MARSHALL. 247 it is come to an ordinary proverb, that when any thing is spoiled, we use to say, The bishop's foot hath been in it. And in this, and much more which might be said, fulfilling Bishop Bonner's prophecy, which, when he saw that in King Edward's reformation there was a reservation of ceremonies and hierarchy, is credibly reported to have used these words, Since they have begun to taste our broth, they will not belong ere they will eat our beef.' ". Upon the publication of the above work, Bishop Hall wrote his " Defence of the Humble Remonstrance against the frivolous and false Exceptions of Smectymnuus," 1641. To this, Smectymnuus published a reply, entitled, " AVin- dication of the Answer to the Humble Remonstrance, from the unjust Imputations of Frivolousness and Falsehood : wherein the cause of the LiturgY and Episcopacy is further debated," 1641. The learned prelate concludedthe dispute by publishing his piece entitled, " A short Answer to a tedious Vindication of Smecty:muus," 1641.-t In this year, Mr.' Marshall was appointed chaplain to the Earl of Essex's regiment in the parliament's army. Dr. Grey, in contempt, denominates him and Dr. Downing the two famed casuistical divines, and most eminent camp- chaplains ;" and charges them, on the authorityof Clarendon and Echard, with publicly avowing, "that the soldiers lately taken prisoners at Brentford, and released by the king upon their oaths, that theywould never again bear arms against him, were not obliged by that oath ; but by their power they absolved them, and so engaged those miserable wretches in a second rebellion.": This, as well as the foregoing account, has all the appearance of forgery, with a view to calumniate the two excellent divines. Priestly absolution was as remote as possible from the practice of the puritans ; and they rejected all clams ,to the power of it with the utmost abhorrence. The parliament's army, at the same time, stood in so little need of these prisoners, which were only 150 men, that there is good reason to suspect the whole account to be a falsehood.t In the year 1643, Mr. Marshall was chosen, one of the assembly of divines, and was a most active and valuable member. In this public office it was impossible for him to escape the bitter censures of the opposite party. One of smectymmnis, p. 77, 78. Edit. 1654. Biog. Briton. vol. iv. p. 9492. Edit. 1747. t Grey's Examination, vol. ii. p. 10. § Neal's Puritans, vol. iii. p. 3, 4.
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