to bring it out into the face of the sunn here they may be assured of justice without any suspition of partiallity My reasons vsed in my last supplication vnto your Hh. against their gouernment are but a fewe if D. Bridges or any of their side can answere them I wil grant my selfe to haue oppugned the truth and soe wil destroie my selfe that which I haue built amisse otherwise they shewe them selues to be but vpholders of a ruinous building and the repairers of that which wanteth a foundation They can not refuse you of the Parliament to be their judges vnlesse either they think much to be tried by you or because as it is in the prouerb they which do euil hate the light They will it may be alleage the prerogatiue of their commission to be very large what then doe they think herby to haue libertie to oppresse whom they will doe they thinke hereby to be aboue the parliament whereunto al courts in the land are and ought to be subiect and from whence the highe commission deriueth al the prerogatiue it hath Are al courts yea and al persons in the land subiect vnto the parliament only the Archb. and the high commission excepted What else were this but for them to claime a forreine authority vnto them selues and to begin after the manner of their predicessors to shake of the yoke of the ciuil authoritie FroÌ„ which suspicion as they would cleare themselues so must they be content to yeeld that the parliament may be the judges betwene vs. Except they be ashamed of their cause and their proceedings therein they cannot possibly refuse this offer of just trial And no reason they should for they cannot pretend them selues either to be greater in power or more forward in good wil to administer justice then the R. honourable assembly of parliament is well knowne to be Though I feare me R. honorable worshipful that the Lord wil enter into judgment with you for the smal care you haue to yeld his sonne Christ Iesus his right in this kingdome If heere they should demaund by what authoritie either I may lawfully appeale from them or by what obligation your honors are bound to giue eare vnto my complaint although both be alredy shewed yet a farther answere vnto both are to ensue as followeth I appeale from them at whose handes I can receiue no equitie by the same commission that the apostle Paul and the prophet Ieremy appealed vnto the ciuil magistrates from the vsurped and tirannical high priestes in their daies The accepting of Paules appellation by Festus an heatheÌ„ judg and the deliuery of Ieremy by the princes of Iudah from the slanderous accusations and wrongful proceedings of the wicked priests and false prophets besides many other vnanswerable reasons do necessarily bind me to appeale and the parliament not to denie me the shadowe of their winges vnder which I may be kept from the violence of mine enemies when Festus willing to get fauour with the Iewes vsed this speech vnto the apostle wilt thou goe then to Ierusalem and there be judged of these things before me Paul knowing that at Ierusalem the malice of his enemies would be more likely to take effect then else where answered I staÌ„d at Cesars judgment seate where I ought to be judged If I haue done wronge or committed any thing woorthy of death I refuse not to dye but if there be non of these things true whereof they accuse me no man can deliuer me vnto them I appeal vnto Cesar his appellation was receiued of the Pagan judge Nowe my state being not in respect of danger altogeather vnlike the condition wherein the holy Apostle was at this time mine answere vnto the high commission is I appeale vnto the parliament where I ought to be judged If I haue done any wronge or committed any thing worthy of death I refuse not to dye The parliament wil not be partial in administring justice vnto me according to my deserts But if there be nothing laied to my charge but the defence of Gods cause and the oppugning of impietie and corruption no man ought to deliuer me into your hands whoe care not whome you aflict in the maintenance of your owne kingdome I appeale vnto the parliament I am in regard of my safety as necessarily driuen therunto as the Apostle Paul was ro appeale vnto Cesar or rather more For he might conceiue some hope of justice when he was to be judged of Festus who did not so mortally hate his cause as the high priest and others his accusers did whereas I am to haue you for my judges who also are mine accusers and sworn enemies vnto the cause I appeale to the ciuil state I hope by their meanes to be heard and deliuered from your tyrannie As the prophet Ieremie was in the like case by meanes of the princes in his time The high priests and prophets judged him worâ—hie to die the princes hearing his cause debated in their presence deliuered him out of danger The whol action is set downe cap. 26. of his prophesie in these words Now when Ieremy had made an end of speaking all that the lord had commaunded him to speak vnto al the people then the prists and the prophetes and all the people tooke him and said thou shalt die the death Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Iehouath saying this house shalbe like Shilo and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant And al the people were gathered against Ieremy in the house of the Loâ—d And wheÌ„ the princes of Iudah heard of these things they cam vp from the kings house into the house of the Lord and sate downe in the entry of the newe gate of the Lords house Then spake the priests and the prophets vnto the princes and to al the people saying this man is worthy to dye for he hath prophesied against this city as you haue heard with your eares Then spake Jeremiah vnto all the princes and to all the people saying the Lord hath sent me to prophesie against this house against this city al the things that you haue heard therefore now amend your waies and your workes and heare the voice of the Lord your god that the lord may repent him of the plague that he hath pronounced against you As for me behold I am in your hands doe with me as you think good right but knowe you for certaine that if you put me to death you shall surely bring innocent bloud vppon your selues vppon this City vppon the inhabitants thereof for of a trueth the lord hath sent me vnto you to speake al these wordes in your eares Then spake the princes al the people vnto the priests prophets this man is not worthye to dye for he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the lord our god Let my cause now right Honourable be weighed with the prophecy in this place thereby it shal appeare
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.
⧠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
vnto you that necessitie is laied vppon me to appeale from mine aduersaries and that yee are bound to heare my cause by the example of these noble men Jeremy was judged by his enemies worthy to dy and I assure my selfe it was not their falt that he was suffered to liue They wanted but power and opportunity to dispatch him They did what in them lay when they apprehended him and adjudged him woorthy to die for speaking against the State The princes hearing the greeuousnes of his accusation thought them selues bound to try out the matter and sitting in judgment heard the cause equally on both sides and so cleared the prophet Nowe had Ieremy done wel if hearing the greuous accusations of his enemies he would not haue taken th'oportunitie offered him by the lords prouidence to haue judgment at the hands of the princes he had not out of question or had the princes don wel in beleeuing th'accusations and slaunders of the prists and false prophets against him and so in permitting the prophet to be debarred of his libertie without any farther examination of the matter or had they done wel in sitting stil while the pore prophet and his mighty aduersaries tried out the matter They sawe an other duty to be required of them and therefore presently without delay they holpe him that was ready to perish The case is now with me as it was then with the prophet I am judged by th'Archb of Canterbury and others in commission with him to be a man vnworthy to liue in any State And I haue more cause to thanke the Lord for the peaceable gouernment of her right excellent majestie theÌ„ for any fauour of mine enemies that I now breath aboue the earth I must either appeale from them or be guiltie of mine owne blood I appeale therefore vnto the high court of Parliament and if ye therein assembled either credite the slaunders of mine aduersaries before ye know the cause or sit stil in rejecting my just Appellation and suffer them to persecute mee without a cause Festus an heathen Iudge and the princes of Iudâ—h will rise vp in judgment against you For the same God that required at their hands the deliuery of his seruants out of the handes of their rauening enemies requireth of you th' equall hearing of my cause And if ye suffer me to fall by their meanes you shall bring innocent blood vpon your owne selues and this whole kingdome My case at this time is the case of the poore the fatherlesse the stranger and the widdowe and therefore in that respect ye ought to haue a special consideration of it For not to deliuer the widdowe and the fatherlesse from the violence of the oppressor when it lieth in your power what is it else but for to oppresse the poore the widow and the fatherles concerning whome the Lord hath thus spoken If thou vex or trouble such so he cal and cry vnto me surely I wil heare his cry And then shal my wrath be kindled I wil kil you with the sword and your wiues shalbe widowes and your children fatherlesse Either then by graunting vnto me righteouse judgment ye of the parliament must deliuer me from oppression and wrong or I must be forced to account you among the number of mine oppressors And you knowe that being oppressed and troaden downe I am bound to cry to the Lord for aide otherwise I shal disobey his commaundement Psal 50. 15. Acquainting him with my griefe he hath promised to heare my suite what will followe thereof you cannot I am sure be ignorant For then he hath protested that his wrath wil be kindled against you that he will deuour you with the sword and cause your wiues to be widowes and your children fatherlesse doe ye not then see your selues bound to receiue mine appellation with such a bond as in wisdome ye ought to take heede that ye incurre not the danger thereof Although then I be a thousand degrees inferiour vnto mine aduersaries in regard of outward things yet by the mercies of the Lorde I haue the vpper hand of them in the goodnesse and equitie of my suite For I come vnto you in the name of God most humbly intreating and earnestly beseeching that in a good matter euen in my right I be not ouerthrowen by the power of vnconscionable enemies and therefore many waies I come not without th'vnreasonable support of my peticion I come euen with that warrant by the vertue whereof the poore the widowe the fatherlesse and the stranger are of due to haue their right against the mightiest potentate vnder the sunn And that is the commandement of the Lord of heauen and earth concerning th' administration of justice without partialitie you shal haue no respect of persons in judgment saieth the Lord but shal heare the small as the great you shal not feare the fuce of man for the iudgment is Gods And again you shal not doe vniustly in iudgment Thou shalt not fauour the person of the poore nor honor the person of the mightie but shalt iudg thy neighbour righteously These ye knowe are the commaundements of the land wherby ye are bound to heare me vnlesse ye think you may haue respect of persons in judgment for if the Archb. or any of his associats came vnto you to be heard against me you would easely condiscend vnto the motion The like fauor are ye bound to shewe vnto me because you are to heare the smal as well as the great and ought not to fauour the person of the mightie It is not vnknowne vnto you what the prophet Esaiah spake of the judges in his time because they would not help the fatherlesse to his right nor suffer the widowes cause to come before them would ye avoide the just desert of that reprehension Then I beseech you helpe me to my right and suffer my cause to come before you least it may be truely saide of you that you execute no judgment no not the judgment of the fatherles and oppressed And albeit you wil not doe this in regarde of my person which aâ— as the fatherlesse as the poore and as the stranger yet deny me not the same either in â—â—spect of the cause of God for the which I am tâ—oubled or in consideration of th' equity of mine aduersaries from whome I can neither hope for justice in my trial nor safety from danger The cause of this my trouble and perill as before hath bene briefly touched is only that the Lord vouchsafed me the fauour to motion a redresse of the great ignorance and corruption which at this day raigneth in the church within my country And because I doe not conceile that which in conscience I am bounde to lay open namely that the blindnes and ignorance of our blind ignorant guides the tiranny vnlawful bondage and vnjust oppression of Gods church by vngodly and tiranical Lord Bishops with the rest of th'vnlawful church gouernoures who
euen by vertue of their places cannot chuse but oppresse the church of God are the ready and direct waie not only to kepe my countrimen from eternal life but also to bringe the Lords wrath vppon vs our prince maiestrats people and the whol kingdome So that I am molested for soliciting the cause of God the cause of mens soules the cause of her maiestie and the State with whome the Lord with out speedy repentance is not likely to beare any longer for the manifold corruptions of our church I am molested because I cannot be content that my countrymen should want the means of their saluation and so run headlong to their owne eternall ruine and because I am not silent at the miserable prophanation of Gods sanctuary by swine and vncleane beastes I am molested because I suffer not without any shewe of dislike the holy ministery of the Lord and the sacred gouernment of his church to be a pray vnto such men as are not worthy to liue in any wel ordered common wealth much lesse in a reformed church I am molested because I hold it vnlawful for any man to take vppon him the care charge and ouersight of those soules whome he cannot possibly feede guide and direct in the paths and pastures of eternal life I am molested because with the holy Apostle Peter I think it vnlawfull for any minister to be Lord ouer gods heritage and thinke the judgment of our Sauiour to be sounde who held it vnlawful for his ministers to Rule like Lordes I am molested because I hold that which is set downe Heb. 3. 6. to be true whereby I am inforced to confesse that as non but Moses or some other prophet by the expresse commaundement of God was to ordaine th'officers of the church vnder the lawe So non but our Sauiour Christ or his apostles in the expresse written word are to ordaine the officers of the churche gouernement vnder the newe couenaunt I am also molested because being constrained by the former scripture Hebr. 3. 6. to acknowledge that our Sauiour lefte an externall gouernement of his Church and so is equall with Moses and such a gouernement as cannot be changed by any but himselfe and so is superior vnto Moses I am driuen to confesse this vnchangeable forme of externall church gouernement ordained by him to be a gouernment th' execution whereof is committed to these 4. officers namely Teaching Pastors Doctors gouerning Elders ministring Deacons because I finde non other officers or offices either expressed or included in the Newe Testament Apostles Prophetes and Euangelistes onely excepted which being remooued out of the Churche by the Lord himselfe the boldnes of our Bishops their defenders is intolerable in demanding why Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons should be permanent seeing Apostles Prophets and Euangelists were but temporarie As though the Lord himselfe were not of sufficient wisedome to ordaine what he thought good in the gouerment of his Church or as though he were bounde either to continue Apostles Prophets and Euangelists or to abrogate th'other 4. offices vnder the Gospell to haue no gouerment of his appointment muchlesse vnchangeable I am molested because I made it knowne that to maintaine a Churche gouernement which at the pleasure of man according to the diuers estates of the Church may be changeable is flatly to ouerthrowe the prerogatiue whereby Christe Iesus is aboue Moses in th'ordering of his owne house Th'outwarde regement whereof cannot be held chaungeable vnder the Gospell according to times places countries states but Christ Iesus must be made inferior vnto Moses contrary to th'expresse decree and counsell of th'eternall God Heb. 3. 6. Briefly I am molested because I made it knowen that the gouernment of the Church by L. Bishops and Archbishops being as they themselues graunt a temporarie gouernement fit for the Church in time of peace but not of persecution and neuer ordained by the Lorde but inuented by man to preuent schismes c. is intollerable in Gods Church because it maketh Christ Iesus to haue ordained either a changeable church gouernement of his owne house or none at all and so to be far lesse faithfull in Gods house then Moses was These and such like my Lordes are the causes why th'Archb and his are so bloodily affected towardes me And I haue as mine aduersaries themselues confesse alleadged vnto you the true cause of their hatred and enmitie For if th'Archb c. were demaunded by this honourable assembly why they imprisoned me why they rifeled my studie tooke away my writinges why they now seeke for me their present answere would be that I am an enemie to the present gouernment of the cleargie established by her Majesties prerogatsue and the consent of the State And what is this in effect but because I thinke Christ Iesus to be more faithfull in the gouernment of his owne house then Moses was I know in deed that for this cause they giue out that I am an enemie to her Majesties gouernment a seditious and discontented subject guiltie of many attemptes and practises against her royall prerogatiue and one that intendeth nothing els but the vtter innouation of the state wherein I doe acknowledge th' auncient and perpetuall slaunder of Gods trueth and his seruants in all ages For it hath bene the continuall course and practize of the diuell at all times to laye matter of state vnto their charge that haue gainsaid any of those corruptions which his instruments haue maintained in Gods holy seruice And if our Bishops should new refraine from this slaunder then could they not so manifestly discrie themselues as they doe to be their naturall successors whose roomes in this age they supplie in the defence of the kingdome of darkenesse and ignorance Our Sauiour Christe was guiltie of so many and so outragious practises against the State wherein he liued as Pilate the Iudge could not saue his life and be a friend vnto Cesar This did the high priest openly protest against him Iohn 19. 12. And can we then maruel that his trueth in this age among our high priests is subiect vnto the same obloquie Tertullus th'orator would not be tedious in accusing th'apostle Paule if Felix of his curtesie would but heare him a few words he would briefly lay forth the cause of the Iewes hatred towards the apostle in this sorte Certainly wee haue found this man a pestilent fellowe and a mouer of sedition among the Jewes thorough out the world and a chief mainteiner of the sect of the Nazarites The wicked Iewes also Act. 17. 6. 7. missing of Paul and Silas drew Iason with certaine other brethren vnto the heads of the city crying These are they that haue subuerted the State of the world and here they are that gainsay the decrees of Cesar saying that there is an other king on Jesus c where I do the lesse maruel that sedition and treason is laied to my
charge for maintaining the trueth in asmuch as the Bishopps them selues in their allowed translation of the great Bible vppon the fore aleaged place of Act. 17. haue giuen this note namely That the common and vsuall weapons which the wicked vse against the members of Christ are treason and sedition Their wicked slander against al that seeke the reformation of our church and particularly against me haue verified the truth of this doctrine for assoone as any shewe their dislike of these corruptions with a desire to see Christ bearing sway in the church of England by his owne lawes they presently exclaime that these are the men which subuert the state of the Realm and that gainsay the decrees of her maiestie affirming that there is an other Soueraigne whose alone lawes must be harkened vnto and whose alone offices are to be allowed of in the gouernment of the church and that is Christ Iesus th'eternall sonne of the liuing God in deed if to defend the prerogatiue which he ought to haue in appointing th'officers gouernors of his church be sedition and treason I doe confesse in deed that after the way which they cal sedition and treason so serue I the God of my fathers But this is non other treason then that where vnto our Sauiour Christ and his apostles before me haue giuen their hands and consented and none other treason then that wherevpon all Kings and Queenes do firmly lay the foundation of their royall crownes and Scepters And therefore ye of the parliament ought to be so farr from being mooued with these shamefull reportes nowe raised by our Bishops against Christ Iesus against his trueth and his members as ye should not permitt such profane mouthes that presume in this sort to whette their tongues against heauen and him that sitteth therein to escape vnpunnished The forgers of these palpable vntruethes confesse themselues that Treason and Sedition are th'ordinarie weapons of the wicked against the members of Christe which in deede hath bene th'armour wherewith the diuell in all ages hath furnished his champions against the truth And I cannot blame our Bishops for being skilfull in this accusation seeing so many of their predecessors haue in the like cause troaden the like path before them Amos no sooner began to vtter the trueth in Bethel but Amasiah the high priest there presently smelled out his dangerous attempts And therefore like a good subiect in the singular good will he bare vnto his Soueraigne Lord Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel he waded farther into the matter and at length found Amos his treason and sedition to be so intollerable as the Land was no longer able to beare it Especially seeing th'enterprises of the prophet were taken in hand even in the middest of the kingdome to stir vp the subiects to innouation in regard whereof the high priest sawe him selfe bound in conscience to send Ieroboam this message Amos hath conspired against thee in the middest of the house of Israel the land is not able to beare his words for he hath openly spoken that which the Lord hath put into his mouth The like treachery in the place before set down did the priests and the prophets finde in Jeremiah yea and such is the care which the lims of Sathan haue of the ciuil maiestrate that rather then kings and princes should be honored with the maintenance of a perfect building of Gods church they can presently finde no lesse then sedition and treason in their purposes that indeuoure to further that worke When Jerusalem began to be reedified in the daies of Artaxerxes the men beyond the riuer knew well enough that the building of Gods church and th'establishing of his true seruice amongst men is straight way a wicked and a rebellious enterprise For which cause they sent word vnto the king that if Jerusalem a city rebellious and wicked should be once built the kings tribute thereby should be diminished and because they had bin brought vp in the kings court and that it was not meet for them to see the kings dishonor they sent him word that if hee would search the booke of the Chronicles of his father he shoulde finde the true Churche of God to haue bene alwaies rebellious noisome vnto kings and princes and to haue mooued seditions of olde for which cause also it had bene destroyed And further they certified him that if he would suffer the church to be reedified by that meanes the portion beyond the riuer should not be his Nor long after this time Nehemias with the Elders of the Iewes strengthened their hands to finish the building of Ierusalem What saith Sanballat and Tobiah a seruant what a thing is this you doe will you rebell against the King As if the building of Gods church could not chuse but be a rebellious interprise You see by these examples right honorable that it is the lotte of Gods seruants to be accounted seditious men and traitors vnto princes and states whensoeuer they doe but set their faces towards the building of the Lords house and you see apparantly by these testimonies that it is no newe found slaunder which the high commissioners haue forged against me but an auncient quarrell of the Diuell in all ages and times against Gods trueth Which may be the better manifested if you doe consider if either they can alleadge no reason of their accusation or the same if they do shewe any is because I afforad my bounden seruice vnto the trueth For thâ—se are infallible markes whereby awicked enemy of the trueth and a slaunderer of the members of Christ may be knowne namely that either he can yeald no reason of his slaunder because he thinketh it sufficient for him in that cause to inuent an vntrueth without any proofe or his reason shalbe because the seruants of God doe faithfully employ them selues in the seruice of their maister Rheum and Geshem accused Ierusalem of rebellioÌ„ so did Sanballat accuse Nehemias and the Elders of the Iewes But how prooued they their accusations They neede not to labour that way because they slaundered the church of God and the true members thereof against whome for the moâ—t part a slaunder without proofe wil be in steed of a thousand witnesses Ieremiah was accounted worthie to die by the prists and prophets in his time and what was their reason Why say they he hath prophesied in the name of the Lord saying This City shalbe made desolate without an inhabitant Lo heer my Ll. the infalliable markes of the slaunders and enemies of Gods children and where you finde these marks giue judgment accordingly Nowe may it please your honors to demaund of the high commission why they account me to be a disturber of the peace of our church and a seditious person Either they wil think them selues not bound to giue any reason of their accusation because against those that seeke the wealth of Ierusalem any vntrueth wilbe admitted or their