64 LIVES OF THE. PURITANS. " I ammost willing and ready to defend and maintain, " against all the persons and states under heaven, to the loss " of my life ten thousand times, if it were required. And " I take the Lord to record, that, to my knowledge, I am "sure that day hath not passed over my head, since the " Lord, under her gracious reign, bath brought me to the " knowledgeof the truth, wherein I have not prayed for the "blessing of God, both external and internal, to be fully ." poured forth upon her right excellent majesty'sthrone, " government, and dominions : and that he would convert, " or speedily overthrow all his and her enemies, with their " enterprises, whether they be domestic or foreign : hereof I " call the Searcher of hearts in witness of the truth against ".my soul, if Ieither dissemble or forge in these premises." After givinga particular account of his religious opinions he adds : " Death, I thank God, I fear not. I knowthat " the sting of death is taken away. . And blessed are the " dead that die in the Lord.' Life I desire not, if 1 be " guilty ofsedition, or defaming and disturbing her majesty's " quiet and peaceable government. Imprisonments, indict- " ments, arraignments, and death, are no meet weapons to " convince the conscience grounded upon God's word.- " Subscribed with heart and hand, by me JOHN PEN RY, " now in strict bonds for the testimony of Christ". Mr. Penry, during his imprisonment, was particularly desirous to obtain a conference in the presence, of her majesty and the council. In one of his petitions, addressed to the council, he therefore says, " A conference we are most willing toyield, unto. Our humble request unto her majesty and your honours, is, that if it so stand with your pleasure, we may have but this equity yielded unto us :-I. That the questions on both sides be set down ,in writing, and the reasons briefly annexed to them ; that the answers also, with . like brevity, be returned in writing, and so every thing will be the moredeliberately set down, and all other speeches and matters be avoided.-2. That such of us as are scholars, may confer together (having also the use of books) about the answers and replies that we shall make.-3. That those of the -ecclesiastical state, with whom we are to deal, may only be parties in this conference, and not judges. And that some of the civil state may be appointed by your honours (if your lordships will not take the hearing of the cause yourselves, which we had rather and earnestlycrave,) *. Examinations of Barrow, Greenwood, and Penry, p. 39-45.
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