LIVES OF THE PURITANS. B. Go thou on to contrive. Thou shalt orderly dispose of our livings. M. That is more than you can do yourselves. If rich livingsbe the fault, they are to blame who have too much. Whatever be the cause, the church feeleth the smart. Muffins. Sir, in the beginning of her majesty's reign, there was a defect of able men ;- and the church was con- strained to take such as it could get, upon the recommenda- tion of noblemen. M. I speak of later times. As for noblemen, they areno sureties for us ; and as to the defect, it cannot wholly dispense with the word. A minister must be able to teach. Mull. Then you would have a preacher, or none at all ; and so the church would be unserved. M. It would be better to have nothing, than that which God would not have. B. How dost thou prove that God would not have them, when we can get no better ? M. Doth he not say, 44 Because thou bast rejected know- ledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest untome ?" B. Thou are an overthwart, proud, puritan knave.. Thou wilt go to Northampton ; and thou wilt have thine own sayings till thou die. But thou shalt repent. M. I am no puritan. I beseech you to be good to me. I have been twice in prison already ; but I know not why. B. Where was he before? Keeper of the Gatehouse. With me, my lord. B. Have him to the Marshalsea. There he shall cope with the papists. M. I must go where it pleaseth God. But remember God's judgments. You do me open wrong. I pray God forgive you.t Mr. Merbury was then carried to the Marshalsea ; but how long he remained in prison we are not able to learn. Notwithstanding the cruelty with which the good man was treated, he was not a person of severe principles, but acted with great moderation ; and afterwards, with liberty of interpretation, became much more conform- able.t A minister of the same name was afterwards as This prelate was much accustomed to use foul language. He called Bishop Bonner, because he was remarkably corpulent, " My Lord Lubber of London."-Strype's Aylmer, p. 275. f Parte of a Register, p. 381-386. t Baxter'sSecond Plea, p. 41. IN
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