44 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. These charges amounting, it is said, to sedition, he was required to answer upon his oath, and so to become his own accuser : but he refused the oath ; and, instead pf answering, appealed to the king. Notwithstanding his appeal, within fifteen days he was, summoned, by the direction of the archbishop, to appear before a special high commission at Doctors' Commons ; when, in his absence, he was sus' pended from his office and benefice, and attachments were given out to apprehend him.. - Under these oppressive proceedings, Mr. Burton kept himself close shut up in his own house ; and, to. give an impartial public a fair opportunity of deciding upon his case, he published his sermons, entitled, " For God and the King ;. the Sumrne of two Sermons preached on the fifth of November last, in St. Matthewes, Friday-street, 1636 ;" with " An Apologie for an Appeale," addressed to the king, the lords of the council, and the learned judges.i- The pursui- vants of the high commission not daring to break open Mr. Burton's doors, the archbishop and the bishop of London, with several others, drew up a warrant to one Dendy, a sergeant at arms, to apprehend him.t By virtue of this warrant, Dendy, accompanied by the sheriff of London, and various other armed officers, went the same evening to Mr: Burton's house in Friday-street, and between ten and eleven o'clock at night, violently broke open his doors, took him into custody, and seized his books and papers, as many as they pleased. The next day,' instead of being brought before the lords, as the warrant expressed, Burton's Apologie for an Appeale, p. 4, 15.- Prynne's Discovery of the Prelates' Tyranny, p. 14. Edit. 1641. -I- Mrs. Burton his wife, venturing to present copies of these sermons to several of the lords in parliament, was committed to prison for her pains.- Ibid. t The following is a copy of the warrant, -" To Edward Deady, esquire, one of his-majesty's sergeants at arms. These shall be to will " and require you to make your immediaterepair to any place where you shall understand of the present being of Henry Burton, clerk, and having found him, to take him intoyour custody, and to bring him forth. with and in your company (all delays and excuses set apart) before us, to answer to such matters as shall be objected against him. And you are further, by virtue hereof, to require and charge all mayors, sheriffs, " justices, bailiffs, constables, headboroughs, and all others, his majesty's " officers and taring subjects, to be aiding and assisting unto you in the " full and due execution of this service, whereof neither they nor you " may fail at your perils. And this shall be unto you and them a "'sufficient warrant. Datedat the star-chamber, the first of Feb. 1637. " W. Cant. Henry Vaine, Arundall and sorry, " Guil. London. Mo. Coventry, J. Coke." p. 14, 14.
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