The Following Writings Also Appear to Have Been Drawn up Partly by The…

A Supplication, Presented to the Queen, on Behalf

of the Prisoners in England, but not Received

by Her Majesty

In view of your majesty's praiseworthy goodness and grace, famous far and wide among all nations, because you have always used discretion in all matters, and especially in the matter of religion and conscience, and have shown this recently in our fellow believers; we trust your majesty completely, that you will be pleased to show us poor prisoners and strangers the same mercy, since we are in the same state and condition, and in the same faith, which we humbly present to your majesty in Christ, for Christ's sake, that your highness be pleased to read it, and, according to your wisdom and grace, considering the unimportant difference, judge of it graciously. We testify before God and your majesty, that if we could feel or understand otherwise in our conscience, we would accept and confess the contrary with all our heart, since it would be a great error on our part not to prefer living in a true faith to willfully dying in a false faith. Likewise, may her majesty be pleased to consider, according to her inborn goodness and wisdom, that it is not right for us to speak deceitfully, other than we believe with the heart, in order to escape the danger of temporal death that way, and that it is impossible to believe differently from what we feel in our conscience; also, that it is not in our power to believe this or that, as an evildoer can willingly do good or stop doing evil; but that the true faith must be poured into people's hearts by God, whom we pray daily, that He would give us His Spirit, so that we may understand His truth and Gospel.

Moreover, her majesty knows well that we are not a turbulent people, and do not seek to stir up any rebellion against her majesty, but much rather pray to the Lord daily for her prosperous reign and welfare according to soul and body (Jeremiah 29, verse 7); finally, that we have not sought to spread our faith in this country, nor are we able to do it, since we are simple and unlearned trades people, and inexperienced in divinity. These and other reasons we humbly ask her majesty to consider for our benefit, and in particular to be mindful of her praiseworthy and princely grace, which is a marvel to all nations, and which has always appeared in all matters, but especially in the matter of religion and conscience.

It was signed:

HENDRICK TERWOORT, [n1146-1]

JAN PIETERSS,

CHRISTIAEN KEMELS,

GERRIT VAN BYLER,

HANS VAN STRATEN.