question is to be made knowen The slate of the question is whether he be anie minister at all good or bad vnto whome the Lord neuer said go and preach Mat. 28.18.19 I denye such a one to be any which is not whether our readers be such as haue the names supplie the places of ministers for he that will not graunt this denieth heat to be in the fire but whether they by the vnlawfull consent of our corrupt prelats stealing the names intruding themselues vppon the places of ministers that is hauing a corrupt outward calling be ministers indeede So that for the better vnderstanding of this controuersie I graunt that in our Churche in those daies of hir ruines there bee two sortes of ministers First a minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely in name which is not a minister indeed Secondly a minister both in name and deede which also is double First a minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hauing not only vpon him the name of a minister but also in him these thinges which are agreeable vnto the name and giue the essence and being therevnto Secondly a minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which both carrieth the name is pertake of the essence thereof and laboureth to perform indeed whatsoeuer belōgeth vnto his calling onely this minister is the good minister As for the ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are all of them euill ministers Of the whiche crue are all those attainted with the faults spoken against a 1. Tim. 3.4.7 in the worde whome although by the censures of the Church they should bee compelled to leaue either theyr faultes or their ministerie yet I dare not deny to be ministers as long as the church tollerateth them vnlesse their offences bee such as presently there ensueth b 2. King 23.9 Ezeb 44.10 a nullitie of their ministerie before the Lord. Those who are onely ministers in name of which sorte by the reasons following I prooue all our readers to bee are not ministers indeede and therefore can by no meanes be accounted ministers Especiallie seeing as good and as able ministers altogether as they are might in ciuill pollicie bee established among the sauadge Caniballs who feed vpon mens flesh though they should neyther suffer any to come amongest them that might teache them true religion nor resorte them selues where the same were professed For our Liturgie booke of Articles manner of ordaining of Bishops and Priests articles agreed vpon by the cleargie in the conuocation house might bee translated vnto their toong they by a Lord-Archbishop or Bishop Caniball might bee mad Deacons or foule Priests to were a surplice a cloake with sleeues a truncke gowne a cap and tipper and I thinke bell and babell ornaments fit inogh for such deformed coxcombs to read a Gospell church women bid fasting dayes and holy-daies profane the Sacramentes praye at the buriall of the dead pronounce a cursse against sinners vppon Ash-wendsday and at no time els ordaine a new Sacrament of the crosse in the profanation of baptisme visit the sicke with a wafer cake and a wine-bottell read Homilies pray for the prosperitie of theeues pyrates murtherers yea a Pope Cardinall Arch-bishop Lord-bishop or any other enemie of God his Church if he trauaile by land or by water and brieflie to performe whatsoeuer anie reader within wales by his outwarde calling is bound to do Now any reasonable man would denie these to be ministers howbeit they emoyed the names and roomes agreeable vnto that function And I pray you what difference should there be betweene these and our readers in regard of their ministerie In their persons I graunt some might bee shewed but that can be nothing to make their ministerie disagree And this out of all controuersie is most true that no ministerie can be where true religion is not no ministerie can be out of the church as we see the ministerie of our readers may For the Apostle inseperablie ioyneth the gathering ' together of the saints with the a Ephes 4.22 worke of the ministerie Where also the importunacie of the distinction that they are euill that they are maimed ministers therfore ministers is esier answered then propoūded by granting thē to be euill may med ministers indeed but so euil and so maimed as they are flatly none so making 2. kinds of euill ministers the one so euil so maimed as they are none at al the other in deede euill and maymed but so as they want not the life whereby a minister is a minister A Chyrurgion entering into a campe of discomfited and wounded men shoulde finde them all it maye bee wounded and maimed in most miserable sorte but some so maimed as they were not men but deade corpses The same is to be said of our foiled and maimed ministerie in this Lande wherein all from the highest to the lowest some few excepted which kepe vs from beeing like Sodome and Gomoraah shal be found mangled by Sathan sorrowfull and desperate sight in their verie essential parts but some so maimed that they are as dead as the doore naile Now that all our readers want the very life essence and beeing whereby a minister is a minister that is are not ministers in deed I proue by these two reasons and haue prooued in the booke by the reasons that shall ensue Whosoeuer wanteth that life which is either prescribed or included in the word to be the life of a minister good or bad hee hath not so much as the life of a badde minister much lesse of a good But our readers want both that life which is prescribed or included in the worde to be the life of a good minister and that which is the life of a bad minister Therefore our readers haue not so much as the life of a bad minister much lesse of a good The proposition is most manifest For whence learne we what giueth life and beeing vnto a minister but out of the woorde The proose of the assumption is thus concluded First there is no essence of that minister either as good or as a bad minister set downe to the worde whereof there is at all no mencion made in worde The truth hereof Appius Caecus might see Doth the worde shewe what life and beeing hee can haue whome it denieth to be at all But our readers are not mentioned in the word as publik ministers Because the word neuer dremt of that minister vnto whome it is not sayd go a Math. 28.19 and teach Therefore there is no essence or life of our readers mentioned off in the worde either as good or as bad ministers Secondly there is no essence or life of that minister either as a good or as a badde minister set downe in the word which is but the ordinance of the church by the ordinance of the church I mean euery ministery minister which is not read of in the word howsoeuer
God vppon such Magistrates as tollerate them The proposition is not to be doubted off The assumption is thus prouided That gouernement and that booke whiche holdeth Iesus Christ God and man to haue prescribed no external form of gouernment in his church but such as at the pleasure of the magistrate when time and place requireth may without sinne be altered preferreth Moses before the Lord Iesus This is manifest out of the expresse word out of the text Heb. 3.2.6 Because that the Lorde Iesus beeing the sonne in this place is compared with Moses a faithful seruaunt is preferred before Moses in regarde of the externall gouernement which Moses had so faithfully prescribed as it was not to bee altered or chaunged at the pleasure of any magistrate vntill the messiah should cause the oblations to ceas a Dan. 9 27. For whatking was there euer in Iudah that without the breach of Gods lawe could euer alter the externall forme of the iewish Church in the Leuitical priesthood officers And that the comparison between the sonne and the seruant Christ and Moses is concerning the externall and not concerning the spyrituall gouernment of the inner man as D. bridges sayth it is plaine bieause that Moses had nothing to doe with the gouerning of the inner man therefore it were no prerogatiue for the Lorde to be preferred in faithfulnes before Moses b page 55. lin 30. in that thinge wherein Moses neuer dealt Nowe I assume that our fourme of Church-gouernement in Wales and this wicked booke holdeth Iesus Christ to haue ordained such an externall forme of gouernment in his Church at his departure from earth to heauen as at the pleasure of the magistrate may be altered without the brech of Gods institution which thing D. Bridges affirmeth page 55. and all our prelates will graunt that the magistrate may alter the forme of gouernement now established and therefore this gouernement and this booke preferreth Moses before Iesus Christ And I cannot see how far this differeth from blasphemie Now if Christ shuld be saide to haue ordained no externall regiment then Moses is far before him and so the thirst of superioritie in our prelates and their accomplishes is turned into extreme drunkennes of impietie by this assertion I beseech the Lord in mercie to open your Hh. eies that you may see how he and his people haue bene dealt with by retaining such lawes in force as iustle and ouerthrow the royall prerogatiue of his sonne And the Lord make you to see whether those men that defend the interest of the sonne of God in this point against the tyrannicall vsurpation of prelats and haue brought for his title vnaunswerable euidence out of the sacred records of Gods owne writings offending either in matter or circumstance in no one thing but that they haue not dealt more earnestly with your Hh. and more ronndly with the aduersaries in the right of their master haue deserued to be imprisoned thrust out of their liuings reuiled railed vppon and slaundered by vngodly and wicked prelates vnto your Hh. as seditious and discontented men with the ciuill gouernment dangerous subiects and enemies to her Maiesties crowne And surely the cause being made knowen vnto you as it is howsoeuer the Lord may beare with your ouersight heretofore in the ignorance of the waight thereof yet if you do not now abrogate and abolish such a Church gouernement wel may you hope for the fauour and entertainment of Moses that is the curse of the law but the fauour and louing countenance of Iesus Christ I doe not see how you shall euer inioy My second reason That forme of church-gouerment and booke or bookes whiche maketh the ecclesiasticall regiment to bee an humane constitution that is such a constitution as is inclusiuely acording to the word any more then the ciuill gouernment which a 1. Pet. 2.13 2. Pet. 2.10 also must be inclusiuely according to the word and so may at the magistrates pleasure be changed as the ciuill gouernment may that gouerment and that booke or bookes besides that they prefer Moses before Iesus Christ as before is a wicked gouernment and they wicked sophisticall and vngodly bookes But our gouernement in Churche causes and b page 55. this booke with all other books of this greist make the ecclesiasticall gouernment to bee nothing else but an humaine constitution whiche may bee altered at the magistrates pleasure Therefore our Church-gouernement in Wales and this booke or bookes are vngodly and wicked The proposition is prooued by these reasons First because they make no difference betweene that which belongeth to the true worship of God as ecclesiastical gouernement doth that which appertaineth vnto ciuill pollicie 2. Peter 1.3 Contrary to the Apostle who affirmeth in expres words that we haue receiued by the knowledge of God whatsoeuer belongeth vnto true religion for so the word Eusebeia translated godlines signifieth in that place wheras there was neuer yet any place of scripture found wherin we are said to haue by the knowledge of God whatsoeuer belongeth to anthropinen kteisin the ciuill magistrat called mans ordinance by the same apostle a Peter 3. â—3 Wherin those thinges which are inuented by them that neuer knew God may be inclusiuelie according to the worde Secondly Ecclesiasticall gouernement being granted to be an humaine constitution maketh the Pope to haue sufficient b warraunt out of the worde not of his idolatrous and false religion And D. Bridges auoucheth this for good doctrin as I will shew but of his superioritie ouer ciuil magistrates and al the Pastors in the Churche For why should not hee the ciuill magistrate granting him this superioritie as they vnder his iurisdiction do be allowed by the word to be aboue the Emperour and all other magistrates and ministers whosoeuer if the ecclesiasticall gouernement be an humane ordinance For I am assured that the Emperor and all other princes in Europe may chuse a magistrate superiour vnto them all if they will And why may not he be a Byshop or an Arch-bishop if the Church-gouerment be an humane ordinance or if it be lawful for either of them to be a Lord and be are ciuill office Thirdly if Church-gouernment bee an humane constitution then it may be lawful for a Church-gouernour to preach administer the sacraments ouersee excommunicate c. and to be a king For the Apostle maketh it lawfull for any supplying the place of an humane constitution lawfully to bee a king and I would they durst denie it And where then learned they that diuinitie that it is more against the word for a Bishop to be Basileus a king Hyperichon a suriour Hegamon a captaine or gouernour b 1. Pet. â— 13 Luk. 22.25 beeing titles sanctified by the holy ghost for ciuill offices then Curios a Lord Hyperpheron a prelat of the garter Euergetes a lords grace The former the latter being by our Sauiour himself forbidden vnto Bishops or
vsurpers haue to claim the places they are in whereunto either by right of inheritaunce according to the flesh or ordinaunce from God they can lay no title You are wise inough I hope to consider what it is to tollerate the manifest breach of Gods law Well if you be not carefull herof yet at the lest look how you countenance the manifest ouerthrowe of her Maiesties sepreame authoritie and royall soueraigatie ouer her people both ministers and others which D. bridges as flatly ouerthroweah in this booke as euer did any that gaine-saied the same For the proofe hereof let his owne wordes bee brought foorth and arraigned be-before your Hh. page 448. line 3. these be his words Doth S. Peter then forbid that any one elder should haue and exercise any superiour gouernment ouer the cleargy vnderstanding the cleargie in this sense If hee doth not but alloweth it and his selfe practised it then howsoeuer both the name both of gouerning and of Cleargie may be abused the matter is clear that one priest or elder among the residew may hane a lawfull superiour aucthoritye ouer the cleargie that is ouer all the vniuersall bodye of the Church in euerie perticular or seuerall congregation Compare Belacap 10. lib 5. Con. 3. with this page and you shall finde the one to haue spoken for the arch bish the same â—â—at the other â—oth for the â—ope and so not onely ouer the people but also ouer the whole order of ministers Thus far are his words A shameles miserable doctor he is if he dare denie them but more miserable and shameles if affirming them he dare looke any christian subiect in the face much lesse your Hh. Belarmine the chiefe popish writerin our daies hath said no more for the pope in fiue whole books written vpon this controuersie Out of the D. words I thus reason Whosoeuer affirmeth that one priest amongst the residue may haue a lawfull superiour aucthoritie ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church hee besides the inducing of a forrain power affirmeth that a priest may exercise a lawfull superiour authority ouer her Maiestie and all other magistrates much more ministers within the vniuersallbodie of the Church 1. Eliza. 1 13. Elizab. 1.1 Elizab. 5 and so directly is within the compasse of treason by the breach of the statuts prouided for the maintenance of her Maiesties supremacie within her owne dominions But D. Bridges doth this Doctorem ad capitale judicium voco poenae talionis me offe rens nisi laesa maiestatis rerum prob auero modo ipse sibi constiterit Ac deum testor me non patroni iugalum petere sed causa let his own words witnes against him Therfore he affirmeth that som one priest may exercise a lawfull superiour authoritie ouer her Maiestie and so is within compasse of the said statutes if he dare staÌ„d to that he hath written Nothing can be inferred out of his words but that which is set downe in the proposition for I am sure he wil not be so impudeÌ„tly traiterous as to deny hir Maiestie to be contained within the vniuersal bodie of the Church For by this meanes the wretched man would make her Maiesty to be an infidel and so should snare himselfe againe within the compasse of * treason And if he saye his meaning is not that this priest should be a forainer 13. Eliza. 1. and so thinketh to delude the statuts the plaster maketh the wound farre more grieuous and irkesome For first the iniurious indignitie is far greater vnto her right excellent Maiestie to make her owne vassall to bee a superiour gouernor ouer her vnto whom no prince els in all Europe will yeelde any homage then to acknowledge her selfe to be within the sheepefolde of a forraine Pope who it may bee is a Noble man borne and hath the Emperor the greatest states in christendome vnder his pastorall charge In the seconde place what notable contumelie is this for the noblekinges of Denmarke and Scots the state of Germanie Heluetia and all others that haue reiected the Popes authoritie as vnlawfull not onely in regard of his idolatrie and pride but euen of his lordly rule and supreme dignitie to holde it lawfull for them to haue an English priest to vsurpe authoritie ouer them and the Churches within ther dominions And I cannot expresse what indignitie it were to conceiue so vilely of her Maiestie the whol assemblie of parliament and your Hh. as to deeme that you banished poperie out of the land no otherwise then you thought it lawfull notwithstanding for an Englishe prieste I keepe the priestly D. owne wordes in stead of an Italian pope to haue superiour aucthoritie ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church And howsoeuer some lawyers not vnderstanding how the state of the question concerning the popes prerogatiue is set downe by the best late popish writers might finde shifts for D Bridges to auoid the danger of the statute because there is not a particular instance brought in by him of a particular priest and a particular prince yet herof your Hh. may be assuredly perswaded that if the thinges set downe in this wretched and slaunderous booke be tollerable canonical the question concerning the popes supremacie whiche is the point I vrge and not the treason is granted on the papistes side For if it be yeelded that one priest or elder among the residue may haue a lawfull superiour authority ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church that an Apostle might be a bish affirmed by a page 272. D. Bridges that Peter was prince of the Apostles being the title as it were the iuibushe of b page 445. 446. 2. pages in this dutifull booke that from Peter the originall of vnitie did spring that the Church might be grounded vpon vnitie alledged by the D. out of c page 445. Ciprian The like sentence beeing no lesse then thrise brought in by Bellarmine out of Ciprian also to the same purpose if these things I say be granted what can the papists desire more to inferr the popes supremacie for eyther they will prooue Peters successour to be this priest or some other must be brought that can shew better euidence then he can This is Bellarmines own reason De Rom. ponti lib. 2. cap. 12. 753. D. and these be the points in the proofe whereof hee hath sweat and laboured so sore in his first two books de Rom. pontif And if the auoiding of a particular instant would answere the statute no popish traitors hereafter will be gotten within the compasse thereof seeing in generall tearmes they may lawfully auouch the popes supremacie and stande vnto this high treason the particular opening wherof would cost them their liues and they will say no more but that one priest may haue a lawfull superiour authoritie as D Bridges saith Peter had ouer the vniuersall bodie of the Church Now whether this prieste be the pope or no or whether the pope may haue
this superioritie ouer her Maiestie as being within the bodie of the churche or no they leaue it to the consideration of others the instance woulde bee as much as their life were worth And what shold they endanger their liues by vttering that in particular which in generall belike may be affirmed with safetie The generall assertion that a priest may haue a lawfull superior authoritie ouer the vniuersall body of the church being true and voide of treason why shall not the particular instance that the pope may be this priest which may haue this superiour authoritie ouer hir Maiestie as being included within the vniuersall bodie of the church be so to if one priest may haue this authoritie what shall hinder whie the pope may not be this priest though hee be not his idolatrie he may leaue his pride he may leaue his triple crowne he may leaue his name of pope he may leaue and whie then may not he somtimes though not alwayes be capable of this lawfull superiour authoritie Many of the Popes themselues neuer sat at Rome but either at Lions Arminia or Avinion looke Platina Baâ—e Pantal. c. as well as some other priest yea but this priest must not haue his scare at Rome TheÌ„ he will remooue his chaire vnto Rauenna or Canterburie and so there shal be no difference between him and this priest wherof D. Bridges speaketh And by this good diuinitie Sixtus the fifth now pope of Rome being no idolater void of pride abandoning his triple crowne and name of pope remoouing also his seate vnto LAMBETH might bee that one priest among the residue that might haue a lawfull superionr authoritie ouer the vniuersall bodie of the church as D. Bridges without blushing hath affirmed Let him nowe go and barke at the godly ministers in this land as he doth slaunderously in the preface of his prophane booke The intentes of vndermining the cinill gouernment are found in the vndutifull casket of his own bosome whereof their clothes are not once priuie What shoulde I at this time lay open any more of his vndutifull positions his booke I will at all times prooue to bee nothing els but a popish quilt let him challenge me of mine offer when he wil. This matter concerning her Maiesties supremacie being too too haynous of it selfe I meane not to agrauate and make more odious Your Hh. may see how pestilent and pernicious this wicked gouernment of our prelats is euen vnto hir Maiesties supreame and superiour authority which neuer any sincerelie seeking for reformation at any time eyther denied or diminished the same being rightly vnderstood according to the meaning of the statute And whatsoeuer hee hath saide of the godly learned ministers you see that it is he his fathers house with the gouernment thereof that go about to tread vnder foot the Lords annointed And this is the good diuinity that this Balaam for his lucres sake is not ashamed to teache and your Hh. dread not to tollerate As though we hadde to little to answere before the Lorde for the Antichristian dominion of the pope in this lande hee must needs make a priest in the land which may fetch the plague from other nations to bee powred vppon vs. Rather then the madnes of suche a prophet should be vnrebuked the very dumbe asse speaking with a mans voice would gain-say the fury of such a philistian tongue I cannot thinke my Lordes but that the Lorde hath some memorable plagues reserued for you and vs vnder your gouernment if notwithstanding all these things you stil countenance such 〈◊〉 in Israell as beeing the very ornaments of the Lords tabernacle I haue set downe out of the infallible trueth of Gods eternall word the reasons whereby the holie ghost cutteth the throare of all the corruptions in our church and hath giuen a deaths wounde vnto the vitall parts of this popish ware-house of Doctor bridges And let me see who will dare to replie vpon them As for D. bridges him selfe his vnfauery and vnlearned stile his popishe reasons long since bannished out of the schooles of all sound deuines hys tranflation of other mens writings throughout hys whole booke his vngodly and abhominable a Page 655. praier that the preaching of the word may neuer bee had generally throughout the land his scripture b Page 287. being the subscription of the second epistle to c Page 562.349.560 Timothie his alleadging of writers as cleare against himselfe as blacke is to white as of Augustine Caluin Aretius c his d Page 44â— imperfect periodes without sence or sauour his a Page a 272. Bishop Iames Arch-bishops b Page 259.69 266 Tim. and Titus his translations of c Page 450. vos autem nolite vocari rabbi into will not you bee called rabbi with thousand other monumens of his prophane imprety sottish ignorance and want of learning euidently conuince that he was neuer as yet in Platonis Politia where any good learning grewe but hath wallowed him selfe all his life in Romuli fece whence learning hath ben long since bannished godlines neuer shone And therfore he of al others can disproue nothing vnlesse the question before hand be granted of his side Yet let him know that I wil either be answered or haue the cause granted at his hands For to omit that in 160. sheets of paper he hath don nothing but ouer thrown him selfe vtterly shamed his whoorishe cause by shewing the nakednes thereof translated other mens writings taught the reader howe to vnderstand the learned discoarse and added marginall notes so that if other men had neuer written he would haue said nothing this shal be found vndoubtedly true throughout the whole booke that he hath made a couenant before hand not to dispute vnlesse you graunt conclusion all and rather flatlie to be non plus then prooue any thing But our 4. bishops and their fautors are or would be accounted learned I desire no more against them al but to be iudicially heard according to the word if I bee disprooued in any one thing I haue written I will not desire to liue Hence it must needs followe your Hh. hauing regard vnto the state of your soules and bodies before the Lord and your good name amongst posterities that if these things set downe bee true if not bring vpon me deserued shame punishment you will either redresse the miserable estate of distressed Wales by erecting there a godly ministery and abbolishing of al Cananitish reliques or for the maintenance of a few vnconscionable and godlesse men aduenture to vndergo the fiery and flaming execution of the burning decree of Gods anger My LI. be not deceiued the Lord of heauen is angrie wyth you and his whole a Iosh 7.9.21 ezech 38.22 hoast for the Babilonish garments of these Achans Retaine them no longer if you woulde not fall before the enemie When the Lorde shall plead with you your wiues children families and
Let what I haue written be examined yea by mine aduersaries them selues if I haue anye and it shall appeare that I haue made a conscience how I haue dealt with my superiours especially those concerning whome it is said you are gods least I should seeme to leaue behinde mee the least print of a minde in anye sorte tending to diffame them or their gouernment As I haue beene carefull herof so let the Lord yea and no otherwise which I speake as far as my corruptions do permit graunt this cause and my selfe also if it be his wil fauour in your eies Indeede in regarde of the cause I commandatory wise vnto your Hh. but in regard of my selfe I come in feare and trembling as vnto the lords vice-gerents entreating most humbly that the dignitie of so worthy a cause be thought off nothing the more dishonorably because it is brought in my hands And I protest in respect of my sinnes that the Lord may iustly denie it the fauor it deserueth in your eies bicause I am a dealer therein But this should be no cause why your Hh. should giue it a repulse For in the eies and ears of al the world I make it known that it is the cause of the liuing god wherein I deale and that if it had beene possible for me to haue written more humbly dutifully I had done it Or if I had seene any way that might haue bene likelier to preuail with my superiors then this course I take the Lord to record vnto my soul that I would not haue vsed this And I would to GOD I could tell how to make the cause plaucible So far I am from setting down any thing that might carrie with it any shew of occasion to hinder and disgrace the same Well I haue done my endeuour the successe I expect at the lords hands vnto whom I commend the cause and the saluation of that pore people The sworde of iustice reached vnto you by the Lord himselfe to take punishment of him only that is an a Rom 13.4 euil doer I fear not because I haue not offended If it should be drawn against me for this action the president wold be such as they who ment hereafter to prophesie vnto your Hh. might be aduisedly counselled b Micha 2.6 not to prophisie the Lord as a token of your iust destruction to ensue would say they shal not prophesie nor take shame If I haue spoken any vntruth beare witnesse thereof if a truth I dare by the lords assistance stand to it and demand what he is that wil presume to obiect and throw himselfe vnto the vengeance of God by punishing me an innocent The Lord may for my other sinnes bring mine head vnto the graue with bloud but in this cause what haue I offended and therfore vndoubted woe will betide him that shall molest me for this worke Howsoeuer it be thus I haue performed a dutye towardes the Lorde and his church my countrey and your Hh. which I would doe if it were to be done againe though I were sure to endanger my life for it And be it known that I am not afraid of earth in this cause And if I perish I perishe my comfort is that I know whether to go and in that day wherin the secreats of all hearts shabe manifested the sinceritie of my cause also shall appeare It is enough for mee that howsoeuer I be miserable in regard of my sins yet vnto Christ I both liue and die and purpose by his grace if my life should be prloonged to liue herafter not vnto my self but vnto him to his church otherwise then hithertoo I haue doone The Lorde is able to raise vp those that are of purer hands and lippes then I am to speake and write in the cause of his honor in Wales the Lord make them whosoeuer they shal be neuer to be wanting vnto so good a cause the which because it may be the Lordes pleasure I shall leaue them behinde me in the worlde I earnestly and vehemently commende vnto them as by this my will and testament And haue you pore Wales in remembraunce good my Lordes by establishing the word preached there that the blessing of many a saued soule therein may follow her maiestie and your Hh. ouertake you light vpon you and sticke vnto you for euer The eternall God giue hir Maiestye and your Hh. the honour of building hys church in Wales multiply the daies of hir peace ouer vs blesse hir and you so in this life that in the life to come the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen may be hir and your portion so be it good Lord. Were my dutifull heart towards your Hh. throughly knowen then I doubt not but I should bee better knowen vnto you then by my name IOHN PENRI TO THE READER Master D. SOMES booke was published this day I haue read it The man I reuerence from my heart as a godly and learned man The reasons he vseth against me in the questions of the reading ministrie and communicating with them I had aunswered as you may see in this booke before he had written They are faultie either because they desire that for graunted which is the question or make those things of like nature wherein there is a great dissimilitude as the arguments drawen from the magistracie and the Leuiticall Priesthood I haue answered thē The cause the reuerence I owe vnto the man though the reasons he vseth deserue not to be twise read ouer will enforce me to answere him at large There be certaine faults escaped in the print beare with them