or will any peeuish vaine and factious tongue on that side once say for his life that maister Reformer knoweth in his wisedome better then did Salomon what is best belonging and behouefull to the Church Christs beloued spouse or may the zealous bounty of Christian Emperours the deuoute giftes of noble and godly Princes the liberall adoptions of magnificent and mightie men bestowing worldly goods on heauenly vses and bequeathing mortall heritages to immortal seruices may these lawfull and iust and successiue possessions priuiledges and charters and codicilles of ecclesiasticall endowmēt and maintenance be once abrogated ought all these liberties and prerogatiues to be made voyde to be disanulled and brought vnder then which none can be or should stand in more full strength and vertue for Bishops and vnder them Elders ought no lesse to bee reuerenced of all christened soules in the churches then fathers are of their children in the familie as Heresbachius writeth in his Christiana iurisprudentia But the liuing Lord of heauen and God of peace the God of our forefathers and king of all kinges preserue and arme his owne christian children from that outrage from that desolation from such abhomination standing in the temple of God where it ought not frō such heathen turkish martinish and carterly brutish rauine and make vs like his owne Moses like his owne Salomon like all his owne godly gouerners and Christian Princes and other good men of his owne in all ages not like any other vnlike them that maintaine seminaries of schisme and malignitie that hatch the Cockatrices egge and weaue the spyders webbe and woulde make men beleeue they are for their eating and wearing which in finall proofe would eate vp and weare them out to the poysoning and vndoing of thēselues of the whole Realme and of the whole world too as may easily appeare to them which can compare consequents and antecedents together Then looke not to them but looke into Gods owne holy and faultlesse booke the onely chiefe doctor and reformer of gouernment that is by Gods gracious prouidence more common among vs then it was with grandfathers in England by print by translation by expositiō meditatiō in which booke we know the euer lasting will and testament of God more then they did wherin we learne all that pertaineth to our direction and instruction for all spirituall and temporal iurisdictions and regiments whatsoeuer Here you haue and you reade or may haue and reade the Oecomenickes and Politicks of the Hebrew common-wealth which is the most auncient and excellent of all other as Sigonius wryteth in the yeares of his best and ripest iudgement when he had intreated vpon the Athenian and Roman common-wealth in his younger dayes and by which the most and best Nations of the earth haue bin taught and ruled to this present day in all good counsels in all great affayres in euery good intendment or order in personall and actionall and reall causes In this heauenly and righteous booke the same hande of Moses which gaue the Hebrews lawes from aboue and said Thou shalt not steale from the Clergie or Laitie thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house or any thing that he hath in the church or out of the church doth also institute and ordeyne that the measure of the sanctuarie should be much more then the measure of the congregation and the weight as much more againe the sanctuarie seruing God and his ministers the Elders of the Leuites and the high Priest set ouer them the other belonging to the people of Israël and other tribes only among themselues who reckoned in their accounts to the tribe of Leuie two for one and double for single as the sicle and talent of the Sanctuary was as much more as the sicle and talent of the congregation the cubite much more euen a hand breadth which is named a great cubite Ezech. c. 41. v. 8. c. 43. v. 13. Exodus c. 30. v. 13. Leuit. c. 27. v. 25. Num. c. 18. v. 16. Cenalis tomo 5. fol. 87 88 89. and tomo 9. fol. 133 134 c. Whose zealous example and godly deuotion all good men and women that loue God and his rulers ought readily to followe yea much more willingly and earnestly in this light of the trueth that shineth out among vs nowe then other did in time of ignorance next past whose reddinesse notwithstanding was more forwarde then our least we learning more and doing lesse then they be beaten with more terrible and wofull stripes according to Christs owne sentence in Luke c. 12. v. 47. Neyther yet Moses the soueraigne teacher and Lord of the Hebrews staied there but God bad him command the people of Israël and in them all true Israelites for euer to giue the cleanest the purest the fattest and lustiest of the sacrifices of lambs and goates and other cattell the tenths and first-fruites of all fruite vnto Gods vses Gods seruices Gods seruitors and euery thing that belonged to the church and sanctuary both liuing and dead both agent and instrument to bee appointed in the best and goodliest manner that could be deuised beside other certaine and determinate prescriptions giuen indefinitely by God himselfe agreing with that eternall statute of S. Paul 1. Cor. c. 14. where lastly he chargeth them in the name of the holy spirit which he verily beleeued to be in him both to keepe a good order alwaies and specially to haue a special care of adorning and bewtifying it with all seemely supplements or additions euen as the circumstance of the place or the time or the person may deserue and require In this consideration when the Hebrews vsed mettals for the sanctuary they were cleere and pure in the highest degree their wood must euer be that durable Sethim and the best or smoothest their oyle the sweetest and cleanest their frankincense the brightest their odors pleasantest their sacrifices males without blemish their flower similage and no meaner their fruits of the fairest trees the place of offring without all foulnesse the fatte must be the Lords and if any man eat it he shal be cut of from his people their musick choicest of all sorts harpes and trumpets and cymbals and organes and psalteries and other instruments together with lowde harty voices their vestures and garments of finest linnen and finest silke furnished with gold and precious pearle their workemen the most famous and cunning that could be gotten the churchmen without deformities of body comely and cleanly as it euidently and notably appeareth in Exodus from the 25. chapter to the 32 and in Leuiticus almost throughout and much elswhere For seeing these outward and momentany goods are not our but the good blessings of our God lent and giuen vs for his vse and glory then iudge I pray to whom they may so rightly or truly belong by way of dispensation as to Gods owne spirituall and temporall ministers which in all earthly and heauenly businesse and actions serue him and his
hundred foure score and fiue thousand Assyrians yea and the life of Sennacherib himselfe in the temple of Nisroch by the word of Esay but the sword of Gods angel and his owne sonnes by the praier of that good king Ezechias 4. Kings c. 19. Woe vnto that breach and derision of Gods Sabaoth that caused Gorgias to flie Lysias to be driuen out of Iudea the vanquishing of Ephron the astonishment and sorowfull sicknesse and suddaine death of Antiochus himselfe besides the deaths and deadly woundes of their captaines and souldiers by the arme of the honorable Machabees reuengers of Gods Sabaoth 1. Macha c. 4 5 6. and what surer plague hath Anger then hirselfe which killeth hir selfe with hir owne weapons And woe is likewise to this counterfait reformer that opposeth his Scriptum est against the clergy as the tempter his patterne opposed his Scriptum est against Christ for how can he escape the vengeance of God that maketh a iest of descant vpō our Messias the mighty lion of the tribe of Iuda because he is otherwile analogically called the meeke and louing lambe of God let him be sure he shall neuer flie from the presence of this lambe neither shall he euer hide his head safely from him whom he thus lambacketh and abuseth in his paltry reformatiue and ironicall discipline no more then Martin de Pester did in Gaunt that suddainly died in the heate of his secretariship going about to sweare men against the gospel or then Martin Sward did in England who died like a theefe among traitors when he would haue deposed king Henrie the seuenth by a set battel to install a counterfet in his place But in heauen all honour is giuen to this lambe of God that sitteth on the throne saith S. Iohn in his Reuelation and if the heauens obey him the earth cannot withstand him but all his tempting despising and ironising reformers shall laugh and perish be laughed at and such as know not or feare not the lambe of God shal be put to confusion for wishing him euil Neuertheles this glozing theologer and priuy vnderminer that would in these daies with his creatures dig vp our Church as moules and frogs haue in old time vndermined faire and strong townes according to some old and credible historians is in his earthly labours fennish coaxations persuaded for want of meekenesse and charitable insight that he doth God great seruice and honour to open his wide throate ô an Aristophanes might best handle him in his kinde to set vp a newe house in the old roome to take downe build vp that is well builded already as truly appertaining to him and his presumptuous scismaticks as the reforming of the temple of Ierusalem pertained vnto Herode or the burning of incense belonged to Vzziah who were both too bold lofty in heart and so perished in their confidence and vsurpatiō 2. Chron. c. 26. He might haue learned euen of Numa an heathen prince lege 23. That religion publicke is not subiect to any one or of king Martius lege 1. That religion is no priuate inuention and not exceed them in blind ignorance who thought in naturall reason that none is aboue God or mens soules to make them what he alone listeth as Plato by the same light of nature sawe that self-will in religion which he termeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the roote and originall of all mischiefs and inconueniences l. 10. de legibus a booke made purposely in honour of diuine matters according to the naturall light of so learned a philosopher He thinketh himselfe the preacher of humilitie and christian libertie as one Wall thought himselfe too in the daies of king Richard the second when as in plaine euident proofe he hindereth one special cause thereof I meane the authoritie and reuerence of Gods diuine lawiers and gospellers as he that readeth the third epistle of S. Cyprian will certainely iudge and would make them of true shepeheards very mercenaries of right patrons right beggers of mē in greatest account by law of nature by law of grace by all true law of reason consciēce men of small reputatiō triobolares mē of smal power of smaller abilitie of least soueraignty in vertuous exercises of christian magistracy of ecclesiasticall hospitalitie of godly correction So Iulian their Emperour tooke away the reuenues of the church that it might be the lighter and nimbler to flie into heauen as he said blessed are the poore for theirs is the kingdome of heauen whereas Christs pouertie is an example of humilitie as well for temporall christians as for spirituall vnles the laity will loose the name nature of christians and bequeath it onely to the clergy which is in the higher sort very poore needy in respect of those domesticall and politicall acts which are regularly belonging to them and in the lower sort with reuerence be it spoken of so good a company as that is or may be when God shall in mercy amend patrons most wofull and miserable in respect of that prouision which is necessary for him that would not be defectiue in his own profession If either be insufficient for life or learning altogither vnworthy of their liuing there are a great number sufficient enough that in peaceable and militar gouerment could supply their wants O sweet country and countrimen let the inheritance and succession remaine in the linage of teachers vnlesse you will haue learning leaue the earth and returne to heauen where aboue all principalities it is adored and is named no lesse thing then God then the word then maker and ruler ouer all For this reformer which is no better then a blinded and hardharted guide may say he loueth Christ the word but you and I and all good christians may hardly beleeue him because we must iudge of a tree by the fruite and neuer call it an apple tree that bringeth forth crabs wee must neuer imagine he can loue and allow Gods lawes which hateth and disaloweth the true preachers thereof and because I am assured that he cannot shew you or me or any Christian another rule and example of better credit then the law of the Lord and the gospell of his lambe both which are euer in building not in spoyling the church in helping euer not in beggering the brethren in dooing good to all companies and honest societies not in vndoing any in giuing to Caesar giuing to God not giuing that distinct part to Caesar that is due to God seing all that Caesar himselfe hath is due to God If this truth be vntruth if this light be darknesse yet all scismaticall Tees and such Cees and such Ems in the world can neuer disproue it shall we once thinke that this or that one man who is in some mens and womens supposes of a most od dispositiō and rare iudgement hath more knowledge in gouernment then Moses had the lawgiuer of Gods owne elect people so peculiarly and wonderfully called and chosen
surest freend to God and Gods people which ioyneth the power of the world vnto the mightines of the word the arme of Moses to the tongue of Aron the blessings of God to Gods blessed church that by vniting of both powers either may be stronger Eccle. c. 4. v. 12. that in this greatest light of diuinitie diuines should be in greatest light and reputation yea if it were but to anger the deuill in hell who like a crafty theefe as he is euer seeketh by miserable pouerty to cast them into wofull contemptible estate That vnhappie pouertie may make the men ridiculous as Iuuenall wryteth Satyra 3. or as Synesius bishoppe of Ptolomais singeth in his seconde and thirde Hymne sad pouertie may pull them from heauenly studies to earthly cares as he had learned of Agur the sonne of Iaketh or rather of experience the daughter of trueth that our preachers nowe may pronounce a seuenfold Vae and a mighty malediction ouer thē which empayre Gods tenthes or any other dues as the olde Prophets aforetime did in Iudaea Mala. c. 3. v. 8 10. Amos cap. 4. vers 4. that there is no iust cause why the papistes should be readier to magnifie their Cleargie in a false superstition then the Protestants to vphold rewarde their cleargie in a true religion why the heathen churches should be in greater reuerence with the paganes then the christian churches with the christians as the loue of good men should exceed the loue of the wicked why secular men may get their wealth by testamēt or desert spirituall men hauing the same plea both of testament and desarte may misse of their own goods and lose them by force by tyrāny hypocrisie vnder a mercifull Prince in a peaceable state in their owne natiue countrey of their own neighbors by the waiward and sophisticall wrangling of their own professors and such other deceitfull and vngodly meanes and essayes of the maker the shifter the hooker against the golden rules of vniuersalitie of antiquitie of vnanimitie which Vincentius in his commentarie standeth so well vpon Then to whom may I best liken this race of Reformers and with what may we iustly and truely compare them If I should continua similitudine resemble them to the Vipers broode that kill their owne damme which bred and brought them vp to life I am sure you that know the vse of this kind of simile and the manners of this people against their mother the Church that first bred them will say I speake trueth If in like sort I compare them to the noysome Cuckoo reckoned among other vnclean birdes in Leuiticus which must not be eaten or tasted of c. 11. v. 16 whose propertie is to starue his nest-felowes and destroy his nurce that fed him our dayly experience doth approue it and if Orus or Pïerius were aliue euen they woulde make these two naturall examples the Hierogliphickes of Reformers God graunt they be not like the vnaduised Physitian that would needes cut a veine where no danger was and thinking to ease and lighten the head where the signe was which poynt hee either forgat or neglected let the life bloud out and killed both head and heart together I pray God they prooue not like the hasty and curious husbandman that to make his trees growe in more sightly order as he thought so cropped and disarmed disarayed them that in short time they withered vp I hope in Christ they shall neuer be like that conceited harebrainde Captaine who when by grosse ouersight and blindenes he had lost the Citie in neglectigg one gate which had most neede of defence beyonde his expectation cast himselfe and his neighboures into bondage and death and as it were out of Gods blessed Paradise into the wilde fielde and hote Sunne But alas I see well they are to day like themselues yesterday and to morow like themselues to day seking this day and all other like themselues to make desperate exchanges to bring in fruitlesse amendments stūbling at strawes that hinder not the way and leaping ouer great blockes that halfe stoppe vp the way crying out vpon the godly orders and decent customes of the church as il birds that file their owne neast exclaiming against conuocation robes and graue apparrel because sometimes forsooth there hangs a straw or feather or threads end or some such great thing which a cranke a cursitour a Martin a carter threw or blewe vpon them in his terrible mocking vaine and letting passe the mōstrous vnnaturall vnlawfull vngodly vnciuil and more then Iewish vsurers whom the most learned M. doctor Wilson once her Maiesties Secretarie hath condemned in his Dialogues to the endlesse shame of gromelgayners ill occupiers by heathens by Christians by the old fathers by the auncient counsels by emperors by bishops by decrees by canons by all sectes of regions and of all religions by the gospell of Christ by the mouth of God omitting the outlandish and English corruptions or witcrafts by which and those kinde of people together if we marke well this seminarie of reformers is cheefly vpholden and boulstred out and by such companions as make the bookish vnwary Minister a cloake for their conueyances and a shadowe for their skarres It is but too true which Ptolomy wryteth in his 12. aphorisme that loue and hatred corrupt mens iudgements either in themselues by extenuating the greatest faults and by extending the least commendations or by enlarging the least faults and abridging the greatest prayses of their aduersaries which like not their proceedings Wherefore I would to Christ they would once leaue off from their vncharitable and vnwarie contradictions and be so gratiously and godly wise to take the lambe of God out of the Lions and Beares mouth as valiant young Dauid did saue his lamb with his cunning and hardy sling and taught some old shepheardes as he learned of other to keep their sheepe and lambes from hungrie and emptie and rauenous beastes of the field and of the wood Saue the lambe of God not because he hath need of your helpe but that yee may bee blessed and saued by him Hurt not the seruants of the Lambe if ye haue any foresight in you least while you goe about to drowne the poore mouse as the enuyous frog did you make your selues a pray to your enemies by the same deuise and thread which drowned him as Aesope said to Delphi for himselfe in a sillie tale conteyning a subtile and solemne precept to beware of reuenge Let vs looke vpon the Princes and heads of Israël let our noblemen allow and follow their actes which shal be renowmed and praysed for euer their offeringes shal be famous throughout all posterities no reformers or misinformers shall euer deforme and defame their good workes and good names and the sixe sonnes of Arcturus in heauen shall not continue longer then the giftes of Naason Nathaniel Eliab Elizur and the other rulers vnto Pagiel and Ahyra which giftes they gaue at the setting vp of
and theomachies commonly made euen of poets in reuerence of religion the causes of greatest mischiefes and sorowes to which end and purpose all the most auncient tragedies haue beene written euē euery one of them as R. Haruey hath proued in his Logical and Enthymematicall Analysis dedicated to the valiant and vertuous noble Lord the Earle of Essex If Menelaus counted a light and idle pratler abuse Calchas or Agamemnon a great drinker in his hast and anger misuse Chryses or Pentheus in his frensie disturbe the Bacche or Creon in his pride disable Tyresias and so forth neither shall their passions hinder the spirites of those Prophets nor make Nestor or Vlisses or Cadmus or the Thebanes or the wiser sort or God himselfe in their phrase termed Apollo and Dyonisius of destroying euill thinges and working great matters to despise them one iote the more but the rather to defend them which decorum is euer kept in all their bookes in geuing the best ende of their controuersies to their religious persons hee that hath eyes to read let him reade Then let him thinke in his heart whether pacience and humility in one man should prouoke another man to presumption and rigour and the naked innocencie and innocent nakednesse of Gods holy prophets and teachers may in any heauenly or worldly reason cause busiebodies the rather to annoy them if he answereth in himselfe it should not it may not be why goeth he against his conscience and woundeth his owne soule in allowing these idle flies these troublesome waspes these stinging gnats these vnprofitable wormes if he saith it should be it may be he maketh loue a reason of hatred and submission a cause of oppression he taketh away the reward of vertue and doth euill for good which is worse then the worst beasts then diuels all Then I beseech him to consider how disalowable it is in good discipline which they and he stand vpon so much to change that order and breake downe those degrees that are nether diuers from Gods holy and reuerend word nor contrary to true and godly gouernment to be firie vehement in their innouatiōs wheras old standards haue more equity and safety in thē by much or else by such an infinite methode we shall neuer make an end of changings and euer trouble the world with needles questions besides that is the most inordinate vnlawfull thing in the world to haue priuate men speake and write their pleasures in publicke cases seeking on their owne heads without any good allowance or lawfull warrant of the rulers factiously and arrogantly to alter the state that is builded and framed on Gods and mans law Then I desire him to examine this question whether vertue and wealth godlines and riches may not be in one and go together if they may not why were the most soueraigne princes and godly puissant captaines of Gods church euer as welthy and rich as any other will they reforme God too for doing this and teach the Almightie to do better or if they may be in one being both good what meane these immoderate clensers of no faults to pull downe or spoile to beggar or abase with all their forces the countenance and maintenance of spirituall magistrates and fathers of ecclesiasticall teachers and rulers whose reuenues and iurisdictions are more necessary and lesse hurtful more charitable and natural then any other and whose children shall not be behind any in true vertue and true proofe How truly hath S. Augustine defined him to be an heretick which for profits sake or fame beginneth or followeth new opinions God in his goodnes and mercie forgiue all ignorant and weake offences as he will in his powerfull iustice ouerthrow all presumptuous and strong offenders to his owne immortall glory and the euerlasting comfort of his true church his peculiar people his faithfull children his obedient seruaunts which beleeue in him aboue al which feare him vnder all which loue him with all the powers of their soules and bodies in all thankfulnes and dutie in all visible inuisible offerings of their goods and goodwils For when the reasonable and honest soule remembreth in it selfe that the weight of Gods sanctuary was euer as much more as the weight of the congregation and the measure much more that the best fairest of all things were alwaies bestowed vpon Gods diuine vses and seruices who giueth vs the best all for his vses that the lands of the Leuites in that only little land of Canaan cōtained at the least in compasse one hundred and ninety miles Num. c. 35. v. 5. or if later times be better that of the whole land of Iurie diuided into foure seuerall parts two parts of them were giuen to the priests to the temple and the Leuites for their inheritance Ezech. cap. 45. vers 3 4 5. or if an interpretor be required herein in that S. Ierome in his notorious and notable epistle to Euagrius concludeth and calleth this an apostolical tradition that the Bishops and Priests and Deacons may aske and chalenge so much in the church as Aron and his sonnes and the Leuites did in the temple that the liuings of the Aegyptian priests euen idolatrous priests were not once touched or diminished in common dearth and famine and need and knoweth withall that these benefits and liberties were ordained by two of the most godly and politick lawmakers that euer liued except Christ euen by Moses and Ioseph men euery way most singular vnmatchable men taught of God himselfe from heauen it selfe by visions and reuelations and familiar conferences how can he iudge otherwise then honorably and graciously for the heads and parts of the church as he will iudge both graciously and honorably for the heads and parts of the congregation there is not I am sure any one of vs that reading S. Paul 2. Cor. c. 3. v. 7 8 9 10 11. of the glorious and continuall ministery of righteousnes more excellent then the ministery of condemnation or c. 4. Galat. humbling the law with the names of rudiments and bondage and those which liued vnder the law of children and seruants but exalting the gospell with the titles of fulnesse of time and redemption and the gospellers of sonnes and heires and such other concordances of like Scripture can once thinke that the law of Moses is greater then the gospell of Iesus but that the gospel is both for the godhead of the autor Hebr. c. 3. v. 3. and for the doctrine it selfe and for the first teachers of both greater and woorthier then the law which proposition of the gospels excellency and preferment beyng truly graunted and rightly grounded these consequents must necessarily be conioyned that they which teach the gospell ought euery way to liue in more honour and credite thereby among the Christians then they which taught the law liued in honour and reuerence thereby among the Israëlites as the perfitest state of the church must haue perfitest honour that he is the
extreme vengible reformatiues these new metrapolitanes that haue pasports and inuestitures of the deuils good holines to Nymrodize and Iudaize their filles these that care not if heauen fall downe and earth rise vp so they haue their willes and get themselues a day and a name being now wearie of their right surnames and christian and wishing to bee their owne godfathers or nicknamers for here is their great theme and maxime of pure and purpure misrule I warrant you largely and illuminately handled here is the goale and price they runne at and long for here is that crucifige which they cried so long here is a correctiue Leiger and Factor for their new-shapen worships their humors of all sortes here is their vpright patrico or Abraham man as they tearme him at a beck at an inch with his dieu garde that can and will at a dead lift proue it good by his lawes and canons by his reasons and senses by his fathers and brothers and sisters by his angels and perhaps paredrall diuels that bare such a sway in their booke Nemith vel legum Orci Inferorum That Hazael and Ioas princes were base kings and as it were flattering dogs to call the ecclesiasticall prophet Elisaeus their lord and father 4. Kings c. 8 v. 12. c. 13. v. 14. that the third Semicenturion or captain of king Ochoziah with al his fifty men was but a swaine to fall on his knee and do the ecclesiasticall prophet Elias reuerence and cal him his good lord 4. Kings c. 1. v. 13 14. that king Benhadad Naaman the captaine and the rest in holy Chronicle did amisse to call prophets their fathers and lords themselues being noble and mightie men 4. Kings c. 5. v. 17. c. 8. v. 9. that God did not well to make Moses that was but a lawgiuer and counseller the God of Pharao a king drad soueraigne Exod. c. 7. v. 1. that al men in the earth which haue called the heads rulers of the church their lords in bookes in sermons in other meetings shall for that idle word giue account at the last day but not for calling other mē their lords that our Church is maymed vnlesse we turne 7. into 4 and yet so we mayme it more that our bishops are blasphemers and traitors vnlesse they set downe 4. sortes of churchmen by those texts where S. Paul setteth downe 7. seuerall things Prophecie Office Teachers Exhorters Distributers Rulers Mercymen Rom. c. 12. v. 6 7 8 c. where he setteth downe nine gifts of the spirite wisedome knowledge faith healing great workes prophecie discerning of spirits diuersities of tongues interpretation of tongues 1. Cor. c. 12. v. 8 9 10. where he setteth downe fiue orders with the fruits of them apostles prophets euangelists pastors teachers c. Ephes c. 4 v. 11 12. that deacons must not teach wisdome but pastors that elders must not teach knowledge but doctors that pastors must not meddle with goods but deacons that doctors must not deale with manners but elders that wisedome knowledge manners accounts these foure things belong not to euery pastor to euery doctor to euery elder to euery deacon because euery one in himself belike and in other men must not looke to the soule and bodie to the mind and māners to the inward and outward man that our confessors and martyrs of late time men as carefull of euery worde they spake as men might be and specially that most innocent and righteous preacher M. Bradford was ouerseen in being so dutifull and curteous to call the Bishops lords that these our Eliae Elisaei Moses our spirituall captaines and fathers should not be called lords nor charret strength of England any more though they euer were and wil be so that teachers must be poorer then their inferiours and schollers that the magistracies for none or least causes must bee contemned and ouerthrowne that the sheepherd must not be richer then a sheepe and Christ put from his See in the church because he is not corporally resident that laughing and reioycing vpon supposed faults betokeneth Gods spirit that the watchman in the tower must be kept of the meanest that saueth me best and al that he may in conscience be fostered that standeth stifly in a lewde cause that Philemon did not owe himselfe to Paul his spirituall father v. 19. that physicians of the bodies shall be in great account for healing an outward maladie that would cast into the graue and looking to the mortall part of man and our ghostly and heauenly physicians of the soule must be out of account for preseruing the immortall part of a man and curing the inward diseases that otherwise would cast downe to hell that the minoritie of Saul and the Iudaisme of Paul must preiudice the ones title and roialtie and the others doctrine and diuinitie that Edgars and Iustinians and the first Williams or third Edwards Henries lawes or Magna charta should set their lawiers aflote in wealth in magnificencie in all ability and Gods lawe descending from heauen vpon the holy mountaine Sinai in all maiestie and honorable reuerēce the prophets words writtē by the wisest spirit of the whole world euē Gods own holy Ghost the gospell of Christ that hath by Gods prouidence conquered heauen and earth as I coulde easily shewe vnto you if puritanisme were not and the spirituall true decretals of the Apostles which keepe all men from follies and lawmen from iniuries these 4. chartae maximae of God himself that hold vp euen the foure corners or quarters of heauen ouer our heads that else for our sin would contrarie to all philosophicall quintessences fall vpon vs shall set their students their barresters their counsellers and iudges at an eb or in a drought in more penury in greater want and contemptible estate Such reasons and conclusions which either must be vpholden with many other like inconueniences and mischiefes or else these nouelties and quarrels must be cast downe are more fit for the oration of Catiline with the coniuration of Lentulus Cethegus once in Rome then for reformation of our English church which is not of the same manner of spirit that Elias was for so our Sauiour teacheth his Apostles in the gospell of S. Luke c. 9. v. 55. euen as this commonwelth is not in such distresse by Gods fauourable goodnesse wherein it liueth for according to the times God raiseth vp diuerse graces in the world as those regions were at that day vnder persecution when notwithstanding the prophet was thus highly honoured and reuerenced of princes which if it were otherwise in deede then it was yet in right what argument call you this by your reformatiō what consequence is this in your witcraft your new logicke which desire to seeme so logical and sensible wittie men To set worldly magistrates vp on height for good seruice done to their prince and countrie duly and iustly to thrust downe these magistrates of magistrates as