denied this; but he insists that his sentiments were derived not from either of these men, but from the Word of God.

In connection with the above treatises of Greenwood should be mentioned "A Plain Refutation of Mr. Giffard's Book, intituled 'A short Treatise 'gainst the Donatists of England," by Henry Barrowe. And, a "Brief Sum of the Causes of our Separation, etc." And two other works upon the same controversy. These several works seem to have been written, if not jointly by the two prisoners and friends, yet by mutual agreement; and by mutual assistance; and present the views of both of these witnesses to the truth; the sincerity of whose testimony was finally sealed with their blood, as already related; for, as in sentiment they were united, in suffering and death they were not divided.

In respect to what Greenwood says of the Brownists attending the assemblies of the national church; he must, I think, refer to Browne's personal and immediate friends and followers; who might be so far influenced by his example, as to yield an outward conformity to the Church of England by attending upon her public worship, as did very many of the Puritans, who were inclined to Presbyterianism. Many devout men hesitated to separate totally, even from a very corrupt church, so long as the doctrinal articles of that church were sound and scriptural. But, Barrowe, and Greenwood, and many others, were, for an entire separation from the English hierarchy; on the ground, that it was an essentially corrupt and antichristian establishment :— That the Church of England was no better than a daughter of the "Mother of Harlots." They argued their right to separate from the English church on the same general principles which the Reformers urged to justify their separation from the Romish church. Greenwood argues most conclu

sively upon this point. To Giffard's objection against a separation, That the Church of England held sound doc. trinal sentiments, and that she was "esteemed and reverenced as a sister" by the foreign reformed churches; Greenwood thus replies: "Now hold to your argument, and see what will follow: The Church of Rome hath the same Confession of Faith, which you call your Apostolic Creed, that you have; yea, the Lord's Prayer, as you call it ; Athanasius' Creed, etc.; therefore, they and you agreeing in this harmony of confession, are one body, one church! Again; these churches, you say, hold you the church of God;' and you hold the Church of Rome to be the church of God, therefore you are one body all; and then you and all the churches [are] schismatics from your mother church."

Such an argument must have choked poor Giffard. It was ad rem, if not ad hominem: it was an effectual turning of the enemy's guns upon himself.

The Separatists.

In regard to the name of the rising sect;-a subject on which both of the writers under review, and others of a later date displayed considerable sensitiveness;-it should be remarked, That a name is of more importance than, at first thought, might be supposed. Browne's name had become notorious throughout the kingdom, and even on the Continent, as a violent, immoral apostate; and the community generally, without discriminating between the speculative opinions and the moral conduct of the man, would be ready to judge all who bore his name, as followers, by the known character of the man himself. For this reason, the Separatists were anxious to throw off the obloquy of Browne's bad And, further the truth seems to have been, that Browne was by no means the father of the rising sect. In

name.

:

deed, they called no man master: they took the Word of God for their only infallible guide. Browne was merely one of thousands in different parts of England who had embraced substantially the same views of church polity. The peculiarities of the man, and perhaps the policy of some of Elizabeth's ministers of state, caused Browne to be better known, for a season, than any other of the same way of thinking.* But, as we have seen, the seed of Congrega. tionalism had long been vegetating in the nation; and other and better men than Browne had learned the truth by an independent investigation of the Scriptures. Two of the leading minds concerned in this controversy we have already noticed; others will be noticed in the sequel. To distinguish the rising sect from the Puritans who conformed to the church, and were called the "Conformable Puritans ;" and the Brownists, whose leader had outwardly apostatized, and whose immediate followers were, to some extent, influenced by his example-The men whose sentiments are exhibited in the writings of Barrowe and Greenwood, and their associates-were styled THE SEPARATION OF THE SEPARATISTS; because they utterly separated themselves from the fellowship of the Church of England as an antichristian Establishment. I note this here, because it was about the time of which I am now treating (1592—3) that this name was given to the advocates of Congregationalism: and by this name they will be called for some time forward in this history.

Cecil, lord Burleigh, bore no great friendship towards the tyrannical power of the bishops; and, to thwart and embarrass them, he is believed to have secretly countenanced his kinsman Browne; and to have protected him, covertly, from the fury of the church. See Hanbury, Chap. 11 passim Hume's Elizab, Vol. III. Chap. 40. pp. 57, 58.

Martyrdom of Rev. John Penry.

JOHN PENRY, or Ap Henry, was another martyr to the principles of Congregational Dissent. The story of his persecution and death, is, perhaps, the most affectingly interesting one in the annals of our history. Even Hume sets it down as a case of unparalleled atrocity.*

Penry was born in Wales, at Brecknock; he entered at Cambridge, but graduated at Oxford, from whence he received his degree of M. A. in 1586: and immediately entered the gospel ministry. Strype calls him, "a pious and learned man, well disposed to religion." "He preached in both universities with applause; and afterwards, travelling into Wales, was the first that preached the gospel publicly to the Welch." +

A

About the year 1588 he published two works, setting forth the necessity of a reformation of abuses in Wales; and urging the importance of having the gospel preached more faithfully in that country. On the publication of certain satirical pamphlets against the bishops, in 1590, (I refer to the Mar-Prelate pamphlets,) Penry, for some reason, was suspected to be their author, though wrongfully; and warrants were immediately issued for his apprehension. To avoid them-for a man's innocency was no protection from the High-Commission Inquisition-he fled into Scotland; where he remained till 1593. After which, venturing into England, he was immediately arrested as an enemy to the state-a common charge against those who would not

* Elizab. App 3. pp. 253, 254.

+ Neal, I. Chap. 8. p. 528.

Hume, Elizab. App. 3. p. 254, unhesitatingly ascribes Martin Mar-Prelate and other works of the same description to Penry, but Martin himself clears Penry fully from the charge; and Penry himself denied the authorship. See Hanbury, p. 80, note a. and

p. 79, note f.

bow the knee to the lord bishops of the land. On his person, or in his possession, were found certain manuscript notes touching ecclesiastical matters, made by Penry during his residence in Scotland, drawn up in the form of an address to her Majesty, complaining of the rigorous and anti-christian character of her government, and pointing out various ecclesiastical abuses which called loudly for refor mation. On these papers, though never published-and though it could not be proved that their author ever intended to publish them--Penry was tried and condemned. His case is one of so much interest, as developing the spirit of the times, and the merciless rigor with which our religious ancestors were persecuted, that I shall feel warranted in quoting somewhat freely from the writings of this interesting young man, from which the reader may gather many particulars touching the history, character, and suf ferings of the martyr. And first, I will quote from a “Protestation before his Death," addressed by the victim to the lord treasurer.

Penry's Protestation.

"I am a poor young man, born and bred in the mountains of Wales. I am the first, since the last springing of the Gospel in this latter age, that publicly labored to have the blessed seed thereof sown in those barren mountains. I have often rejoiced before my God, as he knoweth, that I had the favour to be born and live under her Majesty, for the promoting this work... And being now to end my days, before I am come to the one half of my years, in the likely course of nature, I leave the success of my labours unto such of my countrymen as the Lord is to raise after me, for the accomplishing of that work which, in the calling of my country unto the knowledge of Christ's blessed Gospel, I be