26o The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VI. .reeei " them go under fo hard handling, to the utter difcredit oftheir whole LGzabeth, miniftry, and the profeßionof troth. 1583. " We ferve her majefty and the country [as magiftrates-and- juflices of- " the peace] according to law ; we reverence the law and law-maker ; " when the law fpeaks we keep filence ; when it commandeth we obey. " By law we proceed againft all offenders ; we touch none that the law " fpareth, and fpare none that the law toucheth ; we allow not ofpaÿi/ls ; " of thefamily of Love ; of anabaptifis or Brownifis. No, we punifh all thefe. " And yet we are chriftened with the odious name of puritans ; a term compounded of the herefies above-mentioned, which we difclaim. The " papijis pretend to be pure and immaculate ; thefamilyofLove cannot fin, " ° they being deified (as they fay) in God. But we groan under the burden " ofour fins, and confefs them to God ; and at the fame time we labour " to keep our felvesand our profeflion unblameable ; this is our puritanifm " a name given to filch magiftrates and minifters, and others that have a " ftri6t eye upon theirjugling. We think our felves bound in duty, to unfold thefe matters to your " lord(hips, and if you (hall pleafe to call us to the proof of them, it is the .. thing we moil defire." Efeftt of it. This fupplication produced a letter from the council, to the judges of aze, commanding them not to give ear w malicious informers againft peaceful and faithful miniflers, nor to match them at the bar with rogues, felons, or papifls, but to put a difference in the face of the world, between thofe of another faith, and they who differ only about ceremonies, and yet diligently and foundly preach true religion. The judges were firuck with this letter ; and the bifbop of London, with his attendants, returned from his vifitation full of difcontent. Indeed his lordfhip had made himfelf fo many enemies, that he grew weary of his bifhoprick, and petitioned the queen to exchange it for that ofEly, that he might retire and be out ofthe way ; or rather, that he might kindle a new flame in thofe parts; but her majefty refufed his requeft. Me.eopping Notwithftanding thefe flight appearances in favour of the puritans, two 'andThacker, minifters of the BrownJ1 perfuafion were condemned, and put to death eini /Iers, ex- this fummer for non- conformity, (viz.) Mr. Elias Thacker hanged at St. eeured. Edmundfhury, fune 4th. and Mr. john Copping twodays after, Tune 6th. Their indictments was for fpreading Certain books, feditioufly penned by Robert Brown, againft the book of Commonprayer, eftablifhed by the laws Strype's Ann. of thisrealm. The fedition charged upon Brown's book was, that it fub- p. r86. verted the conftitutionof the church, and acknowledged her majefty's fu- premacy civilly, but not otherwife, as appears by the report which the judges fent to court (viz.) That the prifoners inftead ofacknowledging her ma-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=