RICHARD CRICK, D. D.-He was chaplain to the Bishop of Norwich, and much commended for his learning and sobriety. In the year 1573, he preached at Paul's cross; and having in his sermon commended Mr. Cartwright's reply to Whitgift, a special messenger was sent from Archbishop Parker to apprehend him. Though at that time he escaped the snare, he afterwards fell into the hands of the high commissioners, by whom he was deprived of his preferment in the church at Norwich.*

Dr. Crick being silenced, and many of his brethren in the same diocese, they united in presenting a supplication to the council, that they might be restored to their beloved ministry, and allowed again to preach the glad tidings of the gospel. This supplication was dated September 25, 1576; a further account of which is given in another place.+ Afterwards, he and many of his brethren, being the silenced ministers in that diocese, presented their humble submission, to their diocesan, dated August 21, 1578. In this submission, they request to be restored to their ministry, promising to subscribe to the articles of faith and the doctrine of the sacraments, according to the laws of the realm. They profess, at the same time, that the ceremonies and government of the church are so far to be allowed, that no man ought to withdraw from hearing the word and receiving the holy sacraments, on account of them. They also offer to the bishop, their reasons for refusing to subscribe, requesting to have their difficulties removed, without which they could never subscribe in the manner required. This excellent divine, therefore, remained a long time under deprivation. Though he was afterwards restored to his ministry, yet, upon the publication of Whitgift's three articles, he was again suspended, with many others, for refusing subscription.§

ANTHONY GILBY.-This pious and zealous nonconformist was born in Lincolnshire, and educated in Christ's college, Cambridge, where he obtained a most exact knowledge of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. He constantly laboured to promote a further reformation; and having published his sentiments of the habits, ceremonies, and corruptions in the church, more openly than many of

his brethren, he is represented by some of our historians, as a fiery and furious opposer of the discipline in the church of England.*

Upon the accession of Queen Mary, and the commencement of her bloody persecution, he became an exile in a foreign land, He was among the first who retired to Frankfort, where he was deeply involved in the troubles occasioned by the officious interference of Dr. Cox and his party. When the order of church discipline, highly esteemed by many, was presented to the whole congregation, and rejected by the zealous episcopalians, “Mr. Gilby, with a godly grief, as was openly manifest, kneeled down before them; and with tears in his eyes, besought them to promote the desired reformation, solemnly protesting, that, in this matter, they sought not themselves, but the glory of God only adding, that he wished the very hand which he then held up, might be struck off, if godly peace and unity could thereby be promoted."+ Such was his truly generous spirit; and such his fervent zeal for the peace and unity of the church! Upon the unkind usage at Frankfort, Mr. Gilby removed to Geneva. Afterwards, he united with his brethren in writing a letter to those who still remained at Frankfort, defending the lawfulness of their departure, against the slanderous reports of those who stigmatized them as schismatics. This letter, signed by eighteen persons, among whom was the famous Mr. John Fox, breathes a most condescending, humble, and healing spirit. During Mr. Gilby's abode at Geneva, he assisted Coverdale, Sampson, and other learned divines, in the translation of the Bible,

After the accession of Queen Elizabeth, our divine returned from exile, and was greatly admired and beloved by all who sought a thorough reformation of the English church. He is, indeed, exceedingly reproached by several of our bigotted historians. Dr. Bancroft says, that Mr. Gilby, with the rest of the Geneva accomplices, urged all states by degrees, to take up arms, and reforin religion themselves by force, rather than suffer so much idolatry and superstition to remain in the land. Another peevish writer, with an evident design to blacken his memory, says, "That in obedience to John Calvin, the supreme head of Geneva,

* Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 167.

+ Troubles at Frankeford, p. 30.

§ See Art. Coverdale.

+ Ibid. p. 47.

Bancroft's Dangerous Positions, p. 62. Edit. 1640.

doth his dear subject and disciple Anthony Gilby, and others of that fraternity, shoot their wild-fire against the statutes of England; by which they shew their schism and madness, more than their christian prudence."* This is wholly the language of misrepresentation and abuse.

Notwithstanding these calumnies, Mr. Gilby enjoyed the favour of several of the nobility, men of excellent character and high reputation. The Earl of Huntington, who was his constant friend and patron, presented him to the vicarage of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire; where, through the blessing of God on his ministry, he was made exceedingly useful. Here he obtained a distinguished reputation, when the worthy earl used to style him Father Gilby.t Bishop Hall, who probably had some acquaintance with him, denominates him "a reverend and famous divine;"‡ and he is said to have lived at Ashby "as great as a bishop.' He was highly esteemed by some of the learned prelates, as well as many of the most celebrated divines of the age, with whom he held a friendly correspondence. The following is the copy of a letter, which he received from the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry :§

"To my loving friend and brother in Christ, Mr. Gilby, "at Ashby.

"With my hearty commendations to you Mr. Gilby. I "received your letter but now and heretofore, to the which "I proposed to have made some answer by this time; but "either lack of convenient messenger, or some other present "business, have stayed; and, therefore, these are in few "words to signify to you, that such reports as you have "heard of me, touching Stretton, were untrue, (I thank 66 Almighty God) and so saying to my brother. Augustin "added these words, that I marvelled much if you did "judge as you wrote. Notwithstanding, I was not dis"pleased with your writing, but accepted the same as "friendly and lovingly as I can any man's writing.

"It is plain that many enormities remain uncorrected, "either for lack of knowledge thereof, or else through the "corruption of mine officers, or otherwise through negli"gence or forgetfulness of myself; yet when I have proof "of them, I either call the offenders myself, or charge mine

Foulis' Hist. of Plots, p. 36.

Nichols's Hist. of Leicestershire, vol. ii. p. 626.
Life of Bp. Hall prefixed to his Works.

Baker's MS. Collec, vol. xxxii. p. 434.

"officers with the same. Concerning that evil man, Sir * William Radish, I engage to have him called as soon as "I can, to answer his doings and such sayings as "Touching the person of Stretton, I will do that which "lieth in me to displace, for the which I have given charge "divers times to mine officers. I would not have my "brother Dawberry to do any thing touching the same; for "the matter will not pass through at Lichfield. I will then "send you word, and use your counsel. And thus omitting "all other matters, till we shall have occasion to meet "together, I commit you and good Mrs. Gilby (whose "health and happiness I wish) to the goodness of Almighty "God; this 12 day of Nov. 1565. At Eccleshall-castle.

"Your loving friend and brother in Christ,

"THOMAS COVEN. and LICHFIELD.”

The above letter, justly deemed a curiosity, shews at once the great intimacy and familiarity which subsisted betwixt Mr. Gilby and the bishop, and the high esteem and respect in which our divine was held by his learned diocesan. Mr. Gilby was a celebrated scholar, and a most profound and pious divine, and admirably qualified for the translation of the holy scriptures. The famous Dr. Lawrence Humphrey, with whom he held a frequent correspondence, had the highest opinion of him. Several of the doctor's letters to Mr. Gilby are now before me, one of which, though very short, it will be proper here to insert; which is as follows:*

"To his worshipful and good friend Mr. Ant. Gilby.

"Salutation in Christ Jesus. Albeit your days are evil "and your time short; yet I pray you be occupied in the "gift which God has betowed upon you, in translating the "prophets, and conjoin somewhat also out of the Rabbins "or Chaldee Paraphrast, that may be a testimony of your "industry, and an help for your son. We must do what we 66 may, and what we cannot must leave to God. The Lord "be merciful to us. Commend me to your good wife. "Oxon. March 5.

"Yours in the Lord,

"LAWRENCE HUMPHREY."

This letter appears to have been addressed to our divine towards the close of life, but there is no particular year

* Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxxii. p. 431.

specified in the date. Several other letters from Dr. Thomas Sampson, Mr. Thomas Wilcocks, and other celebrated divines, addressed to Mr. Gilby, are now before me. Such of them as are particularly illustrative of the history of the times, will be found inserted in their proper places.

The high respect in which Mr. Gilby was held, was no screen against the persecution of the tyrannizing ecclesiastics. Therefore, in the year 1571, Archbishop Parker binding the clergy to a more exact conformity, by wearing the habits and observing the ceremonies, commanded Archbishop Grindal of York, to prosecute him for nonconformity. But Grindal, who, towards the close of life, was averse to all severe measures, signified to his brother of Canterbury, that as Mr. Gilby dwelt in Leicestershire, and out of his province, he could not proceed against him; and so referred his case to the commissioners in the south. Hence it is extremely probable that he was now summoned, with several other learned divines, before Parker and his colleagues at Lambeth; but of this we have no certain information. It appears, however, pretty evident, that he was silenced from his public ministry, either at this, or at some other time.+

Mr. Gilby, according to Fuller, stands first on the list of learned writers, who received their education in Christ's college, Cambridge. He was author of a work, entitled "A Viewe of Antichrist, his Lawes and Ceremonies in our English Church unreformed," 1570. The first part of this humorous piece is called "The Book of the Generation of Antichrist the Pope, the revealed Child of Perdition and his Successors;" and is so singular and curious, that, for the satisfaction of the inquisitive reader, the substance of it is here transcribed. The ecclesiastical genealogy is expressed as follows:

The devil begat darkness. Darkness begat ignorance, Ignorance begat error and his brethren. Error begat freewill and self-love. Free-will begat merit. Merit begat forgetfulness of the grace of God. Forgetfulness of the grace of God, begat transgression. Transgression begat mistrust. Mistrust begat satisfaction. Satisfaction begat the sacrifice of the mass. Sacrifice of the mass begat popish priesthood. Popish priesthood begat superstition.

*Strype's Parker, p. 320.-Grindal, p 170. Nichols's Defence, p. 21. Edit. 1740. Fuller's Hist, of Cam. p. 92.