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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05113	Mr Henry Barrowes platform Which may serve, as a preparative to purge away prelatisme: with some other parts of poperie. Made ready to be sent from Miles Mickle-bound to much-beloved-England. Togither with some other memorable things. And, a familiar dialogue, in and with the which, all the severall matters conteyned in this booke, are set forth and interlaced. After the untimely death of the penman of the foresaid platforme. & his fellow prisoner; who being constant witnesses in points apperteyning to the true worship of God, and right government of his Church, sealed up their testimony with their bloud: and paciently suffred the stopping of their breath, for their love to the Lord. Anno 1593.	Barrow, Henry, 1550?-1593.	1611 (1611)	STC 1525; ESTC S122418	73,650	164

the prosperity and good estate of this Realme Our onely desire is so to serve God as that we may please him with reverence feare absteyning and keeping our soules and bodies frō all remnants of the Romane Religion Idolatrie superstition and vaine will worship of what sort soever Wee witnes against the unlawful pompous Hierarchy priest hood of this nation as utterly disagreeing from the Testament of Christ and Ministerie there appointed in their Offices callings administrations and Lordlike livings maintenance Against the confuse prophane and it religious multitude of all sorts of vicious livers baptised into and reteyned in the body of this Church of England without voluntary profession of and holy walking in the faith of the Gospell against their manner of worship service by reading prayers out of a book in stead of true spiritual invocation on the name of the Lord and briefly against all other popish aboses reliques of the man of Syn whatsoever And because this our testimony maketh against the irregular authoritie of the Prelates reproveth their evil actions and disproveth their Pompe statelynes rich revenues stipends c. therefore haue they in all hostile manner set themselves against us persecuting us unto bands exile and death it self reproching us as Schismatiques Donatists Brownists seditious persons c. though they could never cōvince us of these or any the like crimes and though we haue not ceased neyther by Gods grace will cease to wish and procure good to their soules bodies in the Lord. Now therefore our humble request is unto your Majestie Honours and worships that notwithstanding these differences we may be suffered to returne into our native countrey here to live in peace practising the faith of Christ which wee profess and haue long since set forth to the view of the world in our publick Confession wherein none hitherto haue shevved us any errour and seeing that peoples of other nations are by your Majestie and Honours suffered in this Realme though differing from the ecclesiasticall state of the same we hope that your Highnes naturall loyall subjects may finde like favour at your hands For although we cannot but hold and witnes the trueth of God against the corruptions remayning yet hold we ●● in no vvise lavvfull for our selves or any subjects to attempt the reforming or abolishing of these or any the like abuses for God hath cōmitted the svvord into your Majesties hand alone vvho in his time vvill persvvade vve trust your royall hart to fulfill his vvill and execute his judgements upon the remainders of the spiritual ●abylon vvhich vvill turne to as great honour to God honour to your Majestie and good of this Realme as the abolishing of Abba●s Muncks Fryers Masse Images c. hath ●urned heretofore So the Lord of Lords and King of the Rulers of the earth vvill stablish your Crovvne c Kingdome unto length of dayes And hovvsoever this our suite shal be regarded we vvill not cease in all places of our pilgrimage to pray for and procure the good of your Majestie your Honours vvorships and all our countrey vvhom God Almightie blesse vvith long life happy dayes on earth and crovvne vvith everlasting glorie in the highest heavens Amen Desiderius Now haue I read this Petition also and I thank you for them bothe for me thinks they are able to give content satisfaction and worthyness to speak even in the presence of a Prince A wonder it is if they moved not Magistrates to pitie and compassion save onely that our Lordly Ministers are subtile incensers great resisters God give them repentance unto life if through their malicious sinning they be not appointed unto death But I much lament that our deare Countrie should be so stained with suffering them to exercise such crueltie towardes tho●e that witnes the ●ruth in any part thereof It is therefore a much better thing for any to partake of their afflictions then with their persecutors in their oppressing of them For of the people of God afflicted the Apostle sayth It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you And to you which are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall shew himself from heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fyre ●●●dring vengeance c. 2 Thess. 1.6.7 c. Miles It is well observed Desiderius For tha● day of the Lords coming shal be unto his people weldoers a day of gladnes and much joy but unto the wicked and evill doers it will cause great terrour and feare To them it will be as the Prophet Ioel saith A day of darknes and of blacknes a day of clowdes and obscuritie Ioel 2.2 Then shall they crye hilles and mountaines cover us from the presence of him that suteth on the throne Then shall a good conscience be more worth then a world And whosoever would haue it at that day must labour to haue and to hold to nourish enterteine it all the daies of his life lest when he seeks for it he finde it not And they that once haue it let thē take heed they make not shipwrack therof But for the comfort of all such as are persecuted for conscience sake and to the terrifyng of their persecutors the Apostle useth this worthy speech And in nothing feare your adversaries which is to them a token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Phil. 1.28 Desiderius You began to speak of the unlawfulnes of appropriating such livings to the maintenance of the true Ministerie worship which the idolaters consecrated unto false ministeries false worship I desire you cleare that point further if you can For one would think there can be no use made of them tending more to the honour of God then the imploying of them to his service and worship Miles The same colour might haue be set upon the offring up of divers strange beas●es in sacrifice to the Lord which yet might not be done by any man at any time for any cause And this which you object carries no fairer a show with it then did Saul his sparing the fat cattel of Ameleck under the same pretence of offering them in sacrifice to the Lord but not being according to the minde of God manifested by his word but contrary to the same it was imputed unto him for rebellion and transgression which are matched by the Prophet with witchcraft wickednes and idolatrie 1 Sam. 15. For the Lord hath no such pleasure in sacrifice as when his voice is obeyed ibidem And thus may you see that Sauls good intent had as faire a colour as can be set upon the imployments of popish livings to true Church uses yet was this a special cause of his ruyne and cutting off from his kingdome God requires not that to be done which is right in the eyes of man but all that hee commandeth and is according to his will revealed that is to be observed with all

being received into the soule by faith is the true nourishment therof and salvation of the whole man For he hath redeemed us from death destructiō iustified us in the sight of God and procured us life with him All which we apprehend thorow faith But in this trueth I know you are already grounded so as I need not speak further for your instruction and as for them should I speak should I write should I doe all I can it will not profite them For without the extraordinary work of God they must still beleeve as their church beleeves For that cannot erre as they fondly suppose So that it may hold what it vvill and they must hold the same vvithout all triall or mistrust Thus by one error they are fast fettered in many must be left to their blind guides till they fall togither into the ditch For other guides they will not haue Therfore I shall now spare a labour and speake no further of this point Desiderius Thus brought I you out of the way wherin you were shewing the unlawfulnes of kneeling in the sacramēt Yet vvas it not vvithout fruit for even by that vvhich you haue sayd men may playnely see that vvee ought not to conceite or imitate those supersticious idolatrous and absurd Papists vvho are so addicted to their ovvne vvayes and are like those that cried Great is Diana of the Ephesians Act. 19.28 And great vvith these is their goddesse the false church M. Mick But vvhat say you of the Christians whose cause I pleaded for that addict themselves to the wayes and word of God Desiderius I freely acknowledge that such ought to be lovingly respected And you haue brought me to like better of them then ever I did but espetially that you so well cleared their doctrine of faith to be sound and their separation to be but from sin and such outward orders and ordinances that are unsound and sinfull which they therefore forsake that they might doe the will of God according to his written word the light of our feet and lanterne to all our pathes M. Mick You haue sayd ynough to cleare them both from heresie and schisme for he is no heretique that is sound in the faith And he is no schismatique that separates onely from disorder sin For we ought not to communicate in sin either with men or Angels Desiderius And that is the ground whereupon I my selfe neyther doe nor dare communicate in the Church of England with that sinful ordinance of man the service book or book of cōmon prayer M. Mick If you professe so much in England by your practise as you haue here confessed with your mouth you may happen to be called a Brownist if not to tast of other hard intreaty Des. Yet the truth is the truth Which as it appeareth unto me so stand I bound to obey unto it But I pray you why doe the foresayd people solemnize mariage in civil Assemblies or dwellings M. Mick Because it is a civil action and ought civilly to be performed according to the true nature of it Desiderius Why it is the judgment almost of all men to haue it done in the Church by a Minister And in England it is a common received custome to haue it so performed M. Mick I wish rather that for the proofe of it you could haue sayd Thus saith the Lord. And then to haue shewed the chapter and verse where it is so sayd But you haue done nothing lesse neither in deed it is impossible to be done there being no such thing once named or implied in all the scripture And consequently the ground whereon you stand is not rocky and firme but unsure and sandy which shall wash away with the raine every house built upon such a foundation when the flouds come and the windes blowe shall certainly fall as we may learne both by Christs own doctrine in the Gospell and reason it selfe doth shewe the same And if an Argument drawen from a common custome be good then if it be a common custome to haue the Lords holy Sabbaths profaned with Beare and Bull baiting with dicing and carding with May games and morrice dance with laciviousnes and luxurie with rifling or revelling c. then all is good and all may be done sane conscientia But I hope that both you and every childe of God truely sanctified doe defie and abhorre all such things not onely on the Sabbath dayes but every day of the week and of their whole life And is it not a common received custome in England to worship God by their book of cōmon prayer in English as the Papists by their Massebook in Latin and by their Images beades crucifixes and other the like in stead of true invocation upon the Name of God by the work of his Spirite But being all vvithout and against the vvarrant of the vvord of God your self dare neyther practise nor approve them And vvhy then doe you not minde the like in other things no less unvvarrantable As is the solemnization of mariage ecclesiastically and other such like Many abominations might be pleaded for by common custome and multitude of men in that minde But lay aside these sandy grounds and heare the vvords of the Lavve Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill neyther agree in a controversie to decline after many and overthrow the truth Exod. 23.2 Beleeve it for truth That All Church actions are layd dovvne in the scriptures vvhich is the rule of truth But in them vve finde no mention of mariage to be a Church action Therefore it ought not to be so made or used And againe All the dueties of the Ministerie are expressed in the scriptures But in them there is no more mention or vvarrant for the ministers solemnizing of mariages to the living then is for their burying of the dead vvhich is just none at all Ergo they are both unlavvfull and ought not to be done And where you affirme the contrary saying it ought to be done by a Minister doe you meane a minister indefinitely without any respect whether he be true or false Desiderius No But I meane a true Minister onely For no true Christian ought to goe to false minister for any such end M. Mick Your reason is right and good But then the Ministers of England haue no right in that work they being in respect of their offices not true but false Ministers and so proved Desiderius But in respect of their guiftes they may be sayd to be the Ministers of Christ. For many of them haue excellent giftes M. M. So had Balaam likewise who yet was but a false Minister and a Southsayer And so haue many Lawyers others in our Land if they would and might be suffred to exercise their gifts who yet are no Ministers at all Gifts then doe help to make men fit for a Ministerie but doe not make them ministers much lesse true Ministers For every true Minister must not onely be

Faultes escaped Pag Lin. Faultes Corrections 80. 9. in them and were in them 219. 14. Tius Titus 230. 25. ● that Dioceses were ● 231. 11. 25 85 241. 33.   ture be subverted 71. in margin Act. 3 6. Act. 6.3 163. in marg Mat. 86. Math. 16. The Christian Reader will pardon the rest Mr HENRY BARROWES PLATFORM Which may serve as a Preparative to purge away Prelatisme with some other parts of Poperie Made ready to be sent from Miles Mickle-bound to Much-beloved England Togither with some other memorable things And A familiar Dialogue in and with the which all the severall matters conteyned in this booke are set forth and interlaced After the untimely death of the penman of the foresaid Platforme his fellow prisoner who being constant witnesses in points apperteyning to the true worship of God and right government of his Church sealed up their testimony with their bloud And paciently suffred the stopping of their breath for their love to the LORD Anno 1593. Printed for the yeare of better hope To such as are already true Christians and all that desire so to be health salutation in the Authour of salvation THis Conference or Discourse between Desiderius and my self Togither with other things of excellent argument worthily beloved vvas for your sakes by our mutual consent put to printing Reape therefore the benefite thereof and defend it from the unjust cavils of all that set against the same And for the literall faults therein amend with the pen I pray you as they are espied in the reading And if in the materials all thinges hang not well togeither in your sense consider them better by the word of God and what agreeth therwith cast not away neither receive any thing that dissenteth therefrom But try all things and keepe that which is good M. M. TAke wings o Booke and fly abroade with speed The things in thee are good for men to reed Which haue not seen what thou canst to them show And what thou speakst is meete for all to know Who would discern some things amiss that bee Within the Land of our Nativitee To such thou shalt be iudged wondrous kinde Because thou canst right well informe their minde In such a sort as they shall bettred bee And well advantag'd by the things in thee Yet foes enough thou shalt be sure to finde 'Mong Priests that have the soules of many pinde And Prelates too which very seldome preach Or suffer those that carefully would teach Gods truth and give Christs sheep their wholsome food All such Restreyners make the sinfull brood And of that Ranck not one of them is found That feeds the flock in wholsome pasture ground If such bring food they poison give withall Which proveth worse then wormwood mixt with gall They suffer not the milk of Gods word pure To work vpon the soules of men a cure Though sincere milk therof that some is it Which makes for God the soule of each man fit And thou directs them in no other wise Nor wouldst haue any follow such mens guise As will not to that wholsome Word bend care And all his pathes unto Iehovahs seare A Dialogue or Discourse passing betweene Desiderius and Miles Micklebound by occasion of their old love and new meeting Miles Micklebound RIght glad am I to see you Desiderius but who ever would haue thought to haue met you here in these partes Some great weighty cause doubtlesse hath occasioned you to come hither But I praye tell me how doe all our friends in England and what good newes bring you from thence Desiderius It may be thought a wonder to see your selfe here my much beloved Miles for it was reported that you were at Rome that you were the Popes scholer c. But I am glad to see you so farre from his citie of seven hills where his seat is And that putts mee in better hope concerning you then others have Miles For certayn Desiderius I am and alwaies have been furder off and more opposi●e to the Popes religion and learning then now distant frō his citie and seate where I never yet came not purpose to come vnlesse I should happen to long for fyre and fagot Desiderius That increaseth my hope to bring like joy unto your selfe know this that our friends in England are generally well as I see you are whereof I am not a litle joyeux Miles And how goes it with religion Are there not good hopes for reformation Desiderius The hopes that way are as fewe small as ever they were Howbeit that which you call reformation others doe count deformation Miles But how then is it with the Prelats Are they so proud or doe they dominiere beare like sway as heretofore Desid Yea doubtlesse For there are none that are put down more then the Puritans as they are called nor none that rise up faster then the Prelates as you call them Miles Then in deed there can be no present hope for Bishops and the abuses brought in by them are a bane to the beawtie of true religion and doe greatly hinder all sound and sincere walking therein Desider Multitudes are otherwise minded then you are and many wiser then I doe think them to be the very pillars of the Church and chiefe upholders of true religion And what should I then think of the matter Miles Not as the multitude doe for then you think erroneously And if these be the pillars or propps of any Church it must needs be the church of Antichrist For wee finde no warrant in all the scriptures that their offices callings or administrations haue any place power or right in the Church of Christ as shal plainly appeare hereafter But where you seem to let your judgment rely upō the multitude and to approve of that which wiser then your self doe justify you are taught not to follow a multitude to doe evill Exod. 23. And the divine proverbe sheweth that it is as great an evil to justify the wicked as to condemne the innocent But as woe is pronounced to him that calls good evil so likewise to him that cal leth evil good Esa. 5.29 For your judgeing of matters in case of religion you ought to look to the lawe and word of God and not to the wisdome of man For the wisdome of the wise men of this world is foolishnes with God and the wisdome of God is foolishnes with them The Philosophers and other wise men could never by their worldly wisdome atteyne to the right knowledge of God heavenly things This apperteyneth to the foolish things of the world which God hath chosen to confound the wise As sayth the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. Read the whole chapter at your leasure for your better information But I pray you how sayd you that it was with the Puritans Desiderius I observe that there are none more detest●d mocked troden down then are they nor none more upholden then those that you so much dislike even

or any member thereof receive or obey other constitutions and traditions of men or Angels without incurring the wrath of God That this Church is the bride and body of Christ the citie house of the great King whereinto may enter no profane person o● impenitent sinner but onely such as by faith and ●●pentance have washed away the guilt of their synnes in the blood of the lambe are borne a new by the seed of the word by a willing covenant made with the Lord are under his goverment scepter of grace and so doe lead godly and christian lives That in this House every servant and member hath a like inter●st and libertie in the word of God by the power thereof to reprove cōdemne slay sin in themselves ●●l other men and are all bound to watch o●●er exhort and admonish one another even their shepherds leaders if need so require That this Church hath power from Christ to censure reprove and cast out of their fellowship all obstinate offenders and wicked men lest by any such the whole body should be infected and perish That they also haue authoritie to elect call and set over them watchmen and shepherds of their soules to break unto them the bread of life whom they are bound again to susteyne with all their temporall goods so farte as their abilities extend and the Ministers duetie shall require That whensoever the whole Church or any member therof wilfully transgresseth the law of the Lord and persisteth obstinate and incorrigible in any sin refusing to heare the voice of Christ they will cease to be the people and servants of God neither can be so esteemed untill they repent That all that wil be saved must joyne themselves to some particular Church of Christ to live therwith in faithful obedience peace order and love forsaking all false and adulterate synagogues of which sort we affirme the ordinarie parish assemblies of our woesull countrie to be and therfore haue abandoned them for these weighty causes 1. They are not a cōmunion of Saints called and severed from the world but doe consist of all sorts of men reteyning a multitude of irreligious profane Atheists Blasphemers Idolaters whoremongers and all manner wicked persons within her Majesties dominions 2. They haue not been wonne unto th● faith by the preaching of the gospell ney●ther ever made willing covenāt to walk up rightly before the Lord but were drawen by civil force in the beginning of her Majestie reigne 3. Their publick worship of God in thei● assemblies is false and idolatrous translate● out of the Popes blasphemous Masse book the cursed inventiō of the man of Sinne imposed both upon the Lord and them 4. The Ministery of Lordly Lord Arch bishops Bishops Deanes Arch Deacons c Parsons Vicars Curates c is not the true Ministery of Christ in his testament neithe● accordeth thereto in name office calling entrance administration or maintenance bu● is the same which was found and left in the Popes Church 5. Their Church is in bondage bea●eth the yoke of Antichrist the burdenou● traditions ceremonies injunctions of their Lords the Bishops their courts and canons 6. They are obsti●ate and incorrigible in these and other their transgressions and wil● not be brought unto the true obedience o● Christ and practise of his lawes but speake●vil of the trueth and witnesses of the same and of them some they haue killed many imprisoned all persecuted banished and blasphemed Therfore this people in this fearful estate cannot in any just intendement be estemed the childrē or church of God Neverthelesse the firme foundation of God standeth having this 〈◊〉 seate the Lord knoweth those that a●● his and let every one 〈◊〉 naming the name of the Lord depart frō iniqu●y● 2 Tim. 2.19 Delivered to Mr Wood a Scottish preacher in Ireland anno 1594. The humble most earnest and lamentable Complaint Supplication of the persecuted proscribed Church and servants of CHRIST falsely called Brownists Vnto the high Court of Parliament THe most high GOD possessor of heaven and earth bringeth at this present before your Lordships and Wisdomes Right Honourable his owne Cause his owne People his owne sworne and most trecherous Enemies togither with the most shamefull usage of his truth and servants that ever hath been heard of in the dayes of Sions professed peace and tranquility His Cause and People he offereth unto your confideration and defence in our Profession and Persons His Enimies and their outrage against his truth and servants in the persons bloody proceedings of the Prelates of this Land and their Complices Wee profosse the same faith and truth of the Gospell which her Majestie which your Honours this whole Land and all the reformed Churches under Heaven this day doe holde and mainteyne Wee goe beyond them being our onely fault even in the judgement of our tyrannicall and most savage Enimies in the detestation of all Popery that most fearfull Antichristian Religion and draw nearer in some pointsby our practise unto CHRISTS holy order and institution This is our Faith this is our Cause right Honourable yea the Lords Cause in our sinfull hands For the profession maintenance of which Faith the forenamed Enemies of GOD deteyne in their hands within the Prisons about London not to speak of other Gaoles throughout the Land about three score twelve persons Men woemen yong and old lying in cold in hunger in dungeons and in yrons Of which number they haue taken the Lords day last being the 3. of this 4. Moneth 1592. about some 56. persons hearing the word of God truly taught praying praysing God for his favors shewed unto us unto her Majestie your Honours and this whole Land and desiring our God to be mercyfull to us unto our gracious Prince countrey Being imployed in these holy actions and no other as the parties who disturbed them can testifie they were taken in the very place where the persecuted Church and Martyrs were enforced to use the like exercises in Queene Maries dayes The former number are now unbaleably cōmitted by the Prelate or Bishop of London unto close for the most part severall prysons As Bryde-well the Lymboe or Dungeon in Newgate the Feete the Marshalsee the Counters the Clyncke the Gatehouse the Wotte-Lyon c. Wherein wee willingly acknowledge the lott and inheritance in this life of our Fore-Fathers and Brethren the holy Martyres of the former age and the entayled A●eldama or bloody succession of the See of London and that whole lynage Well heere our brethren lye how long Lord holy and true thou knowest in Dungeons in hunger in colde in nakednes and all outward distresse For these bloody men will allow them neyther meat drink fyre lodging nor suffer any whose harts the Lord would stirre up for their releife to haue any accesse unto them purposing belike