strangers, that are English natives. Many natives shall, ipso facto, lose the benefit of their toleration in exercising their manufactures, having not served their seven years’ apprenticeships, and be in danger of ruin or molestation. Many such also that understand not well the English tongue, shall be little edified by the English prayers and sermons which they shall hear. Their families shall be divided, some going one way, some another, to their appointed assemblies — which may minister an unhappy opportunity of licentiousness to servants and children that are loosely minded. The alien strangers that shall remain, being not the fourth part of the now standing congregations (especially in this city), for want of competent ability to maintain their ministers and poor, must needs be utterly dissolved, and come to nothing. So the ancient and much renowned Asyla, and places of refuge for the poor persecuted and other ignorant Christians beyond the seas shall be wanting; whereat Rome will rejoice, and the Reformed Churches in all places will mourn.
“Many ministers (and those ancient) having no other means but their congregations, which shall then fail them, shall be to seek for themselves and their destituted families. The foreign poor will be added to the native poor, and increase the charge and burden of their several parishes, who will be to them no welcome guests; or else be sent away beyond sea, where they will open many mouths against the authors of their misery. The commonwealth shall lose many skilful workmen in sundry manufactures, whom in times past the land hath so much desired. Many thousand English, of the poorer sort, shall miss their good masters that set them on work and paid them well, which will cause them to grieve at their departure, if not to murmur.
“And say a handful of aliens should remain to make up a poor congregation, where shall they baptize their new-born infants? if in the parish churches, then shall the strangers lose one of their sacraments; and if in the said strangers’ congregations, then it would be known when they shall be sent away to be admitted as natives in their English parishes.
“A greater difficulty will yet arise about the English rites and ceremonies enjoined to such aliens as shall remain. For though they mislike them not in the English churches, unto the which, upon occasion, they do willingly resort, yet when this innovation will come upon them, it will be so uncouth and strange, as it is doubtful whether it or the separation of the natives from the aliens will bring the more trouble, and whether they will not both be followed (though not cequis passibus) with the utter dissolution of the congregations. And the rather, because it is not likely that upon their want of a minister, any will be ready to come, (though sent for) from beyond the seas, to serve them upon these two conditions:— 1st. To be contented with so mean a stipend as they shall then be able to afford, and that uncertain too. 2d. To observe such rites and ceremonies as they were never acquainted withal, yea, are offensive to some beyond the seas, from whence they shall be called.
“Lastly, forasmuch as we have given no occasion of offence that might deserve the taking away of our former liberties, but have still demeaned ourselves peaceably and respectively toward the English discipline, neither do we harbour any factious English persons as members of our congregations — and also, that by two several orders of His Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, your Lordship and your successors have power to order the disordered in both the congregations, if any shall happen.
“Therefore we humbly entreat your good lordship, &c, &c.”
The following is an extract from the second document, being Laud's reply:—
“His Majesty is resolved that his injunctions shall hold, and that obedience shall be yielded to them by all the natives after the first descent, who may continue in their congregations, to the end the aliens may the better look to the education of their children, and that their several congregations may not be too much lessened at once. But that all of the second descent born here in England, and so termed, shall resort to their several Parish Churches, whereas they dwell” . . . .
“And thus I have given you answer fairly in all your particulars, and do expect all obedience and conformity to my injunctions — which, if you shall perform, the State will have occasion to see how ready you are to practise the obedience which you teach. And for my part, I doubt not but yourselves, or your posterity at least, shall have cause to thank both the State and the Church for this care taken of you. But if you refuse, (as you have no cause to do, and I hope you will not), I shall then proceed against the natives according to the Laws and Canons Ecclesiastical. So hoping the best of yourselves and your obedience, I leave you to the grace of God, and rest your loving friend,
August 19th, 1635.W. CANT.”
Prynne, to whom I am indebted for the foregoing documents, adds the following particulars.
