Hampton Court ... Illustrated with forty-three drawings by Herbert ...

JAMES'S OPINION 153
the new King was determined to take the
" English
Church as he found it. Whereas," says worthy
Fuller, " it was hitherto disputable whether the
north, where he long lived, or the south, whither
he lately came, should prevail most on the King's
judgment in Church government, this doubt was now
clearly decided. Henceforth many cripples in conformity
were cured of their former halting therein,
and such as knew not their own till they knew the
King's mind in the matter, for the future quietly
digested the ceremonies of the Church." 1
James's own opinion of it all is on record clearly
enough. Hehad already, on January 19, 1604, written
to the two Universities warning them not to allow
any man to " defend any heresie or maintaine any
schismaticall trickes." ' Now, he wrote to the Earl
of Northampton: s " We have kept such a Revell
with the Puritans here these two days as was never
heard the like, quhaire Ihave peppered thaime as
soundlie as ye have done the Papists thaire. It were
no Reason that those that will refuse the airy sign
of the Cross after Baptism should have their purses
stuffed any more with solid and substantial crosses.
They fled me so from Argument to Argument, without
ever answering me directly, ut est eoruni mons, as
1" Church History," Book x.
2 Strype's " Whitgift," Appendix,p. 238.
3 Ibid., 239. Mr.Gardiner("Historyof England,"1603-1642^0!.i.
p. 159 note) pointed out the absurd mistake by which this letter
has been taken by its editors and by historians, as it was even by
Archdeacon Perry in his " History of the Church of England," to be
addressed to a Mr. Blake. Blake = black: ' Black Northampton.'