HENRY BARROW, THE MARTYR. XXVI. 429 And for their rigid and roughness of spirit, as some CHAP. of them, especially Mr. Barrow, is taxed, it may be considered they were very rigidly and roughly dealt with, not only by the Lord's enemies and their enemies, but by some godly persons of those times, differing in opinions from them; which makes some of us call to mind what one Doctor Taylor hath written in a late book in these stirring times. "Such an eminent man," said he, "hath had the good hap to be reputed orthodox by posterity, and did condemn such a man of such an opinion, and yet himself erred in as considerable matters; but meeting with better neighbours in his life-time, and a more charitable posterity after his death, hath his memory preserved in honor; and the other's name suffers without cause." Of which he gives instances in his book entitled The Liberty of Prophesying, page 33 and following. say We refer you to Mr. Robinson's Answer to Mr. Bernard,' where he charges him with blasphemy, railing, scoffing, &c. "For Mr. Barrow," saith Mr. Robinson, "as I say with Mr. Ainsworth, that I will not justify all the words of another man, nor yet mine own, so I also with Mr. Smith, that because I know not by what particular motion of the Spirit he was guided to write in those phrases, I dare not censure him as you do; especially considering with what fiery zeal the Lord hath furnished such his servants at all times, as he hath stirred up for special reformation. Let the example of Luther alone suffice, whom into what terms his zeal carried, his writings testify; and yet both in him and in Mr. Barrow there might be with 1 See the title of this work in note 3 on page 40. 430 SLANDERS AGAINST BARROW. CHAP. true spiritual zeal fleshly indignation mingled." Answer to Mr. Bernard,' folio 84. XXVI. And further in page 86 he saith, that "such harsh terms wherewith he entertains such persons and things in the church as carry with them most appearance of holiness, they are to be interpreted according to his meaning, with this distinction, that Mr. Barrow speaks not of these persons and things simply, but in a respect, and so and so considered; and so no one term given by Mr. Barrow but may, at the least, be tolerated." YOUNG MEN. But divers reverend men have expressed concerning this matter that God is not wont to make choice of men infamous for gross sins and vices before their calling, to make them any instruments of reformation after their calling, and proceed to declare that Mr. Barrow was a great gamester and a dicer when he lived in court, and getting much by play, would boast of loose spending it with courtesans, &c. ANCIENT MEN. Truly, with due respect to such reverend men be it spoken, those things might well have been spared from putting in print, especially so long after his death, when not only he, but all his friends are taken out of the world, that might vindicate his name. That he was tainted with vices at the court before his conversion and calling, it is not very strange; and if he had lived and died in that condition, it is like he might have gone out of the world without any public brand on his name, and have passed for a tolerable Christian and VINDICATION OF BARROW. 431 XXVI. member of the church. He had hurt enough done CHAP. him, whilst he lived, by evil and cruel enemies; why should godly men be prejudicated to him after his death in his name? Was not the Apostle Paul a persecutor of God's saints unto death? And doth not the same Apostle, speaking of scandalous and lascivious persons, say, "And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God." 1 Cor. vi. 11. xili. 13. And if histories deceive us not, was not Cyprian a magician before his conversion, and Augustine a Manichaan? And when it was said unto him in the voice he heard, Tolle et lege, he was directed to that place of Scripture, "Not in gluttony and drunkenness, nor in Rom chambering and wantonness, nor in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and take no thought for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it."1 By which it may seem that if God do not make choice of such men as have been infamous for gross vices before their calling, yet sometimes he is wont to do it, and is free to choose whom he pleaseth for notable instruments for his own work. As for other things that have been spoken of him and Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Penry, we leave them as they are. But some of us have reason to think there are some mistakes in the relations of those things. Only we shall add other public testimonies concerning them from witnesses of very worthy credit, which are also in print. First, from Mr. Phillips. This is the Geneva version. See note on page 14. 3 A famous and godly The word ordinarily seems to have been accidentally omitted here. 432 BARROW AND GREENWOOD. CHAP. preacher, having heard and seen Mr. Barrow's holy XXVI. speeches and preparations for death, said, "Barrow, Barrow, my soul be with thine!" The same author also reports, that Queen Elizabeth asked learned Doctor Reynolds,' what he thought of those two men, Mr. Barrow and Mr. Greenwood; and he answered her Majesty that it could not avail any thing to show his judgment concerning them, seeing they were put to death; and being loath to speak his mind further, her Majesty charged him upon his allegiance to speak. Whereupon he answered, that he was persuaded, if they had lived, they would have been two as worthy instruments for the church of God, as have been raised up in this age. Her Majesty sighed and said no more. But after that, riding to a park by the place where they were executed, and being willing to take further information concerning them, demanded of the right honorable the Earl of Cumberland, that was present when they suffered, what end they made. He answered, “a very godly end, and prayed for your Majesty, and the State," &c. We may also add what some of us have heard by credible information, that the Queen demanded of the Archbishop3 what he thought Dr. John Reynolds, one of the most learned divines of his age, was, according to Anthony Wood, "the pillar of Puritanism, and the grand favorer of Nonconformity." He was born at Devonshire in 1549, and educated in Corpus Christi College, Oxford, of which he was afterwards president. He was the principal champion of the Puritans at the Hampton Court Conference, and was one of the persons appointed by James to make the English version of the Bible now in common use. He had been Dean of Lincoln, and de clined a bishopric. He died in 1607. See Wood's Athen. Oxon. ii. 12-19, (Bliss ed.); Prince's Worthies of Devon, pp. 684—692; Fuller's Church History, iii. 172— 193, 228, 230. 2 See Pierce's Vindication of the Dissenters, part. i. 147, and Strype's Life of Bishop Aylmer, p. 247, and Neal's History of New England, i. 71. 3 Whitgift. He succeeded Grindal in 1584, and held the see till his death in 1604, the second year of James's reign. See Fuller's Ch. Hist. iii. 66, 198. BARROW'S CHARACTER. XXVI. 433 of them in his conscience. He answered " he thought CHAP. they were the servants of God, but dangerous to the State." "Alas!" said she, "shall we put the servants of God to death?" And this was the true cause why no more of them were put to death in her days.' YOUNG MEN. Did any of you know Mr. Barrow? if we may be so bold to ask, for we would willingly know what [was] his life and conversation; because some, we perceive, have him in precious esteem, and others can scarce name him without some note of obloquy and dislike. ANCIENT MEN. We have not seen his person; but some of us have been well acquainted with those that knew him familiarly both before and after his conversion; and one of us hath had conference with one that was his domestic servant, and tended upon him both before and some while after the same. Nov. He was a gentleman of good worth, and a flourishing courtier in his time, and, as appears in his own 1586. answers to the Archbishop and Doctor Cousens, he 19. was some time a student at Cambridge and the Inns of Court, and accomplished with strong parts. We have heard his conversion to be on this wise. Walking in London one Lord's day with one of his companions, he heard a preacher at his sermon very loud, as they passed by the church. Upon which Mr. "There be grave professors, who lived near those occurrences, who speak of Queen Elizabeth as ignorant of Barrow's execution and Greenwood's, and displeased at it when she heard of it afterwards." |