433 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. I. KingJamesI. SEMISEPARATIST; his words are thefe, " Profitemur coram Deo & f' á " hominibus adeo nobis convenire cum ecclefiis reformatis Belgicis in re Rob. apol. " religionis ut omnibus & fingulis earundum ecclefrarum fidei articulis, for the " prout habentur in harmonia confeffionum fidei, parati fumus fubfcri- I3rowntfb, " bere Ecclelias reformatas pro veris & genuinis habemus, cum iifdem 35 " in facris Dei communionem profitemur, & quantum in nobis eft, co- limus. Conciones publicas ab illarum paftoribus habitas, ex noftris qui norunt linguam Belgicamfrequentant: Sacram cænam earum mem- °' bris, fi qua forte noftris ccetibus interfint nobis cognita, participamus." i. e. " We prfef before God and men, that we agree fo entirely with " the reformed Dutch churches in matters of religion ; that we are wil- ling to fubfcribe all and every one of their articles, as they are fit down " in the harmony of conffions We acknowledge thefe reformed chur- " ches for true and genuine ; we hold communion with them as far as " we can-; thole among us that underfland the Dutch language frequent " their fermons ; and we adminijier the Lord's [upper to fueh of their '" members as are known to us, and dfre it occafionally." This Mr. Ro- binfon was the father of the INDEPENDENTS. OfMr. Mr. Henry facob was born in Kent, and educated in St. Mary Hall, Henry Ja- where he took the degrees in arts, entered into holy orders, and became cob. precentor of Chri College, Church and afterwards beneficed in his own 5 fr, p. Cheriton. ountry at c t He was perfon thoroughly verfed in theological authors, but withal a molt zealous puritan. He wrote two treatifes againft Fr. fohnfon the brownift, in defence of the church of England's Ath. Ov. being a true church, printed at Middleburgh, 1599, and afterwards pub- Vol. 1. lifhed reafons taken out of God's word, and the bell human teflimonies, 454' proving a necfity of reforming our churches of England, &c. 1604. but going to Leyden, and converfing with Mr. Robinfon, he embraced his fen- timents of difcipline and government, and tranfplanted them into England in the year 1616, as will he Peen in its proper place. LawFUlnefr This difference among the puritans engaged them in a warm contro- of feperauon verfy among themfelves, about the lawfulnefì and neceity of feparating faCeti' urom cb the from the church of England, while the conforming clergy flood by as of England. fpehtators of the combat. Moft of the puritans were for keeping within the pale of the church, apprehending it to be a true church in its doc- trines and facraments, though defeftive in difcipline, and corrupt in cere- monies, yet being a true church they thought it unlawful to feparate, tho' they could hardly continue in it with a good confcience. They fubmitted to fufpenfions and deprivations ; and when they were driven out of one diocefe took fanftuary in another, being afraid of incurring the guilt of sex IsM by forming themfelves into feparate communions. Whereas the browns maintained, that the church of England, in its prefent conititu- tiun, was no true church of Chrift, but a limb of antichrift, or at belt a mere
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