80 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. other unjust accusations, when he went up to London, and wrote the following letter to Lord Burleigh, chancellor of the university.. " My humble duty to your honourable lordship. " I will not complain to your lordship, of those that " have complained ofme ; who, seeing meresolved to come " up about my necessary defence, and fearing that the "complaint made concerning a presbytery would be easily " disproved, have devised othermatters, which either touch " me nothing at all, or else are most frivolous ; and yet, " being thus heaped together, seem to be of some weight. " Although I foresee the inconvenience of a new visitation, -" which is the only thing they shoot at ; yet I fear not any " course of justice whatsoever; and I do willingly submit "myself to what order your lordship shall take for due " trial of these matters. In one thing for a taste, your " lordship may judge of the rest. I am charged that I lay " at my brother Chadderton's, the night before I came up. " Indeed the truth is, I lay in the college, asI ever do : but " this was only a slight to bring in some mention of my " brother, whom they hate as much as me. If it may stand " with your honour's good pleasure, to let use have that " writing that was exhibited against me, I will set down " mine answer to every particular point, and return the " same again to your lordship. Thus I humbly take my " leave. From the Dean of Paul's house, October 24, " 1590. " Your lordship's to serve in the Lord, " 'WILLIAM WHITAKER." We have not been able to learn what answer Dr. Whitaker gave to the accusations of his enemies, nor how long his troubles continued ; but he most probably obtained his release, and, without much interruption, returned to his wonted exercises in the university. He was a divine who bad a correctviewof the genuine principles of protestantism, and would appeal to the authority of the holy scriptures alone, in the decision of all religious controversy. " We may warrantably enough," says he, " reject all human testimonies, and insist upon some clear scripture testimony. For this is the constant sense of the catholic fathers, that nothing is to be received or approved in religion, which is not bottomed on the testimony of scripture, and cannot be proved and confirmed out of those sacred writings : and * Baker's MS. Coll., vol. ut. p. 558.
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