Chap. III. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 65 ",thewound which Antichrift had received is healed, and He is declared °C: Mary, " head ofthe church, who is not a member of it. We are Rill in the r5t " ° utmofl peril, as we have been for a year and half: We arekept afunder " in prifon, and treated with all kinds of- inhumanity and fcorn. They threaten us every day with death, which we do not value. We refolutely " defpife fire and fword for the caufe of Chrift. We know in whom we " have believed, and are fure we have committed our fouls to him by well- " doing. In the mean time, help us with your prayers, that he that has " begun the good work in us, would perform it to the end. We are the " Lord's, let him do with us as feemeth good in his fight." About the fame time Mr. Saunders, another minifter was burnt at Mr. Saun- Coventry. When he came to the flake he faid, welcome the croft of Chrifl; dens andDr. Welcome everlaßing life. Dr. Taylor parfon of Hadley, fuffered next ; Taylor. Gardiner ufedhim very roughly, and after condemning and degrading him, Pent him to his own parfonage to be burnt ; which heunderwent with great courage February 9. though he had barbarous ufage in the fire, his brains being beat out with one of the halberts. Gardiner feeing himfelfdifappointed, medled no further, but committedBonner's- the profecution of the bloody work, to Bonner bifhop of London. This cruelty. clergyman behaved more like a cannibal than a chriftian; condemning without mercy all that came before him, and ordering them to be kept in the moil cruel durance, till they weredelivered over to the civil magiftrate. He toreoff the beard of Tomkins a weaver in Shoreditch, and held his hand in the flame of a candle, till the finews and veins shrunk and burnt, and the blood fpurted out in Harpseld's face, who was ftanding by. Heput others in dungeons, .and in the flocks, and fed them with bread and water; and when they were brought before him, infulted over their mifery in a moft brutifh manner. In the month of March were burnt, bishop Ferrars at St. David's; Mr. Lawrence, a Prieft at Colcheer ; Mr. Tomkins a Weaver in Smithfield; Mr. Hunter an Apprentice of r 9 Years of Age, at Brentwood ; Mr. Conflon and Mr. Higden, Gentlemen of good Eflates in EQex ; Mr. William Fegot, at Braintree; Mr. Stephen Knight at Malden ; Mr. Rawlins White a poor Fifherman at Cardiffe. In the next Month, Mr. March a Prieft at Chefler ; and one Flower, a young Man in St. Margaret's Church-yard, We, flminfler. Thefe burnings were disliked by the Nation, whobegan to be aftonifhed Peeitioufrone at the courage andconflancy of the martyrs ; and to be fhocked at the unre- beyond behalf of ea the lentin feverity of the bifho s ' who being reproached with their cruelties a Martyrs, threw the odium upon the king and queen. At the fame time a petition was printed by the exiles beyond fea, and addrefíed to the queen, putting her in mind, " That the Turks tolerated Cbriflians, and the Chri/lians in " moft places tolerated yews. That no papift had been put to death for V o L. I. K religion
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