198 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. " authority : now theymay.-Then, without consent, they " could make no ministers : now they do.-They could " confirm no children in other parishes : they do now in " manyshires.-Then they had no living of the church, but " only in one congregation : now they have.-Then they "had neither officials, nor commissaries, nor chancellors, " under them.-Then they dealt in no civil government, by " any established authority.-Then they had no right in " alienating any parsonage, to give it in lease.-Then they " had the church where they served the cure, even as those " whomwe nowcall porishministers."-This boldand excel- lent letter contains many other interesting particulars, too numerous for our insertion.* Upon the appearance of Mr. Deering in the star-chamber, the following charges were brought against him : " That he had spoken against god- fathers and godmothers.-That he had asserted that the statute of providing for the poor was not competent to the object.-That he had said, he could provide for them in a better way, by committing them to be kept by the rich.- That, at a public dinner, he took off his cap, and said, Now I will prophesy, Matthew Parker is the last arch- bishop that shall ever sit in that seat and that Mr. Cart- wright said, Accipio omen." To acquit himself of these charges, he presented an address, November 28th, to the lords of the council, who constituted the above court. In this address, he proves his innocence, and establishes his own reputation. He says here, " Against godfathers and godmothers, save only the name, I spake nothing.-That I said the statute of provision for the poor was not competent to the object, or any such Words, I utterly deny : I commended the statute.-That I said I could provide for the poor, I utterly deny, as words which I never spake, and thoughts which were never yet in my heart. And if I had spoken any such thing, I had spoken wickedly, and accordingly deserved punishment. And thus much. I profess and protest, before the seat of justice, where I dare not lie.-In the last place, I am charged with taking off my cap, and saying, Now I will prophesy, Matthew Parker is the last archbishop that shall ever sit in that seat : and that Mr. Cartwright said, diceipio omen.' To this I answer, that I have confessed what I said; and here I send it, witnessed by the hands of those who heard it. put off no cap, our spake of anyprophesy."t Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 270-279. + Ibid. Appendix,p. 55-58
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