such as haue his Letters Patent Abuse of his Maiesties Letters Patents and goe vp and down with Briefes of them as also for repressing of Rogues and Vagabonds as much euerie where now swarming as if their were no Law against them and thereby robbing the Countries where they trauell and be otherwise verie dangerous and commit many euils let it be only sufficient by mentioning them to put you in mind of them for some more seuere Law to be made to restraine them Wracks also seeme verie hard if not altogether vniust and vnrighteous viz. that one should be enriched with the losse vndoings of many and that the principall owners should not only lose their Ships with many mens liues for the most part but also their goods These things considered so amplified as by your wisedomes they may be what heart so flintie as not to be moued with compassion in that behalfe Touching the names of Puritans Prescisians Schismaticks c. disgracefully cast vpon such as are sound in all substantiall points of Christian Doctrine vnblameable in their life and conuersation not onely vpon such Ministers but also vpon all other that doe most endeauour to keepe a good conscience in all things towards God and men Act. 24.16 how gracious a thing were it to represse this for the time to come The rather because many young Christians are hereby much discouraged Especially it seemeth fit to restraine Preachers in Pulpits from all such disgracefull and reproachfull speeches Alas it is too lamentable that many young striplings that had need to be confined to some places till their beards were growne themselues were men as hauing been born Ministers before their time starting vp into Pulpits hauing no word of exhortation neither any sound Doctrine to deliuer It is I say lamentable that such should euen in great Congregations spend the time in such rayling and yet by profane and ignorant men be thought to preach excellently I hope that if some of the most Reuerend Bishops knew this abuse they would doe some thing for reformation hereof But a Law in this behalfe were best of all I had thought before to haue commended to your Christian wisedomes diuers cases of Marriage Diuers cases of marriage As that young men newly married should not be suffered presently to trauell for two or three yeeres together Against marriages also without consent of Parents at least contrarie to the minds of religious Parents that are able to shew good reasons of their contrarie mindes That all Licences for marriages without thrise solemne asking as they call it should be made vnlawfull That the Wife being iustly diuorced for Adulterie the innocent partie may haue libertie to marrie without contradiction there being no heauier thing for strong and lustie men then to be restrained from marriage And that the generall restraint of all persons from marriage for almost halfe the yeere should be vtterly abolished the same being contrarie to the Word 1 Tim. 4.3 and a Doctrine of Deuils and being altogether Papall and hauing no vse but to pay for Licences and being oftentimes the cause of much carnall filthinesse before marriage and sometime the man dying before marriage and leauing his contracted Wife with childe to her perpetuall infamie and to the making of the childe so borne no better then a Bastard Some good reason may be giuen for celebration of marriages betwixt eight and twelue of the clocke in the forenoones but certainly none can be giuen of the former saue onely the Siluer benefit of Ecclesiasticall Courts and their Officers But of these and some other marriage cases I dare not speak more largely hauing beene so ample before though nothing so ample as I could haue beene The same reason is of my silence of diligent yeerely mustering of men Yeerely mustering of men c. for the better fitting of them for times of need as also of good care of Furniture for Warre without any iugling to make the Furniture of one to serue for many the same also I say for my silence of the Ecclesiasticall discipline and gouernment the desire whereof hath beene a greater cause of the restraint of Ministers then their not conforming Herein I haue beene the more silent because the same hath heretofore and more lately beene amply learnedly and substantially laid forth by other wherein we alone differ from all other reformed Churches And if it shall not please his Maiestie generally to establish it according to Gods Word and other Churches throughout his Kingdome yet if he might be perswaded to tollerate it in some places appointed for the same by his owne Princely wisedome as I doubt not but that they which shall enioy the same will beare all charges thereto belonging without any preiudice to any other Ministers so I am perswaded that vse thereof would emittere such a fragrant smell as that all other would be the more in loue therewith thereby also would be that sweet peace that is so often commended in the Scripture Yea I doubt not but that his Maiestie would better affect it and the louers thereof then euer he hath done As the want of any member though neuer so little maketh the whole body the more impotent so the want of the holy Discipline maketh the whole Ministerie the weaker and lesse effectuall If this little hereof spoken be offenciue to any yet let it not I humbly beceech you hinder my former motions or any of them Against the abuses of Excommunication and citing of men to Ecclesiasticall Courts by Apparitors without any presentment against persons so cited contrarie to our owne Canons against proceeding also of such Courts for bare absence vpon the bare word of an Apparitor that maketh no conscience of any thing as also against so citing of men and such proceeding against them euen sometime neuer at all cited without regard of age of the season of the yeere of distance of place c. I hope that either some other will speake or this short mention will be sufficient or it may be some other will reforme such disorders Last of all because absence of the better sort sometimes doth strengthen the worse part Parliament men to meet together Ezek. 46.10 as experience hath taught in the Vniuersities therefore as the Lord by Ezekiel commandeth that in his worship The Prince and the people should come together thereunto and goe away together there-from so may it please you all that wish well vnto Zion and loue the peace of Ierusalem to doe the like in this your seruice of God of his Maiestie and of the whole Kingdome at euerie Session of the Parliament and on euerie day for euerie Session Exod. 32. How highly did all Israel sinne euen Aaron himselfe in the absence of Moses but a few dayes How effectuall for Christ Ioh. 7.51 was one weake word of Nicodemus euen to the dissoluing of the whole Councell of the Priests and Pharisees against Christ To shut vp all that I haue spoken by the priuiledge and libertie of Subiects The Conclusion for crauing helpe of your most Honourable Court in the former Aduertisements presented vnto you I doe humbly craue the gracious pardon of his most Excellent Maiestie of his Princely Sonne and of you all of any thing wherein for matter or manner I haue erred euen with the like words some few onely changed according to the difference of persons to whom I speake and of the future Tense into the time past euen with like words I say except onely before excepted doe I craue this pardon that Luther once vsed to the Emperour and other Princes before whom he pleaded his cause Sleidan comment lib. 3. Si quid à me peccatum fuerit potentissime Rex illustrissime Princeps nobilissimi Marchiones atque Comites honoratissimique Barones alijque huius Regni Proceres vel verbis minimè proprijs neque tanto consessu dignis vel etiam phrasibus parùm elegantibus atque decoris totum hoc mihi peto condonari propter vitae genus in quo aliquam mihi obsecro liceat interponere maximam aetatis partem consumpsi For alas I neither haue liued in the Court at least long together for these fourtie yeeres and more nor in the Citie but in the Countrey where I haue not beene acquainted with Court speech or otherwise exercised with Learning as some haue beene Neither I doe most humbly beseech you let the concealing of my name be any preiudice to this my humble Petition Because I haue spoken somewhat against Papists I haue therefore concealed my name least being knowne I should fall into some of their hands For they are a bloodie brood a generation of vipers yea a generation whose teeth are as swords Math. 37. Pro. 30.14 and their iawe teeth as kniues to deuour the poore from the earth and the needie from among men The poore and needie Yea also the mightiest Monarkes in the World They eat their God and kill their Kings And therefore as the Elders of Samaria said among themselues of Iehu 2 King 10 14. Behold two Kings could not stand before him how then shall we stand So say I of them Behold they deuour their God and so may most truly be called Bellygods and they murther Princes How then can such a poore wretch as I am stand before them The God of grace direct you all Nobles Knights and Burgesses by his Spirit of grace so to goe to our most Noble and gracious King Neh. 1.4 and 2.1 c. Est 4.16 5.1 c. as Nehemiah did to Artaxerxes and Ester vnto Ahashuerosh that thereby ye may finde that grace with his most gracious Maiestie that Nehemiah found with Artaxerxes for Ierusalem and Ester with Ahashuerosh for her selfe and all the Iewes And the same God shew me and all before supplicated for such fauour with his Maiestie and Princely Sonne and you all for our selues and for the House of God in this his Kingdome Ezra 7.27 that we may say as Ezra said Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart to beautifie the House of the Lord here in England and hath extended mercie vnto vs before the King and his councellors and before all the kings mightie Princes Amen 1 Cor. 16.13 Quit you like men be strong
and goods of men these by the same Deuil bewitching the minds and soules of men doe more hurt then the other They vse good words but without vnderstanding and such as are not appointed for working such good works Such good Witches also for the most part are void of all other good workes and most profane irreligious and ignorant of Gods Word and contemners of all exercises of Religion In their workes also they respect not Gods glorie but their owne gaine working also either without any other meanes then only words or by such meanes as haue no vertue in them for working such things but rather the contrarie yet be vsed by them only to cloake their wickednesse to bleare the peoples eies There is also another kind of Witchcraft more secret then the former and yet much worse and more dangerous verie hard also to be discerned yet I doubt not but such as may be found by your wisedomes seriously applied to the searching of it the effects whereby it may be discerned This is that inchanting of the mind such as it seemeth Simon Magus vsed in making the Samaritans thinke he was the great power of God such as whereto Paul seemeth to allude when he saith Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you God indeed ruleth the heart yet by this meanes sometimes in his Iustice as well as by other giuing the Deuil power as well to worke vpon the mind as vpon the bodie Was it not he to whom the Lord gaue power both to enter into Ahabs false Prophets to lye vnto him 1 King 22. â—2 and also into Ahab himselfe to beleeue the said false Prophets Who but he first bewitched as it were our first Mother Ene hauing no inward euill of her selfe to Gen. 3.6 eate of the forbidden Fruit If he had not had some secret footing within he could neuer haue so preuailed by all his outward temptations 1 Chro. 21.1 c. How also did Satan prouoke Dauid to number Israel but by his secret working inwardly It is also reported of Cyprian that before his conuersion he tryed by Magike to draw a young Virgin to haue committed filthinesse with him though the Deuil himselfe confessed he could not preuaile because of her Faith Neither he by the Deuil nor the Deuil at his request would haue attempted it but that both thought it might be done And no doubt but that by this meanes mariages are made of some the one partie without such meanes vtterly abhorring the other and after mariage shewing that they neuer maried in any true loue Here I beseech you giue me leaue to remember you of that that Master Tyndal writeth in his Practice of Prelats of Charles Maine King of France and created Emperour of Rome by Pope Adrian This Charles so doted in his old age vpon an old Harlot by meanes of an enchanted Ring vpon her finger that he could neuer endure her out of his sight Yea she dying he embalmed her and caried her in a Coffin with him whithersoeuer he went At last his Lords being wearie thereof and suspecting somewhat opened the Coffin and found the Ring vpon her finger which one of the Lords tooke off and put on his owne finger After this Charles left his dotage vpon her and doted as much vpon that Lord but the Lord being in time wearie thereof doubted some euill to be in the Ring and therefore tooke it off and threw it into a Well at Acon in Douchland in a foule Marish where notwithstanding the said Charles alwaies after remained and built a goodly Monasterie in worship as they vse to speake of our Lady Pardon me I humbly beseech you if herein I haue beene too tedious For it is well worthy your graue consideration as the which may be a thing dangerous not only to some priuate meane persons but also to other of great eminencie and therefore also in them to whole Countreys In which respect if by your wisedomes ye shall take some order to preuent it ye may doe greater good thereby then many can conceiue and for the which many may haue the more cause to blesse God for you Though such shallow heads as mine owne and some others cannot easily see how it may be preuented yet I doubt not but that your wisedomes will by deepe consideration of it see some meanes either to preuent it or so seuerely to punish it being made euident that afterwards none shall so dare to offend in this kind as before Exo. 22.18 Deu. 10.11 Surely that wise and iust God that hath so often and streightly commanded no Witches to be suffered to liue hath also giuen wisedome to some for finding these out For the religious obseruation of the Lords day For the Religious obseruation of the Lords day many good motions haue heretofore beene made in Parliaments which alwaies as hath been reported haue been most hindred by such as should most haue furthered them and that because they haue more loued their owne ease and pleasure in eating drinking and playing then the glorie of God or Saluation of his People Therefore such haue pleaded for libertie in walking bowling carding and tabling more then for preaching or hearing Gods Word Oh therefore that your Honourable Court would now at the last take some order for reformation of all abuses of this day by gaming buying and selling trauelling especially of common Cariers by Horse and by Wagons or Carts c. The neglect of this day is the neglect of all duties and plainly argueth a profane man This day cannot be throughly sanctified without diligent preaching forenoon and afternoone or at least a profitable Sermon in one part of the day and good catechising and plaine teaching the Principles of Religion in the other part the extreame ignorance of all sorts and of all ages necessarily requiring the same Such as plead one Sermon enough to be meditated on all the day may as well say that one is enough for med tation of an whole yeere A second Sermon or the afternoones catechising in good manner will not hinder but further the preaching of the forenoone It restraineth also the people from vaine exercises from drinking and gusling and the like Against Nonresidencie The abuses of this day cannot be reformed neyther can there be such preaching and catechising without suppression of nonresidencie and pluralitie of liuing It is as truely as commonly said by sound diuines that they that teach by Vicars and Curats and not in their owne persons shall goe to heauen by Vicars and Curats and not in their own persons De pontif Romano cont 4. q 4. Qui vicaria opera sayth Doctor Whitaker vtuntur ij non nisi vicariorum mercedem salutem expectare possunt So say other diuines against whom no exception can be taken D. Morton Apol. part 1. cap. 20. Qui per alium munere suo praedicandi defungitur habebit salutem vicariam sed poenam personariam Ibit
wrongs of Ministers redound to other who are the more reproached with Puritanisme Euerie one almost that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey and so both the name of Puritans and also puritie it selfe is in detestation Yea by the former seueritie against such Ministers for not conforming Religion it selfe is euerie where in the more contempt If. 59.16 Mark 7.12 and by mens traditions the Word of God is made of none effect and all swearing profaning of the Lords day whoring and drunkennesse c. doe the more abound and pride is to many as a Chaine and violence couereth them as a Robe Ps 73 6 How also haue Poperie and Papists both Iesuites other Priests The encrease of Poperie by the premises with their Disciples encreased by the late and long restraint of preaching the Word Yea how hath it encreased in all places oh that I could except the Court it selfe so likewise in all States Amongst the Common people in the Gentry in the Nobilitie Yea are not some of the greatest Nobilitie deepely dyed therewith And whatsoeuer profession or shew they make by going to Church c. Doe they not smell rankly thereof Oh it is well if they doe not euen well for all but especially for the Throne of Royall Maiestie Yea are not some of the Nobilitie or their Heires Apparant of that stampe that descended of Religious and Protestant Parents some also and diuers that haue lately been Nobilitati Yea how doe the foresaid Iesuites and Seminaries and otherlike Priests euerie where swarme and walke their Circuits with the great walker and Peripatecian euen the Compasser of the Earth Satan to deceiue seduce Iob 1.7 and make Proselytes to Rome Mat. 23.13 and two-fold more the Children of the Deuil then themselues Yea herein some Peripatecian Iesuites haue beene thought to haue had some Ladyes for their Curates I will not say that such Iesuites haue beene or are Vicars to such Ladyes husbands But whether they haue their deputations vnder such Husbands Hands and Seales that I leaue to such Husbands themselues to enquire I haue no Commission so to doe In consideration of the former encrease of Poperie and Papists it is the more high time for the Gospel to be inlarged and the Ministers thereof to be incouraged So much the more because the state of the Ministerie is yet verie weake verie lamentable both in respect of ignorant Ministers and also because such as are able to teach are some exceeding lazie and idle and some for their life and conuersation verie scandalous Many Congregations likewise that haue such Ministers are rather content with them then desirous of better neither so only but by the meanes of such Ministers they are altogether carelesse of the meanes of their Saluation not knowing what things do belong to their peace and therefore well content to sit still in darkenesse and in the shadow of death Luke 1 7â— as being ignorant of their danger thereby So also they are apt to be drawne both into any Errour and likewise into Rebellion against his Maiestie against his Posteritie and the whole Land Though therefore there were twise as many able good Ministers as there are yet all were litle enough For all the foresaid causes both euerie one of the former Ministers and also all Congregations in the former miserable condition and euerie Member of the same may say to your most Honourable High Court of Parliament as Job said to his Friends Iob 19.21 Have pittie vpon vs haue pittie vpon vs oh ye our Honourable and Worthy and Christian Friends for the Hand of God hath touched vs in suffering our Ministers to be taken from vs or withholding such from vs as we haue great need of Ps 69.20 Reproach hath broken our Hearts we are full of heauinesse We looked for some to haue had pittie on vs but there was none We are exceedingly filled with contempt Ps 123.3 4 Our Soule is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease with the contempt of the proud Yea God hath deliuered vs to the vniust Iob 16.11 euen to them that are vniust by the Law of God and man Act 20.26 Iob 30.28 Our Soules are starued by keeping backe our Spirituall food We goe mourning without the Sunne by meanes whereof we stand vp in the Congregation as it were in the middest of your most Honourable Assembly and cry vnto you for helpe and reliefe Lam. 4.4 The Tongue also of the sucking Children new borne in Christ cleaueth to the Roofe of their Mouth for Spirituall thirst Our such young Children aske Bread for their Soules and there is no man in many places that breaketh it vnto them yea many are readie daily to take it from them Lam. 1.16 For these things we weepe our Eyes our Eyes runne downe with water because the comforters that should refresh our soules are farre from vs Our children are desolate because our enimies of our saluation do preuayle Therefore also as in this respect many of vs may thus present our dolefull supplication generally to your most Honorable Senat so why may wee not euery one with the woman of Samaria in this our Famine of the Word cry out to his most excellent Maiestie and say 2 Kings 6.26 Iudg. 18.24 Helpe my Lord oh King If Michah made such a wofull out-cry vnto the Children of Dan as though he had lost all that he had because they had taken away his Jdols and Idolatrous Priests oh how much more may we cry out against such as haue taken away our faithfull Pastors or that will not set such ouer vs and say What haue we else For alas what haue we if we haue none to breake the Bread of Life vnto vs As I doe most humbly beseech his excellent Maiestie principally so secondly I doe in all due submission intreat your Religious Assembly to take no offence at this my mournefull complaint in the person of all other sith a chiefe Piller and Patron of the present Hierarchy Hadrianus Sarauia hath written Praestaret nullos in Ecclesia esse Episcopos In prolog de triplici Episcopo quam pro Episcopis habere lupos such as most Ministers with vs in these daies are partly in respect of their ignorance partly in respect of their idlenesse partly in respect of their extreame auarice alwayes crying Giue giue and neuer saying It is enough Pro. 30.15 and partly in respect of their pride intemperance luxurie and other their inordinate loose and lasciuious conuersation And with these things it is not vnworthy your wisedomes to consider a little the state of the Vniuersities as being the Seminaries of the Ministerie First In that by subscription vrged to all sorts in taking degrees and euen to young ones that know not whereto they doe subscribe neither are able to iudge of the matters as also that neuer are like to enter into the Ministerie many of great hope
the entrance of the Israelites into the earthly Canaan and that 400 yeeres after they had so done and against the two Captaines and their Fifties for comming only by the Kings commandement to fetch Elijah vnto the King 2 Chr. 24.23 24. 2 Chr. 36.16 and against Ioash King of Iuda for putting Zechariah the Sonne of Iehoiadah to death and vpon all the Iewes for their manifold contumelies and other great iniuries against the Prophets from time to time so the Ministers of the Gospel being greater then the Prophets may we not feare some great Iudgement of God against vs for all the former hard dealing against them Mat. 23.37 Mat. 11.9 Doubtlesse we may feare the more because God spared not good King Asa for imprisoning Hanani the Seer for the word of the Lord deliuered by him against Asa 2. Chron. 16.7 c. for his relying vpon the king of Syria Your most Honorable Court may likewise be pleased to remember the great earthquake that followed the vniust depriuation of Athanasius by the first Synod of Antiochia Socra hist Eccles lib. 2. cap. 7. compared with Sozomen Lib. 3. cap. 5. Theodor. lib. 5. C. 34 Sozomen lib. 8. C. 27 Socrat. lib. 6. cap. 17. as also the like after for the like iniurie done vnto Chrysostom And although vpon the same he were recalled home and restored to his place yet not long after for the like cause being againe bannished the Lord pleaded his cause by a very extraordinarie hayle and by the speedy death of the Empresse Eudoxia who had much exasperated the Emperour Honorius against him and finally that that is written of diuers strange accidents after the death and martyrdom of William Gardiner though but a marchant mentioned in our owne booke of Acts and Monuments In all which so honourable wise and iudicious a Court need not any admonition to take heed of such flatterers as shall say no such thing is now to be feared For yee all know them that heretofore in like cases were wont to crye peace peace Iere 6.14 and 8.11 Ezek. 13.18 and to heale the Lords people with sweet words to haue beene accounted false Prophets as also woe was denounced against all them that did sowe pillowes to the armeholes and that did sing a requiem to their owne soules Amos 6.3 Psal 10.14 putting farre away the day of the Lord as likewise that the Lord is now the same God in iustice against the same sinnes that euer he hath beene and the same beholder of mischiefes and wrongs and the same reuenger of iniuries done vnto his Ambassadors that euer he was Yea yee also know that although the Ministers hitherto mentioned by their aduersaries haue beene accounted no better then Asses yet as the Angell of the Lord rebuked Balaam Balaam and his Asse Num. 22.23 c. for smiting his Asse when she turned first out of the waye wherein he would haue had her to goe and then for lying downe vnder him so the tyme may come when the Lord will take their cause into his hands and rebuke their riders the more for all the blowes they haue giuen them because euer since they haue beene called to the Ministerie they haue done as good seruice to the Church as euer Balaams Asse had done vnto him In the meane tyme they thinke they may as well complaine of the manifold blowes wherewith they haue been often smitten as Balaams Asse hauing her mouth opened by the Lord complayned of the stripes that Balaam had giuen her Yea it seemeth they may the more complayne in that behalfe because they haue neuer so crusht the foot of their riders as Balaams Asse had crushed his foot If they haue it hath beene because their riders haue gone that waye for going wherein the Lord was angrie with them or because the sayd Ministers being ridden in such a waye as where they could not turne haue as it were lyen downe and not gone so farre as their riders would haue had them as also because they haue smitten such Ministers with their staffe and threatned to haue killed them if they had had a sword In all which notwithstanding they haue pleaded the sight of the Angel of the Lord standing in the waye with a sword readie drawen in his hand which they haue more feared then the staffe or sword of their riders The wrath of God seemeth the more to be feared for the former hard dealing with such Ministers because of the iudgments threatned against the Princes of Iudah for their hard dealings with their seruants Ier. 34.16 Euen so much the more seemeth such wrath to be feared because the Lord hath not only dignified his sayd Ministers with many great titles and with the preaching of the best libertie but also with the instrumentall effecting of such libertie Galat. 5.1 wherewith Christ hath made men free and charged them not againe to be intangled with that yoake of bondage that sometime God himselfe had made much lesse with the yoake of bondage made only by men yea at the first by the man of sinne and aduersarie of Christ himselfe The chiefe Captaine feared to proceed against Paul because he was free of Rome Acts 22.24 Is nothing then to be feared for proceeding so farre and so long against so many Ministers of the Gospel that are free of Heauen it selfe and haue as I sayd beene the meanes to make other also free thereof How many fearfull things also followed all the Iewes for the hard dealing of their Clergie against Ieremiah notwithstanding the Princes of Iudah tooke his part and pleaded for him as many Nobles of this kingdome haue done for such Ministers as well as for other common sinnes of that tyme Not here to trouble you with repetition of that before touched viz. which the Lord commanded both to be written Exo. 17.14 1 Sam. 15.2 Ierem. 4.19 2 Kings 22.11 and also to be executed without any compassion against Amalek neyther to speake of the bitter complaynt of Ieremiah in the fore-sight of iudgements comming my bowels my bowels 2. Chron. 34.19.24 Amos 6.1 c. c. neyther also of his dolefull lamentation in that behalfe afterward in his Booke of Lamentations nor of the teares and sackcloth of Iosiah at finding the Booke of the Lawe discouering such future euills for the transgressions thereof and to omit the woe threatned to them that were at ease in Zion and that liued in pleasures without remorse of the afflictions of Ioseph as both generally wee doe now in England and particularly many of the Prelats not regarding eyther the heauie distresses of the Churches in France or the hard state of the most Noble and renowned Prince and Princes Palatine though by nature as well as by religion wee are bound vnto them and as we loue the kingdome of Christ Iesus ought to helpe them against their enimies least wee incurre the curse Iudg. 5.23 Iudgements already executed euen the bitter