in prison for the gospel that were Arians, and disbelieved the divinity of Jesus Christ. Two of them lay in the King's Bench, and raised such unseemly and quarrelsome disputes, that the marshal was forced to separate the prisoners from one another; and in the year 1556, the noise of their contentions reached the ears of the council, who sent Dr. Martin to the King's Bench to examine into the affair.*

I mention these disputes, to shew the frailty and corruption of human nature,† even under the cross, and to point the reader to the first beginnings of those debates which afterward 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 queen Elizabeth, under the name of Arminianism, and within the compass of a few years supplanted the received doctrine of the Reformation.

Many of the clergy that were zealous professors of the gospel under king Edward VI. through fear of death recanted and subscribed; some out of weakness, who, as soon as they were out of danger, revoked their subscriptions, and openly confessed their fall: of this sort were Scory and Barlow, bishops, the famous Mr. Jewel, and others. Among the common people some went to mass to preserve their lives, and yet frequented the assemblies of the Gospellers, 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 trust or 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 that had defiled themselves with that idolatrous service.

But though many complied with the times, and some concealed themselves in friends' houses, shifting from one place Strype's Life of Cranmer, p. 352.

+ Mr. Neal's language and sentiments are not here the most correct. Disputes, arising from difference of opinion on points of speculation, may be proofs of the frailty of our nature; as they shew, that all cannot attain to precise ideas, a clear discernment, and comprehensive views, on subjects that are attended with many difficulties. But how do they indicate the corruption of human nature? That betrays itself in the intemperate spirit and language with which they are managed, and should be imputed not to human nature, but to the want of self-government in those individuals who thus offend. It is not proper, indiscriminately, to condemn disputes, because such censures operate as discouragements and bars to the investigation of the truth.-ED. Strype's Life of Cranmer, p. 362, 363.

to another, others resolved with the hazard of their lives to join together and worship God, according to the servicebook of king Edward. There were several of these congregations up and down the country, which met together in the night, and in secret places, to cover themselves from the notice of their persecutors. Great numbers in Suffolk and Essex constantly frequented the private assemblies of the Gospellers, and came not at all to the public service; but the most considerable congregation was in and about London. It was formed soon after queen Mary's accession, and consisted of above two hundred members. They had divers preachers, as Mr. Scambler afterward bishop of Peterborough, Mr. Fowler, Mr. Rough a Scotsman, who was burnt; Mr. Bernher, and Mr. Bentham, who survived the persecution, and in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, was made bishop of Litchfield and Coventry; Mr. Cuthbert Simpson was deacon of the church, and kept a book with names of all that belonged to it: they met sometimes about Aldgate, sometimes in Blackfriars, sometimes in Thames-street, and sometimes on board of ships, when they had a master, for their purpose: sometimes they assembled in the villages about London, to cover themselves from the bishops' officers and spies; and especially at Islington; but here, by the treachery of a false brother, the congregation was at length discovered and broke up: Mr. Rough their minister, and Mr. Simpson their deacon, were apprehended and burnt, with many others. Indeed the whole church was in the utmost danger; for whereas Simpson the deacon used to carry the book wherein the names of the congregation were contained, to their private assemblies, 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 or the names, he was put upon the 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 a heretic, I should much commend him, for he has been thrice racked in one day, and in my house has endured some sorrow, and yet I never saw his patience moved." But notwithstanding this, Bonner con

* Clarke's Martyr. p. 497.

demned him, and ordered him first into the stocks in his coal-house, and from thence to Smithfield, where with Mr. Fox and Davenish, two others of the church taken at Islington, he ended his life in the flames.

Many escaped the fury of the persecution, by withdrawing from the storm, and 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; as Basil, Frankfort, Embden, Strasburgh, Doesburgh, Arrow, and Zurich, where the magistrates received them with great humanity, and allowed them places for public worship. But the uncharitableness of the Lutherans on this occasion was very remarkable; they hated the exiles because they were Sacramentarians, and when any English came among them for shelter, they expelled them their cities; so that they found little hospitality in Saxony and other places of Germany where Lutheranism was professed. Philip Melancthon interceded with the senate on their behalf, but the clergy were so zealous for their consubstantiation, that they irritated the magistrates every where against them. The number of the refugees is computed at above eight hundred; the most considerable of whom have been mentioned, as the bishops of Winchester, Bath and Wells, Chichester, Exeter, and Ossory; the deans of Christ-church, Exeter, Durham, Wells, and Chichester; the archdeacons of Canterbury, Stowe, and Lincoln; with a great many other very learned divines. The laity of distinction were, the dutchess of Suffolk with her husband, sir Thomas Wroth, sir Richard Morison, sir Anthony Cook, sir John Cheeke, and others.

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. On the 27th of June 1554, Mr. Whittingham, Williams, Sutton, and Wood, with their families and friends, came to settle at the city of Frankfort; and upon application to the magistrates were admitted to a partnership in the French church for a place of worship; the two congregations being to meet at different hours, as they should agree among themselves, but with this proviso, Strype's Life of Cranmer, p. 354, &c.

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 and surplice; but that the public 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 July 29th, 1554, and having chosen a minister and deacons to serve for the present, they sent to their brethren that were dispersed, to invite them to come to Frankfort, where they might hear God's word truly preached, the sacraments rightly ministered, and Scripture discipline used, which in their own country could not be obtained.

The more learned clergymen, and some younger divines, settled at Strasburgh, Zurich, and Basil, for the benefit of the libraries of those places, and of the learned conversation of the professors, as well as in hopes of some little employment in the way of printing. The congregation at Frankfort sent letters to these places of the 2d of August 1554, 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 servicebook of king Edward. The Strasburgh divines demurring upon the affair, the congregation at Frankfort sent for Mr. Knox from Geneva, Mr. Haddon from Strasburgh, and Mr. Lever from Zurich, whom they elected for their ministers. At length the students at 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 and use no other. To this the Frankfort congregation replied, that they would use the service

*Hist. of the Troubles of Francfort, printed 1575.

book as far as God's word commanded it; but as for the unprofitable ceremonies, though some of them were tolerable, yet being in a strange country they could not be suffered to use them; and indeed they thought it better that they should never be practised. "If any (say they) think that the not using the book in all points should weaken our godly fathers and brethren's hands, or be a disgrace to the worthy laws of king Edward, let them consider, that they themselves have upon consideration and circumstances altered many things in it heretofore; and if God had not in these wicked days otherwise determined, would hereafter have altered more; and in our case we doubt not but they would have done as we do." So they made use of part of the book, but omitted the litany and responses.

But this not giving satisfaction, Mr. Chambers and Mr. Grindal came with a letter from the learned men of Strasburgh, subscribed with sixteen hands, in which they exhort them in the 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 goodwill and ready endeavours to reduce their church to the exact pattern of king Edward's book, as far as possible can be obtained: "should they deviate from it at this time, they apprehend they should seem to condemn those who were now sealing it with their blood, and give occasion to their adversaries to charge them with inconstancy." The Frankfort congregation, in their letter of December 3d, reply, that "they had omitted as few ceremonies as possible, so that there was no danger of their being charged with inconstancy. They apprehended that the martyrs in England were not dying in defence of ceremonies, which they allow may be altered; and as for doctrine there is no difference; therefore, if the learned divines of Strasbugh should come to Frankfort with no other views but to reduce the congregation to king Edward's form, and to establish the Popish ceremonies, they give them to understand that they had better stay away." This was signed by John Knox, now come from Geneva, John Bale, John Fox the martyrologist, and fourteen more.

Things being in this uncertain posture at Frankfort; king Edward's book being used in part, but not wholly; and there being no prospect of an accommodation with their