404 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. judge with what degree of justice Mr. Bainbrigg's opinions were denominated factious, slanderous, offensive and dangerous. To put an end to these oppressive measures, the chancellor interposed, and wrote to the vice-chancellor and heads, requiring that the two fellows might not be dealt with so rigorously.. A further account of Mr. Johnson is given under that article, to which the reader is referred. But Mr. Bainbriggwas still in the hands ofhis enemies ; and they were determined to make him feel their smarting rod. The cruel ecclesiastics, contrary to Burleigh's express order, would not release him, till they had thoroughly humbled him. Therefore, they required him to make the following recantation, publicly, before the congregation where he had deliveredhis sermon : "Whereas in a sermon made by me in thisplace, Jan. " 5th last past, I was taken to charge the ministry of the " church of England, that they were unlike Moses and " Jeremiah, that refused a charge being called ; for that " they do seek for livings, andbuy themwith their money, " when they do fall. I do acknowledge that howsoever my " words were taken, I think it lawful in a good conscience, " for the good ofthe church, to desire livings. Neither did " I say, as some did take me, that our statutes of the " university, and positive laws of the realm, areas a bar to " strike the. of the gospel out of the hands of the u preachers, who be the Lord's messengers ; but I think "reverently of good and wholesome laws, such as are " established by the queen's authority, as well in the " university, as in the rest of her dominions. " And touching preachers, if any of them have by lawful " authority been put to silence, I think as charity requireth, " that the magistrates who have dealt therein, have been " moved thereto by conscience, for the discharge of their " honest duty in that behalf. " I acknowledge, also, a godly use of eloquence in this " place, and that the ceremonies of our church established " by authority, being in themselves neither impious nor " unprofitable, are not here to be reproved by any private " man's conceit, but redress to be sought where it may be " had, if itbe necessary in regard ofany ceremony, whereby " offence may be taken."+ The above retraction, it is said, was subscribed by Mr. Bainbrigg's own hand, and he was enjoined to declare the Strype's Annals, vol. iii. Appen. p. 592. + Baker's MS. cones. vol. vi, p. 185, 186.
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