Chap. III. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 69 conferences with them, and gained over fome to his own perfwafion. The ` ; Mary, names of their teachers were Harry Hart, grew, and Abingdon ; they ran s5 their notions as high as the warmeft Arminians, or as Pelagius himfelf, defpifing learning, and utterly rejecting the authorities of the fathers. Bradford was apprehenfive that they would do a great deal of mifchief in the church, and therefore in concert with bifhop Ferrar, Taylor, and Philpot, wrote to Cranmer, Ridley, andLatimer, at Oxford, to take fome cogni- zance of the matter, and confult together about a remedy. Upon this occafion, Ridley drew up a fetter of God's eletlion and predßination, and Bradford wrote another upon the fame fubjel. But thefree willers treated him rudely ; " They told him, he was a great Pander to the word of God °' in refpect of his dottrine, becaufe he believedand affirmed the falvation " of God'speople to he fo certain, that they fhould affuredly enjoy the 00 fame. They Paid, it hanged partly upon our perfeverance to the end, but Bradford Paid it hung upon God's grace in Chrift, and not upon our " perfeverance in any point, otherwife grace was no grace." When this holy martyr Paw he could not convice them, he defined they might pray, one for another. Ilove you (lays he) mydear hearts, thoughyou have taken it otherwife without caufe: I am going beforeyou to my Godand your God; to my father andyourfather ; tomy Chr/ andyour Chrill; to my home and your home. Mr. Carelefs, another eminent martyr, had much conference with thefe men in the King's Bench prifon, of whole contentioufnefs he complained in a letter to Phi/pot. In anfwer to which, Philpot obferves, that he was forry to hear of the contentions that thefefcbifmaticks railed, but that he f ould not ceafe to dohis endeavours in defence of the truth, againfl theft arrogant, f lf-willed, and blinded fcatterers That theft felts were necejary for the trial of ourfaitb. He advifes Mr. Carelefs to be modeft and humble, that others feeing his grave converfation among thole contentious bablers, might glorify God in the truth. He then befeeches his brethren in the bowels of Chi-0, to keep the bond ofpeace, and not to let any root of bitternefs fpring up among them. But this contention could not be laid afeep for fome time, notwith- fanding their common fufferings in the caufe of religion. They wrote one againft another in prifon, and difperfed their 'writings abroad in the world. Mr. Carelefs drew up a confeffion ofhis faith ; one article of which was for predeftination, and againft free-will. This confefion he fent to the proteftant prifoners in Newgate, whereutíto they generally fubfcribed, and particularly twelve who were under fentence of condemnation to be burnt. Hart having procured a copy of Carelef's confefion, wrote his own in oppofition to it on the back-fide ; and would have perfwaded the prifoners in Newgate to fubfcribe it, but could not prevail. I don't find any
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=