290 LIVES OF TILE PURITANS. prelates accounted him sufficiently qualified to hold a con- ference with those whom they stigmatized schismatics and heretics. Mr. Egerton exchanged several letters with the suffering prisoners, one of which was dated April 14, 1590. The rest were written about the same time." In this year he was still under suspension ; having suffered the cruel censure, no doubt, for the space of six years. Nor was this all. For, during the same year, he was summoned, with many of his brethren, before the high commission,and com- mitted to the Fleet, where for several years he suffered the extremity of the prison. An account of these barbarous proceedings is given in another place.+ Mr. Egerton, having at length obtained his release, became minister of Blackfriars in the year 1598, where he continued many years.t Thecelebrated Dr. Nowell, dean of St. Paul's, in a letter which he wrote during this year, denominates him " a man of great learning andgodliness."4 Upon the accession of King James, numerous petitions were presented to his majesty for a further reformation of the church. In the year 1603, when that'which was called " The Millenary Petition," subscribed by upwards of a thousand ministers, was presented to the king andparlia- ment, none were deemed so well qualified to undertake this business as Mr. Egerton and Mr. Hildersham, with some other eminent divines.i Mr. Egerton died about the year 1621, and was succeeded at Blackfriars by the famous Dr. William Gouge, who appears to have been for some time his assistant. These two eminently faithful servants of Christ spent about seventy years in their ministerial labours at Blackfriars.r His WORKS.-L A Lecture on Gen. xii. 17-20., 1589.-2. A. briefMethod of Catechizing, 1594.-3. The Doctrine of Subjection to God and the King, 1616.-4. The Boring of the Ear, 1623.- 5. Comforts to strengthen the Weak in Faith, 1630.-6. A Descrip- tion of Uncomeliness.-Hepublished an enlarged edition of Mr. Paul Baines's " Help to True Happiness ;" and wrote an Epistle to Mr. Richard Rogers's "Seven Treatises," 1604. MS. Remarks, p. 425. + See Art. Cartwright. Newcourt's Ropers. Eccl. vol. i. p. 915. S Biog. Britan. vol. v. p. 3259. Edit. 1747. Fuller's Church Hist. b. ix. p. 7. 11 Jenkins on Jude, Pref.
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