38. ENGLISH NONCONFORMITY. Early History — Death of Queen Elizabeth. — Nonconformity as a, definite ecclesiastical movement in English history may be said to have had its origin in Elizabeth's reign. But regarded as a spiritual force appearing now and again and here and there in the nation, it may be traced back to a much earlier time. All who protested against the prevailing ecclesiasti cal assumptions of the clergy, and who dared to think and act for themselves in matters spirit ual, may be regarded as Nonconformists, and were called to suffer for their faith. From 1401, when the statute for burning heretics came into force, to 1534, the date of the renunciation of Papal supremacy, no fewer than 111 persons were burnt at the stake; and from 1534 to 1558, the year Queen Mary died, 337 more were added to the roll of the protestant martyrs. On the accession of Queen Elizabeth it was hoped that a better day had dawned for those men of Puritan sort who desired to see the Reforma tion carried still further. But, while breaking with the Papacy as completely as did her father before her, the queen was not prepared to yield to what she regarded as their extreme views in the matter of religious ceremonial. She cared for order, pomp and appearance in the worship of the Church as in other things, and her Princely power combined with her indomitable will made her supreme in ecclesiastical affairs. Several of the bishops and divines in the early years of her reign had been in close friendship with the continental Reformers and were pre pared to go far in the Puritan direction. But the queen would not hear of it. Bishop Jewell writing to his friend Bullinger at Zurich in 1566 said: "I wish that all, even the slightest vestiges of Popery might be removed from our Church, and above all from our minds. But the queen at this time is unable to endure the least alter ation in matters of religion? Thus began that conflict between the individual conscience and the power of the state church which has con tinued down to our own time.
The rupture between Elizabeth and the Puri tan party first took open shape on the promul gation of the orders known as "Advertise ments," which, in 1566, specified the minimum of ceremonial the State was prepared to tolerate in the services of the Church. Uniformity was to begin to be enforced at a given date, and deprivation of benefice was to follow in the case of the clergy after three months' refusal of compliance.
The two sides thus having joined issue the Puritan party became divided, taking different directions. Many of the ministers conformed,
using only such ceremonial as they were com pelled, submitting to many things they did not approve in the hope of a better time when a simpler and, as they believed, a more scriptural system, might come to prevail. Others, again, while remaining in the Church, sought to bring about a radical change in the direction of Pres byterianism, the discipline of which was elab orately organized both in London and the Mid lands, and a literature created which assailed with more and more of vehemence the existing establishment. In 1571 Thomas Cartwright, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cam bridge, issued two addresses to Parliament under the title of "A First" and "A Second Ad monition," which were elaborate attacks upon the Episcopal system and vigorous assertions of the divine right of the Genevan discipline. Having exercised this discipline privately for a time they proceeded to bolder measures, setting up their system openly in the parish churches of Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Event ually, however, this movement was stamped out by the greater power of the State, and Noncon formity was henceforth to be sought for in other directions. Some of the Puritans became actual Separatists from the episcopal system. Their starting-point in church polity was the existence of spiritual life, the personal relation of the individual soul to God i and a church in their view was a community of spiritual men: "The kingdom of God," said they. "is not to be begun by whole parishes, but rather of the worthiest, were they never so Taking as their fundamental position that the Church visible consists of a company and fel lowship of faithful and holy people gathered in the name of Christ, they went on to main tain that a Church so composed is compe tent for self-government This self-governing power they further regarded not so much as a privilege to be enjoyed as a sacred trust to be discharged. The period when these men, who came to be known as Congregationalists or In dependents, actively promulgated their views may be roughly stated as between 1570 and 1593. Their leaders during the first half of this period were Richard Fitz, the pastor of a London church, and Robert Browne and Robert Har rison in formed a Congregational church in Norwich n 1580; and the most active pro moters of their principles in the second half of this period were Henry Barrowe and John Greenwood, who, together with John Penny, the Welsh martyr, suffered death for their opinions in 1593.