212 7°he TITST"O'RY" of the PuaiTANS. Chap. V. Queen framed the following fubfcription for fuch of them .. as fhoúld be prefented EI:znbeth, as defaulters. 1573. , I. ° I acknowledge the queen's majefty to be chief governor of the 2 1m of tub- " church of England under thrift. 2 --"°That in the bookof common prayer, there is nothing repugnant ate ;áuy° " to the word of God.. 3." That as the publick preaching in this church of England is found, fo the publick adminiftration of the facraments is confonant to the word " bf God. " And whereas I have abfented myfelf from my parifi church, and have refufed to join with the congregation in publick prayer, and in re-. M.& p.201. " ceiving the facrament, according to the publickorder fet down, and my " duty in that behalf, I am right lorry fer it, and pray that this my fault "_ may be pardoned ; and do promife, that from henceforth I will fre- " quent my parifh church, and join with the congregation there, as well ". in prayer as in the adminifiration of the facramenti, according to fuch . order as by publick authority is fet down and eftablitbed ; and to wit- " nefs this my promife,. I do hereunto willingly fubfcribe my name." The officers of the fpiritual courts planted their Ipies in all fufpeEted pa-. tithes, to make obfervation of thofe who came not to church, and caufe: them to be fummoned into the Commons,, where they were punifhed at pleafure. The keepers were charged to take notice of fuch as came to vifit the prifoners, or bring them relief ; and upon notice given fpies were . fet upon them to bring them into trouble. Complaints have been made of their rude language to the bithops, and the refs of the commiffioners and it is poffible that their lordly behaviour, and arbitrary proceedings, might: fometimes make their paflions overflow. Opprfon will make a wife man mad. But I have the examinations of feveralhefore me, in which:. nothing of this kind appears.. On the other hand,, it is certain the cone duét of the commillioners was. high and. imperious ; their under officers. AS. p.176. were ravenous, and greedy of gain ; the feesof the court were exorbi- tant; fo that if an honeft puritan fell into their hands, he was Pure to be half ruined. before he got out, though he was cleared of the accufation. In.. fhort, the commiffïoners treated thofe that came before them, neither like . men nor chriftians, as will appear, among many others, by the follow- ing examination of Mr. White, a fubftantial citizen of London, January the 18th 1573, who had been, fined, and tolled from one prifon to another, contrary to law and juftice,, only for not frequenting his parifh:: church. His examiners were the lord chief juftice the mailer of the rolls ; the matter of the requefts ; Mr. Gerard ; the dean of Weftminfer;. the(hero of London, and the clerk of the peace. After fundry others had
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