authority for the system preferred by the Puritans. It was a system thus defined by John Udall in his own closing summary "Therefore upon these grounds of Scriptures, Fathers, Councels, Emperours, Lawes, Histories, newe writers, and cleare light of reason, I conclude, that Christ hath prescribed vnto vs an exacte and perfect platforme of gouerning his church at all times, and in all places; which is that there ought to be no ministers of the word but Pastors and Teachers, which are to be called by the people, and ordained by the Eldership, are of equall authoritie in their seuerall congregations, muste with all faythfull diligence imploye themselves in the ministery of the worde and sacramentes; that there are to be in euery congregation certaine Elders, whose office is to ouersee the behauiour of the people, and assist their pastour in the gouernment of the church; also Deacons, who are to be imployed onely in receiuing, and bestowing the liberallity and goodes of the church to the reliefe of the poore, and other necessary vses: Lastly, that there must be in euery congregation an eldershipp of pastour, teacher (if they can haue any), and elders, who are in common, to see that the church be well gouerned, not onely in maintayning the profession and practize of the worde in generall, but also in admonishing, reprehending, or seperating from the Lords supper, them that walk offensiuely, and lastly in excommunicating them that by no other meanes can be reclaimed. So that all and euery gouernement contrary or besides this, whether in part or in whol, swarueth from that order which Christ hath set down in his word, and therefore is vnlawful." These first writings of Penry and Udall, though strong in opinion, were not unchristian in spirit. Their offence was that they openly sought to change the established order of Church government. This made it necessary for them to use a secret press. Together with Udall's "Demonstration of Discipline," Penry issued, and was suspected by some to have written, a reply to the Dean of Salisbury's defence of the government established in the Church of England for ecclesiastical matters, "The Epistle of Martin Marprelate." Its temper appears in its full title: "Oh read ouer D. Iohn Bridges for it is a worthy worke: Or an epitome of the fyrst "The Epistle of Martin Marprelate.' Booke of that right worshipful volume, written against the Puritanes, in the defence of the noble cleargie, by as worshipfull a prieste, John Bridges, Presbyter, Priest, or Elder, doctor of Diuilitie, and Deane of Sarum. Wherein the arguments of the puritans are wisely presented, that when they come to answere M. Doctor, they must needes say something that hath bene spoken. Compiled for the behoofe and overthrow of the Parsons, Fyckers, and Currats, that have lernt their Catechismes, and are past grace By the reverend and worthie Martin Marprelate gentleman, and dedicated to the Confocation house. The Epitome is not yet published, but it shall be when the Byshops are at conuenient leysure to view the same. In the meane time, let them be content with this learned Epistle. Printed oversea, in Europe, within two furlongs of a Bounsing priest, at the cost and charges of M. Marprelate, gentleman." This epistle deals rather with personalities than principles. Some of the personal details are pertinent enough to be fair, and help, no doubt, to the piecing out of the whole story of the controversy; but others are impertinent retailings of malicious tattle-of a dog that snapped off a bishop's cap, or of Aylmer, Bishop of London, as having annexed to his own use a quantity of stolen cloth, avoiding restoration of it to its owners. Such matters-true or false-only confuse the issue of a controversy dealing with great principles; and the contemptuous tone of the whole pamphlet, the passages of mere abuse, could serve only to turn reasoning into a stupid wrangle. When Udall was questioned before the bishops, and was asked a question that he could not answer without telling what he did not wish them to know, he honestly declined to answer. took pains to avoid untruth. So when Udall was brought up to London in January, 1590, from Newcastle, where he had been received as a preacher, and examined as to his He authorship of "Diotrephes" and "The Demonstration of Discipline," he declined to answer; but his authorship of the Martinist books he denied. He said that he neither knew nor thought Penry to be Martin, because he had seen a letter written by Penry when the first Martinist books came out, in which he distinctly denied that he wrote them. There is no doubt, however, that Penry gave the copy to be printed, that the secret press was his, and that he was answerable for what came from it. I believe, also, that the pamphlets contained passages inserted by him, or by other contributors who had something to say that was not said by "Martin." The true Martin was probably a layman about the Court, but he was not, and he is not yet, identified. After the issue of Martin's "Epistle," Penry had his press carted from Mrs. Crane's house in East Moulsey to the house of Sir Richard Knightley, at Fawsley, in Northamptonshire. The promised “Epitome" of part of the work of Doctor Bridges was then published by Martin Marprelate. It appeared a few weeks after Thomas Cooper, Bishop of Bishop Winchester, had published his "Admonition to the People of England against Martin Marprelate." This "Admonition " was a pamphlet of some extent. It replied to specific accusations, and dealt systematically with the general argument upon all points in the indictment against the ecclesiastical polity established by Elizabeth. The pamphlet is not without touches of angry attack, and in one passage it fits Martin Marprelate cleverly into a picture from Lucian; but as a whole it is a piece of serious and honest reasoning, preceded by a refutation of those personal calumnies with which the Puritan argument had been, through the unknown writer who took the name of Marprelate, confused and discredited. The Martinist press was moved from Sir Richard Knightley's house at Fawsley to another house of his at From Supplication to the Parlia ment. "Mineral Conclu sions." Norton-by-Daventry. Thence it was presently taken to be set up in the house of John Hales, a gentleman of Coventry, whose place was known as "The White Friars." Coventry Penry issued, about the ninth of March, 1589, his "Supplication to the Parliament, showing such public wants and disorders. as are in the service of God within her Majesty's country of Wales." From Coventry also, Martin Marprelate issued, about the twentieth of February, “Certaine Minerall and Metaphisicall School points, to be defended by the reuerend Bishops, and the rest of my cleargie masters of the Conuocation house, against both the vniuersities, and al the reformed churches in Christendome. Wherein is layd open the uery Quintessence of al Cater-corner diuinities," &c. &c. About a month later there was issued also from the secret press at Coventry Martin Marprelate's attack on Bishop Cooper's pamphlet, in which, as in his preceding pieces, he sought to carry the people with him by the use of ridicule. He took his title from a well-known street cry of the time, "Hay any Work for Cooper?" with usual long addition on the title-page, which I give as another example of this controversial style: "Hay any work for Cooper Or a brief Pistle directed by waye of an hublication to the reuerende Byshopps, counselling them, if they will needes be barrelled up, for feare of smelling in the nostrels of her Maiestie and the State, that they would vse the aduise of reuerend Martin, for the prouiding of their Cooper. Because the reuerend T. C. (by which mistical letters is vnderstood, eyther the bounsing parson of Eastmeane, or Tom Coakes his Chaplaine) hath showed himself in his late Admonition to the people of England, to bee an unskilfull and decaytfull tub trimmer. Wherein worthy Martin quits himselfe like a man I warrant you, in the modest defence of his selfe and his learned Pistles, and makes the Cooper's hoopes "Hay any Work for Cooper?" to fly off, and the Bishops Tubs to leeke out of all crye. Penned and compiled by Martin the Metrapolitane. Printed in Europe, not far from some of the Bounsing priests." A later pamphlet bore the title of "More Work for Cooper." Other 66 In April, May, and June, unseemly counter-attacks followed: "A Whip for an Ape, or Martin Displayed"; "Mar Martin"; Marre Mar Martin" (against both sides); "Anti-Martinus"; "A Bait for Momus." The secret press was moved, meanwhile, from the Whitefriars at Coventry to the house of Job Throgmorton at Haseley, near Warwick; then to Wolston Priory, about six miles from Coventry, where Robert Wigston gave it shelter. From Wolston Priory were issued, in the latter part of July, 1589, "Theses Martinianæ," by Martin Junior, dedicated "to his good neame and nuncka, Maister John Kankerbury," and a sequel professing to be a reproof to Martin Junior from "his reuerend and elder brother Martin Senior, sonne and heire vnto the renowned Martin Marprelate the Great." By this time the controversy was at its hottest, and the wits of the town amused themselves by joining the fray as combatants on the bishops' side, with cap, bells, and resounding air-bladder. For idlers, who cared little about the spirit of religion, there was in all this more than the enjoyment of a "flyting" in the days of old. The last movement of the Marprelate Press was to a house in Manchester, where it was seized. Nevertheless, there appeared "Martin Marprelate's Protestation," and war was continued from Rochelle and Edinburgh. John Udall was sentenced to death at the Southwark Assizes in February, 1591. Dean Nowell and Sir Walter Raleigh sought to befriend him. The Turkey merchants offered to employ him to teach their people in Guinea, so that if released he might leave England. Whitgift refused to grant the request The Fates of |