The King marked every man's-
vote, and upon casting them up, the clerk declared it

1633. CHARLES I. 455
was carried in the affirmative : Which some of the mem
bers denying, his majesty said, the clerk's declaration
must stand, unless any one would go to the bar and
accuse him of falsifying the record of parliament, at
the peril of his life. This manner of treating the whole
representative body of the nation, disgusted all ranks
and orders of his subjects. A writing was immediately
dispersed abroad, setting forth, how grievous it was for
a king to overawe and threaten his parliament in that
manner ; and that the same was a breach of privilege;
that parliaments were a mere pageantry, if the clerk
might declare the votes as he pleased and no scrutiny
be allowed. Lord Balmerino, in whose custody this
libel was found, was condemned to lose his head for
it, but was afterwards pardoned. After eight days his
majesty dissolved the parliament, in high displeasure with
the dissenting lords: and left his native country, hav
ing lost a great deal of ground in the affections of
his people, by the contempt he poured upon the Scots
clergy, and his imperious behaviour in favour of the
English ceremonies. His majesty was attended through
out his whole progress by Laud, which service his lord
ship was not obliged to, and no doubt would have been
excused from, if the design of introducing the English
liturgy into Scotland had not been in view. He preached
before the King in the royal chapel at Edinburgh,
which scarce any Englishman had ever done before, and
insisted principally11 upon the benefit of the ceremonies
of the church, which he himself observed to the height.
It went against him to own the Scots presbyters for mi
nisters of Christ; taking all occasions to affront their
character; which created great disgust in that nation,
and laid the foundation of those resentments that they
expressed against him under his sufferings.
When the King left Scotland, he erected a new
bishopric at Edinburgh, and about two months after, Laud
being then newly advanced to the province of Canter
bury, framed articles for the reformation of his ma
jesty's royal chapel in that city, which were sent into
¦Scotland under his majesty's own hand, with a declara
tion, that they were intended as a pattern. for all ca-

456 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. II.
thedrals, chapels, and parish churches in that kingdom.
Thus were the liberties of the kirk of Scotland invaded
by an English bishop, under the wing of the supremacy,
without consent of parliament or general assembly. The
Scots ministers in their pulpits preached against the
English hierarchy, and warned the people against surren
dering up the liberties of their kirk into the hands of a
neighbouring nation, that was undermining their discipline ;
so that when the new liturgy came to be introduced
about four years after, all the people as one man rose up
against it.
The King was no sooner returned from Scotland,
than-Abbot, Abp. of Canterbury, died. He was born at
Guildford in Surry, and educated in Bajiol Coll. Oxford,
where be was a celebrated preacher. In 1 597 he proceeded
doctor in divinity, and was elected master of University
Coll. Two years after he was made Dean of Winchester,
and was one of those divines appointed by King James
to translate the New Testament into English. In 1609
he was consecrated Bp. of Litchfield and Coventry, from
thence he was translated to London, and upon the death
of Abp. Bancroft to Canterbury, having never been rector,
vicar or incumbent, in auy parish church in England.
The Oxford historian, who was no friend to our archbishop's
principles, confesses that he was a pious, grave person,
exemplary- in his life and conversation, a plausible
preacher, and that the many things he has written shew
him to be a man of parts, learning and vigilance; an
. able statesman, and of unwearied study, though over
whelmed with business. Fuller says he was an excellent
preacher, and that his severity towards the clergy was
only to prevent their being punished by lay-judges, to
their greater shame. Mr. Coke and Dr. Wellwood add,
that he was. a prelate of primitive sanctity, who followed
the true interests of his country, and of the reformed
churches at home and abroad ; that he was a divine of
good learning, great hospitality, and wonderful modera
tion* shewing upon all occasions an unwillingness to
stretch the King's prerogative or the act of uniformity,
beyond what was consistent with law, or necessary for the
peace of the church; this brought him into all his troubles,

1633. CHARLES I. 457
and has provoked the writers for the prerogative, to leave
a blot upon his memory, which on this account will be
reverenced by all true lovers of the protestant religion,
and the liberties of their country ; and if the court had
followed his wise and prudent counsels, the mischiefs that
befel the crown and church some years after his death,
would have been prevented. We have mentioned his
casual homicide in the year 1621, which occasioned his
keeping an annual fast as long as he lived, and maintain
ing- the widow; notwithstanding this misfortune, if he
would have betrayed the protestant religion, and been the
dupe of the prerogative, he might have continued in
high favour with his prince ; but for his steady opposition
to the arbitrary measures of Buckingham and Laud, and
for not licensing Sibthorp's sermon, he was suspended
from his archiepiscopal jurisdiction, whereupon he retired
to Croydon, having no more interest at court, or influence
in the government of the church ; here he died, in his
palace, in the seventy-first year of his age, and was
buried in Trinity-church, in Guildford, where he had
erected and endowed an hospital for men and women.
There is a fine monument over his grave, with his effigies
in full proportion, supported by six pillars of the doric
order of black marble, standing on six pedestals of piled
books, with a large inscription thereon to his memory.

CHAP. III.

CHARLES I.
Laud succeeds Abbot in the see of Canterbury^ — Wakes and
Revels countenanced on the Lord's day. — Hardships
of the Puritans. — Sufferings of Mr. Wilson ; — Of
Mr. Snelling. — Alterations in the Service Book.-^
Injunctions against Lectures. — Mr. Prynne's sentence
in the Star- Chamber. —French and Dutch Churches
obliged to conform. — Foreign Protestant Churches
disowned. — Sufferings of Non-conformists. — Affairs
of Scotland. — Laud holds Ecclesiastical Courts in his
own Name, contrary to Law. — Illegal articles of
Visitation. — Grandeur of the Church. — Pride and
Ambition of the Clergy. — Sufferings of Non-confor
mists. — Nation disgusted with the cruelties exercised
against them. — Courage of Puritans ; — They are
forbid to depart the Kingdom. — Approach of the
Clergy to Popery. — Design to unite the Churches
of England and Rome. — Civil Liberties of England
destroyed. — Remarks.
T""|R. Laud was now at the pinacle of preferment, being
"^^ translated to the see of Canterbury two days after
Abp. Abbot's death. He was likewise chancellor of the uni
versities of Oxford and Dublin, privy counsellor for
England and Scotland, first commissioner of the Exche
quer, and one of the committee for trade, and for the
King's revenues. He was also offered a cardinal's cap,,
which he declined, as he says, because there was some
thing dwelt within him which would not suffer it, till

1G33. CHARLES I. 459
Rome was otherwise than it was. We are now to see how
he moved in this high sphere.
The archbishop's antipathy to calvanism, and zeal
for the external beauty of the church, carried him to
some very imprudent and unjustifiable extremes; for
if the puritans were too strict in keeping holy the sabbath,
his grace was too lax in his indulgence, by encouraging
fevels, may-games and sports, on that sacred day.
Complaint having been made to the Judges in the
western circuit, of great inconveniences arising from
revels, church ales, and clerk ales on the Lord's days,
they made an order at the assizes for suppressing them,
and appointed the clerk to leave copies of the order
with every parish minister, who was to give a note under
his hand, to publish it twice in his church yearly. Upon
the return of the circuit the judges required an account
of the execution of their order, and punished some
persons for the breach of it ; whereupon the archbishop
complained to the King of their invading the episcopal
jurisdiction, and prevailed with his majesty to summons
them before the council. When they appeared, Richard
son pleaded that the order was made at the request of
the justices of the peace, and with the unanimous consent
of the whole bench; and justified it from. various strong
precedents. But notwithstanding all the chief justice
could alledge, he received a sharp reprimand, and a
peremptory injunction to revoke his order at the next
assizes ; which he did, but in such a manner as lost him
his credit at court for the future. This reprimand and
injunction almost broke the judge's heart, for when he
came out of the council chamber he told the Earl of
Dorset with tears in his eyes, that he had been miserably
shaken by the archbishop, and was like to be choaked
with his lawn sleeves,
Laud having thus humbled the judge, and recovered
his episcopal authority from neglect, took the affair into
his own hand, and wrote to the Bp. of Bath and Wells,
for fuller information. In his letter he takes notice that
there had been of late some noise in Somersetshire about
the wakes; that the judges had prohibited them under
pretence of some disorders, by which argument any

460 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
thing that is abused may be quite taken away ; but that
his majesty was displeased with Richardson's behaviour
at the two last assizes ; being of opinion, that the feasts
ought to be kept for the recreation of the people, of
which he would not have them debarred, to gratify
the humourists, who were very numerous in those
parts, and united in crying down the feasts; his grace
therefore requires the bishop to give him a speedy
account how these feasts had been ordered.
The Bp. of Bath and Wells, in answer to this letter
acquaints the archbishop, " That the late suppression
of the revels was very unacceptable, and that the resti
tution of them would be very grateful to the gentry,
clergy and common people ; for proof of which he had
procured thehands of seventy-two of his clergy, in whose
parishes these feasts are kept : and he believes that if
he had sent for an hundred more he should have had the
same answer from them all ? but these seventy -two are
like the seventy-two interpreters, that agreed so soon in
the translation of the Old Testament into Greek."
The people were fond of these recreations, and the
bishop recommends them, as bringing the people more
willingly to church ; as tending to civilize them, and
to compose differences among them ; and as serving to
increase love and unity, forasmuch as they were in the
nature of feasts of charity, the richer sort keeping in a
manner open house ; for which and some other reasons
his lordship thinks them fit to be retained. But the
justices of the peace were of another mind, and signed
an humble petition to the King, in which they declare
that these revels had' not only introduced a great profana
tion of the Lord's day, but riotous tipling, contempt of
authority, quarrels, murders, &c. and were very preju
dicial to the peace, plenty, and good government of
the country, and therefore they pray that they may be
suppressed. Here We observe the laity petitioning for
the religious observation of the Lord's day, and the bishop
with his clergy pleading for the profanation of it. To
encourage these disorderly assemblies more effectually,
Laud put the King upon republishing his father's decla
ration concerning lawful sports to be used on Sundays

1633. CHARLES I. 461
after divine service; which was done accordingly, with
this remarkable addition. " Out of a like pious care
for the service of God, and for suppressing of those
humours that oppose truth, and for the ease, comfort,
and recreation of his majesty's well-deserving people,
he doth ratify his blessed father's declaration, the rather
because of late in some counties of the kingdom his
majesty finds, that under pretence of taking away an
abuse, there hath been a general forbidding, not only
of ordinary meetings, but of the feasts of the dedication
of churches, commonly called wakes ; it is therefore his
will and pleasure, that these feasts with others shall be
observed, and that all neighbourhood and freedom with
man-like and lawful exercises be used; and the justices
of the peace are commanded not to molest any in their
recreations, having first done their duty to God, and
continuing in obedience to his majesty's laws."
This declaration revived the controversy of the mora
lity of the sabbath, which had slept for many years, Mr,
Bradbourne, a Suffolk minister, had published " A defence
of the most ancient and sacred ordinance of God, the
sabbath day," and dedicated it to the King. But the poor
man fell into the ambush of the high commission, whose
well tempered severity so prevailed with him, that he
became a convert, and conformed quietly to the church
of England. White, Bp. of Ely, was commanded by
the King to confute Bradbourne; after him appeared
Dr. Pocklington, with his Sunday no sabbath; and after
him Heylin the archbishop's chaplain and others. These
divines instead of softening some rigprs in Bradbourne's
Sabbatarian strictness, ran into the contrary extreme,
denying all manner of divine right or moral obligation
to the observance of the whole, or any part of the Lord's
day, making it depend entirely upon ecclesiastical
authority, and to oblige no further than to the few hours
of public service; and that in the intervals, not only
walking but mixed dancing, masques, interludes, revels,
&c. were lawful and expedient.
Instead of convincing the sober part of the nation,
it struck them with a kind of horror, to see themselves
invited by the authority of the King and church, to that

462 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
which looked so like a contradiction to the command of
God, It was certainly out of character for bishops and
clergymen, who should be the supports of religion, to
draw men off from exercises of devotion in their families
and closets, by enticing them to public recreations.
People are forward enough of themselves to indulge these
Kberties, and need a check rather than a spur ; but the
wisdom of these times was different. The court had
their balls, masquerades, and plays on the Sunday even
ings, while the youth of the country were at their mor
rice dances, may-games, church and clerk afes, and all
such kinds of revelling.
The revival of this declaration was charged upon
Laud at his trial, but his grace would not admit the charge,
tnough he confessed his judgment was in favour of it. It
Was to be published in all parish churches either by the
minister, or any other person, at the discretion of the
bishop, and therefore the putting this hardship on the
clergy was their act and deed ; but Laud knew it would
distress the puritans. The severe pressing this declara
tion made sad havock among the puritans for seven years,
Many poor clergymen strained their consciences in sub
mission to their superiors. Some after publishing it,
immediately read the fourth commandment to the people,
"Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy;" adding
"This is the law of God; the other, the injunction of
man." Some put it upon their curates, whilst great num
bers refused to comply upon any terms whatsover. Fuller
says, that the archbishop's moderation in his own diocese
was remarkable, silencing but three, in whom also was a
concurrence of other non-conformities ; but that his ad
versaries imputed it not to his charity but policy, fox-like,
preying farthest from his own den, and instigating other
bishops to do more than he would appear in himself. Sir N.
Brent, his grace's vicar-general, attested upon oath at the
archbishop's trial, that he gave him a special charge to con
vene all ministers before him who would not read the book
of sports on the Lord's day, and to suspend them for it.
And when Mr. Ployer, Mr. Hieron, and Mr. Culmer, three
suspended ministers repaired to Lambeth, apd petitioned
to be restored, the archbishop told them, if they did not

1633. CHARLES I. 463
know how to obey, he did not know how to grant their
petition. So their suspension continued till the beginning
of the commotions in Scotland, to the ruin of their poor
families. Several clergymen of other dioceses were also silen
ced, and deprived on the same account; as Mr. T.
Wilson of Otham, who being sent for to Lambeth, and
asked, whether he had read the book of sports in his
church, answered no ; whereupon the archbishop replied
immediately, I suspend you for ever from your office
and benefice till you read it ; and so he continued four
years, being cited into the high commission, and articled
against for the same crime : and divers others were cen
sured by the high commission, of which the archbishop
was chief, for not reading the declaration, and not
bowing at the blessed name of Jesus, &c. The learned
Mr. L. Snelling, rector of Paul's Cray, was not only sus
pended by the high commission for four years, but
deprived and excommunicated for not reading the decla
ration, &c. He pleaded in his own defence the laws of
God and of the realm, and the authority of councils
and fathers; he added, that the King's declaration did
not enjoin ministers to read it, nor authorize the bishops
or high commissioners to suspend or punish ministers for
not reading it; that it being merely a civil, not an eccle
siastical declaration enjoined by any canons or authority
of the church, no ecclesiastical court could take cogni
zance of it. All which Mr. Snelling offered to the com
missioners in writing, but the archbishop would not admit
it, saying in open court, that whosoever should make
such a defence, it should be burnt before his face, and
he laid by the heels. Upon this he was personally and
judicially admonished to read the declaration within three
weeks, which he refusing, was suspended. About four
months after he was judicially admonished again, and re
fusing to comply, was excommunicated, and told that
unless he conformed before the second day of next term,
he should be deprived, which was accordingly done, and
be continued under the sentence many years, to his un
speakable damage. It were endless to go into more par
ticulars ; how many hundred godly ministers' in this and

464 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
other dioceses, says Mr. Prynne, have been suspended
from their ministry, sequestered, driven from their livings,
excommunicated, prosecuted in the high commission, and
forced to leave the kingdom for not publishing this de
claration, is known to all men. Dr. Wren, Bp. of Nor
wich says,. that great numbers in his diocese had declined
it, and were suspended ; that some had since complied,
but that still there were thirty who peremptorily refused
and were excommunicated. This the bishop thinks a
small number, although if they were as many in other
dioceses the whole would amount to near eight hundred.
To render the Common prayer book more unexcep
tionable to the papists, and more distant from puritanism,
Laud made sundry alterations in the later editions, without
the sanction of convocation or parliament. In the collect
for the royal family, the princess Elizabeth and her
children were left out, and these words were expunged
" O God, who art the Father of thine elect, and of their
seed;" as tending towards particular election or pre
destination. In the prayer for the fifth of November
were these words, " Root out that antichristian and baby-
lonish sect, which say of Jerusalem, down with it even
to the ground. Cut off those workers of iniquity, whose
religion is rebellion, whose faith is faction, whose prac
tice is murdering both soul and body." which in the last
edition are thus changed, " Root out the antichristian
and babylonish sect of them, which say of Jerusalem,
down with it, and cut off those workers of inquity, who
turn religion into rebellion," &c. The design of which
alteration was to relieve the papists, and to turn the prayer
against the puritans, upon whom the popish plot was to
have been fathered. In the epistle for Palm Sunday,
instead of " in the name of Jesus," as it was heretofore,,
it is now according to the last translation, " at the name
of Jesus every knee shall bow." But it was certainly
very high presumption, for a single clergyman, or any
number of them, to alter a service book established by
act of parliament, and impose those alterations upon the
whole body of the clergy. The puritans always excepted
against bowing at the name of Jesus; it appeared to
them very superstitious, as if worship was to be paid to a

1633. CHARLES I. 465
name, or to the name of Jesus, more than to that of
Christ, or Immanuel. However no penalty was annexed
to the neglect of this ceremony, nor did any suffer for it,
till Laud was at the head of the church, who pressed it
equally with the rest, and caused above twenty ministers
to be fined, censured, and put by their livings, for not
bowing at the name of Jesus, or for preaching against it.
On the third of November was debated before his
majesty in council, the question about removing the com
munion table in St. Gregory's church near St. Paul's,
from the middle of the chancel to the upper end of it, and
placing it there in form of an altar. This being enjoined
upon the church -ward ens by the dean and chapter of St.
Paul's, without consent of the parishioners, they opposed
it, and appealed to the court of arches, alledging that the
book of common prayer, and eighty-second canon, gave
liberty to place the communion table where it might stand
with most convenience. His majesty being informed of
the appeal, and acquainted by the archbishop, that it
would be a leading case all over England, was pleased to
order it to be debated before himself in council, and
after hearing the arguments on both sides, declared that
the liberty given by the eighty-second canon was not to
be understood so, as if it were to be left to the discretion
of the parish, much less to the fancies of a few humorous
persons, but to the judgment of the ordinary, or bishop,
to whose place it properly belonged to determine these
points ; he therefore confirmed the- act of the ordinary,
and gave commandment, that if the parishioners went on
with their appeal, the dean of the arches, who was then
attending at the hearing of the cause, should confirm the
order of the dean and chapter. This was a sovereign man
ner of putting an end to a cpntrpversy, very agreeable to
the archbishop.
When the sacrament was administered in parish
churches, the communion table was usually placed in the
middle of the chancel, and the people received round it,
or in their several places thereabout ; but now all com
munion tables were ordered to be fixed under the east
wall of the chancel with the ends north and south in form
vol. I. G G

466 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
of an altar ; they were to be raised two or three steps
above the floor, and encompassed with rails. Laud
ordered his vicar-general to see this alteration made in all
the churches and chapels of his province ; to accomplish
which, it was necessary to take down the galleries in some,
churches, and to remove ancient monuments. This was
resented by some considerable families, and complained
of as an injury to the dead, and such an expence to the
living, as some country parishes could not bear, yet those
who refused to pay the rates imposed by. Laud, for this
purpose, were fined in the spiritual courts contrary to law.
It is almost incredible, what a ferment the making this
alteration raised among the common people all over
England. Many ministers and churchwardens were
excommunicated, fined, and obliged to do penance,. for
neglecting the bishop's injunctions. Great numbers
refused to .come up to the rails and receive tlie sacrament,
for which some were fined, and others excommunicated,
to the number of some hundreds, say the, committee of the
house of commons at the archbishop's trial.
Books were wrote for and against this new practice,
with the same earnestness and contention, for victory,
as if the life of religion had been at stake. But the
archbishop being determined to carry his point, prosecuted
the affair with unjustifiable rigor over all the kingdom,
punishing those who opposed him, without regard to the
laws of the land. This occasioned a sort of schism,
among the bishops, and a great deal of uncharitableness
among the inferior clergy ; for those bishops who had
not been beholden to Laud for their preferments, nor
had any further expectations^ were very cool in the
affair, while the archbishop's creatures in many pla;
ces, took upon them to make these alterations by their
own authority, without the injunctions or directions of
their diocesans, whicli laid the foundation of many law
suits, Those who opposed the alterations were called
doctrinal puritans, and the promoters of them, doctri
nal papists. The court clergy were of the latter sor^,
and were vehemently suspected of an inclination to
popery, because of their superstitious bowing to the
altar, not only in time of divine service, but at their

1633. CHARLES I. 467
going "* and out of church. This was a practice unknown
to the laity of the church of England before this time,
but Laud introduced it into the royal chapel at White
hall, and recommended it to all the clergy by his ex
ample, for when he went in and out of chapel, a lane
was always made for him to see the altar, and do re
verence towards it. All his majesty's chaplains, and
even the common people, were enjoined the same prac
tice. Iu the new body of statutes for the cathedral of
Canterbury, the dean and prebendaries are obliged by
oath, to bow to the altar at coming in and going out
of church; which could arise from no principle but a
belief of the real presence of Christ in the sacrament
or altar; or from a superstitious imitation of the pagans
worshipping towards the east.
To make the adoration more significant, the altars
in cathedrals were adorned with the most pompous fur
niture, and all the vessels underwent a solemn conse
cration. The cathedral of Canterbury was furnished,
according to Bp. Andrews' model, who took it from
the Roman missal, with two candlesticks and tapers, a
basin for oblations, a cushion for the service book, a
a silver gilt canister for the wafers, like a wicker basket,
lined with cambric lace, the tonne on a cradle ; a cha
lice with the image of Christ and the lost sheep, and
of the wise men and star, engraven on the sides and
on the cover. The chalice was covered with a linen
napkin, called the aire, embroidered with coloured silk ;
two patins, ,the trincanale being a round ball with a
screw coyer, out of which issued three pipes, for the
water of mixture ; a credeniia or side table, with a basin
and ewer on napkins, and a towel to wash before the
consecration ; three kneeling stools covered and s.tuffed,
the foot pace with three ascents, covered with a Turkey
carpet; three chairs used at ordinations, and the septum
or rail with two ascents. Upon some altars there was
a pot, called the incense pot, and a knife to cut the
sacramental bread.
The consecration of this furniture was after this
manner; the archbishop in his cope, attended by two
G G 2

46% HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 111.
chaplains in their surplices, having bowed several times
towards the altar, read a portion of scripture; then the
Vessels to be consecrated were delivered into the hands
of the archbishop, who, after he had placed them upon
the altar, read a form of prayer, desiring God to bless
and accept of these vessels, which he severally touched
•and elevated offering them up to God, after whicli they
were not to be put to common use. We have seen
already the manner of his grace's consecrating the sacra
mental elements at Creed Church ; there was a little
more ceremony in cathedrals, where the wafers and wine
being first placed with great solemnity on the creden-
tia or side table, were to be removed from thence by
one of the archbishop's chaplains, who as soon as he
turns his face about to the altar with the elements in
his hands, bows three times, and again when he comes
to the foot of it, where he presents them upon his knees,
and lays them upon the altar for consecration.
The lecturers or afternoon preachers, giving Laud some
disturbance notwithstanding the attempts already made to
suppress them, the King sent injunctions to the bishops
of his province ; by virtue of which injunctions no
chaplainship to a nobleman's family, or any invitation to
a lecture, could qualify a person for ordination without a
living. In the annual account the archbishop gave the
King of the state of his province this year, it is evident how
much the suppressing of these popular preachers lay
upon his mind. But in this account there was very little
complaint of the growth of popery, which was at a pro
digious height; but all the archbishop's artillery is pointed
against the puritan clergy, who were the most determined
and resolved protestants in the nation.
Towards the close of this year came on the famous trial
of William Prynne, Esq. barrister at law, and member of
Lincoln's-Inn, for his " IKstriomastix" a book written
against plays, masques, dancing, &c. The information
sets forth, that though the author knew, that the Queen
and Lords of the council were frequently present at those
diversions, yet he had railed against these and several
(Others, as may-poles, christmas-keeping, dressing houses
with ivy, festivals, &c. and that he had aspersed the

1633. CHARLES I. 469
Queen, and commended factious persons. The cause was
heard in the Star-chamber. The council for Mr. Prynne
were Messrs. Atkyns, Jenkins, Holbourne, Heme, and
Lightfoot. For the King was the Attorney-general. The
council for the defendant pleaded, that he had handled
the argument of stage-plays in a learned manner, without
designing to reflect on his superiors ; that the book had
been licensed according to law ; and that if any passages
.maybe construed to reflect on his majesty, or any branch of
his government, hehumblybegs pardon. But Mr. Attorney
aggravated the charge in very severe language, and pro
nounced it a malicious and dangerous libel. After a full
hearing he was sentenced " To have his book burnt by
the hands of the common hangman, to be put from the'
bar, and to be forever incapable of his profession, to be
turned out of the society of Lincoln's-Inn, to be degraded
at Oxford, to stand in the pillory at Westminster and
Cheapside, to lose both his ears, one in each place, to pay
a fine of five thousand pounds, and to suffer perpetual
imprisonment." A few months after, Dr. Bastwick, a physician at Col
chester, having published a book, entitled " Elenchus
reKgionis papistica," with an appendix, called "Flagellum
poniificis and episcoporum Latialium," which gave offence
to the English bishops, because it denied the divine right
of the order of bishops above presbyters, was cited before
the high commission, who discarded him from his pro
fession, excommunicated him, fined him one thousand
pounds, and imprisoned him till he recanted. Mr.
Burton, minister of Friday-street, having published two
exceptionable sermons, from Prov. xxiv. 21, 22. entitled
" For God and the King," against the late innovations,
had his house and study broke open by a serjeant at arms,
and himself committed close prisoner to the Gate-house,
where he was confined several years. These terrible
proceedings of the commissioners made many conscien
tious Non-conformists retire with their families to Holland
and New England, for fear of falling into the hands of
men, " whose tender mercies were cruelty." Among
others who went over this year, was the learned Mr. J.
G G-3

470 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP". IH,
Cotton, Fellow of Emanuel Coll. Cambridge, and minister
of Boston, in Lincolnshire, where he was in such repute,
that Dr. Preston ahd others from Cambridge, frequently
visited him ; he was an admired preacher, and of a most
meek and gentle disposition : he became a non-conformist
upon this principle, that- no church had power to impose
indifferent ceremonies, not commanded by Christ, on the
consciences of men. He' therefore omitted some of the
ceremonies, and administered the sacrameht to such a*
desired it without kneeling ',¦ for which he was informed
against in the high commission j and Laud being now at
the head of affairs, the Bp. of Lincoln his- diocesan could
not protect him. Mr. Cotton applied to the Earl of Dorset
for his interest with the archbishop, but the earl sent'him
word, that " If he had been guilty of drunkenness, un
cleanness, or any such LESSER fault, he could have got
his pardori, but thte siw of puritanism and non-conformity
is unpardonable, and therefore you must fly for your
safety." Upon this he travelled to London in disguise,
and took passage for New England, where he spent the
remainder of his days.
Mr. J. Davenport* vicar of Coleman-street, Lon
don, resigned his livingj and- retired to Holland this sum
mer. He had fallen -under the resentments of Laud,
for being concerned iri the feoffments, Which, together
with some notices he received of being prosecuted for
non-conformity, induced him to embark for Amsterdam,
where he continued about three years-, and then shipped
himself with some other families for New England, where
he hegasfl the settlenient of New-Haven. He was a good
scholar, and an admired preacher, but underwent great
hardshipsin the infant colony, with whom he continued tili
he died. Mr. T. Hooker, fellow of Emanuel Coll. Cambridge,
and lecturer of Chelmsford in Essex, after four years exer
cise of his ministry, was obliged to lay it down for non
conformity, though forty-seven conformable ministers in
the neighbourhood subscribed a petition to Laud, in which
they declare, that Mr. Hooker was for doctrine orthodox,
for life and conversation honest, for disposition peaceable,
and in no wise turbulent or factious. Notwithstanding

1633. CHARLES I. 471
which he was silenced by the spiritual court, and bound
in a recognizance of fifty pounds to appear before the
high commission ; but by the advice of his friends, he
forfeited his recognizance and fled to Holland ; here he
continued iibout two years fellow-labourer with old Mr.
Forbes, a Scots man at Delft, from whence he was called
to assist Dr. Ames at Rotterdam, upon whose death he
returned to England, and being pursued by the bishop's
officers from place to place, he embarked for New-Eng
land, and settled with his friends upon the banks of the
Connecticut River, where he died. He was an awakening
preacher, and a considerable practical writer, as appears
by his books of preparation for Christ, contrition, hu
miliation, &c.
The learned Dr. W. Ames, educated at Cambridge,
under the famous Mr. Perkins, fled from the persecution
of Abp. Bancroft, and became minister of the English
church at the Hague, from whence he was invited by
the states of Friesland to the divinity chair in the univer
sity of Franeker, which he filled with universal reputation
for twelve years. He was in the synod of Dort, and
informed King James's ambassador at the Hague, from
time to time, of the debates of that venerable assembly,
He wrote several treatises in Latin against the arminians,
which for their conciseness and perspicuity, were not
equalled by any of his time. After twelve years he
resigned his professorship, and accepted of an invitation
to the English congregation at Rotterdam, the air of
Franeker being too sharp for him, he being troubled with
. such a difficulty of breathing, that he concluded every
winter would be his last ; besides, he had a desire to be em
ployed in the delightful work of preaching to his own
countrymen, which he had disused for many years. Upon
his removal to Rotterdam he wrote his " Fresh suit against
ceremonies ;" but his constitution was so shattered, that
the air of Holland did him no service ; upon which he
determined to remove to New- England, but his-asthma
returning at the beginning of the winter before he sailed,
put an end to his life. Next spring his wife and children
embarked for New-England, and carried with them his
valuable library of books, which was a rich treasure to the

iH HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. lit
country at that time. The doctor was a very learned
divine, a strict calvinist in doctrine, and of the persuasion
of the Independents, with regard to the subordination and
power of classes and synods.
Laud being now chancellor of the university of Dublin,
and having a new vice-chancellor disposed to serve the
purposes of the prerogative, turned his thoughts against
the calvinists of that kingdom, resolving to bring the
church of Ireland to adopt the articles of the church of
England. Abp. Usher and some of his brethren, being
informed of the design, moved in convocation, that tlieir
articles ratified by King James, might be confirmed ; but
the motion was rejected, because it was said, they were
already fortified with all the authority the church could
give them ; and that a further confirmation would imply
a defect. It was then moved on the other side, that for
silencing the popish objections of a disagreement among
protestants, a canon should be passed for approving the
articles of the church of England, which was done only
with one dissenting voice. The Irish bishops thought they
had lost nothing by this canon, because they had saved
their own articles, but Laud took advantage of it during
the time of his chancellorship ; for hereby the church of
Ireland denounced the sentence of excommunication
against all that affirmed any of the thirty-nine articles to
be superstitious or erroneous, that is, against the whole
body of the puritans ; and Fuller adds, that their own
articles which condemned arminianism, and maintained
' the morality of the sabbath, were utterly excluded.
This summer Mr. T. Shepard, M. A. fled to New-Eng
land. He had been lecturer at Earl's Coin, in Essex,
several years, but when Laud became Bp. of London,
his lecture was put down, and himself silenced; he then
retired into the family of a private gentleman, but the
bishop's officers following him thither, he travelled into
Yorkshire, where Neile, Abp. of that province, commanded
liim to subscribe or depart the country; upon this he went
to Hedon in Northumberland, where his labours were
prospered, but the Bp. of Durham, by the direction of
L-iu'd, forbid his preaching in any part of his diocese.
He' theri went to New England, and continued pastor Of

1634. CHARLES I. 47)1
tne church at Cambridge till his death, which happened
in the forty-fourth year of his age. He was a hard student,
an exemplary christian, and an eminent practical writer,
as appears by his Sincere Convert, and other practical
works that go under ais name.
Laud having made some powerful efforts to bring the
churches of Scotland and Ireland to an uniformity with
England, resolved in his metropolitical visitation this
summer, to reduce the Dutch and French churches to
the same conformity ; for this purpose he tendered them
these three articles of enquiry -. 1. Whether do you use
the Dutch or French liturgy ? 2. Of how many- descents
are you since you came to England ? 3. Do such as are
born here in England conform to the English ceremonies?
The ministers and elders demurred upon these questions,
and insisted upon their charter of privileges granted by
Edward VI. and confirmed no less than five times in the
reign of James, and twice by King Charles hiriisfelf, by
virtue of which they had been exempt from the archiepis-
copal and episcopal jurisdiction till this time; yet Laud
without any regard' to their charter, sent them the two
following injunctions by his vicar-general.: 1. That all
that were born in England of the Dutch and Walloon
congregations, should repair to the parish churches. 2.
That those who were not natives, but came from abroad,
while they remained strangers, might use their own dis1*
cipline as formerly.
In this emergence the Dutch and Walloon churches
petitioned for a toleration, and shewed the inconveniences
that would arise from the archbishop's injunctions. The
mayor and corporation of Canterbury assured his grace,
that above twelve hundred of tlieir poor were maintained
by the foreigners, and others interceded with the King in
theirfavour; but his majesty answered, " We must believe
our Abp. of Canterbury, who used their deputies very
roughly, calling them a nest of schismatics, and telling
them, it were better to have no foreign churches than to in
dulge their non-conformity. In conclusion he assured them
that his majesty was resolved his injunctions should be ob
served, and that he expected all obedience and conformity
from them, which if they refused he would proceed against

474 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. HI.
the natives according to the laws and canons ecclesiastical.
Accordingly some of their churches were interdicted,
others shut up, and the assemblies dissolved ; their minis
ters being suspended, many of their people left the king
dom, especially in the diocese of Norwich, where Bp.
Wren drove away three thousand manufacturers in wool,
cloth, &c. some of whom employed a hundred poor people
at work; to the unspeakable damage of the kingdom,
Aud as a further mark of disregard to the foreign pro
testants, the King's ambassador in France was forbid to
frequent their religious assemblies as had been customary,
in any parts where the reformed religion was exercised.
The church of England by this means lost the esteem of
the reformed churches abroad, who could hardly pity her,
when a few years after she sunk down into the deepest
distress. To give another instance of the archbishop's disaf
fection to the foreign protestants, the Queen of Bohemia,
the King's sister, solicited the King in the most pressing
manner, to admit of a public collection over England for
the poor persecuted ministers of the Palatinate, who were
banished their country for their religion. Accordingly
the King granted them a brief to go through the kingdom,
but when it was brought to the archbishop he excepted
against the following clause; — " Whose cases are the
more to be deplored, because this extremity is fallen upon
them for their sincerity, and constancy in the true religion?
Sphich we together with them professed, and which we are
bound in conscience to maintain to the utmost of our
.powers. Whereas these religious and godly persons being
involved amongst others their countrymen, might have
enjoyed their estates and fortunes, if with other back
sliders in the times of trial, they would have submitted
themselves to the antichristian yoke, and have renounced
or dissembled the profession of their religion." His grace
had two exceptions to this passage. 1. The religion of
the Palatinate churches is affirmed to be the same with
ours, which he denied, because they were calvinists, and
because their ministers had not episcopal ordination. 2.
He objected to the church of Rome's being an antichris
tian yoke, because it would then follow that she was m

1634. CHARLES I. 473
no capacity to convey sacerdotal power in ordinations,
and consequently the benefit of the priesthood, and the
force of holy ministrations would be lost in the English
church, for as much as she has no orders but what she
derives from the church of Rome. Laud having ac
quainted the King with his exceptions, they were expunged
in another draught. But the collection not succeeding '
in this way, Drs. Sibbes, Gouge, and other divines of the
puritan party, signed a private recommendatory letter,
desiring their friends to enlarge their charity, as to men
of the same faith and profession with themselves, and
promising to see the right distribution of the money; but
as soon as Laud heard of it, he cited the divines before
the high commission, and put a stop to the collection.
This year put an end to the life of Mr. H. Clarke,
born at Burton upon Trent, and educated partly at Cam
bridge, and partly at Oxford. He was first minister of
Oundle, in Northamptonshire, and then of Woolston in
Warwickshire, from whence he was suspended, and after
wards excommunicated, for expounding upon the cate
chism. At length he was indicted for high treason, because
he had prayed, " That God would forgive the Queen,
(Elizabeth) her sins," but was acquitted. He was an
awakening preacher, of a warm spirit, and a robust con
stitution, which he wore out with preaching twice every
Lord's day, and frequently on the week days. His minis
try met with great success even to his death, which
happened in the seventy-second year of his age.
About the same time died the pious Mr, J. Carter.
He was born in Kent and educated in Clare-Hall, Cam
bridge. He was first minister of Bramford in Suffolk for
thirty-four years, and then rector of Bedstead in the same
county; and though often in trouble for his nonconfor
mity, he made a shift by the assistance of friends, to
maintain his liberty without any sinful compliance. He
was mighty in prayer, frequent and fervent in preaching,
and a resolute champion against popery, arminianism, and
the new ceremonies. He lived to a good old age, and
died suddenly, as he was laying down to sleep, in the
eightieth year of his age, greatly lamented by all who
knew him, and had a taste of practical religion and un
dissembled piety.

47& HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
Conformity to the. new ceremonies and the King's
injunctions, was now pressed with the utmost rigor. Mr.
Crook of Brazen Nose Coll. and Mr. Hobbes of Trinity
Coll. Oxford, were enjoined a public recantation for re
flecting upon the arminians. Mr. S.Ward, of Ipswich,
having preached against the book of sports, and bowing
at the name of Jesus, added, that " The church of
England, was ready to ring changes in religion; and that
the gospel stood a tip-toe, ready to be gone to America."
For which he was suspended, and enjoined a public re
cantation. Another underwent the same censure, for
saying " It was suspicious that the night was approaching,
because the shadows were so much longer than the body,
and ceremonies more in force than the power of godliness."
The church-wardens of Beckington in Somersetshire,
were excommunicated by the Bp. of Bath and Wells, for
refusing to remove the communion table from the middle
Of the chancel to the east end, and not pulling down the
seatsto make room for it. They produced a certificate,
that their communion table had stood time out of mind
in the midst of the chancel ; that the ground on which
¦it was placed, was raised a foot, and inclosed with a
decent Wainscot border, and that none went within it but
the rhinister, and such as lie required. This not availing,
they appealed to the arches, and at last to the King; but
their appeal was rejected. After they had remained
excommunicated for a year, they were cast into the
common jail, where they continued till 1637, and were
•then obliged to do public penance in the parish church
of Beckington, and two others, the shame of which broke
their hearts ; one of them declaring upon his death-bed
soon after, that the penance and submission, so much
ugainst his Conscience, had sunk his spirits, and was one
principal Cause of his death.
'¦" In" the archbishop's metropolitical visitation this sum
mer* Mr. ; Lee, one "of the prebendaries of Litchfield, was
suspended, for churching refractory women in private,
for being averse to the good orders of the church, and
for ordering the bell-man to give notice in open market
of a sermon. Mr. Randal of Tuddington near Hampton-
COurt, Middlesex, was suspended for preaching a sermon

J635. CHARLES I. 77
above an hour long on Sunday in the afternoon, though it
was a farewell sermon to the exercise of catechising. His
grace's account of his province this year, gives a farther
relation of the sufferings of the puritans. He acquaints
his majesty, that the French and Dutch churches had
not as yet thoroughly complied with his injunctions.
That in the diocese of London, Dr. Houghton, rector of
Aldermanbury ; Mr. Simpson, curate and lecturer of St.
Margaret, Fish-street; Mr. J. Goodwin, vicar of Coleman-
street, and Mr. Viner of St. Lawrance, Old-jewry, had
been convened for breach of canons and had submitted ;
to whom his grace might have added Dr. Sibbes, Dr.
Taylor, Dr. Gouge, Mr. White of Dorsetshire, and about
twenty more : some of whom fled into Holland, and others
to New England. The Bp. of Bath and Wells certified,
that he had not one single lecture in any corporation. town,j
and that all afternoon sermons were turned into cate
chising in all parishes. In the diocese of Norwich were
many puritans, but that Mr. Ward of Yarmouth was in
the high commission. From the diocese of Llandaff, Mr.
Wroth and Mr. Earbuiy, two noted schismatics, were
brought before the high commission. And that in the
diocese of Gloucester, were several popular and factitious
ministers. It must be confessed, that the zeal of the puritans was
not always well regulated : nor were their ministers so
much on their guard in the pulpit, or conversation as
they ought to have been, considering the number of
informers that entered all their churches, that insinuated
themselves into all public conversation, and like so many
locusts, covered the land. Yet after all, it was next to
impossible to escape these wretches, who were so numerous.
and corrupt, that the King was obliged to . bring, them
under certain regulations ; for no man was safe in public
company,, nor even in conversing with his friends and
neighbours. Many broke up house-keeping, that they
might breathe in a freer air; which the council being in
formed of, a proclamation was published, forbidding all
persons, except soldiers, mariners, merchants, and
their factors, to depart the kingdom without his majesty's
licence.

478 HISTORY. OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
But notwithstanding this prohibition, numbers went to
New England this summer; and among others Mr. P.
Bulkley, fellow of St. John's Coll. Cambridge. He was
son of Dr. E. Bulkley, of Bedfordshire, and succeeded
him at Woodhil or Odel in that county. Here he conti
nued above twenty years, the Bp. of Lincoln conniving
at his nonrconformity. But when Laud was at the helm
of the church, and the Bp. of Lincoln in disgrace, Bulk-
ley was silenced by the vicar-general Sir N. Brent; upon
which he sold a very plentiful estate, and transported
himself and his effects to New England, where he died in
the seventy-seventh year of his age. He was a thundering
preacher, and a judicious divine, as appears by his trea
tise f' Of the covenant," which passed through several
editions, and was one of the first books published in that
country. Mr. R. Mather educated in Brazen-Nose Coll. Oxon,
and minister of Toxteth near Liverpool for about fifteen
years, a diligent and successful preacher, was suspended
for non-conformity in 1633, but by the intercession of
friends, after six months he was restored. Next summer
the Abp. of York sending his visitors into Lancashire,
this good man was again suspended by Dr. Cosins, upon
an information that he had not worn the surplice for,
fifteen years. After this no intercessions could obtain
the liberty of his ministry ; upon which he returned to
New England, and settled at Dorchester, where he
continued a plain and profitable preacher till he died,
This was the grandfather of the famous Dr. Cotton, ,
Mather. In Scotland the fire was kindling apace, which in three
years time set both kingdoms in flame. The restoring.
episcopacy by the violent methods already mentioned, did:
not sit easy upon the people ; the new Scots bishops were
of Laud's principles; they spoke very favourably of po-,
pery in their sermons, and cast some invidious reflections,
on. the reformers : They declared openly for the doctrines,
of Arminius; for sports on tiie sabbath; and for the litur
gy of the English church ; whicli was imagined to be little-
better than the. mass. This lost them their esteem with the
people, who had been frained up in the doctrines, and.

K35. CHARLES I. 479
discipline of Calvin, and in the strict observation of the
Lord's day. But the King to support them, cherished'
them with expressions of the greatest respect and confi
dence ; he made eleven of them privy counsellers; the Abp.
of St. Andrew's was lord chancellor, and the Bp. of Ross
was in nomination to be lord high treasurer ; divers of them
were of the Exchequer, and had engrossed the best secu
lar preferments, which made them the envy of the nobility
and gentry of the nation. The bishops were so sensible of
this, that they advised the King not to trust the intended
alterations in religion to parliaments or general assemblies,
but to introduce them by his regal authority.
When the King was last in Scotland, it was taken, no
tice of as a great blemish in the kirk, that it had no liturgy
or book of canons ; to supply this defect the King gave or
der to the new bishops, to prepare draughts of both, and
remit them to London, to be revised by Bps. Laud,
Juxton, and Wren. The book of canons being first finish
ed, was presented to the King, and by him deliyered to
Laud and Juxton to examine, alter and reform at pleasure,
and to bring it as near as possible to a conformity with the
English canons. The bishops having executed their com
mission, and prepared it for the press, the King confirm-:
ed it under the great seal by letters patent.
It will here be proper to give the reader a specimen of
these canons, which were subversive of the whole Scots
constitution both inkirk and state. The first canon excom
municates all who affirm the power and prerogative of the
King not to be equal with the Jewish Kings, that is, absoT
lute and unlimited. The second excommunicates those
who shall affirm, the worship contained in the book of com?
mon prayer, although that book was not then published, or
the government of the kirk, to be superstitious, or unlaw7
ful. The fifth obliges all presbyters to read, or cause to
be read divine service, according to the book of the Scottish
common prayer, and to conform all the offices, parts, and
rubricks of it. The book decrees further, that no assembly
of the clergy shall be called but by the King. That none
shall receive the sacrament but upon their knees. That
every ecclesiastical person dying without children, shall
give part of his estate to the church. That the clergy

480 HISTORY OF, THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
shall have no private meetings for expounding scripture.
That no clergyman shall conceive prayer, but pray
only by the printed form to be prescribed in the book
of common prayer. That no man shall teach sch ;ol with'
out a licence from the bishop ; nor any censures of the
church be pronounced* but by the approbation of the
bishop. After sundry other canons of this nature as ap-»
pointing fonts for baptism, church ornaments, communion
tables, or altars, &c. the book decrees, that no person shall
be admitted to holy orders, or to preach or administer the
sacraments, without first subscribing the forementioned
canons. ¦--• This book was no sooner published, than the Scots pres
byters declared peremptorily against it ; their objections
were of two sorts ; they disliked the matter of the canons as
inconsistent with their kirk government, and severer in
some particulars than those of the church of England :
they protested also against the manner of imposing them,
without consent of parliament or general assembly. It was
thought intolerable vassalage, by a people who had assert
ed the independent power of the church to convene assem
blies of the clergy, and who had maintained that their de
crees were binding, without the confirmation of the crown;
to have the King and a few foreign bishops dictate canons
to them, without so much as. asking their advice and con
sent. Such an high display of the supremacy could not
fail of being highly resented by a church, that had never
yielded it to the King in the latitude in which it had been
claimed and exercised in England. Besides it was very
preposterous to publish the book of canons before the book
of common prayer* and to require submission and sub
scription to things that had no existence; for who .could
foretel what might be inserted in the common prayer-book?
or what kind of service might be imposed upon the kirk?
this looked too much like pinning the faith of a whole
nation on the lawn sleeves.
Towards the end of this year died Dr. R. Sibbes, one df
the riiost celebrated preachers of this time. He was born
at Sudbury and educated in St. John's Coll. Cambridge,
where he went through all the degrees. Having entered
into the ministry, he was first chosen lecturer of Trinity

1635. CHARLES I. 481
church in Cambridge, where his ministry was very success
ful, to the conversion and reformation of his hearers.
He was appointed preacher to the honourable society of
Grajr's Inn, London, in which station he became so
famous, that besides the lawyers of the house, many of
the nobility and gentry frequented his sermons. In 1625,
he was chosen master of Catherine Hall in the university
of Cambridge, the government of which he made a shift
to continue to his death, though he was turned out of his
fellowship and lecture in the university for non-confor
mity, and often cited before the high commission. He was
a divine of good learning, thoroughly acquainted with
the scriptures, a burning and shining light, and of a most
humble, charitable disposition; but all these talents could
not screen him from the fury of the times. His works
discover him to have been of an heavenly, evangelical
spirit, the comforts of which he enjoyed at his death.
To aggrandize the church yet further the archbishop
resolved to bring part of the business of Westminster-
Hall, into the ecclessiastical courts. The civilians had
boldly and unwarrantably opposed and protested against
prohibitions, and other proceedings at law, in restraint of
their spiritual courts, and had procured some privileges
and orders from the King in favour of the ecclesiastical
courts, which had greatly offended the gentlemen of the
law. But the archbishop now went a step further, and
prevailed with the King to direct that half the masters in
chancery should always be civil lawyers ; and to declare
that no others, of what condition soever, should serve
him as masters of request: These were more akin to the
church than the common lawyers ; their places being in
the bishop's disposal, and therefore it was supposed their
persons would be so too ; but this was false policy, says
Clarendon, because it disgusted a whole learned profession,
who were more capable of disserving the church in their
estates, inheritances and stewardships, than the church
could hurt them in practice. Besides it was wrong in itself,
for I have never yet spoken with one clergyman (con
tinues the same historian,) who hath had experienceof both
litigations, that has not ingenuously confessed, that he
VOL. I, H H

482 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IH,
had rather in respect of his trouble, charge, and satis
faction to his understanding, have three suits depending
in Westminster Hall, than one in any ecclesiastical court.
As a farther step towards the sovereign power of the
church, Laud prevailed with the King to allow the bishops
to hold their ecclesiastical courts in their own names,
and by their own seals* without the King's letters patents
under the great seal; the judges having given it as their
opinion, that a patent under the great seal was not neces
sary for examinations, suspensions, and other church
censures. So that by this concession* the King dispensed
with the laws, and yielded away the ancient and undoubted
rights of his crowp ; and the bishops were brought under
a pramunire, for exercising spiritual jurisdiction without
any special commission, patent, or grant, from, by or under
his majesty; whereas all jurisdiction of this kind ought
to have been exercised in the. King's name, and by virtue
of his authority only, signified by letters patents under
his majesty's seal.
The archbishop was no less intent upon enlarging his
own jurisdiction, claiming a right to^ visit the two uni
versities jure metropolilico, which being referred to the
King and council, his majesty was pleased to give judg
ment against himself. As chancellor of Oxford his grace
caused a new body of statutes to be drawn up for that
University, with a preface* in which are some severe re
flections on good King Edward and his government; it
says, that the discipline of the university was discom
posed, arid troubled by that King's injunctions, and the
flattering novelty of the age. It then commends the
reign of his sister the bloody Queen Mary, and says that
the discipline of the church revived and flourished again
in her days, under Cardinal Pole, when by the much de
sired felicity of those times an inbred candor supplied
the defect of statutes. Was this spoken like a protestant
prelate, whose predecessors in the sees of London 'and
Canterbury were burnt at Oxford by Queen Mary, in a
most barbarous manner ! Or was it not rather speaking
like one, who was aiming at the return of those unhappy
times !
The last and most extravagant stretch of episcopal

.i«3e; Charles i.
power that I shall mention, was the bishops framing new
articles of visitation in their own names, without the
King's seal and authority; and administering an oath of
inquiry to the church-wardens concerning them. This
was an outrage upon the laws, contrary to the act of
submission, and even to the twelfth canoh of 1603. It
was declared Contrary to the laws and statutes of the land,
by the judges, in the case of Mr. Wharton* who being
church-warden of Black-Friars, London* was excommu
nicated and imprisoned, for refusing to take an oath, to
present upon visitation articles ; but bringing his habeas
corpus^ he was discharged by the whole court, both from
his imprisonment and excoriimunication* for this reason,
because the oath and articles were against the laws and
statutes of this realm, and so might and ought to be re
fused. Upon the whole, the making the mitre thus inde
pendent of the Crown, and riot subject to a prohibition
.from the courts of Westminster-Hall, was setting up
imperium in imperio, and going a great way towards re
establishing one of the heaviest grievances of the papacy j
but the bishops presumed upon the felicity of the timesj
and the indulgence of the crown* which at another time
might have involved them in a prdmunire;
i By virtue of the oath* imposed upori the church
wardens, some out of conscience thought themselves
obliged to present their ministers* their neighbours* and
their near relations, not for immorality* or neglect of the
worship of God, but for omitting some superstitious in
junction; Others acted from revenge, having an oppor
tunity put into their hands to ruin their conscientious
neighbours. Many church- wardens refused to take the
:oath, and were imprisoned, and forced to do penance. But
to prevent this for the future* it was declared* that if any
man affirmed* it was not lawful to take the oath of a
church-warden * or that it was not lawfully administered ;
or that the oath did not bind ; or that the church-wardens
;need not enquire; or after inquiry need not answer; or
'might leave out part of their answers ; such persons should
be presented and punished."
Several of the bishops published their primary articles
HH2 .

484 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. 1J5I.
of visitation about this time, but the most remarkable
and curious were Dr. Wren's, Bp. of Norwich, entitled,
" Articles to be enquired of within the diocese of Nor
wich, in the first visitation of Matthew, Lord Bp. of
Norwich." The book contains one hundred and thirty*
nine articles, in which are eight hundred and ninety-seven
questions, some very insignificant, others highly supersti
tious, and several impossible to be answered. But the
weight of these inquiries fell chiefly upon the puritans.,
for within the compass of two years and four months, no
less than fifty able and pious ministers were suspended,
silenced, ahd otherwise censured, to the ruin of their
poor families, for not obeying one or other of these
articles. Some spent their days in silence ; others left
their country ; and none were released without a promise
to conform to the bishop's injunctions already published,
or HEREAFTER TO BE PUBLISHED!! Bp. Mon
tague, who succeeded Wren in the diocese of Norwich,
imitated his predecessor in his visitation articles; it being
now fashionable for every new bishop to frame separate
articles of inquiry for the visitation of his own diocese.
-Montague pointed his inquiries against/the puritan lecturers,
Dr, Pierse, Bp. of Bath and Wells, suppressed all
lectures in market towns, and elsewhere throughout, his
diocese, alledging " that he saw no such need of preach
ing now, as was in the apostle's days." He suspended
Mr. Devenish, minister of Bridgewater, for preaching a
lecture in his own church on a market day, which had
continued ever since the days of Queen Elizabeth; and
afterwards, when he absolved him upon his promise to
preach it no more, . he said to him, " Go thy way* sin no
more, lest a worse thing befall thee." His Lordship put
down all afternoon sermons on Lord's days; and sus
pended Mr. Cornish for preaching a funeral sermon on
the evening. And whereas some ministers used to explain
the questions and answers in the catechism, and make a
short prayer before'and after, the bishop reproved them
sharply for it, saying " that was as bad as preaching,"
and charged them to ask no questions, nor receive any
answers but such as were in the book of common prayer : and
for not complying with this injunction* Mr, Barret, rector-

1636. CHARLES I. 485
of Barwiclc, and some others, were enjoined public
penance. The Bp. of Peterborough, and all the new
bishops, went in the same tract; and some of them upon
this sad principle, — " That afternoon sermons on Sundays,
were an impediment to the revels in the evening."
The church was now in the height of its triumphs,
and grasped not only at all spiritual jurisdiction, but at
the capital preferments of state. This year Dr. Juxton, Bp.
of London, was declared lord high treasurer of England,
which is the first office of profit and power in the kingdom,
and has precedence next to the archbishop. Juxton's
name had hardly been known at court above two years ;
till then he was no more than a private chaplain to the
King, and head of a poor college in Oxford. Besides,
ho churchman had held this post since the darkest times
of popei'y, in the reign of Henry VII. When the staff
of treasurer was put into the hands of Juxton, Clarendon
observes, that the nobility were enflamed, and began to
look upon the church as a gulph ready to swallow all
the great offices of state, there being other church-men
in view who were ambitious enough to expect the rest.
The inferior clergy took advantage of this situation of
their affairs, and did not live towards their neighbours
of •quality, or patrons, with that civility and good manners
as they used to do, which disposed others to withdraw
their countenance and good neighbourhood from them,
especially after they were put into the comriiission of
peace, irt most counties of England. One of the mem
bers of the house of coriimons said, " That the clergy
were so exalted, that a gentleman might not come near
the tail of their mules; and that one of them had de
clared openly, that he hoped to see the day, when a cler
gyman should be as good a man as any upstart Jack gen
tlemen in the kingdom:" It is certain, the favourable
aspect of the court had very much exalted their beha
viour, and their new notions had made them conceive
themselves an order of men above the rank of the laity,
for as much as they had the keys of the kingdom of heaven
at their girdle, and upon their priestly character depended
the efficacy of all gospel institutions. This made some
HH3

486 HISTORY OF THE Pl/RITANS. CHAP. III.
of them remarkably negligent of their cures up and down
the country ; others lost the little learning they had acv
quired at the university, and many became very scanda
lous in their Hves * though Clarendon says, that there was
pot one church-man in any degree of favour or accept
ance, at court, of a scandalous insufficiency in learning,
pr of a more scandalous condition of life; but on the
contrary, most of them of confessed eminent parts in know
ledge and of virtuous and unblemished Jives.
Great numbers of the most useful and laborious
preachers in all parts of the country were buried in
silence, and forced to abscond from the fury of the high
commission; among whom were the famous Mr. J. Dod;
and Mr. J. Rogers, of Dedham, one of the most awaken
ing preachers of his age, of whom Bp. Brownrigge used
to say, that he did more good with his wild notes, than
we with our set music. Yet his great usefulness could not
screen him from those suspensions and deprivations which
were the portion of the puritans in these times. His
resolutions about subscribing I will relate in his own
words : — " If I come into trouble for non-conformity, I
resolve by God's assistance, to come away with a clear
conscience ; for though the liberty of my ministry be
dear to me, I dare not buy it at such a rate. I am
troubled at my former subscription, but I saw men of
good gifts, and of good hearts, as I thought, go before
me ; but if I am urged again I will never yield ; it was
my weakness before, as I now conceive, which I beseech
God to pardon." But after this, the good man was over
taken again and yielded, which almost broke his heart:
How severe are such trials to a poor man with a numerous
family of children ! And how sore the distresses of a
wpunded conscience.
Others Continued to leave their country. Among these
were Mr. N. Rogers, son of Mr. J. Rogers of Dedham,
educated in Emanuel Coll. Cambridge, and settled at
Assingfon in Suffolk, where he continued five years; but
seeing the storm that had driven his neighbours from their
anchor, and being fearful of his own stedfastness in the
hour of temptation, he resigned his living into tlie. hands
pf his patron, anA. forsaking die neighbourhood of his

1637. CHARLES I. 487
father, and all prospects of worldly advantage, cast him
self and his young family upon the providence of God,
embarked for New-England, and settled with Mr. Norton
at Jpswich, with whom he continued to his death.
^The Star-chamber and high commission exceeded
all the bounds not only of law and equity, but even of
humanity itself. We have related the sufferings of Messrs.
Prynne, Burton, and Bastwick. These gentlemen being
shut up in prison, were supposed to employ their time in
writing against the bishops and their spiritual courts:
Bastwick was charged with a book, entitled " Apologeticus
ad prtesttles anglicanos ,-" and with a pamphlet called
" The new Litany." The others with two anonymous books,
one entitled " A divine tragedy, containing a catalogue
of God's judgments against sabbath breakers ;" the other,
" News from Ipswich." Which last was a satire upon the
severe proceedings of Dr. Wren, Bp. of that diocese.
For these they were cited a second time into the Star-
chamber, by virtue of an information laid against them
by the Attorney-general, for writing and publishing
seditious, schismatical, and libellous books, against the
hierarchy of the church, and to the scandal of the govern
ment. When the defendants had prepared their answers,
they could not get counsel to sign them ; upon which they
petitioned the court to receive them from themselves,
which would not be admitted : however Prynne and
Bastwick, having no other remedy, left their answers at
the office, signed with their own hands, but were never
theless proceeded against pro confesso. Burton prevailed
with Mr. Holt, a bencher of Gray's-Inn, to sign his answer;
but the court ordered the two chief justices to expunge
what they thought unfit to be brought into court, and they
struck out the whole answer, except six lines at the
beginning, and three or four fat the end ; and because
Mr. Burton would not acknowledge it thus purged, he was
also taken pro confesso.
In Bastwick's answer the prelates are called invaders
of the King's prerogative, contemners and despisers of
the holy scriptures, advancers of popery, superstition,
idolatry and profaueness; they are charged with oppressing
the King's loyal subjects, and with great cruelty, tyranny,

488 HISTORY OT THE PURITAN'S. CHAP*. Ut.
and injustice. Mr. Prynne's answer reflected upon the
hierarchy, though in more moderate and cautious terms.
All the defendants offered to maintain their several
answers, at the peril of their lives ; but the court finding
them not filed upon record, would not receivethem. The
prisoners at the bar cried aloud for justice, and that their
answers might be read ; hat it was peremptorily denied-,
and the following sentence passed upon them ; " That Mr.
Burton be deprived of his living, and degraded from his
ministry, ais Prynne and Bastwick had been from their
.professions of law and physic ; that each of them be fined
five thousand pounds ; that they stand in the pillory at
Westminster, and have their ears cut off ; and because
Mr. Prynne had already lost his ears by sentence of the
court 1633, it was ordered that the remainder of hi*
stumps should be cut off" and that he should be stigma
tized on both cheeks with the letters S. L.. and then all
three were to suffer perpetual imprisonment in the
remotest prisons of the kingdom."' This .sentence was
executed upon them, the hangman, rather sawing the
remainder of Prynne's ears than cutting them off ; after
which they were sent under a strong, gaardl, one to the
castle of "Launceston in Cornwall, another to the castle of
Lancaster, and a third to Carnarvon castle in Wales; but
these prisons not being thought distant enough, they were
afterwards removed to the Islands of Scilly, Guernsey,
and Jersey, where they were kept without the use of pen,
ink, or paper, or the access of friends, till they were re
leased by the long parliament !
At passing this sentence, Laud made a laboured speech^
to clear himself from; the charge of innovations, with
which the puritans loaded him. But notwithstanding this;
speech, which the King ordered to be printed,, the bar
barous sentence passed upon these gentlemen moved the1
compassion of the whole nation. The three learned.
faculties of law, physic, and divinity, took k to heart*
as thinking their educations and professions might have-
secured them fron* such infamous punishments* proper
enough for the vilest malefactors, who could make n»
other satisfaction to the public for their offences ; but
very improper for persons- of education^ degrees^ ear

1637. CHARLES I. 48$
quality. Nay, the report of this censure, and the smart
execution of it, flew into Scotland, and the discourse was
there that they must also expect a Star-chamber to
strengthen the hands of their bishops, as well as an high
commission. Cruel as this sentence was, Dr. Williams, Bp. of Lin
coln, and Mr. Osbaldeston* chief master of Westminster-
school, met with no less hardship. The bishop had been
Laud's very good friend, in persuading King James to
advance him to a bishopric j but upOn the accession of
King Charles, he turned upon his benefactor, and got him
removed from all his preferments at court \ upon which
Bp. Williams retired to his diocese, and spent his time in
reading and in the good government of his diocese ; here
he became popular, entertaining the clergy at his table,
and diseouring freely about affairs of church and state.
He spoke with some smartness against the new ceremonies j
and said once in conversation, " That the puritans were
the King's best subjects, and he was sure would carry all
at last ; and that the King had told him that he would treat
the puritans more mildly for the future." Laud being
.informed of this expression, caused an information
to be lodged against him in the Star-chamber,, for re
vealing the King's secrets; but the charge not being;
well supported, a new bill was exhibited against him, for
tampering with the King's witnesses ; and though there
was very little ground for the charge, his lordship was-
suspended in the high commission court from all his offices
and benefices ; he was fined ten thousand pounds to the
King* one thousand pounds to' Sir J. Mounson, and to be
imprisoned in the Tower during the King's pleasure.
The bishop was accordingly sent from the bar to the
Tower; all his rich goods and chattels, to an immense
value, were plundered and sold to pay the fine ; his library
seized, and all his papers and letters examined. Among
his papers were found two or three letters wrote to hint,
by Mr. Osbaldeston about five years before* in which
were some dark and obscure expressions, which the jealous
archbishop interpreted against himself and the Lord
treasurer Weston. Upon the foot af these letters a ne.w
bill was exhibited. against the bishop for divulging s©ari>

490 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
dalous libels against the King's privy counsellors. His
lordship replied that he did not remember his having
received the letters, and was sure he had never divulged
them, because they were still among his private papers ;
but notwithstanding all he could say, he was condemned
in a fine of eight thousand ppunds ; five thousand to the
King, and three thousand to the archbishop, for the
non-payment of which he was k.ept close prisoner in the
Tower, till the meeting of the long parliament.
Mr. Osbaldeston was charged with plotting with the
Bp. of Lincoln, to divulge false news, and to breed a
difference between the Lord treasurer Weston, and the
Abp. of Canterbury, as long ago as the year 1633. The
information was grounded upon the two letters already
mentioned, in which he reports a misunderstanding
between the great leviathan and the little urchin. And
tliough the counsel for the defendant, absolutely denied
any reference to the archbishop, and named the persons
meant in the letter, yet the court fined him five thousand
pounds to the King, and five thousand pounds to the
archbishop, to be deprived of all his spiritual dignities
and promotions, to be imprisoned during the King's
pleasure, and to stand in the pillory in the dean's yard,
before his own school, and have his ears nailed to it. Mr.
Osbaldeston being among the crowd in the court when this
sentence was pronounced, immediately went home to his
study at Westminster-school, and having burnt some
papers absconded, leaving a note upon his desk with these
words, " If the archbishop inquire after me, tell him I am
gone beyond Canterbury." The messengers were soon
at his house, and finding this note, sent immediately to
the sea-ports to apprehend him; but he lay hid in a
private house in Drury-lane till the search was over, and
then concealed himself till the meeting of the long par
liament ; however, all his goods and chattels were seized
and confiscated. He was afterwards restored by the lorig
parliament, but when he was apprehended they went
beyond the bounds of their duty and allegiance, he laid
down his school and favoured the royal cause.
Mr. Lilburne, afterwards a colonel in the army, for
refusing to take an oath to answer all interrogatories

1PS7. CHARLES I. 491
concerning his importing and publishing seditious libels,
was fined five hundred pounds, and to be whipped through
the streets from the Fleet to the pillory before Westminster
Hall gate. While he was in the pillory he uttered many
bold and passionate speeches against the tyranny of the
bishops; whereupon the court of Star-chamber then sitting,
ordered liim to be gagged, which was done accordingly %
and that when he was carried back to prison he should be
laid alone with irons on his hands and legs, in the wards
of the Fleet, where the basest of the prisoners used to be
put, and that no person should be admitted to see him.
Here he continued in a most forlorn and miserable con*
dition till the meeting of the long parliament.
In the midst of all these dangers the puritan clergy
spoke freely against their oppressors. Dr. C. Burges in a
sermon before the clergy of London, preached against
the severities of the bishops, and refusing to give his
diocesan a copy of his sermon, was put into the high com
mission. Mr. Wharton of Essex, preached with the same
freedom at Chelmsford, for which, it is said, he made his
submission. Several pamphlets were dispersed against the
proceedings of the ecclesiastical courts, which the Bp.
of London declared he had reason to believe were wrote,
or countenanced by the clergy of his own diocese. Many
private gentlemen in Suffolk* maintained lecturers at their
own expence, without consulting the bishop, who com
plained that they were factious, and did not govern
themselves according to the canons. Here was the puritans'
last retreat; those who were not. willing to go abroad
found entertainment in gentlemen's families, and from
thence annoyed the enemy with their pamphlets. Even
the populace who were not capable of writing, expressed
their resentments against the archbishop by dispersing
libels about the town, in which they threatened his de
struction. Yet none of these things abated his zeal, or
relaxed his rigor against those who censured his arbitrary
proceedings. But these proceedings, instead of serving
the interests of the church or state, awakened the resent
ments of all ranks and professions of men, against those in
power : the laity were as uneasy as the clergy, many of
whom sold their effects and removed with their families

402 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHA& tit.
and trades into Holland, or New-England. This alarmed
the King and council, who issued out a proclamation,
commanding that his officers of the several ports should
suffer none to pass out of the kingdom, without licence
from the commissioners of the plantations* and a testimo
nial from -their minister of their conformity to the orders
and discipline of the church. And by a subsequent order of
council, no clergyman was to transport himself without
a testimonial from the Abp. of Canterbury, and Bp, of
London. This was a degree of severity hardly to be paralleled
in the christian world. When the Edict of Nantz was
revoked, the French King allowed his protestant subjects
a convenient time to dispose of their effects and depart
the kingdom ; bat our protestant archbishop will neither
let the Puritans live peaceably at home, nor take sanctuary
ih foreign countries; a conduct hardly consistent with the
laws of humanity, much less with the character of a
christian bishop; but while his grace was runuirig things
to these extremities, the people were generally disgusted,
and almost all England became puritan.
The bishops and courtiers not being insensible of the
number and weight of their enemies among the mOre
resolved protestants, determined to balance their power
by joining the papists ; for which purpose the differences
between the two churches were said to be trifling, and
the peculiar doctrines of popery preached up, as proper
to be received by the church of England. Bp. Montague^
speaking of the points of faith and morality affirmed, that
none of these are controverted between us, but that the*
points in dispute were of a lesser nature, of which a man
might be ignorant without any danger of " salvation.
Franciscus de Clara, an eminent Franciscan friar, published
a book, wherein he endeavoured to accommodate the'
articles of the church of England to the sense of the church
of Roriie* so that both parties hiight subscribe thehi. The
book was dedicated to tlfe King, and the'friar admitted t»
an acquaintance with the archbishop.
Great stress was laid upon the uninterrupted succession
Of the episcopal character through the church of Roriie -t
for miserable were we, says Dr. Pocklingtori, if he thaS

1637; CHARLES I. 394
now sits Abp. of Canterbury, could not derive his suc
cession from St. Austin, St. Austin from St. Gregory, and
St. Gregory from St. Peter. Bp. Montague published a
treatise, of the invocation of saints, in which he says,
that departed saints have not only a riiemory, but a more
peculiar charge of their friends ; and that some saints
have a peculiar patronage, custody, protection and power,
as angels have also, over certain persons and countries by
special deputation ; and that it is not impiety so to believe.
Dr. Cosins says in orie of his sepnons, that when our
reformers took away the mass they marred all religion ;
but that the mass was not taken away, inasmuch as the
real presence of Christ remained still, otherwise it were
not a reformed, but a deformed religion. And in order
¦to persuade a papist to come to church, he told him, that
the body of Christ was substantially and really in the
sacrament. Mr. Adams, in a sermon at St. Mary's in
Cambridge, asserted the expedience of auricular confes
sion, saying it was as necessary to salvation as meat is to
the body. Others preached up the doctrine of penance,
and of authoritative priestly absolution for sin. Some
maintained the proper merit of good works, in opposition
to the received doctrine of justification by faith. Others^
that in the sacrament of the Lord's supper there was a fulj
and proper sacrifice for sin : and some declared for images,
crucifixes, and pictures in churches, for purgatory, and for
preserving, reverencing and even praying to the reliques
of saints. Remarkable are the words of Heylin, f< The greatest
part of the controversy between us and the church of
Rome, says he, not being in fundamentals, or in any
essential points of the christian religion, I cannot, other
wise look upon it but as a most christian and pious work,
to endeavour an agreement in the superstructure ; as to
the lawfulness of it, I could never see any reason produced
against it : against the impossibility of it, it has been
objected that the church of Rome will yield nothing ;, if
therefore there be an agreement, it must not be their
meeting us, but our going to them; but that all in the
• church of Rome are not so stiff, appears from the testi
mony of the Abp, of Sp&lafo, who acknowledged that the

494 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP*. Ilf.
articles of the church of England were not hereticah
Now if without prejudice to truth, the controversies might
be composed, it is most probable that other protestant
churches would have sued to be included in the peace;
if not, the ohrirch of Englarid wiU lose nothing by it, as
being hated fey the calvinists* arid not loved by the
lutherans." This was the ridiculous court scheme which
Laud used all his interest to accomplish ; and is no im*
pertinent story to our present purpose, because it is well
attested, that a certain countess hating turned papist, was
asked by the arChbishop the cause of her changing; to
whom she replied, " It was because she always hated to go
in a crowd." Being asked again the reason of that expres
sion* she answered that she " Perceived his grace and
many others were making haste to Rome, and therefore to
prevent going in a press she had gone before them."
It is certain the papists Were in high reputation at
court; the King Counted them his best subjects, and
relaxed the penal laws* on pretence that hereby foreign
catholic princes might be induced to shew favour to their
subjects of the reformed religion; Within the compass of
four years, seventy-four letters of grace were signed by
the King's own hand ; sixty-four priests were dismissed
from the Gate-house, and twenty-nine by warrant from the
secretary of state, at the instanceof the Queen, the Queen's
mother, or some foreign ambassador. Protections were
frequently granted, to put a stop to the proceedings of
the courts of justice against them. I have before me a list
of popish recusants convicted in the twenty-nine English
counties of the southern division, from the first of King
Charles to the sixteenth, which amounts to no less than
eleven thousand nine hundred and seventy, all of whom
were released and pardoned. And if their numbers were so
great in the south, how must they abound in the northern
and Welch counties, where the)- are computed three to
one ! Many of them were promoted to places of the
highest honour and trust ; and were in high favour with the
King. The Pope had a nuncio in England, and the
Queen an agent at Rome; Cardinal Barberini was made
protector of the English nation, and a society was formed
under the ti.tle of " The congregation for. propagating the

1637. CHARLES I. 493
faith." Smith, titular Bp. of Chalcedon, exercised episco
pal jurisdiction over the English catholics by commission
from the Pope ; he conferred orders, and appeared in
Lancashire with his mitre and crosier; the pope's legate
gained over several of the gentry, and attempted the King
himself by presents of little popish toys and pictures, with
which his majesty was wonderfully delighted. The papists
had a common purse, with which they purchased several
monopolies, and bestowed the profits upon their best
friends ; several of their military men were put into com
mission, and great numbers were listed in his majesty's
armies against the Scots.
From these facts it is evident there never was a stronger
combination in favour of popery, nor was the protestant
religion at any time in a more dangerous crisis, being
deserted by its pretended friends, while it was secretly
undermining by its most powerful enemies. The case was
the same with the civil liberties and properties of the
people; no man had any thing that he could call his own
any longer than the King pleased ; for in the famous trial
of Mr. Hampden of Buckinghamshire, in the case of ship-
money, all the judges of England, except Crook and
Hutton, gave it for law, " That the King might levy taxes
on the subject by writ under the great seal, without grant
of parliament, in cases of necessity ; or when the king
dom was in danger; of whicli danger and necessity
his majesty was the sole and final judge ; and that by
law his majesty might compel the doing thereof in case
of refusal or refractoriness." This determination was en
tered in all the courts of Westminster-hall : and the
judges were commanded to declare it in their circuits
throughout the kingdom, to the end that no man might
plead ignorance. While these extraordinary methods of
raising money were built only upon the prerogative,
people were more patient, hoping that some time or
other the law would recover its power ; but wheri they
were declared by all the judges to be the very law itself,
and a rule for determining suits between the King and
subject, they were struck with despair, and concluded
very justly that Magna Charta and the old English consti
tution' were at an end.

*96 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP HI.
Let the reader now recollect himself, and then judge
of the candour of Clarendon, who notwithstanding the
cruel persecutions and oppressions already mentionedj
celebrates the felicity of these times in the following
words : " From the dissolution of the parliament in the
fourth year of the King, te the beginning of the long par
liament, (twelve years) all his majesty's dominions,
enjoyed the greatest calm, and fullest measure of felicity
that any people have been blessed with, to the wonder
and envy of all other parts of Christendom. The court
was in great plenty, or rather excess and luxury ; the
country rich and enjoying the pleasure of its own wealth;
the church flourished with learned and extraordinary men ;
and the protestant religion was more advanced against the
church of Rome by the writings of Abp. Laud, and Chil-
lingworth, than it had been since the reformation. Trade
increased to that degree, that we were the exchange of
Christendom. The reputation of the greatness and power
of the King with foreign princes was much more than any
of his progenitors. And all these blessings, were enjoyed
under the protection of a King of the most harmless dis
position, the most exemplary piety, and the greatest
sobriety, chastity, and mercy, that any prince had been
-endowed with, and who might have said that which
Pericles was proud of upon his death-bed, concerning his
citizens, " That no Englishman had worn a mourning
gown through his occasion,"
Not a line of this panegyric will bear examination,
-When his lordship says, " That no people in any age had
been blessed with so great a calm, and such a full measure
of felicity for twelve years," he seems to have under*
valued the long and pacific reign of his majesty's royal
father, who was distinguished by the title of blessed. But
where was the liberty or safety of the subjeet, when
magna charta and the petition of right, were swallowed up
in the gulph of arbitrary power ? and the statute laws of
the land were exchanged for a rule of government depend
ing upon the will and pleasure of the crown ? If the court
was in excess and luxury, it was with the plunder of the
people, arising from illegal taxes. The country was so
far from growing rich and wealthy, that it was every

.1637. CHARLES I. 497
year draining off its inhabitants and substance, as appears
by his majesty's proclamations, foroidding any of his
subjects to transport themselves and their effects,' without
his special licence. Was it possible that trade could
flourish, when almost every branch of it ''.was engrossed,
and sold by the crow,n for large sums of money, and when
the property of .the subject was so precarious that the
King might call for it upon any occasion, and iri case of
refusal ruin the proprietor by exorbitant fines and impri
sonment ? Did no Englishman " wear a mourning gown
in these times," when the Seldens, the Hollis's, the Elliots,
the Strouds, the Hobarts, the Valentines, the Coritons,
and other patriots, were taken out of the parliament-
house, and shut up for many years in close prisons, and
where some of them perished ? How many of the nobility
and gentry were punished with exorbitant fines in the
Star-chamber ? How many hundred ministers and others
were ruined in the high commission, or forced from their
native country into banishment, contrary to law ? The
goals in the several counties were never free from state or
church prisoners during the past twelve years of his ma
jesty's reign, and yet it seems no Englishman wore a
mourning gown through his occasion ? Is it possible to
believe, that the reputation of the greatness and power of
Charles I. with foreign princes, (however harmless, pious,
sober, chaste and merciful he might be) was equal to that
of Queen Elizabeth, or Henry VIII ? What service did
he do by his arms or counsels for the protestant religion, or
for the liberties or tranquillity of Europe ? When his
majesty's affairs were in the greatest distress, what credit
had he abroad ? Or where was the foreign prince, except
his own son in law, that would lend him either men or
money ? If the protestant religion was advanced in spe
culation by the writings of Abp. Laud, and Chillingworth ;
is it not sufficiently evident that the Roman catholics
were prodigiously increased in numbers, reputation and
influence ? Upon the whole, the people of England were
so far from " enjoying a full measure of felicity," that they
groaned under a yoke of the heaviest oppression, and were
prepared to lay hold of any opportunity to assert their
VOt. i> I I

498 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. III.
liberties ; so that to make his lordship's representation of
the times consistent with truth, or with his own behaviour
in the beginning of the long parliament, one is almost
tempted to Suspect it must have received some amend
ments or colourings from the hands of his editors. This
was the state of affairs at the end of the pacific part of this
( reign, and forwards to the beginning of the long parlia
ment.

CHAP. IV.

C H ARLES I.
Scots Liturgy.— The Tumults occasioned by the imposition
of it. — Protests against it. — Bond of defence. — General
Assembly at Glasgow.— The Lord Commissioner dis^-
solves them. — They continue Sitting. — Preparations qf
the English Court against them. — First Scots War. —
Proceedings of the High Commission, — Pur Han Minis
ters remove to New-England. — Others remove to
Holland.— The King marches against the Scots. — Gene
ral Assembly at Edinburgh.— Scots Parliament. — The
English encourage the Scots.— The King raises Money
by Prerogative.-— Mutinous disposition qf the People.—
Proceedings of the Convocation. — ET cetera Oath. — ¦
Second Scots War.-'— Sad condition of the Court at the
calling of the Long Parliament.— Death of Dn Neilet
Abp. of York.
"¥M/"E are now entering upon a scene of calamity which
* * opened in the north, and in a few years, like a
rising tempest, overspread both kingdoms, ahd involved
them in all the miseries of a civil war. If Laud could
have been content with being metropolitan of the church
of England alone, he might have gone to his grave in
peace, but grasping at the jurisdiction of another church,
founded upon different principles, he pulled down both
upon his head and was buried in the ruins.
We have mentioned the preposterous publishing the
Scots book of canons a year before their liturgy, which
was not finished till October, 1636. His majesty's designs
I I 2

500 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. if.
in compiling it were to curb such of his subjects in Scot
land as were inclined to puritanism, and that the Roman
party might not upbraid us with any material differences ;,
and yet it was so far' distinct, that it might be truly re
puted a book of that church's composing..
The compilers of this liturgy were chiefly Dr. Weder'-
burne, a Scots divine, beneficed* in England, but now
Bp. of Dunblain ; and Dr. Maxwell, Bp. of Rosse.
Their instructions from England were* to keep such
catholic saints in their calendar as were in the English,
and that such new saints as were added should be the most
approved, but in no case to omit St. George and St.
Patrick; that in the book of orders, those words in the
English book be riot changed, " Receive ye the Holy
Ghost :" and that lessons out of the apocrypha "be inserted ;
besides these, the word presbyter was inserted instead of
priest; ahd the water in the 'font for 'baptism was to be
consecrated. There was a benediction or 'thanksgiving,
'for departed saints; some passages in the communion
were altered in favour of the real presence ; the rubrics
contained instructions to the people, when to stand and
'when to sit Or kneel; to all which the Scots bad hitherto-
been strangers. The main parts Of the liturgy were the
sariie with the English, and it was revised, corrected,.
and altered by Ahp.Laud, and Bp. Wren.
The Jiturgy thus modelled, was sent into Scotland^
with a royal proclamation, commanding all -his majesty's'
subjects of that kingdom to receive it with reverence,
" As the only form his majesty thinks fit to be used in that
'kirk," without so much as laying it before a convocation,
synod, general assembly, or, parliament of that nation. It
was appointed to be read first on Easter Sunday, 1637,.
against which time all parishes were to be provided with
two books at least ; but the outcries of the people against
it. were so vehement, that it was thought adviseable to
delay it, that the -Lords of the session might see the suc
cess of it before the end of the term, in order to report in
their several counties the .peaceable receiving the book at
Edinburgh and; parts adjacent. The Abp. of St. AndrewTs*,
with some of his more, prudent brethren, foreseeing the
disorders' that would arise,, advised the deferring it y'ee

1*37. CHARLES I. 501
longer; but Laud was so sanguine of success, that he pro
cured a warrant from the King, commanding the Scots
bishops to go forward at all events, threatening that if
they moved heavily, or threw in unnecessary delays, the
King would remove them, and fill their sees with church
men of more zeal and resolution.
In obedience tlierefore to the royal command, notice
having been given in all the pulpits of Edinburgh, that
the Sunday following, the new service-book would be read
in all the churches, there was a vast concourse of people
at St. Giles's, where both the archbishops and divers
bishops, together with the Lords of the session, the ma
gistrates of Edinburgh, and many of the council were
assembled; but as soon as the dean began to read, tin?
service was interrupted by clapping of hands, and an
hideous noise among the meaner sort of people at the
lower end of the church; which the Bp. of Edinburgh
.observing, slept into the pulpit and endeavoured to quiet
them, but the disturbance increasing, a stool was thrown
towards the desk; upon which the provost and bailiffs of
the city came from their places, and with much difficulty
thrust out the populace and shut the church doors ; yet
such were the clamours from without, rapping at the doors,
and throwing stones at the windows, that it was with much
difficulty the dean went through with the service; and
when he and the bishop came out of the church in then-
habits, they were in danger of being torn in pieces by the
mob who followed them, crying out pull them down,
a pape, a pape, antichrist, &c.
Between the two sermons the magistrates took proper
measures for keeping the peace in the afternoon, but after
evening prayer the tumult was greater than in the morn
ing ; for the Earl of Roxborough returning to his
lodgings with the bishop in his coach, was so pelted with
stones and pressed upon by the multitude, that both were
in danger of their lives. The clergy who read the liturgy
in the other churches met with the like usage, insomuch
that the whole city was in an uproar, though it did not yet
appear that any besides the meaner people were con
cerned in it ; however the Lords of the ceuncjl thought
I 1,3

-503' HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
proper to dispense with reading the service next Sunday,
till their express returned from England with further
instructions, which Laud dispatched with all expedition,
telling them, " It was the King's firm resolution that
they should go on with their work ;" and blaming them
highly for suspending it. Among the ministers who
opposed reading the liturgy were Mr. Ramsay, Mr.
Bollock, , Mr. Henderson, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Bruce,
who were charged with letters of horning for their dis
obedience. But they stood by what they had done,
and gave such reasons for their conduct as were of weight
with the council,, but they durst not shew favour to the
prisoners without allowance from England, which could
not be obtained; the zealous archbishop stopping his
ears against all gentle methods of accommodation, hoping
to bear down all opposition with the royal authority.
While the country people were busy at harvest, things
were pretty quiet, but when that was over they came to
Edinburgh in great numbers and raised new disturb
ances, upon which the council issued out three procla
mations ; one for the people that came out of the country
to return home; a second for removing the session or
term from Edinburgh to Linlithgow; and a third for
calling in and burning a seditious pamphlet, called, " A
discourse against the English popish ceremonies, ob
truded on the kirk of Scotland." These proclamations
inflamed the people to such a degree, that the Very
next day, the Bp. of Galloway would have been torn
in pieces by the mob as he' was going to the council-
house, if he had not been rescued ; but missing of his
lordship they beset the council-house, and threatened
to break open the door ; in so much that the lords
were obliged to send for some of the popular nobility
in town to their relief; however the people would not
disperse, till the council had promised to join with the
other lords in petitioning the King against the service-
book, and to restore the silenced ministers.
i Soon after this, two petitions were presented to the
Lord chancellor and council against the liturgy and
^canons, which were immediately transmitted to the King,
who, instead of returning a soft answer, ordered a pro-

1638. CHARLES I. 503
clamation to be published from Sterling, against the late
disorderly tumults, in which, after having declared his
abhorrence of all superstition and popery, he expressed
his displeasure against the petitioners ; and to prevent
any further riots his majesty ordered the session to be
removed from Linlithgow to Sterling, with a strict in
junction that no stranger should resort thither without
special licence. His majesty also forbad all assemblies
or convocations of people to frame or sign petitions
upon pain of high treason, and yet declared at the same
time that he would not shut his ears against them, if
neither the form or matter were prejudicial to his royal
authority. Upon publishing this proclamation, sundry
noblemen, barons, ministers, and burghers, met together,
and signed a protest, in which they assert their right
to petition the King; and having declared themselves
in strong terms against the power of the bishops, they
solemnly affirm that all their proceedings in this affair
have no other tendency but the preservation of the true
reformed religion, and the laws and liberties of the
kingdom. The council being apprehensive of danger from
these large assemblies and combinations of people, a-
greed that if they would return peaceably to their houses,
they might appoint some of their number of all ranks
and orders to represent the rest, till his majesty's plea
sure concerning their protest should be further known.
Accordingly four tables, as they were called, were
erected at Edinburgh; one of the nobility, another of
the gentry, a third of the boroughs, and a fourth of
the ministers. These prepared and digested matters for
the general table, formed of commissioners, from the
other four, where the last and binding resolutions were
taken. One of the first things concluded upon by the
tables, was the renewing their confession of faith and
the solemn league and covenant, subscribed by King
James and his houshold ; and by the whole Scots nation.
To this covenant was now added a narrative of sundry
acts of parliament, by which the reformed religion had
been ratified since that time, with an admonition, wherein
the late innovations were renounced, and a band of

50i HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, iv".'
defence or the liberties of their country, and the ad
ministration of justice against all his eneriiies, in wiiich,
after reciting the King's coronation oath, they declare
the late innovations brought into the kirk io be cod-,
trary to the doctrine and discipline of it, and contrary
to their covenant,' arid therefore they will forbear the1
practice of them fill they ate tried, arid allowed iri a>
free assembly, arid in parliament; arid not only so, but
they promise to resist all these errors and cOrruptioris
to . the utmost of their power.. They theri promise and
swear over again, to defend the King's persbri arid au
thority in the r preservation of the true religion, laws, and
liberties of the kingdom, arid to assist and stand by
one. another at all adventures, without suffering them
selves to be divided by any allurement of terror from
this blessed ari^ loyal Conjunction, and withorit being
afraid elf the odious aspersions of rebellion or coriibi-
nation, which their adversaries may cast updn therii.
Arid conclude . with calling the searcher of hearts fo
witness to their sincerity, as they shall answer it to
Christ in the day of account, and. under pain of the
loss "of all honours aiid respect in this world, and God's
eyerlasting wrath iri the riext All this was sworn to arid
subscribed with great seriousness and devotion, first at
Edinburgh, and afterwards in the several counties and
shires, where it was received hy the common people
as a sacred oracle, and subscribed by all wlio were
thought to have any zeal for the protestant religion,
.'arid the liberties of tlieir country. The privy counsel*
lors, the judge's, the bishops, and the friends of arbi
trary power, were the principal person's who refused. The
universities of St, Andrews arid Aberdeen were said to
oppose it, and those of Glasgow did not subscribe with-
,'tiu't some limitations.
.There cannot, be a trior e sbleriin arid awful erigage-
m'ent to God, and each other than this! What the rea
sons were that induced King James, arid the whole Scots
iiation, to enter into it in 1580, and 1590, are not ne?
cessary to be determined; bi.it certainly such a coin-?
binatibn of subjects, without the consent of their s'o-
'vereigri, in a we'll settled government is uriwarraritablfej

1638. CHARLES I. * 3G3
especially when it is confirmed with an oath, as no oath
ought to be administered but by Commission from the
chief magistrate. The only foundation therefore upon
which this covenant can be vindicated is* that the Scots
apprehended their legal church establishment had been
broken in pieces by the King's assuming the supremacy*
by his erecting an high commission, and by his imposing
upon them a bOok of canons and liturgy* without consent
of parliament or general assembly..
The council sent advice of the proceedings of the
covenanters from time to time, and acquainted his ma
jesty, that the cause Of all the commotions was the fear
of innovations iri the doctrine and discipline of the
kirk, by introducing the liturgy, canons, and high com
mission ; that it was therefore their humble opinion, that
the reading the service book should not be urged at pre
sent. Upon- this the King sent the Marquis of Hamilton,
hiS high commissioner, into Scotland, with instructions to
consent to the suspending the use of the service book for
the present, but at the same time to dissolve the tables,
arid: to require the- covenant to be delivered up within
six Weeks. His majesty adds, "That if there be not
sufficient strength iri thekingdofti to oblige the covenanters
to return to their duty, he will come in person from
England'at thehead of a sufficient power to force them;"
and in. the mean time, the marquis is empowered to use
all hostile acts against them as a rebellious people.
Upon, the riiarquis's arrival at Holyrood^house, he was
welcomed by great numbers of the covenanters of all
ranks and qualities, in hopes that he would call a general
assembly ahd a free parliament; but when he told them
this was riot in his iristrUctions, they went home full of
resentriierits. The people nailed up the organ loft in
the church, and adirionished the marquis not to read the
liturgy. The ministers c&utioned their hearers against
consenting to. ensnaring propositions-; and a letter was
sent to the marquis and council, exhorting them to sub
scribe the covenant. His lordship sent advice bf these
things to court, and moved his majesty either to yield to
the people or hasten his arms. The King replied, that
he would rather die than yield to their impertinent and

506, HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
damnable demands ; but admitted of the marquis's flat
tering them to gain time, provided he did not consent
to the calling a general assembly or parliament, unless
they gave up the covenant. When this was known, both
ministers and people declared with one voice, that they
would as soon renounce their baptism, as their covenant,
but withal avowed tlieir duty and allegiance to the King,
and their resolutions to stand by his majesty, in defence
of the true religion, laws, and liberties of the kingdom.
The marquis not being able to make any impression on
the covenanters, returned to England with an account of
the melancholy state of affairs in that kingdom, which
surprized the English court, and reflected some disgrace
upon the archbishop, for as his grace was going to coun
cil, Archibald the King's jester said to him, Whea's feule
now f Does not your grace hear the news from Striveling
about the liturgy ? His grace complaining of this usage
to the council, Archibald was ordered to be discharged
the King's service.
After some time Hamilton was sent back with in
structions to revoke the liturgy, the canons, the high
commission, and the five articles of Perth ; and With
authority to subscribe the confession of faith of 1580,
with the band thereunto annexed, and to take orders that
all his majesty's subjects subscribed the same. He might
also promise the calling a general assembly and parlia
ment within a competent time, but was to endeavour to
exclude the laity from the assembly. The design of
subscribing the band of the old covenant was to secure
the continuance of episcopacy, because that band obliges
-them to maintain the religion at that time professed,
which the King would interpret of prelatical government,
as being not then legally discharged by parliament, and
because it contained no promise of mutual defence and
assistance against all persons whatsoever, which might
include the King himself. However the covenanters did
not think fit to subscribe over again, and therefore only
thanked the King for discharging the liturgy, the canons,
and high commission.
At length the marquis published a proclamation for
a general assembly to meet at Glasgow. The choice Qf

1638. CHARLES 1. 507
members went every where in favour of the covenanters.
Mr. Henderson one of the silenced ministers was chosen
moderator, and Mr. Johnston clerk register; but the
bishops presented a declinator, " Declaring the assembly
to be unlawful, and the members of it not qualified to
represent the clergy of the nation."
Their declinator being read, was unanimously rejected,
and a committee appointed to draw up an answer. In
the mean time the assembly was busy in examining
elections, in which the covenanters carried every thing
before them; the marquis therefore despairing of any
good issue, determined according to his instructions, to,
dissolve them ; and accordingly went to the great church
where they sat, and read over his majesty's concessions ;
as, 1. That his majesty was willing to discharge the
service book, and the book of canons. 2. To dissolve
the high commission, 3. That the articles of Perth should
not be urged. 4. That no oath should be required of
any minister at his entrance into the ministry, but what is
required by act of parliament. 5. That for the future
there should be general assemblies as often as the affairs
of the kirk shall require ; and that the bishops should bo
censurable by the assembly, according to their merits. 6.
That the confession of faith of 1580, should be subscribed
by all his majesty's subjects of Scotland. These,
although very considerable abatements, did not reach
the requirements of the covenanters, which were the
dissolution of the order of the bishops, and of the above-
mentioned grievances by a statute-law. The marquis went,
on and in a long speech declaimed against Lay-Elders,x
and advised them to break up and choose another assem
bly of clergymen only; but his motion striking at the
very being and lawfulness of their present constitution,
was unanimously rejected. Whereupon the marquis dis
solved them, after they had sat only seven days ;. forbid
ding them to continue their sessions upon pain of high
treason. But the assembty instead of submitting to the royal
command continued sitting, and the very next day pub
lished a protestation to justify their proceedings. Laud
was vexed at these bold proceedings of the assembly, and

SOS* HISTORY "OF THE PURITANS. CHAP, IV,
thought of nothing but dispersing them by arms. I am
as sorry, he says, to the Marquis of Hamilton* as your
grace can be, that the King's preparations can make nO
more haste ; I hope you think I have called upon his
majesty, and by his command upon some others, to hasteri
all that may be, and more than this I cannot do ; I have
done, and do daily call upon his majesty for his prepa
rations ; he protests he makes all the haste he can, and I
believe him ; but the jealousies of giving the covenanters
umbrage too soon have made preparations here so late.
The assembly accordingto their resolution, continued
sitting Several weeks, till they had passed the following
acts :— an act for disannulling six late assemblies therein
mentioned, with the reasons ; — an act for abjuring and abo
lishing episcopacy; — an act for condemning the five
articles of Perth; — an act for condemning the service
book, bookof canons, book of ordination, and the high
commission ; — an act condemning archdeacpns, chapters,
and preaching deacons ; — an act for restoring presbyteries,
provincial and national assemblies, to their constitution
of ministers and elders, and to their, power and jurisdic-r
tion contained in the book of policy ; with many others
of the like nature. They then pronounced sentence of
deposition against the bishops ; eight of whom were
excommunicated; four excluded from the ministerial
function, and two only allowed to officiate as pastors or
presbyters. Upon this Dr. Spotswood, Bp. of St. An
drews, and Lord high chancellor of Scotland, retired to
London, where he died the next year. Most of his bre
thren the bishops took the same method,- only four re
mained in the country,' three of whom renounced their
episcopal , orders, but the fourth -kept his ground and
weathered the storm. At the close of the session the
assembly drew up a letter to the King, complaining of his
majesty's commissioner, who had proclaimed them traitors,
and forbid the people to pay any regard to their acts,;
and praying the King to look upon them still as his good
and faithful subjects. They also published another de
claration to the good people of England, in vindication
of their proceedings, which his majesty took care to
suppress, and issued out a proclamation against the

1639. CHARLES 1. .509
seditious behaviour of the covenanters, which he com
manded to be read in all the churches in England.
It was easy to foresee that these warm proceedings
must issue in a war, especially when it is remembered
that his majesty consulted with none but the declared
enemies of their kirk. On the 26th of Jan. the King
published his resolution to go in person against the Scots
covenanters at the head of an army ; for this purpose the
nobility were summoned to attend his majesty, and all the
wheels of the prerogative were put in motion to raise
men and money. Pierce, Bp. of Bath and Wells, in his
letter to his clergy, calls it a war for the support of
episcopacy, that they should therefore stir up their
clergy to a liberal contribution after the rate of three
shillings and ten-pence in the pound, according to the
valuation of tlieir livings in the king's books. The
archbishop also wrote to his commissary Sir J. Lamb,
for a contribution in the civil courts of Doctors'-Commons,
requiring him to send the names of such as refused to
himself at Lambeth. The Queen and her friends under
took for the Roman catholics ; the courtiers and the
country gentlemen were applied to, to lend money upon
this occasion, which the former readily complied with,
but of the latter forty only contributed together about
fourteen hundred pounds. With these and some other
assistances, the King, fitted out a fleet of sixteen men of
war, and raised a splendid army of twenty-one thousand
horse andifoot.
The Scots being informed of the preparations that
were making against them iri England, secured the im
portant castles of (Edinburgh, Dumbritton, and Frith;
and raised an army of such volunteers as had the. cause
jof the kirk at heart, and were determined to sacrifice
their lives in defence of it; they sent for their old general
Lesley from Germany, who upon this occasion quitted
the Emperor's service, and brought over with him several
experienced officers. But then greatest distress was the
want, of fire arms, ammunition, and money, there not
being above three thousand arms to be found in the whple
kingdom; and having no money, their soldiers made, such
a ragged appearance, that when the King saw them he

510 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. It.
said, thejf would certainly fight the English if it were
only to get their fine clothes. But the success of this
war will fall within the compass of the next year.
The star-chamber and high commission Went on with
their oppressions, as if they were Uridei1 no apprehen
sions from the storm that was gathering in the north.
Many ministers were suspended and shut up in prison. ,
Mr. Brewer, a baptist preacher, lay in prison fourteen
years; Mr. Foxley, of St. Martin's in the fields, was
confined in a chamber in the Gate-house for twenty
months, without pen, ink or paper, or the access of any
friends, even in his extreme sickness ; and all this without
knowing his crime or so much as guessing at it. Great
numbers of puritans . continued to flock into New-
England, notwithstanding the prohibition of the council
last year, insomuch that the Massachusets-Bay began to
be too straight for them; in the latter end of 1636, about
one hundred families travelled further into the country,
and settled on the banks of the river Connecticut, with
the Rev. Mr. Hooker at their head ; another- detachment
went from Dorchester; a third from Water-Town; and
a fourth from Roxbury ; and built the towns of Hertford,
Windsor, Wethersfield and Springfield in that colony.
Next year the passengers from England were so numerous
that they projected a new settlement on the south-west
part of Connecticut river, in a large bay near the confines
of New-York ; the leaders of this colony were T. Eaton,
Esq. and Mr. Davenport, who came from England with a
large retinue of acquaintance and followers ; they spread
along the coast, and first built the town of New-
Haven, which gives name to the colony ; and after some
time the towns of Guilford, Milford, Stamford, Brentford,
&c. Notwithstanding these detachments, the Massachu-
sets-bay had such frequent recruits from England, that
they were continually building new towns or enlarging
their settlements' in the neighbourhood.
Among the divines who went over this summer, was
Mr. E. Rogers, some time chaplain in the family of Sir F.
Barrington, of Hatfield Broad Oak, in Essex, and after
wards vicar of Rowley, in Yorkshire, where he continued a
successful preacher to a numerous congregation, almost

1638. CHARLES I. SL1
twenty years; the archbishop of that diocese, being a
moderate divine, permitted the use of those lectures or
prophesyings which Queen Elizabeth had put down ; the
ministers within certain districts had their monthly exer
cises, in which one or two preached and others prayed before
a numerous and attentive audience. One of the hearers
that bore an ill-will to the exercises, told the archbishop
that the ministers prayed against him ; but his grace
instead of giving credit to the informer, answered with a
smile, that he could hardly believe him, because those
good men know, says he, that if I were gone to heaven
their exercises would soon be put down ; which came
to pass accordingly, for no sooner was his successor in his
chair but he put a period to them, and urged subscription
with so much severity, that many of the clergy were
suspended and silenced ; among whom was Mr, Rogers,
who having no further prospect of usefulness in his
own country, embarked with several of his Yorkshire
friends for New-England, and settled at a place which he
called Rowley. Here he spent the remainder of his days,
amidst a variety of afflictions till 1660, when he died, in
the seventieth year of his age.
Mr. S. Newman, author of the concordance that bears
his name, also left the country this year. He was minister
of a small living in the county of Oxford, but the severe
prosecutions of the spiritual courts, obliged him to no
less than seven removals, till at length he resolved to get
out of their reach and remove with his friends to New-
England. He settled at Rehoboth in the colony of New-
Plymouth, where he spent the remainder of his days, and
died in the sixty-third year of his age. He was a hard
student, a lively preacher, and of an heavenly conversation.
Mr. Chauncey, educated in Cambridge, and greek
lecturer of his own college in that university. He was
afterwards settled at Ware, and was an admired and useful
preacher, till he was driven from thence as has been
related. When the book of sports was published, and
the drums beat about the town to summon the people to
their dances and revels on the Lord's day evening, he
preached against it, for which he was suspended, and
soon after totally silenced. Few suffered more for noi>

51.2 HISTORY 0F THE PURITANS. CHAP- IV.
conformity by fines? by imprisonment, and by necessities
than Mr. Chauncey ; at length he determined to remove
to New-England;; and became president of Harward Coll.
in Cambridge. Here he continued a most learned, labo
rious,, and useful governor, till he died, in the eighty-
second year of his age ; he left behind him six sons, the
eldest of which was Dr, , I. Chauncey, well (known a,monS
jthe non-conformist. ministers of London.
I' pass over the liyes of many other divines and sub
stantial gentlemen, who left their country for the peace
of their consciences j but it deserves particular notice
that there were eight, sail of ships, at price this spring in
the river Thames, bound for .New-England, and filled
with puritan families, among wjhpm it is said were Oliver
CroMweh,, afterwards protector of the commonwealth of
England, and John Hampden, Esq. but the council being
informed of their design* issued put an order against their
.departure. And to prevent the like for the future, his
majesty prohibited all masters and owners of ships, to set
forth any ships for NewrEngland with passengers, without
special licence from the privy-councih Wheri the puritans
might not transport themselves to New-England, they
removed with.tib.eir families into the low countries, where
they were received with grea,t humanity and kindness. The
severe pressing of the .ceremonies made the people in
manv trading towns tremble at a visitation ; but when they
found their 'striving in va,in:; jt was no hard matter for
their ministers *P jpersuade them to transport themselves
into -foreign *parts.; " The sun," said they, " Shines as
.cqmfortah.ly in pther places, and the sun of righteousness
much/brighter ; it.is. better to go and .dwell in Goshen,
find it where we can, than tarry in the m^dst of such
Egyptian bondage as .is^mpng us ; the sinful eprruptionsi
of the church are now, grown so general, tljat tiiere is no
place free from the contagion ; therefore go out of her my
people, and be nqt partakers qf her sins.'1' And hereunto
,they we^e . encouraged by the Dutch, who chose rather
to carry the^r manufactures home, than be obliged to re
port to their parish ichurches, as.by the. archbishop's injunc
tions they were .obliged.
¦ The eyes, of ,all En gland were .now towards the norjfh,

1W3, CHARLES I. 513
whither the King went, to put himself at the head of his
army raised against the Scots; the Earls of Arundel,
Essex and Holland, commanding under his majesty. The
Scots under the command of General Lesley, received
them upon the borders ; but when the two armies had
faced each other for some time, the King perceiving that
his protestant nobility and soldiers were not hearty in his
cause, gave way to a treaty at the petition of the Scots,
which ended in a pacification, by which all points of
difference were referred to a general assembly to be held
at Edinburgh, Aug. 12, and to a parliament which was to
meet about a fortnight after. In the mean time both
armies were to be disbanded, the Tables to be broke up,
and no meetings held except such as are warranted by act
of parliament. Accordingly the King dismissed his army,
but with very disobliging circumstances, not giving the
nobility and gentry so much as thanks for their affection,
loyalty, and personal attendance, which they resented so
highly, that few or none of them appeared upon the next
summons; the Scots delivered back the King's forts and
castles into his majesty's hands, and disbanded the soldiers,
wisely keeping their officers in pay till they saw the effect
of the pacification.
The general assembly met at Edinburgh according to
the treaty, but being of the same constitution with the
last, the bishops presented another declinator to his
majesty's commissioner, and were excused giving their
attendance by express letter from the King, his majesty
in his instructions to his commissioner having yielded
them the point of lay-elders. The assembly therefore
without any opposition confirmed the proceedings of that
at Glasgow, which was of very dubious authority. They
appointed the covenant to be taken throughout the king
dom, and explained the bond of mutual defence to a
consistency with their late conduct. They voted away the
new service book, the book of canons, the five articles of
Perth, the high commission, and with one consent de
termined, that diocesan episcopacy was unlawful and not
to be allowed in their kirk. Which the commissioner
did not apprehend inconsistent with his private instruct
VOi. I. K K

51-4 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
tions from the King. It is evident that his majesty's
usage of the Scots was neither frank nor sincere ; he had
no design to abolish episcopacy, only consented to sus
pend it, because he was told that the bishops being one
of the three estates of parliament, no law made in their
absence could be of force, much less an act for abolishing
their whole order, after they had entered their protest in
form. The Scots parliament met Aug.. 31, and having first
subscribed the solemn league and covenant with the King's
consent, they confirmed all the acts of the general assem
bly, concluding with the utter extirpation of episcopacy
as unlawful. But the King having by letter to his com
missioner forbid him to consent to the word unlawful, lest
it should be interpreted absolutely, though it seems to
have a reference only to the kirk of Scotland, his lordship
prorogued the parliament, first for fourteen days, and then
by the King's express command for nine months, without
ratifying any of their acts. The Earl of Dumferline, and
Lord Loudon, were dispatched to London, to beseech his
majesty to consent to their ratification ; but they were
sent back with a reprimand for tlieir misbehaviour, being
hardly admitted into the King's presence. It seems too
apparent, that his majesty meant little or nothing by his
concessions but to gain time. The King did not really
intend the alteration of any of the civil or ecclesiastical
laws of that kingdom, and by his majesty's not ratifying
any of their acts, it was evident, that the English court
had resumed their courage, and were determined once
more to try the fortune of war.
In the mean time, to balance the declaration of the
Scots assembly, Bp. Hall, at the request of Laud, com
posed a treatise on the divine right of episcopacy.
The bishop's book was altered in many places, contrary to
his own. inclinations, by the archbishop, and particularly
where he had called the Pope antichrist, or spoke too
favourably of the morality of the sabbath ; and said, that
presbytery was of use, where episcopacy could not be
obtained. Upon the whole, his lordship's book was so
modelled by his metropolitan, that in the debate hereafter
mentioned, he'could hardly go the lengths of his own
performance.

5640: CHARLES I. 515
The bishops still kept a strict hand over the puritans;
not a sermon was to be heard on the distinguishing points
of Calvinism all over England: In some dioceses great
complaints were made of puritan justices of peace, for
being too strict in putting the laws in execution against
profaneness. At Ashford, in Kent, the archbishop said
he must have recourse to the statute of abjuration, and
call in the assistance of the temporal courts to reduce the
separatists, the censures of the church not being sufficient.
The resolution of the English court to renew the war
with Scotland, was owing to the Lord deputy Wentworth,
whom Laud had sent for from Ireland for this purpose.
This nobleman from being an eminent patriot* was become
a petty tyrant, and had govered Ireland in a most arbitrary
and sovereign manner for about seven years, discounten
ancing the protestants, because they were calvinists, and
inclined to puritanism, and giving all imaginable en
couragement to the Roman catholics, as friends to the
prerogative, whereby he suffered the balance of power
in that kingdom to fall into the hands of the papists;
Wentworth being come to court, was immediately created
Earl of Strafford, and Knight of the Garter* andin con
cert with Laud, advised the King to set aside the pacifi
cation, and to push the Scots war with vigor, offering his
majesty eight thousand Irish, and a large sum of money
for his assistance ; but this not being sufficient, the war
was thought so reasonable and necessary to the King's
honour, that it might be ventured with an English par
liament, which being laid before the council, was chear-
fully agreed to, and after twelve years interval, a parliament
was summoned to meet.
The Scots foreseeing the impending storm, consulted
where to fly for succour; some were for throwing them
selves into the hands of the French, and accordingly
wrote a very submissive letter to that monarch, signed by
the hands of seven Scots Peers, but never sent it ; for upon
application to their friends at London* they were assured
" That the hearts of the people of England were with
them ; that they were convinced, the liberties of both
nations were at stake, and therefore they might depend
K c 2

516 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
upon their assistance as soon as a fair opportunity offered.
Upon this encouragement the Scots laid aside their design
of applying to. France', and resolved to raise another army
from among themselves, and march into England/
The parliament that met at -Westminster, was made
up of sober and dispassionate men, exceedingly disposed
to do the King service, and yet his majesty would not
condescend to speak to them from the throne, ordering
the Lord keeper Finch* to acquaint them with the unduti-
ful behaviour .of the Scots, who he was determined' to
reduce, arid- therefore would not admit of the mediation
of the two houses, but expected their immediate assis
tance, after, which he would give them time to consider of
any just grievances to be redressed. But the commons
instead of beginning with the supply, appointed- com
mittees for religion and grievances, which disobliged the
King so much, that after several fruitless attempts to per
suade them to begin with the subsidy bill, he dissolved
them" in anger, without passing a single act, after they had
sat about three weeks, and committed the leading members
of the house to the Fleet and other prisons.
His majesty having failed of a parliamentary supply
at the time he demanded it, was told by Lord 'Strafford
and others of the council, that he was now absolved from
all rules of government, and might -take what his neces
sities required, and his power could obtain.- This irideed"
was no more than his majesty had been doing for twelve
years before ; but some people drew an unhappy conclu
sion from this maxim (viz.) that if the King was absolved
from all rules of government, the people were absolved
from all rules of obedience. However, all the engines of
arbitrary power were set at work to raise money for the
war, some of which* says Clarendon, were ridiculous, and
others scandalous, but all -very grievous to the subject-
Those .who refused payment, were fined and imprisoned
by the Star-chamber or council- table. The courtiers
advanced three hundred thousand pounds in three weeks,
the clergy in convocation gave six subsidies, the papists
were very generous ; Strafford went over to Ireland and
obtained four subsidies of the> parliament of that kingdom;
soldiers were pressed into the service in all counties, few

1640. CHARLES I. 517
listing themselves voluntarily except papists, many of
whom had commissions in the army, which gave rise to a
common saying among the people, that " The Queen's
army of papists were going to establish the protestant reli
gion in Scotland."
The people groaned under these oppressions, the odium
whereof fell upon Laud and Strafford," who were libelled
and threatened with tile fury of the populace. A paper
was fixed upon the old Exchange, animating the. appren
tices .to pull the archbishop out of his palace '; upon this
the trained bands were ordered into St. George's fields,
nevertheless the mob rose and broke his windows, for
which one of them-being apprehended, suffered death as
a traitor, though he could not be guilty of more than a
breach of the peace. From Lambeth the mob went to the
house of the Pope's agent, where they were, dispersed by
the King's guards, and some of them sent to prison;.;but
the next week they rose again and rescued their friends.
The country was in the same mutinous.posture, there
being frequent skirmishes between them and the new
raised soldiers, even to bloodshed,. The city train bands
were in arms all the summer, but the campaign proving
unsuccessful, there was no keeping the people within
bounds afterwards ; for which the high commission was
sitting at St. Paul's, near ¦ two- thousand. Brownists, . as the
archbishop calls them, raised a disturbance and broke
up the court, crying out, No bishops, no high commission.
¦ The convocation that sat with this parliament was
opened with more splendor and magnificence than, the
situation of affairs required. The sermon, was preached
by Dr. Turner, canon residentiary of St Paul's. After
which they adjourned to ¦ the Chapel-house,, where the
King's writ of 'summons being read, the archbishop re
commended to the lower house the choosing a prolocutor,
to be presented to himself or his commissary, on Friday.
following, to which time and place the convocation was
adjourned. Dr. Steward, Dean of Chichester, was. pre
sented to the archbishop1 as prolocutor, whom his grace
approved, and then produced his majesty's commission
under the great seal, authorizing them to make and
K K 3

318 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
ordain certain canons and constitutions, for the estab
lishing true religion, and the profit of the state of the
church of England. The commission was to remain in
force during the present session of parliament, and no
longer ; and by a remarkable clause, nothing was to be
concluded without the archbishop's being a party in the
consultation. It was intended also tp draw up an English
pontifical, which was to contain the form and manner of
royal coronatious. A form for consecrating churches,
church-yards, and chapels.— A form for reconciling peni
tents and apostates.— A book of articles to be used by aU
bishops at their visitation, — And a short form of prayer for
before sermon, comprehending the substance of the fifty-
fifth canon. But most of these projects were interrupted
by the sudden dissolution of the parliament.
The convocation, according to ancient custom, should
have broke up at the same time, but, one of the lower
bouse having acquainted the archbishop with a precedent
in tlie 27th year of Queen Elizabeth, of the clergy's
granting a subsidy or benevolence, of two shillings in the
pound, to be raised upon all the Clergy, after the par
liament was risen, and levying it by their own synodical
act only, under the penalty of ecclesiastical censures, it
was concluded from thence that tlie convocation might sit
independent of the parliament, and therefore instead of
dissolving, they only adjourned for a few days, to take
further advice. The zealous archbishop relying upon this
single precedent applied to the King for a commission,
to continue the convocation during his majesty's pleasure,
in order to finish the canons and constitutions, and to grant
tiie subsidies already voted. The case being referred to
the judges, the majority gave it as their Opinion, "That
the convocation being called by the King's writ under the
great seal, doth continue till it be dissolved by writ or
commission under the great seal, notwithstanding the par
liament be dissolved.''
Upon this a commission under the great seal was
granted, and the convocation re-assembled and con
tinued ; and a committee of twenty-six was appointed to
prepare matters for the debate of the house ; but the mob
being so enflamed, as to threaten to pull down the convo-

1640. CHARLES I. 519
cation-house, the King appointed them a guard com
manded by Porter, groom of the bed-chamber, a papist,
under whose protection the synod was continued till the
canons were perfected, and six subsidies granted by way
of supply for the exigence of his majesty's affairs; to be
collected in six years, after the rate of four shillings in
the pound, amounting to about one hundred and twenty
thousand pounds; after whicli it was dissolved by a
special mandate or writ from his majesty, after it had
continued twenty-five sessions. The canons having been
approved by the privy-council, were subscribed by as
many of both houses of convocation as were present,
and then transmitted to the provincinal synod of York,
by whom they were subscribed at once, without so much
as debating either matter or form. Bp. Williams, Bp.
of Lincoln, was in the Tower, and had no concern
with the canons. Goodman, Bp. of Glocester, a con
cealed papist, was the only prelate who declined the
subscription ; till the archbishop threatening him with
deprivation, and the rest of his brethren pressing him
to comply, he was persuaded to put his name to the book ;
but several of the members of the lower house avoided
the test, by withdrawing before the day of subscription ;
for of above one hundred and sixty, of which both
houses of convocation consisted, there were not many
riiore than one hundred names to the book.
The unreasonableness of continuing the synod after
the dissolution of the parliament appears from hence,
that the convocation consisting of bishops, deans, arch
deacons, and clerks, the three former act in their personal
capacities only, and may give for themselves what sub
sidies they please ; but the clerks being chosen for their
respective cathedrals and dioceses, legally to sit as long
as the parliament continues, desist from being public
persons as soon as it is dissolved, and lose the character
of representatives ; they are then no more than private
clergymen, who though they may give the King what
sums of money they please for themselves, cannot vote
away the estates of their brethren, unless they are re
elected. Besides it was contrary to all law and custom,
both before and since the act of submission of the clergy

520 HISTORY -OF' THE PURITANS. CHAP. IV.
to Henry VIII. except in the single instance of ' Queen
Elizabeth. The canons of this synod, consisting of
seventeen articles, were published and entitled, " Con
stitutions and canons ecclesiastical, treated upon by the
Abps. of Canterbury and York, presidents of the con
vocation for their respective provinces, and the rest of
the bishops and clergy of those provinces, and agreed
upon with the King's majesty's licence, in their several
synods. When the canons were made public, they were
generally disliked; several pamphlets were printed against
them, and dispersed among people. All who loved the
old English constitution were dissatisfied with the first
canon, because it declares for the absolute power of
Kings, and for the unlawfulness of defensive-arms on
any pretence whatsover; and the whole, body of the
clergy, were nearly concerned in the sixth, being obliged
by the second of November to take the oath therein
mentioned, on pain of suspension and deprivation, This
oath is as follows :
I, A. B. do swear, that I do approve the doctrine,
discipline or government, established in the church of
England, as containing -all things necessary for salvation;
and that I will not endeavour by myself or any other,
directly, or indirectly, to bring in any Popish doctrine,
contrary to that which is so established; nor will I ever-
give my consent to alter the goyernment of this church,
by archbishops, bishops, deans and archdeacons, &c. as
it stands now established, and as by right it ought to stand,
nor yet ever to subject it to the usurpations and supersti
tions of the see of Rome, And all these things I do
plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear, according
to the plain and common sense and understanding of the
same words, without any equivocation, or mental evasion,
or secret reservation whatsoever; and this I do heartily,
willingly and trui}', upon the. faith, of a christian. So,
help me God in Jesus Christ."
The London clergy drew up a petition against it to
the privy-council ; and to give, it the more weight pro
cured a great many hands. The ministers, school-masters,
and physicians in most counties took the same method j

W4& CHARLES I. 521
some objecting to the oath as contrary to the oath of
supremacy; some complaining of the Et Ctetera, which
was inserted in the middle. Others objected to the
power of the synod to impose an oath, and many confessed,
that they wished some things in the discipline of the church
might be altered, and therefore could not swear never to
attempt it in a proper way. Some of the bishops endea
voured to satisfy their clergy by giving the most favour
able interpretation tO the oath, but most of the bishops
pressed the oath absolutely on their clergy ; and to my
certain knowledge, says Fuller, obliged them to take
it kneeling, a ceremony never required in taking the oath
of allegiance and supremacy ; but to such extravagance
of power did these prelates aspire upon the wing of the
prerogative! The archbishop was advised of these diffi
culties by Dr. Sanderson, afterwards Bp. of Lincoln;
However, this resolute prelate, as if he had been deter
mined to ruin his own and his majesty's affairs, would.
relax nothing, but would have broken the King's interest
aniong the conformable clergy, ' if the nobility and gentry
w;ith the King at York, had not prevailed with his majesty
to lay him under a restraint by letter under the hand of
the principal secretary of state.
We have mentioned the secret correspondence betweea
the English and Scots nobility to recover the liberties of
both kingdoms, which encouraged the Scots to march a
second time to their borders, where the Kiug met them
with his army commanded by the Earls of NorthumbeF-
land arid'Strafford ; but it soon appeared that the English
nobility were not for conquering the Scots; nor had
the protestant soldiers any zeal in his majesty's cause, so
that after a trifling skirmish the Scots army passed the
Tweed, took possession of the important town of New
castle, the royal army retreating before tliem as far as
York, and leaving them masters of Northumberland,
Cumberland, and Durham, where they subsisted their
army and raised what contributions they pleased. As
soon as the Scots, entered Newcastle, they sent an express
to the Lord-mayor and aldermen of London, to assure
them they would not interrupt the trade between that
town ap.d the city of London, but would cultivate ali

.522 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAPC IV.
manner of friendship and brotherly correspondence. They
also sent messengers to the King with an humble petition,
that his majesty would please to confirm their late acts of
parliament, restore their ships and merchandize, recall
his proclamation which styles them rebels, and call an
English parliament to settle the peace between both king
doms. This was followed by another signed by twelve
peers witli his majesty at York, and by a third from the
city of London. The King finding it impossible to carry
on the war, appointed commissioners to treat with the
Scots at Ripon, who agreed to a cessation of arms for two
months, the Scots to have eight hundred and fifty pounds
a day for maintenance of their army ; and the treaty to
be adjourned to London, where a free parliament was
immediately to be convened. The calling an English
parliament was the grand affair that had been concerted
with the Scots before their coming into England ; and
it was high time ; because to all appearance this was the
last crisis for saving the constitution ; if the Irish and
English armies were raised to reduce Scotland, under the
arbitrary power of the prerogative, what could be ex- -•
pected, but that afterwards they should march back into
England, and establish the same despotic power here,
with a standing army, beyond all recovery.
Sad and melancholy was the condition of the prime
ministers, when they saw themselves reduced to the
necessity of submitting their conduct to the examination
of parliament, supported by an army from Scotland, and
the general discontents of the people ! Several of the
courtiers began to shift for themselves ; some withdrew
from the storm, and others having been concerned in
various illegal projects deserted their masters, and made
their peace, by discovering the King's counsels to the
leading members of parliament, which disabled the junto
from making any considerable efforts for their safety. All
men had a veneration for the person of the King, though
his majesty had lost ground in their affections by his ill
usage of parliaments, and by taking the faults of his
ministers upon himself. But the Queen was in no manner
of esteem with any who had the protestant religion, and
the liberties of their country at heart. The bishops had

1640. CHARLES I. 523
sunk their character by their behaviour in the spiritual *
courts, so that they had nothing to expect, but that their
wings should be dipt. And the judges were despised and
hated, for betraying the laws of tlieir country, and giving
a sanction to the illegal proceedings of the council and
Star-chamber. As his majesty had few friends of credit
or interest among the people at home, so he had nothing
to expect from abroad ; France and Spain were pleased
with his distress ; the foreign protestants wished well to the
oppressed people of England ; they published their re
sentments against the bishops, for their hard usage of the
Dutch and French congregations, and gave it as their
opinion, that a protestant King who countenanced papists,
and at the same time drove his protestant subjects out of
the kingdom, was not worthy the assistance of the re
formed churches, especially after he had renounced
communion with them, and declared openly, that the reli
gion of the church of England was not the same with that
of the foreign protestants.
Three considerable divines of a very different character
died, about this time; Mr. J. Ball, educated at Brazen-
Nose Coll. Oxon, and afterwards minister of Whitmore,
jn Staffordshire, where he lived upon twenty pounds a
year and the profits of a little school. He was a learned
and pious man, deserving as high esteem, says Baxter,
as the best bishop in England. Being dissatisfied with
the terms of conformity, it was some time before he could
meet with an opportunity to be ordained without subscrip
tion, but at last he obtained it from the hands of an Irish
bishop, then occasionally in London ; though he lived
and died a non-conformist, he was an enemy to a separa
tion. His last work, entitled "A stay against Straying."
His other works were very numerous, and of great reputa
tion in those times. He died in the fifty-sixth year of
his age. Dr. L. Chadderton, born in Lancashire, of popish pa
rents, who when they heard their son had changed his
religion, disinherited him ; he was first fellow of Christ
Coll. and afterwards master of Emanuel Coll. Cambridge.
King James nominated him one of the four representatives
of the puritans in the Hampton-Court conference ; and

524 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP. IV.
» afterwards one of the translators of the bible. He governed
his. college with great reputation many years, being re*
markable for gravity, learning,, and piety ; he had a plain
but effectual way of preaching, having a strict regard for
the sabbath, and a great aversion to arminianism. Being
advanced in years, and afraid of being succeeded by an
arminian divine, he resigned his mastership to Dr. Preston,
whom he survived. He died in the hundred and third year
of his age.
Dr. R. Neile, Abp. of York, was bprn in Westminster,
of mean parents ; he was educated in . St. John's Coll.
Cambridge,, and passed through all the degrees and orders
of preferment in the church of England. Mr. Prynne says,
he was a. popish arminian prelate, and a persecutor of all
orthodox and godly ministers. It is certain he had few or
none of the qualifications of a primitive bishop ; he hardly
preached a sermon in twelve years, and gained his prefer
ments by flattery and servile court compliances. He was
a zealous advocate for. pompous innovations in the church,
and oppressive projects in the state, for which he would
have felt the resentments of the house of commons, had he
lived a little longer ; but he died very seasonably for him
self, three days- before the meeting of the long parliament.

CHAP. V.

CHARLES I.
The Long Parliament : — Character of it. — Speeches and
Resolutions against the Canons. — Proceedings qf the
Convocation. — Laud impeached of High Treason : —
Committed to the Tower. — The persecuted released
from Prison. — Their persecutors called to account. —
Mutinous behaviour of the People. — Clamour against
the High Clergy. — The Independents. — Votes of the
Parliament.
X17"E are now entering upon the proceedings of the
" Long Parliament, which continued sitting with
some little intermission for above Eighteen years, and
occasioned such prodigious revolutions in church and
state, as were the wonder of all Europe. The house of
commons have been severely censured for the ill success
of their endeavours to recover and secure the constitution
of their country ; but the attempt was glorious, though a
train of unforeseen accidents rendered it fatal in the event.
The members consisted chiefly of country gentlemen, who
had no attachment to the court. Eachard insinuates, some
unfair methods of election, which might be' true on both
sides ; but both he and Clarendon admit, that there were
many great and worthy Patriots in the house, and as
eminent as any age had ever produced ; men of gravity,
of wisdom, and of great and plentiful fortunes, who
would have been satisfied with some few amendments in
church and state.

526 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V\<
Before the opening of the session, the principal
members consulted measures for securing the frequency
of parliaments ; for redressing of grievances in church
and state; and for bringing the King's arbitrary ministers
to justice; to accomplish which it was thought necessary
to set some bounds to the prerogative, and to lessen the
power of the bishops, but it never entered into their
thoughts to overturn the civil or ecclesiastical constitution.
They were all members of the established church, and
almost to a man for episcopalgovernment ; and though
riot devoted to the court, they had all dqty for the King,
and affection for the government. It was not their pur
pose to let loose the golden reins of discipline and
government in the church, to leave private persons or
particular congregations, to take up what form of divine
service they pleased ; and Lord Clarendon adds, " that
even after the battle of Edgehill the design against the
church was not grown popular in the house; that in 1642,
and 1643, the lords and commons were all in perfect
conformity to the church of England, and so was their
arriiy, their" general and officers both by sea and land.
Such a testimony may surely serve to silence those who
through ignorance and ill-will have represented the .long
parliament, arid the body of the puritans at their first
sitting down, as in a plot against the whole ecclesiastical
establishment. The parliament was opened with a speech from the
throne, wherein his majesty declares, he would concur
with them in satisfying their just grievances, leaving it
with them where to begin. Only some offence was taken
at his stiling the Scots, Rebels, at a time when there wa9
a pacification subsisting; upon which his majesty came
to the house, and instead of softning his language, very'
imprudently avowed the expression, saying, he could
call them neither better nor worse. The houses petitioned
his majesty to appoint a fast for a blessing upon their
counsels, which was observed Nov. 17 ; and the Lord's
day following, all the members in a body received the*
sacrament from the hands of Bp. Williams, Dean of West
minster, not at the rails about the altar, but at a Commu
nion table, placed by order of the house, in the middle
of the church on that occasion.

1640. CHARLES I. 527
At their first entrance upon business they appointed
four grand committees ; the first to receive petitions
about grievances of religion, which was afterwards sub
divided into twenty or thirty; the second for the affairs
of Scotland and Ireland ; the third for civil grievances,
as ship-money, judges, courts of justice, monopolies, &c.
the fourth concerning popery, and plots relating there
unto. Among the grievances of religion, one of the
first things that came before the house was, the acts
and canons of the late convocation ; several warm speeches
were made against the compilers of them; and among
others, Lord Digby, who was as yet with the country
party, said, " Does not every parliament man's heart
rise, to see the prelates usurping to themselves, the
grand pre-eminence of parliaments ? the granting sub
sidies under the name of a benevolence, under no less a
penalty to them that refuse it, than the loss of heaven
and earth ; of heaven by excommunication, and of earth
by deprivation, and this without redemption by appeal ?
What good man can think with patience, of such an
ensnaring oath, as that which the new canons enjoin ,to
be taken, by ministers, lawyers, physicians, and graduates
in the university, where besides the swearing such an
impertinence, as that things necessary to salvation are
contained in discipline; besides the swearing those to be
of divine right, which among the learned was never pre
tended to, as the Arch things in our hierarchy ; besides
the swearing not to consent to the change of that, which
the state may upon great reasons, think fit to alter;
besides the bottomless perjury of an Et C&tera; besides
all this, men must swear that they swear freely and volun
tarily, what they are compelled to; and lastly, that they
swear to the oath in the literal sense, whereof no two of
the makers themselves, that I have heard of, could ever
agree in the understanding."
Others spoke with the same warmth and satyrical wit,
for discharging the canons, dismounting them, and melting
them down; nor did any gentleman stand up in their
behalf but Mr. Holbourn, who is said to make a speech
of two hours in their vindication ; but his arguments
made no impression on the house, for at the close of the

52S History of The puritans, chap. v\,
debate, a committee of twelve gentlemen was appointed
to search for the warrants by which the convocation was
held, after the parliament broke up, and for the letters
patent of the benevolence, and for such other materials
as might assist the house in their next debate upon this
argument, which was appointed for December 14, when
some of the members would have aggravated the crime
of the convocation to high treason, but Serjeanf May-
nard aiid Mr. Bagshaw moderated their resentments, by
convincing them that they were only in a praemunire. At
the close of the debate the house came to the following:
resolutions : That the clergy convened in any convoca
tion Or synod, or otherwise, have no power to make any
constitutions, canons, or acts whatsoever, in matters of
doctrine, discipline, :-or otherwise,, to bind the clergy or
laity of the land, without consent of parliament. That
the several constitutions and canons ecclesiastical, treated
upon by the archbishops, presidents of the convocations
for their respective provinces, and the rest of the bishops
and clergy of those provinces, and agreed upon with the
King's licence, in their several synods, 1640, do not bind.
the clergy or laity. That the several constitutions and
canons abovementioned, do contain in them many matters;
contrary to the King's prerogative, to the fundamental
laws and statutes of this realm, to the rights of parliament,
and to the property and liberty of the subject. That the
several grants of benevolences or contributions, granted
to his most excellent majesty by the clergy of the pro
vinces of Canterbury and York, are contrary to the laws,
and ought not to bind the clergy."
If the first of these resolutions be agreeable to law,
I apprehend there were then no canons subsisting, for
those of 1603, were not brought into parliament, but
being mftde in a parliamentary convocation, were ratified
by the King under the great seal, and so became binding
on the clergy, according to the statute of the 25th of
Henry VIII.. In the Saxon times all ecclesiastical laws
and constitutions were confirmed by the peers, and by
the representatives of the people ; but those great councils
to which our parliaments succeed, being made up of
laics and ecclesiastics, were afterwards separated, and

16-10. CHARLES I. • 528
then tlie clergy did their business by themselves, and
enacted laws without confirmation of King or parliament,
during the reign of popery, till the act of tlie submission
of the clergy to Henry VIII. so that the claim pf making
canons without the sanction of parliament, seemed to
stand upon no pther foundation than the usurped power of
the Pope ; nor did the parliaments of those times yield
up their right, for in the 51st of Edward III. the commons
passed a bill, that no act or ordinance should be made fop
the future upon the petition of the clergy, without consent
of the commons ; and that the commons should not be
bound for the future by any constitutions of the clergy, to
which they had not given their consent in parliament.
But the bill being dropt, things went on as formerly, till
the reign of Henry VIII. when the Pope's usurped power
being abolished, both parliament and clergy agreed by
the act of submission, that no canons should be binding
without the royal assent ; and that the clergy in convoca
tion should not so much as consult about any, without the
King's special licence ; but Serjeant Maynard delivered
it as his opinion in the house, that it did not follow, that
because the clergy might not make canons without the
King's licence, that therefore they might make them, and
bind them on the clergy by his licence alone ; for this
were to take away the ancient rights of parliament before
the Pope's usurpation, which they never yielded up, nor
does the act of submission of the clergy take away, Upon
this reasoning the commons voted their first resolution, the
strength cf which I leave to tlie reader's consideration..
The arguments upon which the other resolutions are
founded will be related together presently.
When the convocation was Opened, the archbishop
made a pathetic speech, lamenting tlie danger of the
church, and exhorting every one present to perform the
duty of their places with resolution ; but nothing of mo
ment was transacted, there being no commission from the
King ; only Mr. Warmistre, one of the clerks for the,
diocese of Worcester, being convinced of the- invalidity
of the late canons, moved the house that they might cover
the pit which they had opened, and prevent aparliamentary
vol. I. L L

530 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
inquisition by petitioning the King for leave to review
them ; but his motion was rejected; However though the
convocation was so sanguine at their first coming together,
as to despise Mr. Warmistre's motion, yet when they saw
the vigorous resolutions of the house of commons against
the canons, and the articles of impeachment against the
metropolitan for high treason, one of which' was for com
piling the late canons, they were dispirited, and in a few
weeks deserted their stations in the convocation^house ;
. the bishops also discontinued their meetings, and in a few
weeks both houses dwindled to nothing, and broke up
without either adjournment or prorogation.
In parliament, it was argued against the late convoca
tion, that they were no legal assembly after the dissolution
of the parliament ; that his majesty had no more poWer to
continue them than to recal his parliament ; nor could he
by his letters patents convert them into a national or
provincial synod, because the right of their election
ceasing at tlie expiration of the convocation, they ought
to have been re-chosen before they could act in the name
of the clergy whom they represented, or bind them by
their decrees. It is contrary to all law and reasori in the
world, that a number of men met together in a convocation,
upon a summons limited to a certain time, should after the
expiration of that, time, by a new commission, be changed
into a national or provincial synod, without the voice or
election of any one person concerned. The commons
were therefore at a loss by what name to call this extra
ordinary assembly, being in their opinion neither convo
cation nor synod, because no representative body of the
clergy. The words convocation and synod are convertible
terms, signifying , the same thing, and it is essential to
both that they be chosen by (if they are to make consti
tutions and canons to bind) the clergy. Some indeed have
thought of a small distinction, as that a convocation must
begin and end with the parliament, whereas a synod
may be called by the King out of parliament, but then
such an assembly cannot give subsidies for their brethren,
nor make laws by which they will be bound.
The objections to the particular canons were these :
I. Against the first canon it was argued, that the compilers

1640. CHARLES!. 531
of it had invaded fhe rights and prerogative of parliament,
by pretending to settle and declare the extent of the
King's power, and the subjects obedience. By declaring
the order of Kings to be of divine right, founded in the
laws of nature and revelation, by which they condemned
all other governments. By affirming that the King had ,
an absolute poi\ver over his- subjects, and a right to the
•subsidies and aids of his people without conserit of par
liament. By affirming that subjects may not bear arms
against their King, either offensive or defensive, upon any
pretence whatsoever, upon pain of damnation. By taking
upon themselves to define some things to be treason not
included in the statute of treasons. And lastly, by inflict
ing a penalty on such as shall dare to disobey them, in not
reading and publishing the above mentioned particulars.
They also stated objections againt the second and fourth
canons ; but the sixth was peculiarly obnoxious. They
objected against this canon, that it imposed, a new oath
upon the subject, which is a power equal if not superior to
the making a new law. It was argued likewise against the
oath itself, that in some parts it was very ambiguous and
doubtful, andin others directly false and illegal. We are
to swear in the oath, that we approve the doctrine, discip
line, or government established in the church of England,
and yet we are not told wherein they are contained,; whe
ther bythe doctrine of the church we are to understand only
the thirty-nine articles, or likewlsethe homilies and church
catechism ; and by the discipline, only the book of canons,
or likewise all other ecclesiastical orders not repealed by
statute; for it is observable that the wprds of the path are,
as it is established, and not, as it is established by law.
And- the ambiguity is further increased by that remarkable
et ctetera, inserted in' the body of the oath ; for whereas
oaths ought to be explicit, and the sense of the words as
clear and determined as possible, we are here to swear to
we know not what, to -something that is riot expressed ;
by which means we are left to the arbitrary interpretation
of the judge, and may be involved in the guilt of perjury
before "We are aware. But besides the ambiguity of the
oath, it contains some things false and illegal ; for it
L L 2

5%Z HISTORY Ot THE PURITANS. | CHAP. 'V.
affirms the government of the church by archbishops,
bishops, deans and archdeacons, to be of divine right ;
for after we have sworn to the hierarchy as established
by the law of the land, we are to swear further, that by
right it ought so to stand, which words are a mere tauto
logy, or else must infer some further right than that which
is included in the legal establishment, which can be no
other than a divine right. Now though it should be
allowed that the government of the church by bishops is of
divine right, yet certainly archbishops, deans and arch
deacons, can have no pretence to that claim.
Besides to swear never to give our consent to alter the
government of this church by archbishops, bishops, &c.
is directly contrary to the oath of supremacy, by which if
his majesty should think fitat any timeto commission other
persons to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction than at pre
sent, we are sworn not only to consent but to aid and
assist him i"1 it > whereas in this new oath we swear never
to consent to any such alteration. Nothing is more evi
dent than that the discipline of the church is alterable;
the church itself laments the want of godly discipline j
and many pf the clergy arid laity wish and desire an
amendment ; it is therefore very unreasonable that alt
who take degrees in the universities, many of whom may
be members of parliament, shall be sworn beforehand,
never to consent to any alteration. And though it is known
to all the world, that many of the conforming clergy are
dissatisfied with some of the branches of the present
establishment, yet they are to swear that they take this
oath heartily and willingly, though they are compelled to
it under the penalties of suspension and deprivation.
Laud in his answer to the impeachment of the house of
commons against himself, boldly undertakes to refute alt
these objections, and to justify the whole of the canons.
t|pon the same day that the house passed the above-
mentioned resolutions against the canons, several warm
speeches were made against Laud, as the chief author of
them ; arid a committee was appointed to enquire more
particularly, how far he had been concerned in the pro
ceedings of the convocation, and in the treasonable design
of subverting the religion and laws of his country ; ia

1640. . CHARLES I. 533
order to draw up articles against him. Next day the Earl
of Bristol acquainted the house of Lords, that the Scots
commissioners had presented some papers against the
archbishop, which were read by Lord Paget, and then
reported to the house of commons at a conference between
the two houses. Their charge consisted of divers griev
ances (which had occasioned great disturbances in the
kingdom of Scotland) ranged under three heads, of all
which they challenged the archbishop to be the chief
author. The first branch of the charge consisted of divers
alterations in religion, imposed upon them without order
and against law, contrary to the form established in their
kirk. The second was, his obtruding upon them a book of
canons and constitutions ecclesiastical, devised for the
establishing a tyrannical power in the persons of the pre
lates, over the consciences, liberties and goods of the
people; and for abolishing that discipline and government
of their kirk, which was settled by law, and had obtained
amongst them ever since the reformation. The third and
great innovation witli which they charged the archbishop
was, the book of common prayer, administration of the
sacraments, and other parts of divine worship, brought
in without warrant from their kirk, to be universally re
ceived as the only form of divine service, under the highest
pains both civil and ecclesiastical' ; which book contained
many popish errors and ceremonies, repugnant to their
Confession of faith, constitutions of their general assem
blies, and to acts of parliament.
When the report of these articles was made to the
Commons, the resentments of the house against the arch
bishop immediately broke out into a flame ; many severe
speeches were made against his late conduct ; and among
ot-hers, one by Sir H. Grimstone speaker of that parliament
which restored Charles II. who . stood up and said, —
"That this great man was tlie very sty of all that pesti
lential filth that had infested the government ; that he was
tlie only man 'that had advance I those who together with
himself had been the authors of all the miseries the nation
now groaned under. That he had managed all the pro-
L L 3

¦§34 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS." ,. CHAP. V.
jects . that had been set on foot for these ten years pasty
and had condescended so low as to deal in tobacco, by
Which thousands of poor people had been turned out of
their trades, for which - they served an apprenticeship ;
that he; had been charged in this house* Upon very strong
proof, with designs to subvert the government, and alter
the protestant religion in this kingdom* as well as in Scot
land ; and there is scarce any grievance or complaint
comes before the house, wherein he is not mentioned like
an angry wasp, leaving his sting in the tail of every thing."
He .therefore moved*- tiiat- the charge of the Scots com
missioners might be suppprted by an impeachment of their
own;, and that the question might now be put, whether
the archbishop had been guilty of high treason ? Which
beingvoted, Mr. Hollis was sent- up to the bar of the house
of Lords to impeach- him in the name of all the commons
of England* and to deske that his person might be
sequestered, and that they would bring up the particulars
©f their charge;- upon which his grace being, commanded
to withdraw, Stood up in his place and said* he was heartily
sorry for the offencetaken against him, but humbly desired
their lordships to look upon the whole course of his life,
which was such as that he was persuaded not one man in
the house of commons didbelieve in his heart that he was
a traitor." To which the Earl of Essex replied, that it was
a high reflection upon- the whole house of commons, to
suppose they would charge him . with a crime which they
themselves did not believe. After this his graee withdrew,
and being called in again, was delivered to the usher of
the black rod, to be kept in safe custody till the house of
commons should deliver in tlieir articles of impeachment*.
Upon the 26th Feb. Mr. Pym, Mr. Hampden, and Mr.
Maynard, by order of the commons went up to the house
of Lords, and at the bar of that house presented their
lordships with fourteen articles, in maintenance of their
former charge of high treason against the archbishppj
which were read, his grace being present.
In the first, he is charged with endeavouring to sub
vert the constitution by introducing an arbitrary pPwer of
government, without any limitation or rule of law. In
the second, with procuring sermons to be preached, and

1640. CHARLES I, 635
other pamphlets to be printed, in which the authority of
parliament is denied, and the absolute power of the King
asserted to be agreeable to the law of God. The third
article charges him with interrupting the course of justice,
by messages, threatenings, and promises to the judges.
The fourth, With selling justice in his own person, urider
colour of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and with advising his
majesty to sell places of judicature contrary to law. In
the fifth, he is charged with the canons and oath imposed
upon the subject by the late convocation. In the sixth,
with robbing the King of supremacy, by denying the
ecclesiastical jurisdiction to be derived from the crown.
In the seventh, with bringing in popish doctrines and
ceremonies, contrary to the articles of the church, and
cruelly persecuting those who opposed them. In the
eighth, he is charged with promoting persons to the highest
and best preferments in the church, who are corrupt in
doctrine and manners. In the ninth, with employing such
for his domestic chaplains as he knew to be popishly
affected, and committing to them the licensirig of books,
whereby such writings have been published as have been
scandalous to the protestant religion. The tenth article
charges him with sundry attempts to reconcile the church
of England with the church of Rome. The eleventh, with
discountenancing preaching, and with silencing, depriv
ing, imprisoning, and banishing, sundry godly and
orthodox ministers. The twelfth, with dividing the church
of Englarid from the foreign protestant churches. The
thirteenth, with being the author of all the late disturban
ces between England and Scotland. And the last, with
endeavouring to bereave the kingdom of the legislative
power, by alienating the King's mind from his parliament.
At the delivery of these articles, Mr. Pym declared,
that the commons reserved to themselves the liberty of
presenting some additional articles, by which they intended
to make the charge more particular and certain as to time '
and other circumstances ; and prayed their lordships -to
put the cause as forward as they could.
When the archbishop had heard the articles read, he
made a short reply to each article, which consisted iii an
absolute denial of the whole. The Lords voted him to the

536 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
Tower; whither he was' carried through the city. It was
designed he should have passed incognito, ,but an appren
tice in Newgate- Street happening to know him, raised the
, Ittob, which surrounded the coach, and followed him with
huzzas and insults till he got within the Tower gate.
Indeed, such was, the universal hatred of all ranks and
orders of men against this prelate, for his cruel usage qf
those, who had fallen into his hands in the time of his
prosperity, that no man's fall was so unlamented as his.
.Being lodged in the Tower, lie thought it his interest to
be quiet, without so much as moving, to be brought to
trial, or putting in his answer to the articles of impeach
ment, till the commons after two or three years, exhibited
their, additional articles, and moved the peers to appoint
a day. for .his trial.
y,i Before the archbishop was confined, he had the mor
ti fiqati on to see most of the church and state prisoners
released, the Bp. of Lincoln was discharged from his
imprisonment in the Tower, and his fine remitted. When
,he resumed his seat in the house, of lords, he behaved
with more temper .than either the King or the archbishop
could expect; .whereupon his majesty sent for him, and
endeavoured to gain him over to the court, by promising
to make him full, satisfaction for his sufferings ; in order
to which his majesty commanded all the judgments
that were.entered against him to be discharged, and within
A twelve-month, translated him to the see of York, witii
leave to hold his deanry of Westminster in commendqyn
for three, years : the bishop therefore never complainqd
to the house of his sufferings, or petitioned for satis
faction. : ' - i
Mr. Prynne, Mr, Burton, and Dr. Bastwick, being
remanded from, the several islands to which they had been
confined, upon their humble petition to the, house ef
commonsjwere met some miles out of town by great num
bers of people on horseback, with rosemary and bays in their
'hats, and escorted into the;city in a sort of triumph, wi^h
loud acclamations for their deliverance ; a few weeks after
the' house, came to the following resolutions: That the
several judgments against them were illegal, unjust, and
-against the liberty of the subject:— that their fines he

16*0. CHARLES I. 537
remitted ;— that they be restored to their professions;—
and that for reparation of their losses, Mr. Burton ought
to have six thousand pounds, and Mr. Prynne and Dr.
Bastwick five thousand pounds each out of the estates of
the Abp. of Canterbury, the high commissioners, and
those lords who had voted against them in the Star-
chamber; — but the confusion of the times prevented the
payment of the money. Dr. Leighton was released about
the same time, and his fine of ten thousand pounds re
mitted : the reading his petition drew tears from the
house. It was to this effect : " That he was apprehended
coming from sermon by a high commission warrant, and
dragged along the street with hills and staves to London-
house. That the gaoler of Newgate being sent for, clapt
him in irons, and carried him with a strong power into a
loathsome and ruinous dog-hole full of rats and mice,
that had no light but a little grate, and the ropf being
uncovered, the snow and rain beat m upon him, having
no bedding or place to make a fire but the ruins of an
old smoaky chimney. In this wpful place he was shut up
for fifteen weeks, nobody being suffered to come to him,
til} at length his wife only was admitted. — That the fourth
day after his commitment, the. pursuivant with a mighty
multitude came to his house to search for Jesuits' boofes,
and used his wife in such a barbarous and inhuman
planner as he, is ashamed to express; that they rifled
every person and place, holding a pistol to the breast
of a child of five years old, threatening to kill him if he
did not discover the books ; that they broke open ehest?,
presses, boxes, and carried away every thing, even
hiHisehold stuff, apparel, arms, and other tilings ; that at
itije end of fifteen weeks he was served with a, subpasna,
on an information laid against him. by §ir R. Heath,
attorney-general, whose dealing with him was full §f
cruelty and deceit ; but he was then sick, and in the
opinion pf four physicians thought to be poisoned, be
cause aU his hair and skin came off; that in the height
ftf: tins: sickness the cruel sentence was passed upon
liim mentioned in the year 16,30, and executed Nov.
£6 follpwirigj when he received thirty-six stripes upon
his paked £acl$. with a, threefold cord, hi§ hand?, being

£38 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
tied up to a' stake, and then stood almost two hours
in the pillory in the frost and snow, before he was
branded in the face, his nose slit, and his ears cut
off; that after this he was carried by water to the Fleet,
and shut up in such a room that he was never well,
and after eight years was turried into the coriimon Gaol
 ." The house voted him satisfaction for his suffer
ings ; but it does not appear that he actually received
any* except being appointed keeper of Lambeth-house
as' a prison* for which he must be very unfit, being
now in the seventy-second year of his age, and worn
out with poverty, weakness, and pain.
Dr. Wren, late Bp. of Norwich, ahd now of Ely,
Jhavihg been remarkably severe against the puritan clergy
in his diocCses, the inhabitants of Ipswich drew up a
petition agairist him, and presented it to the house ;
upon which the eemmittee of parliament exhibited a
charge against him consisting of twenty-five articles
relating to the late innovations. It sets forth, that du
ring the time of his being Bp. of Norwich, whicli was
about two years, fifty ministers had been excommuni
cated, suspended, and deprived, for not reading the
second service at the communion-table; for not read
ing the book of sports ; for using eonceived prayers
before the afternoon sermon, &c. and that by his rigo
rous severities many of his majesty's subjects to the
number of three thousand, had removed themselves, their
families, and estates, to Holland, and set up their ma>-
nufactories there, to the great prejudice of the trade
of this kingdom. I do riot find that the bishop put in
a particular answer to these articles, nor Was he taken
into custody, but only gave bond for his appearance..
Some time after, the commons voted him unfit to hold
any ecclesiastical preferment, and both lords and commons
joined in a petition to the King, to remove the said
bishop from his person and service; after which he was
imprisoned with the rest of the protesting bishops ; upon
his release he retired to his house at Downham in the
isle of Ely, from whence he Was taken- by a- party of
parliament soldiers ahd conveyed to the Tower, where
lie continued a patient prisoner till the end- of 1659,

1640. CHARLES 1. S&9
without being brought to his trial or admitted to baih
Complaints being made against several other bishops
and clergymen, who had been instruments of severity
in the late times, they were voted unfit for ecclesiastical
promotions. The number of petitions that were sent
up to the committee of religion from all parts of the
country against their clergy is incredible; some com
plaining of their superstitious impositions, and others
of tlie immorality of their lives, and neglect of their
cures; which shews the little esteem they had among
the people, who were weary of their yoke, regarding
them no longer than they were under the terror of
their excommunications.
Such was the spirit of the populace, that it was
difficult, to prevent their out-running authority, and tear
ing down in a tumultuous manner what they were told
had been illegally set up. At St. Saviour's, Southwark,
the mob pulled down the rails about the communion
table. At Halstead in Essex they tore the surplice and
abused the service book ; nay when the house of com
mons was assembled at St. Margaret's, Westminster, as
the priest was beginning, the second service at the com
munion-table, some at the lower end of the church
began a psalm, which was followed by the congrega^
tion, so that the minister was forced to desist. But
the lords and commons passed a very severe sentence
on the rioters, and published an order to prevent these
seditious practices for the future.
There was such a violent clamour against the high
clergy, that they could hardly officiate according to the
late injunctions without being affronted, or walk the
streets in their habits without being reproached as po
pish priests, Ctesar's friends, &c. The reputation of the
liturgy began to sink ; reading prayers was called a
lifeless form of worship, and a quenching the spirit,
whose assistances are promised in the matter, as well
as the manner of our prayers; besides the nation being
in a crisis, it was thought impossible that the. old forms
should be suitable to the exigence of the times, or to
the circumstances of particular persons who might de
sire a share in the devotions of the church. Those

$40 HISTORY OP THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
ministers therefore, who prayed with fervency and de
votion, in words of theif own conception, suitable either
to the sermon that was preached, or to the present
urgency of affairs, had crouded and attentive audito
ries, while the ordinary service of the church was de
serted as cold, formal, and without spirit.
The discipline of the church being relaxed, the
Brownists who had assembled in private from house to
house for twenty or thirty years, re-assumed their cou
rage, and shewed themselves in public. We have given
an account, of their origin from Mr. Robinson, and Mr.
Jacob,, in 1616, the last of whom was succeeded by
Mr. John Lathorp, formerly a clergyman in Kent, but
having renounced his orders he became pastor- of this
little society. In his time the congregation was dis
covered by Tomlinson the bishop's pursuivant, at the
house of Mr. Humphrey Barnet a brewer's clerk in
BJack-Friars, where forty-two of them were apprehended
and only eighteen escaped : of those that were taken,
seme were confined in the; Clink, others in New-Prison
stud the Gate-House* where they continued about two
years, and were then released upon bail, except Mr.
Lathoifp for whom no favour could be obtained; he
therefore petitioned the King for liberty to depart the
kingdom, which being granted, he went to New-England,
with about thirty of his followers. Mr. Lathorp was a
man of learning, and of a meek and quiet spirit, but
met with some uneasinesses upon occasion of one of
l"i&; people carrying his child to be re-baptized by the
parish minister; some of the congregation insisting that
it should he baptized, because the other administration
vdtas not valid; hut when the question was put, it was
earned in the negative, and resolved by the majority,
»ot to make any declaration at present, whether or no
parish churches were true churches? Upon this some
Gf the: more. rigid, and others who were dissatisfied
ahout the lawfulness of infant baptism, desired their
dismission, which was granted them ; these set up by
themselves, and chose Mr. Jesse their minister, who laid
the foundation of the first Baptist congregation in Eng
land. But the rest renewed their covenant, "-to walk

UiO. CHARLES I. 6+1
together in the ways of God, so far as he had made them
known, or should make them known to them, and to forsake
all false ways." And so steady were they to their vows, that
hardly an instance caii be produced of one that deserted to
the church by the severest prosecutions.
Upon Mr. Lathorp's retiring to New-England, the
congregation chose for their pastor the famous Mr.
Can ne, author of the marginal references in the bible,
who after he had preached to them in private houses
for a year or two, was driven by the severity of the
times into Holland, and became pastor of the Brownist
congregation at Amsterdam. After Mr. Canne, Mr. S.
Howe undertook the pastoral care of this little flock >
he was a man of learning, and printed a small trea*
tise, called " the Sufficiency of the Spirit's Teaching."
But not being enough upon his guard in conversation,
he laid himself open to the informers, by whose means
he was cited into the spiritual courts, and excommu
nicated ; hereupon he absconded, till being at last taken
he was shut up in close prison where he died.
Upon Mr. Howe's death the little church was forced
to take up with a lay-man, Mr. Stephen More, a citizen
of London, of good natural parts, and of considerable
Substance ; he had been their deacon for some years,
and in the present exigence accepted of the pastoral
office, to the apparent hazard of his estate and liberty.
However, the face of affairs beginning now to change,
this poor congregation which had subsisted almost by
a miracle for above tWenty-four years, shifting from
place to place, ventured to open their doors in Dead-
Man's-Place, Southwark. Mr. Fuller calls them a con
gregation of Anabaptists, who were met together to the
number of eighty; but by their journal or church book,
it appears to be Mr. More's congregation of indepen
dents, who being assembled in Dead-Man's-place ott
the Lord's day, were disturbed by the marshal of the
King's-Bench, and most of them committed to the.Clink
prison. Next morning six or seven of the men were
carried before the house of lords, and charged with de?
hying the king's supremacy in ecclesiastical matters,
and with preaching in separate congregations contrary

$42 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V.
to the statute of the 35th of Eliz. The latter they
Confessed, arid as to the former they declared to the
house, that they could acknowledge no other head of
the church1 but Christ; that they apprehended no prince
on earth had power to malee laws to bind the consci
ence ; and that such laws as were contrary to the laws
of God, ought not to be obeyed ; but 'that they dis
owned all foreign power and jurisdiction. Such a de
claration a twelvemonth ago might have cost them their
ears ; but the house instead of remitting them to the
ecclesiastical courts, dismissed them with a gentle re
primand, and three or four of the members came out
of curiosity to their assembly next Lord's day to hear
their minister preach, and see him administer the sa
crament, and were s° weH satisfied, that they contri
buted to their collection for the poor.
It has been observed, that one of the first resolu
tions of parliament, was, to reduce the' power of the
Spiritual courts.. The old popish canons, which were
the laws by which they proceeded (as far as they had
not been controuled by the common law or particular
statutes) were such a labyrinth, that when the subject
was got into -the commons he knew not how to defend
himself, or which way to get out. The Kings of Eng
land had always declined a reformation of the ecclesi
astical laws, though a plan had been laid before them
ever since the reign of Edward VI. But the grievance
was now become insufferable, by the numbers of illegal
imprisonments, deprivations, and fines levied upon the
subject iri the late times, "for crimes not actionable in
the courts of Westminster-Hall; it was necessary there
fore to bring the jurisdiction of these courts to a parlia
mentary standard, but till this should be accomplished by
a new law, all that could be done was to vote down the late
innovations, whieh had very little effect ; and therefore
the house of commons ordered commissioners to be sent
into all counties, to demolish and remove out of churches
and chapels, all images, altars, or tables turned altarvyise,
crucifixes, superstitious pictures, and other monuments and
relicts of idolatry. Hdw far the house of commons who
are but one branch of the legislature, hiay appoint com-

1640. CHARLES I. 54$
missioners to put the laws in execution, without the con
currence of the other two, is so very questionable, that I
will not take upon me to determine.
The university of Cambridge having complained of
the oaths and subscriptions imposed upon young students
at their matriculation, the house of commons voted, that
tlie statute made twenty-seven years ago in the university
of Cambridge, imposing Upon young scholars a subscrip
tion, according to the thirty-sixth canon of 1603, is against
law, and the liberty of the subject, and ought not to be
imposed upon any students or graduates whatsoever.
About five months forwards they passed the same resolu
tion for Oxford, which was not unreasonable, because.the
vniversities had not an unlimited power by the. thirty-sixth
c.anon to call upon all their students to subscribe, but only
upon such lecturers or readers of divinity whom they had
a privilege of licensing.
And it ought to be remembered, that all the proceed
ings of the house of commons this year, in punishing
delinquents; and all their votes and resolutions about the
circumstances of public worship, had no other view, than
the cutting off those illegal additions and innovations,
which the superstition of the late times had introduced,
and reducing the discipline of the church to the standard
of statute law. No man was punished for acting accord -
in»- to law ; but the displeasure of the house ran high
against those; who in their public ministrations, or in
their ecclesiastical courts, had bound those things upon
the subject, which were either contrary to the laws of the
land, or about which the laws were altogether silent,

CHAP. VI.

CHARLES I.
Antiquity of Liturgies, and the Episcopal Order: — Authors
on these Subjects answered. — Puritans charged with
Artifice in obtaining Signatures to Petitions against
the Hierarchy. — Foliy of this Charge.— Root and Branch
Petition. — Speeches for it. — Remarks. — Resolutions of
the House of Commons. — Proceedings against Papists. —
The King favours them. — He reprieves a Priest under
Condemnation. — Remonstrance of the Parliament against
it. — The King's answer. — Remarks.
l"""pHE debates in parliament concerning the English
liturgy and hierarchy, engaged the attention of the
whole nation, and revived the controversy without doors.
The press being open, great numbers of anonymous pam
phlets appeared against the establishment, not without
indecent and provoking language under these and the like
titles ; " Prelatical episcopacy not from the apostles. Lord
bishops not the Lord's bishops. Short view of the pre
latical church of England. A comparison between the
liturgy and the mass book. Service book no better than
a mess of pottage, &c." Lord Brook attacked the order
of bishops in a treatise of " The nature of episcopacy ;"
and Abp. Usher defended the order, in a treatise entitled,
" The Apostolical Institution of Episcopacy ;" but then,
by a bishop, his lordship understood no more, than a
stated president over an assembly of presbyters, which the
puritans of these times were willing to admit. The most
celebrated writer on the side of the establishment, was the
learned and pious Bp. Hall. This prelate, upon the

1640, CHARLES I,.. MS
gathering of the present storm, appeared a second time in
its defence, in " An humble remonstrance to the high
court of parliament ;" and sometime after, in a defence of
that remonstrance, in vindication of the antiquity of litur
gies and of diocesan episcopacy. The bishop's remonstrance
was answered by a cel'ebrated treatise under the title of
SMECTYMNUUS, a fictitious word made up of the
innitial letters of the names of the authors, Marshal, E.
Calamy, Young, Newcomen, and Spurstow. When the
bishop had replied to their book, these divines published
a vindication of their answer to the humble remonstrance.
But the cause of the hierarchy being to be decided at
another tribunal, no applications were wanting on either
side to make friends in the parliament house, and to get
hands to petitions. The industry of the several parties
. on this occasion is almost incredible; and it being the
fashion of the times to judge of the sense of the nation
this way, messengers were sent all over England to pro
mote the work. Lord Clarendon, and after him Dr. Nalson
and others of that party, complain of great disingenuity
on the side of the puritans. But had this been true, why
. did they not complain to the committee which the house
of commons appointed to enquire into the irregular
methods of procuring hands to petitions? His lordship
answers, that, they were prevailed with to sit still and pass
it by ; for which we have only his lordship's word, nothing
of this kind being to be found in Rushworth, Whitlock, or
any disinterested writer of those times.
However it cannot be denied that there was a great deal
of art and persuasion used to get hands to petitions on
both sides, and many subscribed their names who were
not capable to judge, of the merits of the cause. The
petitions against the hierarchy were of two sorts ; some
desiring that the whole fabric might be destroyed ; of
these the chief was the "Root and branch" petition,
signed by the hands of about fifteen thousand citizens
and inhabitants of London ; others aiming only at a refor
mation of the hierarchy; of these the chief was the
"Ministers' petition," signed ; with the names of seven
hundred beneficed; clergymen,, and followed by others with
vol. i. M M

5$8 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. Vtr
an incredible number of hands, from different counties^
The petitions in favour of the present establishment were
not less numerous, for within the compass of this and the
next year, there were presented to the King and house of
Lords no less than nineteen, from the two universities*
from Wales, and other places, subscribed with about one
hundred thousand hands, whereof according to Walker,
six thousand were nobility, gentry, and dignified clergy.
One would think by this account, that the whole nation
had been with them; but can it be supposed, that the
honest freeholders of Wales, &c. could be proper judges
Of topics fit only to be debated iri a synod of learned
divines'. But the' tacking a hundred-thousand names of
freeholders on either side* could prove no more than that
the honest countrymen acted too much by an implicit faith
in their clergy. Loud complaints being made to the par
liament of unfair rhethods of procuring names to petitions,
the house appointed a committee to examine- into the
matter ; but there being great faults on bothsides, the
affair was dropt.
" The ROOT- AND BRANCH" petition was presented
to the house, Dec. 11. 1'640. The friends of the estab
lishment, with one of their own in favour of the hierarchy ;
and soon after another ; a third petition was presented by
ten or twelve clergymen, in the nariie of seven hundred
of their brethren who had signed it, called "The MINIS
TERS' PETITION," praying for a reformation of certain
grievances in the hierarchy, but not an entire subversion
Of it. Two days after the delivery of this petition, his
majesty came to the house, and very unadvisedly inter
rupted their debates by the following speech; i* There are
some men that more maliciously than ignorantly will put
rio difference between reformation and alteration of
government: hence it comes to pass, that divine service
is irreverently interrupted, and petitions in an ill way given
in, neither disputed nor denied, against the present
established government, in the names of divers counties,
with threatenings against the bishops, that- they will make
them but cyphers. Now I must tell you, that I make a
great difference between reformation and alteration of
government ; though I am for the first, I cannot give way
V

1640. CHARLES. I. 547
to the latter. If some of them have overstretched their
poWer, and encroached too much on their temporality,
I shall not be unwilling that these things-should be re
dressed and reformed; nay further, if you can shew me*
that the bishops have some temporal authority inconr
venient for the state, and not necessary for the government
of the church and upholding episcopal jurisdiction, I shall
not be unwilling to desire them to lay it down ; but this
must not be understood that I shall any ways consent that
their voices in parliament should be taken away, for in all
the times of my predecessors, since the conquest and
before, they have enjoyed it as one of the fundamenta)
constitutions of the kingdom." — This unhappy method was
certainly unparliamentary, and did the church no service ;
nor was there any occasion for it at this time, the house
beirig in no disposition to order a bill to be brought in for
subverting the hierarchy. '
In February and March, several days were appointed
for the consideration of these petitions ; and when the bill
for the utter extirpating the episcopal order was brought
into the house, several warm speeches were made on both
6ides ; I will set the chief of them before the reader at
one view, though they were spoken at different times. .
Among those who were for Root and Branch, or the
total extirpating of episcopacy, was Sir H. Vane, wfib
stood up and argued, that " since the house had voted
episcopal government a great impediment to the refor
mation and growth of religion* it ought to be taken away,
for it is so corrupt in the foundation, says he, that if .^e
pull it not down, it will fall about the ears of those, that
endeavour it within a few years. : This government was
brought in by antichrist, and has let in all kinds of super
stition into the church. It has been the instrument t^f
displacing the most godly and conscientious ministers, af
vexing, punishing, and banishing out of the kingdom, the
most religious of all sorts and conditions, that would not
comply with their superstitious inventions and ceremonies.
In a word,' it has turned the edge of the government against
the very life and power of godliness, and the favour and
protection of it, towards all prophane, scandalous and
M U 2 "  ¦'-¦'•'- "i

548 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CIlAPVTI.
Superstitious pei'sOris that would uphold their party. It has
divided us from the foreign protestant- churches, and has
done what it could to bind the nation in perpetual slavery
to themselves and their superstitious inventions, by the
late canons. Farther, this government has been no less
•prejudicial to tlie civil liberties of our country, as appears
by the bishops preaching up the doctrine of arbftrary
power, by their encouraging the late illegal projects to
raise -money without parliament, by their kindling a war
between England and Scotland* and falling in with the
plots and combinations that have been entered into against
this present parliament. Sir Harry concludes from these
•premises, that the protestant, religion must always be in
danger, as long as it. is in the hands of such governors ;
nor can there be any hopes , of reformation in the state,
-while the bishops .have votes in parliament; that the fruit
being so bad the tree must be bad. Let us not then halt
between two opinions, says, he, but- with one heart and
voice give glory to God, by complying with his providence,
:and with the safety and peace of the church and state,
.which is by passing the root and branch bill." '
Mr. White, entered more fully into the merits pf the
cause, and considered the present bishops with regard
do their. baronies, their temporalities, and their spiri
tualities. The former, says he, are merely of the King's
/favour*- and began in this kingdom the 4th of William the
.Conqueror/ by virtue whereof they. have had place in the .
. , house of peers, 'but in the 7th Henry V IIL.it was resolved
. -by all the juclgesof England, that the King may hold 'his
rparliamentby himself, -his temporal Lords and Commons,
.without: any bishop ; for a bishop has not anyplace in
• parliament by -reason of his spiritualities, but merely by
'reason of his barony, and accordingly acts of parliament.
'have- been, made without them, as 2d Richard II. cap. 3.
'¦arid at other times ;, nor were they ever, called spiritual
c'Lofdsrin-our Statutes, till 16th Richard II. cap. 1. By the
.bishop's spiritualities I mean those spiritual powers which
raise him above the order of a presbyter ; and here I con
sider, first, his authority over presbyters by the oath of
> .canonical obedience, by which, he-may command them to
collect tenths granted in convocation, according to 20th

H540. ^ CHARLES I. -St9.
Henry VI. cap. 13. Secondly, his office, which is partly
judicial, and partly ministerial ; by the former, he judges
in Iris courts of all matters ecclesiastical and spiritual
within his diocese, and of the fitness of such as are pre
sented to him to. be instituted into benefices ; by thelatter
he is to sacred places dedicated to divine service. 9th
Henry VI. cap. 17. he is to provide for the officiating of
cures in the avoidance of churches, on neglect of the
patron's presenting thereunto. He is to certify loyal (or
lawful) matrimony, general bastardy, and excommuniea-
fion. He is to execute judgments given in quare impedit,
upon the writ ad admit tendum clericum. He is to attend
upon trials for life, to report the sufficiency or insufficiency
of such as demand clergy; and lastly, he is to ordain
deacons and presbyters.
Now all these being given to these bishopsyure humano,
says Mr. White, I conceive, may for just reasons be taken
away. He affirms, that according to scripture, a bishop
and presbyter is one and the same person; for 1. Their
duties are mentioned as the same, the bishop being to
teach and rule his church, 1 Tim. iii. 2, 5. and the pres
byter being to do the very same, 1 Pet. v. 2, 3. . 2.
Presbyters in scripture are said to be bishops of the Holy
Ghost, Acts xx. 28. And St, Paul charges the presbyters
of Ephesus, to take heed to the flock over whicli the Holy
¦Ghost had made them bishops or overseers ; and other
bishops the Holy Ghost never made. 3. Among the
enumeration of church-officers, Eph. iv. 11. whereof the
three former are extraordinary, and are ceased, there
remains only the pastor and teacher, which is the very
same with the presbyter. The bishop as he is more than
this, is no officer given by God ; and it is an encroach
ment upon the Kingly office of Christ, to admit other
officers into the church than he himself has appointed.
Seeing then episcopacy may be taken away in all, wherein
it exceeds the presbyter's office, which is certainly jure
divina, we ought to restore the presbyters to their rights
which the bishops have taken from them, as particularly
to the right of ordination, excommunication, and liberty
to preach the whole counsel of God without restraint from
Mm 3

•3S0 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
^.bishop ;' they should have their share in "die discipline
and government of the church ; and in a word, all supe
riority :of order between bishops and presbyters should
Retaken away. Mr. ¦ White is further of opinion, -that
the bishops should be deprived of their baronies, and all
intermeddling with civil affairs ; that s institution and
induction, the jurisdiction of tithes,- causes matrim©nri>l
and testamentary, and other usurpations of theecclesia'stical
courts, should be restored to the civil judicature* and 1*6
determined by the laws of the land;
In order to take off the 'force of these ' argurne'rits,
in favour of the Root and Branch petition, the -friends
df the hierarchy said, that the very best things riiight be
corrupted; that to take away the order of bishops Was to
change the whole constitution for they knew "hot what ;
they therefore urged the ministers' petition for reforma
tion, and declaimed With veheriierice against the corrup
tions of the late times.
<Lord Falkland, who in the 'judgment of Clarendon
was the most extraordinary person of his age, stood Up,
and said: "He is a great stranger in our Israel, who
Itnows riot that this kingdom has long laboured Under
tnany and great oppressions, both iri religion arid liberty;
and that a principal cause of both has been some bishops
arid their adherents, who 'under pretence of uniformity
'haite brought in superstition and scandal, "under the title
of decency; who have defiled oiir churches by adorning
them, arid slackened the strictness of that" "union''- that
was between us and those of our religion bej.'b'ftd sea; an
action both impolitic and ungodly. TheybaVe been-less
eager on those who damn our church, than On those Who
on Weak conscience, arid perhaps as wOak retfsoh, only
abstain from it. Nay, it has been more dangerous for
men to go to a neighbouring parish wheri" tliey had no
Bermon in their own, than to be obstinate and perpetuaf
recusants! While niass has been said in security, a con
venticle has been a crime ; and which is yet more, the
conforming to cererrfonies has been inore exacted than
the conforming to Christianity; and while men fotr scru
ples have been undone, for attempts of sodomy, they
have only been admonished.

1€40. CHARLES I. 551
" Tlie'y have resembled the dog iri the fable, they have
neither practised themselves, nor employed those that
should, nor suffered those tliat would. They have brought
in catechising only to thrust out preaching ; cried down
lectures by the name of faction, either because other
men's -industry in that duty appeared a reproof to tlieir
fteglect, or with intent to have brought jn darkness, that
they might the easier sow their tares while it was night.
In this they have abused his; majesty as well as his people,
for when he had with great-wisdom silenced on both parts
those npinions, that will always trouble the schools, they
made use of this declaration to tie up one side, and let the
ntber loose. The truth is, Mr. Speaker, as some ministers in
our state first took away our money, and afterwards endea-
ivourred 'to make our money not worth taking, by depra
ving it; so these men first depressed the power of preach
ing, and then laboured to make it such, as the harm had
not been much if it had been depressed; the chief sub
jects of the sermons being the jus divinum of bishops and
tithes ; the sacredness of the clergy ; the sacrilege of
impropriations ; the demolishing of puritanism ; the build
ing up of the prerogative, &c. In short, their work has
been-to try how much of the papist might be brought in
without popery, -and to destroy as much as they could of
the gospel, without bringing themselves in danger of
beingdestroyedby-the law.
" These men have been betrayers of pur rights and
liberties, by encouraging.such men as Dr. Beal and Man
waring; by. appearing for monopolies and ship-money;
some of them have laboured to exclude all persons and
causes of the clergy from the -temporal magistrate, and
by hindering prohibitions, to have taken away the only
legal bounds to their arbitrary power ; they have encoura
ged all the clergy to, suits, and have brought all suits to
the council table, that having all power in ecclesiastical
matters, they might have an equal power in temporals ;
they have both kindled and blown the common fire of
both nations, and have been the first and principal cause
of the breach since the pacification at Berwick.
" Mr. Speaker, I have represented no small quantity,
and no mean degree of guilt, but this charge does not lie

552 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
against episcopacy, but against the persons who have abu
sed that sacred function * for if we consider, that the first
spreaders of Christianity, the first defenders of it,, both
with their ink and blood, as well as our late reformers,
were all bishops ; and even now, in this great defection
of the order, there are some that have been neither proud
nor ambitious ; some that have been learned opposers of
popery, and zealous suppressers of arminianism, between
whom and the inferior clergy there has been no distinction
in frequent preaching; whose lives are untouched, not
only by guilt, but by malice; I say if we consider this,
we shall conclude, that bishops may be good men, and let
us but give good men good rules, and we shall have good
government and good times.
" I am content to take away from them all those things
which may in any degree of possibility, occasion the
like mischiefs with those I have mentioned; I am sure,
neither their lordships, their judging of tithes, wills,
and marriages, no nor their voices in parliament, are
jure divino. If their revenues are too great, let us leave
them only such proportion, as may serve in some good
degree, for the support of the dignity of learning and
encouragement of students. If it be found they will
employ their laws against their weaker brethren, let us
take away those laws, and let no ceremonies which any
number count unlawful, and no man counts necessary,
be imposed upon them ; but let us not abolish, upon a
few days debate, an order that has lasted in most churches
these sixteen hundred years, I do not believe the order
of bishops to be jure divino, nor do I think them un»
lawful; but since all great changes in government are
dangerous, I am for trying if we cannot take away
the inconveniences of bishops, and the inconveniences
of no bishops. Let us therefore go upon the debate of
grievances, and if the grievances may be taken away
and the order stand, we shall not need to commit the.
London petition at all; but if it shall appear that the
abolition of the one cannot be but by the destruction
of the other, then let us not commit the London pe«
titipn, but grant it."
Lord George Dig.by, an eminent royalist, spoke with.

1640. CHARLES I. 553
great warmth against the roPt and branch petition,
and with no less zeal for a reformation of grievances,
" If the London petition, says his lordship, may be con
sidered only as an index of grievances, I should wink
at the faults of it, for no man within these walls is
more sensible of the heavy grievances of church go
vernment than myself; nor whose affections are keener
for the clipping those wings of the prelates, whereby
they have mounted to such insolence ; but having reason
to believe that some aim at the total extirpation of
bishops, I cannot restrain myself from labouring to di
vert it. I look upon the petition with terror, as on a comet
or a blazing star raised and kindled out of the poiso
nous exhalations of a corrupted hierarchy : methoughts
the comet had a terrible tail, and pointed to the north,
and I fear all the prudence of this house will have a
hard work to hinder this meteor from causing such
distempers and combustions as it portends by its ap
pearance; whatever the event be, I shall discharge my
conscience 'freely, unbiassed both from popularity and
court respect."
¦ His lordship then goes on to argue the unreasona
bleness of abolishing a thing, because of some abuses
that attefld it; he complains of the presumption of the
petitioners, in desiring the repeal of so many laws at
once, -and not applying in a more modest manner for
a redress of grievances, as the ministers have done.
On the other hand, he allows the behaviour of the pre
lates had given too just an occasion for it; that no
people had been so insulted as the people of England
had lately been, by the insolencies of the prelates.
¦" Their vengeance has been so laid, says his lordship, as
if it were meant no generation, no degree, no com
plexion Of mankind, should escape it. Was there a
man -of tender conscience, him they loaded with un
necessary impositions; was there a man of legal con
science, him they nettled with innovations, and fresh
introductions to popery; was there a man of an humble
spirit, him they trampled to dirt in their pride; was
there a man of proud spirit, him they have bereft of
-reason, with indignation at their superlative insolence;

|5* HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VI.
was there a man faithfully attached to the' rights of the
crown, how has he been galled by their own' oath; was
there a man that durst mutter against their insolencies,
be may enquire, for his lugs. They have been' within
the bishop's visitation as if they would; not only derive
their brandishment of the spiritual sword from St. Peter,
but of the material one too, and the right to cut off
ears; for my part I am so inflamed with these things,
that I am ready to cry with the loudest of the fifteen
thousand, down' with them to the ground.
'.' But, continues his lordship, we must divest ourselves
of passion ; we all ¦¦ agree a reformation of church go
vernment is necessary; but before I can strike at the
root, and agree to a total extirpation of episcopacy, it
must be made manifest to me, 1. That the mischiefs
we have felt arise .from the. nature of- episcopacy, and
not from its abuse. 2. Such a form of government must
be set before us as is not liable to proportionable in
conveniences. ;3. It must appear that the Utopia is prac
ticable. Let us therefore lay aside tlie thoughts of
extirpating bishops, and reduce them to their primitive
standard; let us retrench their dioceses ¦> let them-go-
»vern by assemblies of their clergy ; let us exclude therti
from intermeddling in secular ^affairs, ; and' appoint a
.standing committee to collect all the -grievances of the
church, and > no -man's -votes shall be given with mote
zeal for .redressing them 'than mine."
Surely the bishops must have behaved very ill. in
the late times, that their very best friends . could load
them with such reproaches! And it deserves to be re
membered, says Clarendon, that in the midst of these
complaints the .King'was never mentioned hut withvgreat
honour; all the grievances being laid at the doer uf
his ministers, and all hopes of redress being placed in
his majesty alone. At the close of the debate, it was
orderedjthat the root and branch petition should-remain
in the hands of the clerk of the house, with direction
that no copies should be delivered out; but after the
throwing out of the bill to deprive the bishops of their
votes in parliament, it was revived, and a bill brought
in for the utter extirpating of the whole order, as will
be seen hereafter.

1640. CHARLES I. 455
The house was unanimous for a reformation of the
hierarchy, which was all that the body of puritans as
yet desired. The ministers' petition was therefore re
ferred to a committee of the whole house, and they
came to this resolution,—-'' That the legislative and ju
dicial power of bishops in the house of peers, is a great
hindrance to the discharge of their spiritual function,
prejudicial to the commonwealth, and fit to be taken
away by bill; and 'that a bill be drawn up to this
purpose." — It was resolved further, — " Thai for bishops
or any other clergyman to be in the commission of peace,
or to have any judicial power in the Star-chamber or in
any civil court, is a great hindrance to their spiritual
function, and fit to be taken away by bill." — And not
many days after it was resolved, that they should not -be
privy counsellors, or iri any temporal offices.
While the house of commons were thus , prepar-infg to
clip the wings of the bishops, they wCre not unmindful of
the Roman catholics ; these were criminals of an [higher
nature, and had a deep share in the present calamities ;
their numbers were growing, and their pride and in
solence insufferable : they flocked in great numbers
about the court, and insulted the very courts of judi
cature ; the Queen protected them, and the King and
archbishop countenanced them as friends of the prero
gative. Andreas ab Harbernsfield, the Queen of Bohe
mia's chaplain, advised his grace of a popish confede
racy against the King and the church of England ; but
when the names of Montague, Sir K. Digby, Winter,
Windebank, and Porter, all papists and officers about
the court, were mentioned as parties, the whole was
discredited and stifled. When the house of commons
petitioned the King to issue out a proclamation for put
ting the laws in execution against ^papists* it was done
in so defective a manner, that the committee reported
it would avail nothing.; for in the clause which enjoins
all popish recusants to depart the city within ,fifteen
days, it is added, without special licence had here
unto ; so that if they could obtain a. licence .from his
majesty, or from the lords of the council, the bishop,
the lieutenant, or deputy lieutenant of the county, -then

556 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIf
they they were not within the penalty. Besides the dis
arming of all popish recusants was limited to recusants
convict; so- that if they were not convicted, a justice
of peace -could not disarm them. They observed fur
ther, that rnany recusants had letters of grace to protect
their persons and estates ; that instead of departing from
London there was a greater resort of papists at present
than heretofore ; and that their insolence and threat-
ning language was insufferable arid dangerous. •
' A gentlemen having given information in open court
to one ' of the judges of the King's-bench, that in one
parish in the city of Westminster there were above six
thousand recusants, the committee appointed Mr. Hey-s
wood, an active justice of the peace* to collect and
bring in a list of the names of all recusants within
that city and liberties; for which purpose all the in
habitants were summoned to appear and take the oaths
in Westminster Hall: but while the justice was in the
execution of his office, and pressing one James a pa
pist to take them, the wretch drew out his knife and
stabbed the justice in open court, telling him, he gave
him that for persecuting poor catholics. The old gen-
tleriian sunk down with the wound, but by the care of
surgeons was recovered, and the criminal was taken
into custody. This Mr. Heywood was the very person
who being commanded by James I. to search the cel
lars under the parliament house at the time of the gun-
Jiowder plot, took Guy Faux with his dark lanthprn in
lis hand, which lanthorn is preserved among the. ar
chives of Oxford, with Mr. Heywood's name upon it iri
letters of gold.
The parliament alarmed at this daring attempt, sent
orders to all the justices of peace requiring them to
command the church-wardens to make a return of the
nariies of all recusants within their parishes, in order
to their being proceeded against according to law. The
houses petitioned his majesty to discharge all popish
officers in garrisons or in the army, who refused to
take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy^ and to fill
.up their places with protestants. And they petitioned
his' majesty to remove all papists from court; and that'

•1640. .: CHARLES I.. . 557
the whole body of Roman catholics might be disarmed.
The answer returned was, that his majesty would take
care that the papists about the court should give no
just cause of scandal; and as for disarming them, he
was content it should be done according to law. So
that their addresses had no. other effect than to exas
perate the papists, the King and Queeii being deter
mined to protect them as long as they were able.
There was at this time one Goodman a seminary priest
under condemnation in Newgate, whom the King instead
of leaving to the sentence of the law, reprieved in the
face of his parliament ; whereupon both houses agreed
upon the following remonstrance. — That considering the
present juncture, they conceived the strict execution
:of the laws against recusants more necessary than formerly.
1. Because by divers petitions from several parts of the
: kingdom, complaints are made of the great increase of
popery and superstition ; priests and Jesuits swarm in
great abundance in this kingdom, and appear as boldly as
,if there were no laws against them. — 2. It appears to the
house, that of late years many priests and Jesuits condem
ned for high treason have been discharged out pf prison.
— 3. That at this time the Pope has a nuncio or agent in
this city ; and papists go as publicly to mass at Deitimark
house, and tp St. James's and the ambassadors' chapels, as
others do to their parish churches.— 4. That the putting
thelaws in execution against papists, is for the preserva
tion and advancement of the true religion established in
this kingdom; for the safety of their majesties' persons,
and the security of the government'. — 5. It is found that
. Goodman the priest has been twice formerly committed
and discharged; that his residence now in London was
, in absolute contempt of his majesty's proclamation; that
lie was formerly, a minister of the church of England;
•and. therefore they humbly desire he may. be 'left to the
justice of the law. ...
To this remonstrance the King repliedi-^That . the
increase of popery and superstition, if any such thing had
happened, was contrary to his inclination ; but to take
off all occasions of complaint he would order the laws to
be put in execution. — That he would set forth a proclama-

55*. HISTORY. 'OF THE PUMtASS.' CHAP. vj.
tion to commaiid Jesuits arid priests to depart the king
dom within a month ; and in case they either failed or
returned, they should be proceeded ' against according
tq law. — As touching the Pope's Nuncio Rosetti* his
cOrhmission reached only to keep Up a correspondence
between the Queen and the Pope, in things relating to
the exercise of religion ; that this correspondence came
within the compass 6f the "full liberty of conscience secu
red her by the articles of marriage 5 however since Rosetti's
character happened to be misunderstood and gave offence,
he had persuaded the Queen to consent to his being
recalled. — Further, his majesty promised to take care to
restrain his subjects from going to mass at Denmark house,
SvJanies's, and the chapels of the ambassadors.— ¦Lastly,
touching Goodman, he was content to remit him to the
pleasure of the house ; but he puts them in mind that
neither Queen Eliz-abeth nor King Jariies ever put
any to death merely for religion; and desired them to
consider the inconveniences that such a conduct might
draw upon his subjects and other protestants in foreign
countries. How strange this assertion! Let the reader recollect
the many executions of papists for denying the supre
macy ; the burning the Dutch anabaptists* for whom
Mr! Fox the martyrologist interceded in vain ; and the
hanging of Barrow, Greenwood, Penry, &c. in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth; let him also remember the
burning of Bartholomew Legat, and Edward Wightman
for the Arian heresy by King James I. (of all which and
some Others, the commons in their reply put his majesty
iri mind ;) and then judge of the truth of this part* of his
declaration. Nor did the Jesuits regard the other parts
of 'it, for they knew they had a friend in the King's bosom
that would protect them, aiid therefore instead of remo
ving out of the'larid, they lay concealed within the verge.
of the court. Even Goodman himself was not executed,,
"tiwugh the King promised- to leave him to the law,
and though he himself petitioned, like Jonah the
prophet* to be thrown Overboard to allay the tempest-
beiweeri the King arid his subjects. Such was his majes-

1640. CHARLES I. 559
ty's attachment to this people ! to the apparent hazard
of the protestant religion and the peace of his kingdom,
and to the sacrificing all good correspondence between
himself and his parliament.

CHAP. VlL

CHARLES I.
Impeachment, and Trial of the Earl of Strafford. — His
Character. — Plot to dissolve the Parliament. — Act for
its continuance. — Protestation of Parliament.— Bill
against Bishops' Votes in Parliament. — Bill for ex
tirpation of Bishops, Kc. — The Bill lost in the House qf
Lords. — Abp. Usher's reduction of Episcopacy to Synodi
cal Government. — Remarks. — The King's conduct in
passing the Bills for abolishing the High Commission
and Star-Chamber. — Further attacks upon the Bishops. —
Thirteen of them impeached. — The King's progress into
Scotland. — Proceedings of the House qf Commons. —
Unsettled State of Religion. The House of Lords dis
agree with the Commons. — Sad state qf Religion as
represented by the Royalists. — Abp. Laud suspended. —
Distracted state of the Nation. — Remarks. — Death of
Bp. Davenant, Bp. Montague, and Mr. Eaton.
TT is impossible to account for the prodigious changes
-*- of this and the years immediately succeeding, without
taking a short view of some civil occurrences that paved the
way for them. In pursuance of the design of bringing
corrupt ministers to justice, the parliament began with
Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, an able statesman,
but a most dangerous enemy of the laws and liberties of his
country, whom they impeached of high treason, and
brought to his trial. The grand article of his impeach
ment was, for endeavouring to subvert the fundamental
laws of England and Ireland, and to introduce an arbi-

1641. CHARLES I. 5CI
trary and tyrannical government. This was subdivided
into several branches, supported by a multiplicity of facts,
none of which were directly treason by law, but being put
together were construed to be such by accumulation.
The Earl's reply to the facts consisted partly in excuses
and evasions ; with an humble acknowledgment that in
some things he had been mistaken ; but his principal de
fence rested upon a point of law, whether an endeavour
to subvert the fundamental form of government and the
laws of the land, was high treason at common law, or by
"*"hiy statute in force. Mr. Lane, the counsel for the priso
ner maintained, 1. That all treasons were to be reduced to
the particulars specified in the 25th Edward III. cap. 2.
2. That nothing else was or could be treason ; and that it
was so enacted by the 1st Henry IV. cap. 10. 3. That
there had been no precedent to the contrary since that
time. And 4. That by 1st Mary, cap. 12. an endeavour to
subvert the fundamental laws of the land is declared to be
no more than felony.
The commons felt the weight of these arguments ; and
not being willing to enter into debate with a private
barrister, changed their impeachment into a bill of attain
der. The attainder passed the commons, but it is thought
would have been lost in the house of lords had it not been
for the following accident, which put it out of the power of
the Earl's friends to save him. The King being weary of his.
parliament and desirous to protect his servant, consented to
a project of some persons in the greatest trust about the
court, to bring the army that was raised against the Scots
up to London, in order to awe the two houses, to rescue
the Earl, and to take possession of the city of London.
Clarendon says, the last motion was rejected with abhor
rence, and that the gentleman who made it was the person
that discovered the whole plot. The conspirators met in
the Queen's lodgings at Whitehall, where a petition was
drawn for the officers of the army to sign, and to present
to his majesty ; with a tender of their readiness to wait
upon him in defence of his prerogative against the turbu
lent spirits of the house of commons ; the draught was
shown to the King, and signed in testimony of his xfta*
vol. L N N"

562 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VH.
jesty's' approbation C. R. but the plot being discovered,;
with the names of the conspirators ; all of them absconded,
and some fled immediately into France.
Mr. Pym opened the conspiracy to the house of com
mons, and acquainted them, that among other branches of
the plot, one was to seize the Tower, to put the Earl of
Strafford at the head of the Irish army of papists who were
to be transported into England, aud to secure the impor
tant town of Portsmouth, in order to receive succours from
France ; Sir W. Balfour, Lieutenant of the Tower, con
fessed that the King had sent him express orders to receive
a hundred men into that garrison, to favour the Earl's
escape ; and that the Earl himself offered him twenty-
thousand pounds in money, and to advance his son in
marriage to one, of the best fortunes in the kingdom.
Lord Clarendon has used all his rhetoric to colour Over
this conspiracy, and make posterity believe it was little
more than the idle chat of some officers at a tavern ; but
they who will compare the depositions in Rushworth with
his lordship's account of that matter, says Burnet, will
find, that there is a great deal more in the one, than the
other is willing to believe. The cpurt would have disowned
it, but their keeping the conspirators in their places,
made the parliament believe that there was a great deal
more iri it than was yet discovered ; they therefore sent
orders immediately to secure the town and haven of Ports
mouth, and to disband the Irish army ; they voted that
all papists should be removed from about the court ; and
directed letters to Sir J. Ashley, to induce the army to a
dutiful behaviour, and to assure them. of their full pay.
The consequences of this plot were infinitely prejudicial
to the King's affairs ; the .court lost its reputation ; the
reverence due to the King and Queen was lessened ; and
the house of commons began , to be esteemed the only
barrier of the people's liberties ; for which puipose they*
entered into a solemn protestation to stand by each other
with their lives and fortunes ; the Scots army was con
tinued for their security ;. a bill for the continuance of the
present parliament was brought in and. urged with. great
advantage ; and last of all, by , the discovery of this plot,
the fate of the Earl of Strafford was determined ; great

1611. CHARLES I. 563
numbers of people crowded in a tumultuous manner to
Westminster crying justice! justice! and. threatening
violence to those members of the house of commons who
had. voted against his attainder. In this situation of affairs.
and in the absence of the bench of bishops, as being a
case of blood, the bill passed with the dissent only pf
eleven peers. The King had some scruples about giving
it the royal assent, because though he was convinced the
Earl had been guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, he
did not apprehend that an endeavour to subvert the funda
mental form of government, and to introduce an arbitrary
power was high treason ; his majesty consulted his bishops
and judges, but was not satisfied till he received a. letter
from the Earl himself, beseeching his majesty to sign the
bill, in order to make way for an happy agreement between
him and his subjects. Mr. Whitlock insinuated that this
letter, was but a feint of the Earl's ; for when secretary
Carlton acquainted him with what the King had done, and
with the motive, which was his own consent, he rose up in
a great surprize and lifting up his eyes to heaven said,
" Put not. your trust in princes nor in the sons of men, for
in them there is no salvation." Two days after this, he
was executed upon Tower-Hill, and submitted to the axe
with a Roman bravery and courage ; but at the restoration
of Charles II. his attainder was reversed, and the articles
of accumulative treason declared null, because what is
not treason in the several parts cannot amount to treason
in the whole.
This was the unhappy fate of the Earl of Strafford, once
an eminent patriot and assertor of the liberties of his
country, but after he was called to court, one of the most
arbitrary ministers that this nation ever produced. He was
certainly a gentleman of distinguished abilities, as appears
by the incomparable defence he made on his trial, which
o-ained him more reputation and esteem with the people,
than all the later actions of his put together ; but still he
was a public enemy of his country, and had as great a
share in those fatal counsels that brought on the civil
war as any man then living.
The execution of this great personage struck terror
N N 2

564 HISTORY OF f HE* PURITANS. CHAP. VIL
into all the" King's late' ministers ; some of therri resigned
their places, and others retired into France. Six of the
judges were impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors,
for interpreting away the laws of tlieir country ; but the
parliament had too much business upon their hands to
attend their prosecution at present. Thus this unhappy
prince wa's deprived of those counsellors who were in his
oWn arbitrary sentiments, and left as in a manner to him
self, and the powerful influence of his bigotted Queen and
her cabal of papists ; for the new minsters who succeeded
were such in whom the King would place no confidence.
So" that most men expected that these vigorous proceedings
would induce him to put a speedy end to the session.
But that Which prevented it, was the want of money to
pay the artnies in the north: his majesty pressed the
houses to dispatch this affair, and relieve the country from
the burden of contribution ; on the other hand, the com
mons looked upon the Scots as their security, and that if
they were sent home, they should again be at the merCy of
the prerogative* supported by a standing army. However,
they had begun to borrow mottey of the city of London
toWard's the experic'e ; but When the plot to dissolve the,
parliament broke out, the citizens declared they would
lend nothing upon parliamentary security, because their
sitting was so very precarious. This gave rise to a motion
for the continuance of the present parliament till thej-
should dissolve themselves, wliicli Was presently turned
into a short bill, and passed both houses with very little
opposition, as the only expedient that could be thought
of to Support the public credit, and this bill was signed by
commission. All men stood amazed at the King's weak
ness on this occasion ; for by this hasty and unadvised
measure he concurred in a change of the whole constitu
tion, giving the two houses a co-ordinate power in the
legislature with himself, for as long tiriie as they pleased:
if his majesty had fixed their continuance to a limited
time, it might have satisfied the people and have saved
the prerogative ; but by making them perpetual, he parted
with the sceptre out of his own hands', arid put it into the
hands of his parliament.
While the commons were alarmed with the discovery of

1641. CHARLES I. &6S
the plot, and the flight of the conspirators, Mr. Pym
moved that both houses might join in some, band of de
fence for the security of their liberties, and of the
protestant religion; accordingly the following protestation
was drawn up, and subscribed by the whole house. I,
A. B. do in the presence of Almighty God, vow and protest,
to maintain and defend, as far as lawfully I may, witli my
life, power, and estate, the true reformed protestant reli
gion, expressed in the doctrine of the church of England,
against all popery and popish innovations in tiiis realm,
contrary to the said doctrine ; and according to the duty
of my allegiance, I will maintain and defend his majesty's
royal person, honour, and estate ; also the power and
privilege of parliament, the lawful rights and liberties of
£he subject, and of every person who shall make this pro
testation in whatsoever he shall do, in the lawful pursuance
of the same. Arid to my power, as far as lawfully I may,
| will oppose, and by all good ways and means, endeavour
to bring to icondign punishment all such, who shall by
force, practice, counsel, plot, conspiracy, or otherwise.,
4o any thing to the contrary in this protestation contained.
And further, that I shall in all j-usjt and honourable ways
endeavour to preserve the union and peace between the
three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland ; and
neither for hope, fear, or any other respect, shall relinquish
this promise, vow, and protestation." This protestation
was made by all the peers present in parliament, except
the Earl of Southampton, and Lord Roberts, even by the
bishops themselves ; though, as Clarendon observes, it
comes little short of the Scots covenant. Their lordships
indeed would have interpreted those words, " The true
reformed protestant religion expressed in the doctrine of
jthe church of England," to have included the government
or hierarchy of the church ; but it was resolved and
declared by the house, that by those words was meant,
"Only the public doctrine professed in the said church,
so jfar as it.is opposite to popery and popish innovations j
and .that the said words are not to extend .to the main
tenance of any form of worship, discipline or government,
nor of rites and-ceremonies." NN.3

'566 HISTORY OT THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
Within two days the protestation was take ri by eighty
temporal lords, seventeen bishops, nine judges, and four
bundred and thirty-eight of the house of comirioris. Next
day it was printed and sent to the sheriffs and justices of
peace in the several counties of England, to be taken by
the whole nation, and as some of the remoter counties
were complained of for neglect, the house of commons
passed a bill to oblige all persons to take it throughout the
kingdom ; but this bill was lost in the house of lords, the
whole bench of bishops opposing it ; whereupon the com
mons resolved, that whosoever would not take the pro
testation, was unfit to bear offices in the' church or com
monwealth. '
This was carrying matters to a very extraordinary
length ; there had been a parliamentary association- in the
reign of Elizabeth, which her majesty confirmed* and a
solemn league and covenant in Scotland, which the King
had complied with; but the enforcing a protestation or
vow upon his majesty's subjects without his consent, was
assuriiing a power, which even this' dangerous crisis of
affairs, and the uncommon authority with which this parli
ament was invested by the late act of continuance, can
by no means support or justify. ' The odiUm of putting a
stop to the protestation fell upon the Bench of Bishops,
who were already sinking under their own weight ; and
his majesty's not interposing in this affair was afterwards
made use of as a precederit for imposing the solemn
league and covenant upori the whole kingdom without his
concurrence. The Puritans had always objected to the lordly titles
and dignities of the bishops, but thei¥ votes in the house
of peers were now esteemed a very great grievance, and
an effectual bar to the proceedings of parliament. It
was remeriibered that they had been always averse to
reformation ; that they had voted unanimously against the
supremacy in Henry the VHIth's reign ; and against the
act of uniformity in Queen Elizabeth's. It was now
observed that they were the creatures of the court, and
a dead weight against all reformation' in church or state;
twenty-six votes being sufficient at any time to turn the
scale in that house, whose full number was not above an

16*1. CHARLES I. 5G7
hundred; it was therefore moved, that a bill might be
brought in to take away their seats in parliament, which
was readily agreed to, and to make way for the passing
of this bill, it was alledged, that if this was granted the
commons would be satisfied, and little or nothing further
attempted to the prejudice of the church. It therefore
passed the house of commons without opposition, and was
sent up to the house of peers. Lord Kimbleton, it is said,
would have persuaded the bishops to resign their votes in
parliament, adding, that then the temporal lords would
be obliged in honour to preserve their jurisdiction and
revenues. The Earl of Essex also employed some body
to treat privately with the bishops on the same head;
but they rejected all overtures of accommodation, resolv
ing to make their utmost efforts and to keep possession
of their seats till a superior strength should dispossess
them ; accordingly the bill met with a vigorous opposition
in the upper house, and after a second reading was thrown
out, without so much as being committed, the whole
Bench of Bishops voting for themselves. But it would
have been thrown out if the bishops had not voted at all;
for tliough the temporal lords were content to exclude
them from all secular offices and employments in the
state, they were in no disposition to take away their suffra
ges in the house of peers.
The loss of this bill with the resolute behaviour of the
bishops who were determined to part with nothing, infla
med the commons, and made them conclude, that there
,were no hopes of reformation while they were a branch of
the legislature. It was observed that the bishops were
¦unusually diligent in giving their attendance upon, the
house at this time, and always voted with the Court. Some
-of the leading members therefore, in the warmth of their
resentments, brought in a bill in pursuance of the root
and-branch petition, which had been laid aside for some
time, for the utter extirpation of all bishops, deans and
chapters, archdeacons, prebendaries, chantors, with all
chancellors, officials, and officers belonging to them ;
;and for the disposing of their lands,, manors, &c. as the
parliament shall appoint. A rash and inconsiderate
attempt! For could they expect that the bishops should

568 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
abolish themselves ? Or that the temporal lords should
consent to the utter extirpating an order of churchmen,
when they would not so much as give up one branch of
their privilege ? The reading this bill was very much
opposed, because it was brought in contrary to the usage
0-f parliament, without first asking leave ; however, it was
once read and then adjourned for almost two months ; a
little before the King went to Scotland it was carried by a
majority of thirty-one voices to read it a second time and
commit it to a committee of the whole house, of which
Mr. Hyde, Lord Clarendon, was chairman, who made use
of so much art and industry to embarrass the affair, that
after twenty days the bill was dropt.
Sir E. Deering's speech in the committee will throw
much light upon the sentiments of the puritans of these
times. The ambition of some prelates, says he, will not let
them see how inconsistent two contrary functions are in one
and the same person, and therefore there is left neither
root nor brauch of that so good and necessary a bill which
was lately sent up, and consequently no hope of such a
reformation as we all aim at ; what hopes then can we have,
that this bill, which strikes at root and branch, both of
their seats of justice, and of their episcopal chairs in the
church will pass as it is, and without a tender of some
other government in lieu of this, since the voices are strjl
the same which threw out your former bill. " Sir Edward
therefore proposed another form of government, if the
house should think fit to abolish the present, which was in
a manner the same with Abp. Usher's hereafter mentioned,
As, I. That every shire should be a distinct diocese or
church. II. That in every shire or church twelve or more
able divines should be appointed, in the nature of an old
primitive constant presbytery. III. That over every pres
bytery there should be a president, let him be called
bishop, or overseer, or moderator, or superintendent, or
by what other name you please, provided there be one
in every shire, for the government and direction of the
presbytery, in the nature of the speaker in the house of
commons, or chairman of a committee. Accordingly it
was resolved, That ecclesiastical power for the government
*>f the church be exercised by commissioners, and that the

1641. CHARLES I. 569
members for every county bring in the names of nine per
sons to be ecclesiastical commissioners, on whom the
power of church government shall be devolved; but that
no clergyman be of the commission. This was designed
as a temporary provision, and shews that the puritans of
ihese times did not intend the presbyterian government,
but only a reduction of episcopacy to what they apprehend
ed a more primitive standard ; and if the bishops would have
relinquished some part of their jurisdiction, the mischief
that befel them afterwards might have been prevented,
liowever, for the present tlie prosecution of it was laid
aside. But the house went more readily into the debate for
abolishing deans and chapters, and applying tlieir revenues
to better purposes. This alarmed the cathedral men, and
put them upon consulting how to ward off the danger that
threatened them ; for this purpose one divine was deputed
from every cathedral in England, to solicit their friends
in the houses on behalf of their several foundations.
These deputies drew up a petition to the lords and com
mons to be heard by their counsel; but being informed
that the house would not allow them that benefit, and that
if they had any thing to offer they must appear and plead
their own cause ; they made choice of Dr. Hackett, pre
bendary of St. Paul's, as their advocate, who being admit
ted to the bar of the house, after the petitions from tlie
two universities bad been read, made a laboured speech
in their behalf. In the afternoon of the same day, Dr.
Burges appeared on the other side of the question ; and
made a iong speech concerning the unprofitableness of
those corporations ; he complained of the debauchery of
singing men, and of their vicious conversation ; he spoke
against music in churches, as useless and hurtful. He
made a distinct answer to the particulars of Dr. Hackettfs
speech; and in conclusion said, though he apprehended
it necessary to apply these foundations to better purposes,
it was by no means lawful to alienate them from public
and pious uses, or to convert them to any private person's
profit.w-The farther debate of this bill was adjourned for
a week, and then to a committee of tlie whole house.
After a long debate die house came to the following

570 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
resolutions, " That all deans, deans and chapters, arch
deacons, prebendaries, chaunters, canons, and petty
canons, and tlieir officers, shall be utterly abolished and
taken away out of the church; and that all the lands taken
by this bill from deans and chapters, shall be put into the
hands of feoffees, to be employed for the support of a
fit number of preaching ministers for the service of every
church, and for the reparatidn of the said churches,
provision being made, that -his majesty be no loser in his
rents, first fruits, and other duties; and that a competent
maintenance shall be made to the several persons concer
ned, if they appear not delinquents to this house." But
•none' of these votes passed into a law; nor'was there the
-least prospect of their being confirmed by the lords, as,
long as the bishops were in that house, who stood together
like a wall against every attempt of the commons for
alterations in the church, till by an unexpected providence,
they were broken in pieces, and made way for their
own ruin.
The firmness of the bishops against all abatements
in favour of the puritans, exasperated the people, and
put an end to all prospects of agreement. A Committee
of Accommodation had been appointed by the house of
lords to consider of such innovations in religion as were
proper to be taken away, which by the plot of the court
to bring up the army, and the loss of the late bills for
reformation of the hierarchy, was now broken up. At
their first meeting they appointed a sub-committee of
bishops, and divines of different persuasions, to prepare
matters for their debate ; the Bp. of Lincoln was chairman
of both, and was ordered to call together the sub-com
mittee with all convenient speed. They consulted toge
ther six days in the Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster;
and the result of their conferences was drawn up in certain
propositions and queries, relating to innovations in doc
trine and discipline, with some considerations for the
improvement of the book of common prayer, but no men
tion was made of a reformation of episcopacy, because
their chairman the Bp. of Lincoln had undertaken that
province, and accordingly presented the house of lords
with a reconciling scheme, which was dropt after the first
reading.

1641. CHARLES I. 571
Abp. Usher offered another scheme, for tlie reduction
of episcopacy into the form of synodical government, re
ceived in the ancient church ; in which his grace supposes,
that of the many elders that ruled the church of Ephesus,
there was one stated president, whom our Saviour calls the
Angel : and whom Ignatius in one of his epistles, calls
the -Bishop, to whom in conjunction with the elders or
presbyters, the whole government of the church, both as to
doctrine and discipline, was committed. He therefore
proposes, that these be continued ; and for a regulation of
their jurisdiction, that suffragans should be appointed to
hold monthly synods of presbyters, from whom there
should he an appeal, to diocesan, provincial and national
ones. Several other proposals were made to the house of com
mons by those puritans, who were for revising and altering
some things in the church, as, that his majesty should be
moved to call a national synod, or a select number of
divines of the three nations under his majesty's govern
ment ; with an intimation to all reformed churches to send
their deputies, to settle a uniform model of governmerit for
the church of England, to be confirmed by parliairient,
leaving to other nations a christian liberty in those forms
of discipline which are most agreeable so their civil go
vernment. Others proposed, that the present liturgy
might be continued, but that the apocryphal lessons be
omitted ; that all sentences of scripture be according to
the last translation ; that the word minister be used instead
of priest ; with some other amendments. That with re
gard to episcopal government, bishops be obliged to
constant preaching in their metropolitan or parochial
churches ; that they never ordain without consent of three
or four presbyters at least ; that they do not suspend by
their sole authority, but with consent of presbyters, and that
for weighty causes ; that none may be excommunicated
but by the bishop, with consent of the pastor in whose
parish the delinquent dwells ; and that for heinous and
very scandalous crimes only ; that the fees of ecclesiastical
courts be regulated, and that bishops, chancellors, and
their officials, may be subject to the censure of provincia!
synods and convocations.

S72 HISTORY OiF THE PURITANS. CHAP. V&.
But all these attempts for accommodation were blasted
by die obstinacy of the bishops, and by the discovery , of
the .pjlot to bring the army to London, to dissolve .the
parliament ; this put the nation into a ferment, and
widened the distance between the King and the two
bouses, upon which the committee broke up, without
bringing any thing to perfection. There were deep re
sentments in the breasts of both parties ; the bishops were
incensed at die bold attacks of the house <of commons upon
their peerage and spiritual jurisdiction ; and the puritans
had a quick sense of their former sufferings, which made
them r.esdess till tiiey had abridged their power. It is
very remarkable, and looks like an appearance of the
divine displeasure against the spirit of these times, that
Abp. Usher's scheme for the reduction of episcopacy,
which at this time would have satisfied .tlie chief body of
the puritans, could not be obtained from the King and
the bishops ; that aftewards when the King offered this
very scheriie at the treaty of the Isle of Wigihi, the parlia
ment and puritan divines would not accept it, for fear of
breaking with their Scots brethren. Again, when the
presbyterian ministers at the restoration of Charles II.
presented to his majesty as a model with which they were
satisfied, and which would comprehend in a manner
their whole body, both the King and bishops rejected
it with contempt, and wouild not suffer it to be debated.
Jt may not be improper in this place, to make a few
remarks upon this part of Rapin's History of England, who
in bis account of these .times seems to represent the
puritans as presbyterians, and as haying formed a con
spiracy against the whole fabric of the church, from the
very beginning of this parliament ; whereas the state of
the controversy between the church and puritans was now
changed : in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. the
puritans were for the most part presbyterians, tliough even
then there were many episcopalians among them; but
from the time that arminianism prevailed in the church,
and the whole body of the calvinists came to be distin
guished by die name of doctrinal puritans, both parties
seemed to unite in a moderate episcopacy, there being
little or no mention of the old book of discipline'for twenty

1641. CHARLES I. 573
years before the commencement of the civil war, and all
the controversy turning upon points of Calvinism ; upon a
reduction of the exorbitant power of the bishops ; or upon
innovations and ceremonies. There were few either
among the clergy or laity, who had a zeal for presbytery,
or desired any more than to be rid of their oppressions.
Rapin however, is of opinion, that among the members of
parliament there were real presbyterians, who thought no
doubt, of altering the whole government of the church.
These are represented as deep politicians, as working
under-ground, and making use of all kinds of artifices to
accomplish their designs, which they took care not to
discover. He owns indeed, that the presbyterians were
not very numerous in the house, but that they were sup
ported by a pretty great party in the kingdom, and
particularly by the Scots. Which assertions seem to me
to require stronger evidence than he has produced.
It must be confessed, that soon after the beginning of
the parliament, there were many among the common!
people who were enemies to the whole ecclesiastical con
stitution, being supported by the Scots commissioners^
who had conceived an implacable antipathy against the
order of bishops, which they had voted contrary to the
word of God. But this was not the case of the puritan!
clergy, who wanted only to get rid of the tyranny of the
bishops, and were willing to leave the parliament to model
the government of the church as they pleased. Ami
although as the influence of the Scots oyer the two houses
increased, presbytery prevailed ; and When the parlia-*
ment were at their mercy, and forced to subriiit to wha"t
conditions they would impose upon them for their assist
ance, the kirk discipline gained the ascendant* and at
length advaric-ed into a divine right in the assembly of
divines ; yet the parliament would never eome into it,
and when the Scots were gone hotrie, it dwindled by de
grees, till it was almost totally eclipsed by the rising
greatness of the Independents. It appears therefor"* to
me, that there was no formed design as yet, either in the
house of commons, or among the puritan clergy, to subvert
the hierarchy, and erect the presbyterian government
upon its ruins ; there were no considerable number of

SH HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VH.
presbyterian ministers in the nation ; and the leading
members in both houses were known to be of another"
stamp. So that what was done in the house of commons
afterwards, was the result of the situation of their affairs,
and not of any formed design : as that changed, so did
their councils and measures. The contrary to this ought
not to be supposed, but proved by incontestible matters of
fact, which neither Rapin, or any other historian whom I
have read, has yet done. And I will venture to say, that
if there were such invisible presbyterians behind the
curtain, who planned the subversion of the hierarchy,'
and blew it up as it were without hands, they must have
been abler statesmen, and masters of much more worldly
politics than have ever distinguished their posterity.
There were two bills which affected the "prerogative
now ready for the royal assent; one to abolish the court of
high commission, and regulate the privy council'; thej
other to take away the Star-chamber. To induce the
King to pass them more readily, the commons sent up a
money bill with them ; but when the King came to the
house, he passed the money bill, and told the houses, he
must take some time to consider of the others ; which dis
gusted the commons so much, that they returned to their
house and immediately adjourned. At their next meeting'
they fell into new heats, of which his majesty being in
formed, came to the house of peers, and having sent for
the commons, reprimanded them for their jealousies, and
then passed the bills ; he also put them in mind what he
had done this session ; that he had yielded, that thejudges
should hold their places quam diu se bene gesserint ; that he
had given away his right to ship-money; granted a law
for triennial parliaments, and for securing the money
borrowed for disbanding the armies ; in a word, that he had
hitherto given way to every thing, and therefore they
should not wonder, if in some things he began now to
refuse." The act for abolishing the high commission court
repeals that branch of the statute, 1st Eliz. cap. 1. upOn
which this court was founded. By the passing this act, all
coercive power of church consistories was taken away,
and the spiritual sword that had dOne such terrible execu-

1641. CHARLES I. 575
tion in the hands of some bishops, was put into the scab
bard. It was very extraordinary that the bishops, who
were then in the house of lords, should so supinely suffer
themselves to be surprised out of their power. Some were
ready to observe a hand of justice, says Fuller, that seeing
many simple souls, by captious interrogatories, had been
circumvented by the high commission court into a self
accusation, an unexpected clause in this statute should
abolish all their lawful authority ; for there is no proviso in
the act to restrain it only to the high commission, but it
extends to all archbishops, bishops, and all ecclesiastical
officers in any of their courts. Clarendon says that the
King was apprehensive that the body of the bill exceeded
the title, and therefore made a pause in consenting to
pass it, and that some bishops prevailed with his majesty
to sign it, to take off the odium from that bench, of their
being enemies to alj reformation ; for it was insinuated,
says this historian, that since they opposed a due regula
tion of their power, there would be no way but to cut
them off root and branch. The act for taking away the
star chamber, and regulating the privy council, dissolves
the said court, and repeals all those acts, or clauses of acts
of parliament, by which any jurisdiction, power, or.
authority, is given to the said court, or to any of the
officers or ministers thereof. And it ordains further, that
neither his majesty, nor his privy council, have, or ought
to have any jurisdiction, power, or authority, by English
bilL petition, articles, libel, or other arbitrary way, to
examine or draw in question, determine, or dispose of the
lands, tenements, hereditaments, goods or chattels, of
any of the subjects of this kingdom.
Thus fell the two chief engines of the late arbi
trary proceedings in church and state, whicli had the
liberties and estates of many worthy and pious families
to answer for. But by the proviso in the act for abolish
ing the high commission, that no new court shall be
erected with like powers for the future, it appears how
odious their proceedings were in the eyes of the nation.
When the King had signed the two bills, he desired
the advice of his parliament, concerning a manifesto
which he intended to send to the diet of Ratisbon in

.1
&76 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
favour of the Palatine family, wherein he declares that
he will not abandon the interests of his sister and ne
phews, but will employ allhis force and power in their
behalf until they are restored. This was highly accep
table to the puritans, who had always the interests of
that house at heart. < The manifesto was read, when the
cOmmons declared their approbation of it, and resolved
to give his majesty such assistance therein, as shall stand
with the honour of his majesty, and the interests and
affections of his kingdom, if the present treaty does not
succeed. The peers coneurred in the same vote, and
both houses desired the King to recommend it to the
parliament of Scotland ; which his majesty proriiised.
Many warm speeches were made on this .occasion in
iavour of the Queen of Bohemia, who Was so sensible:
of their particular regards for her family, that she re
turned them her thanks ; but the manifesto erided in
nothing. The commons not being able to come at theif in
tended alterations in the church, while the bishops re
mained united in the house of peers, formed several
schemes to divide them : it was first proposed to sefi
large fines upon both houses of convocation for com
piling the late canons, and a bill was brought in for
that purpose ; but upon better consideration it was thought
more effectual for the present, to make examples of those
bishops only, who had been' the principal movers in that
affair; agreeably to this resolution a committee Was ap
pointed to draw up an impeachment against one haflf of
the bench (viz*.) Laud, of Canterbury; Curie,, of Win
chester; Wright, of Coventry and "Litchfield ; Goodma'ri,
of Gloucester ; Halt, of ExetCr ; Owen, of St. Asaph ;
Pierse, of Bath and Wells ; Wren, of Ely ; Roberts, of
BangOf ; Skinner, of Bristol ; Warner, of Rochester ;
Towers, of Peterborough ; arid Owen, of Lartdaff. The
impeachment was Of high crimes and misdemeanors*
*' For making and publishing the late canons, contrary
to the King's prerogative, to the fundamental laws of
the realm, to the rights of parliament, and to the pro
perty arid liberty of the' subject; and containing matters
tending to se'ddtlorij arid of dangerous consequence; and

loll. CHARLES I. 577
for granting a benevolence or contribution to his ma
jesty, to be paid by the clergy of that province, con
trary to law." It was carried up to the lords by Ser
jeant Wild, who demanded in the name of all the commons
of England, that the bishops might be forthwith put to
answer the crimes and misdemeanors above-mentioned,
in the presence of the house of commons; and that
such further proceedings might be had against them as
law and justice required. The commons were in hopes,
that' the bishops would have quitted tlieir votes in par
liament to be discharged of their praemunire ; but they
resolved to abide by their right, and therefore only
desired time to prepare their answer, and counsel for
their assistance; accordingly they were allowed three
months time to put in their answer, and counsel of their
own nomination.
From this time the bishops fell under general dis
regard ; the cry of the populous was against them, as
the chief impediments of all reformation in church and
state; and even the temporal peers treated them with
neglect, expressing their dislike at the Bp. of London's
being stiled Right Honourable. Besides, the lords spi
ritual were not distinctly mentioned in the bills that
passed this session, according to ancient usage ; the clerk
of the parliament in reading the bills to the house,
turned his back upon the bench of bishops; and when
the houses went in a body to church on a fast day,
the temporal barons gave themselves precedence of the
bishops. These were the preludes to their downfal,
which happened about six months forward, though from
this time they were little better than cyphers in the
hoUse. These resolute proceedings against the bishops, put
the court upon forming new projects to break up the
parliament. It was observed that the strength and courage
of the house of commons rose from their confederacy:
with the Scots, whose army in the north was entirely in
their interest ; it was therefore resolved in council, to
detach that nation, if possible from the parliament, and
to bring them over to the King, by yielding every thing
"vol,. I. Oo

578 HISTORY .OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
they should desire; for this purpose his majesty declared
his- resolution to the two houses, to visit his native country
in person within fourteen days, and desired them to finish
tlie bills which were before them by that time. The com
mons being aware of the design, and apprehensive of
danger, if the King should put himself at the head of the
English army in the north, sent away the Earl of Holland
immediately with money to pay them off, which was done
without mutiny or disturbance ; but the business of the
houses being very urgent, and the time short, they voted
that in this case of great necessity, concerning the peace
of the kingdom, they would sit the next day, being Sun
day, by six o'clock in the riiorning; which'they did, and
having heard a sermon, returned to the house about nine,
and sat all day long. But lest this might be misconstrued
as a profanation, or be drawn into example, they publish
ed the following declaration. — " Whereas both houses of
parliament found it -fit to sit in parliament upon the 8th
of August, being Lord's day, for many urgent occasions,
being straitened in time, by his majesty's resolution to go
within a day or two to Scotland, they think fit to declare,
that they would not have done this but upon inevitable
necessity; the peace and safety of both church and state
being so deeply concerned, which they do hereby declare,
to this end, that neither any other inferior court or council,
or any other person, may draw this into example, or make
use of it for their encouragement, in neglecting the due ob
servation of the Lord's day." — The same vote passed the
house of lords unanimously, and was ordered to be printed.
August 10, his majesty came to the house, and gave his
assent to the bill concerning knighthood ; against the
oppressions of the stannary courts; for regulating the
clerks of markets; and for confirming and ratifying the
pacification with the Scots! — This iast bill was followed by
an act of oblivion, with exception to the Scots prelates,
and four others. His majesty was resolved to contradict
the Scots in nothing, that he might break the confederacy
between the two nations; for Lord Saville had now infor-
. med him of the correspondence of some of the English
nobility with the Scots, which encouraged them to raise
an army and march to the borders; he liad shown him" a

'1^41. CHARLES I. 579
copy of the letter, with the forged names of Essex, Bed
ford, Mandcville, and others, exciting them to assert the
liberties of their church and nation, and promising all
the assistance they could give with safety to themselves.
His majesty therefore resolved to gain over the Scots, that
he might be at liberty to prosecute the inviters, and reco
ver his prerogative in England, which he knew he could
accomplish by the assistance of the Irish, if the English
puritans were' left to themselves. The parliament were
aware of the design, and therefore appointed one lord
"and two commoners to follow his majesty to Scotland, in
order to keep up a good correspondence with the parlia
ment of that nation, and to exhort them, since they had
gained their own liberties by the assistance of the English
parliament, not to desert them till the English also had
recovered theirs.
The King set out post, August 1 1, and arrived at Edin
burgh in three or four days; the parliament met August
19, when his majesty acquainted them, that the end of
his coming into his native country, was to quiet the dis
tractions of the kingdom, and this I mind, says his majesty,
fully and cheerfully to perform, for I assure you, I can
do nothing with more cheerfulness than to give my people
a general satisfaction ; wherefore not offering to endear
myself to you in words, which is not my way, I desire
in the first place to settle that which concerns religion,
and the just liberties of this my native country, before I
proceed to any other act." Accordingly his majesty allow
ed of their late proceedings in opposing the English liturgy,
and erecting tables in defence of their liberties; he con
firmed the acts of their assembly at Glasgow, which
declared, that, " The government of the church by
archbishops and bishops was contrary to the word of God,
and was therefore abolished." Mr. Henderson waited on
the King as his chaplain, and was appointed to provide
preachers for him while he was in that country, his majesty
having declared, that he would conform to their manner
of worship while he was among them. His majesty confer
red titles of honour upon many of their gentry ; and all
parties were so well pleased, that it was said, when his
Oo2

5S0 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
majesty left the kingdom, that he departed a contented
King from a contented people.
No sooner was the King returned , but the English
bishops reproached his majesty with his concessions, .espe
cially for admitting the English hierarchy to be contrary
to the word of God. They told him, he had unravelled
that web which his father and himself had been weaving
in, that country for above forty years, and instead, of
making the Scots his friends, he had only created a new
thirst in the English parliament to follow their example.
These remonstrances had such an influence upon the un
happy King, that he repented heartily of what hebad done,
and told Dr. Saunderson, whenhe was in the Isle of Wight,
that two errors did much afflict him, his consenting to the
Earl of Strafford's death, and his abolishing episcopacy
in Scotland; and that if God should ever restore him to
the peaceable possession of his crown, he would demon
strate his repentance by a public confession and a volunr
tary penance (I think, says the Dr.) by going bare-foot
from the Tower of London, or Whitehall, to St. Paul's,
and desiring the people to intercede with God for him.
This shews howmuch superstition still remained in his ma
jesty's make and constitution, when he could imagine,
the going bare-foot through the streets could atone for his
mistakes ; and how little dependence was to be had upon
his promises and declarations; that even in 1648, when the
necessity of his affairs obliged him to consent to an uni
formity of presbyterian government in both, nations, he
could declare in private to his chaplain, that if he was
ever restored to his throne, he would do public penance.
for abolishing episcopacy in Scotland. Upon the whole,
the King's journey into his native country did him no ser-.
vice ; for though the Scots were pleased with his majesty's,
concessions, they durst not depend upon them as long
as he was under the direction of the Queen and the Eng
lish bishops, and they continued to think themselves
obliged from gratitude, affection and interest, to cultivate
a good understanding with the English parliament, and,
to assist them in recovering their religion and liberties.
Upon the day of thanksgiving for the pacification.
between thetsvo nations, Bp.Williams, without anydirectfon

1641. CHARLES I. 581
from his superiors, composed a form of prayer for the
service of the day, with which the house of commons
were offended, and resolved that the said form of prayer
be not read in the liberties of Westminster, or elsewhere."
Dr. Burges and Mr. Marshall preached before the commons
and read the following order, appointed by both houses to
be published in all the churches throughout England, with
his majesty's consent. — " Whereas according to the act of
this present parliament, for confirmation of the treaty of
pacification, it was desired by the commissioners of Scot
land, that the loyalty and faithfulness of his majesty's
Subjects of Scotland might be made known at the time of
thanksgiving, in all places, and particularly in all parish
churches of his majesty's dominions; which request was
graciously condescended to by his majesty, and confirmed
by the said act. It is now ordered and commanded by both
houses of parliament, that the same be effectually done
in all parish churches throughout this kingdom, at the
time of the public thanksgiving, by the respective minis
ters of each parish or the curates, who are hereby required
to read this present order in the church. The order being
read, the ministers declared, that notwithstanding all
which had past in the late commotions, the Scots nation
were still his majesty's faithful and loyal subjects. Thus as
the calling and continuance of an English parliament,
after twelve years interval, was owing to the marching
of the Scots army into the north of England, it was by the
powerful support and assistance of that parliament, and
the expence of a million of money, that the Scots obtained
the present pacification, with the full recovery of their
kirk discipline and civil liberties.
In the midst of this ferment of the spirits of men, the
workings of opposite councils, and the taking the sword
out of the hands of the spiritual courts, it is not to be won
dered that the state of religion was unsettled, and that
men began to practise with some latitude in points of
ceremony and points of worship. It has been observed,
that" in the beginning of the year, the house of commons
had Ordered commissions to be sent into all the counties of
England, for removing the late innovations. It was further
- - O o 3

582 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS, CHAP, VH.
ordered,^-That neither university should dp reverence to
the communion-table, and that frie church-wardens of the
several parishes shall forthwith remove the communion^
table from the east end pf the churches where they stand
altarwise, and take away the rails and level the chancels,
as before the late innovations."— Upon complaint of the
want of sermons, and that the incumbents in many places.
would not admit preachers into their pulpits, though the
parish maintained them, It was ordered, — That the inhabir
tants should have free liberty to have a sermon preached
in their cathedrals every Sunday in the afternoon. — Tha{;
in aU parochial churches where there is no preaching in,
the afternoon, if the parishioners will not maintain a cour
formable lecture at their own charge, the parson or vicay
shall give way to it, ynless he will preach himself.— That
jt wiU be lawful for the parishoners of auy parish, to set
up a lecture, and to maintain an orthodox minister at their
own charge, to preach every Lord's day where there is no
preaching, and to preach one day every week where there
is no weekly lecture. But notwithstanding these votes,
some bishops inhibited preaching on Sundays in the after
noon ; and in particular Montague, Bp of Norwich; upon
which the commons voted, — That his lordship's inhibition
of Mr. Carter to preach in his own parish church, was void ;
and that every minister may preach in his own parish church
as often as he pleases.
Many petitions being sent from divers counties for
preaching ministers, a committee of forty memhers of
the house, called the " Committee for Preaching Minis--
ters," was appointed to send ministers where there where
vacancies, and to provide for their maintenance. These
gentlemen recommended many of the late silenced. minis
ters ; whom some of the yicars refused to admit into their,
pulpits, oratleast dissuaded their parishioners from hearing
£hem, upon which some of them were required to attend
the committee ; and because great complaints were madq
to the house, of the idleness and viciousness of the coun-
try clergy, another committee was appointed to examine
into such complaints, and was called the " Committee for
Scandalous Ministers."
The day before the recess of the parliament, it was re""?

1641. CHARLES I. 583
Solved by the commons,— " That the Lord's day should be'
duly observed ; that all dancing, or other sports either be
fore or after divine service, be forborne and restrained ;
and that the preaching of God's word be promoted in the
afternoon. It was ordered further, that all crucifixes, pic
tures of anyone or more persons of the Trinity; and all.
images of the virgin Mary shall be abolished ; and that all,'
tapers, candlesticks, and basins, be removed from the,
communion-table : that all corporal reverences at the name
of Jesus, or towards the east end of the church, chapel, or
chancel, or towards the communion-table, be forborne. —
These orders were to be observed in all cathedral and col
legiate churches and chapels in the two universities, by tlie
respective officers and ministers of these places, and by
ttye readers and benchers of the inns of court.
The house of lords consented to some of these resolu
tions, but not to all ; they agreed in their committee, " That
no rails should be placed about the communion-table,
where there were none already, but not to the pulling
down of all that were set up ; that all chancels raised with
in fifteen years past should be levelled ; that images of the
Trinity should be abolished without limitation of time; and
all images of the virgin Mary erected within twenty years
past. — But as for bowing at the name of Jesus, they insist
ed that it should be left indifferent. So that when the
question was put, to agree or not agree with the resoluti
ons of the commons, it passed in the negative, eleven
against nine. The commons therefore published their re
solutions apart, and desired the people to wait patiently
for the intended reformation, without any disturbance of
the worship of God, and of the peace of the kingdom..
Upon which the lords in a heat appointed their order to
be reprinted, — " That divine service should be performed
as it is appointed by act of parliament ; and that all who
disturb that wholesome order shall be severely punished.
according to law : and that all parsons, vicars, and curates,,
in their several parishes, do forbear to introduce any rites
or ceremonies that may give offence, otherwise than those
that are established by the laws." This was voted by
twelve lords present, the other six entering their protest ;
after which both houses adjourned for six weeks. Rapin

584 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VH.
observes, that there seemed no necessity for the lords to
renew this order; and that it was done out of spleen- and
revenge, because the commons had made a declaration
against innovations, and it was not doubted but the bishops
were the chief authors of it.
Of the execution of these orders, Mr. Pym presented
a fair report to the house at their first meeting after the
recess. The committee of religion, says he, have sent
down divers of your declarations into the country, and have
found that in some places where there were good ministers
they were retained, and in other places neglected. We
cannot say there have been any great tumults, though
the execution of the orders of the house has occasioned
something tending that way. In some parishes they came
to blows, and in others they would have done the like, if
care had not been taken to prevent it. At St. Giles's
Cripplegate, the parishioners were almost at daggers
drawing about the rails of the communion-table, which
they would not suffer to.be removed. The like opposition
was made to the orders of the house at St. George, South
wark, St. Mary, Woolnoth, St. Botolph, Aldersgate, and
a few other places ; but in most places they were quiet."
If the innovations complained of were according to law,
neither lords or commons had authority to remove them,
for in a time of public peace and tranquillity, a vote of
parliament cannot suspend or set aside the laws ; but if
they were apparently contrary to law, I do not see why
either house of parliament, or even the parishioners
themselves, by a vote of their vestry, might not order them
to be taken away.
The lords disapproved of the tumultuous attempt of
private persons, and punished them severely. Complaint
being made by the inhabitants of St. Saviour's, Southwark,
of certain persons who had pulled down the rails of the
communion-table, in an insolent and riotous manner* they
were sent for into custody, and having been heard by their
counsel at the bar of the house, the church- wardens of the
parish were ordered to set up new rails, at the costs and
charges of the offenders, in the manner they had stood for
fifty years before, but not according to the model of the
four or. five last years. The rioters also were enjoined to

1641. CHARLES I. £85
make a public confession of their fault in the body of tho
church on a sabbath day, when the congregation should
be present, and to stand committed to the Fleet, during
pleasure. Upon another complaint of the parishioners of
St. Olave's, Southwark, against some who had made a
tumult in their church, and used irreverent speeches dur
ing the administration of the sacrament ; the delinquents
were sent for into custody, and after hearingthey were
committed to the King's-Bench for six months, without
bail or mainprize ; and ordered to stand upon an high
stool in Cheapside, and in Southwark, for two hours on a
market day, and to acknowledge their fault publicly : they
were also fined twenty pounds, and to find sureties for
their good behaviour ; but when they had been imprisoned
about a month, upon their humble petition, and acknow
ledgment of their misdemeanors, they were released.
Lord Clarendon says, " That the pulpits were supplied
with seditious and schismatical preachers ; that in order
to poison the hearts of the King's subjects, care was taken
to place such ministers and lecturers in the most popular
towns and parishes, as abhorred the present government
and temperature of the church and state ; and then adds,
" I am confident there was not from the beginning of this
parliament, one orthodox or learned man recommended
by them to any church in England."— Strange ! when
scarce one was recommended who had not been educated
in our own universities, and subscribed all the doctrinal
articles of the church of England !
But his majesty's language is more severe in his decla
ration. Under pretence of encouraging preaching, says
the King, they have erected lectures in several parishes,.
and commended such lecturers as were men of no learning
nor conscience, but furious promoters of the most dan
gerous innovations ; many having taken no orders, yet
were recommended by members of either house to
parishes ; and when mechanic persons have been brought
before them for preaching in churches, and have con
fessed the same, they have been dismissed without punish
ment, and hardly with reprehension.' All persons of
learning, and eminency in preaching, and of sober and
virtuous conversation, of great examples in their lives,

586. HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
and even such .as. among these men had been of greatest
estimation, ahd suffered somewhat for them, were dis
countenanced, and such men cherished, who boldly
preached against the government of the church, against
the book of common prayer, against our kingly lawful
power, and against our person. — Further, a licence even
to treason is admitted in pulpits, and persons ignorant in
learning and understanding, turbulent and seditious in
disposition, scandalous in life, and unconformable in
opinion to the laws of the land, are imposed upon parishes,
to infect and poison the minds of our people. What cha
racter- the parliament divines had for learning, for
orthodoxy of doctrine, and sobriety of manners, will
appear hereafter. The commons in their reply to his
majesty's declaration, denied the whole of this charge,
and averred, that they were careful in their enquiries into
the learning and morality of those whom they recom
mended; that they were not for encouraging faction and
schism, but for preferring those who were for a parlia
mentary reformation in church and state. That they had
shown their resentments against mobs and tumults, and
against the preaching of laymen; for when they were
informed that several laymen, had presumed to preach,
they sent for them and reprimanded them by their speaker
in these words ; " The house has a great distaste of
your proceedings ; and if you offend at any time in the
tike kriid again, this house will take care you shall be
severely punished."
Far be it from me to apologize for the furious preachers
of these times ; though it will appear hereafter, that the
complaints of the royalists are very much exaggerated.
It was certainly a great disadvantage to the parliament's
cause, that they could not get a supply of learned and
able preachers, the keys of admission into holy orders
being at this time in the hands of the bishops, who were
very strict in their examination into the political princi
ples of those they ordained ; this reduced the committee
to the necessity of admitting some few who came well
recommended from New-England or Scotland, and had
been only ordained by presbyters ; and such young
students, who producing their testimonials from the uni-

1,641. CHARLES I. -587
versities, were allowed to preach for some time as candi
dates. They were under the like disadvantage as to
presentations or inductions, most of them being in the
hands of the King and the bishops.
Laud continued to ordain clergymen of his own prin
ciples in the Tower ; whereupon the house of lords
ordered that his jurisdiction should be sequestered, and
administered by his inferior officers, till he should be
acquitted of the charge of high treason that was against
him. His grace often admitted such clergymen to livings
as were obnoxious to the two houses, insomuch that the
lords found it necessary to enjoin him to acquaint their
house with the names of such persons as he nominated to
any ecclesiastical benefice, promotion or djgnity within
his disposal, to be approved of by the house, before they
were collated or instituted. On the other hand, when a
minister was chosen by the parishioners, and rgpommended
to him for admission, if he did not like his principles and
character, he would either except against him, or suffer
the living to lapse to the crown. This created him new
enemies, and kept alive the resentments of the commons.
At length the archbishop acquainted the King with his
case, who sent him a peremptory fetter, requiring him,
that as often as any benefice, or other spiritual promotion,
should become void within his gift, to dispose of it only
to such persons as his majesty should nominate ; and that
if either or both houses should command him otherwise,
lie should then fet it fall in lapse to the crown. As soon
as the houses were acquainted with this, they published an
order of their own, requiring the archbishop to dispose of
no benefice or spiritual promotion that shall become void
at any time before his trial, without the leave and order
of the two houses at Westminster. Such was the struggle
between the King and parliament for the pulpits ! It
being thought of great consequence on both sides, to
fill, them with men of their own principles, who would
be zealous in the cause iii which they were severally
engaged. All the bishops were under a cloud, and in no, degree
of favour either with the parliament or people, except the
Bp. of Lincoln, who having some years been in prison,

588 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
had no share in the late innovations. This prelate in the
recess of parliament, visited his diocese ; and exhorted
the people iri his sermons to keep to their lawful minister,
and not go after tub preachers in conventicles. He ac
quainted them with the laws, arid told them that no power
could protect them from the penalty of statutes unrepealed.
But his rhetoric had very little effect ; nor did the parlia
ment approve of his conduct, at a time when his majesty
was out of the kingdom, and when it was resolved to
attempt some considerable alterations in the hierarchy.
The distractions in the state where no less threatening
than those of the church. The plague was in the city of
London, which dispersed the members, so that they could
hardly make a house. The disbanding the army infested
the iroads with highway-men , insomuch that it was hardly
safe to travel frorii One town to another. The officers
(many of whom were papists) crowded to London, and
took lodgings about Coveht-Garden and Whitehall, under
pretence of receiving the remainder of their pay ; these
behaved with unusual insolence, and struck terror into the
minds of the people. The mob was frequently up in one
part of the town or another ; one while they threatened
the Pope's nflncio, and another while the Queen mother,
upon which they retired out of the kingdom ; but the
Queen herself stood by her friends : she had a convent of
capuchins in her court, and protected great numbers of
the King's subjects and others, from the senterice of the
laws. The lord mayor was commanded to bring in a list
of popish recusants about London ; and all the papists in
the several counties were ordered to be disarmed. This
was the melancholy state of the nation, when on a sudden
it was thunder-struck with the surprizing news of one
of the most barbarous massacres of the protestants in
Ireland, that the records of any age or nation can
produce. Clarendon is of opinion, that the parliament instead of
adjourning, should nOw have broken up and returned
home, since the principal grievances of church and state
had been redressed, and the constitution secured by
the act for Triennial parliaments. But not to trouble the
reader with affairs of state ; what religious grievances

1641. CHARLES I. 589
were actually redressed ? except the shertening the ppwer
of the spiritual courts, by the acts for abolishing the court
of High-commission and Star-chamber ? not one of the
late innovations were abolished by law ; nor was there any
alteration in the liturgy, or form of church government.
The sole power of the bishops in ordination and jurisdic
tion remained to be regulated ; nor was there any
reformation of deans and chapters ; all which the puritans
hoped for and expected. In short, the whole government
of the church remained entire, notwithstanding the fierce
attacks of the commons against it. The act for triennial
parliaments will appear not to have been a sufficient secu
rity to the constitution, if we consider how many acts of
parliament the King and his arbitrary ministers had broke
through the last fifteen years; that his majesty had still
the same principles, and was like to be in the same hands
upon the dissolution of this parliament. Besides, it was
said that these laws had been extorted from him by force,
and therefore were not binding ; and if a parliament
should be called after three years, that it was dissolvable
at pleasure ; so that in all probability things would have
returned to the old channel if the parliament had now
dissolved themselves. Supposing therefore, but not ad
mitting, that the principal grievances of church and state
had been redressed, I leave it with the reader, whether in
the present situation of affairs, a mere redress of past
grievances was sufficient without some security against the
return of the like in time to come.
Among the remarkable divines who died about this time
was Dr. Davenant, Bp. of Salisbury, born in London, and-
educated a fellow-commoner in Queen's Coll. Cambridge,
of whicli he was afterwards master. He was a celebrated.
Calvinist, and one of those divines appointed by King
James to represent the church of England at the synod of
Dort, where he behaved with great prudence and moder
ation ; and upon his return to England was preferred to
the bishopric of Salisbury ; but in the beginning of the
reign of King Charles he became obnoxious to the court,
for venturing to preach on the doctrine of predestination,
contrary to his majesty's declaration, and was forced to
make his submission before the privy council. He was a

596 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VII.
quiet and peaceable* prelate, humble and charitable, a
strict observer of the sabbath, an enemy to the pomp and
luxury of the clergy, and one who lamented the high
proceedings of the court. He had a great reputation in
foreign parts for profound learning, and an unblemished
life ; and after he had enjoyed his bishopric about twenty
years, ended his days in peace and honour, a little before
the beginning of the troubles that afterwards came upon
the church and kingdom. He died of a consumption, and
a few hours before his death prayed pathetically for a
quarter of an hour ; blessing God for his fatherly correc
tion, and acknowledging his peculiar mercy in this last
sickness. Dr. Montague, Bp. of Norwich, died in April. He
was a divine of a different character ; he was borr in
Westminster, educated in Eaton-Coll, and afterwards
fellow of King's Coll. Fuller says he was a celebrated
Grecian, and church antiquary, well read in the fathers,
but a superstitious admirer of church ceremonies. He
was a thorough Arminian, a creature of Laud's, and an
ill instrument between the King and parliament in the
late times, and therefore voted unfit for any church
preferment ; but when the King resolved to govern
without parliaments, his majesty preferred him first to the
bishopric of Chichester, and then to Norwich, where
he shewed his zeal for the church, by a vigorous and
illegal prosecution of the Puritans. He was accused by
the present parliament, for superstitious innovations ; and
would no doubt, have felt their resentments, if he had not
gone, as Mr. Fuller expresses it, a more compendious
way, to answer for all his proceedings in the high court
of heaven. Mr. Eaton, M. A. and vicar of Wickham-Market, was
born in Kent, and of a peculiar mould (says Eachard) very
paradoxical in his opinions, and reckoned a great Anti
nomian, and one of the founders of that sect, for which he
more than once suffered imprisonment. His chief per
formance was a book entitled, " The honeycomb of free
justification by Christ alone ;" for which he was imprisoned
in the Gate-house at Westminster. Mr. Eachard admits,
that by means of his zeal, his exemplary patience and

16-11. CHARLES I. 591
piety, he was exceedingly admired in the neighbourhood
where he lived, and strangely valued for many years after
his death. In truth, though he committed some mistakes
in his assertions about the doctrines of grace, he was
nevertheless a pattern of faith, holiness, and chearfulness
in his sufferings, to succeeding generations. He died in
the 67 th year of his age.

CHAP. VIIL

CHARLES I.
Irish Massacre. — Authors qf it.— Proceedings of Parlia
ment. — The King's imprudent Conduct. — Remonstrance
of the House of Commons. — Petitions presented with
the Remonstrance. — The King's answer. — Issue qf the
Impeachment of the Thirteen Bishops. — Tumults about
the Parliament-house. — The Bishops insulted on their
way to the House. — They are Impeached. — The King
goes to the House of Commons to seize Five of the
Members. — He leaves Whitehall. — A Bill passed to take
away the Votes of the Bishops in Parliament. — Remarks.
"OEFORE his majesty left Scotland, advice came to
¦^ London of a general insurrection of the papists in
Ireland, and of a most bloody massacre of the pro
testants of that kingdom. The project of an insurrection
was formed in the months of March and April 1641, not
without the privity of the English court, and executed
October 23d following; no information of it having been
given to the protestants till the very night before it was to
take place, when it was too late to prevent the effects of
it in the country, and almost to save the city of Dublin
itself. When the express that brought the news was read
in the house, it produced a general silence for a time,
all men being struck with horror. When it was told with
out doors it flew like flashes of lightning, and spread uni
versal terror over the whole kingdom. Every day, and almost
every hour, produced new messengers of misery, who
brought further intelligence of the merciless cruelty

1641« CHARLES L i9'j
of the papists towards the protestants, whose very name
they threatened to extirpate out of the kingdom.
On the day appointed, between twenty and thirty thou
sand of the native Irish appeared in arms in the northern
counties, and having secured the principal gentlemen*
and seized their effects, they murdered the common peo
ple in cold blood, forcing many thousands to fly from their
houses and settlements, naked into the bogs and woods*
where they perished with hunger and cold. No ties of
friendship, neighbourhood or consanguinity, were capable
of softening their obdurate hearts, in a cause which they
called THE CAUSE OF LOYALTY AND RELIGION.
Some they whipped to death ; others they stript naked and
exposed to shame, and then drove them like herds of
swine to perish in the mountains; many hundreds were
drowned in rivers ; and some had tlieir throats cub With
some, the execrable villains made themselves sport, trying
who could hack deepest into ari Englishman's flesh. Hus
bands were cut to pieces in the presence of their wives ;
wives and young virgins abused in the sight of their nearest
relations ; nay they taught their children to strip and kill
the children of the English, and dash out their brains
against the stones. Forty or fifty thousand were massacred
after this manner in a few days, without distinction of age,
sex or quality, before they suspected their danger, or
had time to provide for their defence. In a few weeks
the insurrection was so general, that they took possession
of whole counties, murdering the inhabitants, plundering
their houses, and killing or driving away their cattle.
Multitudes of poor distressed creatures and families fled
naked and half starved first to Dublin* and from thence
to England, with death and despair in their countenances.
At length the Irish army having ravaged all the northern
counties, blocked up the city of Dubliri itself, with all
the poor distressed protestants who had taken sanctuary*
in it; but not being masters of the sea, the city' was
relieved, and part of the country secured, till the parlia
ment was at leisure to pour out all their vengeance upon
the heads of the murderers, by the 'hands of the victorious
and terrible Oliver CromwelL
VOL. i. P I"

594 HISTORY OF'.THE PURITANS. CHAP.. VIII.
., The frequent expresses which pressed one after ano
ther to England, with the multitudes of distressed, crea
tures that got passage into several parts of the kingdom,
filled the hearts of all true protestants with infinite conjec
tures, and prodigious imaginations of treason able^ designs.
against this as well as the neighbouring kingdom. They
were afraid, and not.. wijhpjjjLWasori, that, a second part
of this tragedy might be acted on themselves ; the parlia
ment therefore ordered themselves a guard of train-bands,
and entered immediately into measures to secure the nation
from the impending storm.
. , But before we dismiss the Irish insurrection and massa
cre, it will not be improper to trace it from it's original,
and enquire into the authors, and the several parties con
cerned, in, it. The Earl of Antrim and Sir P. O'Neal,,
who were at. .the head of , the Irish catholics, haying
acquainted the pope's nuncio, and some pf the priests
about .the, Queen, how easily they could assume the
government of Ireland, and assist the King against the
English Puritans, letters were wrote. in the Queen's name,
and perhaps in the, King's, authorising them to take up
arms and seize the government. The Irish received the
orders. with pleasure. ; and concluded further among them
selves, that, it was necessary at. the same time to extirpate
the, protestants out of that kingdom before they could
with, safety transport their army into England.. That this
was their design, appears from their remonstrance pub
lished upon the very day of the insurrection, in which
they say,— /That having some liberty of religion granted
them by the King, they perceived the parliament was.
wresting his majesty's prerogative from him, in order to
extinguish their religion ; therefore to support his majesty's
prerogative, and to confirm his royal and ever happy love
to them, they had taken up arms ; and accordingly bound
themselves to one another by an oath.
' They called. themselves the Queen's Army, and pub
lished a proclamation from their camp at Newry, declaring.
that they acted by the King's commission, under the great
seal. of- Scotland, dated at Edinburgh, October 1, and by
letters under his sign manual,. of the same date with the
commission ; which I believe was a forgery ; though it is.

1641. CHARLES I. 595
a little unaccountable, that his majesty should never by
any public act or declaration of his own, clem- himself of
so vile a calumny. However, though the King gav'e out
no commission, there is too much reason to believe, that
the Queen and her popish council, and even the King
himself, was not unacquainted with the design of an insur
rection before it took place ; and that her majesty gave it
all the countenance she could with safety; but when these
bloody butchers over -acted their part to such a degree, as
to massacre near two hundred thousand protestants in cold
blood, to make way for their tyranny* it was time for all
parties to disown them.
Burnet observes, that in the first design of an insur
rection there was no thought of a massacre : this came into
their heads as they were contriving methods of executing
it ; and as the people were governed by the priests, these
were the men that set on the Irish to all the blood and
cruelty that followed. There was a consultation at the
abbey of Multifernan in the county of West Meath, where
it was debated, what course should be taken with the pro
testants; some were for expelling them, as the King of
Spain did the Moors ; others pressed to have them univer
sally cut off; but not coming to a conclusion, they left
the army to act at discretion. How far the pope's nuncio
and the Queen's council might be consulted about the
massacre, is a secret; if we distinguish between the insur
rection, in order to assume the government into the hands
of the Irish papists, and the massacre which attended it,
we may conclude without any breach of charity, that the
English court admitted of the former, though they might
wash their hands of the latter.
The parliament in their declaration say, that the rebel
lion in Ireland was framed and contrived in England, and
that they had taken several depositions, proving that the
Eno-lish papists were to rise about the same time; that
the°rebels said they acted by the King's authority; that
they called themselves the Queen's arm}', and declared,
that their purpose was to come to England after they had
DONE in Ireland, to recover the royal prerogative,
wrested from him by the Puritan faction in the house. of
PP2

59S . ¦ HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII,
commons. Mr. Pym declared in parliament, that several
disbanded officers and soldiers of the King's army went
over to Ireland, and listed among'the rebels by the King's
express warrant, which his majesty denied; but when the
matter was examined, it appeared that his authority had ,
been abused by some who were very near his person. The
concern of the court in this dark affair is further evident,
from the relation of the Earl of Essex, who told Bp. Bur
net, " That he had taken all the pains he could to enquire
"into the original of the Irish massacre, but could not see
reason to believe the King was accessary to it ; but he did
believe the Queen did hearken to the propositions made by
the Irish, who undertook to take the government of Ireland '
into their hands, which they thought they could easily
perform, and then they promised to assist the King against
the hot spirits at Westminster. With this the insurrection
began, and all the Irish believed the Queen encou
raged it.
There was a farther discovery of this fact at the resto
ration of Charles II. when the Marquis of Antrim who
had been at the head of the rebellion, and whose estate
had been confiscated, finding himself likely to be excluded
the act of indemnity, came to London to petition his
majesty to examine the warrants he had acted upon. Ac
cordingly a committee of council was appointed, and the
marquis produced some letters from the King, which did
not amount to a full proof ; but in one of them the King
says, that he was not then at leisure, but referred himself
to the Queen's letter, and said, that was all one as if he
writ himself. Upon this foundation the marquis produced
a series of his own letters to the Queen, in which he gave
her an account of every one of these particulars that were
J.aid to his charge, and shewed the grounds he went upon,
and desired her majesty's direction to every one of these,
and he had answers ordering him to do as he did. This
affair, says Burnet, the Queen herself, who was then at
court, espoused with great zeal, and said, she was bound
to save him. So a report was drawn up by the committee,
declaring that he had fully justified himself in every
thing ; but the Earl of Northumberland, who was chairman,
refused to set his hand to it, saying, " He was sorry the

1641. CHARLES I. 597
marquis had produced such warrants ; but he did not think
that they ought to serve his turn, for he did not believe
that any warrant from the King or Queen could justify so.
much bloodshed, in so many black instances as were laid
against him." Upon the Earl's refusing to sign the report,
the rest of the committee declined it, and there it dropt ;
whereupon the King himself wrote over to the Duke of
Ormond, that he had so vindicated himself, that he must
get him included in the act of indemnity; but Lord
Mazarine and others not being satisfied to give their vote in
favour of such a criminal, notwithstanding the instructions
they had received from England, the marquis was obliged
in his own defence to produce in the house of commons a
letter from Charles I. writ with HIS OWN HAND, giving
him express orders to take up arms ; upon which he was
pardoned, and his estate restored.
I have been more particular in accounting for this
insurrection, because whoever were the authors of it, are
in the judgment of Clarendon, answerable for all the
calamities of the civil war. It was Ireland, says his
his lordship, that drew the first blood. If they had not
at that time rebelled, and in that manner, it is very
probable all the miseries whicli afterwards befel the King.
and his dominions, had been prevented. At whose door
then the guilt of all this blood must be laid, I freely
leave with the reader.
Upon the first news of the Irish massacre, the com
mons turned themselves into a committee of the whole
house, and came to the following resolutioris, — " That
all Roman catholics of quality in the several counties
of England be secured, and that all papists depart from
London to their respective places of abode in the country ;
that the house of lords be desired to join with the com
mons in a petition for dissolving the convent of Ca
puchins, and sending them out of the kingdom; that
the foreign ambassadors be desired to deliver up such
priests of the King's subjects as are in their houses;
thatr a list be brought in of the Queen's servants ; and
that a proclamation be issued out for all strangers that
are not protestants, to give an account of their names
P p 3

593 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII",
and places of abode, or depart the kingdom."— They
also dispatched a messenger to the King, beseeching
him to concur with them in securing the nation against
any further attempts of the papists ; arid not to employ
any in his councils who were favourers of popery.
They voted two hundred thousands pounds to be bor
rowed for the service of Ireland, and appointed the
train-bands of Westminster to guard them from the in
solence of vagrant soldiers about the court, and to se
cure them from other designs which they had reason
to suspect. The lords ordered all Romish recusants to
remove out of the inns of court and chancery. The
commons ordered the oaths of allegiance and supremacy
to be tendered to all Irish gentlemen within those
courts ; — for it now appears, says Mr. Pym, that the
the religion of the papists is incompatible with any other
religion, it is destructive to all others, and will endure
nothing that opposes it. There are other religions that
are not right, but not so destructive as popery, for the
principles of popery are subversive of all states and persons'
that oppose it.
When the King returned from Scotland, and had been
received with the acclamations of the citizens of London,
he was prevailed with by the Queen and her faction to
check the proceedings of the two houses, since the Scots
were easy, and the hearts of the English nation seemed
tp be with him ; his majesty had recommended the sup
pressing the Irish rebellion to the Scots representatives,1
and by letter had committed the care of it also to the
English parliament ; whereupon the house of commons,
in the King's absence, authorized the Earl of Leicester,
by an ordinance of their own, to raise forces, and the Lord
high admiral to provide shipping for their transportation
from Chester, and other ports; but when the King came
to Whitehall, he seemed so unwilling to act against the
papists, that the parliament were afraid of sending pro
testant soldiers out of the kingdom, lest his majesty should
take advantage of their absence, and break up the con
stitution ; for he had already commanded away the
parliament's guard, . telling them they had nothing to
fear from the papists, and that their jealousies of plots and

1641. CHARLES I. 599
massacres were imaginary. He pardoned seven popish'
priests who were under sentence of condemnation, con
trary to the petition of the commons. He turned out the
Earl of Leicester, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Sir
W. Parsons, one of the most active protestant justices in
that kingdom. He intercepted the parliamentary supplies
in their way to Chester, and received a deputation from
the Irish catholics with greater ceremony and respect, than
from his protestant subjects. Nor could his majesty be
prevailed with to issue out a proclamation declaring the
Irish, Rebels, till the beginning of January, and even
then only forty copies were printed, and not one to be
dispersed till further order. Indeed the King proclaimed
a monthly fast, and offered to raise an army of English
for the relief of Ireland, which the commons declined;
and instead thereof appointed a committee to treat for ten
thousand Scots, which the house of lords, by direction
from the King, put a stop to ; so that between both, the'
relief of Ireland was neglected. The King would have
persuaded the parliament to send over ten thousand Eng
lish, that they might find it more difficult to raise forces in
case of a breach with him ; but the commons prevailed with
the Scots to offer ten thousand of their nation, that they
might not be obliged to leave themselves naked andde-
fencelessin so critical a juncture.
Upon the whole it seems that this barbarous insurrection"
and massacre was formed either here or in Ireland, to dis
tress the parliament, after the failure of the design of
doing it by the English army. The King seems to have
been willingly ignorant of the progress of the affair,
having intrusted the correspondence with his Queen and
her council ; but when he heard how the Irish had over
acted their part he was surprized, and thought it necessary
to declare against them ; yet when he came to his Queen
he. appeared too favourable to their persons and conduct,
and instead of going briskly into the measures that were
proposed to subdue them, his majesty played the politician,
and would have made use of the Irish rebellion to put
himself at the head of an army to break up his English
parliament. While the King was in Scotland, it was given out, that

600 HISTORY PF THC PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
since his majesty had yielded so much to the Scots,. jh©
might be persuaded to introduce presbytery jn to England
at his return ; upon which hi8 majesty sent a letter to the
clerk of the council, commanding him to assure all his
servants, that he would be cpnstant to the discipline and
doctrine of the church of England established by Queen-
Elizabeth and his father ; and, that he resolved by the grace
pf God, to die in the maintenance of it. — Accordingly his
majesty resolved to fill up the vacant sees ; but the two
houses joining in a petition to his majesty to suspend bi&
commands till be came home, the matter was delayed ;
however soon after his return, he proceeded to the execu
tion of his purpose, and the vacant sees were occupied by
divines, most of whom stood well in the opinion of the
people, but their accepting bishoprics in this crisis did
neither the King nor themselves any service.
A committee had been appointed above a twelyempnth
ago, to draw out of all the grievances of the nation such
a remonstrance as might be a faithful and lively represen
tation to his majesty, of the deplorable state of the kingdom;
but it was laid aside till fhis time, when the prospect of an
agreement between him and his parliament being almost
at an end, after the breaking out of the Irish insurrection
and massacre, it was perfected and read in the house,
when it met with so strong an opposition, that jt was
carried only by nine voices, after a long debate frqm three
in the afternoon till three in the morning. Many were
of opinion, that those grievances which had been redressed
by the late acts of parliament ought to have been covered,
lest the reviving them should make the breach wider
between the King and parliament ; while others thought
the mentioning them could do no harm if it was done with
respect, and that it was in a manner necessary in order to
introduce the intended limitation of the royal power.
However this was the crisis that discovered the strength
of the two parties, and was managed with such warmth,
that Oliver Cromwell is said to tell Lord Falkland, that
if the remonstrance had been rejected, he would have
sold all he had next morning, and never have seen
England more.
The remonstrance was presented to the King at

1641. CHARLES I. COl
Hampton-Court, about a week after his majesty's return
from Scotland, with a petition for redress of the grievances
therein contained. It is easy to suppose it was not very
acceptable, but the King gave the committee his hand to
kiss, and took time to return an answer. The remonstrance
enumerates the several grievances, oppressions, and
unbounded acts of the prerogative, since his majesty's
accession, to die number of almost one hundred, and
charges their rise and progress, 1. On the jesuited papists.
2. On the court, bishops, and the corrupt part of the
clergy. 3. On such corrupt counsellors and courtiers as
for private ends had engaged in the interest of some
foreign princes, to the prejudice of the King and state.
These ministers are said to carry on their designs, 1. By
suppressing the power and purity of religion, and of such
persons as were best affected to it. 2. By cherishing the
arminian party in those points wherein they agree with
the papists, in order to widen the difference between the
common protestants aid those called puritans ; and by
introducing such opinions and ceremonies as tend to an
accommodation with popery. 3. By fomenting differences
between the King and his parliament, and by putting him
upon arbitrary and illegal methods of raising supplies.
In the petition that attended the remonstrance, after
having assured his majesty, that they had not the least
intention to lay any blemish upon his royal person by the
foregoing declaration, but only to represent how his royal
authority and trust had been abused, they humbly beseech
his majesty to concur with his people in a parliamentary
way, 1. For the depriving the bishops of their votes in
parliament, and abridging their immoderate power,
usurped over the clergy, and other good subjects, to the
hazard of religion, and prejudice of the just liberties of
the people. 2. For the taking away such oppressions in
religion, church government and discipline, as have been
brought in and fomented by them. 3. For uniting all such
loyal subjects, as agree in fundamentals, against papists,
bv removing some oppressions and unnecessary ceremonies,
by which divers weak consciences have been offended,
and seem to be divided from the rest. 4. They conclude,
with beseeching his majesty to remove from his counsels,

602 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
all favourers of popery and arbitrary power, and promoters
of the above-mentioned pressures and corruptions, and to
employ such as his parliament might confide in ; and that
in his princely- goodness he would reject all solicitations
to the contrary, how powerful, and near soever.
His majesty in his answer to this petition, complains
very justly of the disrespect of the commons in printing
their remonstrance before he had time to return an an
swer. To the preamble and conclusion of the petition,
he says that he knows of no wicked, arbitrary, and malig
nant party prevalent -in the government, or near himself
and his children ; and assures them, that the mediation of
the nearest to him has always concurred in such persons,
against whom there can be no just cause of exception.
Sorrie time after his majesty published his answer to
the remonstrance, with a declaration to his subjects ;'
and agreeably to this declaration he issued a proclamation,
requiring' : obedience to the laws and statutes ordained for
the establishing true religion in this kingdom, and com
manding that divirie service be performed as heretofore ;
and that all officers and ministers ecclesiastical and tem
poral do put the said laws in due execution against all
wilful contemners and disturbers of divine worship,
contrary to the said laws and statutes.
Thus matters stood between the King and parliament,
when all men expected the court interest in the house of
peers would be broken, by the issue of the impeachment
of the thirteen bishops, for compiling the late canons,
which was now approaching. The lords had resolved that
such bishops as were impeached, should not sit in the
house when the merits of their cause was in debate, but
that when the manner of proceeding was to be settled,
they might be present but not vote. To enable them the
better to make their defence, it was resolved further that
the Bp. of Rochester with one other bishop, might have
access twice 'to the Abp. of Canterbury in the Tower, to
consult with him about their answer to the impeachment ;
and that all the lord bishops may have access to any
acts and records, that may serve for their defence. On
the 10th of November, the bishops put in their answer;
consisting pf a plea and demurrer, in which they neither

1641. CHARLES I. COJ
confess nor deny the fact, but endeavour to shew that
the offence of making canons could not amount to a prer
tnumre ; which was certainly true, provided they had
been made a legal convocation, and that the canons
themselves had not been contrary to the King's prerogative
and the fundamental laws of the land. The answer was
signed with all tlieir hands except the Bp. of Gloucester's,;
who pleaded not guilty modo et forma.
The commons were dissatisfied with the bishops, for
not pleading directly to their charge ; and with the lords,
for receiving a demurrer when they were not present,
contrary to the request which they sent up with the im*
peachment, especially when the nature of the case,
being a mere matter of fact, could not require it ; they
tlierefore prayed the lords by Serjeant Glyn, to set aside
the demurrer, and to admit them to make proof of their
charge without any further delay ; or if they were satisfied
with the charge, and the bishops would not plead to it, to
proceed immediately to judgment; but the lords, instead
of complying with the commons, gave the bishops their
option, and ordered them to declare by Saturday, whe
ther they would plead to the impeachment or abide by
their demurrer, when they declared they would abide by
their demurrer ; upon which the lords appointed Monday'
following to hear their counsel in presence of the com
mons ; but the house resenting this dilatory method of
proceeding in a case which they alledge was so apparent
and manifest to the whole world, would not appear ; the
most active members declaring among their friends with a
sort of despair ; that they would be concerned no further
against the bishops, for they now saw it was in vain to.
attack a number of men, whom the court and the house of
lords were resolved to protect.
When this was rumoured in the city, it alarmed the
people, whose fears were already sufficiently awakened
with the apprehensions of a popish massacre and insurrec
tion within their own walls. The aldermen and common-
council immediately assembled, and drew up a petition to
support die courage of the commons, and went With it to
Westminster in sixty coaches, attended by a great number
of the lower people. The petition prays, — That the

604 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
house of commons would still be a riieans to the King
and house of peers, to concur with them (the commons)
in redressing the grievances of church and state, and
for the better effecting hereof, that the popish lords
and bishops may be removed out of the house of peers,
— The speaker returned them thanks in the name of
the house, and promised to take tlieir address into con
sideration in due time, A few days after, great num
bers of people assembled at Black-heath, to sign a pe
tition to the same purpose ; and within a fortnight the
apprentices of London went up with a petition signed
with a multitude of names, complaining of the decay
of trade occasioned by papists and prelates, and by a
malignant party that adhered to them; and praying that
the popish lords and other eminent persons of that
religion might be secured, and that prelacy might
be rooted out according to their former petition com
monly called the Root and Branch. The commons
received their petition favourably ; but the King in
stead of calming the citizens, increased their jealou
sies and suspicions, by removing at this very time Sir
W. Bel four from the lieutenancy of the Tower, and putting
Colonel Lunsford into his place, a suspected papist of no
fortune, who had been once out-lawed and was fit for any
desperate attempt. This unseasonable promotion occa
sioned petitions to his majesty for his removal, which with
much difficulty after some time was obtained, but the
jealousies of the people still remained.
The carrying up these petitions to Westminster, and
especially that of the London apprentices, occasioned
great tumults about the parliament house. The King
was at his palace at Whitehall, attended by great num
bers of disbanded officers, whom his majesty received
with great ceremony, and employed as a guard to his
royal person. These officers insulted the common peo
ple, and gave them ill language as they passed by the
court to the parliament house, crying out no bishops,
no popish lords. If the people ventured to reply, the
officers followed their reproaches with blows, Baxter
says, they came out of Whitehall, and catched some
of them, and cut off their ears. From these skirmishes,

1641. CHARLES I. 605,
and from the shortness of the apprentices' hair, which
was cut close about their ears, the two parties began
first to be distinguished by the names of Roundhead,
and Cavalier. David Hyde one of the reformades,
first drew his sword in Palace-yard, and swore he would
cut the throats of those round-headed dogs that bauled
against the bishops. Dr. Williams, Bp. of Lincoln, lately
promoted to the see of York, going by land to the
house or peers in company with the Earl of Dover,
and hearing a youth cry out louder than the; rest, no
bishops, no popish lords, stept from the earl, and laid
hands on him, but his companions rescued him, and,
about one hundred of them surrounding the bishop
hemmed him in, and with an universal shout cried outj
no bishops; after whicli they opened a passage and let.
his grace go forward to the house. The same day Co-,
lonel Lunsford coming through Westminster-Hall i in
company with thirty or forty officers, drew his sword
and wounded about twenty apprentices and citizens :
others walking in the Abbey while their friends were
waiting for an answer to their petition, were ordered by
the vergers to clear the church, lest the ornamenfs of
the cathedral should suffer damage ; upon which most
of them went out, and the doors were shut, but some
few remaining behind, were apprehended and i carried
before the bishop, which occasioned another skirmish,,
in which Sir R. Wiseman was killed by, a stone from
the battlements ; after which the officers and scholars
sallied out upon the mob sword in hand, and obliged
them to retire. The news of this being reported in the
city, the whole populace was in arms, and resolved, to
go next morning to Westhiinster with swords and staves.,
The bird mayor and sheriffs raised the train-bands, and
having ordered the city gates to be keptshut, they
rode about all night to keep the peace; but it wasim-.
possible to hinder the people's going out in the day.^
On the other hand, the King commanded the militia)
of Westminster and Middlesex to be raised by turns, -as
a guard to his royal person, and family; upon which
several gentlemen of the . inns of court offered ; theiri
service, in case his majesty apprehended any danger,;.-

606 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP.Vlir.
The house of commons being no less afraid of them
selves, petitioned for a guard out of the city of Lon
don, under the command of the Earl of Essex, which
his majesty refused, but told them, he would take as
much care of them as of his own children; and if this
would not suffice, he would command such a guard 'to
wait upon them as he would be answerable to God for;
but the house not being willing to trust to the King's
guard, declined his majesty's offer, and not prevailing
for one of their own choosing, they ordered halberds
to be brought into the house, and resolved in case of
an assault, to defend themselves.
The lords exerted themselves to disperse the tumults,
by sending their gentleman usher of the black rod to
command the people to depart to their homes ; and by
appointing a committee to enquire into the causes of
them. His majesty also published a proclamation, for
bidding all tumultuous assemblies of the people. But
the commons being unwilling to affront the citizens,
were not so vigorous in surpressing them, as it was
thought the circumstances of things required ; for as the
King relied upon his guard of officers, the commons
had their dependance upon -the good-will of the citi
zens. Not that the house can be charged with encou
raging tumults, for the very next day after the King's
proclamation they sent a message to the lords, decla
ring their readiness to concur in all lawful methods to
appease them; but being Sensible their chief strength
was among the inhabitants of London, without whose
countenance and support every thing must have been
given back into the hands of the court, they were tender
of entering upon vigorous measures.
While these tumults continued, the bishops were ad
vised to forbear their attendance upon the house, at least
till after the recess at Christmas ; but this looking too
much like cowardice, their lordships determined to do
their duty ; and because the streets were crouded with
unruly people, they agreed to go by water in their
barges; , but as < soon as they came near the shore, the
mob saluted them with a volley of stones, so that being
afraid to land, they, rowed _ back and returned to their

1641. CHARLES I. 607
own houses. Upon this repulse, twelve of them met
privately at the Abp. of York's lodgings in West
minster, to consult what measures were to be taken.
The archbishop advised to go no more to the house,
and immediately in a heat drew up a protestation ad
dressed to the King, against whatsoever the two houses
should do in their absence, which all present signed
with their hands except the Bp. of Winchester.
This protestation was presented to the King by Abp.
Williams, who undertook to justify the lawfulness of it;
but his majesty declining to appear in so nice an affair,
delivered it into the hands of the lord keeper Littleton,
who by his majesty's command, read it in the house of
lords the next morning. After some debates the lords
desired a conference with the commons, when the keeper
in the name of the house of peers declared, that the pro
testation of the bishops contained matters of high and
dangerous consequence, extending to the intrenching upon
the fundamental privileges and being of parliaments, and ,
therefore the lords thought fit to communicate it to the
commons. The protestation being communicated to the
house of commons, they resolved within half an hour,
to accuse the twelve bishops of high treason, for endea
vouring to subvert the fundamental laws and being of par
liaments, and seht up their impeachment by Mr. Glyn,
who having delivered it at the bar of the house of lords,
the usher of the black rod was ordered to go immediately
in search of the bishops, and bring them to the house ; the
bishops appearing the same evening were sequestered from
parliament, ten of them being sent to the Tower, the
Bps. of Durham and Norwich, by reason of their great
age, and the service they had done the church of God, by
their writings and preaching, being committed to the
Custody of the black rod, with an allowance of five pounds
a day for their expences.
The adversaries of the bishops in both houses were
extremely pleased with their unadvised conduct; one said,
it was " The finger of God," to bring that to pass which
otherwise could not have been compassed. There was
but one gentleman in the whole debate that spoke in their
¦hehalf, and said, " He did not believe they were guilty of

608 HISTORY OF THE PURITAN^ CHAP. VflY.
high treason, but that they were stark mad,1 and therefore
desired they might be sent to Bedlam." Their behaviour
gave such scandal and offence, even to those who passion
ately desired to preserve their function, that they had no
compassion or regard'for their persons. Rapin is of opi
nion, that the King hoped thisaffair might occasion the
dissolution of the parliament. But if he did his majesty
was much mistaken, for the bishops anid popish lords being
now absent, • the majority of the hoUse of peers was against
the court; which vexed the Queen and her faction, and
put them upon such an extravagant piece of revenge^
as effectually broke the peace of the kingdom, and
rendered the King's affairs^ irretrievable.
His majesty having been assured that Lord Kirii-
bolton, and five of the most active members in the hoUse
of commons, viz. D. Hollis, Sir A. Haslerigge, J. Pyrii,
J. Hambden, and W. Stroud, Esqrs. had invited the
Scots into England*: and Were now the chief encouragers
of those tumults that had kept the bishops and popish
lords from the house ; that they had aspersed his govern
ment, and were endeavouring to deprive him of his royal
power; in a word that they were conspiring to levy war
against him, resolved to impeach them of high treason*
Accordingly his majesty sent his attorney-general to the
house with the articles, and at the same time dispatched
officers to -their houses to seal up their trunks, papers, and
doors ; but the members not being ordered into custody/
as his majesty expected^ the King went himself to the house
next day in the afternoon, to seize them, attended with
about two hundred officers and soldiers, armed with swords
and pistols ; the gentlemen of the inns of court who had
offered their service to defend the King's person, having,
had notice to be ready at an hour's warning. The King
having .entered the house went directly to the speaker's
chair, and looking about him, said with a frown* " I per
ceive the birds are fled, but I will have them wheresoever
I can find them, for as long as these persons are here, this
house will never be'in the right way that 1 heartily wish it i
I expect therefore, that as soon as they come to the house
you send them to me." Having then assured the mem
bers, that he designed no force upon them^ nor breach of

5641. CHARLES I. 609
privilege, after a little time he withdrew ; but as his ma
jesty was going out, many members cried aloud, so as he
might hear them, privilege! privilege ! The house was
in a terrible pannic while the King was in the chair, the
door of the house with all the avenues being crouded,
with officers and soldiers ; as soon therefore as his majesty
was gone they adjourned till next day, and then for a week.
It was happy that the five members had notice of the King's
coming, just time enough to withdraw into the city, other
wise it might have occasioned the effusion of blood, for
without doubt the armed soldiers at the door only waited
fertile word to carry them away by force; Next day his
majesty went into the city, and demanded them of the
lord mayor and court of aldermen, then assembled by his
order at Guildhall, professing at the same time his resolu
tion to prosecute all who opposed the laws, whether papists
or separatists, and to defend the true protestant religion
which his father professed. But though his majesty Was
nobly entertained- by the sheriffs, he now perceived, that
this rash and unadvised action had lost him the hearts of
the! citizens, there being no acclamations or huzzas* as
usual, only here and there a voice, as he went along in the
coach, crying out privilege of parliament ! privilege of
parliament ! However he persisted in his resolution, and
published a proclamation, commanding all magistrates.
and officers of justice, to apprehend the accused mem
bers and carry them to the Tower.— Eachard with great
probability lays this unparalleled act of violence upon the
Queen and her Cabal of papists ; and adds, that wheri
the King expressed his distrust of the affair, her majesty
broke out into a violent passion, and said, " Go coward
and pull these rogues out by the ears, or never see my
face any more !" which it seems determined the whole
matter. The citizens of London were so far from delivering up
the five members, that they petitioned the King that they
might be at liberty, and proceeded against according to
the methods of parliament. At the same time they acquain
ted his majesty with their apprehensions of the ruin of
trade, and of the danger of the protestant religion, by
vol. I. Q Q

610 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
reason of the progress of the rebellion in Ireland, and the
number of papists and other disbanded officers about the
court. His majesty finding he had lost the city, fortified
Whitehall with men and ammunition, and sent canoneers
into the Tower to defend it, if there should be occasion.
When the citizens complained of this, his majesty replied,
that it was done with an eye to their safety and advantage ;
that his fortifying Whitehall was not before it was necessary,
and that if any citizens had been wounded it was undoubt
edly for their evil and corrupt demeanor. But they had
no confidence in the King's protection. A thousand mari
ners and sailors offered to guard the five members to
Westminster by water upon the day of their adjournment,
and the train-bands offered the committee at Guildhall
to do the same by land, which was accepted. Things
being come to this extremity, his majesty to avoid the
hazard of an affront from the populace, took the fatal reso
lution of leaving Whitehall, and accordingly the day
before the parliament was to meet, he removed with his
Queen and the whole royal family to Hampton-court, and
two days after to Windsor, from whence he travelled by
easy stages to York ; never returning to London till
he was brought thither as a criminal to execution.-
By the King's deserting his capital in this manner, and
not returning when the ferment was over, he left the
strength and riches of the kingdom in the hands of his
parliament ; for next day the five members were conduc
ted by water in triumph to Westminster, the train-bands
of the city marching at the same time by land, who after
they had received the thanks of the house were dismissed ;
and Serjeant Skippon with a company of the city militia,
was appointed to guard the parliament house; from this
day, says Clarendon, we may reasonably date the levying
war in England, whatsoever has been since done being but
the superstructures upon these foundations. It must be con
fessed that two days after the King sent a message to the
house, waving his proceedings with respect to the five
members, and promising to be as careful of their privi
leges as of his life or crown ; and a little after offered a
general pardon ; but the commons had too much reason
at this time not to depend upon his royal promise ; they

1641. CHARLES. I. 611
insisted that the accused members should be brought to
their trial in a legal and parliamentary way ; in order to
which they desired his majesty to inform them, what proof
there was against them ; it. being the undoubted right
and privilege of parliament, that no member can be
proceeded against without the consent of the house ;
which his majesty refusing to comply with, removed further
off to Windsor, and entered upon measures very incon
sistent with the peace of the kingdom.
To return to the bishops ; about a fortnight after their
commitment they pleaded to the impeachment of the
house of commons, " Not guilty in manner and form,"
and petitioned the lords for a speedy trial, which was
put off from time to time, till the whole bench of bishops
was voted out of the house, and then entirely dropt ; for
the very next day after their commitment, the commons
desired the lords to resume the consideration of the bill
that had been sent up some months ago, for taking away
all temporal jurisdiction from those in holy orders, which
the lords promised; it had passed the commons without
any difficulty about the time of the Irish insurrection,
and was laid aside in the house of lords, as being thought
impossible to pass while the bishops' votes were entire;
when it was revived at this juncture, the Earl of Bedford
and the Bp. of Rochester made a vigorous stand against it.
But the question being put, whether the bill should be read,
it passed in the affirmative ; and after some few debates,
the bill was carried by a very great majority, the citizens
of London expressing their satisfaction by ringing of bells
and bonfires. But it was still apprehended that the King
would refuse his assent, because when he had been
pressed to it he had said, it was a matter of great con
cernment, and therefore he would take time to consider;
however the commons not content with this delay,
sent ao-ain to Windsor, to press his compliance; and
their message was seconded by those of greatest trust'
about the King. But no arguments would have prevailed,
had not the Queen made use of her sovereign influence
over the King. Her majesty was made to believe that her
own preservation depended upon the King's consent to the-
bill ; that if his majesty refused it, her journey into Hoi-

612 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII
land would be stopt, and her person possibly endangered
by some mutiny or insurrection ; whereas the using her
interest with the King would lay a popular obligation upon
the kingdom, and make her acceptable to the parliament.
These arguments carrying a face of probability, her
majesty wrested the. King's resolution from him, so that
the bill was signed- by commission, together with another,
against pressing soldiers, his majesty being. then at Can
terbury, accompanying the Queen in her passage to
Holland. But his, majesty's signing them with so much
reluctance did him a disservice. All men took notice of
his discontent ; and Lord Clarendon says, he has cause fo
believe that, the King was prevailed with to sign ;thein,'
because he was told that, there being violence and force
Used to obtain them, they were therefore in themselves
null, and in quieter . times might easily be revoked and
disannulled. A dangerous doctrine as it may tend to
overthrow the most established laws of a country !
- Thus the peerage of the bishops and the whole secular
power of the clergy, ceased for about twenty years ; how
far they contributed to it by their pride and ambition, their
sovereign contempt of the laity, and indiscreet behaviour
towards their protestant brethren, has. been already ob
served. Their enemies said, the hand of God was against
them, because they had. given too much countenance to
the ridiculing of true devotion and piety, under the name
of godly puritanism ;— because they had silenced great
numbers of ministers eminent for learning and religion
for riot complying with certain indifferent rites "and cere-L
monies, while others who were vicious* and insufficient for
their office were encouraged ;— because they made a
stricter enquiry after those who fasted and prayed, and
jcined together, in religious exercises, than after those
who were guilty of swearing, drunkenness, and other kinds
of debauchery j— because they discouraged afternoon ser
mons and lectures, and encouraged sports and pastimes on
the Lord's day ;— because they had driven, many hundred
families out of the land ;— and were upon the whole,
enemies to the civil interests of their country. Others
observed that most of them verged too much towards the
see of Roriie, and gave ground to suspect they were design-

1641. CHARLES I. 613
ing an union between the two churches, which at a time
when the Roman catholics in Ireland had embrued their
hands in the blood of almost two hundred thousand pro
testants, and were so numerous at home as to make large
and public collections of money to support the King in
his war against the Scots ; was sufficient to make every
sincere protestant jealous of their power. Besides the
bishops themselves had been guilty of many oppressions ;
they had in a manner laid aside the practice of preaching,
that they might be the more at leisure for the governing
part of their function ; though even here they devolved
the whole of their jurisdiction upon their chancellors and
under officers. They did not sit in tlieir consistories to
hear complaints, or do justice either to clergy or laity, but
turned over the people to registers, proctors, and appari
tors, who drew tlieir money from them against equity and
law, and used them at discretion.
Few or none of them made their visitations in person,
or lived in their episcopal cities ; by which means there
was no kind of hospitality or liberality to the poor. Divine
service in their cathedrals was neglected or ill performed,
for want of their presence and inspection. Instead of
conferring orders at the mother church, they made use of
the chapels of their private houses, without requiring the
assistance of their deans and chapters, they pronounced
the censures of deprivation and degradation in a monar-
chial and absolute manner ; and upon the whole, they did
little else but receive their rents, indulge their ease,
consult their grandeur, and lord it over their brethren.
These were the popular complaints against them, which
made the citizens rejoice at their downfal, and attend the
passing of the bill with bonfires and illuminations. How
ever if all these things had not concurred in a nice and
critical juncture of affairs, the attempts of the house of
commons would have been in vain ; neither the King nor
peers being heartily willing to deprive them of their seats
in parliament. This was one of the last bills the King
passed ; and the only law which he enacted in prejudice
of the established church. Here his majesty made a stand,
and by a message sent to both houses, desired not to be

614 HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. VIII.
pressed to any one single act further, till the whole affair of
Church government and the liturgy was so digested and
settled, that he might see clearly what was fit to remain, as
well as what was fit to be taken away.

END OF VOI., S.

Edward Baines, Printer, Leeds.