a. 52 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. "will be set up again, or we must needs temporize. The " whole truth we must not speak ; the whole truth we must " not profess. Your state must have a stroke above the " truth of God. " Now, madam, your majesty may consider what good " the church of God hath taken at your hands, even " outward peace with the absence of Jesus Christ in his " ordinance ; otherwise, as great troubles are likely to come " as ever even in the days of your sister. " As for the council and clergy, if we bring any such " suit unto them, we have no other answer but that which " Pharaoh gives to the Lord's messengers, touching the " state of the church under his government. " For when any are called for this cause before your " council, or the judges of the land, they must take this " for granted, once for all, that the uprightness of their " cause will profit them nothing, if the law of the land " be against them ; for your council and judges have so " well profited in religion, that they will not stick to say, " that they come not to consult whether the matter be with " or against the word or not, but their purpose is to take " the penalty of the transgressions against your laws. " If your council were wise, they would not kindle " your wrath against us ; but, madam, if you give ear to " their words, no marvel though you have no better " counsellors." Though these things contained in Mr. Penry's intended petition, were certainly expressed in rude and offensive lamguage ; yet they were only written upon a private paper in his own possession ; and how much truth theycontained is left with the impartial reader to determine.. With this petition, he, therefore, returned from Scotland, having also his observations with him, But presently after his arrival in London, he was seized in Stepney parish, by the infornia- .tion of the vicar, in the month of May ; and arraigned, condemned, and executed, the very same month ! The charges brought againsthim were collected from the above petition and private observations. He was indicted upon the statute of 23 Eliz. chap. 2. For seditious words and rumers uttered against the queen's most excellent majesty, tending to the stirring up of ,rebellion among her subjects; and was convicted of feiony, May 21, in the King's-bench, before the Lord Chief Justice Popham.t rype's Whicaiff, p. 410-412. + Wooes.Athente Oxon. vol. i. p. 229.
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