P. 483.

Kingdom or a free Government "fo that it was impoffible for an honest "Puritan to escape the high Commif"fion. The Papifts rejoic'd to see the "Reformers weakening their "Hands, by filencing fuch Numbers "of the most useful and popular Preach

own

ers, while the Country was in Dif"trefs for Want of them. Great was "the Scarcity of Preachers about Eng"land at this Time, [anno 1578] the "Ground of this Scarcity was no other "but the Severity of the high Com"miffion, and the narrow Terms of

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Conformity." A very melancholly Account this! but Mr. N. himself relieves our Concern, by furnishing an entire Confutation of it.

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After all these Complaints in the Year 1586, this Gentleman tells us of a memorable Tranfaction; the fubfcribing their own Platform, intitled N's Hiftory the Holy Difcipline, &c. (of which Mention has been already made) " and at the fame Time refolving, that fince the MAGISTRATE could not be "induced to reform the Difcipline of "the Church, by fo many Petitions and Supplications; that therefore, after So many Years waiting, it was lawful to act without him, and introduce a Reformation in the beft Manner

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"they

"they could." Sure they were not much afraid of Profecutions, who could, in fo formal and publick a Manner enter into a Design to fubvert the whole Ecclefiaftical Establishment against the Senfe of the Legiflature, often declared to them- After the Deprivations of those that were in the Church, and the Exclufion of others that could not comply with the Terms required, 'twas hardly to be expected, that a fingle Puritan fhould be left in the Church, and confequently that this Subfcription must have been made, and thefe Attempts of fubverting the Establishment carry'd on by Puritans, fufpended, deprived, or excluded from Preferment, Jince it was impoffible for one boneft Puritan to efcape the high Commiffion And yet, on the contrary, notwithstanding the Outcries Mr. N. has made from the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign to the Time of this Subfcription and Affociation, no less than 28 Years, we find that the Holy Difcipline, &c. was, P. 484. as Mr. N. himself afferts, fubfcribed by ABOVE five hundred Puritan ClergyMen, ALL Beneficed in the Church of England; ufeful Preachers of unfpotted Lives and Characters. The Puritans, by this Gentleman's Account, are always Men of exceeding good Characters,

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racters, and the Conformifts of very bad ones. But to go on, here we fee above five hundred Puritans, not only Beneficed, but licenfed to preach! What a fubftantial Proof is this of the great Lenity of the Archbishops and Bishops, efpecially as it appears, that among thefe Beneficed and Licenfed Puritans, we find all their great Leaders, Mr. Cartwright, Travers, Field, Snape, Johnson, Sparks, Cawdrey, Payne, Udale, &c. about fifty of whom Mr. N. has particularly enumerated? What now must the Reader think of this Gentleman's heavy Complaints of fevere Ufage, the Deprivation and filencing of thofe very Perfons, who, by his own Account, were all Beneficed and preaching in the Church? Here is one important Evidence in favour of Queen Elizabeth and the Bishops. There are many other confiderable Teftimonies on the fame Side. Sir Francis Walfingham is, by Mr. N. reckon'd among the Friends of the Puritans, and join'd with the Earl of Leicester, the Champion and Supporter of their Caufe. Mr. Fuller gives this Character of him. Amongst all the Favourers of the Presbyterians, furely Honefty and "Wifdom never met more in any than "in Sir Francis Walfingham, of whom

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"it may be faid (abate for the Difproportion) as of St. Paul, tho' poor, making many rich. Walfingham, therefore, can be no partial Evidence for the Church; the universal Esteem he justly acquired by his Integrity and Wisdom, demands the greater Credit to what he relates. The Steps of Hift. Refor. ❝the Queen's Proceedings (fays Bishop Vol. II. p. 418. "Burnet) both against Papifts and

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Puritans, are fo fet out by her great "and wife Secretary, Sir Francis Walfingham, in fo clear a Manner, СС that I fhall fet it down here as a "most important Piece of Hiftory; being written by one of the wifeft cc and most virtuous Minifters, that "these latter Ages have produced." Mr. N. complains of thofe eminent P. 125. Men, Archbishop Grindal, Bifhop Cox, Horn, Pilkington and others, that they had no Courage. They did not dare, it feems, to oppose the reasonable Meafures of the Legiflature. No Body, 'tis to be hoped, will charge this Gentleman with the fame Defect, who has ventured his own Reputation against so great, fo wife, and good a Man as Sir Francis Walfingham; who has even fhewn Courage enough to accufe that celebrated Minifter, of Falfhood and N's Hift. Mifreprefentations, or, in his own Words,

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p. 599.

Words, of being guilty of falfe Colourings, in Affairs that fell within his own Knowledge, and in the conducting of which he had a very great Share; tho' Mr. N. cries out, was there any Thing like what Walfingham afferts; yet, as Walfingham lived in those Times, and Mr. N. did not, as he fpeaks from his own Knowlege, and was no Enemy to the Puritans, his Teftimony fhall be laid before the Reader, who, when he confiders, how able, and how honest a Man he was, will pay a due Regard to it. I am glad, (fays this great Man) to impart that little I "know I find her Majesty's Proceeding to be grounded upon two Principles.

"The one, that Confciences are not to be forced, but to be won and in<duced by Force of Truth, with the "Aid of Time, and the Ufe of all "good Means of Inftruction and Per"fuafion.

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The other, that Causes of Confcience, when they exceed their Bounds, "and grow to be matter of Faction, c "lose their Nature, and that Sovereign "Princes ought diftinctly to punish

their Practices, and Contempt, tho' ce colour'd with the Pretence of Con"fcience and Religion." After having repre