430 LIVES OF TI1E PURITANS. their prince ; yet they dare not, yield to the intended con- formity. Haying enlarged upon the manifold evils necessarily arising from such rigorous impositions, they conclude in these words : " As to ourselves," say they, " we dare not forall the world yield to those ceremonies. " Arid if the bishop proceed to urge them upon ministers, " as, he hathbegun, it will bring the most awful ruin upon " the church. There are already nineteen or twenty exercises of preaching and catechizing put down, by " the silencing of ministers in this city. We, therefore, " humbly crave your assistance, both with our prince "and the bishops. The Lord God direct your honours " in this affair, and in All your other concerns, that " they may be for the profit of the church of God and " the advantage of our land. Yours most humbly in the " Lord, "JOHNMORE, GEORGE LEEDS, "RICHARD CRICK RICHARD DOWE, " THOMAS ROBERTS, WILLIAM HART.". If Mr. More and his brethren were not brought into trouble previous to their application to the council, it is certain they were suspended not long after. This will appear from their own words, in the following submission, dated from Norwich, August 21, 1578,. and presented to their diocesan : -" Theministers," say they, "whosenames " are underwritten, humbl3, crave favour to be restored to " their preaching, upon subscription to all those articles 46 which concern the confession of the true , christian faith " and doctrine of the sacraments, according to the words " of the statute. And concerning ceremonies, order, and " government, they acknowledge that they are so far toter- " able, that for the same, no man ought to withdraw " himself from hearing the word of God, and receiving the " sacraments"; nor, on the same account, ought any minister " to refuse to preach the word of God, and to administer " the sacraments, " JOHN MORE, RICHARD DOWE, " RICHARD' CRICK, GEORGE LEEDS, " THOMAS ROBERTS, JOHN MAPES:), " VINCENT GOODWIN, MS. Register, 256. + Ibid. p. 285.
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