Chap. VIII. The HISTORY of the PÙRITANS. 351 England tobe a true church, and the whole order of publick prayers, &c. neen confonant to the word of God, and renounce for the future all their af- l lizábet.,, femblies, claffes and fynods ; which they declined. Thefe applications r proving ineff:Etual, they refolved at lafl to addrefs the queen herfelf, for which purpofe they drew up the following declaration, containing a full anfwer to the feveral charges brought againft them. .d letter of the above-mentioned Puritan minifters impr f ned, to her majelly, in vindication of their innocence. DatedApril ;592. May it pléafe your excellent majey, Here is nothing, right gracious fovereign, next to the laving mercy of Almighty God, that can be more comfortable than Theiraddref+ your highnefs's favour, as to all other your faithful and dutiful fub- to the g<eert. hefts, fo to us your majefty's molt humble fuppliants, who are by our vójp9''I"' " ° calling minifters of God's holy word ; and by our prefent condition p. 85, &c.. now, and of long time, prifoners in divers prifons in and about the " city of London; for which caufe our tnoft humble fuit is, that it mar " plcafe your molt excellent majelty, gracioufly to underftand our necef- " fary anfwer to filch grievous charges as we hear to be informed againft " us, which if they were true, might be juft caufe of withdrawing for' `c ever from us your highnefs's gracious proteétion and favour, which above all other earthly things we molt defire to enjoy. The reafon of e` our trouble, is a fufpicion that we lhould be guilty of many heinous " 0 crimes; but thefe fuppofed crimes we have not been charged with in " any due and ordinary courfe of proceeding, by open accufation and. " witneffes. But being called up to London by authority of fome of " your majefty's commoners in cauls ecclefaaflical, we have been required " by them to take an oath of inquftion or egce, as it is called ; for not' " taking whereof we were firft'committed to prifon, and liince havd' continued there a long time, notwithßcaning that all ofus, faveone, havd' been deprived of our livings, and degraded of our miniftry. " Wherefore, for that the oath is thenext and immediate caufe of our:' " trouble, we have made our anfwer firft to that,. and'thei after allá to U` the crimes that are fuggelled, and fecretly.informed againft -.us. The 0 A " As for the oath, the reafon why we took.'iG not, is bécaúfe"it' £s; without . limitation of any certain- matter': infinité and general, to Q., anfwecr
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