Chap. IV. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. good may it do you, ifyou take it from me. But the commiflioners had Zueen not courage enough to deprive a divine of fo much merit, who held up ',565`h' the afhes of Smithfield before their eyes. 26th of March being the day appointed for the appearance of the Fuller. London clergy, the archbifhop defired the fecretary of ftate, with fome of the nobility and queen's council, to countenance the proceedings of the com- miffioners with their prefence, but they refufed to be concerned in fuch difagreeable work. When the minifters appeared in court, Mr. Thomas ale a clergyman, being placed by the fide of the commiflioners in prieft- ly apparel, the bifhop's chancellor from the bench, addreffed them in there words : " My mailers, and ye minifters of London, the council's plea- " fore is, that aridly ye keep the unity of apparel, like this man who " r Rands here canonically habited with a fquare cap, a fcholar's gown " prieft-like, a tippet ; and in the church a linen furplice. Ye that will " fubfcribe, write voLO; thofe that will not fubfcribe, write NOLO: B`e °r brief; make no words." When fame of the clergy ofter'd to fpeak he interrupted them, and cried, peace, peace. Apparitor call over the L. of Grin- chúrches, and ye matters anfwer prefently fob plena contemptus. Great dal, P* 9$ was the anguifh and diftrefs of thofe miniflers, who cried out for con- nÌZ,'e's 6-. paflion to themfelves and families, laying, We (hall be killed in our fouls P' 4 3 for this pollution of ours. After much perfuafion and many threatnings, Numbers de- fixtyone out of a hundred, were prevailed with to fubfcribe, and thirty- tried. feven abfolutely refuted ; of which lait number, as the archbifhop ac- knowledged, were the belt, and force preachers. Thefe were imme- L. of Parker, diately fufpended, and put from all manner of miniflry, with fignificá- P S tion, that if they did not conform within three months, they were to be deprived. The archbifhop imagined that their behaviour would have been rough and clamorous, but contrary to his expectations it was rea- fonable, quiet, and modefl. The miniflers gave in the following paper of reafdns for refufing the apparel. REASONS grounded upon the SCRIPTURES, whereby we are perfuaded not to admit the ufè of the outward apparel, and miniflring garments of the pope's church. Firft, ` UR Saviour faith, `Take heed that you contemn not one of `Ïhe:r reaf;.m," U thefe little ones; for he that tfendeth one of thefe little ones for refuting " that believeth in me, it were good for him that a million were hanged the habits. " about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the fea. To offend the little ones in Chrift, is to fpeak or do any thing whereby °` the fimple chriftians may take occafion either to like that which is evil, or
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