Chap. VII. the HISTORY of the PURITANS. 285. " not being licenfed by your ordinary, nor any other magiftrate having Queen " authority by the laws of this land fo to licenfe you. Declare the like R11zabetb, 1584. circum/lances hereof. Et objic. ut fupra. 24. Item, " uodproemfa;omnia &fingula, &c. i.e. That all andfan- °` guiar the premjjès, &c." Could the wit- of man invent any thing more like an inquifition ! Here are interrogatories enough to entangle all the hones men in the kingdom, and bring them into danger. When the lord treafurer Bur- leigh had read them over,' and feen the execution they had done upon the clergy, he wrote his grace the following.letter.. It may pleafe your grace, j AM. lorry, to trouble you fo oft as I do, but rant more troubled The treat- " myfelf, not only with many private petitions of fundry miniflers, rer's remark " recommended for perlons of credit, and peaceable in their miniftry, " who are greatly troubled by. your grace,. and your collegues in corn- gift, B. IV. million ;, but I am alto daily charged by counfellors and publick per.. Rec. N°. g, Eons, with neglect of my duty, in not ftayingyouur grace's vehement "- proceedings againft minifters, whereby papifts are greatly encouraged, " and the queen's fafety endangered. I have read over your twenty- " four articles, found in a Romp /tile, of great length and curiofity, to " examine all manner of - minifters in this time, without diftinétion of perfons, to be executedex officio mero. And I find them focurioufl,.. " penned, fo full -of branches and circumftances, that I think the inqui- " fition of Spain, ufed not fo many quetlions to comprehend and to trap " their priefls. I know your canoaï/fs can defend thefe with all their " particles; but furely, under correftion, this judicial and canonical lift- "- ing poor minifters, is not to edify or reform, And in charity I think. " they ought not to anfwer to all thefe nice points, except they were. " notorious papifts or hereticks. I write with the teflimony of a good. " confcience. I.defire. the peace and unity of the church. I favour -no. fenfual and wilful recufant ; but I conclude, according to my fimple . judgment, this kind of proceeding is too muchfavouring of the Romifh: " inquifition; and is a device rather to Peek for offenders, than to reform " any. It is not charitable to fend poor minifters to your common (` regi/ler, to anfwer upon fo many articles at one inftant, ; without a co- " py of the articles, or their anfwers. ---I pray your grace bear with " this one (perchance) fault, that I have willed the minßers not to an-- " fwer thefe articles, except their confciences may fuller them. july 15, 1584. W. Cecil. This
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