PENRY. 51 " throne by the gospel, you suffer it to reach no further than " the end of your sceptre limiteth unto it. " Ifwe had hadQueenMary's days, I th inkthat weshould " have had as flourishing a church this day as ever any ; " for it is well known that there was then in London, under " the burden, and elsewhere in exile, more flourishing " churches than any now toleratedby your authority. " Now, whereas we should have your help both to join " ourselves with the true church, and reject the false, and " all the ordinances thereof; we are in your kingdom per- " mitted to do nothing, but accounted seditious, if we " affirm either the one or the other of the former points : " and therefore, madam, you are not -so much an adversary " to us poor men, as unto Jesus Christ, and the wealth of " his kingdom. " If we cannot have your favour, but by omitting our c, duty to God, we are unworthy of it; and, by God's "grace, wemean not topurchase it so dear. " But, madam, thus much we must needs say, that, in all " likelihood, if the days of your sister Queen Mary, and " her persecution, had continued unto this day, that the " church of God in England had been far more flourish- " ing than at this day it is : for then, madam, the church " of God within this land, and elsewhere, being strangers, " enjoyed the ordinances of God's holy word, as far as " then they saw. " But since your majesty tame unto your crown, we " have had whole Christ Jesus, God and man ; but we must serve him only in heart. " And if those days had continued to this time, and those " lights risen therein which by the mercy of God have " since shined in England, it is not to be doubted but the " church of England, even in England, had far surpassed " all the reformed churches ,in the world. " Then, madam, any of our brethren thirst not have been " seen within the tents of antichrist : now they are ready " to defend them to be the Lord's, and that he has no other " tabernacle upon earth but them. Our brethren thendurst " not temporize in the cause of God, because the Lord " ruled, himself in his church, by his own laws, in a good "measure ; but now, behold ! they may dowhat they will, " for any sword that the church has to draw against them, " if they contain themselves within your laws. " This peace, under these conditions, we cannot enjoy ; "'and therefore, for any thing I can see, Queen Mary's days
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