156 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. The above prisoners, in answer to the charges brought against them, maintained, That their associations were very useful, and not forbidden by any law of the realm :- That they exercisedno jurisdiction, nor moved any sedition, nor transacted any affairs, inconsistent with their duty to their prince, and the peace of the church :-That they had agreed upon some regulations to render their ministry more profitable, but all was voluntary, and in breach of no law :- And as to the oath, they refused it, not in contempt of the court, but as contrary to the laws of God and nature."* But their answers proving unsatisfactory, they were sent back to prison, where they continued two years without any further process, or being admitted to bail. During their confinement in prison, King James of Scot- land, afterwards the inveterate enemy to the puritans, in a letter to Queen Elizabeth, dated June 12, 1591, warmly interceded for them; In this letter, the king most earnestly requested her majesty to she w favour to Mr. Cartwright and his brethren, on account of their great learning and faithful travels in the gospel.-t- Mr. Cartwright himself, being exceedingly afflictedwith the gout and sciatica, which were much increased by lying in a cold prison, petitioned for his liberty. He wrote a most humble and pious letter to Lady Russel, and another to Treasurer Burleigh, beseeching them to intercede with the queen for his enlargement, though it were upon bond. He expressed, on this occasion, his very great concern, that her majesty should be so highly offended at him, seeing he had printed no books for the last thirteen years, that could give the least uneasiness ; and having already declared his dislike of.Martin Mar-Prelate, and that he never had a hand in any of thebooks under his name, nor in any other satirical pamphlets ; and that in the course of his ministry at Warwick, during the last five years, he had avoided all controversy.t. Dr. Goad, Dr. Whitaker, and other celebrated persons, wrote an excellent letter to the treasurer, in favour of the prisoners, earnestly beseeching that they might not be more hardly dealt with than papists.§ After waiting six months longer, they pre- sented apetition to the lords of the council, dated December 4, 1591, to be enlarged upon bail. They wrote, at the same time, to the treasurer, with their request that he would Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xv. p. 142-152. + Fuller's Church Hist. b. ix. p. 203, 204. Strype's Annals. vol. iv. p. 48-53. Strype's Whitgift, Appen. p. 155,:156.
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