might escape him altogether, unless speedily made way with.

*The following contemporary account of this statute, already referred to, is given in a letter of Thos. Phillips to Mr William Sterrell, dated April 7th, 1593, found among the State Papers, and copied by Mr. Waddington:

"There was a bill preferred against the Barrowists and Brownists, making it felony to maintain any opinions against the ecclesiastical government, which, by the bishops' means, did pass the upper house, but was found so captious by the nether house as it was thought would never have passed in any sort; for it was thought all the puritans would have been drawn within the compass thereof.

'Yet, by the earnest laboring of those [who] sought to satisfy the bishops' humors, it was passed, to this effect: That whosoever shall be an obstinant recusant, refusing to come to any church, and do deny the queen to have any power and authority in ecclesiastical causes, and do by writing, or otherwise, publish the same, and be a keeper of conventicles also, being convicted, he shall abjure the realm within three months, and lose all his goods and herds: if he return without leave, it shall be felony.

"Thus have they minced it, as is thought, so that it will not reach to any man that shall deserve favor, in a concurrence of 80 many faults and actions.

"The week before, upon the late conventicle you wrote of last, Barrowe and Greenwood, with some others, were indicted, arraigned, and condemned, upon the statute of writing and publishing seditious books, and would have been executed; but, as they were ready to be trussed up, were reprieved. But the day after the court-house had showed their dislike of the bill, were, early in the morning, hanged.

"It is plainly said, that their execution proceeded of malice of the bishops, to spite the nether house; which hath procured them much hatred among the common people affected that way." Hidden Church, pp. 95, 96.

CHAPTER VIII.

A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH ORGANIZED, 1592. -ARREST

AND IMPRISONMENT OF THE PASTOR AND A MAJORITY OF

WHILE the tragical events connected with the imprisonment and execution of Barrowe, Greenwood and Penry were transpiring, the Separatists who were still at liberty, nothing terrified by their adversaries, continued to meet in considerable numbers for social worship. This they did, to be sure, at great personal inconvenience and hazard, in the dead of night, or very early in the morning, in the fields and woods, and in "garden houses" around London, and at public and private houses in the city; changing often from place to place, to avoid observation and discovery.* On the Lord's

London was

A "Garden House," was a gardener's house. surrounded with forests and fields, at that time, interspersed with patches of land, cleared and cultivated by those who supplied the London markets. A public house at Islington, for some reason, was a favorite resort of protestant dissenters in this and previous reigns; and the " Woodsides," Islington, was another; Fox's Ordinary, in the city, was still another; and Mr. Bilson's house in Cree-church, Mr. Lee's, near Smithfield, a house in Aldgate, "a

day they continued their meetings through the day, dining together, and it is not unlikely partaking of the Lord's supper, and taking up a collection at the close, to pay for their food and to aid their poor brethren in prison. These meetings, though conducted with great caution the brethren coming to the place singly, or only two or three together, and a doorkeeper being appointed to warn them of approaching danger- were yet not absolutely private; for persons were admitted who were not avowedly Separatists. If there chanced to be a preacher among them, they listened to a sermon; but if there was no preacher, they spent the day in reading and hearing the Scriptures read and expounded, and in prayer and religious conference; and, if we may credit the report of an enemy, their services were none of the shortest.*

garden house" in Dukes'-Place, near Aldgate, George Johnson's school-house, in Nicholas Lane, Catherine Unwin's house, probably at Ratcliffe — were all meeting places for the Separatists. See Examinations of William Smyth and Thomas Settle, both Cambridge scholars, who joined the despised Separatists in London, and suffered severely for their faith.— Brook, 11. 44-48; Hanbury, 1. 87, 88; Life of Penry, 123, 125; and Hidden Church, 49.

*Hanbury, 1. 86, quotes from a rare old tract printed in 1641, entitled, "The Brownists' Synagogue," etc., p. 5, which thus describes these Separatists' meetings: "In that house where they intend to meet, there is one appointed to keep the door, for the intent to give notice if there should be any insurrection, warning may be given them. They do not flock together, but come two or three in a company. Any man may be admitted thither; and all being gathered together, the man appointed to teach, stands in the midst of the room and his audience gather about him. He

After associating in this way for sometime, their numbers became so considerable that it was deemed expedient to organize, formally, a Congregational church, choose a pastor and other officers, and set things in order according to apostolic example. And this they did, probably in September 1592, in the house of one Fox, who kept an ordinary in St. Nicholas Lane, Lombard Street, London; or at Mr. Bilson's house, in Cree-church. A considerable number of men, women and children were present on this interesting occasion among them, the Rev. Francis Johnson, and the Rev. John Greenwood, Christopher Bowman, Nicholas Lee, Daniel Studley, George Kniston, or Kinaston, William Marshal, John Becke, and "a great many more."

prayeth about the space of half an hour; and part of his prayer is, that those which come thither to scoff and laugh, God would be pleased to turn their hearts; by which means they think to escape undiscovered. His sermon is about the space of an hour; and then doth another stand up, to make the text more plain. And at the latter end, he exhorts them all to go home severally, lest the next meeting they should be interrupted by those who are of the opinion of the wicked. They seem very steadfast in their opinions; and say, 'rather than they will turn they will burn.""

Most of the particulars of this interesting meeting, are derived from " The Examination of Daniel Buck, scrivener, of the burrough of Southwack, taken on the 9th day of March, [1592-3] before Henry Townsend, Richard Young, and John Ellys, Esquires;" and given by Strype, Annals, vol. IV. No. 115. See also vol. III. pt. II. ch. 19, p. 103; Brook's Puritans, 11. 97; Hanbury, 1. 86. Hanbury says, that as lately as 1834, there was a courtyard in Nicholas Lane, Lombard street, London, with these words

The process of organization was very simple, comprising little else than a solemn engagement on the part of each member, to "walk with the rest of the congregation, so long as they did walk in the way of the Lord, and as far as might be warranted by the Word of God."* Without doubt each member had previously satisfied every other of the sincerity of his or her religious profession, and that there was a substantial agreement between them in religious sentiment. Unhesitating submission to the teachings of God's word, and entire freedom of conscience in the interpretation of that word, were thus made the basis of this church organization. The members doubtless believed, with their pastor, that "the church ought not to be governed by popish canons, courts, classes, customs, or any human inventions; but by the laws and rules which Christ hath appointed in his Testament." And that "every particular church, with its pastors, stands immediately under Christ, the Arch pastor, without any other ecclesi

over the entrance: "Foxes Ordinary, rebuilt, 1686." Buck says, "the church was organized and the officers chosen about half a year sithence, all in one day." If this was said March 9th, 1592-3, then, the church was formed about September 9th, 1592. But it is not easy to reconcile this date and others which will be noticed on subsequent pages.

*Buck being asked, what vow or promise he had made when he came first into their society, answered: He made this protestation that he would walk with the rest of the congregation, so long as they did walk in the way of the Lord, etc. Examination, ut sup.