Upon the opening of the Long Parliament, Congregationalism took deep root, and afterwards spread its branches over East Anglia. As the Dutch church in the city of Norwich, the Dutch aspect of Yarmouth Quay, and the settlement of a colony of Flemings in the village of Worstead, shew that there was an early intercommunication between the inhabitants of the Low Countries and the county of Norfolk; so also the connection between the English Independents in Holland and the Nonconformists of the eastern counties indicate that there was intercourse between the people of the opposite shores at a later period, in relation to Puritanism and Independency. Links of union appear in the persons of the Congregational pastors, Robinson and Bridge, who each resided one part of his life in Norfolk and another in Holland.
The oldest Congregational Church in the county of Norfolk was formed in Yarmouth, and consisted of persons who had just returned from Holland, where they had been in exile for conscience' sake.
"Inchurching," as it is quaintly termed, created much solicitude, and the Yarmouth people wrote to Rotterdam for sanction and advice before taking any decided step. In 1642, a formal document of dismissal was sent; after which it became an enquiry, whether the Church should choose Yarmouth or Norwich as the place of assembly. Unable to settle this question, they deferred it for a time, and simply resolved upon "inchurching, judging ten or twelve to be a competent number." Soon afterwards, an answer came "that Yarmouth was safer for the present," and a Church covenant having been adopted and ratified at Norwich, the people unitedly chose Mr. Bridge as their pastor. The Independents of Norwich held religious worship by themselves in some private house, and joined with the townspeople of Yarmouth only in the celebration of the Lord's supper. But at length, becoming tired of their journeys in passing to and fro, the former constituted themselves a distinct community.[464]
[Sidenote: _Presbyterians and Independents._]
The Presbyterians at Yarmouth betrayed some jealousy of their Independent neighbours; for Sir Edward Owner, an alderman and justice of the peace, who represented the town in the Long Parliament, waited, in company with the Presbyterian Incumbent of the parish of St. Nicholas, upon Mr. Bridge, to express displeasure at his having gathered a Church in what was called the "Congregational way." After this occurrence, the Church resolved "that for a time they would forbear to receive any into their fellowship, until they gave notice to the town that they could forbear no longer."