21 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. Brownists, he became intimately acquainted with Mr. Henry Barrow, a lawyer, and a zealous Brownist. Their history is so closely interwoven, that we shall consider them in connexion. They werevery contracted in their principles, and fellow-sufferers in the same cause : yet, with the allow- ance of some mistaken notions, they were eminently good men, and very zealous christians. In November, 1586, having been some time confined in prison, they were brought before the high commission, for hoiding and pro- pagating schismatical and seditious opinions, as they are called ; the most remarkable of which were the following: -" That the church of England is no true church.-That its worship is downright idolatry.-That the church admits unsanctified persons to her communion .-That the con- formable ministers have no lawful calling.-That the government of the church is ungodly.-That no bishop, or preacher in the church, preacheth sincerely and truly.- That the people of every parish ought to choose their own bishop.-That every elder, though he be no doctor or pastor, is a bishop.-That all the precise, (meaning those puritans who were not Brownists,) who refuse the ceremonies of the church, strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel, and are hypocrites.-That all who make or 'expound any printed or written catechisms, are idle shepherds.-That the children of ungodly parents ought not to be baptized.,- And that to use set forms of prayer is blasphemous.". As we have this catalogueof schismaticaland seditious opinions, from those who would not be at all disposed to favouir them, we conclude that those positions, with their endeavouringto propagate them, weretheworst crimes withwhich they could be charged. Some of their sentiments were, undoubtedly, very erroneous and uncharitable; but others were true and important, shewiug their views of religious liberty. When Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Barrow appeared before the high commission, they underwent very close examina- tions ; and it was from these examinations their dangerous doctrines were collected. Theexamination of Mr. Barrow, now before me, is an article so little known, yet so curious, that I have given it, though at considerable length, in the following note.t. It appears that Mr. Greenwood was Heylin's Hist. of Pres. p. 522, Eccl. Hist. vol. ii. p. 638. + November 15, 1586, Mr. Barrow appeared at Lambeth, before Archbishop Whitgift, his archdeacon, and Dr. Cosins. On that day, being the Lord's day, he went to visit Mr. Greenwood, and the other brethren, imprisoned in the Clink ; 'where he had no sooner arrived than
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