like; though to deny their authority, it is said, approaches near to treason. Dean. They are your fellows who have so reported it. G. Nay; they are your fellows, who would fain have it so. D. Their saying was, that whosoever denies that the queen has ecclesiastical jurisdiction, is in danger of treason. G. Whosoever hath said so, is worthy to be so accounted. B. Do you allow that the queen hath ecclesiastical jurisdiction? G. I do. B. The queen hath ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which jurisdiction she hath committed to me; therefore I have ecclesiastical jurisdiction. G. Though the queen have ecclesiastical jurisdiction, it is not absolute, or to do what she pleases. But with all humble submission, I acknowledge all the jurisdiction she claimeth. For her own words declare, that she claimeth no further jurisdiction than the word of God doth allow. B. I perceive what you incan, and know where that explanation is given. G. Did the queen then give that explanation merely as a woman, or as queen? If she gave it as queen, it must needs be a declaration of the authority which she claimeth. B. What do you dislike in the jurisdiction which I claim? G. What authority have you from the word of God to claim the title of lord-bishop, and to exercise government over your fellow-ministers ? B. What part of the word of God is against it? G. Matthew xx.; where Christ forbids his disciples claiming superior titles, and exercising superior authority over one another. B. You have read no good expositor who so interprets it. G. Yes, Calvin, Beza, and Musculus. And Beza upon Acts xiii. declares, that in all the New Testament there are no dignified titles given to the apostles. B. Doth not Christ say, "Ye call me Master, and Lord; and ye say well; for so I am?" Why then should you so much dislike the name ? G. Though the name be due to Christ, it is not due to any mere man. B. What not domine? Is that so much? G. The word domine signifies sir, as well as lord. B. The queen in her letters patent, directed to the various states, willed them to receive me de domino vistro, which, if you render sir, will be absurd. G. The queen accounteth none of you as lords; only by custom from your predecessors, the popish bishops, you are called lords. B. In the acts of parliament we are called lords spiritual, as the others are called lords temporal. G. That is merely through custom, as before. D. Bullinger, Gaulter, and other learned men abroad, in their late letter to the Bishop of Norwich, called him lordbishop. G. The bishop shewed me their letters, and they called him not by the name of lord. B. But you observe not the order prescribed in the queen's book. G. I do not think myself bound by law, to observe precisely every part of the queen's book. B. You do not read the service as appointed by the book. G. I say the service as appointed, except, for the sake of preaching, I omit some parts; as I may by law. I observe the rest, except the cross and vows in baptism, which I did not consider myself as bound precisely to observe. B. But you wear not the surplice. G. I wear it not; and seeing it was established in the church not according to the word of God, I dare not wear it. B. There are many godly, zealous, and learned men who wear it. Do you then condeinn them all? G. I utterly dislike their wearing it. And you, Mr. Dean, did publicly preach against it, and condemned those who wore it, calling it a superstitious and popish garment. B. You have preached without renewing your license, since the day appointed in the canons. G. I was minister of the word of God, and, therefore, had sufficient authority to preach the word in my parish without any further license. Yet I despised not your licenses, so far as they tend to shut out those who would teach popery and false doctrine. B. You deny our authority, and wear not the surplice. You shall, therefore, be put from the ministry, and return to your occupation. G. I thank God that I have an occupation to go to, and am not ashamed of it. Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul had an occupation. D. That Jesus Christ had an occupation cannot be gathered out of the text. It was only the opinion of the people of Nazareth, who said he was a carpenter. G. And who could tell better than the people of Nazareth, among whom he lived? I think they could best tell what was his occupation. Here the bishop pronounced the sentence of suspension upon Mr. Gawton, and the register entered it upon record. G. I now perceive, that if one had the eloquence of Chrysostom, the learning of Austin, and the divinity of St. Paul, if he did not wear the surplice, you would put him out of the ministry. B. So we would. And if St. Paul were here, he would wear a fool's coat, rather than be put to silence. G. He would then act contrary to his own doctrine. For he saith, he would eat no flesh while the world standeth, rather than offend a weak brother; and, surely, he would be equally scrupulous in offending his brethren by wearing superstitious and popish garments. Your dealing thus with us in corners, will not further your cause, but hinder it, and further ours; for all men will see you fear the light. You have now authority on your side; but we are not above half a dozen unconformable ministers in this city; and if you will confer with us by learning, we will yield up our lives, if we are not able to prove the doctrines we hold to be consonant to the word of God. B. That is uncharitably spoken; for no man sought your lives. G. The dean here says, that he who seeks our livings, secks our lives. D. You are like the apothecaries, setting papers on empty boxes. G. You, indeed, may very properly be so denominated. For if you were otherwise than as empty boxes, you would not be afraid to have the cause tried.❤ The examination thus closed, and the good man, being suspended, was dismissed from his lordship's presence. Upon his suspension, Mr. Neal, by mistake, says, that he sent a bold letter to the bishop. This letter was evidently written by another person.+ We find, however, that after receiving the episcopal censure, Mr. Gawton and several of his brethren, wrote an excellent letter to Mr. Thomas Cartwright, wherein they express, with considerable freedom. * Parte of a Register, p. 393-400. + See Art. R. Harvey.-Neal's Puritans, vol. i. p. 306. their firmness in the cause of nonconformity. This letter, dated from London, May 25, 1577, was as follows: "We stand resolved that what we have done con"cerning the ceremonies, the cross in baptism, &c. is most "agreeable to the word of God and the testimony of a 66 good conscience. By the help of God, we will labour even in all things, to the utmost of our power, to be "found faithful and approved before God and men; and, "therefore, we will not betray that truth which it hath "pleased God, in his great goodness, to make known unto "us. You will know we do nothing contentiously: therein "we are clear before God and men. But we wish you to "understand, that the iniquitous times in which we live, "and the great trials which we, as well as you, have to "endure in the cause of God, and a thousand such afflic ❝tions, shall not, the Lord helping us, make us shrink from "the maintenance of his truth. The same good opinion we "have conceived of you, not doubting that he who hath "hitherto made you a glorious witness of truth, will still "enable you to go forwards in the same course. And yet "we think it meet, both on account of our own dulness, "and the evil days come upon us, that we should quicken one another in so good a cause. We deal thus with you, "whom, both for learning and godliness, we very much "love and reverence in the Lord; and we commit you to "God, and the word of his grace, which is able, and no "doubt will, in due time, further build up both you and us, "to the glory of his name, and our endless comfort in "Christ. 66 "RICHARD GAWTON, "GEORGE GYLDRED, "NICHOLAS CRANE, GYLES SEYNTCLER, THOMAS WILCOCKS."* It does not appear how long Mr. Gawton continued in a state of suspension; only in the year 1581, he was preacher at Bury St. Edmunds; but I am apt to think, says our learned historian, seeing his opinions and practice were still the same, this was owing to the want of proper discipline, and to the countenance he there met with, notwithstanding his suspension.+ Admitting this account to be correct, his suspension must have continued at least five + Strype's Annals, vol. iii. p. 20. * MS. Register, p. 896. years. In the year 1602, a minister of the same name, and most probably the same person, became vicar of Redburn in Hertfordshire, where he continued till June, 1616, when. he died.* HENRY AIRAY, D. D.—This learned person was born in Westmoreland, in the year 1560, and received his grammar learning under the famous Mr. Bernard Gilpin, who, at the age of nineteen, sent him to Edmund's-hall, Oxford; but afterwards he removed to Queen's college. Having taken his degrees, he became a frequent and zealous preacher, was chosen provost of the college, and afterwards vicechancellor of the university. In each of these departments, says Wood, he shewed himself a zealous Calvinist, and a great promoter of those of his own opinion, but went beyond the number of true English churchmen. And he adds, that though he condemned himself to obscurity, and affected a retired life, being generally admired and esteemed for his holiness, integrity, learning, gravity, and indefatigable pains in the ministerial function, he could not keep himself from public notice.+ By his singular wisdom, learning, and prudence, in the government of his college, many scholars went forth, who became bright ornaments both in church and state. Another writer observes, that he was so upright and unrebukable through the whole of his conversation, that he was reproached by some as a precisian. But how much he condemned the injurious zeal of the separatists; how far he disliked all the busy disturbers of the church's peace; how partially he reverenced his holy mother, the church of England; and how willingly he conformed himself to her seemly ceremonies and injunctions, his practice and his friends are witness. He was, it is added, an humble and obedient son of the church, and no less an enemy to faction than to separation.‡ However much Dr. Airay might oppose the separatists, or partially reverence the church of England, or willingly conform himself to her seemly ceremonies and injunctions, it is an indubitable fact, that he was a true nonconformist. When he was provost of Queen's college, he was called in question by the vice-chancellor, for his nonconformity to the ceremonies and discipline of the church. And on Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. i. p. 859. + Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 348. Airay on Phil. Pref. Edit. 1618. |