Chap. VII. 7he HIS T 0 R Y of t!Je PuRITANS. fon thinking it more eligible to perilh in a gaol than to fl:arve out of one; King r ' ·. 11 h b h' h h d r r. I 1' f c: h · Charles JI; e1pec1a y w en y t1 IS means t ey a wme occa110na re 1e 1rom t etr 66 hearers, and hopes that their wives and children might be fupported after ~)their death. Many who lay concealed in diftant places from their flocks . in the day-time, rid thirty or forty miles to preach to them in the night, and retired again before day-light. Thefe hardlhips tempted fome few to conform (fays Mr. Baxter), contrary · to their former judgments; but the body of diifenters remained ftedfa!l: to their principles, and the church gained neither reputation nor numbers. The informers were very diligent in hunting after their game; and the foldiers and officers behaved with great rudenefs and violence : When they miifed of the mini!l:ers, they went into the barns and out-houfes, and fometimes thrufl: their fwords up · to the hilts in the hay and !l:raw, where they fuppofed they might lie concealed; they made havock of their goods, and terrified the women and children almo!l: out of their lives. Thefe methods of cruelty reduced many mini!l:ers with their families to the neceility of living upon brown rye bread and water; but few"were reduced.to public beggary (fays Mr. Baxter), the providence of God appearing wonderfully for their relief, in their greate!l: extremities. And as if the ·judgments of heaven upon this nation were not heavy Names of enough, nor the legiflature fufficiently fevere, the bi(hops muft throw n~n_-conf. their weight into the fcale ; for in the very midft of the plague July 7, m:J/fl•;s .-e• 1665, archbiiliop She/don fent orders to the feveral bilhops of his province~;,, ';;;~.zn to return the names of all ejected non-conformift miniflers, with their courts. places of abode, and manner of life; and the returns of the feveral bi- ~o;ntiiHirt;. fhops are !l:ill preferved in the I;ambeth library; the defign of this enquiry, 27 ° 9 : · P· was to gird the laws clofer upon the diifenters, and to know by what means they earned their bread; and if this tender-hearted archbiiliop · could have had his will, they muft have ftarved, or fought a livelihood · in foreign countries. This year put ·an end to the life of Dr. Cornelius Burges, a divine of Death of Dr the puritan ftamp ecluco.ted at Oxford, and chaplain to king Charles I. Burges. He fuffered much by the high commiilion court, but taking part with the parliament, was chofen one of the pacific divines who met at the Jerujalem Chamber, to accommodate differences in the church: He often preached before the houfe of commons, and was one of the aifembly of divines, but refufed to take the covenant till he was fufpended. He was ejected at the re!l:oration from St. Andrews in the city of Wells · in Somer:fetjhire, and having laid out all his money in the purchafe of bilhops lands, he was reduced to abfolute poverty. He appeared at the head . of the London divines, againfl: bringing the king to his trial, and was efteemed-'
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