severely in such cases. a piece of bread, and yet came and those which were directly yourselves after, to believe and against the Apostles' creed. That profess the same doctrine for which these were impieties against God, you burned her. And now, for which a prince, as being God's sooth, you will needs burn me for deputy, ought to punish; as the a piece of flesh, and, in the end, king's deputies were obliged to you will come to believe this also, punish offences against the king's when you have read the scriptures person. These reasons did rather and understand them." This ad. silence than satisfy the young king; dress was quite lost upon her who still thought it a hard thing judges, who immediately followed (as in truth it was) to proceed so up their sentence with a petition So he set to the king, for condign punish. his hand to the warrant, with tears ment upon a beretic, whom holy in his eyes; saying to Craner, Mother Church had cast out as a that if he did wrong, since it was diseased sheep, lest the fold should in submission to his authority, he be infected; tanquam ovim mor- should answer for it to God. This bidam a grege Domini, ne alios vi. struck the Archbishop with much ros subditos sua contagione inficiat. horror, so that he was very unCranmer, as the principal Com- willing to have the sentence exemissioner, had now a difficult task cuted. And both he and Ridley to perform. Edward, a gentle took the woman, then in custody, stripling, was not inured to scenes to their houses, to see if they could of blood, like the hoary courtiers persuade her." of his father, and shrunk from the judicial murder of this injured woman. I know not how to proceed with her tragical story, with more probability of historical correctness, than in the words of Burnett. (ii. 106.) Besides the hesitation, which the painful reluctance of the young king was calculated to excite, ano. ther attempt to lead these Protestant persecutors to considera. tion was made during this interval. Among the passages, in Fox's The sentence being "returned Latin work, to which I have been to the council, the good king was so much indebted, immediately moved to sign a warrant for burn. following his short account of ing her, but could not be prevailed Bocher and Paris, and omitted by en to do it. He thought it a piece of him in his Book of Martyrs, is a cruelty, too like that which they section, entitled De quodam, qui had condemned in Papists, to burn mortem qua incenduntur homines, any for their consciences. And levem esse dicebat. Mr. Pierce, in a long discourse he had with in his Vindication, (p. 34.) has Sir John Cheek, he seemed much given a translation of this section, confirmed in that opinion. Cran- except the first sentence. This mer was employed to persuade translation I shall readily adopt. him to sign the warrant. He ar- Of one who described Burning gued from the law of Moses, by as an easy Death. which blasphemers were to be Professing to give a history of stoned. He told the king, he ecclesiastical transactions, nothing made a great difference between should be omitted that appears errors in other points of divinity, fairly to come within the scope of After this interval of a year, the mistaken prisoner not having relaxed her opinions, no. her mis our design. Nor will the reader pass, and Rogers was the first be uninterested by the following man who was burned in Queen occurrence respecting Joan of Mary's time." Mr. Pierce conKent, of whom we have just spo- jectures, with great probability, ken. "When the Protestant that the friend of Rogers was the bishops had resolved to put her to historian himself. death, a friend of Mr. John Rogers, the divinity reader in Paul's church, came to him; earnestly desiring him to use his interest guided persecutors relented, her with the archbishop that the poor death was determined, and, acwoman's life might be spared, and cording to Strype, "a warrant other means used to prevent the dated April 27, was issued by spreading of her opinion, which order of council to the Lord Chanmight be done in time; urging cellor, to make out a writ to the though that the while she lived she sheriff of London for her execuinfected few with her opinion, yet tion." Joan Bocher was burned she might bring many to think in Smithfield, May 2, 1550. Dr., well of it by suffering death for afterwards Bishop, Scory preached it: he pleaded therefore that it at her execution, and, according was better she should be kept in to Strype, " endeavoured to consome prison, without an opportu. vert he; but she said he lied, like nity of propagating her notion a rogue, and bade him go read the among weak people; and so she scripture.” Of Bishop Scory would do no harm to others, and might live to repent herself. Rogers on the other hand pleaded she ought to be put to death. Well then, says his friend, if you are resolved to put an end to her lite, together with her opinion, chuse some other kind of death, more agreeable to the gentleness and mercy prescribed in the gospel, there being no need that such tormenting deaths should be taken up in imitation of the Papists. Rogers answered that burning alive was no cruel death, but easy enough. His friend then hearing these words, which expressed so little regard to poor creatures' sufferings, answered him with great documents, which probably now vehemence, and striking Rogers's remain, respecting this execution. hand, which he before held fast, The first is from King Edward's said to him, Well, it may perhaps Journal. so happen, that you yourselves shall have your hands full of that mild burning. And so it came to little I believe is known, except that he fled from persecution on the accession of Mary, and became a rising prelate during the persecuting reign of Elizabeth. Joan Bocher, from her acquaintance with the court, was likely to know the real character of this priest: she might be aware that he was merely a court.churchman, and that scriptural knowledge was one of his least attainments. Thus, considering the great plainness of speech then in fashion, her address though uncomplaisant, might be not unappropriate. It may be interesting here to preserve, verbatim, the two earliest 1550 May 2d, Joan Bocher, otherwise called Joan of Kent, was burnt for holding that Christ was not incarnate of the Virgin Mary; being condemned the year before, but kept in hope of conversion; and the 30th of April, the Bishop of London and the Bishop of Ely were to persuade her; but she withstood them, and reviled the preacher that preached at her death." The other document is in Fabian's Chronicle, 1559, where, at p. 555, is this entry. doomed her to the flames, it appears to be rather on the score of policy, as affecting the character of Protestants, than from a strong feeling as to the guilt of persecu. tion. The case of the other victim of English Protestant persecution during the reign of Edward, must be reserved to the next letter. I close the present with a short but sad instance of Synchronism, between Protestant and Papal persecution, on the same island. The following passage is quoted "1550. This year, the second day of May, was brent in Smithfield Jone Boucher, otherwise called Jone of Kent, for the horrible heresy that Christ took no from Stuart's History of the Reflesh of the Virgin Mary, and at formation in Scotland, (1805, p. her death did preach John Scory, 89,) under the year 1550. a preacher of Canterbury, shewing to the people her abominable opinions, warning all men to beware of them and such like." Adam Wallace, a man of simple manners, but of great zeal for the Reformation, was accused of heresy and brought to trial in Such was the martyrdom of the church of the Black Friars at Joan Bocher, whose station in Edinburgh. In the presence of life, from her connections, was the Regent, the Earls of Angus, probably considerable, and who, Huntley, Glencairn, and other whatever fancies she indulged re- persons of distinction and rank, specting the nature of her divine he was charged with preaching Master, appears to have been con- without any authority of law, with scientiously observant of his pre- baptising one of his own children, cepts and example. It is painful to and with denying the doctrine of find Fuller, in his Church History purgatory; and it was strenuously (p. 398), a century after the trans- objected to him, that he accountaction, approving this persecution ed prayers to the saints and the and declaring as to Joan Bocher dead to be an useless superstition; and "one or two Arians," that that he had pronounced the mass they suffered justly. Nor does to be an idolatrous service; and Burnett discover all the indigna- that he had affirmed that the tion which might have been ex- bread and wine in the sacrament pected, and would probably have of the altar, after the words of conbeen expressed, had he written secration, do not change their nathe History of the Reformation, ture, but continue to be bread and when his mind was more enlarged, wine. These offences were esin his latter years. He reproaches teemed too terrible to admit of the prisoner for obstinacy, just as any pardon. The Earl of Glenthe Pagan pro-consul Pliny re- cairn, alone protested against his proached the Christians of his punishment. The pious sufferer province; and hough he cannot bore with resignation the confail to execrate the tyranny that tumelious insults of the clergy; and by his courage and patience said act, and that all who absent at the stake, gave a sanction to the opinions he had embraced." R. G. S. June 2. ed themselves from church, and did not worship God elsewhere, were under the same penalties of law as before, and ought to be puP. S. I must take the liberty of mished accordingly, he desired extending this already long letter, them to send for their church. and of overstepping the order of wardens, and having fully instructchronology to thank you for giv- ed them in this matter, exhort ing your readers a copy of the them to do their duty herein, and Toleration Act, which has been present at all visitations for the so much more praised than read, future all such prophane and irreor rather would have been seldom ligious absenters from church, in praised, had it been often read, the same manner as formerly used with due attention. There is in to be done before this act was the life of the learned historian, made. This circular letter he sent Prideaux (p. 93), a passage wor- to London, and having gotten as thy to accompany this statute. many copies of it to be printed, as It is the following curious account there were parishes in his archof the effect produced in his arch. deaconry; on his next visitation, deaconry of Suffolk, by the publi- which was Michaelmas, Anno cation of the act, and the reluc- Domini 1692, dispersed thi tance of the people to receive the ecclesiastical comment on the Gospel text Compel them to come in. amongst the ministers of the said parishes, giving each of them one. It was afterwards pablished at the end of his Directions to Churchwardens, and underwent several This letter he found "After the Act of Toleration had passed the Royal Assent, the first of King William and Queen editions. Mary, many people foolishly had, in some measure, its intendimagined, that they had thereby ed effect, though it could not full liberty given them, either to wholly cure this evil.” go to church or stay away, and idly dispose of themselves elsewhere, as they should think fit; and accordingly the public assemblies for divine worship on the Lord's day were much deserted, and ale-houses much more resorted to than the churches. Dr. Prideaux, in order to put a stop to this growing cvil, drew up a circular letter, directed to the minis ters of his archdeaconry, in which after he had informed them, that the said act gave no toleration to absent from church but only to such who dissecting from the established religion, worshipped God elsewhere with one of the dissenting sects mentioned in the I know not whether Dr. Prideaux were encouraged, in this use of carnal weapons, by the declaration of Bishop Carleton at the Synod of Dort in 1618. It is thus described in a letter from John Hales (Remains, p. 373). "My Lord Bishop shewed that with us in England, the magistrate imposed a pecuniary mulct upon such as did absent themselves from divine duties; which pecuniary mulct generally prevailed more with our people, than any pious admonitions could." Prideaux was followed, fifty years after, by a priest educated among the dissenters, who yet would build up the church by the concerning the supposed change aid of those bungling workmen, beadles and churchwardens. 1 mean Secker, in his Charge, when Bishop of Oxford, in 1741. Hav. ing lamented that "great numbers in many, if not most parishes, omit coming to church," he adds this direction: of sentiment in Mr. Farmer and Dr. Wats, is referred to the lives of those eminent men, where he may meet with some satisfaction. In the year 1804, a work was published by Longman and Co. intitled "Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late Rev. and learned 66 Persons who profess them. Hugh Farmer, to which is added selves not to be of our church, if a Piece of his never before pubpersuasions will not avail, must lished, with several original Letbe let alone. But other absenters, ters," &c. From this work, as after due patience, must be told well as from his own publications, in the last place, that, unwilling it is evident that he was not latterly as you are, it will be your duty a Calvinist, if he ever had been; to present them, unless they re- but it does by no means appear form; and if, when this warning that he had gone into the widest hath been repeated, and full time opposite extreme. As to his last allowed for it to work, they still sentiments on the Trinitarian conpersist in their obstinacy, I beg troversy, nothing certain can be you to do it. For this will tend concluded from this publication. much to prevent the contagion His biographer observes, that on from spread ng, of which there is this subject he was remarkably else great danger; and when once reserved, and inserts a Letter from you have got them. though it be a correspondent, well acquainted against their inclmations, within with him, who rather severely cenreach of your pulpit, who knows sures him, for withholding his what good may follow." Watson's sentiments from his people, and Tracts, vi. 24. from his most intimate friends, p. 30. From hence Carlo may rest assured that all enquiry after them will be fruitless; or rather, that his last views were the same as he had long maintained. As to Dr. Watts, the case is different. It is well known that, It is remarkable that the Me. thodists were rising into notice in 1741. Probably Hinc illa la chrymæ. When priests could evan. gelize in the style of Bishop Secker, must not the people have been prepared to reward with their at. tention the more spiritual efforts in some of his publications, he inof Wesley and Whitfield to compel troduced some peculiarities of them to come in, with whatever opinion which gave the high Triniportion of scriptural knowledge tarians great onence, particularly their zeal were accompanied? about the pre-existence of the human soul of Christ, and Mr. Brad with Arianism. After his death bury scrupled not to charge him it was generally reported that he left some MSS which contained an explicit renunciation of his former sentiments, and it was evensaid Last Sentiments of Mr. Farmer SIR, VOL. VII. 3 B |