INTRODUCTION. 49 for refusing to subscribe, wear the surplice, or some other trivial matter.. He, moreover, advised the heads of the university of Cambridge to call in all their licenses, and expel all who refused to wear the apparel, saying, " The folly that is bound up in the heart of a child, is to be expelled by the rod of discipline."+ This cruel, perse- cuting prelate might, therefore, with truth say, " He was hated like a dog, and was called the oppressor of the children of God. "$ While the puritans were suffering the above extremities, there was the greatest scarcity of preachers in all parts of the kingdom. It appears from an impartial survey of all - thecounties of England, that there wereonly 2000 preachers, to serve nearly 10,000 parishes :4 and while many of the best and most useful preachers were silenced, there were multitudes of pluralists, nonresidents, and ministers, who Gould not preach. There were 416 ministers who could not preach in the county of Norfolk, 457 in Lincolnshire, and the same in other counties.li Numerous petitions were, at the same time, presented to parliament in favour of the suffering nonconformists ; but by the opposition and in- fluence of Whitgift and other prelates, they were rejectedit The lords of the council being much concerned for the persecuted ministers, wrote to Whitgift and Aylmer, saying, " That they had received complaints, that great numbers of zealous and learned preachers in various coup- ties, especially in Essex, were suspended or deprived ; that there was no preaching, prayers, or sacraments in the vacant places ; that in some places, the persons appointed to succeed them, had neither good learning, nor good .3, The names of thesepersecuted servantsof Christ, were the following :-- Messrs. Wyresdale of Maldon ' ' Carr of Rayne, Tonstal of Totham Piggot of Tilbury, Ward of Writtle, Dyke of Coggeshall,Northey of Colchester, Newman of Coggeshall, Taye of Pildon, Parker of Dedham, Farrar of Longhorn Serbs of Leaden, Lewis of St. Peter's, Colchester, Cock of St. Giles's, a am, Beaumont of Easthorpe, Redrige of Hutton, Chaplain of Hempsted, Culverwell of Felsted, Chapman of Dedham, Knevit, Mile- end, Colchester, Rogers of Wethersfield, Wilton of Aldharn, Forth of Great-Glaston, Winkfield of Wicks, Dent of South-Southberry, Pain of Tolesbury, Barker of Prittlewell, Larking, of Little-Waltham, Camillus Rustieus of Fangy, Howell of Paglesham, Maiburne of Great-Makering, Knightof Hempsted, and Chadwick of Danbury. These, says our author, are the painful ministers of Essex, of whom says the bishop, " You shall be white with me, or I will be block with you. "-MS. Register, p. 184, 741, 742. + Strype's Aylmer, p. 69. t Ibid. p. 96. § MS: Register, p. 206. 0 Ibid. p. 696. Strype's Whitgift, p. 176-183. VOL I.
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