Page images
PDF
EPUB

JOSEPH NICHOLLS was minister in Kent, a laborious and faithful servant of Christ, endowed with great piety and rich ministerial accomplishments. In 1583 he was suspended for refusing subscription to Whitgift's three articles, when he united with his brethren, the ministers of Kent, in addressing the archbishop for relief. He is styled "the ringleader of the puritans."+

JOHN HARRISON was vicar of Histon in Cambridgeshire, and a conscientious nonconformist. For refusing subscription to Whitgift's articles he was twice warned, by virtue of his canonical obedience, to subscribe, but he still refused. In the end, when sentence should have been inflicted upon him, the commission was called in; and so he continued vicar of Histon, without observing the order of the Book of Common Prayer.‡

WILLIAM FLEMING was rector of Beccles in Suffolk, but because he could not, with a good conscience, subscribe to Whitgift's articles, he endured frequent molestation in the ecclesiastical courts, and at length, July 23, 1584, was suspended and deprived by Bishop Scambler. This is attested by Richard Skinner, the bishop's register.

JAMES GOSWELL was a puritan minister of considerable eminence, most probably at Bolton in Lancashire, who corresponded with the venerable Mr. Anthony Gilby, of Ashbyde-la-Zouch in Leicestershire. Two of his letters we have seen; and though they are without date, they were evidently written about the year 1584. In the latter, written from Bolton, he says, "I have no news to write out of this county. Here are great store of Jesuits, seminaries, masses, and plenty of whoredom. The first sort our sheriff courseth pretty well. Other good news is, that the Bishop of Can-· terbury has not yet, God be thanked, stung us with his articles, which in the south parts have so great power, that, by report, they have quenched the Lord's lights nearly to the number of two hundred."

See Art. Dudley Fenner.

+ MS. Register, p. 389.-Strype's Whitgift, p. 140. Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xii. p. 211.

§ MS, Register, p. 585, 586.

Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxxii. p. 436, 437.

JOHN HOPKINS was the puritanical vicar of Nasing in Essex, to which he was preferred in 1570, but was afterwards persecuted for nonconformity. About the year 1584 he was deprived of his benefice, for refusing subscription to Whitgift's three articles.*

THOMAS FARRAR, minister of Langham in Essex, was charged with rebellion against the ecclesiastical laws, and suspended by Bishop's Aylmer's chancellor for not wearing the surplice. On receiving the ecclesiastical censure, he procured a letter from certain respectable persons, addressed to the bishop himself, soliciting his favour and the removal of the sentence. This letter he carried to his lordship at Fulham, November 14, 1586; when, after demanding his reasons for not wearing the surplice, he said to Mr. Farrar, "that except he and his companions would be conformable, he and his brethren the bishops, in good faith, would, in one quarter of a year, turn them all out of the church;" and dismissed him without relieving him from his suspension.t

JOHN OXENBRIDGE, B. D. was minister at Southam in Warwickshire, and afterwards at Coventry, where he was celebrated for his great learning, piety, and usefulness. In 1576 he was convened before the high commission for nonconformity; but it does not appear what punishment was inflicted upon him. About the year 1583 he was again called before his ecclesiastical judges, and suspended from his ministry. He was one of the heads of the associations; he subscribed the "Book of Discipline;" and ended his days among his friends at Coventry.§

MR. HARSNET was a learned and pious divine of Pembroke-hall, Oxford, but was persecuted for nonconformity. In the year 1586 he was convened before the Bishop of Oxford, and cast into prison for refusing to wear the surplice ; but how long he remained under confinement we cannot learn.

Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. ii. p. 432. + MS. Register, p. 800, 805.

Strype's Grindal, p. 215.

Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 161.-Neal's Puritan,

vol. i. p. 423.

MS. Register, p. 801.

[ocr errors]

NICHOLAS WILLIAMSON was minister of Castle-Ashby in Northamptonshire, but was suspended in the year 1586 for refusing subscription to Whitgift's three articles. He continued a long time under the sentence; and whether he was ever restored is uncertain.*

MR. GIBSON was rector of Ridlington in Rutlandshire, but often convened before the Bishop of Peterborough, and, about the year 1586, deprived of his living for refusing subscription to Whitgift's articles. Being driven from his flock and his benefice, he went to London, and entered a suit against the bishop; but with what success we have not been able to learn. Indeed, he had not much prospect of success in contending with one of the persecuting prelates. Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Wilbloud, two other ministers in the same county, were at the same time both suspended, when their livings were sequestered, and they were threatened with deprivation. But, laying their case before Sir Thomas Cecil, their worthy patron, he went himself to the archbishop, and procured an order to the bishop for their re

storation.t

MR. HORROCKS, a worthy divine of puritan principles, was vicar of Kildwick in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In the year 1587 he was convened before the high commission of York, committed prisoner to the castle, and, having continued there for some time, was enjoined a public recantation, for the singular crime of suffering Mr. John Wilson, another puritan minister, to preach in his pulpit, though it was his native place.

SAMPSON SHEFFIELD, A. M. of Christ's college, Cambridge, was one of the preachers to the university. Having delivered a sermon, in the year 1587, containing certain erroneous and scandalous positions, as they are called, he was convened before his ecclesiastical judges, though it does not appear what punishment was inflicted upon him. These positions were the following:-"That it is unlawful for a minister of the gospel to be a civil magistrate. That in the present troubles about conformity, brethren conspire against

* MS. Register, p. 203.

+ Ibid. p. 714.

+ Ibid. p. 797

brethren. And he denounced a woe against him who had lately put out some lights that were used to shine in Cambridge."

RICHARD GARDINER was a puritan divine of considerable repute in the university of Cambridge; who, in 1583, united with other learned divines in warmly requesting Mr. Cartwright to answer the Rhemist Translation of the New Testament. In 1587 he often met with the nonconformists at their private assemblies in London, Cambridge, and other places.+ It does not appear whether he was any relation to Mr. John Gardiner, another puritan divine.

MR. KENDAL was a learned and peaceable divine, of a holy life and conversation, and one of the public readers in the university of Oxford; but he could not in conscience subscribe and observe the ceremonies, yet he refrained from speaking against them. He was, therefore, suspended by Archbishop Whitgift. The lord treasurer interceded with the archbishop for his restoration, in a letter dated April 21, 1590, in which he speaks of Mr. Kendal in terms of the highest commendation, and earnestly prays his grace to restore him to his ministerial exercise, at least till he was found guilty of disturbing the peace of the church. "But," our author adds, "I do not find what success he had with the archbishop."

EZEKIEL CULVERWELL, educated in Emanuel college, Cambridge, was some time rector of Stambridge in Essex, and afterwards vicar of Felsted in the same county. When in the latter situation he was prosecuted for nonconformity. In the year 1583 he was suspended by Bishop Aylmer, for not wearing the surplice. He was a man of great piety and excellent ministerial abilities, and instrumental in the conversion of the celebrated Dr. William Gouge, when a boy at school. His sister was the doctor's mother. He is classed

* Strype's Annals, vol. iii. p. 489, 490.
+ MS. Chronology, vol. i. p. 419. (1 | 3.)
Strype's Whitgift, p. 342.

Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. ii. p. 542.

Í Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 234.

MS. Register, p. 584.

among the learned writers of Emanuel college; and was author of " A Treatise of Faith," 1633; also, "A ready Way to Remember the Scriptures," 1637.

MR. BERNHERE was fellow in the university of Cambridge, where he received his education. He, like many of his puritanical brethren, scrupled the episcopal ordination of the national church, and went abroad, when he was ordained in one of the foreign reformed churches. About the year 1590, his claim to his fellowship was disputed in the university, because he was not a minister according to the church of England; but it does not appear whether he suffered deprivation. Upon his appearance before the governing ecclesiastics, Mr. Alvey very zealously defended his cause, and boldly maintained, that he was as good a minister as any there present.+

GEORGE NEWTON was the puritan minister at Barnwell in Northamptonshire. He never wore the surplice, nor used the cross in baptism, nor allowed the use of the ring in marriage, nor would he permit the oldest of his parishioners to come to the Lord's supper till they had passed his examination. Mr. Newton having spoken in a public discourse on the afflictions of the righteous, observed, that the proceedings of the bishops in the suspension of worthy ministers were tyrannical; for which he was accused to those in authority. When he appeared before his superiors, and was required to explain his meaning, he said that he meant this of antichristian bishops.

JOHN ALLISON was fellow in the university of Cambridge, and afterwards minister at the place mentioned in the last article, but was suspended in 1583, for refusing subscription to Whitgift's articles. He afterwards served the cure of Horningsheath in Suffolk, where he was again suspended by Dr. Legg; and it is added, that, although he was in neither case absolved, he still continued to preach.s

*Fuller's Hist. of Cam. p. 147.

+ Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xii. p. 210.

VOL. III.

2 L

Ibid. p. 211. § Ibid.

« PreviousContinue »