out of all employment, went abroad, and settled a correspondence with some of the most celebrated divines in the foreign protestant universities. During his abode on the continent, he was chosen minister to the English merchants at Antwerp, then at Middleburg, where he continued about two years, the Lord greatly blessing his labours. But by the importunity of his old friends, Messrs. Deering, Fulke, Wyburn, Lever, and Fox, he was at length prevailed upon to return home. Several of our historians affirm of him, even before his troubles at Cambridge," that he might the better feed his humour with conceited novelties, he travelled to Geneva; where he was so enamoured with the new discipline, that he thought all churches and congregations were to be measured and squared by the practice of Geneva."+ For this reproachful insinuation, however, there is no sufficient evidence. It is pretty certain he never went to Geneva till after his expulsion from the university.

About the time of Mr. Cartwright's return to England, was published," An Admonition to the Parliament, for the Reformation of Church Discipline;" to which were annexed Beza's Letter to the Earl of Leicester, and Gaulter's to Bishop Parkhurst. Mr. Cartwright was not the author, as many writers have asserted; but Mr. John Field, assisted by Mr. Thomas Wilcocks, for which they were both committed to Newgate, where they continued a long time.t Upon the imprisonment of these two excellent divines, Mr. Cartwright was induced to publish a "Second Admonition, with an humble Petition to both Houses of Parliament, for relief against Subscription." The first Admonition was answered by Dr. Whitgift. Mr. Cartwright then published a Reply to Whitgift's Answer; which he is said to have done so admirably well, that his very adversaries commended him for his performance. In 1573, Whitgift published his Defence against Mr. Cartwright's Reply. And in 1575, Mr. Cartwright published a Second Reply to Whitgift's Defence, in two parts. But the second part did not come out till 1577. Fuller is, therefore, mistaken, when he says, that Whitgift kept the field, and received no refutation; for it is certain Mr. Cartwright had the last word.

* Clark's Lives, p. 18.

+ Paule's Whitgift, p. 11.-Heylin's Hist. of Pres. p. 262. See Arts. Field and Wilcocks.

Clark's Lives, p. 18. H Strype's Whitgift, p. 50-69.-Church Hist. b. ix. p. 103.

It was impossible for these divines to settle the controversy; because they were not agreed about the standard or rule of judgment. Mr. Cartwright maintained, that the holy scriptures were the only standard of discipline and government, as well as of doctrinc; and that the church of Christ in all ages ought to be regulated by them. He would, therefore, consult the Bible only, and reduce all things, as near as possible, to the apostolic standard. The less our religion was incumbered with the inventions of men, in his opinion, the more it would resemble the simplicity that is in Christ. "We mean not," said he, "to take away the authority of the civil magistrate, to whom we wish all blessedness, and for the increase of whose godliness we daily pray but that Christ, being restored to his kingdom, may rule in the same by the sceptre of his word."* Whitgift, on the other hand, maintained, that though the holy scriptures were a perfect rule of faith, they were not designed as the standard of church discipline; but that this is changeable, and may be accommodated to the government under which we live. Therefore, instead of reducing the external policy of the church to the simplicity of scripture, the doctor took in the opinions and customs of the fathers, in the four first centuries.+

These points were disputed, as might be expected, with some degree of sharpness. While Mr. Cartwright thought he had reason to complain of the hardships which he and his brethren suffered; Whitgift, having the government on his side, thought he stood on higher ground, and might assume a superior air. When Mr. Cartwright and his friends pleaded for indulgence, because they were brethren; Whitgift replied, "What signifies their being brethren: anabaptists, arians, and other heretics, would be accounted brethren. Their haughty spirits will not suffer them to see their error. They deserve as great punishment as the papists; because they conspire against the church. If they be shut up in Newgate, it is a meet reward for their disorderly doings; for ignorance may not excuse libels

Bishop Maddox warmly censures Mr. Cartwright for maintaining, that the supreme magistrate is only the head of the commonwealth, not of the church; and that the church may be established without him.-Vindication of the Church, p. 271.

+ The words of Ballard, a popish priest, before Sir Francis Knollys, concerning Whitgift's writings, are remarkable. "I would desire no "better books," said he, "to prove my doctrine of popery, than Whitgift's "against Cartwright, and his injunctions set forth in her majesty's name." -Strype's Whitgift, p. 265.

against a private man, much less when they slander the whole church." How would the doctor have liked this language in the mouth of a papist sixteen years before? It has too often been the method of warm disputants, when they could not untie the knots with their fingers, to cut them with the sword of the civil power.

In this controversy, the two parties complained of each other. Whitgift thus observes to Cartwright: "If you should have written against the veriest papist in the world, the vilest person, the ignorantist dolt, you could not have used a more spiteful and malicious, more slanderous and reproachful, more contemptuous and disdainful kind of writing, than you use throughout your whole book." On the other hand, Cartwright says to Whitgift, "If peace had been so precious to you, as you pretend, you would not have brought so many hard words, bitter reproaches, enemy-like speeches, (as it were sticks and coals,) to double and treble the heat of contention." Mr. Strype, speaking of Cartwright's reply, says, "Great was the opinion, both of the man and of his book, at this time in London, as well as at Cambridge: many of the aldermen of London openly countenanced him. He was secretly harboured in the city, and had a great many admirers and visitors there, and wanted not for presents and gratuities."+ Whether, therefore, Mr. Cartwright got the better of his adversary, or not, in sound learning and strength of argument, Whitgift assuredly got most by it: for he was soon after made Archbishop of Canterbury, while Cartwright was persecuted from place to place, as if he were not fit to live.

The chief of the puritans, being now deprived of the liberty of preaching and publishing, wished to obtain a public disputation with their adversaries. Though this privilege had been allowed the protestants in the days of Queen Mary, and the papists at the accession of Elizabeth, the queen and council took a shorter method, and summoned the disputants to appear before the ecclesiastical rulers, to answer such articles as should then be exhibited against them. Mr. Cartwright was summoned by a special order from the high commission, addressed, "To all mayors, sheriffs, bailiffs, constables, headboroughs, and to all the

* Whitgift acknowledged, that, by the word of God, the office of bishops and priests were the same; yet, in his controversy with Cartwright, be made it heresy to believe and teach this doctrine.-Neal's Puritans, vol. i. p. 260.-Huntley's Prelates' Usurpations, p. 124.

+ Biog. Britan. vol. iii. p. 284. Edit. 1778.

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queen's majesty's officers, unto whom it may come or appertain." The order itself, dated London, December 11, 1573, was as follows:-"We do require you, and "therewith straitly command you, and every of you, "in the queen's majesty's name, that you be aiding and assisting to the bearer and bearers hereof, with all the best "means you can devise, for the apprehension of onc "Thomas Cartwright, student in divinity, wheresoever he "be, within the liberties or without, within this realm. "And you having possession of his body by your good "travail and diligence in this business, we do likewise "charge you, (for so is her majesty's pleasure,) that he be "brought up by you to London, with a sufficient number "for his safe appearance before us, and other her majesty's "commissioners in causes ecclesiastical, for his unlawful "dealings and demeanours in matters touching religion, and "the state of this realm. And fail you not so to do, every one "of you, with all diligence, as you will answer to the contrary upon your utmost peril.' This order was signed by the Bishop of London, and eleven others of the high commission.*

Mr. Cartwright, however, wisely concealed himself, till he found an opportunity of leaving the kingdom. And God, who provides for the young ravens when they cry, provided for his persecuted servant in this gloomy season. For at this critical juncture, he was unexpectedly invited, together with Mr. Snape, to assist the ministers in the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, in framing the requisite discipline for their churches. This was a favourable dispensation to Mr. Cartwright; who, being forced to abandon his native country, found there a refuge from the storm. These two islands were the only places within the British dominions, where the out-stretched arms of the high commissioners could not reach him. During Mr. Cartwright's abode here, besides attending to the special object of his mission, he laboured in his public ministry, particularly at Castle-Cornet in Guernsey. It appears that he afterwards went again to Antwerp, and a second time became preacher to the English merchants.+

Mr. Cartwright continued at Antwerp several years, but his health having greatly declined, the physicians recommended him, as the most likely means of his restor ation, to try his native air. His complaint at length

• Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 282. + Kingdom's MS. Collec. Pref. p. 33.

increasing to so great a degree that his life was thought to be in danger, he wrote to the lords of the council, the Earl of Leicester, and the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, for permission to come home. These two noblemen made honourable men. tion of him in Parliament. They also interceded with the queen, but could not procure her favour and consent. Nevertheless, he ventured to return once more to his native country. But it was no sooner known that he was landed, than he was apprehended by Bishop Aylmer, and cast into prison. When he appeared before Whitgift, now made Archbishop, he behaved with so much modesty and respect, as greatly softened the heart of his adversary; who, upon the promise of his quiet and peaceable behaviour, suffered him, after some time, to go at large. For this favour, both the Earl of Leicester and Mr. Cartwright thanked the archbishop; but all the endeavours they used could not obtain him a license to preach. The earl did every thing for him in his power, and made him master of the hospital at Warwick; where, for some time, he preached without a license, being exempt from the jurisdiction of the prelates. This noble earl, and his brother, the Earl of Warwick, were his constant friends and patrons as long as they lived.

Mr. Cartwright was so celebrated, that King James of Scotland offered him a professorship in the university of St. Andrews; but he modestly declined it. Afterwards, Mr. Cartwright, in. the dedication of his "Commentary on Ecclesiastes" to that king, made thankful acknowledg ment of the royal favour. The Archbishop of Dublin invited him into Ireland, offering him considerable preferment; and it is said he went into Ireland, but soon returned to England. Indeed, such was his distinguished reputation, that the most celebrated divines, both at

The bishop, to cast the reproach of this from himself, proceeded against Mr. Cartwright, not in his own name, but in the name of the queen & with which her majesty no sooner became acquainted, than she was greatly incensed against him. Aylmer, poor man ! to make up the breach, wrote to the treasurer, entreating him to use his utmost endeavours to appease the queen's indignation.-Strype's Whitgift, p. 225.—Strype's Aylmer, p. 117. + Strype's Annals, vol. iii. p. 340, 341.—Strype's Whitgift, p. 225, 226. Clark's Lives, p. 19.

The Earl of Warwick, who died of an amputation of his leg, was a person of great sweetness of temper, and of unexceptionable character. He was affectionate to his relations, kind to his domestics, and grateful to his friends. He was called by the people, long before and after bis death, THE GOOD EARL OF WARWICK.-Biog. Britan. vol. v. p. 443, 444. Edit. 1778.

Kingdom's MS, Collec. Pref. p. 33.