CHAPTER X.

CONGREGATIONALISM IN QUEEN MARY'S REIGN.

IN preceding chapters, the slender thread of Congregationalism has been followed through successive periods of English history, down to the commencement of Mary's reign. We have now to inquire: Is that thread still distinguishable, amidst the fire and blood of this period? The answer is, that it is; and, what is more, that it has become broader and plainer, more marked and distinctive, than ever before. Through the entire reign of the bloody Mary, distinct bodies of dissenting Christians maintained their existence in the kingdom; and these bodies had some of the essential features of Congregational churches. The names of members were enrolled; they had pastors and deacons ; they held stated meetings for religious conference and worship, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper, on which occasions they took up contributions for their poor and imprisoned brethren, and attended to matters of discipline among themselves Let us now gather up the evidence which justifies these statements.

We learn from Fox, that on new year's day, 1554-5, in the evening, certain honest men and

women of the city of London, to the number of thirty, and a minister with them, named Master Rose, were taken in a house in Bowe churchyard, at the communion, and committed to prison.* And under date of December 12th, 1557, the same author gives an account of the arrest, at a tavern at Islington, of John Rough and Cuthbert Sympson, and others," members of the secret society and holy congregation of God's children," in London. They were betrayed "through the crafty and traitorous suggestion of a false hypocrite and dissembling brother, called Roger Sargeant, tailor; and were apprehended by the vice-chamberlain of the queen's house, at the Saracen's Head, in Islington, where the congregation had then proposed to assemble themselves to their godly and accustomable exercises of prayer and hearing the word of God." † Strype thus speaks of this same congregation: "On December 12th, being Sunday, at Islington, there met certain persons that were gospellers, and

* Acts and Mons., 111. 93.

† Acts and Mons., 111. 723. This " dren

secret society and holy congregation of God's chilwe probably have had a glimpse of before. For speaks of "the congregation" which met "in a warehouse in Bow Lane," in 1531-32, before which Bainham made his confession. - Vol. 11. p. 247; and Anderson's Annals English Bible, vol. 1. pp. 333, 334, compared with vol. 11. pp. 265-71. Anderson says of this " congregation of the faithful, assembling for worship in the days of Queen Mary with all its imperfections, there certainly never was in England a body of Christians more highly honored by God, ' in resisting unto blood, striving against sin.'"

some pretended players, and one Ruff, [Rough,] a Scot, formerly a friar. And under the pretence of a play, (which seemed indeed to be begun,) he was to have read a lecture to the assembly. And the communion was played, and should have been administered; but the guards came too soon, or ever the chief matter was begun. Of this Rough and his martyrdom something will be said in due place.".

* Ecc. Mems., vol. III. pt. II. ch. 50, pp. 22, 23.

Ruft, or Rough-called by Strype, "Sir John Ruft, priest". entered among the Blackfriars in Stirling, Scotland, at the age of seventeen years, and remained there sixteen years. The earl of Arran, lord governor of Scotland, obtained from Cardinal Beaton liberty for him to become his chaplain. After about a year, the earl thought fit to dismiss from his service all who favored the new opinions, and so discharged Rough. After this he continued to preach in St. Andrews and elsewhere, part of the time in company with Knox, until Edward's reign. He then preached in England until Mary's persecution; then went abroad, but returning on business, he lost his life. A sermon preached by Rough, at St. Andrews, Scotland, is said to have been made a great blessing to John Knox, and to have been the means of bringing him forth to engage in his public ministry.

This sermon related to "the election of ministers," wherein he set forth "what power the congregation, how small soever it was, passing the number of two or three, had above any man in whom they supposed and espied the gifts of God to be, and how dangerous it was to refuse, and not to hear the voice of such as desire to be instructed." He then addressed Knox personally, and charged him not to refuse the holy vocation to which he was called. Knox burst into tears, and withdrew to his chamber. But on a following Sabbath he appeared in the pulpit, according to appointment, and commenced his preaching career. - Biographia Britannica, art. Knox, vol. IV. pp. 2864-66; Anderson's Annals, 11. 265–68.

That this was not a mere casual meeting of good men and women for religious purposes is suggested by Fox's remark, that they were engaged in "their accustomable exercises of prayer," etc. This appears also from the statement that Rough, coming to London and "hearing of the secret society and holy congregation of God's children there assembled, joined himself to them, and afterwards being elected their minister and preacher, continued most virtuously exercised in that godly fellowship, teaching and confirming them in the truth of the gospel of Christ." The character of this assemblage appears still clearer from the account given of Cuthbert Sympson, the deacon of this church-not a man "in deacon's orders," as Burnet calls him, but a simple, apostolic deacon; a layman, a tailor by trade who kept the records of the church; or, as

Fox tells us, a book containing "the names and accounts of the congregation." Understanding

Sympson's relation to the "secret society and holy congregation," Bonner did his utmost to make him produce the church records, or reveal the names and residences of the congregation. He was put into the stocks, in Bonner's coal-hole; he was racked repeatedly in the Tower, and tormented in various other ways; and was at last burnt at the stake, on the 28th of March, 1558, in company with two others; but all in vain, for the good man would not betray his brethren. Strype, in speaking of this auto-de-fé, says: "One whereof was Cuthbert Sympson, the faithful deacon of the con

gregation, who endured infinite tortures, to make him confess and discover the names of members of this congregation, which he would not."* And Fox says: "This Cuthbert Sympson was a man of faithful and zealous heart to Christ and his true flock, insomuch that he never ceased laboring and studying most earnestly, not only how to preserve them without corruption of the popish religion, but also his care was very vigilant how to keep them together without peril or danger of persecution."

At Rough's examination, Bonner charged him with having "in sundry places of this realm, since the queen's reign, ministered and received the communion as it was used in the late days of King Edward VI.," and with knowing "of divers that yet do keep books of the said communion, and used the same in private houses out of the church, and entertain opinions against the sacrament of the altar." To this Rough replied, "that he did well like the communion used in King Edward's day; but he had not ministered or received the same here in England since the queen's reign, neither yet knew any that had the books thereof." †

In April of this year, we get another glimpse of this same "secret society and godly congregation" of believers, near where their pastor, deacon, and some others were arrested four months before," sitting together at prayer, and virtuously occupied

Ecc. Mems., vol. 111. pt. 11. ch. 58, pp. 110. † Acts and Mons., 111. 724, Quest. and Ans. 4.