John Huckle

John Huckle was pastor of the church at Aythorp Roding in Essex, but prosecuted by Bishop Aylmer, for nonconformity. Mr. Strype is pleased to stigmatize him as a busy body, an enemy to the peace of the church, a

• MS. Register, p. 285.

t Strype's Annals, vel. ii. p. 647.—Life of Parker, p. 219.—Cburtoo'i Life of Nowell, p. 278.

t MS. Register, p. 460, 568, 569. S Neal's Puritans, vol. i. p. 423.

is, that in 1582, he

;ed, with several other learned

transgressor of its orders, an*impugner of the common prayer, a gatherer of night-conventicles, and a busy disputer against the Athanasian creed; and, therefore, to reclaim him from his dangerous errors, the bishop suspended him from his ministry.*

Upon his suspension, Mr. Huckle laid his case before the lords of the council, and procured the following letter, dated from Greenwich, May 4, 1584, addressed to the bishop :t

" Our hearty commendations to your lordship. " The bearer, John Huckle, minister of the word of God, " hath been here before us, who, with his confession of faith " and solemn protestation, doth seem to detest Arianism, and " every other the like heresy with which he may be charged; " and oifereth to subscribe Athanasius's creed, and to testify " to the world, by any other means, his sincere and un^M feigned belief of the doctrine contained in the same. And " so far as we can find, he is a man clear and sound in " religion, and no other matter, according to our knowledge, " can be proved against him. We, therefore, see no cause " why he should be any longer suspended from the exercise " of his ministry; and we pray your lordship, that you will " now, upon his recognition, revoke your suspension, and " treat him with all convenient favour; whereby he may be " the better encouraged, and the more able to discharge the " duty belonging to him. And so we bid your lordship " hearty farewell. Your very loving friends, _e " William Burghley, Jkd. Warwick, " Fr. Knolles, Fr. Walsingham,

" Charles Howard, Hun. Sydney."

Such was the opinion and commendation of these distinguished persons, but the bishop was of another mind; and, notwithstanding Mr. Huckle's protestation and readiness to subscribe, the hard-hearted prelate refused to restore him. This appears from his lordship's answer to the council's letter; wherein he says, " If I should restore him, I could not answer for it before God, her majesty, my own conscience, nor the church of God."} Such was the sentiment of this relentless prelate! He was unwilling to rescind his own determination, though recommended so to do by the greatest persons in the land; therefore, Mr. Huckle, with many others, who fell into the hands of this lordly ecclesiastic, remained under suspension, at least for several

• Strype's Ajlmer, p. 108. t MS. Regiiter, p. 584. J Ibid.

years; and whether he was ever restored, is extremely doubtful. In the year 1587, he was among the suspended ministers of Essex, who, to obtain some redress of their grievances, presented a supplication to parliament, an account of which is given in another place.*