GREENWOOD. 39 It-piece. Henry Thompson and George Collierwere com- mitted to the Clink by the Bishop of London, for hearing Mr. Greenwood read a portion of scripture as above ob- served; and had remained prisoners nineteen months without being called to answer. Jerome. Studley was sent to the Compter, by his lordship, for refusing to answer interroga- tories, where he remained fifteen months. Christopher Roper was committed closeprisoner by the Bishop of Lon- don. Edward Boys was nineteen months in Bridewell, and afterwards close prisoner in the Clink. John Chamber was committed to the same prison, for hearing Mr. Greenwood read as above, where he died. Roger Jackson was sent close prisoner to Newgate, where he died. George Bright, for commending a faithful christian under persecution, was committed to Newgate, where he died. Maynard, Roe, and Barrow, three aged widows, were cast into Newgate, by the Bishop of London, for hearing Mr. Greenwood read a portion of scripture, and two of them died of the infection of the prison. Quintin Smyth was committed to Newgate, confined in a dungeon, loaded with irons, and his Bible taken from him. John Purdye was sent to Bridewell by the Archbishop of Canterbury, where hewas confined in a place called Little Lase, and beaten with cudgels, for refusing to attend the service of the parish church. There are many others who underwent similar barbarous usage;* but these are given as a specimen, shewing the spirit of the times, and the cruel oppressions of the lordly prelates. During these inhuman proceedings, the Bishop of London, and others of the high commission, appointed forty-three ministers to confer with the same number of Brownists con- fined in the different prisons in and about London;' (the names of whom, as well as the prisoners, are now before me;) and delivered unto them for their direction, "A Brief of the Positions held by the new Sectaries, being twelve in number." These twelve positions, as charged against them by their adversaries, are full of erroneous, heretical, and blasphemous opinions ; but they contain little more than misrepresentation. Therefore, to these positions they pub- lished a reply, entitled "Abrief Answer to certain slanderous and ungodly Calumniations spread abroad by the Bishops and their Adherents, against divers faithful and true Chris- tians," 1590. In this piece, they absolutely denied the most odious charges brought against them, and openly Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xiv. p. 311.
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