414 LIVES OP THE PURITANS. sit upon, then another to reclineupon ; but he still appeared uncommonly restless. The public service was no sooner ended, than the bishop declared openly before the congre- gation, saying, " This is indeed a hot fellow, but I will cool him. ' To this Mr. Clark replied, " My lord, if I have not faithfully delivered the truth of God, I beseech you to declare what I have said amiss, that I may defend myself before the people." But the bishop only answered as before, " You are indeed a hot fellow, but I will cool you," and so departed. His lordshipwas as goodas his word : for not long after he caused the good man to feel the effect of his angry spirit. He first suspended him frompreaching; then Mr. Clark expounded the scriptures. He next suspended him from expounding ; then Mr. Clark cate- chized. And when the bishop suspended him from cate- chizing, he appointed a pious man, at the usual time of sermon, to read a chapter; and at the end of every verse the man asked him the meaning of it, and what uses and instructions flowed from it. This so enraged the bishop, that lie immediately excommunicated him. The character given of this prelate, therefore, appears very correct. " He was sufficiently severe," it is said, " to suppress those whom he suspected of nonconformity."* Mr. Clark, in conse- quence of these tyrannical oppressions, laid his case at the feet of the Archbishop of Canterbury, obtained his absolu- tion, and sowent on in his ministry. This, indeed, irritated the bishop more than ever; and he could never feel easy till he had again caught this reverend divine in the snare. The persecution of the non- conformists being nowvery hot; Mr. Clark prayed in the public congregation, though in very modest terms, that the Lordwould forgive the queen her sins ; one of the bishop's spies being present, immediately laid the information befbre his lordship, who caused him to be apprehended, and for this significant crime, charged him with treason and com- mitted him to the common jail at Warwick, where he re- mained till the next assize. Previous to the trial, the bishop, it is said, took care to exasperate the judge ; and accord- ingly, in the time of his trial, he urged the jury to find him guilty. Aworthy and honourable justice on the bench, at this juncture stood up and declared to the judge, that before any wrong should be done to Mr. Clark, he would kneel for him before the queen. This wrought so effectu- Fuller's Church Hist. b. a. p. 55.
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