of February met, and drew up a book of one hundred and forty-one canons; which, with the king's proclamation, completed the machinery for harrying the puritans out of the kingdom. The canons were confirmed by letters patent from the king, and became the law of the realm, June 25th, 1604. These canons denounced excommunication, "ip. so facto" for the very act upon all who should affirm "that the church of England, by law established, is not a true and apostolical church;" or "that the form of God's worship contained in the Book of Common Prayer, containeth anything in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures;" or "that any of the thirty-nine articles of the church, are in any part superstitious or erroneous, or such as he may not with a good conscience subscribe to; "that the rites and ceremonies of the church of England are wicked, anti-christian, superstitious, or such as, being commanded by lawful authority good men may not with a good conscience approve, use, or, as occasion requires, subscribe;" or that, "the government of the church of England, by archbishops, bishops, deans, and archdeacons and the rest that bear office in the same, is anti christian, or repugnant to the word of God;" or "that the form or manner of making and consecrating bishops, priests, or deacons, contains any. * "Dr. Barlow says, that not many days before he was stricken, he most earnestly desired that he might not live to see the parlia ment which is to meet on March 19."- Prince, 107. thing repugnant to the word of God, or that these officers are not rightly ordained;" or "shall separate from the communion of the church of England, or combine together in a new brotherhood;" or" shall affirm that there are within this realm, other meetings, assemblies, or congregations of the king's born subjects, than such as are established by law, that may rightly challenge to themselves the name of true and lawful churches." For each of these several offences, excommunication, with all its civil and ecclesiastical terrors and disabilities, was pronounced; and the offender was not to be restored "but only by the archbishop, after his repentance and public revocation of his wicked error." Such were some of the canons which were forged by this convocation, and ratified and confirmed and enforced by the tyrannical rulers of Church and State during this entire reign. These were the ecclesiastical laws by which multitudes of pious men, ministers and laymen, were fined and imprisoned in their native land, and driven out of the kingdom to die in foreign climes. To these oppressive canons all the "king's born subjects" were required to conform. His majesty issued his proclamation July 6th, 1604, ordering "the puritan ministers either to conform before the last of November, or to dispose of themselves and families *Neal, 11. 53-62; Wilkins' Concilia, Iv. 280-81; Hanbury, I. 120-23. some other way; as being men unfit, for their obstinacy and contempt, to occupy such places.' The weight of this proclamation and of these canons fell alike on Separatists and Puritans. Of the latter, the number who were ejected, silenced or suspended, in the course of the ensuing year, up to November 5th, 1605, is estimated at from two hundred and seventy, to four hundred.† Bancroft was a fit instrument to carry on this work of persecution. Few worse men ever occupied Lambeth palace than John Whitgift; but Richard Bancroft was one of those few. He was a sycophant to his majesty; but a harsh, violent and unrelenting persecutor of all non-conformists. "A person," says Wilson, a contemporary historian, severe enough; whose roughness gained little 66 *Prince, p. 108. Wilkins gives a royal proclamation for "authorizing and uniformity of the Book of Common Prayer, to be used throughout the realm," dated March 5th, 1603; and another, enjoining conformity to the service of God established, and dated July 16th, [N. 8.] 1604.- Concilia, Iv. 406. "Dr. Dayton says, that from June 25, 1604, to November 5, 1605, there were four hundred ministers ejected, silenced or suspended, by virtue of these canons." - Prince, III. note. Neal says: "By these methods of severity, above three hundred puritan ministers were silenced or deprived." - 11. 64. Dr. Grey says, "that by the rolls brought in by Bishop Bancroft before his death, it appears that there had been but forty-five deprived on all occasions.” — In Neal, ut sup. Heylyn makes the number forty-nine. --Hanbury, 1. 127. Prince, however, says: “The names being taken of the puritan ministers, deprived, under admonition, and denied admittance, for not subscribing, amounted to above two hundred and seventy, and yet of eight bishoprics no account is given.” N. E. Chronology, 111-12. See also Hanbury, 1. 127, note. "A upon those that deserted the ceremonies."* divine," says Neal, "of a rough temper, a perfect creature of the prerogative, and a declared enemy of the religious and civil liberties of his country."† *Life and Reign of James 1., fol. p. 685. CHAPTER XI. REV. JOHN ROBINSON AND REV. JOHN SMYTH. REV. RICHARD CLYFTON. -THE SEPARATISTS IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. CHURCH ORGANIZATION. PERSECUTION. -FLIGHT TO HOLLAND. It was in 1604, the second year of the reign of the odious and contemptible James I.,* that we are first introduced to that great and good man, the Rev. John Robinson. The exact place of his nativity, his parentage and early history are unknown. He was probably born in some part of Lincolnshire, in the year 1575; † and was educated at Cambridge, most likely at Corpus Christi College, entering in 1592, at the age of seventeen, obtaining a fellowship in 1598, and taking his degree of M. A. in 1599. The catechist of Corpus Christi, * In justification of these epithets, see Appendix, Note H. The Works of John Robinson, Pastor of the Pilgrim Fathers, With a Memoir and Annotations, by Robert Ashton, Secretary of the Congregational Board, London. Three volumes 12mo. Boston: Doctrinal Tract Society, 1851. Now Congregational Board of Publication. Vol. 1. sect. 1.; Brook's Puritans, 11. 334. Masters' Hist. Corpus Christi College; with a Continuation by Dr. Lamb, to 1831, in Robinson's Works, vol. 1. pp. 14, 15, note. It deserves remark, that Robert Browne, Henry Barrowe, and John Greenwood, all of them celebrated Separatists, were probably |