376 Queen Elizabeth, 1593 .r 4-4 <{ tf <. ,U :C {C a {i tt (t ti t 00 .0 4C [L [( <t CC CC CC a (G [¡ at The HISTORY of the PURrTANS. Chap. VIII: " If we cannot have your favour, but by omitting our duty to God, we are unworthy of it, and by God's grace we mean not to purchafe it fo dear. << But madam thus much we mutt needs fay, that in all likelihood,' if the days of your fitter queen Mary, and her perfecution had continued unto this day, that the church of God in England had been far more flourifhing than at this day it is: for then madam the church of God within this land, and elfewhere, being ftrangers, enjoyed the ordinan- ces of God's holy word, as far as then they faw. " But fince your maje/ly came unto your crown, we have had whole Chrift Jefus, God and man ; but we mull ferve him only in heart. " And if thofe days had continued to this time, and thofe lights rifen therein, which by the mercy of God have fhined in England, it is not to be doubted but the church of England, even in England, had far fur. paffed all the reformed churches in the world. " Then madam any of our brethren durft not have been feen within the tents of antichrift ; now they are ready to defend them to be the Lord's, and that he has no other tabernacle upon earth but them. Our brethren then durft not temporize in the caufe of God, becaufe the Lord ruled himfelf in his church, by his own laws, in a good mea- fure ; but now behold ! they may do what theywill, for any fword that the church has to draw againft them, if they contain themfelves within your laws. °° This peace, under thefe conditions, we cannot enjoy ; and therefore, for any thing I can fee, queen Mary's days will be fet up again, or we muff needs temporize. The whole truth we mull not fpeak; the whole truth we Inuit notprofefs. Yourfiate mull have a flroke above the truth of God. Now madam your majelly may confider what good the churchof God hath taken at your hands, even outward peace, with the abfence of Chrift Jefus in his ordinances; otherwife as great troubles are likely to come as ever were in the days of your filter. " As for the council and clergy, if we bring any fuch fuit unto them, we have no other anfwer but that which Pharoah gives to the Lord's meffengers, touching the Rate of the church under his government. " For when any are called for this caufe before your council, or the judges of the land, they mull take this for granted, once for all, that the uprightnefs of their caufe will profit them nothing, if the law of the land be againfl them; foj your council and judges have fo well profited in religion, that they will not flick to fay, that they come not to con- fuit whether the matter be with or againfl the word or not, but their « purpofe
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