How creditable to the Parochial Clergy that Hopkins, the witch-finder, spoke of them as his greatest opponents; alleging, he should have brought to death thousands more, had not the ministers of the Church of England constantly opposed his righteous acts in swimming poor old women! WITCHES and stage-players now began to be held in equal horror; and Baxter preached the godly doctrine, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live!" Anno eod. A Petition to the Lords from the Assembly for PUNISHING* such as derogated from the DIRECTORY-or used the COMMON PRAYER!† We now find the wind changing towards Independence; for in the same year we have: "The House being informed of an intended petition for establishing Presbytery as the discipline of Jesus Christ," voted it scandalous; and soon after we find the effects of what Walker calls "Cromwell's toleration of all accursed SECTS." 1646. A minister presented articles against a TROOPER for "preaching and expounding the Scripture, and uttering erroneous opinions!" Feb. 1. "A day of humiliation, that God would stop the GROWTH of heresy and blasphemy!" 66 Many complaints made against the officers and soldiers, &c. and that they took upon them to PREACH and expound Scripture!" * According to Lingard, "punishing," puniendus, means "burning alive." See his History. + Whitelock. History of Independency. "Grand Committee against such as preach, not being ordained!" And now the inordinate severity of the Presbyterian yoke, against recreations, was so much felt, that "A Petition of some Apprentices is presented to Parliament, that they may have a play-day once in a month!" Some few of the destitute clergy being received into the mansions of noblemen and others, and there only, in private, using the proscribed "Prayer-book," both Houses granted an allowance to the Earl of Chesterfield, with an intimation that "he do not entertain MALIGNANT PREACHERS in his house, nor use the BooK OF COMMON PRAYER!" The ordinance against the Prayer-book runs as follows: 1645. "That, if any person or persons shall use, or cause to be used, the COMMON-PRAYER BOOK, they, and every person so offending therein, shall, for the first offence, forfeit and pay the sum of five pounds [a large sum in those days]; for the second offence the sum of ten pounds; and for the other offence shall suffer one whole year's imprisonment without bail or main-prize." Even Neal admits the prohibition in private houses to be a little hard! but I am induced to speak more of this prohibition, because Isaak Walton, to whom Ken in great measure owed the elevation he attained in the Church, preserved with the greatest care, in his cottage near Stafford, and afterwards in the Episcopal palace of the Bishop of Winchester, that PRAYER-BOOK, now in the possession of Dr. Hawes, of which we shall speak more hereafter. This book is a large octavo, splendidly bound, with this title: THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS, AND OTHER RITES AND THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. London: Printed by Robert Barker, Printer to the King's most excellent Majesty; and by the Assignees of John Bill. 1639. Cum privilegio. 66 In the first white leaf appear the following entries: My father, Isaak Walton, died December 16, 1683. I. W."* In the same hand, "THOMAS KEN, Bishop of Bath and Wells, deprived-dyed March 19, 1710." Next appears, in another hand, the entry—“Dr. William Hawkins, my father, dyed July 17, 1691. W. H." This, no doubt, is the hand of W. Hawkins, the biographer of Ken. In the same hand: "My sister, Anne Hawkins, dyed August 18, 1715; and my uncle, Mr. Isaac Walton, junior, dyed December 29, 1719." This is the hand also of W. Hawkins; and another entry, "My sistèr, Anne Hawkins, died Nov. 1723. W. H." In two blank pages, in the hand-writing of old Isaac himself, are these entries: 66 My doghter Anne borne the eleventh of March, 1647." * Entry by the Canon, Isaac Walton, junior. רון Hove Pyete buried fomune at would dye of Ann, the wife of fraak wallon who wat A woman of comarkable prudence And of primitive pietie. How. Indate and genewall hrow ledg Monument (A Lao! A tab tε al. 1ε dyed ISAAK WALTON'S EPITAPH ON HIS WIFE. From the MS. Draft in his Prayer Book. (Life of Bp. Ken. vol. I. p. 73.) Published by JB Nichols & Son, March1,1830. |