⧠TH' APPELLATION OF IOHN PENRI vnto the Highe court of Parliament from the bad and injurious dealing of th' Archb. of Canterb. other his colleagues of the high commission Wherin the complainant humbly submitting himselfe and his cause vnto the determination of this honorable assembly craueth nothing els but either release from trouble and persecution or just tryall PSALM 35. 19 20 c. Let not them O Lord that are mine enemies vniustly reioyce ouer me neyther let them vvinke with the eye that hate me vvithout a cause For they speake not as friendes but they imagine deceitfull vvordes against the quiet of 〈◊〉 land And they gaped on me vvith their mouthes saying 〈…〉 our eye hath seene Thou seest it O Lord keepe not 〈…〉 far from me O Lorde Arise and vvake to my iudgement 〈…〉 to my cause my God and my Lord. Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnes and let them not reioyce ouer me Let them not say in their hearts O our soule reioyce neyther let them say vve haue deuoured him IEREM 20. 21. The Lord is vvith me as a mightie Gyant therefore my persecutors shall be ouerthrovvn and shall not preuaile and shalbe greatly confounded for they haue done vnvvisely c. ANNO DOM. 1589. To the right Honorable th'assembly of the High court of Parâ—iament IOHN PENRI wisheth the direction of Gods spirite in all their consultations that they may so behaue themselues in the setting forward of Gods glorie and the good of the weale publique as in the day wherein the sonne of God Christe Iesus shall in flaming fire render euerlasting perdition to those that obeye not the Gospell they may bee found blameles in his sight March 7. THat vvhich in regard of my priuate safetie and quietnes right Honorable and worshipful I am bound before the Lorde to performe the same hath the credite and good report of the cause of God in the promoting whereof by his great and vnspeakable mercies I haue bene employed whether I woulde or no at this present enforced me to accomplish The care of procuring mine owne safetie by al lawful waies from the dangerous attempts of those that seek nothing els but mine vtter ouerthrowe and vndoing nature it selfe and especiallie Gods ordinance hath layed vpon my shoulders The burthen whereof I cannot reject vnlesse I would shew my selfe on the one side more vnnaturall then the bruite beastes which will neuer be guilty of their owne dammage for the most part if they see any way to auoide the same and on the other side to correct Gods prouidence in refusing to trie al the lawful means which he hath ordained and appointed for the deliuerie of his children out of the hands of their malicious enemies But seeing vnto this care of my priuate safe gard is also joyned the publike clearing of Gods eternall trueth from all the slaunders wherewith the iniquitie of mine aduersaries by my vnjust trouble would take occasion to staine the same may not all men clearely see that I am drawen into this action with a twofold coard which as the wise man saith is not easily broken of vnanswerable necessitie The vnjust dealing of the Archb. of Canterb. others of the high commission is such towards me and of a long time hath bin as in the dayes of peace and publike tranquillity of my gracious and dread soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH I may nowe justly account my selfe to be one that in regarde of liberty and quietnes am vnjustly bereaued of the former publique benefit The cause why I enioy not the same is that my conscience will not suffer me whome the Lord of his infinite goodnes hath enlightened with the knowledge of the sauing trueth of his gospell to beholde with silence the lamentable misery of soules wherein my countrymen the inhabitants of Wales liue at this present both in respect of their great ignorance and the greeuous deformity of gods sanctuary among them And I enjoy not the same because vnto my small ability I haue labored and doe labour to effect some redresse of their foresaide misery by lamenting their case shewing vnto them and your Hh. their griefe together with the medicine which the lord hath sanctified as his owne ordinance to cure such maladyes An vnworthy president to be conueyed vnto posterities that it should not be lawfull for a man in the time of knowledg to lament the ignorance of his bretheren in the time of the sauing health of mens soules to withstand their violent perdition in the time of Sions building to lament and repaire the ruines thereof And that in a state professing enmity vnto the Romish religion it cannot be safe for a man to speake against the fornication of that strumpet and humbly to intreat that the holy temple may be cleansed of all her pollution And yet behold such is my case for bewailing the spiritual bondage of my countrimen for shewing vnto them the way whereby they might be restored vnto the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God for crauing that they may be trained in this way and for mocioning that gods holy sanctuary among them may be purified I am tested from post to piller and permitted to haue no assurance of quiet aboade in any of her majesties territories and dominions by the men aforenamed besides the injurious imprisonment wherein heretofore they haue deteined me for this same cause And to the ende I may truely acquaint you of the parliament with my troubles and the true causes thereof you are to vnderstand that the beginning of these mens hatred towards me did arise from the goodwill I beare vnto the glory of my God and the good of his church and that the continuance thereof is for the same cause For vntill such time as the Lorde vouchsafed to vse me most vnworthie I acknowledge from the bottome of my heart as an instrument to motion the parliament holden by prorogation in the 29. yere of her Majesties raigne in the cause of Gods truth I was a man altogether vnknowne vnto th'Archb or any other of the high commission by whome I am now persecuted My suite then vnto the parliament was that the gospell of Christ might in a sauing measure be made knowen and published amongst the inhabitants of wales my deare natiue countrimen The equitie of this petition I manifested in a published treatise allowed to be printed by publike authority The supplication together with the printed treatise were preferred by a worshipfull gentleman of my countrie being himself a member of the house who also shewed the equitie of the petition and in effect auouched the truth of that which in the treatise was set downe The suit I was perswaded would haue beene verie plausible in a christian state and the parliament shewed no disliking thereof though they sinned in the carelesse respect they had therevnto Th'Archb and his associates were contrarie minded they thought the enterprise to be intollerable And yet was there no alteration of the established
gouernment of Bishops at that time sought for The dislike of the petitiō they did not conceal and therfore presently dispatched their warrants to call in the printed bookes and to enquire for the author The books in nomber about 500. togither with my selfe were fastened vpon by the wardens of the Stacioners M. Bishop and Denham accompanied with Cole the Pursiuaunt wherevpon being caried before the high commissioners I was for enterprising the former action charged by th'Archb owne mouth not onely to be a factious slaunderer of her Majesties gouernment but also to haue published flat treason and heresie in my saide treatise I was threatned very bloodily and reuiled vpon in a most vnchristian sort with earnest protestation that they woondered how I durst sollicite the parliament in that petition See the cursed and outragious prophanenes of these whom the Lorde hath in his just judgement giuen ouer to withstande the mightie power of his word As though the matter were to be astonied at that they should be more forward in hindring the cause of Gods glory then meaner men should be to promote the same If they had beene the true gouernours of Gods Church they woulde haue shewed themselues the most earnest fauorers of that supplication For it is well knowen in what a taking the country of wales is for want of the true knowledge of God And assuredly they who of intended mallice withstood that motion shal one day feele the price and reward of their disobedience vnto their neuer ending woe VVell mine offence in presuming to speake in the cause of God oppugned by my betters was accounted so haynous as in close prison I must be kept 12. daies at the keepers vttermost perill Before my departure from the commission vnderstanding their intent to commit me I demaunded the particuler cause why I was so hardlie dealt with Answere was made that they would examine me againe and then I should know After a moneths imprisonment I was deliuered without anie examination or anye mention of the crimes of heresie and treason wherewith I had bene charged And so vnto this daie I remaine ignorant of anie expressed cause wherefore they either tooke away my books or debarred me of my libertie and readie by the grace of God both to conuince the high commission of most injurious dealing in the premises to cleare my selfe of anie crime they can lay to my charge whensoeuer before you of this honorable assembly or any other equall judgement seat they darebe tried with me Since the time of my release I sawe my selfe bounde in conscience not to giue ouer my former purpose in seeking the good of my countrymen by the rooting out of ignorance and blindnes from among them And as it pleased the lord to increase this my care so haue mine aduersaries augmented their rage and fury towards me and especially to the cause that I maintaine This furye of theirs at diuers times shewed by many of their instruments did especially manifest it selfe on the 29. of Ianuary last At which time one Richard Walton hauing a commission from the Archb. and others wherein all her maiesties officers were chardged and commaunded in her name to assist the sayd VValton to make entry into all houses shops c to apprehend all those whome he should any waies suspect and to commit them at his discretion vnto the next Gaol or prison vntil farther order should be taken with them came into the place of mine aboad at Northampton ransacked my study and tooke away with him all such printed books and written papers as he himself thought good what they were as yet I cannot justly tel And not contented to keepe him self within the immoderate limits of a larger commission then as I thinke can be warranted by lawe he offered violence vnto diuers persons and threatened not only to breake open doores hauing noe such commission but also to vntile houses vnlesse he could find me where in deed I was not At his departure he charged the Maior of the towne who then attended vpon him to apprehend me as a traitor giuing out that he had found in my study both printed bookes and also writings which conteined treason in them Whereas the bookes and writings of geatest disgrace evē in the sight of his master which he could there finde were one printed coppy of the demonstration of discipline and an answere vnto master D. Some in writing both which he caried away with him The treason conteined in either of those books is no other then that which Amasiah the high priest at Bethel found in Amos the prophet euen the cleare words of truth not to be abidden in a corrupt state of a church I graunt Behold nowe my Lordes and you the rest of this high court the original and continuance of these mens enmity towards me And judg whether I haue not greate reason both for mine owne safety and for the clearing of the cause wherein I stand to vse this lawful meanes of Appelation vnto your Hh. and worships from their tirannous and vngodly dealing with whome neither mine owne innocency nor yet the equity of the cause can any whit preuaile They are knowne to be very mighty and haue felt them very vnjust and tiranous The only justice which I can expect from them if I fall into their hands is to be kept languishing in prison during their pleasure and neuer suffered to come to the triall of my cause If I hoped for any other measure I should reason contrary vnto mine owne experience against which no conceite ought to take place In consideration wherof being now by the lords prouidence kept out of theire handes and that in the time of the meeting and assembly of the highest councell of this kingdome I doe in most dutifull humble sort make this my just appelation from the Archb. of Canterbury and the rest of his colleagues in commission vnto you of the honorable and high court of parliament humbly referring my selfe and my cause vnto your determination according vnto justice My only suite and petition is that either I may haue assurance of quietnes and safety or that the causes of my trouble being laide open by mine aduersaries I may receiue condigne punishment of mine offences Where it may be seene that I craue no immunity let me haue justice and that is all I craue This in regard of your places you are bound to affoard me as in the day of judgment you shall answere before him vnto whome no vnrighteousnes is acceptable I doe mine aduersaries no injury in appealing from them vnto you For they may be assured of justice at your hands if they will adueuture to pursue their suite And me they cannot blame in repairing vnto you for judgment and equitie seeing from their tribunal seat I am like to receiue nothing else but gal and woormwood If their cause against me be good if it be strong if it be to be embraced nowe let them not be ashamed
judge you euen as you judge his cause now offered vnto your consideration Wherefore as you will answer before him as you mean to haue any fauor at his hand deliuer the cause of his sonne Christ Iesus from this ignomie There is yet in this point another fault founde with the gouernment of Christe and another great reason alleaged why the hierarchie of Bb. shoulde be maintained and it is that the one of the 3. states vpon the authoritie whereof the lawes of England haue hitherto stood cannot without great inconuenience be now ouerthrowen Wherevnto the Lord replieth that the gospell of his sonne was brought into this kingdome by the 2. Estates to wit by the temporall Lords of the vpper and the commons of the lower house whereas since a thirde Estate vz. Lords spirituall as they are called was added vnto the 2. former little or no good hath bene enacted for the glorye of God by that counsell And if our State had bene contented according to the order of nature to stand vpon two legs it is not to be doubted but that all the wounds and sores of our church had bene healed and Christs discipline long ago established to our comfort and to the vnspeakeable good of our posterities Moreouer the Lord threateneth assuredly because of this monstrous and vnnatural leg wherevpon our lawes vnto this day are falsly said to haue stood and by the power whereof all the world knoweth this kingdom to haue withstood the right of his soone to laye our whole state euen with the grounde so that it shall haue nothing whereby it may be vpheld And L. Bb. haue no better interest to vphold our lawes then Lorde Abbots haue The state may as well want the one as the other and with as small inconvenience There is added as a conclusion of these inconveniences that it is dangerous to pick quarrels with lawes setled but there is no daunger to quarrell with the lawes of Christs kingdome They of all other princes lawes may be securely quarrelled with ouerthrowne and troaden vnder feete without all danger and yet in our state are they no quarrellers that abuse the sonne of God The time will come wherein it shall appeare that it had bene better for all such wretches that the wombe had beene their graue then that they should haue bene giuen ouer to runne into their owne destruction Our state hath well profited in religion that nowe after 31. yeares of the gospell enjoyed Iesus Christe in demanding his owne right is nowe accounted a daungerous quarreller against lawes setled This slaunder hath bene alreadie answered So hath the other set downe page 92. 93. of this booke concerning the likelihood of altering our ciuill gouernment into a popular state if Christ were once permitted to bear the ful sway therin The rest of the particuler cauils contained in som few pages of this book concerning maintenaunce of the minister by tythes the inconueniencie both of the ministers election by the people and also of excommunication by the whole Church are meer cauils and answered before in the generall and therefore here needlesse to be stoode vpon Now the high court of parliament hath heard of all the iniquitie that can be found in the Lord and his sonne Christ Iesus and you haue heard of all the reasons your careles and wilfull negligence to deal in the Lords matters onely expected whereby hitherto you haue bene enduced to refuse the church-gouernment which he himselfe hath laid downe prescribed in his word and to imbrace in steed therof a confused and an imperfect constitution of mans deuise whether these reasons set downe by our Bb. themselues will be a sufficient warrant vnto you in the day of judgement to refuse Christ Iesus to rule ouer you and your people to maintaine the popishe hierarchie of L. Bb. and to countenaunce their proceedinges who are wholy bestowed for the most part in persecuting and molesting those who open their mouthes in the cause of God and his people for the restitution of those lawes and liberties into our Church whereof they haue tyrannously bereaued it But if you thinke as the trueth is that these figge leaues issuing out of the dark vnderstandings of wicked men can serue you in no steed against the wrath of the lambe Enter more narrowly into this cause grant the same and those that stande in it justice against their enemies least it be layde to your charge that you haue called good euill and euill good and lest it be laid to your charge that you account your owne wayes equall and the wayes of the Lord vnequall that you haue executed no judgement no not the judgement which concerneth the sincere and true worship of the eternal Vnto the equitie of my cause which yet as ye see is not mine but the Lords let this also be joyned that mine aduersarie can lay nothing to my charge wherby I can be proued to haue brokē any penal law of the land I doe thinke my selfe in the cause wherin the Archbishop and the rest that are joyned with him are become mine enemies to haue incurred the penaltie of non of our laws inasmuch as I haue not transgressed the lawe of God For I suppose my selfe to liue in that state the laws whereof are to be accounted of no force which make him punishable whoe before the Lord is an innocent and guiltlesse The duty of a christian subiect draweth from me this perswasion that our state and gouernment vnder her maiestie established by the authority of this house wil not account any lawe to be forcible but that which is agreeable with the law of God and that non are punishable by any lawe in force amonge vs but those only who are offenders against the lawes of God For with what face can it be auouched that he is to be punished against whome the Lord doth not commaunde the sword to be drawne And thrise miserable is that state wherein these lawes are in force which commaund them to be smitten which are not euel doers Of which number non are to be accounted saue those only who by violating humane positiue lawes break also the lawe of God They that hold the contrary are not worthy to liue in a christian state They highly derogate from her maiesties credit and the good lawes of this kingdome And non can possibly hold such a position but those that vnder a pretence of authority either doe or would take occasion to oppresse and tiraunize ouer her maiesties subiects Nowe mine accusers cannot proue me to haue broken the lawe of God in seking the ouerthrowe of their places vntil they haue first prooued their own callings to be lawful according to the word vnto which time if I could haue bin assured of quietnes at their hands this mine appellation had bene needlesse Whereas nowe I am of necessitie constrayned thereunto as wel for the reason before mentioned as also because I can nether haue assurance of safety
being the cause of God his church and that against sinne against impietie against that which is likely to be the vndoing and ouerthrow of her Majestie and our state it desireth no fauor but to be heard and to cleare it selfe euen in the presence of the aduersarie that vpon good groundes you may either acquite it or condemne it It will prooue it selfe by Gods assistance to be the author of no tumulte no sedition nor treason It will also prooue that no danger or inconuenience can possiblie ensue the receiuing of it into any state that the bookes and writinges sincerely fauouring the same for any vnsound or any vnjustifiable bookes that haue bin published which might seem to yeeld any countenance vnto it the cause is not to answer haue not bene invented of late or stamped by mans brain but haue had their beginnings from the daies of our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles and were penned by the spirite of God himselfe On the contrarie side it offereth to conuince the aduersaries cause as an author of tumult and sedition from time to time both in Churche and common wealth as traiterous vnto the Majestie of Iesus Christe a dangerous enemy vnto princes and states and the fourtaine of all confusion and inconvenience not to bee repaired And it offereth to prooue this cause side of our Bb. to haue no other original and beginning then the good intents of mans invention not warranted by the word euen corruption it selfe And to be now supported and maintained onely by the vnlawfull institutions of man So that it is nowe manifested vnto your honors by how many waies you are bound before the Lord to accept and giue eare vnto this mine appellation and I to appeale Mine only hope is in you be not vnmerciful and pittilesse towards me I am persecuted and oppressed for the cause of God by those enemies that cannor possibly affoard me either vpright judgment or release from trouble without their owne likely ouerthrowe I desire but that which is most christian namely that I may not haue them both for mine acusers and judges who before any seate of justice dare not stand to their accusations against me and whome their proceedings with me and alwaies heretofore with the cause I defend doe manifestly conuince that all trueth and equitie is perished from among them Either the cause and their doings haue no trueth no strength and no equitie in them or else they wil now she we the same in your presence non haue authority to exammine their proceedings whether they dare this attempt or no. I do heere before Heauen and earth before hir maiestie and this assembly before euery estate in this land and al ages to come cleare my selfe and the cause I defend from the grieuous and vngodly slaunders whereby they doe continually loade the same I offer my selfe and my cause to be tried by any lawful authoritie so dare not mine aduersaries let them proue that I haue done any thing whereby in equitie I deserue punishment I will not grudge to sustaine the same So that mine aduersaries be not my judges and the judges of my cause vnto whom they cannot chuse but be vtter enemies I do not here set downe all that coulde be saide against them and their proceedings which are most Antichristian and intollerable diuers wayes I omit that they are fallen from euill to worse since the beginning of her Majesties raigne vnto this houre and that they are likely to proceed in this course without their restrainte vntill they haue brought the Lords hand to execute his vengeaunce against vs our land Their errours are growne intollerable euen in the maine pointes of religion and that contrarie not onely vnto the written word of God but euen to the writings that haue bene and are published by authoritie euen by themselues They allow a forme of morning prayer joyned vnto all printed Psalmes in meeter allowed also by publike authoritie Therein it is flatly and expresly set downe that it is not possible for anye man ordinarily to be saued but by preaching and yet behold these men euen our Bb. especially the Archb. of Cant. haue and doe maintaine that men may heare beleeue and so ordinarily be saued without preaching And by the practize of this monstrous errour contrarie to the word of God contrarie vnto the established priuiledged doctrine allowed and practized in this kingdom in the beginning of her Majesties raigne They are the verye knowne cause of the perdition without the Lordes secreete and vnreuealed mercies of infinit thousandes of soules in this land But although I say that in their vngodly proceedings they neither agree with the Lord and his word nor with themselues and the receiued and established doctrine in our Church yet I do here omit to make any catalog of their damnable errors and practises Onely in this pointe I wishe your Hh. to consider whether in trueth the words of the prophet Hosea may not be truely applied vnto our Bishops in England at this day the most that depend vpon them The prophet is a foole in all good waies the spirituall man is mad The watchman of Ephraim should be with God but the prophet is the snare of a fouler in al his waies and hatred in the house of God or whether with Zephaniah and Ezekiel you may not truely say vnto them that they are light and wicked persons such as haue poluted the sanctuary wrested the lawe that they are like the Foxes in the wast places and such as haue not risen vp in the gapps nor made vpp the headg for Englande to stand in the battel in the day of the Lord. And if you finde these things to be verified in our prophets and spiritual men then also vndoubtedly may it be saide vnto England the dais of thy visitacion 〈◊〉 England are come the daies of thy repentance are at hand and England shal knowe it Because thy prophets for the most part are fooles and thy spiritual men are madd thy watchmen are as the snare of a fowler in al their waies yea and they are the very cause that the house of thy God is so hated and detested of all estates as the building thereof is not regarded It remaineth now right honorable that I betake you vnto the almightie whose cause is nowe in hand and before whome one day you shall giue account of your dealings in it humbly beseeching and intreting you that herein and in all other matters of waight you would take the holy man Iob for a patterne that the same eternal blessing may fall vppon you which he enjoieth to his neuer ending comfort with whose words I wil end And when the eare hard me saith Iob it blessed me and when the eie saw mee it gaue witnesse to me for I deliuered the poore that cried and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him the blessing of him that was ready to perish came vppon me and I caused the widowes hart to rejoice I put one iustice and it couered me my iudgment was a robe and a crown I was the eyes to the blinde and I was the feet to the lame I was a father to the poore and when I knewe not the cause I sought it diligently I brake also the chawes of the vnrighteous man and pluckt the pray out of his teeth Your most humble suppliant IOHN PENRI Master Edvvard Donlee Amos 7. If the high commissioners can justly charge me vvith anye crime I doe them a great benefite and greatly endammage my selfe in appealing vnto the parliament That I am bound to appeale and the Parliament to receiue mine Appellation Act. 25. Ierem. 26. 12. Iere. â—6 6. 7. It is no nevv thing to find the supposed pillers of the church to be the most pestilent enemies thereof They are to be accounted oppressors vvhich vvill not if they may deliuer the oppressed Exod. 22.23 Deut. 1. 17. Leuit. 19. 15 Esai 1. 23. 24 1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. Luk. 22. 25. D. Bridges page 284. T. C. pa. 135. 76. The crimes vvherevvith Gods trueth and his seruants haue bene charged in all ages are treason and sedition Act. 24. 5. Act. 17. 6. 7. The Bishops note Amos. 7. 11. 12. Ierem. 2. 6. Ezra 2. 19. 2. Infallible marks of the enemies of the trueth Ierem. 2. 6. 9. Iob. 5. 21. 24. The Bb. reasons in the defence of their hierarchie and against christs true gouernment examined T. C. Epist page 2. T. C. pa. 16. page 140. Before the Commination on Ashvvednesdaye T. C. page 8. This is a popish demand An ansvvere to the Bb. 3. 4. reasons Rom. 12. 6. 7. 8. Act. 20. 28. 14. 23. Phil. 1. T C. pag 82. Our Bb. 5. reason ansvvered T. C. pag. 16 Our Bb. 6. reason Luk. 13. 14. 14. 26. Matth. 16. 24 Mark 8. 35. T. C. pag. 8. T. C. pag. 87. It is reason that all states should be maintained sauing the estat of christs kingdome T. C. pa. 8â— T. C. p. 92. 93 In my supplication to the parliament Act. 23. 35. Act. 25. 16. The maner of administring justice at Lambeth Iohn 18. 30. M. Sharpe book binder of Northamton M. D. Some table page 3. line 20. M. D. Some Epist pag. 2 Page 53. M. D. Some pag. 185. line 3. 31. M. D. Some table pag. 4. Rom 10. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 21. Iam. 1. 21. Hosea 9. 7. 8. Zephan 3. 4. Ezek. 13. 4. Iob. 29. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15 16. 17.
Otherwise if a lewd and an vndiscreete turbulent fellowe be armed with this overlarge and vnbrideled commission is not vnlikely but he will abuse halfe the subiects hir maiestie hath And I pray you what is likely to insue thereof Euen this The intolerable vexation and bondage of her maiesties free borne subiects and people and in time it is to be feared the great dishonor if not the contempt of laweful authority it selfe The Archb. of Cant. with his colleagues sendeth abroad his warrant to apprehend whomesoeuer the messenger therein named doth suspect Ought not this waighty charge to be very waightely handeled What choise then make they of the messenger Surely Richard WaltoÌ„ is a man fit for the purpose For they know his good behauiour approued sufficiency and wisdome to be such as for his outragious lewdnes dishonesty and want of gouernment ouer him selfe amongst all the roisters in this land they could not chose a more knowne and notorious lewd person and more vnfit for so waigh ie a charge to be the pursiuant he was somtimes bedle vnto a company in London of the blacke Smithes I thinke The office though but meane yet was that company ashamed to haue a person of that slanderous loose behauiour for their bedle and therefore for his detected crimes heere not to be named they put him out of his place being ashamed to retaine him And yet this is the man Right honorable vnto whose discretion the Archb. of Cant. will commit the molesting and imprisoning of whomsoeuer he shal suspect Admit that among his câ—ppes som of his companions doe bribe him to apprehende the honestest and best affected subiect in a country he may doe it by his commission and for his knowne lewdnes he is not vnlikely to attempt the fact The magistrate is to assist him And when he hath offered you this injury you haue your amends in your hands for he did no more then by his commission he is warranted those who set him a worke are the high commissioners who haue a prerogatiue aboue lawe as they would beare the world in hand May not her maiesties subiects then thinke them selues to be in a good taking when their libertie shal depend vpon the pleasure or disliking of such as are the ofscouring and refuse of men And I doe thinke it neerely concerneth your Hh. of the parliament to see that this abuse of the high commission by these men be no longer tollerated in our state For what care the high commissioners howe tirannously they deale with hir maiesties most louing subiects as long as they hope that no mans accusation and complaint howe just soeuer though in the behalfe of the interest of Christ Iesus can be heard and countenanced against them And therefore they are growne so insolent as they dare enjoine hir maiesties officers either at their commandement to worke impossibilities or vpon the peril to answere the matter before them Form this insolency of theirs it is that of late they haue in their mandatory letters enjoined the Major of Northampton to surcease the execution of his office in the gouernment of that towne vnder hir maiestie and either to become their pursiuant in apprehending one of his neighbours or else personally to appeare before them at London and not to departe their court without special leaue his affaires in her maiesties seruice and the distance of Place betweene Northampton London nothing considered And yet required they of him that which he coulde not bring to passe because the party whome he was to apprehend being wel known to be a dutiful subiect and for the loue he beareth vnto Gods truth to haue bene heeretofore so cruelly dealt with at some of their hands by long imprisonment and so euil dealt with as his cause comming to be heard before the Ll. of her maiesties priuy counsel their Hh. judged the bishops proceeding against him to be against lawe and conscience and so were the meanes of his deliuery the party I say nowe fearing the like injustice that hee sometimes tasted of was compelled with the hinderance of his family to absent himself from his calling And from this hope that their procedings shal neuer com into question it also coÌ„meth to passe that they giue out that I am an Anabaptist an vnderminer of the chair of the magistrat a pestilent a dangerus subiect many waies For otherwise they would neuer haue permitted by their authority any such bookes to be published against me yea but I hold her maiestie with many thousandes of hir best subiects to be vnbaptised and the question betweene master Doctor Some and me is whether such as were and are baptised by popish priests and vnpreaching ministers haue and doe receiue a sacrament If mine aduersarie himselfe had not cleared me of this accusation by his publike writings his slander might at the least haue bin probable wheras nowe his owne writings doe giue him and his allowers the shamelesse vntrueth But howe can they be held no ministers but that the Elements administred by by them should be denied to be sacraments I trust the one may be held the other not denied with better reason by far then the Archb. of Cant. can hold baptim deliuered by women whome al the worlde knowe not to be ministers to be a sacrament And howe wil master D. Some answere himselfe in this point which hath confessed al vnpreching ministers both popish priests and protestant Idoles to be no ministers But it is an Anabaptistical error to account magistracie for an human ordinance As though nothing ordained by man could be Gods ordinance also Or that the places Rom. 12. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. were irreconcileable And that it were a more Anabaptisstcal and intollerable error in me to affirme the gouernment and offices of the common wealth to be humaine constitutions which is true then for our Bishops to hould the gouerment and offices of our churches to be the ordinances of man which is most false These and al such accusations laid against me and Gods trueth as by the grace of God in mine answere to master D. Some which are it be long I hope to publish notwithstanding they haue it in their hands they shalbe proued to be palpable slanderers So I do most humbly intreat you of this honorable assembly in regard of the Lords eternal veritie against which these vntrueths are giuen forth to see that either mine accusers shall prooue these crimes wherewith I am charged or cease to slander and trouble me for professing the trueth The cause is the cause of God as I haue proued it is the cause of the church and so the cause of many thousandes of the most trusty most sure most louing subiects that her maiestie hath whose harts by the repelling of this my suite must needes be vtterly discouraged and throwne downe when they shal see the cause of God to haue taken no place in the highest court in the land And