7heHhSTORY of the PURITANS: Chap. V. Queen " or done againft them, that is not the matter, but the equity of the caufe, Elizabeth, `° that is the matter; and yet this we will fa that the fiate fheweth. 1592. Y y, " not itfelf upright, if it fuffers them to be molefted for that, which Pierces ie was fpoken onlyby way of admonition to the parliament, which was Lind. p. 85. a to confider of it, and receive or rejeét it, without further matter to the " authors, except it contained fome wilful maintenance of treafon or re- ". bellion, which it cannot be proved to do." Two other pamphlets were publifhed on this occafion, one entitled, .fin exhortation to the bops to deal brotherly with their brethren ; the other, An exhorta- tion to the bifhops and clergy, to anfioer a little book that was pibled la/i parliament ; and an exhortation to other brethren, to judge of it by God's word, till they fate it anfwered. Apology.of The prifoners themfelves, drew up an elegant latin apology to the the prifoners. treafurer Burleigh, in which they confefs their writing the admo- nition, but that they attempted not to corredt or change any thing in the hierarchy of themfelves, but referred all to the parliament, hoping Strype's-An- by this means that all differences might be compofed in a legal way, r!als, p. 286. and the corruptions which the molt learned foreign divines complained of, might be removed, to the preventing any fchifm or feparation in the church. However, the treafurer had not - courage to intermeddle with an affair, which might embroil him with the queen, or at lean with her ecclefiaftical commifìoners, though it was well enough known he had a good will to the caufe. But the ccmmi toners not content with the feverity of the law, fported themfelves in an arbitrary manner with the miferies of their fellow-creatures; detained them in prifon beyond the time limited by -the ¡latute, as appears by their humble fupplication to fuppii- the earl of Leitetler, reprefenting " That they had been condemned ac- " cording to the at of uniformity, to a year's imprifonment, which "-they had now fuffered patiently in the comrñon goal of Newgate, " betides tour months clofe imprifonment before their conviction, which they apprehend to be contrary to law : That by this means they and " their poor wives and children were utterly impoverifhed ; : their health " very much impaired, by the unwholfome favour of the place, and the " cold weather ; and that they were like to fuller yet greater extre- " mities: They therefore humbly befeech his lordlhip, for the tender " mercies of God, and in confideration of their poor wives and chi! " dren, to be a means to the molt honourable privy-council, that they may be enlarged ; or if that could not be obtained, that they might. " be - confined in a more wholefome prifon." They preferred another petition of the fame nature, to the lords of the council; and a-third was And eonjef Pent, in the names of their wives' and children. They alto wrote a con- fen offaith. felon of their faith, dated from Newgate, December 4. a 572. with a preface,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=