74 T, Mary, " better flay away." This was figned by .7ohn Knox, now come from 1556. Geneva, yohn Bale, yohn Fox the martyrologift, and fourteen more. They appeal Things being in this unfettled pofture at Francfort ; king Edward's to Calvin. book being ufed in part, but not whollÿ ; and there being no profped of an accommodation with their brethren at Strafburgh, they refolved to afk the advice of the famous Mr. Calvin pallor of the church at Geneva; who having perufed the Englifh liturgy, took notice, " That their were " many tolerable weakneffes in it, which becaufe at firft they could not " be amended, were to be fuffered ; but that it behoved the learned, " grave, and godly minifters of Chrift, to enterprize farther, and to let up " fomething more filed from ruff, and purer. If religion Gays he) had " flourifhed till this day in England, many of thefe things fhould have " been correc.ed. But fince the reformation is overthrown, and a church " is to be let up in another place, where you are at liberty to eftablifh " what order is moft for edification, Icannot tell what they mean, who are fo fond of the leavings of popifh dregs." Upon this letter, the Franc- fort congregation agreed not to fubmit to the StraJburgh divines, but to make ufe of fo much of the fervice book as they had already done, till the end of April, 1555; and if any new contention arofe among them in the mean time, the matter was to be referr'd to Calvin, Mufculus, Martyr, Bullinger and Vyret. Dr. Cox re- However, upon the x3th of March, Dr. Cox, who had been tutor to flares the ufe king Edward VI. a man of an high fpirit, and of great credit with his rgook, fervice countrymen, coming to Francfort with fome of his friends, broke through the agreement, and interrupted the publick fervice, by anfwering aloud after the mini/ier; and the funday following, one of his company, with- out the confent of the congregation, afcended the pulpit and read the whole litany. Upon this Mr. Knox their minifter taxed the authorsof this diforder, in his fermon, with a breach of their agreement ; and further affirmed, that Come things in the fervice book were fuperftitious and impure. The zealous Dr. Cox reproved him for cenforioufnefs; and being admitted with his company to vote in the congregation, got the majority to forbid Mr. Knox to preach any more. But Knox's friends applied to the magi- flrate, who commanded them to unite with the French church both in Dr. Knox difcipline and ceremonies, according to their firft agreement. Dr. Cox hanilh'd. and his party finding Knox's intereft among the magiftrates too ftrong, had recourfe to an unchriftian method to get rid of him. This divine fome years before when he was in England, had publifhed an Englifh book, called an admonition to chri lians; in which he had faid, That the emperor was no lets an enemy to Chi-ill than Nero. For which, and Tome other expreflions in the book, thefe gentlemen accufed him of high treafon againft the emperor. The fenate being tender of the emperor's honour, and The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. III.
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