they imagined that twelve months confinement had sufficiently broken the spirit of Mr. Smith, they asked him whether he would go to church. He answered, "that were he to do it, he should only play the hypocrite, to avoid trouble; for he judged it utterly unlawful." To this one of the commissioners replied, in a style worthy of his cause: "come to church and obey the queen's laws; and be a dissembler, a hypocrite, or a devil, if thou wilt."" In a petition to government, these much-injured men complain of such treatment as was worthy only of a Spanish inquisition. By these cruelties, many of them perished in prison. On the coffin of one of them, whose name was Roger Rippon, his fellowprisoners inscribed the words of the royal preacher,

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oppression makes a wise man mad." They were beaten, and doomed to still severer confinement, for not attending the service of the established church in the jail, to which they were brought for renouncing that service as unscriptural".

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Barrow requested that he might be allowed a conference, to investigate the truth. But this was refused; for it was not truth or reason, but submission, which the persecutors wished to obtain. On his trial, Mr. Barrow was asked, whether the church of England were a true church or not; he replied, as it is now formed, it is not; but there are many excellent Christians who belong to its communion." He, as well as Mr. Greenwood, his companion in suffering, refused to take an oath, but engaged to deliver the truth. They both returned similar answers to the frivolous questions on which they were tried for their lives.

They were condemned to die, and on the sixth of April one thousand five hundred and ninety-three were hanged at Tyburn, breathing such a spirit of piety towards God, and such loyal prayers for the queen's prosperity, that when she was told in what manner they died, she discovered a momentary pang of regret.

Shortly after, Mr. John Penry, or, more probably, ap Henry, was seized and condemned for the same crime. He had drawn up a petition, which discovers surprising penetration, and announces some incontrovertable truths in a most convincing tone. Yet should not the man who could see and speak truth so clearly, have been aware, that to present such a petition to the imperious Elizabeth was to march with the forlorn hope to storm the deadly breach? Though he declared, that not a day passed over his head, in which he did not commend the queen's estate to God, his death-warrant was signed by the archbishop. It was immediately sent to the sheriff, who erected the gallows the same day, seized the victim at dinner, and hanged him about five o'clock in the afternoon of May the twenty-ninth, in the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-three'.

An important æra in the history of the independents, is supposed to have been formed by the labours of Mr. John Robinson, who gathered a church on these principles at Leyden. He began with the most rigid sentiments, but from intercourse with the learned congregationalist, Dr. William Ames, he imbibed more liberal views. In a Latin apology, which he published, he says, "every particular society is a complete church; and, as far as regards other a Pierce. Fuller. Heylin's History of Presbyterians,

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churches, immediately and independently under Christ alone." This gave rise to the name of independents, of whom Mr. Robinson has been considered the father; but as it does not appear that he made any material alteration in the system, the earliest Brownists may, with the utmost propriety, be called independents.

The church at Leyden gradually diminished; for while the aged members were removed by death, their children married into Dutch families: it was therefore determined, after much consultation, that the younger part of them should remove to America, where they might at once preserve their church from extinction, and afford an asylum to their brethren from England. This independent colony settled at Plymouth in New England, where they at first endured incredible hardships from famine and the hostile neighbourhood of the Indians. That part of the church, which remained at Leyden, felt no encouragement to follow their brethren, though Mr. Robinson was willing, if the majority would have given their consent. At length, an ague deprived them of this beloved pastor, and dismissed him to his rest on the nineteenth of February, one thousand six hundred and twenty-four, in the fiftieth year of his age, The Dutch ministers and professors, though presbyterians, highly esteemed this champion of independency while living, and at his death accompanied him to the grave, with every mark of affectionate regret.

Those, who emigrated to New England, waited for the remainder of the church with Mr. Robinson their pastor, till they heard of his death, when they chose to that office Mr. Ralph Smith, who went over about this

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time, and was ordained in the year one thousand six hundred and twenty-nine by fasting and prayer, and the imposition of the hands of the elders of the church. They much encouraged the preaching of the gifted brethren, by which they suffered some disturbances, till by degrees the chosen pastors became the only preachers.

In England Mr. Henry Jacob became a distinguished supporter of independency. He was at first the apologist of the church of England, in favour of which he published two treatises against Francis Johnson. But on conversing with Mr. Robinson at Leyden, he became a convert to his sentiments, recommended them by the press in Holland, and came over to England to reduce them to practice. He called together his puritan friends, communicated to them his design of forming a separate church, like those in Holland, which they, seeing no prospect of further reformation in the establishment, approved. They spent a day of solemn devotion to implore the the divine blessing on their undertaking, when, after a confession of their faith, they joined their hands together, and covenanted with each other to walk together in all the ordinances of God, as far as he had already revealed, or should further make them known. Mr. Jacob, being chosen their pastor, published a statement and defence of their principles, and petitioned the king for a toleration. But after labouring among them eight years, to extend the sphere of his usefulness, in the year one thousand six hundred and twenty-four, with the consent of his charge, he removed to Virginia.

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Afterwards the church chose Mr. John Lathorpe, formerly a clergyman in Kent, to be their pastor, and

d Neal,

continued to worship in secret, removing from place to place, for near thirty years. At last they were surprised in a house near Blackfriars. Forty of them were dragged to prison, and by these persecutions they were deprived of several pastors, till they chose to the office Mr. Stephen More, a wealthy citizen of London. Growing bold by the favour which the long parliament showed to dissenters, they worshipped with open doors, when they were disturbed in Deadman'slane, Southwark, January the eighteenth, one thousand six hundred and forty, and being summoned before the house of Lords, they were dismissed with a gentle reprimand. Some of the peers, curious to see their order, attended their worship the following Lord's-day, when they professed themselves much pleased with the administration of the word and sacraments, and contributed towards their collection for the poor of the church.

The independent divines who had fled to Holland, were allowed to assemble in the Dutch churches, after the hours of the national worship, with the use of a bell to summon the congregation together. Here they declared that they availed themselves of the liberty and leisure of their exile to study the doctrine of the Scriptures concerning church government. But when the change of the times invited their return, and afforded an opportunity for the declaration of their principles, they published an apologetical narration which they presented to the house of commons in the year one thousand six hundred and forty-three. This apology was signed by seven ministers, who being members of the presbyterian assembly, were called the dissenting brethren. The presbyterians, who • Neal, Pierce.