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advises the other party not to value themselves upon their own MARY. whimsies, nor check the edification of the Church by peevishness and pride. For what makes them so stiff and quarrelsome? Is it not because they are ashamed to own their mistakes, and give way to wiser resolutions? If they are Id. p. 28. afraid their brethren in England will charge them with deserting their religion, their fears are altogether chimerical: for, by complying with the godly at Frankfort, they will bring their brethren at home to more serviceable reflections. By this means they will lead them to consider into what gulf popery has thrown them, and to what a dangerous depth they were sunk; and thus they will still be more sensible of the false ground, when they find (says he) you do not think it safe to stop at the first remove, but are still going off to farther distance."

Calvin's

Epist. p.213.

mise of the

This peremptory letter of Calvin's gave a turn to the congregation at Frankfort, pushed them to a farther dislike of the Common Prayer, and made the Knoxian faction more hardy and enterprising. However, the victory was not entire for, after they had raised a ferment, and broke in upon the English establishment, the difference was still kept on. At last, it was resolved by the Dissenters, that Knox, Whittingham, Gilby, John Fox, and Thomas Cole, should form a draught for divine service. These men, who, it seems, were Calvin's disciples, translated the Geneva office, and laid it before the congregation; but this would by no means pass with those who were well affected to the English liturgy. To prevent a rupture, it 4 comprowas agreed that Knox, Whittingham, Parry, and Leaver, difference. should try to accommodate the matter, and project another form more inoffensive to both parties; and thus, to make the expedient received, there were concessions made on each side, and an office, partly extracted from the English Liturgy, and partly formed upon Calvin's model. This order was to continue till the 1st of May next ensuing; and if, in the mean time, any controversy should happen, it was to be determined by Calvin, Musculus, Peter Martyr, Bullinger, and Vyret. This agreement was engrossed, and signed by the congregation. And now the differences seemed to be laid asleep, and the parties brought to a coalition. And thus the matter rested till March following, when Dr. Cox and some others came to Frankfort from England. These men, as the writer of this narrative relates, broke in upon the compro

POLE, mise, repeated the responses aloud, and would recede from Abp. Cant. nothing of the English service. Upon this, Knox mounted the pulpit, and declaimed intemperately against our Liturgy. Here, amongst other things, he pretends to divination and prophecy, and affirms that the English, being too heavy and languid in the Reformation, was one reason why that nation was so much punished at present. And here he ran out in his censure of the constitution of the English Church, charged it with want of discipline, found fault with the episcopal habit and the permission of pluralities.

Cox, his party ad

mitted to

vote in the congregation, and

become a majority.

Id. p. 33.

396.

A conference.

Page 34.

Another meeting was appointed to debate these matters at large. And here a motion was made, that Dr. Cox and his company might have the liberty of voting in the congregation. The Dissenters-for so I shall distinguish them-objected that the controversy on foot ought first to be decided, and that the Coxians should be obliged to subscribe the discipline as the rest had done. They objected, farther, that some of those lately arrived lay under suspicion of going to mass in England, and that others had signed the doctrine of the church of Rome. It seems they had been informed of Mr. Jewel's failing in that point, which he afterwards lamented there in the pulpit. And thus the motion made in behalf of Dr. Cox and his friends was at first rejected; till, at last, Knox, by a surprising compliance, prevailed with the congregation to admit the Coxians to vote with the rest. When they had gained this point, they soon grew to a majority, and were admitted members of the Church; and thus, pushing the advantage, they drove Knox from his post, and ordered him not to officiate any longer in the congregation.

Upon this, Whittingham went with a remonstrance to the senator Glauberg, who, interposing in the dispute, silenced the pulpit for one day, sent for Valerand the French minister, and ordered him to appoint the choosing two learned persons of each party; that these four should pitch upon an expedient, and make a report to him of what they had done. Cox and Leaver were chosen by one party, and Knox and Whittingham by the other; and Valerand was ordered to take notes of what they agreed in: but, when they came to the conference, they could not get through the Morning Prayer, nor come to any tolerable harmony. The author of this narrative, who was a Knoxian, lays the blame upon Dr. Cox's stiffness and magisterial behaviour. Thus, the committee breaking up without

effect, the Knoxians addressed the senate, and complained MARY. loudly of the other party and the English Reformation.

Upon this address, Glauberg came to the English congregation, acquainted them it was the magistrate's command they should conform to the French, both in doctrine and ceremonies, menaced them with shutting up their church, and that those who refused to comply should quit the town. Cox, being pressed thus close, was willing to relax. He told the congregation he had perused the Geneva service, thought it good and defensible, and therefore advised them to comply with the order of the magistracy. The congregation consenting, Glauberg returned satisfied.

Page 36.

high treason

The matter had not been long settled upon this footing, when A charge of Knox was charged with treason by the Coxians. They drew against the impeachment out of his book entitled, " An Admonition to Anoe. Christians," written in English. In this tract he had taken some unaccountable freedoms with the emperor, his son king Philip, and Mary queen of England. The passage relating to the emperor, preached in Buckinghamshire in the beginning of the present reign, was this: "O England, England! if thou wilt obstinately return into Egypt, -that is, if thou contract marriage, confederacy, or league, with such princes as do maintain and advance idolatry, such as the emperor, who is no less enemy to Christ than was Nero,-if, for the pleasure and friendship, I say, of such princes thou return to thine old abominations before used under papistry,-then assuredly, O England, thou shalt be plagued and brought to desolation by the means of those whose favour thou seekest, and by whom thou art procured to fall from Christ and serve antichrist." There were eight other obnoxious citations, but this was the most remarkable. The magistracy, not pleased with March 26, the information, ordered Knox to depart the city; for that otherwise they should be obliged to deliver him up to the He quits emperor's council upon demand. Thus Knox, having made and retires a farewell sermon to support his party, retired to Geneva.

And now the interest of those who adhered to the English establishment improved to an overbalance: for, the same day that Knox went off, Adulphus Glauberg, nephew to John Glauberg the senator, sent for Whittingham, and told him that three doctors, thirteen bachelors of divinity, besides others of the same nation, had petitioned the magistrates for the use

1555.

Frankfort,

to Geneva.

Common

Prayerbook received at Frankfort.

POLE of the English service; that they had succeeded in their appliAbp. Cant. cation; and, therefore, charged him not to clash with what The English was settled, or make any disturbance. Whittingham answered, he was ready to acquiesce, but moved for toleration; and that himself and his friends might have the liberty of joining some other church. Cox soliciting against this indulgence, Whittingham offered to dispute before the magistracy against the English Liturgy; but this offer was overruled by young Glauberg. The Knoxians, thus distressed, applied to Glauberg the senator; but this gentleman told them he was informed both parties had agreed to receive the English book, and that he had referred the matter to his nephew Adulphus.

Page 39.

Page 40.

Whittingham, in a letter to his correspondent in England, reports the misfortunes of his friends, charges Cox with breach of promise and indirect dealing, and magnifies the Geneva Church above all the rest. This Whittingham was employed as an agent, to procure a settlement for his party, at Geneva and Basil. He succeeded in his negotiation, and, Bullinger's passing by Zurich, asked Bullinger's opinion of the English service. And here Bullinger declared against the use of the surplice, against private baptism, churching of women, and the ring in marriage.

censure.

Dr. Cor forms the Church

towards the

English constitution.

He writes to
Calvin.

Calvin's answer.

May 31, 1555.

Cox, having gained his point, began to form the congregation to farther advantage, and bring it forward to the face and reputation of an English Church. He got Whitehead chosen superintendant or principal pastor, appointed two clergymen for elders, and four deacons to assist. He likewise proceeded to some resemblance of an university: Robert Horn had the Hebrew lecture, and Mullings the Greek; Trahern was preferred to the divinity chair, and Chambers made treasurer for the contributions remitted from England.

The Church settlement being thus far advanced, Cox gave Calvin an account of their proceedings. The letter is subscribed by fourteen of the chief in the congregation. They excuse their going so far without consulting him; but conclude with the satisfaction they had of bringing over the greatest part of the Church to their sentiments. Calvin, in his answer, complains of their pressing the English Common Prayer-book too far. And here he takes the freedom to dictate with his usual haughtiness, and calls the use of the cross and other ceremonies "trifles and dregs," and makes no scruple to say they are

Page 43.

hurtful and offensive in the present circumstances; and, lastly, MARY. he recommends a fair correspondence between those who remain at Frankfort and the others who seem disposed to go off, and points at some farther expedient to make up the breach.

Those who refused to acquiesce in the majority, and retired to Geneva and Basil, wrote a letter to the Coxians, to purge themselves from the imputation of schism, and offer to refer the controversy to four arbitrators. This letter is signed by eighteen, of whom Whittingham, Gilby, Christopher Goldman, and John Fox the martyrologist, are four. But Cox, thinking it best to maintain his ground, insisted on the present settlement, and declined any farther reference; and in this condition I shall leave the English refugees at present.

tion.

I shall now return to England, and proceed to a farther 4 general account of account of the persecution. And here I shall only be brief the persecu and general in the narrative. To begin: Bonner is reported to have burnt no less than two hundred in three years. Christopherson, bishop of Chichester, brought ten to the stake together at Lewes, and seventeen more during the course of this reign. Harpsfield, archdeacon of Canterbury, and Thornton, suffragan of Dover, were remarkably sanguinary, as hath been already observed. Griffin, bishop of Rochester, was furiously warm in his prosecutions. And bishop Baine, of Lichfield and Coventry, burnt several clergymen and others of both sexes.

The prelates in the northern province managed with more tenderness and humanity. Neither Heath, archbishop of York, nor Oglethorpe, bishop of Carlisle, proceeded to any severity upon the score of religion; and, in the diocese of Chester, there were none burnt, excepting one George Marsh. In the four Welsh dioceses, bishop Farrar and two more were condemned to the fire. In the dioceses of Exeter, Peterborough, Bath and Wells, and Lincoln, four suffered by the same cruelty; two in the diocese of Ely, and six by the bishops of Salisbury and Bristol; and, lastly, the bishops of Oxford, Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford, stood off from persecution, and made no martyrs. In short, those who suffered death for their belief are said to amount to two hundred and seventy-seven. And, to mention somewhat of the distinctions of those that were burnt, in this list there are

397.

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