Bastwick was a
Latin stylist, and began a career as a controversialist with Latin works. In 1634 he published in the Netherlands two anti-Catholic Latin treatises:
Elenchus Religionis Papisticae, an answer to a Catholic called Richard Short; and
Flagellum Pontificis, an argument in favour of
Presbyterianism. The latter came to the notice of
William Laud. He had Bastwick brought before the
Court of High Commission, where he was convicted of a "scandalous libel", was condemned to pay a fine of £1,000 and costs, and was imprisoned in the
Gatehouse Prison adjoining
Westminster Abbey until he should recant. In 1636 Bastwick published
Πράξεις τῶν επισκόπων, sive Apologeticus ad Praesules Anglicanos, written in the Gatehouse against the high commission court. which stood in front of
Westminster Abbey, and where Bastwick was incarcerated; since demolished In 1637 he produced in English the four parts of his
Letanie of Dr. John Bastwicke, in which
bishops were denounced as the enemies of God and the tail of
The Beast. For this publication he was summoned before the
Star Chamber. The request for a work in English came from the publisher John Wharton. The
Letanie was printed by a Dutch press for
John Lilburne, who had been brought to the Gatehouse in 1636 by the clothier Thomas Hewson and minister Edmund Rosier. Lilburne was just finishing an apprenticeship with Hewson, and smuggled the text abroad, but was betrayed by his assistant in importing the
Letanie, John Chilliburne, who worked for Wharton. At the time Bastwick was comfortable enough in prison, living with his wife and family and complaining that he ate roast meat only once a week. Similar proceedings were taken against
William Prynne for his
Histrio-Mastix, and
Henry Burton for "seditious" sermons. Bastwick's voluminous defence, which was also published, aggravated his case. He was found guilty, and along with the others sentenced to
lose his ears in the
pillory, to pay a fine of £5,000, and to be imprisoned for life. Bastwick with Colonel Edward King arranged for Lilburne to be arrested on 19 July 1645 for words he had said against the
Speaker of the House of Commons; he was in custody until October. In 1648 Bastwick published two bitter tracts against the Independents, and in defence of himself against Lilburne. ==Death==