Chap.VIïI. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 375; With this petition he came from Scotland, refolving to finifh and deliver Queen it with his own hand, as he fhould find opportunity ; but upon his ar- Elizabeth: rival he was feized with his papers in Stepneypari(h, by the information of the Vicar, in the month of May, and arraigned condemned and ex_ Re is taken. ecuted haftily, 'the very fame month. The heads of the petition taken upon him, were as follow, " The Hie petition' laft days of your reign are turned rather againft Jefus Chrift and his to the queen. " gofpel, than to themaintenance'of the fame. . unfin;/IZd.. " 1 have great caufe of complaint madam;. nay the Lord and his " church have caufe to complain of your government, becaufe we your fubjeds, this day are not permitted to ferve our God under your go- " vernrnent according to his word, but are fold to be bondflaves, not " only to our affections, to do what we will, fo that we keep ourfelves " within the compafs of eftablifhed civil laws, but alto to be fervants to the man offin [the pope] and his ordinances. " It is not the force that we feem to fear that will come upon us (for L. of Whit- " the Lord may deftroy both you for denying, and us for flack feeking gift, p. 411.. " of his will) by ftrangers : I came unto you with it: if you will hear " it, our caufe may be eafed ; if not, that pofterity may know that you " have been dealt with, and that this age may know that there is no. M " peétation to be looked for at your hands_ Among the reft of the princes under the gofpel; that have been., " drawn to oppofe it, you mull think" yourfelf to be one ; for until' ou fee " this madam, you fee not yourfelf, and they are but fycophants and " flatterers"whoever tell you otherwife : Your (landing is and has been . ee by the gofpel. It is little beholden to you for any thing that appears. The practice of your government (hews, that if you could have ruled, " without the gofpel, it would have been doubtful whether the gofpel. " fhould be eftabli(hed or not; for now that you are eftablifhed in your " throne by the gofpel, you fuller it to reach no further than the end; " of your fceptre limiteth unto it. " Ifwe had had queen Mary's days, I think that we fhould have had as " flourifhing a church this day as ever any ; for it is well known that: " there was then in London, under the burden, and elfewhere in exile,. " more flourifhing churches than any now toleratedby your authority. Now whereas we fhould have your help both to join ourfelves with ee the true church, and reject the falfe, and all the ordinances thereof " we are in your kingdom permitted to do nothing, but accounted fe- ditious, if we affirm either the one or the other of the former points;, " and therefore madam you are not fo much an adverfary to us poor. " men, as unto Chrift Jefus and the wealth of his kingdom.
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