sented myself from my parish-church, and have refused to join with the congregation in public prayer, and in receiving the sacrament, according to the public order set down, and my duty in that behalf, I am right sorry for it, and pray that this my fault may be pardoned; and do promise, that from henceforth I will frequent my parish-church, and join with the congregation there, as well in prayer as in the administration of the sacraments, according to such order as by public authority is set down and established; and to witness this my promise I do hereunto willingly subscribe my name."* 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 summoned into the commons, where 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 have been made of their rude language to the bishops and the rest of the commissioners; and it is possible that their lordly behaviour, and arbitrary proceedings, might sometimes make their passions overflow. "Oppression will make a wise man mad.” But I have the examinations of several before me, in which nothing of this kind appears. On the other hand, it is certain the conduct of the commissioners 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 got out, though he was cleared of the accusation.‡ 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, January 18, 1573; who had been 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 dispatched, Mr. White was brought before them, whom his lordship accosted after this manner : L. C. J. White. L. C. J. White. Who is this? White, an't please your honour. White, as black as the devil. Not so, my lord; one of God's children. L. C. J. Why will you not come to your parish-church? White. My lord, I did use to frequent my parish-church before my troubles, and procured several godly men to preach there, as well as in other places of preaching and prayer; and since my troubles I have not frequented any private assemblies, Notwithstanding the dangers already mentioned," people resorted to the suffering Puritans in prison, as in Popery but as I have had leave and liberty have gone to my parish-church; and therefore those that presented me, have done it out of malice; for if any of these things can be proved against me simply, or that I hold all things in common, your lordship may dismiss me from hence to the gallows. Mr. Ger. You have not usually frequented your own parish-church. White. I allow I have more used other places, where I was better edified. White. Not, an't please you, for I am presented for not coming at all to my parish-church. Mr. Ger. Will you then come to prayers when there is no sermon? White. I would avoid those things that are an offence to me and others, and disturb the peace of the church; however, I crave the liberty of a subject, and if I' do not publicly frequent both preaching, prayer, and the sacraments, deal with me accordingly. Dean of West. What fault find you in the common prayer? White. Let them answer to whom it appertains? for being in prison almost a year about these matters, I was, upon a statute relating to that book, indicted, and before I came to liberty almost outlawed, as your worship, Mr. Gerard, knows. Mast. Req. What Scripture have you to ground your conscience against these garments? White. The whole Scriptures are for destroying idolatry, and every thing that belongs to it. Mast. Req. These things never served to idolatry. White. Shough; they are the same which heretofore were used to that purpose.' Mast. Req. Where is the place where these are forbidden? White. In Deuteronomy, and other places, the Israelites are commanded, not only to destroy the altars, groves, and images, with all thereto belonging, but also to abolish the very names; and God by Isaiah commandeth not to pollute ourselves with the garments of the image, but to cast it away as a menstruous clout. Mast. Rolls. These are no part of idolatry, but are commanded by the prince for civil order, and if you will not be ordered you shew yourself disobedient to the laws. White. I would not willingly disobey any law, only I would avoid those things that are not warranted by the word of God. Mast. Req. These things are commanded by act of parliament, and in disobeying the laws of your country you disobey God. White. I do it not of contempt but of conscience; in all other things I am an obedient subject. L. C. J. Thou art a contemptuous fellow, and wilt obey no laws. White. Not so, my lord, I do and will obey laws; and therefore refusing but a ceremoney out of conscience, and not refusing the penalty for the same, I rest still a true subject. L. C. J. The queen's majesty was overseen not to make you of her council, to make laws and orders for religion. White. Not so, my lord; I am to obey laws warranted by God's word. L. C. J. Do the queen's laws command any thing against God's word? White. I do not so say, my lord. L. C. J. Yes, marry do you, and there I will hold you. White. Only God and his laws are absolutely perfect: all men and their laws may err. L. C. J. This is one of Shaw's darlings; I tell thee what, I will not say any thing of affection, for I know thee not, saving by this occasion; thou art the wickedest and most contemptuous person that has come before me, since I sat in thi commission. White. Not so, my lord, my conscience witnesseth otherwise. Mast. Req. What if the queen should command to wear a gray frize gown, would you come to church then? White. That were more tolerable, than that God's ministers should wear the habit of his enemies. L. C. J. How, if she should command to wear a fool's coat and a cɔcks' comb? VOL. I. $ 2 they were wont to run on pilgrimage (they are the bishop of London's words). Some aldermen and several wealthy White. That were very unseemly, my lord, for God's ministers. Dean West. You will not then be obedient to the queen's commands? White. I would only avoid those things that have no warrant in the word of God, that are neither decent nor edifying, but flatly the contrary, and are condemned by the foreign reformed churches. L. C. J. You would have no laws. White. If there were no laws, I would live a Christian and do no wrong; if I received any, so it were. L. C. J. Thou art a rebel. White. Not so, my lord, a true subject. L. C. J. Yea, I swear by God, thou art a very rebel; for thou wouldst draw thy sword, and lift up thy hand against thy prince, if time served. White. My lord, I thank God, my heart standeth right towards God and my prince; and God will not condemn, though your honour hath so judged. L. C. J. Take him away. White, I would speak a word which I am sure will offend, and yet I must speak it; I heard the name of God taken in vain; if I had done it, it had been a greater offence than that which I stand here for. Mr. Ger. White, White, you don't behave yourself well. White. I pray your worship, shew me wherein, and I will beg pardon and amend it. L. C. J. I may swear in a matter of charity. White. There is no such occasion; but because it is bruited, that at my last being before you, I denied the supremacy of my prince, I desire your honours and worships, with all that be present, to bear witness, that I acknowledge her majesty the chief governor, next under Christ, over all persons and causes within her dominions, and to this I will subscribe. I acknowledge the book of articles, and the Book of Common Prayer, as far as they agree with the word of God. I acknowledge the substance of the doctrine and sacraments of the church to be sound and sincere; aud so I do of rites and orders, as far as they agree with the word of God. Dean of West. You will not then allow, that all things in the Book of Common Prayer are taken out of the word of God? White. Though they should be so, yet being done by man, I cannot give them the same warrant as to the writings of the Holy Ghost. L. C. J. Take him away. White. I would to the Lord Jesus, that my two years' imprisonment might be a means of having these matters fairly decided by the word of God, and the judgment of other reformed churches. L. C. J. You shall be committed, I warrant you. White. Pray, my lord, let me have justice; I am unjustly committed; I desire a copy of my presentment. L. C. J. house. You shall have your head from your shoulders; have him to the Gate White. I pray you to commit me to some prison in London, that I may be near my house. L. C. J. No, sir, you shall go thither. White. I have paid fines and fees in other prisons; send me not where I shall pay them over again. L. C. J. Yes, marry shall you: this is your glory. White. I desire no such glory. L. C. J. It will cost you twenty pounds, I warrant you, before you come out. White. God's will be done. "It These severities against zealous Protestants, of pious and sober lives, raised the compassion of the common people, and brought them over to their interests. was a great grief to the archbishop (says Mr. Strype), and to other good bishops, to see persons going off from the first establishment 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—.” 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? But 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 archbishop Parker, signed the following protestation : "Being thoroughly persuaded in my conscience, by the working and by the word of the Almighty, that these relics of antichrist are abominable before the Lord our God; and also, for that by the power, mercy, strength, and goodness, of the Lord our God only, I am escaped from the filthiness and pollution of these detestable traditions, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: and last of all, inasmuch as by the working also of the Lord Jesus his Holy Spirit, I have joined in prayer and hearing God's word, with those that have not yielded to this idolatrous trash, notwithstanding the danger for not coming to my parish-church, &c. Therefore I come not back again to the preaching of them that have received the marks of the Romish beast. "Because of God's commandment to go forward to perfection. Heb. vi. 1. 2 Cor. vii. 1. Psalm lxxxiv. 1. Ephes. iv. 15. Also to avoid them. Rom. xvi. 17. Ephes. v. 11. 1 Thess. v. 22. "Because they are an abomination before the Lord our God. Deut. xxvii. 25, 26. and xiii. 17. Ezek. xiv. 6. "I will not beautify with my presence those filthy rags, which bring the heavenly word of the Eternal our Lord God -into bondage, subjection, and slavery. "Because I would not communicate with other men's sins. John ii. 9-11. 1 Cor. vi. 17. Touch no unclean thing, &c. Sirach xiii. 1. "They give offence both to preacher and hearers. Rom. xvi. 17. Luke xvii. 1. "They glad and strengthen the Papists in their errors and grieve the godly. Ezek. xiii. 21, 22. [Note this 21st verse.] "They do persecute our Saviour Jesus Christ in his members. Acts ix. 4, 5. 2 Cor. i. 5. Also they reject and despise our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Luke x. 16. Moreover those labourers, who at the prayer of the faithful, the Lord hath sent forth into his harvest, they refuse and also reject. Matt. ix. 38. "These Popish garments are now become very idols indeed, because they are exalted above the word of the Almighty. "I come not to them because they should be ashamed, and so leave their idolatrous garments, &c. 2 Thess. iii. 14. If any man obey not our sayings, note him. 66 Moreover, I have now joined myself to the church of Christ, wherein I have yielded myself subject to the discipline of God's word, as I promised at my baptism, which if I should now again forsake, and join myself with their traditions, I should forsake the union wherein I am knit to the body of Christ, and join myself to the discipline of antichrist; for in the church of the traditionaries there is no other discipline than that which has been maintained by the antichristian pope of Rome, whereby the church of God has always been afflicted, and is until this day, for the which cause I refuse them. "God give us grace still to strive in suffering under the cross, that the blessed word of our God may only rule and have the highest place, to cast down strong holds, to destroy or overthrow policy, or imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and to bring into captivity or subjection, every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. That the name and word of the Eternal our Lord God may be exalted, and magnified above all things. Psalm. viii. 2. Finis." To this protestation the congregation did severally swear, and then received the communion for the ratification of their assent; if we may believe the relation of archbishop Parker, who wrote this last paragraph with his own hand; though his grace had not always the best information, nor was sufficiently careful to distinguish between subscribing and swearing. Sundry Nonconformists, 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, because they understood not their language. But the queen and council had their eye upon them, and resolved to drive them from Life of Parker, p. 435. |
