T. PAGET. 291 THOMAS PAGET was a zealous and worthy minister in the diocese of Chester, but much persecuted for nonconformity. Through the severity of the times, when he could no longer enjoy the blessing of religious liberty in his own country, he sought refuge in a foreign land ; and, to escape the perse cuting fury of the prelates, retired to Holland as a place of safety. He had been many years employed in the ministry, in the above diocese, when Dr. Thomas Morton became Bishop of Chester. This learned prelate was no sooner comfortably seated in the episcopal chair, than he began to prosecute the nonconformists within his jurisdiction, and sent forth letters missive, summoning them to appear before the high commission. Among those who were cited was Mr. Paget. This was no sooner known in the country than many of the most worthy knights and gentlemen in the diocese took the matter into serious consideration, espoused the cause of the distressed ministers,and wrotea veryappro- priate letter to the bishop ; in which they expressed them- selves as tifilows : "Right Reverend, &c. Whereas we understand that divers of our painful and discreet ministers are lately, by letters missivefromyour lordship and others of his majesty's high commission for causes ecclesiastical within the diocese of Chester,enjoined to appearbefore you, to answer to such matters as shall be objected against them. We, whose names are subscribed, have thought fit to acquaint your lordship with our opinion of those ministers, for the pre- venting, if need require, of such sinister and malicious informations ; which, in these cases, are frequently stirred up against men of their sort and quality; sometimes by lewd and profane persons ; and many times by the disguised, subtil, and superstitious Romanists and church-papists, whose hearts are wholly against us, all the while their faces are seemingly for us. We have observed, so far as weare able to judge, in these our ministers, integrity of life and conversation, orthodox soundness of doctrine, diligence and painfulness in their places, sobriety and peaceableness in their dispositions, and freedom from faction. Also, as the great good and profit which our congregations where they live have abundantly received from their ministry ; there- fore we are emboldened to entreat your favour, &c."* This letter was delivered to his lordship at Stockport; who, after reading it, said, " They whom the letter con- Paget's Defence, Pref.
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