Chap. VI. The HISTORYof the PURITANS. 2Sß x' far as the laws of the kingdom do allow." This licenfe was dated April Queen 6, i 582. and is as full a teflimonial to the validity ofprefbyterial ordinati- Elizabeth, on, as can be defired. But the other notion was glowing into fafhion ; all ta$ÿ orders of men are for iffumtng forne peculiar charaders and powers to themfelves ; the bifhops will be a diftind and fuperior order to prefbyters; and no man mutt be a minifter of Chrift, on whom they lay not their hands. The behaviour of the bithopof London, towards the puritans, moved the compaffron of Tome of the conforming clergy ; the reverend Mr. Wilkincamp/aims reátor of Danbury in Efex, in a letter to the lord treafurer, writes thus, BPAyltner e " As fume might be thought over earneft about trifles, fo on the other/wertdes. hand, there had been too feuere and (harp punifhment for the fame. " Though I my felf think reverently of the book of Common prayer, yet " furely it is a reverence due only to the facred writings ofholy fcripture, " to fay the authorsofthemerred innothing, and to none other books of men, " ofwhat learning foever..I have teen the lettersof the bifhops to Bollinger " and Gualter, when I was at Zurich in the year I 567. in which they " declare, that they had no hand in palling the book, and had no other e' choice, but to leave their places topapifls, or accept them as they were; °` but they profeffed and promifed never to urge their brethren to thofe " ° things ; and alto when opportunity (hould ferve, to Peek reformation." How different was theprafticeof thefe prelates from their formerprofeflïons! But not only the clergy, the whole country'alfo exclaimed againft the bifhops for their high proceedings ; the juflices of peace of the county of Su olk were fo moved, that notwithflanding his lordfhip's late citation ofMice:of them before the council, they wrote again to their honours, praying them r %úae".14P- to interpole in behalf of the injuries that were offered, to divers godly mi-p nifters. The words of their fupplication are worth remembering, becaufe they difcover the cruelty of the commiffioners, who made no diftinflion between the vilefl of criminals, and confcientious minifters. " The painful Strype'r/hur. " minifters of the word (fay they) are marfhalled with the worft malefac- p..i8 tors, prefented, indicted, arraigned, and condemned for matters, as we pre- " fume, of very blender moment : Some for leaving the holidays unbidden; tome-for Pinging the pfalrn Nunc dimittis in the morning ; tome for `r turning the queftions in baptifm concerning faith, from the infants to the god- fathers, which is but You for Thou ; tome for leaving out the crofs in baptifm ; tome for leaving out the ring in marriage. A molt " pitiful thing it is, to fee the back of the law turned to the adverfary [the " papifls] and the edge with all the fharpnefs laid upon the found and true c. hearted fuhje6î ---- " We grant order to be the rule of the fpirit of God, and defite unifor- " mity in all the duties cf thechurch, according to the proportion of faith; " but if there weak ceremonies are fo indifferent, as to be left to the dif- " cretion of minifters, we think it (under correklion) very hard to have them L 1 2
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