Barrowe and Browne.
Barrowe and Greenwood were indicted at the Old Bailey, in 1593, for publishing seditious books, but from the examination preserved in the Egerton papers,[444] it appears that the specific accusations against them related simply to religious opinions.
By a refinement of cruelty these poor men were conveyed to Tyburn in the death-cart—to receive a delusive respite under the gallows-tree—to be brought back again to Newgate—and when they had thought that the bitterness of death was past, to be a second time dragged to the place of execution, to return no more. This extraordinary proceeding, which at first looks like a piece of intentional barbarity, receives its explanation from a contemporary letter in the State Paper Office.
1609.
"The Parliament is to end this week. * * * 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 found so captious by the Nether House, as it was thought it would never have passed in any sort, for that it was thought all the Puritans would have been drawn within the compass thereof. Yet by the earnest labouring of those that sought to satisfy the bishops' humours,] it is passed to this effect: That whosoever shall be an obstinate recusant, refusing to come to any church, and do deny the Queen to have any power or 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 lands; if he return without leave it shall be felony. Thus have they minced it, as is thought, so as it will not reach to any man that shall deserve favour in a concurrence of so many faults and actions. The week before, upon the late conventicle you wrote of last, Barrowe and Goodman,[445] with some others, were indicted, arraigned, and condemned upon the statute of writing and publishing seditious books, and should have been executed, but as they were ready to be trussed up were reprieved, but the day after, the Court House had shewn their dislike of this bill, were early in the morning hanged. It is said 'their reprieval proceeded of [[446] * * * *
John Penry, another Congregational martyr—who uttered the following memorable words:—"If my blood were an ocean sea, and every drop thereof were a life unto me, I would give them all, by the help of the Lord, for the maintenance of my confession"—perished on the gallows for the advocacy of his opinions, as if he had been the worst of criminals, at a place in Southwark called St. Thomas-a-Watering. Roger Rippon, of the same religious profession as Penry, died in prison; and his friends, moved by intense sympathy with the sufferer, and by indignation against his unmerited fate, paraded before the house of Justice Young (the magistrate who had committed him) the coffin containing the sufferer's remains, on the lid of which appeared the following inscription:—"This is the corpse of Roger Rippon, a servant of Christ, and her Majesty's faithful subject; who is the last of sixteen or seventeen, which that great enemy of God, the Archbishop of Canterbury, with his High Commissioners, have murdered in Newgate within these four years, manifestly for the testimony of Jesus Christ. His soul is now with the Lord, and his blood crieth for speedy vengeance against that great enemy of the saints, and against Mr. Richard Young, who in this and many the like points hath abused his power, for the upholding of the Romish Antichrist, prelacy, and priesthood."[447]
Congregationalism—Jacob.
1632, May.
Henry Jacob is a commanding figure in Congregational annals.[448] Originally a clergyman in the county of Kent, he had written in defence of the Church of England, but afterwards, perhaps influenced by an answer to his book from the pen of Francis Johnson, a zealous separatist, he warmly espoused the cause of Nonconformity.[449] To him has been attributed a tract, published in 1609, entitled: "An Humble Supplication for Toleration and Liberty to enjoy and observe the Ordinances of Jesus Christ in the Administration of His Churches in lieu of Human Constitutions." In this publication it is maintained, that "our Lord Jesus hath given to each particular church or ordinary congregation this right and privilege, namely, to elect, ordain, and deprive her own ministers; and to exercise all the other parts of lawful ecclesiastical jurisdiction under Him." Toleration is sought in order that "each particular church may put in execution this her particular privilege;" but, the writer adds: "We do humbly beseech your Majesty not to think, that by our suit, we make an overture and way for toleration unto Papists, our suit being of a different nature from theirs. The inducements thereof, such as cannot conclude aught in favour of them, whose doctrine is heresy, and a profession directly contrary to the lawful state and government of free countries and kingdoms, as your Majesty hath truly and judiciously observed."[450]
In other tracts which bear Henry Jacob's name,[451] he explained his views of Independency, and in accordance with them he founded a church in the year 1616. The ceremony connected with the institution is described as consisting of fasting and prayer, and the joining together of the hands of the members as they solemnly covenanted to walk together in all God's ways and ordinances, according as He had already revealed them, or should further make them known. Jacob was succeeded in the pastorship of the Congregational Church by John Lathrop,[452] who suffered from the tyranny of the High Commission Court. With reference to the proceedings carried on against him and certain members of his flock, some fresh information may be gathered from one of the Rawlinson MSS. As it illustrates both the extent to which private meetings of the Separatists were carried, and the interruption which they experienced, we will here introduce a few passages from that curious document.