96 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. the vice-chancellor may commit to prison him that resteth not in his sentence. For of the close prison, without bail, we say nothing, leaving it to your lordship's wisdom, and to the laws of the land : we do not deny that our hearts are greatly moved with this strange example of extraordinary violence and extremity. Our great grief and distress of heart hardly suffered' to make any end of complaining, and what to' ask of your lordship we well know not ; but we beseech the Lord our God to affect your honour's heart, with a:tender compassion of the great affliction of this our dear brother and faithful servant of God, Mr. Johnson. "* Among those who subscribed the two supplications, are the names of William Perkins, Thomas Brightman, and Anthony Wotton, all divines of great celebrity in theirday. Indeed, the most pious and learned men in the university disapproved of the above illegal and inhuman proceedings and Dr. Goad, provost of King's college, Dr. Whitaker, master, of St. John's college, and Dr. Chadderton, master of Emanuel college, all protested against them.i- We do not find, however, that these supplications and protestations were at all effectual. How long Mr. Johnson remained under his barbarous confinement, we have -not been able to learn ; but, as he failed to obtain redress, he, being wearied by the fatigue of the prison, most probably consented to leave the university. A divine of his name, and probably the 'subject of this narrative, subscribed the Book of Discipline."t The tyrannical and cruel persecution of the puritans, instead of bringing them to conformity, only drove them further from the established church. They could not in conscience comply with such measures, nor much less could they approve of a church fighting with such weapons. Therefore, at this period, many pious-and learned persons were driven to a total separation from the ecclesiastical establishment, among whomwas Mr. Johnson, who espoused the sentiments of theBrownists, and joined their congrega- tion which assembled privately in and about, London. About the year 1592, the members of this congregation, having become rather numerous, formed themselves into a church ; when Mr. Johnson was chosen pastor by the sufferage of the brotherhood, Mr. John Greenwood, doctor or teacher, Messrs. Bowman and Lee, deacons, and Messrs. Studly and Kinaston, elders. The whole of this service Baker's MS. Collee. vol. iv. p. 87, 88. + Ibid. p. 85. t Neal's Puritans, vol. i. p. 423.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=