Chap. VI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 25r to the papifts, and fubje&ed them to the fame penal laws, as if they had -ueen been equal enemies to her perfon and government, and to the proteftant Elizabeth, religion. A precedent followed by feveral parliaments in the fucceeding ¡V reigns. The convocation didnothing but prefentanhumble petition tothe queen, to take off the archbifhop's fequeftration, which her majefty wasnot pleafed to grant. This fummer Aylmer bifhop of London, held a vifitation of his clergy, r58r. at the convocation houfe of St. Paul's, and obliged them to fubfcribe the T'ifttatton 1tt following articles; i. Exa&ly to keep to the book of common prayer and London. facraments. 2. To wear the furplice in all their miniftrátions. 3. Not to add or diminifh ahy thing in reading divine fervice. He then made the following enquiries, T. Whether all that had cure of fouls adminifter- ed the facraments in perfon? 2. Whether they obferved the ceremo- nies to be ufed in baptifm and marriage ? 3. Whether the youth were catechifed ? q,. Whether their minifters read the homilies? 5. Whether any of them called others that did not preach by ill names, as dumbdogs? Thofe who did not fubfcribe, and anfwer the interrogatories to his lordfhip's fatis- fa&ion, were immediately fufpended and filenced. But thefe violent meafures, inftead of reconciling the puritans to the Rif of the church, drove them further from it. Men who at upon principles, will Brownifte. not eafily be beaten from them with the artillery of canons, injunctions, fubfcriptions, fines, imprifonments, &c. much lefa will they efteem a church, that fights with fuchweapons. Multitudes were by thefe methods carried off to a total reparation, and fo far prejudiced, as not to allow the church of England to be a true church, nor her minifters true minifters ; they renounced all communion with her, not only in the prayers and ce- remonies, but in hearing the word and the facraments. Thefe were the people called BROWNISTS, from one Robert Brown, a preacher in the diocefe of Norwich, defcended of an ancient and honourable family in Rutlandfhire, and nearly related to the lord treafurer Cecil; he was edu- cated in Corpus Chrifli College, Cambridge, and preached fometimes in Bennet church, where the vehemence of his delivery, gained him reputa- tion with the people. He was firft a fchool-mafter, then a le&urer at Hato y. r .fflington ; but being a fiery, hot- headed young man, he went about the Robert countries, inveighing againft the difciplineand ceremonies of the church, andBrown. exhorting the people by no means to comply with them. He wat firft taken notice of by the bifhop of Norwich, who committed him to the cuftody of the fheriff of the county, in the year í580. but upon acknowledgment of his offence, . he was releated. In the year 1582, he publifhed a book, called The life and manners oftrue chrt%lians ; to which is prefixed, A trees- tile of reformation without tarrying for any ; and f the wickednefs of theft K k 2 preachers
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