Parry false: hath leave to go abroad, and give intelligence As for the state of religion now, I meet this year with Anno 1579. Parry hath leave to be for the some letters of William Parry; who had privately reconciled himself to the church of Rome, and was a sworn ser- a spy abroad vant to the pope and his cause; and undertook for that queen. purpose no less a villainy than to kill queen Elizabeth; having the encouragement of the pope, and one of the cardinals, to execute the same. For which barbarous design he suffered the death of a traitor in the year 1584. This man had earnestly requested (and that with solemn protestations of his zeal to the queen's service) of the lord treasurer Burghley, to travel abroad to do the queen service, as a spy and private intelligencer in the popish countries: which, he being a subtle, quick man, and of good parts, the queen had yielded unto. And some years before this, both from BOOK Rome and Siena, he had advertised the treasurer of such II. matters as he had heard and seen in those parts. Anno 1579. home. tations to the lord And now this man being come home, writ to that lord, that Returns he was returned; and weary with his long journey, deHis protes- ferred his attendance upon his honour till his coming to court; and, (with glorious words,) that he would humbly wait upon the same, being most desirous to live and die in his good favour, upon hope to be able to do his lordship some good service, [such] as he never intended to do or offer to any before that time; pretending some special matter, whatever it was. treasurer. vately abroad. 594 Writes to the treasurer in excuse. 66 Thus far he carried all things smooth, (but scarcely sinGoes pri- cere,) till after his going abroad again into France, (which was soon after,) privately, and without the knowledge of any. And being at Paris, where he was reconciled, he still pretended all sincerity and faithful observance towards the treasurer. And this year, 1579, January 15, he excused his departure so suddenly and secretly. Writing, “ That "his departure out of England might in reason leave cause "of offence behind him; his necessity and his demeanour "on that side might, and he trusted would, in part crave "pardon for him. The rather, if it might please his lordship for his dutiful mind, and privy good-will borne (though not discovered) unto his lordship, to receive him "into his lordship's good favour and protection. And that "having not, since the death of his very good lord and "master, the earl of Pembroke, served or followed any be"sides her majesty, (whose faithful poor servant and sub"ject he would ever be,) he hoped his lordship would not "reject his humble suit; grounded upon no greater war"rant than his desire to deserve well of him by such ser"vice as he should be able to do him hereafter." And concludes, the better to conceal his treachery, and obtain his end, (viz. a good salary to maintain him abroad in the pope's service,) "My good lord, pardon my plain nature, "if I am at any time less ceremonious than your greatness or my duty do require. And be assured to find in me all 66 'plainness and truth:" [this damnable hypocrite hoping CHAP. with this clause to impose upon the treasurer.] Adding, XVIII. "That if it might stand with his good pleasure to bind him Anno 1579. to such observations [there at Paris] that might do him "service, he would do his duty, and endeavour to satisfy "his lordship's expectation. That in the mean time, and always, he would not fail dutifully to pray to God to bless "him with long, happy, and healthful years.” the said And this crafty man so artfully concealed his falsehood, Writes to that it seems this great statesman discovered it not: Parry lord for serfrom time to time sending him letters of intelligence from vice and employabroad: but serving in truth the popish interest all the while. Thus I meet with another letter of his, writ the abroad. next year, 1580; therein endeavouring much to get employment under that lord. And in another he writ, "That he 66 ment was emboldened, as he did in his last, to lay before him "his service: the service of such an one as studied daily, “how, and in what sort he might best and most accept"ably discover his readiness to honour and serve him." Divers other letters he sent to that lord in hypocrisy; soliciting for service, pretending great loyalty, and ambition of doing service to the queen; but in truth to serve the ends of the pope, and those that were of that church, and sworn enemies to her and her kingdom. The further relation whereof I shall reserve to the next year. The queen and government were however watchful Papists imagainst papists, as well they might, to prevent dangers from them: who were very busy to destroy her, and seize her kingdoms, as well as to overthrow the reformed religion established. There were also great numbers of such disaffected in the kingdom. Which may be conjectured at by the numbers of such as were at this time in durance, in the prisons in London, Southwark, and Westminster; as in the Tower, in the Fleet, in the Marshalsea, in the King's Bench, in the White Lion, in Newgate, in the Counter, and the Gatehouse; likewise in the custody of the bishops 595 of Ely and Rochester: and many more in the prisons of prisoned. BOOK the several counties. A list whereof may be seen in the Appendix, taken from a paper of state. II. The Family of Love in crease. Anno 1579. The sect of the family of love (as they affected to call No. XXI. themselves) began now mightily to take place with many in this kingdom. They were especially observed to be in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Some that were the chief leaders, the bishop of Norwich took up, and laid in prison both in Norwich and Bury. Which notwithstanding, the report of their increase in those parts had caused the lords of the council to write to the bishop for the suppressing of them; as we have shewn before. The first rise of the The sect and the followers thereof prevailing now and sect here in some years before, it may be worth relating somewhat of England. their history: which I shall take from writings and books of those times. "The ancient and famous city of Colches ❝ter was, in the troublesome times of queen Mary's perse"cution, a sweet and comfortable mother of the bodies, and Confutation. 66 a tender nurse of the souls of God's children,” (as I transcribe from a book printed this year in confutation of this family;)" and was at that time the more frequented, be"cause it afforded many zealous and godly martyrs: who 66 continually with their blood watered those seeds, which "by the preachers of the word had been sown most plenti“fully in the hearts of Christians in the days of good king Colchester. "Edward. This town, for the earnest profession of the gospel, became like unto the city upon a hill; and as a "candle upon a candlestick, gave light to all those, who, for "the comfort of their consciences, came to confer there, "from divers places of the realm. And repairing to com"mon inns, had by night their Christian exercises: which "in other places could not be gotten." For proof whereof he refers the reader to that which was truly reported by Edition the Mr. Fox, in his book of Acts and Monuments. That at the first, p. 606. King's-head in Colchester, and at other inns in the said town, the afflicted Christians had set places appointed by themselves to meet at. "Where, lest Satan should be "thought to be idle, &c. he stirred up divers schismatical spirits: which, even in the great trouble of the church, CHAP. sought to be teachers of that, whereof they had no under 66 XVIII. standing. And thereby turned the knowledge of God's Anno 1579. "testimonies (which in many of them, though it was small, "was somewhat) to vain and contentious jangling; where"by the dear saints of God were not a little disquieted. At "such time especially as some of them, being condemned to "death, looked to taste of the same cup which had been " in full measure poured out upon their brethren. For not "only in the private assemblies here did these swarm, to "pervert the right ways of the Lord, but also in divers "prisons in London, they kept a continual hand: where they scattered their heretical doctrines among such as "were committed for the love of the gospel." with Pela And these persons were the more dangerous, because Infected they were such as had imbibed principles of Pelagianism, gianism, Arianism, and anabaptism; and endeavoured to infuse the Arianism, same into those good men and women professing and suf- baptism. fering for the gospel: as will appear by and by from their doctrines. and ana John Kemp, and Hart, free ter. Some of the chief among them were these two; John 596 Kemp and Henry Hart: which two were informed against in queen Mary's time by one Thomas Tye, a popish priest Henry of Much Bently in Essex, near Colchester. These were will men those they called free-will men: for so they were termed of in Colchesthe predestinators; as the said Tye informed the bishop of London, in whose diocese they were. And there were thirteen articles drawn up, to be observed among their company, that adhered to them. Of this Henry Hart, John Careless the martyr said, That he had shamefully seduced, beguiled, and deceived many a silly soul by his foul Pelagian opinions, both in the days of king Edward and queen Mary. There were certain articles of Christian religion, which Careless had sent to Tymms, a prisoner for the gospel in the King's Bench: and these Hart undertook to confute. One Gybson was a companion of this Hart; who Gybson. sought to pervert and turn from the true doctrine to Pela- Mon. gianism twelve godly Christians, that were martyrs. Kemp p. 1531. Acts and Kemp. |