20'2- The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. V pzueen fcholars of Cambridge were generally with the puritans, but the matters and E abrth, heads of colleges were again(1them ; fo that many who ventured to preach 57z' for the dfz line, were deprived of their fellowíhi s and expelled the uni- verfity, or obliged to a publick retraç`tation. F'.J1 prJby- There being no further profpe& of a publick reformation by the legi(la- `"' °f ture, fome of the leading puritans agreed to attempt it in a more private Wandf- worth. for this ur ofethe erected a relb ter at Wandfworth, a village Wotdr. way ; P F Y F Y Y g five miles from the city, conveniently fituated for the London brethren, as (landing on the banks of the river Thames. The heads of the affo- elation were, Mr. tie/d leéturer of Wandfworth, Mr. Smith of Mitcham, Mr. Crane of Roehampton, Mr. Wilcox, Standen, Jackian, Bonham, Saint- doe, and Edmonds, to vvhom afterwards were joined Mr. Travers, Chake, Barber, Gardiner, Crook, Egerton, and a number of very confiderable laymen. On the xothofNovember, eleven elders were chofen, and their offices defcribed in a regifter, intitled, The orders öfWandfworth. This was the the firft prelbyterian church in England. All imaginable care was taken to keep their proceedings fecret, but the bifhop's eye was upon them, who gave immediate intelligence to the high commi ion, upon which the queen iffued out a proclamation, for putting the ail ofuniformity in exe- cution ; but though the commiioners knewofthe prefbytery, they couldfnot difcover the members of it, nor prevent others being erected in neighbour- ing countries. Growth of While the queen and bithops were defending the out-works of the popery. church againft the puritans, and bracing up the building with articles, canons, injungions, and penal laws, enforced by the fword of the civil magiftrate, the papifts were fapping the very foundation ; for upon pub- lifhing the pope's bull of excommunication againft the queen, great num- fibers deferted the publick worthip, and reforted to private conventicles to hear mats; while others who kept their Rations in the church, were fe- Straype's .ln- cretly undermining it. " There were at this time, fays a learned writer, . nals, p.'98. .. certain minifert of the church that were papifts, who fubleribed and " obferved the orders of the church, wore a fide gown, a fquare cap, a cope and furplice. They would run into corners, and fay to the peo- " ple, believe not this new doar-ine, it is naught, it will not long en- " dure ; although I ufe order among them outwardly, my heart is not " with them, but with the mother church of Rome. No, no, we do " not preach, nor yet teach openly ; though we read their new deviled homilies, for a colour to fatisfy the time for a feafon." In Yorkfhire they went openly to mais, and were fo numerous, that the protettants- Rood in awe of them. In London there was a great refort to the Por- tugal ambaffador's chapel; and when the fheriff, by order of the bifhop of London
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