Chap. VII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 271 time to the parliament, for a friendly conference, or a publick difputation, tueen when and where, and beforewhom. they pleafed ; tho' without fuccefs. Elzabeth, The fupplication of the Norfolk miners to the lords of the council, r figned with zo hands ; the fupplicationof the Lincolnfhire minifiers with rhzir f4p0i- 2 t hands ; the fupplication of the Efiex miners with 27 hands ; the fup- cations to the plication of the Oxfordfhireminers with hands ; the fupplication of council. PP M.S. p. 328, the miners ofKent with t 7 hands, are now before me ; befides the fup- 350, &c. plication of the London miners, and of thofe of the diocefe of Ely and Cambridgefhire ; reprefenting in mófl moving language their unhappy cir- cumflances, " We commend, .fay they, to your honours compaftìon our poorfamilies, but much more do we commend our doubtful, fearful, and diflrjfed confciences, together with the cries of our poor people, who " are hungring after the word, and are now as fheep having no fhepherd. " We have applied to the archbifhop, but can get no relief, we therefore " humbly beg it at your honours hands " They declare their readi- nefs to fubfcribe the doctrinal articles of the church, according to the flat. 13 Eliz. cap. 12. and to the other articles, as far as they are not repugnant to the word of God. And they promife further, if they may be difpenfed with as to fubfcription, that they will make no difturbance in the church, nor feparate from it. The Kentifh miniflers in their fupplication to the lords of the council, profeffed their reverence for the eflablifhed church, and their efleem for the book of Common prayer, fo far as that they faw no neceßity of feparat- ing fróm the unity of the church on that account : That they believed the word preached, and the facraments adminiflred according to authority, touching the fubfiance, to be lawful. They promifed to (hew themfelves obedient to the queen, in all caufes ecclefiaflical and civil ; but then they added, that thereweremany things that needed reformation, which therefóre Al,S. p. 326. they could nothone/lly fet their hands to. They, conclude with praying for indulgence, and fubfcribe themfelves their honours daily and faithful ora- tors, the miniflers ofKentfiefpendedfrom the execution of their minifiry. The London miners applied to the convocation,and t 5 ofthem offered Petition of to fubfcribe to the queen'sfupremacy, to the ufeof the Commonprayerbook, London mi- and to the doctrinal articles of the church, if they might be reftored ; but 'lifters to con- then add, " We dare notfay there is nothing in the three books, repugnant to vocation: " the wordof God, till we are otherwifè enlightened; and therefore humbly ".prayour brethren in convocation, to be a means to the queen and parlia- " ment, that we may not be prefl"ed to an abfolute fubfcription, butbe Put,- "Y fered to go on in the quiet difcharge of the duties of our calling, as'we, " . have done heretofore, to the honour of almighty God, and the edificati- " on of his church. We prote(l before God and our Saviour Jefus Chrift, ". that ifby any means, by doing that which is not wicked, we might con- " A thaw
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=