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 "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." persons, say, 1 Cor. vi. 11. xiii. 13. And if histories deceive us not, was not Cyprian a magician before his conversion, and Augustine a Manichæan? 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. A famous and godly 1 This is the Geneva version. See note on page 14. 3 The word ordinarily seems to have been accidentally omitted here. 432 XXVI. BARROW AND GREENWOOD. CHAP. preacher, having heard and seen Mr. Barrow's holy 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 in 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. i. 339-342; Prince's Worthies of Devon, pp. 684-692; Fuller's Ch. Hist. iii. 172-193, 228, 230. 2 See Peirce's Vindication of the Dissenters, part i. p. 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. 433 XXVI. 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.1 YOUNG MEN. be so Did any of you know Mr. Barrow? if we may 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 answers 1586. to the Archbishop and Doctor Cousens, he was some 19. 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." 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 in 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. i. 339-342; Prince's Worthies of Devon, pp. 684-692; Fuller's Ch. Hist. iii. 172-193, 228, 230. 2 See Peirce's Vindication of the Dissenters, part i. p. 147, and Strype's Life of Bishop Aylmer, p. 247, and Neal's History of New England, i. 71. 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. 433 XXVI. 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 answers 1586. to the Archbishop and Doctor Cousens, he was some 19. 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. "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 Upon which Mr. when she heard of it afterwards." |