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and turned your former reason into prejudice and unbelief: if not, you would have believed what I did so seriously affirm to be a known truth: namely, That this age is not more severe against the disturbers of the settled peace and government of the church and state, than they were in the very happy days of our late and good Queen Elizabeth. Some of the reasons why I said so, I do with very much affection tender to your consideration, and to your censure too; and that the last may be the more charitable, and you not apt to make the errours or failings of your governours seem more or greater than indeed they are, let me intreat that you remember what I have very often said to you; namely, That malicious men (of whom really I do not take you to be one) are the best accusers, and the worst judges. And indeed I fear it would prove to be a very bitter truth, if some did attain that power which too many labour for in these days, in which schism and sedition are taken to be no sins, even by men who pretend a tenderness of conscience in much smaller

matters.

And, that I may keep some order, and you be the better satisfied in what I intend in this letter, I earnestly intreat that you will at your next leisure read in Mr Cambden's true “ History of the Life and Reign of our good Queen Elizabeth," in which you may find, what care was then taken to prevent schism, and the sad confusion that attends it; and how the contrivers of libels, and dispersers

of them, have been severely punished, many of them even to death; as namely, Henry Barrow", and many of his sectaries, for disturbing the publiek peace of the nation, by scattering abroad their monstrous opinions; as also, for affirming the Church of England to be no true church, and the like; which you may find written by the said Mr. Cambden, in the thirty-sixth year of that good Queen's reign.

But I commend more especially to your consideration the story and sad death of Hacket and his adherents; as namely, of Wiginton, Arthington, and Copinger, all schismaticks, and of one sect and brotherhood: But I say, I do most seriously commend to your consideration the beginning and death of the said Hacket, who was first a pretender to a tenderness of conscience, but a schismatick; and stopt not there, but became by degrees, so fully possest by the evil spirit, the spirit of pride and opposition, that he publickly reviled the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Chancellour, and being transported with a furious zeal, did at last become from a schismatick, to be so infamous an heretick, that he was condemned to death for his abominable errors; at which time he reviled and cursed his judges, and died blaspheming and reproaching his Creator. This you may read in the thirty-fourth year of

See "Kennet's Complete History of England," vol. H. p. 571.

VOL. II.

Dd

Queen Elizabeth, as it is written by honest learned Mr. Cambden, who concludes this sad story of Hacket with this observation, "Thus doth the

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enemy of mankind bewitch those men whom he "seeth are not content to be wise unto sobriety <." These stories, I say, and too many like them, you may find in Mr. Cambden's "History of Queen Elizabeth;" and you may find the like in "Bishop Spotswood's History of the Church of Scotland;" and also find the like in "Mr. Fuller's History of the Church of Great Britain;" in which you may observe what labour hath been used by the discontented Non-conformists to unsettle the government of the Church of England, and consequently of the state; and may there also find, how severely many of them have been punished: So that you need not wonder at what I said last night, nor think these the only times of persecuting men of tender consciences.

And for the better confirmation of what I now write, I will refer you to one testimony more, in the time of our late peaceful King James: Which testimony you may view in the second volume of "The Reports of Judge Crook," a man very

"Thus does the great enemy of mankind cajole those who pretend an outward sanctity, but are not sincerely and soberly wise and good." (Kennet's History of England, vol. II. p. 564.) See an account of these wretched fanatics in Dr. Cozins's "Conspiracy for Pretended Reformation," a treatise usually annexed to Sir George Paule's Life of Archbishop Whitgift.

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learned in the law. But I shall first tell you the occasion of that report, which was this, The Non-conformists, which are in that report called by the name of "Puritans, had given out that the king had an intent to set up or give a toleration "to Popery; and they had also composed a large petition, complaining of the severity of some 66 usage, and of some laws that concerned them"selves; and desired that the severity of those "laws might be mitigated: These and other like "desires were in the said petition, to which they "had procured not less than seven hundred hands; " and the close of the petition was, That if these "desires were not granted, many thousands of his subjects would be discontented: Which indeed "was not a threatning, but was understood to be "somewhat like it."

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This report of his Majesty's intent to set up or tolerate Popery begot many fears and discontents in the nation; and to prevent greater disturbances the King did appoint many of his Privy Council, and all the judges of the land, to meet together in the Star-chamber, in which assembly the Lord Chancellour declared to them the occasion of this

d Sir George Croke, celebrated for pleading with great ability against the imposition of ship-money, was promoted to the Common Pleas, Feb. 11, 1623, and to the King's Bench, Oct. 9, 1628. He died Feb. 15, 1641. His Reports in three volumes, folio, were published after his decease by Sir Harbottle Grimstone, his son-in-law.

• Sir Thomas Egerton having held the office of Master of the Rolls with that of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, till 1603, Dd 2

the

their publick convention; and asked the judges this following question, (as you may read it in the very same words in the said learned judge's Reports, in the second year of the reign of King James.)

"Whether it were an offence punishable, and "what punishment they deserved, who framed

petitions and collected a multitude of hands "thereto, to prefer to the king in a publick cause "as the Puritans had done, with an intimation "to the king, that if he denied their suit, many "thousands of his subjects would be discontented."

"Whereto all the judges answered, that it was an offence finable at discretion, and very near "treason and felony in the punishment; for they "tended to the raising sedition, rebellion, and "discontent among the people: To which resolu"tion all the Lords agreed. And then many of "the Lords declared, that some of the Puritans "had raised a false rumour of the king; that he "intended to grant a toleration to Papists: Which "offence the judges conceived to be hainously "finable by the rules of the Common Law, either "in the King's Bench, or by the King and his "Council; or now, (since the statute of the third "of Henry the Seventh) in the Star-chamber.

the first year of the reign of James I. was then created Baron of Ellesmere, and Viscount Brackley, and was also constituted Lord Chancellor of England.

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