Nature of Wines commonly used in England, with a Confutation of them that hold, that Rhenish and other small Wines ought not to be drunken, either of them that have the Stone, the Rume, or other Diseases, 1568.-14. The Nature and Virtue of Triacle, 1568. -15. The rare Treasure of English Baths, 1587.-16. Arguments against the Popish Ceremonies.* He translated into English, "A Comparison between the Old Learning and the New," 1538.-And “ The Palsgraves Catechism,” 1572.

ROBERT HAWKINS.-This zealous puritan was beneficed in London, but endured many troubles for nonconformity. In the year 1566, conformity to the habits and ceremonies being enforced with great rigour, especially in London and its vicinity, and many of the nonconformable ministers being silenced, and their friends treated with great severity, they came at length to a determination to form themselves into a separate congregation; and they assembled together privately, in various places in the city, as they found opportunity. It is observed from Mr. Strype, that the refusers of the orders of the church, who by this time were commonly called puritans, were now grown into two factions. The one was of a more quiet and peaceable demeanour, who indeed would not use the habits, nor subscribe to the ceremonies, as kneeling at the sacrament, the cross in baptism, the ring in marriage; but held the communion of the church, and willingly and devoutly joined in the common prayer. There was another sort, who disliked the whole constitution of the church, charging it with many gross remainders of popery, and that it was still full of antichristian corruptions, and not to be tolerated. These separated themselves into private assemblies, meeting together not in churches, but in private houses, where they had ministers of their own. They rejected wholly the Book of Common Prayer, and used a book of prayers framed at Geneva for the congregation of English exiles lately sojourning there. This book had been revised and allowed by Calvin and the rest of the Geneva divines. At these private assemblies, they had not only prayers and sermons, but the Lord's supper likewise sometimes administered. This gave great offence to the queen, who issued her letters to the ecclesiastical commissioners, to this effect: "That they should move these nonconformists by gentle means to conformity, or else for their first punishment to lose their

* The author has seen a MS. copy of this work, but is not certain whether it was ever published.

freedom of the city, and afterwards to suffer what should follow."*

Mr. Hawkins was a leading person among these_separatists, and an active and a zealous preacher. Several other ministers were members of the congregation. Having kept their assemblies for some time more privately, to elude the notice of the bishop's officers, they at length ventured to come forth more publicly; and June 19, 1567, they agreed to have a sermon and the Lord's supper at Plumbers-hall, which they hired for the day, as some one gave it out, under pretence of a wedding. Here the sheriffs of London discovered them, and broke up their meeting, when about one hundred were assembled together. Most of them were taken into custody, and sent to the Compter. These were the first puritans who accounted it unlawful to hold communion with the church of England, and who totally separated from it. They did not separate, however, till after their ministers were silenced; and they appear to have been the first who were cast into prison, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, for not coming to their parish churches, and for holding conventicles. They deserved more humane treatment, especially when it is recollected, that they only imitated the worthy protestants a few years before, in the time of Queen Mary; who, to the great hazard of their lives, assembled in private places; and some of them were, indeed, the same persons. They were harassed and persecuted, while the papists continued unmolested.+

The day after their imprisonment in the Compter, Mr. Hawkins, and Messrs. William White, Thomas Bowland, John Smith, William Nixson, James Ireland, and Richard Morecraft, were brought before Bishop Grindal, Dean Goodman, Archdeacon Watts, the lord mayor, and other commissioners. The bishop charged them with absenting themselves from the parish churches, and with setting up separate assemblies for prayer, preaching, and administering the sacrament. He told them, that by these proceedings, they condemned the church of England, which was well reformed according to the word of God, and those martyrs who shed their blood for it. To this charge, Mr. Hawkins replied in the name of the rest, as follows; and would have said more, but was interrupted.

Hawkins. We condemn them not. We only stand to the truth of God's word.

Biographia Britan. vol. iv. p. 2432. Edit. 1747.

*

+ MS. Remarks, p. 213.

Parte of a Register, p. 23, 24.

Bishop. Have you not the gospel truly preached, and the sacraments duly ministered, and good order preserved; though we differ from other churches in indifferent ceremonies, which the prince has power to command for the sake of order? What say you, Smith, as you seem the ancientest?

Smith. Indeed, my lord, we thank God for reformation; and that is the thing we desire, according to God's word. White. I beseech you, let me answer.

Bishop. Nay, White, hold your peace. heard anon.

You shall be

Nixson. I beseech you, let me answer a word or two. Bishop. Nixson, you are a busy fellow. I know your words. You are full of talk. I know from whence you came.

Hawkins. I would be glad to answer.

Bishop. Smith, you shall answer.

Smith. So long, indeed, as we might have the word freely preached, and the sacraments administered without the use of idolatrous gear, we never assembled in private houses. But when all our preachers, who could not subscribe to your apparel and your laws, were displaced; so that we could not hear any of them in the church for the space of seven or eight weeks, excepting father Coverdale, who at length durst not make known unto us where he preached; and then we were troubled in your courts from day to day, for not coming to our parish churches; we considered among ourselves what we should do. We remembered that there was a congregation of us in this city, in the days of Queen Mary; and a congregation at Geneva, which used a book and order of preaching, ministering the sacraments and discipline, most agreeable to the word of God. This book is allowed by the godly and learned Mr. Calvin, and the other preachers at Geneva, which book and order we now hold. And if you can, by the word of God, reprove this book, or any thing that we hold, we will yield to you, and do open penance at Paul's cross; but if not, we will, by the grace of God, stand to it.

Bishop. This is no answer.

Smith. Would you have me go back from better to worse? I would as soon go to mass as to some churches, and particularly to my own parish church; for the minister is a very papist.

Dean. He counteth the service and reformation in the days of King Edward, as evil as the mass.

Bishop. Because he knoweth one that is evil, he findeth fault with all. You may go to other places.

White. If it were tried, there would be found a great company of papists in this city, whom you allow to be ministers, and thrust out the godly.

Bishop. Can you accuse any of them of false doctrine ? Nixson. Yes, I can accuse one of false doctrine, who is even now in this house. Let him come forth, and answer to the doctrine which he preached upon John x.*

Dean. You would take away the authority of the prince, and the liberty of christians.

Bishop. Yes, and you suffer justly.

Hawkins. It does not belong to the prince, nor to the liberty of christians, to use and defend that which appertaineth to papistry and idolatry, as appears from Deuteronomy vii. and other parts of scripture.

Dean. When do you hear us maintain such things in our preaching?

Hawkins. Though you do not defend them in your preaching, you do it by your deeds, and your laws.

You

preach Christ to be a prophet and priest, but not to be a king; nor will you suffer him to reign in his church alone, by the sceptre of his word; but the pope's canon law, and the will of the prince, must be preferred before the word and ordinance of God.

Dean. You speak irreverently of the prince, before the magistrates. You were not required to speak, and therefore might hold your peace.

Hawkins. You will suffer us to make our defence, seeing you persecute us.

Bishop. What is so preferred?

Nixson. Your laws, your copes, and your surplices; because you will suffer none to preach, except they wear them, and subscribe.

Bishop. No! what say you of Sampson and Lever, and others? Do not they preach?

White. Though they preach, you have deprived and forbidden them; and though you suffer them, the law stands in force against them. But for what cause you will not suffer others, whom you cannot reprove by the word of God, I know not.

*This was one Bedall, then present, who immediately held down his head, but said nothing. The bishop and other commissioners, at the same time, looked upon one another, as if they knew not what to do, but proceeded no further.-Parte of a Register, p. 26.

Bishop. They will not preach among you.
White. Your doings are the cause.

Hawkins. And they will not join with you. One of them told me, " he had rather be torn in a hundred pieces, than communicate with you." We neither hold nor allow any thing that is not contained in the word of God. But if you think we do not hold the truth, shew unto us, and we will renounce it.

Smith. And if you cannot, we pray you, let us not be thus used.

Dean. You are not obedient to the authority of the prince. White. Yes, we are. For we resist not, but suffer whatsoever authority is pleased to lay upon us.

Bishop. Thieves likewise suffer, when the laws are laid upon them.

White. What a comparison is this! They suffer for evil doing, and you punish us for serving God according to his word.

Nixson. The prince, as well as ourselves, must be ruled by the word of God: as we read, 1 Kings xii., that the king should teach only the word of God.

Bishop. What! should the king teach the word of God? Lie not.

Nixson. It means that both king and people should obey the word of God.

Bishop. It is indeed true, that princes must obey the word of God only. But obedience consisteth of three points.-1. That which God commandeth may not be left undone.-2. That which God forbiddeth may not be done. -3. That which God hath neither commanded nor forbidden, and consisteth in things indifferent: such things princes have authority to appoint and command.

Prisoners. Prove that. Where find you that?

Bishop. I have talked with many persons, and yet I never saw any behave themselves so irreverently before magistrates.

White. I beseech you, let me speak a word or two. Bishop. White, stay a little. You shall speak anon. Hawkins. Kings have their rule and commandment, Deut. xvii., not to decline from the word of God, to the right hand or the left, notwithstanding your distinction.

Smith. How can you prove those things to be indifferent, which are abominable.

Bishop. You mean our caps and tippets, which, you say, came from Rome.