yet I protest that I would as to my comfort I doe ioyne my selfe in the publike hearing of the worde receiuing of the sacraments praying fasting giuing of almes and other holy exercises which these congregations as the assemblies of Gods people amongst whō publike saluation is to be had and with these ministers as the messengers of Iesus Christ whose commission from him to make known vnto me the way of saluation I dare not deny for my soule because there is some want in the seale I mean the outward calling My reasons are these Where I am obscure the booke may giue light The conclusion for breuities sake I haue omitted in the most The Prosyllogisme or second proof of any doutfull action where it is omitted is afterwarde concluded in the syllogisme which serueth for a proofe of all my reasons where any of them might be thought to be weake Euery one that hath the * life of a minister good or bad or that is a minister in deede is ordained of God for the gathering a Rom. 12.3 1. Cor. 4.11.28 Ephes 4.12 together of the saintes For ther is no other minister spoken of in the word No bare reader is ordained of God for this end Therefore no bare reader is a minister in deede or hath the life of a minister good or bad The faithfull prechers in the Church of England haue and do shewe by the good euidence of their teachinge whereby soules are gathered vnto the church and fed therein that they were ordained of God for this ende Therefore the seperation from them and their assemblies is an vngodly wicked and scismatical rent from the visible body of the churche An vngodly wicked and scismaticall rent I call it vpon good deliberation aduice Because that seperation from the companye where publike saluation is had and professed which is made in such sort as if the sayde company had not the means of saluation sounding in it or worshipped God after a false maner is wicked and scismaticall Such is the rent of these men For as they themselues do anouch they are seperated from vs because in all our meetings the corruptions are so great that we serue the true God after a false maner hold not the foundation and so haue no meanes to be saued among vs. For the men thēselues I hope the Lorde will recall them and I am perswaded the most of them haue fallen into this snare of meare and simple ignorance And woe woe woe vnlesse they repent will be vnto them that in smiting and keeping backe the carefull and harmlesse sheapheardes haue beene the cause of this lamentable dispersion straying of the poore sheep For the course whiche they take in seekinge good things it is to be auoyded as a course very likely to shake them from eternall life that continue in it I know what I say For where is there now any more meanes left for them to be saued without their repentaunce we hauing the onely ordinarie meanes of saluation among vs as before is prooued wheras they seperate themselues from vs as from those who serue the true God after a false maner and plainly shew that they would haue no saluation rather then that whereof wee are by the mercies of God pertakers through the ministery of the worde in our assemblies They cannot deny I desire thē to grant no more then the reasons folowing the former proue in this point but that saluation is to be had by the ministery of our preachers And they also know that there is but one ordinary way to be saued which being accounted but in one assembly to be the way of seruing God after a false manner the passage of saluation is shut vp euery where vnto them that are thus seduced for any thing that I know to be reuealed Shall I because the churche-gouernement is not as yet established a Tit. 1.5 in Creta or is iniuriously kept out and some great corruptions tollerated in steade thereof therefore affirme that those congregations of the Cretians where the word of god is taught by men of fit gifts are assemblies where the true god is worshipped after a false manner and yet notwithstanding thinke I may be saued by the worde preached at Philippi continuing still in the same error Whereas they that deliuer the worde at Creta are men endued with as rare gifts from the Lorde for the worke of the ministery as vpright in life and haue called as many to saluation as they had done who are at Philippi I doubt hereof Naye if I seperate my selfe from the assemblies in Creta to go to Philippi it shall not be because I deny them to be meetings of Gods people among whome he ruleth by the scepter of the worde or because I account them prophane synagogs but because I see them too slacke in growing to that perfection whereunto they desire to bee brought so that my departing shall not be a separation but a going forwarde And while I addresse my selfe to goe forwarde I will be sure not to cut of my selfe from the publike meetinges where the worde preached is inioyned A strong maner of reformation for men to cutte them-selues off from the true Churche to the ende they may haue a perfect outward gouernment The practize of these silly men might seeme to be more tollerable if they had ioyned themselues with any Churche vnder heauen Nay I would see what church dareth receiue them as long as they holde these congregations for Idolatrous synagogs where that ordinance of God is by which men are brought out of the kingdome of darknes vnto the kingdome of Christ Euery one of the syllogismes noted with this marke * inferre the former conclusion against their practize I wishe their conuersion from my heart and will be readie to performe any christian duetie as a brother towards them that the Lord hath enabled me Euery minister (2) 2 indeed * of that ordinaunce a Ephes 4.13 which is to continue in the church for the worke of the ministerie to the worlds end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Noe bare reader is a minister of this ordinance For this ordinance is the woord preached Ergo no bare reader is a minister indeed (3) 3 Euery minister is able * to make the elect to be members of b Ephes 4.13 Christ No bare reader is such an instrument Ergo (4) 4 Euerie minister * is a meanes by the worde of the grace of God to giue the elect an inheritaunce among them that are c Act. 20.32 sanctified None of our readers is such a meanes ergo (5) 5 Euerie minister indeede is able to feed the * elect with the food of knowledge and d Iere. 3.15 vnderstanding None of our bare readers are able to do this ergo (6) 6 Euerie * minister at the least in regard of gifts is according vnto the Lords owne e Ierem. 3.15 heart that is his ordinance reuciled concerning his
the whole land with pestilence or with blood as he is likely to do for these wadges of execrable gold it is not the pontificall Lordships of byshops at whose commaundement the lordes sword will b Ierem. 47.6 returne againe into his sheath when your gasping soules shall cry for mercy at the Lords hands it is not the proud popelike Lordships of bishops their vsurped iurisdictions their prophane excommunications their railing slaunders against Gods truth and his seruants their blasphemous breathing of the holye ghost vppon their Idol priests that will driue the Lord to giue you and coÌ„fort Let me therfore though my person bee base conteÌ„ptible entreat your Hh. that the iudgements of God against sin both in this life and in the other of eternal woe and miserie may appeare so terrible in your eies of that vndoubted consequence as you will no longer retaine vnder your gouernment these thynges whose continuance doe giue the Lord iust cause in this life to pronounce this sentence by the mouth of c Iere. 22.29.30 Ieremiah against euery one of you and execute the same O earth earth earth heare the wordes of Iehouah write these men destitude of children men that shall not prosper in their daies yea there shall not be a man of their seed that shall prosper and sit at the counsell table or beare rule in England anye more And in the life to come to saye moreouer these a Luke 29.27 mine enemies that would not suffer mee to beare rule ouer them and their people bring hither and stay before my face yea binde them hand and foot and throw them to vtter darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth And let me crauing vppon my knees with all submission and earnestnesse and more earnest if it were possible obtaine that my countrey-men by your meanes may haue the word preached euen the meanes wherby they may liue for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Graunt them this my Lords though I die for it Oh I would thinke it an happie death which shoulde make mee the first messenger to carie such ioyful newes vnto the blessed b Luke 16. Saincts and aungels in heauen as that Wales were conuerted from sinne And this the Lord knoeth is the only scope of my writing and not the discrediting and galling of our lord-bishops Let not their places withstand the saluation of my brethren and the true seruice of God among them and if euer I either write or speak more against them any further then their sears are like to bee the ruine of her Maiestie and your Hh. let it cost mee my life Heare me in this sute good my Lords the rewarde whereof your soules shall find otherwise I am likelye to become a wearisome and an importunate sutor vnto you The couÌ„tenance of that creature is as yet vnseene that shal enforce me by the lords assistance to take a deniall at your hands The cause is so iust that if it were as sometimes it was by the c Act. 17.19 Apostle himselfe decided in the Athenians Areopago a court for heathen iustice of famous and celebrated memorie I doubt not but it should be heard And shall it not haue iustice at the christian counsell table of England Iustice my Ll. I say for I seeke nothing els but that the statutes of the God of iudgement iustice may be made knowen in my deare countrie where now they are vnheard off Then the which I knowe not what can be more iust neither can I see what iustice in trueth canne bee ministred by them that neglecte this cause Verelye for mine owne part GOD ayding me I will neuer leaue the suit vntill I either obtain it at your hands or bring the Lord in vengeance blood to plead with you for repelling his own cause Here I know it will be answered that counsellors can do nothing in the matter her Maiestie hath referted all vnto the prelates in church causes They haue dealt with her they cannot they may not be heard Be it that her maiestie hath bin mooued by you for the redresse of the church you shuld do it again againe and neuer leaue vntill you be heard Great matters are neuer brought to passe without great mightie endeuours Our sinnes haue otherwise deserued then that the Lord should at the first incline mercie vnto vs in the sight of her highnes would any of you alter any part of the gouernment of his familie being perswaded by leude flatterers that all were well vnlesse the abuse were shewed you earnestly delt with for a reformation And can you blame that our soueraigne is hardly drawen to reforme the Church whose estate euen in her hearing is said daily out of the pulpit to bee most flowrishing whereas the deformitie thereof is not made knowne vnto her I knowe it is no small perswasion that should draw a Monarch to alter and establishe new lawes vnles the vnanswerable necessitie thereof were made knowne vnto hir or him Hir Maiestie knoweth not I speake as I am perswaded the exacting necessitie that lieth vpon her shouldrrs of reâ—â—â—ning the Church e She knoweth not the estate of her vntaught and damned subiects to bee as it is Wherefore serue Counsellers if her eies must be euerie where to see euerie thing And what do your Hh. see if you see not our case and lament it In this point I grant her eies should be her owne chusers but if of ouersight the waightiest matters bee omitted should not you my Ll. put her in minde hereof and in submission intreat her yea and neuer leaue entreating vntill she yeeld to turne away the wrath of God from her selfe and her kingdome by abolishing vngodly ordinances and restoring beutie vnto SioÌ„ Which of you is he that hath that doth or wil performe this duetie to our Soueraigne which of you will make knowne vnto her this which I haue written I knowe I shal be traducted and torne againe in pieces with slaunders as a seditious firebrand of newe attemptes to stir vp her people to innouation at the least let me be made knowne vnto her by this name that some way I may come to the triall of my cause in hand and my warrantable proceedings therein I am neither papist Annabaptist libertine familian one that dareth seperate himself from the godly assemblies in this lande where the worde preached soundeth nor yet one that holdeth any thing either in substance or circumstance contrary to the wholsome doctrine expressed or included in Gods reuealed word of the old and new testament therefore let me haue the benefite of a Christian if not of a christian subiect not to be condemned before my cause be hearde whiche is not mine owne but the cause of God his Churches my countries and your Hh. I haue forged the most notable slaunders that euer were coyned or else the estate of my country is most miserable and yours no lesse lamentable
by reason of the character of sure destruction that hee will imprint on as manie as shall supplie your places And I trust in the Lord Iesus to see his church florish in wales when the memorie of Lord-Bishops are buried in hell whence they came Beare witnesse hereof you adges to come And giue you ouer your places or doutlesse the plague and cursse of God will eat you vppe You are vsurpers you tyrannize ouer the Lords people I haue other things to do then to be a contentious man one with whome the whole world should be at debate and I am guiltie vnto my selfe of sins which giue me iust cause to look vpon the ground I haue also a life whereof there is no cause I thanke God I should bee weary notwithstanding this I offer to loose the life of my body before man and the life of my soule before the Lord if I do not prooue that both you our non-residents and you our Lord Bishops of VVales in that you be non-residents and Lord-Bishops cannot be warranted by gods word yea or vtterly condemned by the same and that all magistrates who tollerate such as you are to be vnder their gouernment are guiltie of a fearefull sinne before the Lord. And that the Pope of Rome hath as good warrant yea the verie same warrant for his papall dignitie although I know three differences betweene you and him first hee is a professed Idolater secondlie claimeth authority ouer all pastors thirdly is subiect to no ciuill magistrat that you haue for the maintenance of your papall hierarchy ouer al the Pastors in your dioces which indeed is palpable Anarchie in Gods church If I proue not these things let me be burnt aliue cal me to mine answere when you wil thus I leaue you As for you our dumbe ministers I know you for the most part to be seelie men poore soules that made the ministery a meanes to liue in the world What should I say vnto you who maye say of your selues as did the foolishe Prophetes Though wee weare a surplice black garments to deceiue a Zach. 13.5 (42) 42 yet are we but plaine husbandmen c. Surelie the people may aske counsell as well of their thresh-houlds or desire their staffes to teach them knowledge as come vnto you for anie instruction You are no ministers as I haue and againe wil prooue you do most villanously prophane the sacraments and call for the wrath and vengeance of God to be powred vpon you (43) 43 Giue ouer your places or surely I do not see how it is possible you should be saued Better were it to liue poorelye heere for a time then to be damned for euer It is reason your outward estate should bee considered The Lorde will prouide for you your wiues and chidren if of conscience you leaue the ministery and the magistrate is bound not to see you want You liue nowe vppon stealth sacriledge and the spoile of soules The Lord open your eies my brethren the people of VVales to see these your plagues and to auoid them It is vnpossible you should be saued as long as you content your selues with these men their ministerie alone And the Lord open your Honors eies to reforme these confusions What the estate of my countrie is before the Lorde I haue hitherto shewed nowe in the face of the world how it standeth let vs consider That the most congregations in VVales haue wanted preaching these nine and twenty yeres I take it graunted Their case being thus I tremble to cal to mind what censure the holie ghost giueth of all them amongest whome the Gospell of saluation hath not bin preached These two places of scripture Ephes 1.13 2.11.17 conferred togither shew that they are without Christ aliants frō the common-welth of Israel haue no hope and are without God in the world for these be the verie wordes of the apostle who haue not heard of the word preached VVere the Prophet Ionas then now liuing among vs wold he not crie out O you people of Wales you are al reprobats and cast-aways O you people of Wales you are aliaunts from the communion of the true Churche O you people of Wales you are not so much as encluded within the couenāt of promise you are without al hope of heauenly blis O ye people of Wales whatsoeuer you pretend of the knowledge of the true God you are in very deede starke atheists without god as many of you as since the time you came out of the den of idolatrie and Poperie were not made pertakers of the power of God to saluation which is the gospell Of a truth my brethren there is no other true censure to bee giuen of you (44) 44 For it is impossible to make a true face of a Church appear among that nation which hath professed false religion as you haue done vnder poperie without the preaching of the woorde which you haue not enioyed In this place I am sorie I am sorie from my heart that the miserable estate of my poore countrey affoordeth the aduersarie such a demonstration to proue that we want the outwarde face of a church in the most assemblies in Wales as I know to be vnanswerable The marks of a true church a Mat. 28.18.19 out of our sauiour Christs owne wordes are gathered to be three the woord preached the right administration of the Sacramentes and the outwarde forme of gouernement Now if an Idolatrous dog of Rome should affirme that the most congregations in Wales since the time they were Romish sinagogues haue bin marked with neither of these three former markes and therefore must bee written in the blacke bill of insufficiencie to be churches of God hee were able to prooue both the one and the other and we with confusion of face should bee driuen with Hezekias seruants to answer this Rabshaketh not a word For b 2. King 18.36 alas what might be our answere c 1. Pet. 1.21 Begotten again out of the wombe of popery by the word preached most of our assemblies haue not beene As for Discipline our Prophets are not ashamed publikelie to professe that they will not bee reformed by it If we would flie vnto the testimonies that wee might haue from the Sacraments the Lord himselfe will denie it to be possible for them to haue bene rightlie vsed among vs. Which I wil proue by many reasons that my countrey-men may be driuen to seek the remedie if anye thing can driue them of such a pitifull condition as wherein they nowe are being without the woord without the true vse of the Sacraments without Christes holy gouernement by the knowlege of that righteous one who is said a Esay 53.11 thereby to iustifie many Let no man doe me the iniurie to report that I denie anye members of Christ to be in Wales I protest I haue no such meaning and would die vpon the perswasion that the lorde hath his chosen
point you must or soake for euer in your owne confusion Difficulties in this case must not bee alleadged for if you seeke the Lorde with a sure purpose to serue him hee hath made a promise to be found of you b Prou. 2.16 Away then with those speaches how can we be prouided of preaching our liuinges are impropriated possessed by swine as nonresidents and hierlings Come by it as you can you shall goe to hell vnlesse you haue it A goodlie matter Is there no way to remooue these beasts by supplication to hir Maiestie c. and to place better in their steade Indeede you will seeke none Be it you can not remooue them Can you bestowe noe more to be instructed in the waye of life then that which law alreadie hath allienated from your possessions You neuer made account of your tythes as of your owne For shame bestow some thing that is yours to haue saluation made knowen vnto you Contemne not the grace of God offered vnto you in these daies of your peace For if you refuse to com vnto the Lord when he calleth behold your answer when you call for mercy at his handse There is a time a Prou. 1.24.30 of repentaunce indeede but that is limited according vnto the Lords will and not mans What should I take the paines to shewe howe ministers and their liuings may bee prouided for in Wales Seeing I see none readie as yet to entertain the worde and that which hath bene done heretofore in this point is not practized When anye are willing to entertaine counsell for this matter I dout not but it will be an easie consultation Not to doe in some place what may bee doone because euerie place cannot bee furnished with learned ministers and their liuinges is but to deride the Lorde to his face and delude his people of their saluation The inhabitants of the citie Thasus being besieged by the Athenians made a lawe that whosoeuer would motion a peaco to bee concluded with the enemie shdulde die the death Their citie began to bee distressed the people to perishe both with the swoorde and famine Hegetorides a citizen pitying the estate of his countrey tooke an halter about his necke came into the iudgement place Spake My maisters deale with me as you will but in any case make peace with the Athenians that my countrey may be saued by my death My case is like this mans I know not my daunger in wtiting these things I see you my dere natiue countrimen perish It pitieth me I come with the rope about my necke to saue you howsoeuer it goeth with me I labour that you may haue the Gospel preached among you though it cost mee my life I thinke it well bostowed And seing I seeke nothing hereby but the glorie of God and your saluation what deuils will be so shameles as to molest me for this worke and hinder the word preached If any such shall bee found I wishe them to consider before the deale with me what the Apostle setteth downe a 1. Thes 2.15 concerning the persecutours of those that seeke for preaching and the hinderers thereof namely that they please not God and are euen contrarie vnto all men and this their doing is a sealed writing that the vengeaunce of GOD will come vpon them to the full Answere it howe they may Be it as it will bee my comfort is the testimonie of my conscience that in simplicitie and singlenes of heart not onely as in the sight of Gods children vnto whose view and censure this poore labour is offered and his aungels but as in the presence of Iesus Christ I haue behaued my self in this cause hauing before mine eies that I am one day to yeeld an account vnto his maiesty both of my good meaning and also of all circumstaunces ouer-sight vaine and idle words in the action But alasse what can proceed from me that tasteth not of old Adam and the bodie of sinne which I carie about with me whersoeuer I haue offended either in matter or maner let it be shewed and I will with mine own hands destroy that which I haue built amisse be sorye for mine ouersight the most aeger censurer of my selfe and thank them from my heart who shall admonish mee of my fault Yea but the tractate concerning the Idoll ministerie tendeth to stirre vp my countrimen hir Maiesties subiects whereto To feele in what a miserable case they are before God and the worlde being without the word without the administration of the sacraments and without Christes holie discipline and in regarde thereof dutifully to entreat hir Maiesty and their honors that it may be redressed Truth And woulde to God they felt it To mislike of the ecclesiasticall gouernement nowe established among vs truth for it is forrain and Antychristian for the most part To mislike of the ciuil gouernment That is a slaunder and I dare write in in my forhead for a slander But why should I deale in this cause more then others The worthies of the Lord before me in preaching and writing for a learned ministerie ye haue dealt herein If they hadde not this is my reason Though all hir Maiesties subiects yea hir faithfullest counsellers should conspire against her highnes I my selfe against them al wold defend hir and her cause to the losse of my life ten thousand times And shall not I do the like seruice vnto the Lord To ende commending you all both honourable worshipfull ministers and people vnto the Lord and the worde of his grace I take my leaue of you in that exhortation which wee read in Iob. a Iob. 23.21.22.25 Acquaint your selues I pray you with the almightie and make peace with him thereby it shall go well with you receiue I pray you the law of his mouth and lay vppe his wordes in your hearts If you returne vnto him you shal be built vppe if you put iniquitie farre from your tabernacle the almightie shal be your defence you shall make your praier vnto him and hee shall heare you Christ Iesus giue them an heart to returne vnto thee and be thou founde of them for thy mercies sake Amen Amen Amen yea come quickly Lord Iesus Your poore countrey-man who in all dutifull good will hath wholy dedicated him selfe to doe you good in the Lorde IOHN PENRI THus I haue set downe the exhortation word for word as it was in the former impressiō without the altering or deminishing of any one thing three marginall notes added sauing the faults escaped in the printing And hauing heere and there diffused my reasons against the dumb ministers which I perceiue are not so easilie to bee gathered out of the same because the most part of them were brought in for other purposes I thought good in this place to set them downe syllogistically to the end it maye appear vnto the church of God vpon what grounds I denie them to be ministers But here first the state of the
mine holy things they haue put no difference betweene the holy prophane neither discerned between the vncleane and the cleane and haue hidd their eies from my Saboth and I am prophaned among them Hir princes in the midst thereof are like wolues rauening the prey to shed blood to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre And her I rophets haue dawbed thē with vntempered morter seing vanities diuining hes vnto them saying thus saith the Lord Iehouah when Iehouah hath not spoken The people of the land haue violently oppressed by spoiling and robbing and haue vexed the poore and needy yea they haue oppressed the stranger against right Thus far Ezekiel Be the sinnes of our prophets of our princes of our people the same that heare he speketh against be they greater or be they lesse yet without controuersie Verse 30 if the Lorde may saye I haue sought for a man among the coūsellors of England thatshuld make vp the hedge stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none then wo be vnto vs for that shal follow which is set downe in the prophet Therefore haue I powted out mine indignation vpon them Verse 31 consumed them with the fire of my wrath their owne waies haue I rendred vpon their heads saieth the Lord Iehouah And vnlesse there were iust cause to think that this Lord had either already or shortly ment to pronounce this sentence against vs wee might contemne scorne at the carped assaults of the Spanyards or any other the enemies of the gospel and her Maiesties whosoeuer But as long as we giue not the right hande vnto the Lorde by entring into his sanctuarie we haue iust cause to feare a nation that is no nation much more a people in number as the sand which is by the sea shore Our leags and most stable couenants with the enemies the lord will soone disanull standing thus at the staffes end with his maiestie as we do And as a Ierem. 37. Ieremie said vnto the king and states in his time though we had smitten the whole hoast of the Spanyardes that intend our ouerthrow there remained bur wounded men among them yet should euerie man rise vp in his tent and ouerrun this lande Let vs looke assuredlie whensoeuer the abiecte and contemptible enemie shall assaile vs abiect and contemptible I saie in all respects in comparison of the value and strength of our men and munition and the lord increase them a thousand folde more that this God whose seruice is so little esteemed of vs will send a terror into the harts of our valiantest and stoutest men so that he whose heart is as the heart of a lyon shall become as weake as water and one enenimie shal chase a thousand of vs because the hand of the lord will be against vs for our sinnes It is not therefore the Spanishe furniture and preparations but the sinnes within the land that we are most of all to feare For although the armie of the Spanyarde were consumed with the arrowes of famine although the contagious and deuouring pestilence had eaten them vp by thousands although their tottering shippes were dispersed and carried away with the whirle-winde and tempest although madnes astonishment were amongst them from him that sitteth in the throne vnto her that grindeth in the mil although the lords reuenging sword in the hand of the sauage Turke had so preuailed against them as it had left none in that vncircumcised host but languishing and foyled men notwithstandinge a contēptible withered remnant of the plague famine a nauie of winde and weather-shaken ships a refuse of feeble and discomfited men shal be sufficiently able to preuaile against this land vnlesse an other course be taken for Gods glory in Wales by your Hh. then hitherto hath bene If I did speake vnto infidels and vngodly atheists I know I should not be so plaine because vnto such the trueth is at sometimes vnseasonably spoken But I speake vnto your Hh. that haue vndertaken the profession of Christianitie and therefore shoulde be at all times fit to heare the trueth of your God And I know no temporizing trueth no temporising iudgements of God against sinne no trueth that is to be concealed vnto Christians because their Hh. cannot brooke the same no trueth my LL that is either not at all or minsinglye not to bee vttered because states loue not to heare thereof So that I was in this matter not to consider what your high places were content to hear but what was the dutie of your high places to heare And therefore I should thinke it I protest an vndutifull and flattering petition to intreat your Hh. not to be offended with me for vttering the trueth As though I supposed you woulde thinke it wonderfull that a man should aduenture to speake euen in the cause of his GOD anye farther then stood with your good liking I know the infirmities wants of men that deal in good causes are commonly beaten vpon the bak of the cause they handle Therefore the Lord knoeth how carefull I haue beene to keepe it vnspotted and my selfe out of all vnnecessary daunger Setting downe nothing before I had weighed what might ensue either in regard of the mater or maner of deliuery This I am assured that in the whole woorke there is nothing whereby any law of the land canne take holde of me But why did I publish a matter of suche waight before I acquainted your Hh. therewith Grant the pitition I will redeeme mine oversight heerein if it can be prooued any which I know to be none with the losse of my life if you do not meane to yeeld vnto it neither would you haue done it being mooued thervnto by priuate writing The cause I make known to the end it may be granted and herein let not my life be precious vnto me vpon the necessity of the publishing thereof I stand bicause that the world maye see when you redresse those things that you did nothing which you durst leaue vndone vnlesse you would haue brought swift destruction vpon your selues and the whole lande But what folly is it to think that such great matters in our daies wil be reformed Rather what iniury do they to your Hh. that thinke you will countenance any longer the breache of Gods lawes And in this point let the good opinion that they which aleadge such pretences conceiue be weighed with my dutifull perswasions of your Hh. and both our causes iudged accordingly For mine own part I thinke the maiesty of the cause to be such as they who are the lords dare not but entertaine it tremble to think that all this while it hath bene so carelesly attended vpon And it is in the behalf therof that I haue presumed to deale with you who other-wise durst not haue suffered my voice to be hard in the ears of the rulers of my people
Let what I haue written be examined yea by mine aduersaries them selues if I haue anye and it shall appeare that I haue made a conscience how I haue dealt with my superiours especially those concerning whome it is said you are gods least I should seeme to leaue behinde mee the least print of a minde in anye sorte tending to diffame them or their gouernment As I haue beene carefull herof so let the Lord yea and no otherwise which I speake as far as my corruptions do permit graunt this cause and my selfe also if it be his wil fauour in your eies Indeede in regarde of the cause I commandatory wise vnto your Hh. but in regard of my selfe I come in feare and trembling as vnto the lords vice-gerents entreating most humbly that the dignitie of so worthy a cause be thought off nothing the more dishonorably because it is brought in my hands And I protest in respect of my sinnes that the Lord may iustly denie it the fauor it deserueth in your eies bicause I am a dealer therein But this should be no cause why your Hh. should giue it a repulse For in the eies and ears of al the world I make it known that it is the cause of the liuing god wherein I deale and that if it had beene possible for me to haue written more humbly dutifully I had done it Or if I had seene any way that might haue bene likelier to preuail with my superiors then this course I take the Lord to record vnto my soul that I would not haue vsed this And I would to GOD I could tell how to make the cause plaucible So far I am from setting down any thing that might carrie with it any shew of occasion to hinder and disgrace the same Well I haue done my endeuour the successe I expect at the lords hands vnto whom I commend the cause and the saluation of that pore people The sworde of iustice reached vnto you by the Lord himselfe to take punishment of him only that is an a Rom 13.4 euil doer I fear not because I haue not offended If it should be drawn against me for this action the president wold be such as they who ment hereafter to prophesie vnto your Hh. might be aduisedly counselled b Micha 2.6 not to prophisie the Lord as a token of your iust destruction to ensue would say they shal not prophesie nor take shame If I haue spoken any vntruth beare witnesse thereof if a truth I dare by the lords assistance stand to it and demand what he is that wil presume to obiect and throw himselfe vnto the vengeance of God by punishing me an innocent The Lord may for my other sinnes bring mine head vnto the graue with bloud but in this cause what haue I offended and therfore vndoubted woe will betide him that shall molest me for this worke Howsoeuer it be thus I haue performed a dutye towardes the Lorde and his church my countrey and your Hh. which I would doe if it were to be done againe though I were sure to endanger my life for it And be it known that I am not afraid of earth in this cause And if I perish I perishe my comfort is that I know whether to go and in that day wherin the secreats of all hearts shabe manifested the sinceritie of my cause also shall appeare It is enough for mee that howsoeuer I be miserable in regard of my sins yet vnto Christ I both liue and die and purpose by his grace if my life should be prloonged to liue herafter not vnto my self but vnto him to his church otherwise then hithertoo I haue doone The Lorde is able to raise vp those that are of purer hands and lippes then I am to speake and write in the cause of his honor in Wales the Lord make them whosoeuer they shal be neuer to be wanting vnto so good a cause the which because it may be the Lordes pleasure I shall leaue them behinde me in the worlde I earnestly and vehemently commende vnto them as by this my will and testament And haue you pore Wales in remembraunce good my Lordes by establishing the word preached there that the blessing of many a saued soule therein may follow her maiestie and your Hh. ouertake you light vpon you and sticke vnto you for euer The eternall God giue hir Maiestye and your Hh. the honour of building hys church in Wales multiply the daies of hir peace ouer vs blesse hir and you so in this life that in the life to come the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen may be hir and your portion so be it good Lord. Were my dutifull heart towards your Hh. throughly knowen then I doubt not but I should bee better knowen vnto you then by my name IOHN PENRI TO THE READER Master D. SOMES booke was published this day I haue read it The man I reuerence from my heart as a godly and learned man The reasons he vseth against me in the questions of the reading ministrie and communicating with them I had aunswered as you may see in this booke before he had written They are faultie either because they desire that for graunted which is the question or make those things of like nature wherein there is a great dissimilitude as the arguments drawen from the magistracie and the Leuiticall Priesthood I haue answered thē The cause the reuerence I owe vnto the man though the reasons he vseth deserue not to be twise read ouer will enforce me to answere him at large There be certaine faults escaped in the print beare with them