only crauing fauour ease so farre as agreeth to holy scripture the peace of the church and in al that we haue gone about vve haue labored for the good for the beautie and perfection of our Church that it might increase and florish more more to the glory of God to the honour comfort of her M. These meÌ„ the papists haue done cleane contrarie especially since the 10. yeare of her M. happie raigne neuer being without one cruell treason or another sometime by desperate bluddie murderers sometime by open rebellioÌ„ forraineinuasion and procuring of Bulles from Rome sometime by Priests sometime by Iesuites sometime by other meanes as is plainly set foorth in the book called the execution of iustice in the writings of Sir Frauncis Hastings D. Sutliefe D. Fulke and diuers others The things on both sides are so not oriouslie knowne that I need not heere to repeate them in particular I pray God that for our sinnes hee doe not giue vs ouer to blindnes that in such palpable manifest experieÌ„ce of the traiterous hartes of Papistes vvee suffer not our selues to be taken by their wylie flatteries and forsaking our trustie faithfull friendes vvee yeelde ourselues to the bloodie slaughter of enemies CHAP. 8. The Ministers which desire reformation in some things of our Church matters can neuer feare but euer loue her M. and all the godly wise Magistrates vnder her but the Papistes cleane contrarie PRinces saieth the Apostle are not to bee feared for good works but for euill Rom. 13.3 And the euill life of the wicked meÌ„ is the cause that Princes make many good lawes Because he is the Minister of God to take vengeaÌ„ce on him that doth euill Therefore euill men are a fraid of the higher power an euill conscience maketh them desire there were none such to bridle their wickednes Euen as it is saide by the wisedome of God Euerie man that doth euill hateth the light Iohn 3.20 neither commeth to the light least his deedes be reprooued No meruaile then though it bee a principle among traiterous Papistes That euerie man of any faction A traiterous Popish principle desireth the remoouing of the Prince whose lawes are contrarie to his faction For their conscience being euill and defiled with most filthie superstition abhominable idolatrie they can not loue any godly Prince such as is our most deare gratious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth because a wise King scattereth the wicked causeth the wheel to goe ouer them And verilie there are two things which doe manifest their inward affection prou 20.26 First their doctrine not only because it is in moste of the substantiall points opposite to that which her Maiestie as the true defender of the faith maintaineth and that which her lawes and gouernement commandeth but also because they place another Soueraigne authoritie aboue hers The Papists haue giuen their harts to the Queenes deadlie enemies to whome as vnto an higher Lord and Ruler they preferre their chiefe obedience And looking hoping for ghostly comforte and remission of sinnes at the hands of that man of sinne they can not loue the righteous godly Prince who hath banished his power and abhominable forgeries Neither in truth is it possible For how can they loue her who haue giuen their harte to a stranger euen her most deadly enemie And not onlie that but all men know that as light darknes Christ and Beliall the Temple of God and idols They are as contrarie to her as darknes to light can not agree So her Maiestie being a louer of righteousnes and they of vnrighteousnes She a beleeuer they infidells She a worshipper of the true and liuing God and they of images and diuers sortes of creatures She of the faith of Christ and they of Antechrist seeing God hath put enimitie betweene the seede of the woman and the seed of the serpent it is not possible that they can loue her And they haue cause for their wicked liues treason superstition and idolatrie to feare her righteous lawes and vpright iudgements And she hath great cause to reioyce and glorifie God in this behalf She may reioyce Gods enemies are hers that the enemies of God be her enemies and the mightie God of hoastes is her protector who with his fauour compasseth her as with a shield Secondly their deedes declare no lesse For if a true man bee knowne by his fruite and as our Sauiour Christ saieth Math 7.18 A good tree can not bring forth euill fruite The fruites of Papists shew their hatred to her Majestie neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruite Then if lying dissimulation treacherie treason if false doctrine drawing away the heartes of subiectes from the Prince if procuring of open rebellion and forren inuasion if many cruell and secret conspiracies and murtherous attempts may be iustlie called euill fruites and certaine true markes of disloyall subiects hateing the Prince and desiring her distruction then may we boldlie pronounce that the affection of the Papistes can not be good nor their loue vpright toward her Maiestie What calling or state haue they not caused and made to worke in hostile maner against her First for Popes you haue Pope Pius the fifth and Gregorie the 13. and their successours then for Monarches Princes The King of Spaine and the Queene of Scottes after for Dukes and Noble men The Duke of Northfolke the Duke of Guise the Duke of Alba the Duke of Medina The Earle of Northumberland and I can not tell how manie Earles and Lordes in Ireland from time to time haue taken armes against her Moreouer for Gentilmen there hath bene M. Arden and Someruill ThrockmortoÌ„ Sir William Stanlie Anthonie Babington and his complices Doctor Parrie a ciuilian Doctor Lopez a Physicion for Priestes and Iesuites no man can tell how many and of raskall ruffian murdering verletts not one or two Therefore how is it possible to shewe more plaine euidence of most can kered hatred They proâ—â—â— her milde nature to doe them iustice inueterate malice And yet her Maiestie is a most milde Christian Prince giuen to peace mercie and long suffering neuer vsed anie the least hard dealing towarde any of them saue onlie as conscience and dutie to god did bind her by publike law she put downe all idolatrie superstition and Antichristian primacie otherwise they had all libertie peace quiet freedome as any subiect coulde desire vnder anie Prince whatsoeuer vntill that by their vnnatural vngodly conspiracies and most wicked desighements she was forced to stand vpon her garde to prouide such remedie â—s was fitte for such as vniustly prouoked their lawfull and gracious Soueaigne But they haue so bestirred them selues and prepared so many mischiefs â—o often and so manifolde and continuâ—ll that there are few yeares wherein â—â—e hath not bene driuen to seeke one â—ay or another for her necessarie deâ—ence How
that we might haue reformation in these things or at the least such toleration as wee might not be burdened with subscription or the strict obseruation of ceremonies but behauing our selues otherwise peaceable and as good subiectes discreet ministers we might not be troubled nor molested about these things And for this cause we did meet in the Parliament time and at other tymes while our trouble did last to consult and deuise what way wee might take to obtaine fauoure and reconciliation or reformation or releasment of our suspensions or other troubles In all which as I must needes confesse that I was among the Ministers of Kent not one of the hindemost beeing suspended onelie for not subscribing from the last daye of Ianuarie vntill the third day before the natiuitie of Christ So doe I professe to all the worlde that I knowe not anie thing which we did in our meeting or in our supplications or apologeticallwritings but that which was comely for men of our sorte and as our forefathers the faithfull Ministers of Christ in the primitiue Church did in like case before vs. For the Ministers of Christ finding themselues in the testimonie of their consciences to be heauilie burdened with the ordinances of the Church wee liue in humblie to declare their grieuances to the Magistrates in authoritie in tymes and places which may relieue them to shew by publike writings the vprightnes of their cause and by petition to craue some Christian and godlie remedie is doubtles agreeing to all law of God man and therefore I hope I shall not need to vse anie argumentes to prooue the same which we know our aduersaries being in our case would thinke themselues to haue great wrong to be denied Our fault is that we did not cōmend our cause to the Queene But if anie thing bee our fault I take it to be this That wee did not present our cause to the Queenes most excellent M. being a Prince of rare clemencie wisdome and iustice Whome when we did know to be so equal fauourable milde and of such incredible long animitie and that to her greatest aduersaries and deadlie enemies the Papistes who alwaies haue sought mischief against her person Crowne and dignitie we were doubtles much ouerseene that we commended not our cause to her most gracious and Princelie consideration For the goodnes of our cause and the innocencie of our persones being manifested before her Princelie eies it could not haue bene possible but that so prudent Christian a Magistrate vvoulde speedilie haue eased all our sorrovves and ended these vvofull troubles of the Church 2 But vvhile vve partlie fearing partly hoping as though the reuerēd Fathers themselues to vvhome vvee vsed beside our supplications diuers meanes woulde at the length haue ioyned with vs to the ending of these vnvvholsome strifes that vve trusted that our mercifull God pitying his Church vvoulde haue raysed vp some meanes to further his ovvne cause vvhile the time slipt avvay and mens mindes vvauered this vvay that vvay three most greeuous accidents did greatly astonish vs and verie much darken the righteousnes of our cause The first vvas a foolishe iester vvho tearmed himselfe Martin Marprelate and his sonnes Martin Marprelate a filthie Sycophant vvhich vnder counterfeit apish scoffing did play the Sycophant slanderously abused manye persons of reuerend place and note And such was the wisdome of the time that manie filthie and lewd pamphletes came forth against him casting forth much stincking doung and beastlie filth into the faces of honest men to the great contempt of Christes holy Ghospell and the verie apparant disparagement of the faithfull laboures of all godly Ministers on both sides This kindled a meruelous great fire euen that which S. Iames sayeth is set on fire of hell and is a worlde of wickednes Cap 3.6 It beewraied the weaknes of many a man and shewed how hard it is for fleshe and blood to hold in the raines of his own aspiring affections rather to endure reproach then to endamage the Church of God or wiselie to forethinke that we ought rather to suffer wronge then that the glorious Ghospell of our Lord Iesus Christ shoulde be euill spoken of How so euer it was the blame lighted vpon vs and we by it obtained a new name in many pulpites how iustly God knoweth wee are called Martinistes Then did our troubles increase the persuite was hardlie followed against vs the enemie of the Ghospell for slowed not the occasion to make our good iust honest godlie cause to be ill thought of and verie much condemned as if the verie state had taken knowledge that we were wicked men our cause vniust we no longer to be suffered So great hurt is it when an honest lawfull course is begun for foolish hairbraine men to thrust in thēselues to hazard such meanes as God neuer sanctified For God needeth not our follie 1. Cro. 15.13 but will make a breach among vs if we seeke him not in order Howbeit when our cause was left naked and many of vs in great hazard God him self gaue witnes to his truth manifested his iudgements and deliuered his innocent seruants so that it plainly appeared to the wiser discreter sorte that the Deuill was the author of this disgrace In this time also happened the second and third euill the Brownistes tooke offense against both sides The Brownists and Hacket of an euill spirit made a temerarious and wicked separation some two or three men being beewitched with some proud honor by a certaine man frantick spirit lifted vp themselues with hie words of blasphemie whose working this was all wise men know who know the wiles of Sathan How be it these also were drawne vpon vs and made a notable matter to aggrauate our cause But God who seeth in secret and beholdeth the bitter gaule of Simon Magus Act. 8.23 the filthie dissolutenes of Nicholas the freating canker of Hyminaeus Philetus the dogges the euill workers concision and all false Apostles which transforme them selues into Apostles of Christ namelie that these did much mischief and brought great trouble to the first beginning planting of the primitiue Church he euen he knoweth that these things were cunninglie wrought by these deep sleightes and suggestions of that olde serpent too hinder our good cause to hurt the prosperous and godly proceedings of the Church of England For by this meanes we finding the mighty winds and stronge streame against vs were faine to humble our selues vnder Gods mercie and commending our selues our cause to him who iudgeth righteously we reserued ourselues to a better time whē it should please his gracious wisedome to make his owne trueth to appeare and to moue the mindes of our superiours to bee more fauourable 3 Then tooke the idle and vnpreaching Ministers comfort at the heart supposing their standing to be good the non-residents had their mouthes
same For seeing the chiefest cause of their trouble and reproach is their carefull and zealous following of Gods holie vvorde and their tender conscience in offending of God hovv strange and contrarie to reason shoulde it bee that they coulde but thinke anye one euill thought against the holie ordinance of God and the higher powers ordained of him to vvhome they ought to submitte themselues for conscience sake And when the blind man vvho can not see a farre of if he haue anie the leaste discretion muste needes perceaue that in the peace and prosperitie of her Maiestie and of this Realme euerie way consisteth their peace their ioy and happienes Hovv farre shoulde they bee vvithout all grace and feare of God how contrarie to them selues enemies to their ovvne apparant good if they shoulde be enemies to the present state of her Maiesties most Christian and godlie gouernement 2 And here I thank God I can speak boldlie and with the cheerefull testimonie of a good conscience euen in the sight of God For God knovveth and vve humblie acknowledge vvith thanksgiuing to his holye and diuine Maiestie that our gracious Ladie and deare Soueraigne Elizabeth in the tyme of her sister the late Queene Marie Queene Elizabeth persecuted for the Ghospell suffered endured great trobles and reproach and endeuouring to preserue a good conscience and to keepe her selfe a chaste pure Virgine vnto the Lorde Iesus Christ her blessed Sauiour shee was in greate daunger And this not so much in regarde of her owne person as much more as that she was the onelie hope vnder God which all honest good Christians had by whose prayers it pleased his heauenlie goodnes in cōpassion to his poore distressed Church to preserue her sacred person in his due tyme to set her at libertie and to raise her vp to establish her Kingdome to be an hauen of rest and an heauen of ioye to the deare children of God who euerie daye were in a great affliction counted as sheepe readie for the slaughter And this all the world knoweth to be so that god hath made his name glorious by her deliuerance He hath chosen his seruant Elizabeth and taken her out of the iawes of the Lyons made her a ioyfull blessed noursemother to seed the people of his Church and to foster his inheritance By her wee enioy our country our liues our wiues our children our goods our peace prosperitie by her we are garded against enemies a broad inuasions cruell warre and against all domesticall iniuries and wronges at home which euill and vngodly men would bring vpon vs. We sit quietlie euerie man vnder his vine ioyfully reape the fruites of a plentifull land vnder the happie and assured protection of her most blessed gouernement Merueilous great blessings by her Maiesties raigne By her we are deliuered out of the spirituall thraldome and bondage of that proud Prelate of Rome from all Antichristian slauerie of ignorance superstition idolatrie and our shoulders are eased from that moste grieuous burden and importable By her we haue the holie foode of our soules the life of our life the sacred word of God By her we enioy the pleasures of Gods house and enter into his tabernacles with ioye beholding the beautie of God and the glorie of hi◠power By her our minds and our bodies are made secure our mouthe are filled with laughter we cheerfullie sing the new songe of all Gods Saintes Halelu-Iah Saluation and glorie and honour and power to the Lord our God God euen our God the mightie and holie one hath loued her and in the loue honour wherewithall he hath made her name renoumed amongst the mightie nations of the earth hee hath made his greate loue and rich mercie to vs his poore people to bee knowne and admired He hath established her throne in righteousnes made her mountaine most strong against all her our enemies So that she hath bene nowe these 40 and 3 yeares an hiding place for the wind and a refuge for the tempest as riuers of waters in a drie land as the shadow of a great rock in a wearie land The remembrance of her is our comfort her ioy health and honour our glorie her faithfulnes and constancie in religion and godlines our exceeding treasure In one word she is the light of eies the breath of our nostrels the very marrow of our bones and the assured pledge of our reioysing For who knoweth not but that as by her most Christian and godlie raigne we enioye that which is more of price vnto vs then all that we haue yea then our owne liues So when so euer God shal take her from vs vnto his heauenlie glorious kingdome which we pray may not bee till she hath had that fulnes of daies which may make her Crowne perfect in the world to come and the ioy of Christs Church firme stable in this world who shall then lament weep waile and who shall haue cause to greeue sigh and mourne their mother their nourse and faithfull comforter but euen all those Ministers and Christian people who nowe desire that those honourable and holie workes which God hath begun brought to a great perfection by her ministrie might by her also be made absolute entire and fullie compleat Therefore we are so farre from thinking the leaste euill vnto her sacred person that we pray hartely and wish vnfainedly Confounded be all they which desire her hurt and God euen the mightie God strike thorow the loynes of al them that rise vp against her binde thou vp ô mercifull God her soule in the bundell of life with the Lord our God cast out the soule of all her enemies as out of he midle of a slinge and let all faithfull subiects say Amen 3 Next vnto vnder her most royall Maiestie The Lords of counsell greatly to be respected we think vpon the Lords of her Maiesties most honorable coūsell Heere we haue also great matter to moue vs vnto all ioyfull thankfulnes First that they haue wiselie and Christianlie managed the generall state sway of the common wealth principallie for their carefull prudent watch ouer her Maiesties most sacred person in all these most deuilish treacheries and wicked designements of all traiterous Papistes and Popish Seminarie Priestes Iesuites and desperate murdering wretches in all the hidden plottes shameles villenies deuised contriued by our mortall enemies abroad and by all factious Espaniolized and Italianized heads at home That God hath bene with them and prospered them in all their godly counsell foresight Secondly we can not but praise God that their honorable table is and alwaies hath bene a place of refuge a seate of great iustice equitie clemencie to all men howsoeuer otherwise wrongfullie oppressed And tha◠vvhich we most of all reioyce of vv◠blesse our Lord Christ for their constant perseuering in
together to the disclosing of falshood and hypocrisie and to the aduauncing of Gods glorie so the contention betweene vs being onelie about ceremonies maner of gouernement we are all of one faith one Baptisme one bodie one spirit haue alone Father Lord and be al of one heart against all wickednes superstition idolatrie heresie and we seeke with one Christian desire the aduauncement so the pure religion worship and honour of God We are Ministers of the worde by one order we administer praiers Sacraments by one forme wee preach one faith and substance of doctrine we reioyce both of her Maiesties happie gouernement the freedome of the Gospell and are professed enemies to all her enemies to the enemies of Gods truth and Ghospell In writing against errors and disputing against Papistes we haue bene all one I preaching her M. supremacie confuting Popish primacie and in calling men from sinne disobedience to serue God and her M. we haue beene all one And shall men thinke that this vnhappie diuision shall seuer vs for euer God forbidde This life with out constant vnitie 2 And here me thinks I cannot but murne to think vpō mans frailtie our ignorance self-loue desire to preheminence many times casteth vs headlong into bitter dissention While men are loftie to acknowledge their ouersights therefore labour to keep their estimation by maintayning an errour they cause much disturbance to themselues with little credite among wise faithful men by ouerstrayning them selues to shadowe ouer mens vpright cause they stirre vp much gar-boile confusion in the Church of God And it is not so easilie stayed as it is vnaduisedlie begun Therefore it is verie wiselie said of Solomon The beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters therefore ere the contention be medled with leaue of Prou. 17.14 Such doe we read to be the ciuil warre of the primitiue Church about Arius which is well known to haue continued many yeares and to be the death of many a faithfull Christian Of which Socrates Scholasticus writeth that in the very beginning it grew so hott Eccles Histor lib. 1. Cap. 6. with such diuision among the Bishoppes and also among the people inveying with such spitefull opprobrius tearmes one against another that it became so haynous shamefull into so lamentable a plight that the Christian Religion was openly derided of all men euen in the publike theaters solemne spectacles And such was the contention of Epiphanius and Iohn Chrysostome both worthy Bishoppes Lib. 6. Cap. 12.13 14. Yea euen in the very infansie of the church that no man shuld stumble at our contention as if it were a new thing when the blessed Apostles by a most excellent and perfite spirite planted the ghospel this humaine fraltie did shew it selfe verie greatlie For what thinke you was the cause of that solemne councill at Hierusalem Act. 15. what was the occasion of the Epist of Paule to the Romanes Corinthians Galathians Philippians Colossians c doe they not bewraye merueilous greate weaknes exceeding great contention some holding of Paul some of Cephas some going to Law and some contending about meate holy dayes some striuing for circumcision and the Lawe of Moyses other denying the resurrection of the bodie others iustification by faith onelie others brought in the worshipping of Angels and other will worshipp and volutarie religion of men in so much that it coste great labour and sweat vnto the Apostles and faithfull Ministers to hold vp the Church to keepe it aliue in the verie birth thereof So great were the waters of contention cōming out of the dragons mouth by the abuse of mans weaknes And this I obserue both in writings disputations of our forefathers of the primitiue ages of the Church also in these latter daies that it is a very rare thing to find any writer thogh he be learned wise sober who in his apologeticall writting can keepe himselfe pure from al gaule bitternes Few writers without bitternes For the vehement desire to defende that he vndertaketh manie times maketh him to sway beyond the mark his penn to breath out filthie smoak and vnsauorie There are manie prettie and wittie thinges which are founde in the studdie of humane learning in these men of great learning haue manie times delight so that when they are in writing of an argument or answer there falleth in some fine ironie or close quib by allusion sometime a bitter sarcasme before they be aware which whē it is red of the aduerse part it raiseth many hott humors vnseemly retaliatiōs which not only hinder the light oftētimes of a good cause but also maketh such a breach as will hardlie bee repaired againe in manie yeares And heere mee seemeth I am taken prisoner and locked vp in a darke and dolesome place to weep mourne to cry and howle for the miserable estate of mankinde thorough sinne How manie stumbling blocks are cast in the way of foolish This contention a plague for Atheists ignorant and peeuish Atheists who refusing the way of truth haue strong delusions of Satan to make them beleeue lyes Yet doth God turne all these contentions too good God turneth it to the good of his elect and his diuine prouidence maketh them profitable to his Church namelie for the elect as it is written There must be heresies euen among you that they which are approued among you 1. Cor. 11.29 may be knowen And this profit hath the Church by the primitiue contentions that in cleare plaine Scripture we se manie things taught as namelie The Christian libertie The doctrine of iustification the rising of the dead and diuers other waightie points which I can not tell if they woulde haue beene otherwise so fully largelie so plainlie written that we may know the loue and power wisdom of our merciful father to ouersway the mightie labours of Sathan which are against the Church to the good of Gods faithfull people Therefore the Apostle is bold to say in the like case I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation And againe We know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God The consideration of this might teach some men to looke vpon themselues and watch ouer their owne corruption to keepe it vnder that they giue no offence other might learne not to stumble at the truth for such a cause which cannot bee altogether auoided And we of our time countrie might vnderstand that we are not by and by seuered into two religions or broken of from being Christian brethren beecause some hote contention hath bene kindled among vs. For then we might say that Friers Monkes Seminarie Priests Iesuites are not Papists yea that Popes Cardinalls and other their great Prelates are no Papistes because those haue stirred vp among themselus most deadlie warre other maner
bloodie Spaniards In all which she is as vvorthie and renoomed a Prince as any this day in Europe shevving her selfe to be a true vvorshipper of God and a carefull obseruer of his vvord If vve should offer anye further matter then that is heare shevved to bee her meaning and doeing vve might iustlie haue this accusation laid against vs but that you see hath as easie a denyall as it is a most manifest slaunder But as for the diminishing of her prerogatiue by Elders or that the Pastour should be a Pope I vvonder at the skantling they take should either of these take vpon him any thing diuers from the Scriptures and which he might dare to doe beeing not authorized thereunto by publike order of the Church and confirmed by her Maiesties authoritie And how can a poore Minister bee a Popâ— when his authority should reach butteâ— one parish and that therein he shoulâ— not doe his own mind but be measured by a law and superior authoritie This they know well or may know that obiect these things against vs I merueill they dare hazard their credite to publish such kinde of vncharitable inuentions But we are not to good to come vnder such vniust imputations seeing our Sauiour Christ dranke of the same cupp but our grief is the more to haue such measure from our reuerende Fathers deare brethren The next besitting this kind is that we affect popularitie to bring al to a popular state Thirdly touching populâ—ritie This slaunder seemeth to mee to haue tvvo forckes First in regairde of the peoples choosing of their Pastour and second that vve should bee enemies to Magistrates or Monarchicall gouernement I ansvver in the first vvee leaue not all to the people but onlye vvee vvoulde not haue the people left out but as Act. 6. and 14.23 The Bishopes and Ministers should order and guide the people and both ioyning together the choise might bee free and most for the benefit of the Church Novv vvhen the Bishops of our Church in England before they ordaine a Minister vvill haue him to nominate a place and as I haue seene in practise send their letters to that place to see if any coulde except against him and lastly ordaine him with these words Take authoritie to preach to this congregation meaning as I take it the Parishe which had chosen him alas what popularitie is this This obiection Maister D. Fulke answereth against the Papistes by those words And as for the popular election if you haue red those bookes you make mention of Defen of English transl cap 15. pag. 797. you might perceaue that neither of both partes allow a meere popular election And that Maister Whitgift doth not so much contend what forme of election was vsed in the time of the Apostles c. The other forcke is a meer deuise a deuilish quarell and calumniation against all Protestantes for Bristow saieth Motiue 40 Protestantes be malignoures of the hier powers and hath no colour in the world in any of our doeings writings or practise whatsoeuer therefore I think it not worthie to be answered 6 The other arguments obiections are not of so great a prayse Obiections of more equitie yet wil I answer some few of them that if it be possible the chiefe heads vnto which all other may be referred being found light and vaine all the rest might bee accounted no better then they are First our friends say vnto vs if their be no superior how can there be any good order We answer that we meruil they vnderstand not that wee meane that the lawe and authoritie of the Prince shal be superiour to all the Magistrates and Commissioners as signed by her to see all her good lawes executed And as Maister Fulke saieth wee graunt among the Ministers themselues An ouerthrewe ' of the answ to M. Chark prefaâ— pag. 112. a primacie of order as it was among the Apostles namely according to which Iames was president of the councill at Hierusalem Act. 15. But it is further vrged that the honour of Bd. is more for the protection of the Ministers for their reputation I will not heere for reuerence sake answer all that I can and which miserable experience afordeth only I would such to consider that our armour is spirituall and that the Apostles subdued all the worlde without this earthly honour which this obiection pretendeth But a Christian Magistrate being friend wee haue now lesse cause to feare our reputation if we doe well then they being base and poore fishermen of low estate at that time had when all the power and glorie of the world was against them Therefore the Psalme speakes another maner of conquest Namely that Christ shoulde prosper with his glorie Psal 45 4â— and ride vpon no other pompeous chariot but that of Gods word all laid ouer with golde of trueth and drawne with no other horses but meeknes and righteousnes So am I perswaded that although this great dignitie of our Prelats were takeÌ„ a way yet if we did diligently and faithfully in humble vpright maner teach the people Gods word of truth and saluation it woulde procure vs honour and reputation sufficientlye beseeming Gods Ministers finding that ielous word of God true Them that honour me 1. Sam. 2.30 I will honor c. And lastlie Of sufficient Ministers and maintenance for them it is demaunded where wee will find sufficient Ministers to bee preachers liuing for such worthie men This obiection with many other might be left out for there be God be thanked ynough worthie men if they were sought after both in the Vniuersities other where but while men are suffered to runne and ride and ketch before they fall manye worthie men are passed ouer and not knowne some are faine to be scholemaisters some because of these troubles change their studies Manie are afearde to set their sonnes to schoole seing Ministers so little regarded Littleton Galen and the godly houses of Noble men and Gentlemen woulde helpe to make vp the number And this wee see dailie that there can not be a place void but there be many schollers of reasonable competent giftes to fullfill the same As for maintenaunce God bee praised this Realme aboue all other is to bee commended only the ioyning of smaler liuings and Parishes into one with redeeming of impropriations woulde quickly fill vp that gappe that no man of a moderate gouernement and desire if euerie one be placed after his giftes should haue iust cause to complaine These thinges beeing considered I hope it will appeare to all reasonable men that it can be proued by any good reason that the godlye Ministers desiring reformation are enemies to the state or causes of these troubles which are among vs. But yet there remaineth one imputation which I can not passe ouer Because although it haue not so much as a shadowe of truth The last great flaunder touching Papists and Ieusites