the congregation, to affemble with them, to aid and affift in all their debates and determinations: And when ever such af... fembles or affociations have been, or fill are held, they never claim to themselves an authoritative right to command or impofe any of their determinations to be received; but only advise thofe things, which upon mature deliberation and debate, do appear to them to have a tendency to the good of the whole; a practice certainly becoming chriftians, and a fure ligament to unite them in love and good harmony. And I must fay, in my judgment, the best means to render their minifters, who may be good divines, good politicians alfa And fuch a fenfe had the clergy of Eng land, of the reasonableness of fuch a pras ctice, that at the very beginning of the reformation here in England, they humbly. befought his majefty to appoint thirty two perfons, half clergy and half laity, to examine the canons and conftitutions in being, and to abrogate and confirm them as they fhould think good. This petition was changed into an act of parliament by the 25th of Hen. VIII. cap. 113.

AND that this alfo was the practice of the primitive church, that flourished within the first three hundred years after Chrift, is proved by the learned and judicious Sir Peter King, late lord chancellor of England, in his Enquiry into the conftitution, dif

cipline,.

cipline, unity and worship of the faid church. The members that compofed the provincial fynods, that met at least once, and fometimes twice or thrice a year, Were, Page 140, fays he, bishops, prefbyters, deacons, and 143. deputed laymen, in behalf of the people of their respective churches.'

I WOULD not be thought, from what I have related, to be an enemy to the ministry; no, I reverence them much and can hardly account him a chriftian who does not render to the elders that rule well, double honour: But when ministers do contemptuously treat the laity, and lord it over them, it is an argument with me that pride has feized them; tho' it may not be arrived to that pitch which the good Mr. John Fox has given an instance of, in the cafe of one John Brown, burnt at Afhford in Kent, in the year 1511.

The firft occafion of the trouble of this Martyrs, John Brown, fays Mr. Fox, was by a cer- Vol. II. tain priest, who paffing down to Gravef. 649* end in the common barge, and difdain'ing that he fo faucily fhould fit so near ' unto him in the barge, began to fwell in ' ftomach against him. At length, bursting forth in his priestly voice, and dif dainful countenance, he asked him in 'this manner; Doft thou know, faid he, 'who I am? thou fitteft too near me, and fittest on my clothes. No, Sir, faid the other, I know not what

you are. I tell

thee,

thee, quoth he, I am a priest. What, Sir, are you a parfon, or vicar, or fome lady's chaplain? No, quoth he again, I am a foul priest, I fing for a foul. Do you so Sir, faid the other, that is well done. I pray you, Sir, faid he, where find you the foul • when you go to mafs? I cannot tell thee, faid the priest. I pray you, where do you 'leave it, Sir, when the mass is done? I cannot tell thee, faid the priest. Neither can you tell where to find it when you go to mass, nor where you leave it when the mafs is done; bow can you then fave the foul, faid be? Go thy ways, faid the priest, I perceive thou art an Heretick, and I ' will be even with thee. So at the landing, the priest taking with him Walter More and William More, two gentlemen and brethren, rode ftraight-way to the arch-bishop, who at that time was William Warbam. Whereupon the faid John Brown, within three days after, was fent for by the arch-bishop, His bringers up were Chilten of Wye, bailyC arrant; and one Beare of Wilfeborough, with two of the bishop's fervants, who ⚫ with certain others, being appointed for the fame, came fuddenly into his houfe upon him, the fame day when his wife was churched, as he was bringing a ⚫ mefs of pottage to the board, ferving his guests; and fo laying hands upon him, they fet him upon his own horfe, and binding his feet under the horse's belly, ⚫ carried

carried him away to Canterbury; neither he nor his wife, nor any of his friends, knowing whither he went, nor whither he fhould; and there continuing the fpace of forty days, from Low Sunday, till the Friday before Whitfunday. Thro the cruel handling of the faid archbishops, and the bishop of Rochester, Dr. Fisher, he was fo piteoufly entreated, that his bare feet were fet upon the hot burning coals, to make him deny his faith; which notwithstanding he would not do, but patiently abiding the pain, continued in the Lord's quarrel unremoveable. At length, after all this cruelty fuftained, his wife yet not knowing where he was become, on Friday be•fore Whitfunday he was fent to Afhford, where he dwelt, the next day there to be burned.

In the mean time, as he was brought to the town over night, there to be fet in the stocks, it happened as God would, that a young maid of his houfe, coming by, and feeing her mafter, ran home and told her miftrefs. Then the coming to him, and finding him in the stocks, appointed to be burned next morning, fat by him all the night long; to whom 'he then declared the whole ftory, or rather tragedy, how he was handled, and how his feet were burned to the bones, by the two bishops aforefaid, that he ⚫ could

⚫ could not fet them upon the ground; he thanked God therefore, and all to make me, faid he, to deny my Lord, which ' I will never do; for if I fhould deny him, faid he, in this world, he would deny me hereafter. And therefore I pray thee, faid he, good Elizabeth, continue as thou haft begun, and bring up thy children virtuously in the fear of • God. And fo the next day, which was on Whitfon even, this good martyr was • burned,'

A SAD inftance indeed of priest-pride! notwithstanding the good man, in all his converfation, behaved himself with great humility, not ufing the chriftian freedom of calling him brother, but giving him the title of Sir; this would not do; but he prefumed to touch the fkirts of his gar ment, and nothing lefs than his blood, in fuch a cruel manner, could atone for this fo heinous an offence.

IT is certainly the greatest honour that can be conferred upon man, to be ordained to ferve at God's altar, and made a watchman over the fouls of men.

And

when fuch are infpired with love to fouls, fo as to lay out their whole life and ftrength for their good, to bring them unto God, it is the greateft of bleffings that can be bestowed upon the children of men. But Satan, the grand enemy of mankind, will

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