_chasing those companions from your society. God cannot prosper you while they live amongst you, and you willingly protect and harbour them_; and I am sure it will alienate his Majesty's respect from you and enforce him to take some course against you, when you shall so neglect your duties in that kind."[459] [Sidenote: 1630.] [Sidenote: _Independents and Brownists._] The Corporation gave heed to the Earl's exhortation, and in reply, dated the 13th of September, 1630, manifested abundant zeal in rooting out schism. "Concerning those _separatists_ by your lordship mentioned, we must acknowledge that there be amongst us still some persons of that sect, to the number of thirty, and not above; the most of them women; not any one of them ever yet bearing the meanest office amongst us, and, one only excepted, not any one of ability to be a subsidy man. What courses we have taken from time to time for the suppressing of them, the Lord's Grace of York, whilst he was our diocesan, could bear us record, to whom (as we have since done to our present diocesan, as also to the Lord Bishop of London) we tendered an impartial list of all their names, without favour or affection, craving his lordship's aid for their reformation. The ecclesiastical courts have from time to time received presentments of them. The judges of assize have been solicited by us. What authority soever the law has put into our hands, we have not spared to execute to the uttermost, by indicting them constantly at our public sessions, by fining them according to statute, by imprisoning the ringleaders amongst them, and by _forcing some of them to avoid, not only the place, but the kingdom_. If, beyond this, we could be directed by and to any course whereby we might free ourselves of them, we should not only willingly, but thankfully embrace it. In the meantime, vouchsafe the acceptance of this our humble protestation, that, as for ourselves, being the representatives of the town, we are, all and every one of us, free from faction and schism, either in religion or discipline, and every ways conformable to the doctrine and government of this Church, whereof we profess ourselves to be members."[460] [Sidenote: 1630.] [Sidenote: _Independents and Brownists._]