INTRODUCTION. 43 holiday, was to make her an idol," Bishop Aylmer com- mitted him to the Fleet. Lord Rich, for attempting to vindicate him, was at the same time sent to the Marshal- sea, and Mr. Dix to the Gatehouse.* Mr. Morley, a Norfolk minister, and Mr, Handson, preacher at Bury St. Edmunds, were both greatly molested, and suspended for nonconformity. The lord treasurer, with several other eminent persons, interceded with the bishop for the resto- rationof Mr. Handson, but all to no purpose. The angry prelate peremptorily declared, that he should not be re- stored, unless he would publicly acknowledge his fault, and enter into bonds for his good behaviour in future. Mr. Drewit was committed to Newgate, and Mr. Nash to the Marshalsea, where they remained a long time. Also, during this year, Mathew Hament, a poor plow-wright at Hethersett, near Norwich, being suspected of holding many unsound and dangerous opinions, was convened before the Bishop of Norwich, condemned as an heretic, and, May 20th, committed to the flames in the castle-ditch. As a preparative to this punishment, his ears were cut off on the 13th of the same month.f These proceedings were too conformable to thoSe of the church of Rome. Great numbers of pious and learned ministers were now indicted at the assizes, for omitting to use the surplice, the cross in baptism, the ring in marriage, or some part of the common prayer. They were ranked with the worst of felons, and exposed to public contempt, to the great dis- honour of God, and injury of her majesty's subjects. Many persons ofquality in the various counties of England, petitioned the lords of the council in behalf of the perse- cuted ministers. In the Suffolk petition are these words: - " The painful pastors andministers of the word, by what justice we know not, are now of late brought to the bar at every assize ; marshalled with the worst malefactors, in- dicted, arraigned, and condemned for matters, as we pre- sume, of very slender moment : some for having holidays unbidden ; some for singing the hymn nunc dimittis in the morning ; some for turning the question in baptism from the infants to the godfathers, which is onlyyou, for thou ; some for leaving out the cross in baptism ; some for leaving out the ring in marriage ; whereunto," say they, c neither the law, nor the lawmakers, in our judgment, had ever any regard.t Strype's Aylmer, p. 86. 1 Reylin's 15ist. of Pres. p.280,281. Parte of a Register, p. 128.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=