CHARKE. 113 up for me the crown of righteousness ;' and with his last breath added, 6 I have seen an end of all perfection, but thy law is exceeding broad.' " He died most probably some time after the year 1600. WILLIAM CHARKE was fellow of Peter-house, Cam- bridge, in 1572, where, most probably, he received his education. Cambridge, at this time, was a nestof puritans; but Dr. Whitgift, with the other heads of colleges, laboured to expel the growing faction, as it was called. Many of the students and fellows were disaffected to the ceremonies and discipline of the church, amongwhomwas Mr. Charke. He did not, therefore, remain long unobserved ; for the heads of colleges, of whomWhitgift was chief, presently brought complaints against him to. Lord Burleigh, chan- cellor of the university. Mr. Charke, in his sermon at St. Mary's, December 3, 1572, asserted, 1. " That the states of bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, and popes, were introduced into the church by Satan.-And, 2. That the ministers of the church ought not to be superior one to another." For divulging these sentiments, he was the very next day cited before Drs. Whitgift, tern, Howford, Kelk, and Hying, the vice-chan- cellor; before whom he acknowledged the delivery of the two propositions, the former directly, the latter implicitly. He was brought before them a second time, in February following, and was often admonished and commanded to revoke his errors publicly at St. Mary's, on a Lord's day, which he absolutely refused : only he acknowledged that there ought to be some superiority among ministers, in matters of jurisdiction. Upon which, the vice-chancellor, with the consent of the heads, pronounced sentence upon him of exclusion from the college, and banishment from the university. He was, therefore, excluded and expelled from the place.. Whether his punishment was not greater than the crime with which he was charged, is left with the candid reader to determine. Mr. Charke, uponhis departurefrom Cambridge, appealed from the judgment of the vice-chancellor and heads, to Burleigh, the chancellor. This he did, says Mr. Strype, in a well-penned epistle, written in a good Latin style, desiring, by his lordship's means, to be again restored to his Strype's Whitgift, p. 43, 44, VOL. II.
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