your pursuivant: and partly also because I was loath that favour toward me should any way appear to any manner of hurt of yours, and no good of mine. "And now, good sir, confessing myself greatly beholden unto you in my behalf and the behalf of my wife, my humble desire is, that I may yet further be beholden unto you in the behalf of the poor church at Warwick, that likely enough may be deprived of all manner of tolerable ministry, both for the good of your own family, which is great, and in regard of other poor souls there: that if the times will not bear us who are there now; yet there may be some such provided, as, differing in judgment from us, may notwithstanding, both in some good skill and care, proceed in the edification of the church, without bitterness of spirit against other poor men who are otherwise minded. This I am bolder to crave at your worship's hand, as I understand, and was glad of, that the town hath chosen you to the recordership, which may be a singular means of doing much good unto the town, and amongst others, that good which it pleased you to talk with me of. This I was bold to write in fear of being severed from doing any more service there, and yet not known to myself of any breach of law, whereby I may be touched. Only I fear to be committed for refusing the oath ex officio mero. Thus I humbly commend you to the gracious keeping and blessing of God in Jesus Christ. May 20, 1590. "Yours to command in the Lord, "THOMAS CARTWRIGHT." Thus our divine prepared for the approaching storm. He was immediately convened before the high commission, and cast into prison; and, September 1st, in this year, thirty-one articles were exhibited against him, the substance of which is the following: . 1. That Mr. Cartwright, being lawfully made deacon according to the church of England, hath forsaken and renounced the same. 2. That, to shew his contempt of this calling, he hath obtained a new ordination in foreign parts, not according to the laws ecclesiastical of this realm. 3. That, by virtue of this vocation, he hath established at Antwerp and Middleburg, a certain presbytery and eldership ecclesiastical. 4. That, by the said eldership, certain persons, being Englishmen, were ordained to be ministers, not according to the laws ecclesiastical of this realm. 5. That this eldership, so established, hath used ecclesiastical censures. 6. That the said Thomas Cartwright, in his public ministry there, hath not used the Book of Common Prayer, but conformed to some of the foreign churches. 7. That since his return from beyond seas, he hath promised, to the utmost of his power, to promote the peace of the church. 8. That he, having no ministry in this church, and without any license, hath taken upon him to preach at Warwick and other places. 9. That at sundry times, he hath shewed his dislike of the government of this church, and various parts of the liturgy; and hath persuaded others to do the same. 10. That he hath traduced and spoken against the bishops, and other governors of this church. 11. That he hath such hatred against them, he hath prayed publicly to this effect: "Because they who ought to be pillars in the church, do bend themselves against Christ, and his truth, O Lord, give us grace, and power, all as one man, to set ourselves against them." 12. That at sundry times and places he hath spoken against the laws, government, orders, prayers, and ceremonies of the church. 13. That preaching at the baptism of one of Job Throgmonton's children, he spoke much in justification of government by the eldership in every congregation. 14. That he could not endure those who defended the laws, government, and orders of the church. 15. That in his sermons at Warwick and elsewhere, he hath often delivered many frivolous and indiscreet positions. 16. That by his persuasions, sundry persons refused to give thanks after child-birth, according to the order prescribed. 17. That at sundry times, when he communicated at the Lord's supper, he sate, or stood upon his feet, and persuaded others to do the same. 18. That before the bishop he spoke in justification of these things; and declared the Book of Common Prayer was not established by law. 19. That in contempt of the ecclesiastical authority, he hath preached since he was under the sentence of suspension. 20. That his man-servant having a bastard child fathered upon him, he caused him to perform penance, taking upon him the authority of the ordinary. 21. That he and some others have kept divers public fasts, and have invited more to join them, without the authority of the queen. 22. That since he came to Warwick, he hath caused much faction, by distinguishing the people into godly and profane. 23. That he doth know who were the writers, printers, or dispersers of the writings under the name of Martin MarPrelate. 24. That being asked his opinion of these books, he insinuated, that as the bishops would not amend by grave writings, it was meet they should be dealt with to their great shame and reproach. 25. That he penned or procured to be penned, all or some part of the book, entitled Disciplina Ecclesiae sacra verbo Dei descripta; and he recommended the same to the judgment and censure of others. 26. That the said Thomas Cartwright and sundry others have met in assemblies, termed synods, in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, &c. 27. That at such synods, it hath been concluded, that all ministers should subscribe the said "Book of Discipline," and be governed by it. 28. That at such synods, a moderator was by him and them chosen, according to the order of the said book. 29. That at such assemblies, he did, with others, dispute upon certain articles, and set down their determinations. 30. That he, with others, in an assembly at Cambridge, did conclude upon certain decrees, which were afterwards considered and allowed at Warwick. 31. That all the proceedings of such meetings have been set down, from time to time, by the said Thomas Cartwright and others.* These articles are presented to the reader as a curious specimen of the charges alleged against the puritans, that he may judge of their evil nature and dangerous tendency. We may suppose this long list of crimes contains all the evil things that even his enemies could bring against him. They were exhibited against Mr. Cartwright by Bishop Aylmer and other commissioners, who required him to take the oath ex officio. He, indeed, offered to clear himself of Fuller's Church Hist. b. ix. p. 198-202. some of the charges upon his oath; but because he thought it wrong to accuse himself, or to bring his friends into trouble, he refused to answer the rest: and if this would not give satisfaction to his spiritual judges, he was resolved to submit to whatever punishment they might be disposed to inflict upon him. He was, accordingly, sent to the Fleet; but by the advice of the treasurer, the archbishop, his old adversary, was not present at his commitment. During the following month, Mr. Cartwright appeared twice before the high commission; when the above oath was again required of him, but he still refused to take it, because, in his opinion, it was contrary both to the laws of God and the realm. Yet, he was still willing to answer part of the charges upon his oath, and would give them reasons for refusing the rest. But his judges remaining inflexible, he hẹ was sent back to prison, where he continued a long time. Mr. Cartwright was not alone in these sufferings. The rest of his brethren were at the same time called before the same tribunal; and refusing the oath, for the same reasons, were committed to various prisons, where they remained several years. May 13, 1591, Mr. Cartwright and his brethren were brought before the star-chamber, where they were treated with much abuse, for refusing the above oath. And when Counsellor Fuller stood up to plead in behalf of the prişoners, he was commanded to be silent; and told, that far less crimes than theirs had been punished with the gallies or perpetual banishment, the latter of which, the attorneygeneral thought proper for them, provided it was to some remote place from whence they might not return.+ From the star-chamber, they were sent back to the high commission, where Bancroft and others had a long and warm dispute with Mr. Cartwright about the oath. Bishop Aylmer, on this occasion, threw out several reproaches against Mr. Cartwright, still requiring him to take the oath.§ The attorney-general did the same; and declared how dangerous a thing it was, that men, upon the conceit of Strype's Whitgift, p. 337, 338. + Ibid. p. 360, 361, Ibid. p. 362-366.-Strype's Aylmer, p. 310-319. One of the reproaches which Aylmer cast upon Cartwright, was, that he had deceived the privy council, by informing them that he was afflicted with the gout and sciatica, when that was not the case. Cartwright, however, proved by a written testimonial from his physician, that this accusation was false: but the Archbishop of Canterbury afterwards took this testimonial from Mrs. Cartwright, and refused to restore it again. —Biog. Britan. vol. iii. p. 286. Edit. 1778. their own heads, but under pretence of conscience, should refuse to receive those things which had been so long a time established by law. Mr. Cartwright then assigned various reasons for his refusal, desiring permission to vindicate himself against the reflections of the bishop and the attorney. And though he reminded the bishop, that he had promised him the liberty of answering for himself, his lordship refused, saying," that he had no leisure to hear his answer." This oppressive prelate had found time to accuse and reproach Mr. Cartwright, but, contrary to his own promise, could find no time to hear his vindication! From the high commission, Mr. Cartwright and his friends were again sent to the star-chamber, when a bill was exhibited against them, containing thirty-four articles, chiefly relating to their associations and discipline, and, in substance, the same as those already mentioned. They underwent many examinations. On one occasion, the following articles of inquiry were administered: "Where are the assemblies held?-When, and how often?-Who attended the said assemblies?-What matters were treated of in them?-Who made, set forth, or corrected the Book of Discipline?-Who subscribed, or submitted to the said book? Is the king to be accounted among the governors of the church, or among those which are to be governed by pastors, doctors, or such like?-Is it lawful for the sovereign prince to appoint orders and ceremonies to the church? Is the ecclesiastical government established by her majesty's authority within the church of England, lawful and allowed by the word of God?-Are the sacraments, as ministered according to the Book of Common Prayer, godly and rightly ministered?" On another occasion, eighteen articles of inquiry were administered, relating to Messrs. Thomas Cartwright, Humphrey Fenn, Edward Lord, Edmund Snape, Andrew King, Daniel Wight, William Proudlove, Melancthon Jewel, and John Payne; when their brethren, Messrs. Henry Alvy, Thomas Edmunds, William Perkins, Edmund Littleton, John Johnson, Thomas Barber, Hercules Cleavely, Anthony Nutter, and Thomas Stone, considered it their duty to take the oath, by which they discovered many things relative to their associations. Strype's Aylmer, p. 319. + Baker's MS. Collec, vol. xv. p. 67-69. Strype's Aylmer, p. 321, 322. Strype's Whitgift, Appen. p. 157–16♣, |