58 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. of God, though it be in woods, in mountains, or in caves. F. Then you are privy to no practice or intent of any sedition or commotion against her majesty and the state, or for pulling down the bishops? P. No, I thank God, I never was. And I protest before heaven and earth, that, if I were, I would disclose and withstand the same, to the utmost of my power, in all case* whatsoever. Young. But what meant you, Penry, when you toldme at my house, that I should live to see the day when there should not be a lord bishop left in England ? P. You, sir, do me great injury, but I am content to bear it. I said, " because God hath promised to overthrow and consume the remnants of the kingdom of antichrist, you may live to see all the offices, callings, livings, and -works, belonging to that kingdom, utterly overthrown." This is what I said, and I beseech and charge you, as you shall answer in the day of judgment, not to misreport my speech. Y. I conceived some great matter of your speech, I tell you. P. In this you did me the greater wrong. I pray you, hereafter, take my words according to my meaning, and their natural signification. F. You say, that these offices and livings, derived, according to your conceit, from the body of antichrist, shall be overthrown by the Lord : we would know how this will be accomplished. P. The work, I am assured, will be accomplished ; because the Lord hath said it in his word. But the manner how, and the time when, it shall be done, I leave to him " who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will," and whose " ways and judgments are past finding out." F. What you now do, or what you mean to do, in your assemblies, we cannot tell; but this is sure, that the papists seem to take encouragement by your dealing. They are now become very numerous ; and they say, that your separation from the church is a great stumbling-block to them. P. What we do in our meetings, and what are our pur- poses, I have faithfully told you ; and we are ready to approve our purposes and actions to be in all good con-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=