410 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. that when the parishioners of St. Peter's in Northampton understood that he did not account himself a full minister, till he should be chosen by some particular congregation, they immediately chose him to be their minister.. In the year 1576, Mr. Snape and Mr. Thomas Cart- wright were invited to the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, to assist the ministers of those places, in framing the necessary discipline for their chuivies. Dr. Heylin, who could never speak well of such men, charges these two divines with imposing their discipline upon the people of those islands ; than which he could not have asserted a more palpable falsehood.t They were averse to every species of ecclesiastical imposition, and were called to those places only to give their instructions and advice ; and this peevish, calumniating writer, must surely have known this. The two divines were men of distinguished learning and abili- ties. They laboured to have the discipline of the church wholly regulated by the New Testament ; and, therefore, they were admirably qualified for the important undertaking. After the comfortable settlement of those churches, Mr. Snape returned to England, and preachedthe gospel for some time in the dioceseof Exeter ; where, it is said, he sowed the seeds of nonconformity ; but it is added, that the vigilant and stout prelate, Dr. Cotton, plucked them up before they came to perfection.t This, however, is a very defective account of his labours in those parts, For it is observed, that Mr, Snape, Mr. Eusebius Paget, and Mr. John Holmes, three excellent nonconformists in the diocese of Exeter, were exceedingly zealous and laborious to,promote true religion; and, by their frequent and useful preaching,' they were made a blessing to very many both of the clergy and common people.§ Mr. Snape having laboured in those parts for some time, returned, to his ministerial- exercise at Northampton, where he most probably continued several years.11 About the year 1586, he unitedwith his brethren in sub- scribing the 44 Book of Discipline ;"a and in 1590, he was brought into trouble on account of the associations held in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and other counties. He was azealous and an active member of these assemblies ; for Banerofes Dangerous Positions, p. 114. Heylin's Hist. of 'Pres. p. 293. Filler's Worthies, part ii. p. 206. § MS. Chronology, vol. ii. p. 679. (3.) Heylin's Hist. of Pres. p. 216, 290. 4 Neal's Puritans, vol. i. p. 423.
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