Chap. III. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 73 whom they might choofe, to take the overfight of them. In their let- Q Mary, . ter they commend their new feulement, as nearer the policy and order 5 of fcripture, than the fervice book of king Edward. The Strafburgh di- vines demurring upon the affair, the congregation at Francfort invited D rpctremo- Mr. Knox from Geneva, Mr. Haddon' from Strafburgh, and Mr Lever bier am the from Zurich, whom they elelled their minifters. At length the flu- fervice book, dents of Zurich fent them word, that unlefs they might be affured, that they would ufe thefame order of fervice concerning religion, as was fet forth by king Edward, they would not come to them, for they were fully deter- mined to admit and ufe no other. To this the Francfort congregation replied, That they would ufe the fervice book as far as God's word war- ranted it ; but as for the unprofitable ceremonies, though fome of them were tolerable, yet being in a ftrange country, they could not fubmit to ufe them ; and indeed they thought it better that they fhould never be prac- tifed, " If any (fay they) think that the not ufing the book in all points, " fhould weakenour godly fathers and brethrens hands, or be a difgrace to " the worthy laws of king Edward, let them confider, that they them- " felves have upon confideration and circumftances altered many things in °t it heretofore; and if God had not in thefe wicked days otherwife de- " termined, would hereafter have altered more; and in our cafe we " doubt not but they would have done as we do." So they made ufe of part of the book, omitting the litany and refponfes. But this not giving fatisfallion, Mr. Chambers and Mr. Grindal came with a letter- from the learned men of Strafburgh, fubfcribed with i6 hands, in which they exhort them in moft pref ling language to a full conformity ; They fay, they make no queflion but the magiftrates of Francfort will confent to the ufe of the Englifh fervice, and therefore they cannot doubt of the congregations good will, and ready endeavours to reduce their church to the exalt pattern of king Edward's book, as far as poffible can be obtained; " Should they deviate from it at this " time, they apprehend they fhould feem to condemn . thofe who were " now fealing it with their blood, and give occafien to their adverfaries to " charge them with inconflancy." The Francfort congregation in their letter of December 2. reply, that " Theyhad omitted as few ceremonies " as poffible, fo that there was no danger of their being charged with " inconflancy. They apprehended that the martyrs in England were not dying in defence of ceremonies, which they allow may be alter'd; " and as for doltrine their is no difference; therefore if the learned " divines of Strajburgh fhould come to Francfort with no other views, " but td reduce the congregation to king Edward's form, and to eflablifh " the popifh ceremonies, they gave them to underhand that they had Vol.. I. L "better
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