gouernment of Bishops at that time sought for The dislike of the petitiō they did not conceal and therfore presently dispatched their warrants to call in the printed bookes and to enquire for the author The books in nomber about 500. togither with my selfe were fastened vpon by the wardens of the Stacioners M. Bishop and Denham accompanied with Cole the Pursiuaunt wherevpon being caried before the high commissioners I was for enterprising the former action charged by th'Archb owne mouth not onely to be a factious slaunderer of her Majesties gouernment but also to haue published flat treason and heresie in my saide treatise I was threatned very bloodily and reuiled vpon in a most vnchristian sort with earnest protestation that they woondered how I durst sollicite the parliament in that petition See the cursed and outragious prophanenes of these whom the Lorde hath in his just judgement giuen ouer to withstande the mightie power of his word As though the matter were to be astonied at that they should be more forward in hindring the cause of Gods glory then meaner men should be to promote the same If they had beene the true gouernours of Gods Church they woulde haue shewed themselues the most earnest fauorers of that supplication For it is well knowen in what a taking the country of wales is for want of the true knowledge of God And assuredly they who of intended mallice withstood that motion shal one day feele the price and reward of their disobedience vnto their neuer ending woe VVell mine offence in presuming to speake in the cause of God oppugned by my betters was accounted so haynous as in close prison I must be kept 12. daies at the keepers vttermost perill Before my departure from the commission vnderstanding their intent to commit me I demaunded the particuler cause why I was so hardlie dealt with Answere was made that they would examine me againe and then I should know After a moneths imprisonment I was deliuered without anie examination or anye mention of the crimes of heresie and treason wherewith I had bene charged And so vnto this daie I remaine ignorant of anie expressed cause wherefore they either tooke away my books or debarred me of my libertie and readie by the grace of God both to conuince the high commission of most injurious dealing in the premises to cleare my selfe of anie crime they can lay to my charge whensoeuer before you of this honorable assembly or any other equall judgement seat they darebe tried with me Since the time of my release I sawe my selfe bounde in conscience not to giue ouer my former purpose in seeking the good of my countrymen by the rooting out of ignorance and blindnes from among them And as it pleased the lord to increase this my care so haue mine aduersaries augmented their rage and fury towards me and especially to the cause that I maintaine This furye of theirs at diuers times shewed by many of their instruments did especially manifest it selfe on the 29. of Ianuary last At which time one Richard Walton hauing a commission from the Archb. and others wherein all her maiesties officers were chardged and commaunded in her name to assist the sayd VValton to make entry into all houses shops c to apprehend all those whome he should any waies suspect and to commit them at his discretion vnto the next Gaol or prison vntil farther order should be taken with them came into the place of mine aboad at Northampton ransacked my study and tooke away with him all such printed books and written papers as he himself thought good what they were as yet I cannot justly tel And not contented to keepe him self within the immoderate limits of a larger commission then as I thinke can be warranted by lawe he offered violence vnto diuers persons and threatened not only to breake open doores hauing noe such commission but also to vntile houses vnlesse he could find me where in deed I was not At his departure he charged the Maior of the towne who then attended vpon him to apprehend me as a traitor giuing out that he had found in my study both printed bookes and also writings which conteined treason in them Whereas the bookes and writings of geatest disgrace evē in the sight of his master which he could there finde were one printed coppy of the demonstration of discipline and an answere vnto master D. Some in writing both which he caried away with him The treason conteined in either of those books is no other then that which Amasiah the high priest at Bethel found in Amos the prophet euen the cleare words of truth not to be abidden in a corrupt state of a church I graunt Behold nowe my Lordes and you the rest of this high court the original and continuance of these mens enmity towards me And judg whether I haue not greate reason both for mine owne safety and for the clearing of the cause wherein I stand to vse this lawful meanes of Appelation vnto your Hh. and worships from their tirannous and vngodly dealing with whome neither mine owne innocency nor yet the equity of the cause can any whit preuaile They are knowne to be very mighty and haue felt them very vnjust and tiranous The only justice which I can expect from them if I fall into their hands is to be kept languishing in prison during their pleasure and neuer suffered to come to the triall of my cause If I hoped for any other measure I should reason contrary vnto mine owne experience against which no conceite ought to take place In consideration wherof being now by the lords prouidence kept out of theire handes and that in the time of the meeting and assembly of the highest councell of this kingdome I doe in most dutifull humble sort make this my just appelation from the Archb. of Canterbury and the rest of his colleagues in commission vnto you of the honorable and high court of parliament humbly referring my selfe and my cause vnto your determination according vnto justice My only suite and petition is that either I may haue assurance of quietnes and safety or that the causes of my trouble being laide open by mine aduersaries I may receiue condigne punishment of mine offences Where it may be seene that I craue no immunity let me haue justice and that is all I craue This in regard of your places you are bound to affoard me as in the day of judgment you shall answere before him vnto whome no vnrighteousnes is acceptable I doe mine aduersaries no injury in appealing from them vnto you For they may be assured of justice at your hands if they will adueuture to pursue their suite And me they cannot blame in repairing vnto you for judgment and equitie seeing from their tribunal seat I am like to receiue nothing else but gal and woormwood If their cause against me be good if it be strong if it be to be embraced nowe let them not be ashamed
to bring it out into the face of the sunn here they may be assured of justice without any suspition of partiallity My reasons vsed in my last supplication vnto your Hh. against their gouernment are but a fewe if D. Bridges or any of their side can answere them I wil grant my selfe to haue oppugned the truth and soe wil destroie my selfe that which I haue built amisse otherwise they shewe them selues to be but vpholders of a ruinous building and the repairers of that which wanteth a foundation They can not refuse you of the Parliament to be their judges vnlesse either they think much to be tried by you or because as it is in the prouerb they which do euil hate the light They will it may be alleage the prerogatiue of their commission to be very large what then doe they think herby to haue libertie to oppresse whom they will doe they thinke hereby to be aboue the parliament whereunto al courts in the land are and ought to be subiect and from whence the highe commission deriueth al the prerogatiue it hath Are al courts yea and al persons in the land subiect vnto the parliament only the Archb. and the high commission excepted What else were this but for them to claime a forreine authority vnto them selues and to begin after the manner of their predicessors to shake of the yoke of the ciuil authoritie FroÌ„ which suspicion as they would cleare themselues so must they be content to yeeld that the parliament may be the judges betwene vs. Except they be ashamed of their cause and their proceedings therein they cannot possibly refuse this offer of just trial And no reason they should for they cannot pretend them selues either to be greater in power or more forward in good wil to administer justice then the R. honourable assembly of parliament is well knowne to be Though I feare me R. honorable worshipful that the Lord wil enter into judgment with you for the smal care you haue to yeld his sonne Christ Iesus his right in this kingdome If heere they should demaund by what authoritie either I may lawfully appeale from them or by what obligation your honors are bound to giue eare vnto my complaint although both be alredy shewed yet a farther answere vnto both are to ensue as followeth I appeale from them at whose handes I can receiue no equitie by the same commission that the apostle Paul and the prophet Ieremy appealed vnto the ciuil magistrates from the vsurped and tirannical high priestes in their daies The accepting of Paules appellation by Festus an heatheÌ„ judg and the deliuery of Ieremy by the princes of Iudah from the slanderous accusations and wrongful proceedings of the wicked priests and false prophets besides many other vnanswerable reasons do necessarily bind me to appeale and the parliament not to denie me the shadowe of their winges vnder which I may be kept from the violence of mine enemies when Festus willing to get fauour with the Iewes vsed this speech vnto the apostle wilt thou goe then to Ierusalem and there be judged of these things before me Paul knowing that at Ierusalem the malice of his enemies would be more likely to take effect then else where answered I staÌ„d at Cesars judgment seate where I ought to be judged If I haue done wronge or committed any thing woorthy of death I refuse not to dye but if there be non of these things true whereof they accuse me no man can deliuer me vnto them I appeal vnto Cesar his appellation was receiued of the Pagan judge Nowe my state being not in respect of danger altogeather vnlike the condition wherein the holy Apostle was at this time mine answere vnto the high commission is I appeale vnto the parliament where I ought to be judged If I haue done any wronge or committed any thing worthy of death I refuse not to dye The parliament wil not be partial in administring justice vnto me according to my deserts But if there be nothing laied to my charge but the defence of Gods cause and the oppugning of impietie and corruption no man ought to deliuer me into your hands whoe care not whome you aflict in the maintenance of your owne kingdome I appeale vnto the parliament I am in regard of my safety as necessarily driuen therunto as the Apostle Paul was ro appeale vnto Cesar or rather more For he might conceiue some hope of justice when he was to be judged of Festus who did not so mortally hate his cause as the high priest and others his accusers did whereas I am to haue you for my judges who also are mine accusers and sworn enemies vnto the cause I appeale to the ciuil state I hope by their meanes to be heard and deliuered from your tyrannie As the prophet Ieremie was in the like case by meanes of the princes in his time The high priests and prophets judged him worâ—hie to die the princes hearing his cause debated in their presence deliuered him out of danger The whol action is set downe cap. 26. of his prophesie in these words Now when Ieremy had made an end of speaking all that the lord had commaunded him to speak vnto al the people then the prists and the prophetes and all the people tooke him and said thou shalt die the death Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Iehouath saying this house shalbe like Shilo and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant And al the people were gathered against Ieremy in the house of the Loâ—d And wheÌ„ the princes of Iudah heard of these things they cam vp from the kings house into the house of the Lord and sate downe in the entry of the newe gate of the Lords house Then spake the priests and the prophets vnto the princes and to al the people saying this man is worthy to dye for he hath prophesied against this city as you haue heard with your eares Then spake Jeremiah vnto all the princes and to all the people saying the Lord hath sent me to prophesie against this house against this city al the things that you haue heard therefore now amend your waies and your workes and heare the voice of the Lord your god that the lord may repent him of the plague that he hath pronounced against you As for me behold I am in your hands doe with me as you think good right but knowe you for certaine that if you put me to death you shall surely bring innocent bloud vppon your selues vppon this City vppon the inhabitants thereof for of a trueth the lord hath sent me vnto you to speake al these wordes in your eares Then spake the princes al the people vnto the priests prophets this man is not worthye to dye for he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the lord our god Let my cause now right Honourable be weighed with the prophecy in this place thereby it shal appeare
state but concerning the former of their demaundes the Lord answereth that there is a direct commaundement in the word whereby the church in all ages and states is enjoined to acknowledg the Lord Iesus to be superior vnto Moses And therefore also that there is a direct commaundement in his word whereas by all adges and times are bound to haue on only outward forme of church gouernment The latter question though it be a popish interrogatorie is yet satisfied without any greate labour For the church of Rome Phillippi Ephesus Derbe Listra c. with many others mētioned in the word practised this gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons And if Christ Iesus be as faithful in Gods house as Moses was it is cleare that no church as before was touched in what age or state soeuer can haue any lawful gouerment established but only this by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons because no church vnder the lawe could haue any lawful established gouerment but that prescribed by Moses Whereby the pretence that other churches professing the Gospel haue not this gouernment is euidently shewed to be nothing else but a profe that other churches haue their imperfections and are not as yet so farr built as the Lord requireth Asa was a godly King and reformed many things in the house of God yet the Idolatrous high places remained al his daies These high places were the blemish and imperfections of his gouernment Nowe were it any reason because he was a godly King that therefore the spots of the church vnder him should be the paterne of Iosiahs reformation and that the high places should stil be continued It must needs be so if our Bb. manner of reasoning against the Lords holy ordinances be good and allowable In the sixth place the inconueniences of receauing this gouernment of the Lords ordaining are saide to be so greate that the attempting thereof might bring rather the overthrowe of the Gospell heere amongst vs then the end that is desired If the receiuing of the Lordes discipline be inconuenient vnto any state that is not the fault of god his ordinance but the sinne of men which haue made their estate out of square as Christ cannot be wholly receaued thereunto without their likely detriment To gainsay the trueth because an inconuenience wil followe the embracing of it is an argument not to be heard of amongst christians For our Sauiour Christ him selfe affirmed it to be no light matter to enter into the kingdome of heauen and therefore declareth them to be vnfit disciples for him that wil not enter thereunto through manye tribulations yea and forsake all earthly comforts much lesse the maintenance of their outward estate rather then not to followe him in all the waies wherein he requireth their obedience To pretend inconueniences then in this cause bewraieth an hollowe hart vnto Gods glory And yet it is not halfe so inconuenient to bring in Christes gouernment as it was to expel popery If her maiestie and the parliament would agree to establish the same al inconueniences would be soone preuented The feare of ouerthrowing the Gospel by that meanes is a slaunderous surmise and vndutiful vnto her maiesty and the state vnlesse our Bb. be guiltie vnto them selues of some such purposes I knowe not why this should be aleadged The inconueniences are first the alteration of the whole state of the lawes of this realme as the vtter ouerthrowe of the studie of the ciuil lawe and the alteration of the ciuil and common lawe As though al these things coulde not be helped by one act of parliament Popery had more shew and coulor of trueth to reason thus for it selfe in the raigne of our late Soueraigne of famous memory King Henry the 8. So had heathen Idolatry in the daies of Iosiah or Hezekiah They that vse such arguments shew them selues to be giuen ouer to withstand the trueth I hope the Parliament wil admit of no such reason as these are Christ Jesus must not be allowed by his owne lawes to rule in state he must needes be decreede by our lawes inferiour vnto Moses and that because we wil not aulter the state of our lawes we wil not haue the studye of the ciuil lawe ouerthrowne We must not greatly wonder that papists and Mahometists doe kepe Christs holy and sacred verity out of their dominions seeing in a state professing the true God such godlesse men are found as tremble not to publish and vtter their vngodly conceits in this sort against Gods heauenly ordinances and especially seeing in a state professing the true God such pretences are of force to keepe out Christs soueraigne and kingly gouernement I hope that you who are parliament men see this kinde of reasoning to bee such as will stand in no account at the dreadfull day of judgement That which is spoken of Ciuillians is also slanderous For they liue by temporall courts and therefore it is not necessarie that their profession should decay when the Antichristian gouernement of Archb. and Lord Bb. is expelled out of our Churche Further our Archb. and L. Bb. vsurpe the determination of many ciuil causes in the deciding whereof Ciuillians might be well imployed And is it more reason in deede that the true Churche of God should want the vse of Christs holy lawes and statutes then the studie of the Ciuill law O most shamefull speeche to be conceiued much more to be published in print and that by Bishopps in the dayes of the Gospell But what dare not they publish who professe themselues to gainsay the way of trueth And therefore they are not ashamed to giue out that the desired alteration of Church gouernment would bring the judiciall law of the Iewes into our state This is a lewd slaunder For Christs gouernement necessarily requireth no part of the Iewishe lawe to be receiued into any common wealth but that which is morall It is further objected that the lawes maintaining the Queens supremacy in gouerning of the church and hir prerogatiue in Ecclesiasticall causes must be abrogated or els Christe cannot raigne in our state The reason whereof right honourable you haue heard before alleaged both by the Iewes vnto Pilate namely that our Sauiour Christe Iesus is a deadly enemie vnto Cesar and also by Rehum and the men beyond the riuer vnto Artaxerxes For as they noted the building of the true church of God cannot chuse but be an hindrance vnto princes For Ierusalem is knowne of olde to be a rebellious citie But remember then O my God if they belong not vnto thee that thus slander the trueth and the vpright ordinances of thy sonne Christ Iesus and if they be thine conuert them speedily My Lords you the rest of the parliament as you haue any care of the glory of your God see that the enemies of reformation may either decist from their forgerie against the trueth or prooue their accusations The Lord will
judge you euen as you judge his cause now offered vnto your consideration Wherefore as you will answer before him as you mean to haue any fauor at his hand deliuer the cause of his sonne Christ Iesus from this ignomie There is yet in this point another fault founde with the gouernment of Christe and another great reason alleaged why the hierarchie of Bb. shoulde be maintained and it is that the one of the 3. states vpon the authoritie whereof the lawes of England haue hitherto stood cannot without great inconuenience be now ouerthrowen Wherevnto the Lord replieth that the gospell of his sonne was brought into this kingdome by the 2. Estates to wit by the temporall Lords of the vpper and the commons of the lower house whereas since a thirde Estate vz. Lords spirituall as they are called was added vnto the 2. former little or no good hath bene enacted for the glorye of God by that counsell And if our State had bene contented according to the order of nature to stand vpon two legs it is not to be doubted but that all the wounds and sores of our church had bene healed and Christs discipline long ago established to our comfort and to the vnspeakeable good of our posterities Moreouer the Lord threateneth assuredly because of this monstrous and vnnatural leg wherevpon our lawes vnto this day are falsly said to haue stood and by the power whereof all the world knoweth this kingdom to haue withstood the right of his soone to laye our whole state euen with the grounde so that it shall haue nothing whereby it may be vpheld And L. Bb. haue no better interest to vphold our lawes then Lorde Abbots haue The state may as well want the one as the other and with as small inconvenience There is added as a conclusion of these inconveniences that it is dangerous to pick quarrels with lawes setled but there is no daunger to quarrell with the lawes of Christs kingdome They of all other princes lawes may be securely quarrelled with ouerthrowne and troaden vnder feete without all danger and yet in our state are they no quarrellers that abuse the sonne of God The time will come wherein it shall appeare that it had bene better for all such wretches that the wombe had beene their graue then that they should haue bene giuen ouer to runne into their owne destruction Our state hath well profited in religion that nowe after 31. yeares of the gospell enjoyed Iesus Christe in demanding his owne right is nowe accounted a daungerous quarreller against lawes setled This slaunder hath bene alreadie answered So hath the other set downe page 92. 93. of this booke concerning the likelihood of altering our ciuill gouernment into a popular state if Christ were once permitted to bear the ful sway therin The rest of the particuler cauils contained in som few pages of this book concerning maintenaunce of the minister by tythes the inconueniencie both of the ministers election by the people and also of excommunication by the whole Church are meer cauils and answered before in the generall and therefore here needlesse to be stoode vpon Now the high court of parliament hath heard of all the iniquitie that can be found in the Lord and his sonne Christ Iesus and you haue heard of all the reasons your careles and wilfull negligence to deal in the Lords matters onely expected whereby hitherto you haue bene enduced to refuse the church-gouernment which he himselfe hath laid downe prescribed in his word and to imbrace in steed therof a confused and an imperfect constitution of mans deuise whether these reasons set downe by our Bb. themselues will be a sufficient warrant vnto you in the day of judgement to refuse Christ Iesus to rule ouer you and your people to maintaine the popishe hierarchie of L. Bb. and to countenaunce their proceedinges who are wholy bestowed for the most part in persecuting and molesting those who open their mouthes in the cause of God and his people for the restitution of those lawes and liberties into our Church whereof they haue tyrannously bereaued it But if you thinke as the trueth is that these figge leaues issuing out of the dark vnderstandings of wicked men can serue you in no steed against the wrath of the lambe Enter more narrowly into this cause grant the same and those that stande in it justice against their enemies least it be layde to your charge that you haue called good euill and euill good and lest it be laid to your charge that you account your owne wayes equall and the wayes of the Lord vnequall that you haue executed no judgement no not the judgement which concerneth the sincere and true worship of the eternal Vnto the equitie of my cause which yet as ye see is not mine but the Lords let this also be joyned that mine aduersarie can lay nothing to my charge wherby I can be proued to haue brokē any penal law of the land I doe thinke my selfe in the cause wherin the Archbishop and the rest that are joyned with him are become mine enemies to haue incurred the penaltie of non of our laws inasmuch as I haue not transgressed the lawe of God For I suppose my selfe to liue in that state the laws whereof are to be accounted of no force which make him punishable whoe before the Lord is an innocent and guiltlesse The duty of a christian subiect draweth from me this perswasion that our state and gouernment vnder her maiestie established by the authority of this house wil not account any lawe to be forcible but that which is agreeable with the law of God and that non are punishable by any lawe in force amonge vs but those only who are offenders against the lawes of God For with what face can it be auouched that he is to be punished against whome the Lord doth not commaunde the sword to be drawne And thrise miserable is that state wherein these lawes are in force which commaund them to be smitten which are not euel doers Of which number non are to be accounted saue those only who by violating humane positiue lawes break also the lawe of God They that hold the contrary are not worthy to liue in a christian state They highly derogate from her maiesties credit and the good lawes of this kingdome And non can possibly hold such a position but those that vnder a pretence of authority either doe or would take occasion to oppresse and tiraunize ouer her maiesties subiects Nowe mine accusers cannot proue me to haue broken the lawe of God in seking the ouerthrowe of their places vntil they haue first prooued their own callings to be lawful according to the word vnto which time if I could haue bin assured of quietnes at their hands this mine appellation had bene needlesse Whereas nowe I am of necessitie constrayned thereunto as wel for the reason before mentioned as also because I can nether haue assurance of safety
nor just trial at their hands I can hope for nether of these from them For they haue wholly vowed them selues with all their might and maine to slaunder assaile resist and hinder the cause of Gods honor the saluation of his church in the defence whereof farbeit but I should spend my bloud as by the grace of God I will when I am thereunto necessarily called wherefore except ether mine aduersaries which I hartily wish would leaue the smothering of the trueth and the vnjust defence of their intollerable corruptions or that I should surcease which I trust shal neuer come to passe mine indeuours to haue the Gospel planted in my country and the house of God cleansed from pollution I can look for nothing else but al extremities at their hands Heereby also it is manifest that these men wil be so far from graunting me either any release from their tirannous Persecution or yet equity of judgment as they cannot possibly yeeld either of the twoe without the dangerous inpairing of their own state My course by the assistance of God I meane not to alter The cause of my poore country I mean to respect as long as I liue and neuer meane to giue ouer the discouering of those wicked men who in this cleare light of the Gospel detaine the trueth in vnrighteousnes If I may haue rather if Christ Iesus may haue justice against them I haue lately prooued vnto you that not one of these men I meane Lord bishops and whosoeuer depend vppon them ought to be maintained within these domminions Nowe seeing both the obtaining and also the solliciting of this suite must needs be joyned with the impairing of the Archbishop of Canterburies estate the rest in commission with him who sitt in these vnlawful chaires of Lord bishops or any wise depend vppon them how can they without their owne irrecouerable losse administer justice or graunt quietnes vnto me Doe they meane to yeeld vnto the knowne trueth and to giue ouer their places Why then am I molested by them Doe they meane to be stil the men which hytherto they haue bene that is enemies vnto Christs holy discipline and gouernement Then cannot they possibly affoard me any vpright triall For if they should the church of God would be soone disburdened of them And in wisedom they cannot let me go on quietly in my course for the more the trueth is opened the neerer are they to their fall My cause being thus what may be saide of the parliament if I be not releeued by your meanes in my most equal most reasonable and most christian suite Yea but seeing mine aduersaries are so mighty as they are knowne to be and this suite so vnlâ—kely to preuaile against them in our dayes were it not better forme to let them runn on in their wickednes then thus to striue to mine owne hinderance and extreame peril in a gainlesse enterprise And what calling haue I to deale in this cause That is it I knowe that the Diuel would haue euen to be lett alone and permitted quietly to cary all before him at his owne pleasure without any controlement As though the stones of the street had not a sufficient calling to gainsay the wickednesse of men when the seruants of God are tongtied And either it must be said that sinne at some age and time hath a commission to goe vncontroled or that the meanest in Gods church may speake in the behalfe of Gods honor when other men are silent at the treading thereof vnder foote The general desolution then and the oppression of Gods church in my country joyned with the deepe silence of all other men doe make it lawful and warrantable for me to seeke the ouerthrowe of Sathans kingdome not withstanding that I acknowledg my selfe euery way vnfit for so greate aworke And if it should please the Lord to stir vp any of place and guifts to deale in the cause I would soone set my hand vppon my mouth and be silent But I hope that the Archbishop and his bretheren are not growne to that passe as they will take the liberty to continue in vnlawful callings and to molest those that gainsay the badd course because they see not what calling any one man can haue to finde fault with their proceedings And I hope that you of the parliament considering the equity of my suit wil vonchsafe me the hearing in so reasonable a petition Consider the matter which way you wil and you shal find mine Appellation on all parts to be just but especially in regard of the proceedings of mine aduersaries The consideration whereof is not to be ouerpassed by the parliament if any portion of the equitie and justice sometimes florishing in that assembly benowd therein remaining Their vnlawful proceedings appeare first in that they assume vnto them selues the hearing of those causes wherein by vertue of their coÌ„mission they haue no warrant to deale whereat the parliament cannot winke vnlesse they would suffer an Anarchie to take roote in our state This they doe in a double sort For first as before hath bene set downe they lay treason to my charge and therefore send for me by their pursiuants What hath the high commission to doe with men suspected of treason Is the place at Lambeth now become the palor where traitors should be araigned The Archbishop of Canterbury the bishops of London Winchester Doctor Cosin c. nowe become judges in those causes Whether they incurr not the danger of lawe by entering into such matters as are not within the compasse of their commission you of this honorable assembly are best able to judge The trueth is that the Archbishop his associates when I was examined before them in the 29. yeare of her maiesties raigne enforced me to cleare my selfe vppon mine oath of the treason which they gaue out to be contained in the 40. page of my booke at that time written vnto the parliament Tollerate this course and what parloure or chamber may there be so priuate wherein the Archbishop and his assistants wil not arraigne their seditious traitors as they faulsay account them Secondly they presume to determine of those suites the hearing whereof are referred vnto the higher courts and ought not to be vsurped vppon by inferiors vntil the higher councels haue declared that they will not determine of them In this point I had triall of their dealing the last parliament At which time they presumed contrary vnto right and lawful custome and to the infringing of the auncient liberties of this noble house to arrogate vnto them selues the determining and finall ending of that suite wherein I moued the parliament and not the high comission And they wrongfully imprisoned me in the time of the parliament for becomming a suiter even in the cause of God vnto that assembly whereas by the priuiledges of this high counsel I was not to be molested by any during your session but only by your honors vnto whom I became a peticioner
It nothing preuailed me to shewe the high commissioners that I was a suitor vnto the highest court in the land and therefore not to be troubled by any inferior vnto them during the time of their assembly for the supplication which I had thereunto preferred Neither did it any thing auaile me to manifest it to be dishonorable vnto this house to their honors therein met together that they should not be the judges of those suits whereof they were entreated to consider The injury which at that time they offered vnto the liberties of this honorable court to commit their tiranny to me wards had not bene so intollerable vnlesse they who vsurped vnto them selues the deciding of my cause had bene al of them members of this house The persons then in commission were these Th' Archb. of Cant. the Bb. of London Winchester and Lincolne D. Lewine D. Coosins all parliament men at that instant Now judge whether it be not against all right that some fewe of the inferiour members in that house of which number in respect of manye I might justly account the men before named should extort vnto their priuat censure the judgement of a cause preferred publikely vnto the whole parliament The time hath beene wherein this high courte woulde not haue taken a meaner injurie offered vnto their liberties at the handes of anye prerogatiue within this kingdome whether it stands not with the honor and credit of parliament men amongst posterities not to haue their liberties thus infringed and diminished by inferior and baser courts it behoues them that loue their countrie and endeuor to maintaine the welth thereof to consider But whether this be behoofefull vnto the state or no I am sure it concerneth me not to be judged by that court wherein I may not answer vnto mine accusers being the second head of the injurious and intollerable dealing of mine aduersaries but must be enforced vpon mine oath to accuse my selfe I am readie to aunswere whatsoeuer they can laye to my charge and therein desire no other fauour at your Hh. hands then Felix a pagan judge and an infidell offered voluntarily vnto Paule th'apostle that is to aunswere vnto mine accusers This equall maner of triall which fellons enjoy at euery bar in this land cannot be denied vnto me with any reason And because our law affoordeth this equitie vnto knowne malefactors the tyranie of the high commissioners is vnspeakable in constraining men to accuse themselues Porcious Festus an heathen idolator when the Iewes woulde haue judgement against S. Paule before they had by witnesses conuinced him of any crime answered as the holy ghoste noteth that it was not the maner of the Romanes being Gentils and ignorant of the true God for fauor to deliuer any man to death before that he which is accused haue his accusers before him and haue place to defend himselfe concerning the crime And may not the men who professe they know God be ashamed in their own cause for the fauor which they vnjustly beare vnto themselues to imprison their bretheren professing the same religion with them because they will not be their owne accusers And yet all the justice that poore christians haue at Lambeth is this You are now sent for by Lords grace here vs her Majesties commissioners we grant in deed that as yet we know nothing wherewith you may bee charged For accusers you haue none neither were you sent for to answere vnto thē For it is our maner to deliuer men into bonds yea and to death if the cause so require though they haue no accusers to conuince them of any crime And therefore you must here be deposed vpon your oath to reueal whatsoeuer you know by your selfe or any other of Gods children her Majesties subjects Whereby it shall come to passe that you shall escape vs narrowly but ere you depart the court we will finde sufficient matter to imprison you and if you refuse the oath to prison you shall goe For we administer it Ex officio and so vpon your refusall we may imprison you And will the high court of parliament suffer this bloodie and tirannous inquisition to be practized any longer within this kingdom What can the murthering inquisitors of Spaine do more then by this snare inueigle mens consciences constraine them to spill their owne blood It is wel knowne that no such maner of iniquitie can be warranted vnto the high commission by the positiue lawes of this land For in a criminall cause they inforce no man to be his owne accuser And against the law of God by which no man shoulde be punnished vnder two or three witnesses and of nature all men knowe this manner of proceeding to be For admit that the law of blasphemie were now in force among vs that a man in the dayes of his iniquitie had blasphemed the God of Israel were it not both against the lawe of God and of nature the Lorde hauing vouchsafed him repentance of his sinn and in his prouidence so disposed of the fact as no witnesses could be produced against him were it not I saye both against the word and against nature for him in this case to accuse himselfe And yet the Archb. and his fellow officers would either imprison a man ex officio for denying the oathe in this point or compell him to be his owne vnnatural murtherer O miserable judges before whom a man must needes either transgresse the lawes of God and of nature or thrust himselfe into inevitable daunger If they say it is to be presupposed that without just cause of suspition they will put no man to his oathe therein they protest no more then the Iewes did in accusing our Sauiour Christ and the inquisitors of Spaine draw with them in the same line For the Iewes they thought much that Pilate should demand of them what accusation they coulde laye to our Sauiour Christes charge and therefore said vnto him if he were not an euill doer we would not haue deliuered him vnto thee Where we may euidently see the wisedom and discretion of the enemies of God and his seruauts to be such as they neuer accuse any man contrary vnto right equitie conscience And as concerning the Spanish inquisition it is well knowne that that holy house conuenteth no man without great suspition of heresie No more doe the high commission offer an oath vnto anye without great cause at the least without vehement suspition of his enimitie to Lord Bb. and their gouernment And they are not only most injurious in them selues but they commit the execution of their tiranical proceedings vnto those very often whiche an honest man would be ashamed to entertaine in his family To haue a warrant for the apprehending and touching of whomesoeuer it please you to suspect is a charge of greate waighte and ought not to be committed vnto any but vnto such as are known to haue a rare and choise gouernment ouer them selues
Otherwise if a lewd and an vndiscreete turbulent fellowe be armed with this overlarge and vnbrideled commission is not vnlikely but he will abuse halfe the subiects hir maiestie hath And I pray you what is likely to insue thereof Euen this The intolerable vexation and bondage of her maiesties free borne subiects and people and in time it is to be feared the great dishonor if not the contempt of laweful authority it selfe The Archb. of Cant. with his colleagues sendeth abroad his warrant to apprehend whomesoeuer the messenger therein named doth suspect Ought not this waighty charge to be very waightely handeled What choise then make they of the messenger Surely Richard WaltoÌ„ is a man fit for the purpose For they know his good behauiour approued sufficiency and wisdome to be such as for his outragious lewdnes dishonesty and want of gouernment ouer him selfe amongst all the roisters in this land they could not chose a more knowne and notorious lewd person and more vnfit for so waigh ie a charge to be the pursiuant he was somtimes bedle vnto a company in London of the blacke Smithes I thinke The office though but meane yet was that company ashamed to haue a person of that slanderous loose behauiour for their bedle and therefore for his detected crimes heere not to be named they put him out of his place being ashamed to retaine him And yet this is the man Right honorable vnto whose discretion the Archb. of Cant. will commit the molesting and imprisoning of whomsoeuer he shal suspect Admit that among his câ—ppes som of his companions doe bribe him to apprehende the honestest and best affected subiect in a country he may doe it by his commission and for his knowne lewdnes he is not vnlikely to attempt the fact The magistrate is to assist him And when he hath offered you this injury you haue your amends in your hands for he did no more then by his commission he is warranted those who set him a worke are the high commissioners who haue a prerogatiue aboue lawe as they would beare the world in hand May not her maiesties subiects then thinke them selues to be in a good taking when their libertie shal depend vpon the pleasure or disliking of such as are the ofscouring and refuse of men And I doe thinke it neerely concerneth your Hh. of the parliament to see that this abuse of the high commission by these men be no longer tollerated in our state For what care the high commissioners howe tirannously they deale with hir maiesties most louing subiects as long as they hope that no mans accusation and complaint howe just soeuer though in the behalfe of the interest of Christ Iesus can be heard and countenanced against them And therefore they are growne so insolent as they dare enjoine hir maiesties officers either at their commandement to worke impossibilities or vpon the peril to answere the matter before them Form this insolency of theirs it is that of late they haue in their mandatory letters enjoined the Major of Northampton to surcease the execution of his office in the gouernment of that towne vnder hir maiestie and either to become their pursiuant in apprehending one of his neighbours or else personally to appeare before them at London and not to departe their court without special leaue his affaires in her maiesties seruice and the distance of Place betweene Northampton London nothing considered And yet required they of him that which he coulde not bring to passe because the party whome he was to apprehend being wel known to be a dutiful subiect and for the loue he beareth vnto Gods truth to haue bene heeretofore so cruelly dealt with at some of their hands by long imprisonment and so euil dealt with as his cause comming to be heard before the Ll. of her maiesties priuy counsel their Hh. judged the bishops proceeding against him to be against lawe and conscience and so were the meanes of his deliuery the party I say nowe fearing the like injustice that hee sometimes tasted of was compelled with the hinderance of his family to absent himself from his calling And from this hope that their procedings shal neuer com into question it also coÌ„meth to passe that they giue out that I am an Anabaptist an vnderminer of the chair of the magistrat a pestilent a dangerus subiect many waies For otherwise they would neuer haue permitted by their authority any such bookes to be published against me yea but I hold her maiestie with many thousandes of hir best subiects to be vnbaptised and the question betweene master Doctor Some and me is whether such as were and are baptised by popish priests and vnpreaching ministers haue and doe receiue a sacrament If mine aduersarie himselfe had not cleared me of this accusation by his publike writings his slander might at the least haue bin probable wheras nowe his owne writings doe giue him and his allowers the shamelesse vntrueth But howe can they be held no ministers but that the Elements administred by by them should be denied to be sacraments I trust the one may be held the other not denied with better reason by far then the Archb. of Cant. can hold baptim deliuered by women whome al the worlde knowe not to be ministers to be a sacrament And howe wil master D. Some answere himselfe in this point which hath confessed al vnpreching ministers both popish priests and protestant Idoles to be no ministers But it is an Anabaptistical error to account magistracie for an human ordinance As though nothing ordained by man could be Gods ordinance also Or that the places Rom. 12. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. were irreconcileable And that it were a more Anabaptisstcal and intollerable error in me to affirme the gouernment and offices of the common wealth to be humaine constitutions which is true then for our Bishops to hould the gouerment and offices of our churches to be the ordinances of man which is most false These and al such accusations laid against me and Gods trueth as by the grace of God in mine answere to master D. Some which are it be long I hope to publish notwithstanding they haue it in their hands they shalbe proued to be palpable slanderers So I do most humbly intreat you of this honorable assembly in regard of the Lords eternal veritie against which these vntrueths are giuen forth to see that either mine accusers shall prooue these crimes wherewith I am charged or cease to slander and trouble me for professing the trueth The cause is the cause of God as I haue proued it is the cause of the church and so the cause of many thousandes of the most trusty most sure most louing subiects that her maiestie hath whose harts by the repelling of this my suite must needes be vtterly discouraged and throwne downe when they shal see the cause of God to haue taken no place in the highest court in the land And