KNEWSTUBS. 309 'would not preach against it." Upon the receptionof this, 'they returned his lordship the following open and generous declaration, earnestly soliciting his favourable attention to their case, as the silenced ministers of Christ :-.44 Right onourable and very good lord," say they, " we find it is your lordship's pleasure that we should declare in writing our consent to these two points : That we will use the Book of Common Prayer; and that we will not inveigh against it in our public ministry.-In the first place, as we have hitherto used the said book in our public worship, so we do purpose to use it, and no other, except some other shall be established by public authority. And, secondly, we always have had a special regard, both in our public ministry and private life, for the peace of the church and our duty to her majesty, and to walk in all quiet and christian behaviour towards all who use the book in some things more strictly than we can do.: and we mean always to act thus in future. "Seeing these are the things which your honour thinketh good to request at our hands, we most humbly beseech your lordship's favour, that we may be relieved from that subscription, which, as we verily think, the states of the realm have not required of us ; and that we may be restored to our ministry, as in times past. Which, if we obtain, we shall be bound both to praise God for your clemency and to pray for the increase and continuance of your honour's estate and happiness.". It does not appear how long these learned divines remained under the bishop's censure, nor whether their application to the treasurer proved at all available. Mr. Knewstubs joined with his brethren in subscribing the 46 Book of Discipline." He laboured with great zeal and moderation to carry on the work of reformation in the church, and frequentlymet with his brethren at their asso- ciations in the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridge. Being a known and decided nonconformist, though a man of no severe principles, his house was narrowly watched, and afterwards strictly searched, by the prelate's officers.+ In the year 1603, Mr. Knewstubs was one of the puritan divines appointed by King James to attend the Hampton- court conference.. He signified, on this occasion, his .objections against the interrogatoriti in baptism. But Dr. Barlow, who published 66 The Sum and Substance of the MS. Register, p. 587, 588. t MS. Chronology, vol. ii. p. 555. (4.)
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