and beyond all his might to make knowen the case of such a people vnto those who both can and also would find a remedy therunto For mine owne part because I see the spirituall miserie wherein wee nowe liue in the Country of WALES for want of the preaching of the Gospel and the great plagues that are like vndoubtedly to fall vpon vs for the same I cannot but be so asfected toward these our calamities as in respect of the Lords honor the desire of the saluation of my breethren my loyall obedience vnto her Maiesty and the discharge of my own conscience I doe alwaies from the bottome of mine heart wish and pray for the redresse heereof nowe by writing with all humility and submission in the feare of God lay open our estate first vnto the consideration of your excellent Maiesty my dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth vnto whom only of all the potentates of the earth I owe all obedience and seruice in the Lord Iesus and next vnto the viewe of your high court of Parliament desiring you vpon my knees in the name of the great God the creator and preseruer of heauen and earth whose honor is now in hand that our petitiō may be so throughly waied as our necessity requireth The summe whereof is that it would please your Maiesty this honorable assembly in a zealous and a godly compassion to regard the lamentable and wofull estate of vs your poore subiects breethren which liue at this day altogither without the knowledge of a Isai 43.11 ◠a sauing God because we haue not b 2. Chro. 15.2 teaching Ministers among vs that some order may be taken by your Maiesty and the estate whereby wee may bee freed from that destroieng grosse darckenesse of ignorance wherein we nowe are bewrapped to the woe of our soules for euer And so by our true conuersion vnto the Lorde we may auoid euerlasting death and preuent the fiercenesse of the wrath indignation which we see iustly to hang ouer vs in this life The remedy of this our grieuous case is only had and no other way by speedie d Luk. 10.2 Matth 9.8 prouiding vnto vs such pastors as may feede vs with the food of life the pure worde of God and bring vs home vnto the only a 1. Pet. 5.4 Heb. 13.20 Luk. 22.25 Mark 10. Lord of pastors sheepeheards the Lord Iesus This is the summe of al my dread soueraigne that I your base vassall haue emboldened my selfe to offer vnto you and this your high court of Parliament wherein I protest that in respect of my weakenesse al maner of waies the basenesse of my condition I intreated the Lorde to send vnto you by the hand of him whom b Exod. 4.13 hee should sende that is by one endued with such giftes and authority also as whereby the suite might haue purchased some countenance and so be found more auaileable and plausible But considering that this mine endeuor might be a means to stirre vp some such and that the Lorde is the Lord of countenance credit and fauour therefore can adde vnto his own cause the good liking of men either more or lesse as seemeth best vnto him which only guideth the harts of the children of men And that he is then fullie seen for his own glories c Rom. 4.2 Ezek. 36.32 sake to bring the worke to passe that tendeth to the saluation of any when hee vseth most abiect and vnfit tooles I doe not doubt if it be his good pleasure but that this supplication though put vp by a sinfull weake hand shal haue all the intertainment that the message of the liuing God desireth to haue And although our estate beeing duly waied doth with most patheticall pierceing cries that may moue againe the very flinty rockes make intreaty for it selfe and declare the vnanswerable necessity either of hauing our petitions graunted or of the torments of our soules in hel fire for euer and our fatal ruine in this life yet I thought it most needefull in this briefe treatise to set downe some of the reasons whereupon our petition is grounded that by the view of them it may appeare how daungerous a thing it is in the sight of God and man to deny our suite And here verilie the cause may be seene at the first sight to be inuironed with a two-fould wall as it were of most iust and apparant equity First in respect of the honour of God whereat especially it aimeth Secondly in regard of man whom it doth not a litle concerne Whether therefore you do consider the Lord himselfe whom we disdain and contemn for want of better instruction out of his woord by our vngodlie liues or her gracious Maiestie and this honourable assembly who are bound before the Lorde with an vncancelable band to see the eternall verity of the Gospell of Iesus Christ taught vnto obeied of al the inhabitants within the precincts of her Maiesties dominions or my deere brethren and countri-men whose ioiful and happy felicity is this way sought for you shall find the supplication to be full of dutifull endeuors towardes the maintenance of Gods glory the safe estate of this kingdome our soueraign whom the Lord long preserue ouer vs hurting none full of equity on all parts Wee desire to haue the knowledge of our God and the Lawes of his kingdome whose subiectes in name wee professe our selues and in deede ought to bee made knowne and taught vnto vs. We desire that the tyranny of Sathan who a 2 Cor. 4.4 Ephes 6.2 2.23 exerciseth a regencie in the hearts of all them amongst whom Gods trueth hath not beene taught may be ouerthrown b Rom. 1.16 Heb. 4.12 Ier. 23.29 by the powerfull arme of God the worde preached c Iam. 1.21 who can saue our soules Now therefore to you right honorable worshipful and reuerend of this Parliament with al humility be it spoker in the audience of our God in the presence of Iesus Christ and in the witnesse of euery child of God who shall read this litle treatise we most earnestly and vehemently as in the cause of Iesus Christ and in the cause of our soules entreate and beseech you cry and cal vpon you to do your endeuors that Sathan may no longer keep vs in bondage which ought to be imploied in the seruice of our God and that the Lorde Iesus his throne may be established in our hartes d 1. Cor. 6.19 3.16 as it ought to be in those which are his members What interest hath sathan in vs that wee should be permitted to be at his beck and leaue vndoone the duty we owe vnto our most beneficial louing God euen by the law of creation Why should he preuaile more with you which continually seeketh your destruction ours than Iesus Christ whose loue towardes vs was sealed with the losse of his life euen then when we were his enimies Wil you
A TREATISE CONTAINING THE AEQVITY OF AN HVMBLE SVPPLICATION WHICH IS TO BE EXHIBITED VNTO HIR GRACIOVS MAIESTY AND this high Court of Parliament in the behalfe of the Countrey of Wales that some order may be taken for the preaching of the Gospell among those people Wherein also is set downe as much of the estate of our people as without offence could be made known to the end that our case if it please God may be pitied by them who are not of this assembly and so they also may bee driuen to labour on our behalfe AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1587. TO AL THAT MOVRN IN SION VNTIL THEY SEE Ierusalem in perfect beuty namely to my Fathers Brethren of the Church of England grace mercy and loue in the Lord Iesus bee multiplied IT hath beene the iust complaint beloued in the Lord of the godlie in all ages that Gods eternall and blessed verity vnto whom the very Heauens themselues shoulde stoupe and giue obesiance hath bin of that smal reckoning and account in the eies of the most part of great men as they valued it to be but a meere losse of time to yeeld anie attendaunce thereupon Hence it commeth to passe that the truth being at any time to be countenanced none very often are found in the traine thereof but the most contemptible and refuse of men And because these also being guilty vnto themselues of great infirmities and foule sinnes manie times and not ignorant that affliction is the sequele of earnest and sincere profession doe pull their neckes from the yoke and their shoulders from the burden the Lorde is constrained verie seuerely to deale with them before they can be gotten to go on his message Whereupon also followeth their endeuours in Gods owne cause not to haue the euents which they expect Example hereof Ionas may be one for all And which is farre more lamentable in as much as the drousie and carelesse security the colde and frossen affections of the godly themselues in most waightie affaires is neuer wanting their careful diligence and earnest zeale ioined with hartie and vehement praiers alwaies desired the Lord suffereth his owne cause to contract some spot from their sinful hands These considerations beloued but specially the later kept me back a great while from this action which I haue now by the goodnes of God brought to this passe you see It would be a greeuous wound vnto me all my life long if the dignitie of a cause worthy to haue the shoulders of al the princes vnder the coape of heauen for it footstoole should be anie whit diminished by my foule hands which notwithstanding I protest to haue been washed as fair as their stains would permit But I am not a little comforted two maner of waies First that the Lord knoweth he thrust me almost against my wil hereunto And for asmuch as I see the honour of Iesus Christ in whose countenance God the father hath louingly wincked at my sinnes and whose is al that I haue standeth vpon the progresse of the woorde preached among vs my silence though to the daunger of my life shal not be tray his honour Is not he a God Will he not be religiously worshipped Wil he not haue this religion framed according vnto his owne mind Hath hee not regard whether his true seruice be yeelded him or no if he haue woe be vnto that conscience that knoweth this and keepeth it secret or is slacke in the promoting hereof Seing it pleased him who also separated me from my mothers womb to stur me vp hereunto I doubt not but hee wil giue that successe of my labours that may be most to his glory Surely by his assistaunce I neither can nor will be slacke The dignity of the cause I hope wil be regarded if not importance must take no deniall in the matter of our God My second comfort is that what effect soeuer shal ensue my paines I seek not my owne but theirs whom it concerneth namely my parents and brethren according to the flesh Whose state is so miserable at this daie that I think it were verie great vndiscreetnes for me to spare anie speech that were likely to preuaile Naie I would to God my life coulde winne them the preaching of the Gospel Our sicknes is at the hart it must not be dallied with either present remedy or vndoubted perdition And so will they iudge who viewe our estate offered vnto her Maiesty and the Parliament Which was not published onely least posterities should knowe such dishonour of God either at al to haue beene or in 28. yeares not redressed vnder Queen Elizabeth our souerain As for the aduersaries who vnderstand our estate too wel and reioice at our silence I regard them not at al for what haue we amisse at this day which flowed not out of the midst of their inheritance cursed Rome that bottomles pit fornace of idolatry I haue only therein touched our calamity not touched a great part thereof To come vnto you beloued of the church of englād I know our cause shal come through many of your hands I do with teares beseech that it maie haue al the lawful fauor you find of your harts to affourd vnto Christ in his poor members It may stand in some one to dash the whole Therefore in the name of God I require al of you that you hinder not his honour the saluation of perishing souls the good to the common wealth hereby intēded If you do otherwise I praie God so many souls as perish in miserable Wales for want of preaching be not required at your hands in the daie of iudgement But beloued I promise al good things on your parts and craue not only praiers vnto the Lord for the speedy erecting of our Ierusalem but all other helpes of speech and countenaunce of motioning the matter vnto her Maiesty the Parliamēt shewing the danger of denying the great profit and necessitie of granting our petition It is your dutie which cannot bee shaken off as it appeareth by the example of Ebed-melech Ierem. 38.9 Ieremie 38.9 The like act done by the Princes and Elders of the Lande Ieremie 26.16 17. When the Princes hard Baruch read in their eares the wordes of the booke containing al the curses Iehouah had determined to bring vpon Israel and Iuda c. it is recorded by the holy Ghost that they were affraid both one and other and said vnto Baruch we wil certifie the king of these woords and did so Wherein they perfourmed nothing but that which euery one of you before the Lord is bound to doe Gods people requireth this at your handes The state of the common wealth and her Maiesties whom the Lord in mercie deliuer from all forraigne and domestical treasons crie vnto euerie one of you that can giue anie counsel Iliad 3. A counsellor must not sleepe all
England as long as Queene Elizabeth hath the scepter in her hand And can any man admire that we haue al this while of her Maiesties ragine been by the iust iudgement of God without the word preached and also read as shall be shewed whereas wee neuer as yet opened our mouthes for it I am so far then from conceiuing any vnduetifull thought of my soueraigne and this high Court as transferring the cause of our ignoraunce vpon them that I protest in iustly resteth on our selues For when did that day shine this twenty eight yeares and aboue that anie among vs whom the Lorde had endued either with authority or giftes of learning haue moued this cause effectually vnto her Maiesty or the Court of Parliament Though I would wish wee had found the fauour in their sight howbeit vnworthy of our selues to be driuen vnto the mariadge of Iesus Christ against our wils that some more might solemnise the same than doe at this day to his honour and their owne eternall felicity If any man will heere demaund whether the Lorde requireth any more at the handes of this high Court in the cause of religion than is already perfourmed seeing there is not only permission graunted for al that will to professe the truth but also a commandement that none aduenture the contrary I answere he exacteth a great deale more As to see that euery inferiour person haue done his duety in the performance of that enioined vnto him for the planting of religion To see whether such Lawes as haue beene alreadie prouided in that cause haue beene put in practise if not to consider wher the fault was and see it amended To consult whether a better order may be taken for the progresse of true religion than hitherto hath been and being found to put the same in execution Againe for as much as the work is the ruling of Gods people especiallie to prouide that the gouerment may be according to the Lords owne Lawes Briefly where the word is not preached there to establish the same with speed Our whole country of Wales as yet being altogether in ignorance to endeuour themselues in deed to see the same called In a word to order euery thing in euery particular parcell of this Iland and the other according vnto the Law and testimony for the declining there-from argueth great ouer-sight and folly as it is set downe Isai 8.20 Otherwise the Lord should enioine more vnto a father or maister in the gouernment of his family than vnto a magistrate in the common wealth For a father and so a maister is not only bound to see that his sonne bee no Idolatour or swearer which would to God all fathers perfourmed but also to bring them vppe in 2 Ephes 6.2 instruction and information of the Lord. Did Abraham no more think you than command his seruants that they should take heede they serued not the gods beyond the riuers and wil them in some general sort to serue Iehouah You shall find it otherwise recorded of him Genesis 17.19 Good Iehoshuah protested that he and his house that is all those that were vnder his gouernment would serue Iehouah In whose example the doubt will not bee worth the answere Iehosh 24.14 that Iehoshuah doth content himselfe in this place onelie to haue barelie offered the trueth vnto his people and giuen them the choise whether they would professe it or no whereas his protestation importeth that as many as would be gouerned by him should serue Iehouah If they did otherwise such rebels against God were not fit to bee his people To omit that the case is far vnlike in the people of Wales and the Israelites at this time I would that all which be are the chiefe soueraigntie of anie common-wealth christian whether monarchie Aristocracie c. would plainlie declare that they should not be their subiects who would not be obedient vnto the Lord as did Iehoshuah in this place Dauid tooke a band of himselfe Psal 101.7 to keepe no such in his house Wherein it appeareth that he did both denie the same to be a cage for Idolatours and in like maner would haue al things there according vnto the will of God His care was no lesse in the common wealth as maie appeare by his great sollicitude in bringing home the a 1 Chro. 13.5 1. Chro. 15.13 Ark confessing amending his carelesse ouersight herein before committed by his earnest desire to add as much dignitie as hee could vnto the seruice of God in offering to build him an house Lastly the exhortation he made at his death-bed to the rulers his sonne Salomon proclaimeth openly what a care he had to see the Lorde honored of euery man in his kingdome I thought good in this place to set downe Dauids wordes b 1. Chro 28.8 Now therefore saith he in the sight of al Israel the congregation of Iehoua in the eares of our God keepe and make diligent enquiry for all the commandements of Iehouah your God that you may possesse this land and leaue it for an inheritance vnto your children after you for euer And thou Salomon my sonne knowe thou the God thy fathers and worshippe him with an vpright hart and with a careful soule for Iehouah searcheth the hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou search for him he will be found of the but if thou forsake him he wil cast thee off for euer I see to whome I speake and therefore application needeth not Onely you are to marcke that no seruice by picce-meale but according vnto al the commandementes is allowable and that the Magistrate must practise all that God requireth of him The wil of God in any particular point of religion being vnknowen vnto him hee must make diligent search and inquiry for it himselfe keepe seeke all the commaundementes saith he In which wordes the holy ghost noteth that a good magistrate may be ignorant of his duty but giuing this caueat withall that as soone as he is put in mind thereof We must seek vntil we find and hauing sound keepe the commandements though by an inferior person he must not be borne in hande by any other that all is well for how can that be well and in good case which is not according to the Lordes wil but see reformation out of hand The necessity of obaieng is set downe in that the Lord would not spare Salomō if he did the cōtrary no though he had made a promise of fauor vnto him Further concerning the magistrates dutie in this particular care that God be honoured through his charge wee shall find in the example of good Iehosaphat who hauing in the third yeare of his raigne most a 2. Chro. 17.9 2. Chro. 19.5 notably established religion sending Leuits about throughout all the Cities of Iudah to teach i the people notwithstāding in the 18. or 17 year confer 2. Chr. 16.5 1. Kings 22.41 with the 1.