to giue in his answer Hearing nothing more of that of 7. weekes I on the day of Pentecost insuing complayned to his Highnes againe Thereto Sir Iulius Caesar in his Maiesties name subscribeth thus The Kings Maiesty hath eftsoones referred this petitioÌ„ to the Lord Bishop of London who is required by his Highnes calling other of the Hycommission vnto him withall convenient expedition and according to the Law to proceede to iudgement either with or against the partie as his cause shall deserue that his Highnes may not further bee importuned herein So farre the Kings commaund To the Bishop I sent it but hearing nothing from him a fortnight after I sent to the King againe About a week after I was convented And after much talke to no purpose the Bishop concluded thus you may doe this at least the Doctrines being put downe as supposed to be taught of you you may subscribe herein I was truely or not truly vnderstood I answered let that be done and I shall doe what I ought Doctor Stanhope then said Maister Deanes of Westminster Pawles are appointed to that who at their convenient leasure will send for you So the Court broke vp This was the eleventh of Iuly last and then the first time also of excepting at the doctrine of Faithes apprehending deliverance from the plague taught in the foresaid Epistle Being thus left to the two Deanes I writt to them sundry times for speedy proceeding One of them sent my messenger to the other backward and forward At the Monethes end Doctor Androes sends me word that he had put the matter from him And so he never sent for me according to the Courtes Depute Passing by inconvenient repeates about three weekes after I was sent for to the Registers office Coming thither his man lets me see Doctor Androes his moneths worke And what was it A flat recantation and nothing answerable to that which the Court in myne hearing appointed as afore So much I signified to the Bishop as also to the Doctor But other answer since I could haue none but this put in bondes so to protest When and Where we shall appoint and so departe prison So my cause at the penning hereof standeth The severall pointes for the which I am thus handled in the sequent Discourse I do treat of by way of Quere and Response that is by way of Question and Answere Wherein my cause is vnsound reiect wherein Orthodoxall accept and so farre be Gods instrument for my Good Art thou a Magistrate Then hearken what Salomon saith Deliver them that are drawen to death and wilt thou not preserue them that are ledd to be slaine If thou say Behold we knew not of it he that Pondereth the heartes doth he not vnderstand it And he that keepeth thy Soule knoweth hee it not Will not he also recompence every man according to his workes Thus let the Magistrate take heede how he pleades ignorance and wincketh at the fall of the innocent For such a looking through the fingers may fill the earth with innocent blood till it roare again for heavens iudgement And so not only such but also the whole lande shall fare the worse for iniustice Art thou a Minister Then heare what Moses and Salomon say And if any haue sinned namely by hearing the voyce of an othe and he can be a witnesse whither he hath seene or knowen of it he do not vtter it he shall beare his iniquitie Open thy mouth for the dombe in the cause of all the children of destruction Some of you are reported to say that Clapham hath a good cause but it is to be doubted if so he haue sufficient learning to defend it That I haue I haue God make me faithfull in that I haue But thou that art able to giue in thy Testimonie art bound also to do it If thou wilt not be a Procter for Christ in his members one of the two Theeues executed with lesus shall turne Preacher giue in sâ—fficient evidence to thy condemnation To the People Also Brethren I beseech you for our Lorde Iesus sake and for the loue of the Spirit that ye would striue with me by prayers vnto the Lord for me that I may be deliuered from the disobedient and that my seruice which I haue yet to do may be accepted of the Sanctified that I may come forth to his people with ioy by the will of God and may with you be refreshed Thus the God of peace be with you all Amen Yours Henoch Clapham Qu. Is the Plague infectious CHAP. I. Answer EVery Answer is to be made either by Affirming or Denying or Distinguishing or by Retorting Affirme it to be or not to be I cannot for reason ensuing For retorting an answer I could by vrging a Quere of like nature thus Is the crab restoritiue yea or no If answer be made tell me whither you speak of the fruit crab or Sea-crab and then I will satisfie you euen so I say tell me whither you speake of the Naturall Plague or the Supernaturall Plague and then I will say it is or it is not infectious The doubtfulnes then of the answer doth arise from the doubtfulnes of the question The question is doubtfull by reason of the word Plague for that it hath sundry significations For the better vnderstanding whereof let vs first examine the seuerall senses Plague is a word taken in the evill part and spoken of any harme inflicted vpon any Creature All diseases are termed plagues be they inflicted vpon mankinde or others So be Crosses in Common Wealthes Châ—rches Famelies So be som Windes and Weathers to Trees hearbes flowers c. And so Egypt had his ten sundry plagues But passing by all such inferiour sortes it is in this dispute taken for a speciall kinde of evill inflicted on mankinde The Divine Prophets Canonicall do terme it in Hebrue DEBER The divine Septuagintâ— do specially terme it in Greek Logos The Ancient HeatheÌ„ Phisitians do terme it Loimos The Latines call it Pestis and Plaga whereof do come our English wordes Pest. Pestilence Plague but Plaga in playne English A Stripe or Blowe and therefore how many stripes so many Plagues Quere That plague which is so straingly mortall at this time throughout England is it infectious yea or no CHAP. II. Answer I vnderstand that plague or pest not to be single or of one kinde And so farre as I conceaue no learned Divine or Phisition is otherwise minded Thereof it is that sometimes they vrge textes of scripture for making the Angell Agent according to that speach of our King in his Parliamentall Oration who termes the Pest the violâ—â—lence of Gods devouring Angell and sometimes againe they discourse of Corrupt ayre in suing Constellations and fuming corruptions In which respecte naturall politicall Orders are vrged as for the other Fasting and Prayer In regard of the first one speaking of the Plague in Davids time writes thus This
to be tryed by Gods worde for already it is vnder the tryall of the Bishops sworde Only heere thus much 1. The Leper was not put off till his disease were throughly seene tryed and censured But our sicknes are shaken off without tryall often tymes vpon false suppositiôn 2. The Priest then was tyed by dutie to take such tryall But the Priest ordinarily with vs is of the rest furthest from that shaking off not only the sicke but the sound also 3. The Priest and people got the Leper conveyed to some place apart providing sufficiently for him that so his lothsom body might bring no grievance to the Congregation But the most of our Priestes and people haue beene so farre from convaying forth the sick so provided as they rather haue put out them selues providing for themselues and leaving the sick behinde them 4. The Leprous house and garment came also vnder the Priestes tryall and censure will our Priestes do the like I will hardly beleeue it till I see it 5. The Leprous garmentes were to be burnt and the houses pulled downe will they deale so with pestilenced houses and garmentes Then downe with all England Haue I not these circumstances remembred had iust cause to complayne of abuse committed against the Ceremoniall law of Leprosie Sub Iudice lis sit Let the Church of God all abroad iudge it As for any Rules of Politicall decency or safetie to be drawen frō Levit. 13. or any other scripture nether haue I nor I think any scholler ever excepted against And as farre from my thought it was Contemptuously herein to oppose vnto the doctrine of Leprosie published in the booke of Orders for the Wednesdayes Fast besides that my said Epistle was published before that book som dayes if not weeks at least in my iudgement as they haue vnder my hand and oth nor could I euer from Pawles Church-yard or otherwise learne the contrarie But inough of that Parenthesis When men be vnwilling Tolay downe their liues for their Brethren to giue their liues for their flocke to preferre bodies to soules eternall life to temporarie what Law of God man will bind them What evasions will not be devised And what transgression will not of such be iustified euen somtymes to the harming of such as haue beene conscionable obseruers of the Law This chapter then I will finish with other mens wordes * One saith thus Let not Gentlemen and rich Citizens by flying vnlesse they fly likewise frō their sinnes thinke to escape scot-free Another writes thus It is a great shame for a Christian man to be afrayde of the plague of pestilence as to fly from them that he is bound to serue by Gods commaundement Another writes thus They that fly for meare feare ought to acknowledge their want of faith and to bewayle it as those that consider neither of them selues nor of the hand of God that stricketh perswading them selues that staying is the only daunger and that flyinge is the only meane to escape Such men do as litle Children that flye from the Fathers Rodde and so make him more angrie Againe another writes so They must summon them selues vnto the iudgement feate of God and looke on the plague as on the messenger of Gods wrath which can not be avoyded with change of place but by repentance and amendment of life So farre they From such authorised sentences let the Reader collect that howso ever all departure be not gayn-sayed yet no such departure is graūted as whereby Relatiue duties be omitted and cast aside or Barbanitie may ensue for the least euill may not be done to the ende that good may come thereby for to such saith the Apostle Damnation is iust From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes and therefore neither needeth nor craueth nor alloweth the helpe of our false finger Let vs striue in all estates to be helpefull one to another and blessed is that servant who when his maister Christ cometh is found so doing Dixi. Epilogue EQuall is that Pentameter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery forced busines is grievous Almost a yeare is passed at the penning hereof So long forbearance was much and onerous specially in so even a cause If my Aduersaries scorpions haue by lashing enforced this Cry and thou thereby bettered Deo gratias giue God the prayse who out of a flint can fetch fier and of stones rayse vp children to Abraham Meane tyme be assured it had beene more ease for me not to haue beene so vrged But though I were slaine I must with Iob hold fast myne innocencie Innocency By how much the more it is innoeencie by so much the more I should by silence haue borne false witnes against God his Church and myne owne soule But if it bee remembred what horride reportes were scattered abroad of me both touching Fact and matter of Faith notwithstanding all orderly suites and protestations subscriptorie and iuramentall yea against the tendering Royal purpose of our Soueraigne to the possessing of Magistrates eares with vntruthes to the perverting of Ministers and people for bending all against me and so the sword of Gods holy Angell yet vn-sheathed gainst all damming vp the course of my Ministerie cutting of my bodies liberty propounding my life to daunger breaking the heart of my family consumed the substance I had paynefully earned to the gladding of fooes sadding of friends procuring murmurations c. and al for praying preaching visiting and good-doing to all sortes pestilenced when almost none els would if all this be layd to heart am I Iron that I should not feele or am I lead that I should not sound Nay is it reasonable though I bee therefore cōmitted close prisoner yea should dy the death but I should speak and write for clearing of myne innocencie Wherein I haue fayled and who is it that in nothing sinneth not thou that art stronger helpe to sustayne me at least simpathize so my estate as I may be helped by thy feeling and harty prayers And so with reference of my cause to the iudgement of God his Church in England Scotland France Ireland and wheresoeuer I end This 18. of September 1604. The Lord most vnworthy HENOCH CLAPHAM A Letter to a friend YOu desire to heare by what Law I was committed and so am still continued in prison I protest in the presence of God I know not by what Law all this is done There is a Law that toucheth som concerning iudgement and doctrine of the Pestilence It is layd downe in the booke called the Queenes Orders for the Pestilence I speake of our late sweet Soveraigne now gone vnto God The same booke since as I take it was published last pest-tyme in his Maiesties name and this is it verbatim Order 16. Item if there be any person Ecclesiasticall or Lay that should hold and publish any opinions as in som places report is made that it is a vayne thing to
Plague came not by any Caryer or Travailer or by any infected persons travayling from place to place infecting the people wher they came but it was sent sodainly from God as the revenger of sinne He afterwardes graunteth that such a plague is not at this day for vniuersalitâ—e and quick dispatch but yet still that God hath the same meane at his pleasure so to do And this writer must be remembred to haue beene authorized by the Sea of London and the same Booke applauded with the Preface of an ancient paynfull Preacher For the other sorte of Pest namely derived from some corruption of the Creature and not immediatly from the Angells stroke any learned skilfull in nature do graunt And for that take a Christian Physitians testimonie amongst vs. He having alleadged som reportes from histories touching naturall Contagion doth then conclude thus This may be sufficient to shew that the Plague is not always the immediat stroke of an Angell In this Pestilence generally scattred through the land there so falleth out some stroke Supernaturall some Naturall as I haue againe and againe taught in my Epistle so much traduced He that is against me in this is so not contrarie minded to me but to our King to our Divines and Phisitians also No marvayle then though another authorized Divine do say with the right learned Phisitian Fernelius Hisunt morbi c. These be the diseases whereof I haue said often they haue som secret cause And a litle after the first causes which breed the Pestilence are so vnknowen so invisible and so strange to all our senses that we are altogeather ignorant of them c. Necessarily so it foloweth that som thing in this plague be Supernaturall and somwhat Naturall as at large I haue delivered in my Epistle of the Pestilence without which observation one shal deliuer Quid for Quo as haue done my Articlers what is saide of the Supernaturall to vrge it as spoken of the Naturall Et è contra to the seducing of the Hearers Quere The stroke of the Angell immediatly inflicted is it infectious yea or no CHAP. III. Answ. FIrst let me heare what infection is A domestick Doctor signifying what person is infectious doeth write thus Very properly saith he is he reputed infectious that hath in himselfe an evil malignant venomous or vitious disposition which may be imparted and bestowed on another by Touch producing the Same and As Dangerous effect in him to whom it is coÌ„municated as in him that first coÌ„mmunicateth and spreadeth the infection So farre He. It being remembred that Infection properly vnderstood is not that which begetteth Another but the Same euill so Argumentate That stroke which the Angell inflicteth is Supernaturall and not within the compasse of Phisicall causes But Infection is Naturall and within the compasse of Phisicall causes Therefore the Angells stroke not infectious For the second proposition I leaue it till anone Meane time the first proposition would be cleared seeing the conclusion dependes primordially of it That the Angels stroke is Supernaturall it may appeare once in that He the Angell be a good or bad one for either may be so imployde he is a Spirit and this his Action done by an immediate spirituall power beyonde our reasons pitch Secondly we see the Angell in Aegpit as also in Iudea Israell nor els where do we ever heare the contrary to be imploide in smyting house after house and City after City even all along the Coastes from Dan to Beersheba and not smyting that which might smyte another which otherwise if but for instruction sake would somtyme haue bene done and mentioned And this no doubt caused one to write as afore in the former chapter that The Pest in Davids tyme came not by any infectious person Thirdly by the Septuagintaes version of the word DEBER it may be collected to haue bene then the Church of Israels iudgement The word DEBER in proper English The Pestilence they turne by the Greeke word Logos in English The word as if in the text it were not DEBER but DABAR this indeed signifying a word and the very terme that Saint Iohn in his first chapter doth giue vnto the Son of God by whom as by a word the Creature had his beginning and beeing So that the 91. Psal. and third verse they thus read He shall deliuer thee from the word not fro the Pestilence And why because that Pest as the comon Creature at first had the beginning and beeing solely by the word of God and this plague for contemning the blessed Covenaunt sealed vp in him that is Logos the Word Afterwardes in the sixt verse of the same Psalme the Hebrue-Greekes read thou shalt not be affraide Apò toû pragmatos of the thing in steed of pestilence Why Because it was such a RHEMA such a PRAGMA such a Thing as they knew not properly how to terme it in the Greeke language They well vnderstood that the Heathen-Greekes did terme it LOIMOS and in respect of the popular spreading Epidemia wherefore then in their translations should they so avoyde these wordes and rather choose such a terme as should drive the Heathen to a Non-plus No reason I can render but that thereby they finely checked the Gentiles as Ignorant of that plagues cause and therfore must be glad leaving their great Naturians to come vnto the written woord of God for better learning And in so doing they shall finde that DEBER is indeed DABAR which not only signifieth a Word but also a Thing Yea a miraculous Thing as in Genes 18. where Sarah thinking the woord of promise impossible the Angel thus checkes her shall any DABAR be heard to the Lord where that miraculous thing was to be effected by the power of the word DABAR signifying both Now if the Pest was such a word or such a thing effected by a word then it is to bee nombred amongest Supernaturalls and so not infectious seeing the partie so smitten could not by all the corruption in his nature sende out such a Word such a Thing begetting the same effect in another for so which I thinke were a petie blasphemie in steed of Iehovahs Angell mans beastly corruption should equalize the Angell take the worke out of his handes as being Iehouahs messenger herein for Angell is the Greeke word and Messenger the English which I haue not read of at least not observed True it is that the Angells blowe rayseth vp mudde in mans nature giving it an head to the heart and therefore in Psalme 91. 3. with Logos they ioyne Tarachodes turned of vs noysome but in proprietie Bemudding as if by such a stroke the mudde of our vncleane poole were stirred vp to the poysoning of all the blood and powers even as è contra the Angells Mooving of Bethesda brought sanitie to the diseased And true it is also that that corruption may offend and hurt nature in others but yet not
infect that is beget the Same and as dangerous effect in another for many things â—e noysom that be not infectious Fourthly that the Angells stroke is Superâ—aturall it may appeare from the meanes whereby it is stayed The meanes by Prayer and the offring vp our selues a living Sacrifice which David ran vnto in Sam 24. He seeing the Angell smyting the people in ver 17. and not the people infecting one another he humbles him selfe offring his lyfe few such Governors for the ransome of his people who are indeed A Kings glory Pro. 14 28. That this holy Interpellation and not Gallens Northeren winds breathing the Chambers was the meanes whereby that Pestilence DEBER was stayed the Angels hand staying to smyte and longer To that purpose One by authoritie thus writeth This noysomâ— PestileÌ„ce in 2. Sam. 24. ceaseth here as we see but by whose meanes Did tyme weare it out or did the Phisitian cure it or did a fine devise remooue it no no it was done only by the Commaundement of God enioyning the Angell to stay his hand This consideration moveth also another Domestick Preacher vpon Nombers 16. 46. not to teach Physicall but Metaphysicall perfumes for putting away this sorte of Pest. Amongst other things thus he writes If the cause of this Infection were Elementarie why must holy fier bee taken from the Alter Fier out of the Chimney would purifie that Aâ—terwards Let euery one therefore bring his Censer that is his heart vnto the Lord an hallowed and Sanctified vessell for this purpose to offer vp incense of prayâ—r vnto God a vessell layde vp in the holy of Holyes The Medicine so being Spirituall Supernaturall it remaynes as afore that the stroke is not infectious Lastly the absolute mortalitie of the Angels stroke doth argue iâ— not to be infectious For if it were then every pestilenced person must dye without such a supernaturall and miraculous recoverye as wherewith Hezekiah was revived But as none will graunt such a communitie of Miracle so all must graunt the Angels stroke not to infect another with the same or like That the Angels stroke is absolutely deading in his nature it may appeare once in that no one smitten with DEBER is read to haue recovered life For Hezekiah he was first a dead man in respect of his diseases nature els Isaâ—ahâ— message were vntrue howsoever the humbled King was afterwardes miraculously restored and yet his malady not DEBER in the text but a sicknes to death howsoever not without his Boile or swelling there termed Shechin one with the sixt plague inflicted on Aegypt in Exod. 9. 10. But DEBER for terme one with the first plague Englished A moraine whereof no Beast smitten escaped Secondly it is to be gathered from the 2. Chro. 21. where the Angel is sent to Ierusalem LEHASHCHITHAH to corrupt it namely to death for SHACHATH implyeth corruption taking head to the death and graue Thirdly the Angells stroke appeareth to be deadly from the Epithets giuen to it in Psal. 91. where it is termed a Lyon an Aspe a Dragon who naturally devoure and poyson to the death Such is the iudgment of some Domestick writers authorized by the Sea of London so to teach and print For iudgement of foraigners take the learned Mollerus approved of the Vniversitie of Witteberge and his labours printed at Geneva who in the 91. Psalme so vrgeth the Epithets meaning In specialty saith he I take the Prophet willingly alludeth to the Pest in these Appellations For it is not to be doubted but he had respect to the nature of these Beastes vt vim veneni significantius exprimeret for more significant expressing the force of the poison So farre He. Whereby also may appeare the stroke not to be infectious seeing the corruption in a man so stoong and poysoned of Aspe or Dragon it sendeth out of that body no sâ—ch â—avour or power as whereby the same evill and so dangerous an effect can be begotten in another not so stoong of the serpent And herevpon it is that the same Learned Man so well as others doeth vnderstande that Psalme to be penned vpon Davids deliverance in Sam. 24. and the Angell to be that Fowler in Psalme 91. 3. whose particular act is to pitch the same Pest-snare and so to strangle people as the Fowler doth birdes And so as afore the stroke deadly and vn-infectious But because our people are so infidelious touching the Angels stroke it pleaseth God somtymes to let the smitten feele a sensible blow and both he and others playnely to see the print of a blew hande vppon the place so smitten This indeed was flouted at in my booke as if there were no such thing But lett vs heare another Writer of their owne Authorizing thus he writes Because the Lords power and might more appeares is more manisest in this great evil then in any other I thinke it not fabulous what I haue heard som reporte that they haue seene as it were the print of a hand vpon the Armes and other partes of the body of sundry smitten with the Pestilence So farre He. Wherewith would be noted that no one so printed doth escape death so far as I could ever heare nor yet that pestâ—print beget the like in any of the beholders and so not infectious Thus if men would haue vnderstood them selues but Nebuchadnetzar had forgot his dreame Clapham should not haue beene so vnbrotherly and vncivilly entreated for teaching the Angels stroke to be Supernaturall and in his nature not infectious But many supposing the Doctrine I taught herein to haue no proppes from some other Teachers to whom Sectary-wyse they were addicted they holding faith which Saint Iames forbiddeth in respect of persons they so in their blind zeale were helping to hammer my Chaynes adding affliction to my bondes Heavenly Father forgiue them for they knew not what they did Quere Whither or no is that Plague infectious which ariseth immediatly from some corruption of Nature CHAP. IIII. Answ. IN his owne nature it is infectious howsoeuer somtymes bridled of God from infecting as the Lyons naturally devouring howsoeuer the Creator did bridle that Creature from touching of Daniel And this to be vnderstood not only of Corruption following open knowen naturall causes but also as afore of that muddy corruption raysed by the vn-infectiue miraculous stroke of the Angell for corruptioÌ„ can beget nothing but the same or the like corruption or otherwise be noisome according as the Subiect it worketh vpon be more or lesse thervnto affected This in my Epistle vniustly traduced I teach againe and againe In the Addition to the first Section there I say thus This kinde of plague of pestilence is of him namely Galen termed Loimos respecting only bodyes bursting out in corruption which may be cause sometimes of corrupting bodyes specially such as are inclinable to and capable of such corruption Then to the second Section this The
forbeare to resorte to the infected or that it is not charitable to forbid the same pretending that no person shall dy but at their time prefixed such persons shall not only be reprehended but by order of the Bishop If they bee Ecclesiasticall shal be forbidden to preach and being Lay shal be also enioyned to forbeare to vtter such daungerous opinions vpon payne of imprisonment which shal be executed if they shall perseuere in that errour And yet it shall appeare manifestly by these Orders that according to Christian charitie no persons of the meanest degree shal be left without succour and relief Admitt now I had bene coulpable of such doctrine my punishment should not haue bene imprisonment but som inhibition to preach But as may appeare by all my writings I am cleared from all such imputation and so no Law that yet I can heare of in this matter violated of me His Maiestie commaunded I should be proceeded withall By the Law intending that there was a Law to cleare me or condemne me and yet as you heare I am kept still in bondes only vpon my L. of London commaund not vpon any Law Civill or Ecclesiasticall once spoken of others of the Hy-Commission vnited with him therein who I suppose dare not easilie be in any thing vnto him repugnant and he having imprisoned me before he truely vnderstood the cause doeth thus goe about to make good his imprisonmeÌ„t by wincking at the truth of the cause seeming to plague me for the contrary This may suffice for your question wherewith I end desiring Your harty prayers vnto God for my good To whose saving mercies also I referre you and your Studies Yours HE. CL. Another Letter BEloued I haue maruailed what may be the cause of your walking thus those If because of my daily repaire vnto the Lords visited people som moneths since you fear to com near me you must vnderstand that I haue bene ayred in prison these ten moneths But in your iudgement it may be a man may travatle of the plague beyond a womans 4â— weekes In deed the old womans fable is that the plague will lye 7 years in a mouse hole and then come out That Aphorisme it is like was cause as hath eftsoones bene reported that a neare preacher newly beneficed did plaister the walles faire tempering the morter with vinger Eamque ob rem Medici peste grassante cum in cibo tum in potu accâ—ivsum mirificè commendant but for all that his hourse was scarfe fimished before he with plentie of Gods tokens vpon him so well as his predecessour was buried But if I may coniecture by your pulse you feare to bee knowen my friend whilâ— I am in bonds An vngodly feare to bee ashamed of well doing Such irregular walking may cause me to call in question whether ever you were a true friend seeing one of Gods Canons runns thus A friend loueth at all times and a brother is borne for adversite Besides that such keeping aloof worse then that of Nicodemus for he came by night it weakens Neophyts and strâ—ngthens the hands of the adversarie Would you in like case be so walked with Do as you would be done to In the beginning you kept of for som such cause but now you are impeded about Episcopall Canons concluded by the Province of Canterburie for though Yorkes prouince be by Proclamation enioyned to vndergoe the same Rules yet I vnderstand not that that Provinces voyce was called for and so vsed as to the making of that CouÌ„ â—ell Nationall and one of the Canons concludeth as I remeÌ„ber that 〈◊〉 be the voyce of the Church of England which hath bene vttered in â— Councell Nationall not Provintiall Eâ—en as the Parliament 〈◊〉 Nationall for that euery part of the Nation hath his Speaker in it If that be your Case God and the King helpe you for I can not I am here for another gates testimonie almost for sakeÌ„ of you all as Singular but if you would have first vnderstood me and secondly your selues all that I did was but a bringing of that doctrine into distinct methode which for the most part was taught over-confusedly In so much as sundry that heard you teach two tymes vpon that argument could not conceaue but that in the second Sermon you were opposite to the first If you had bene more comfortable to others in their affliction then doubtles you should not be so long destitute of comfort in any your afflictions for faithfull is he that saith The mercifull shall finde mercy Make vpright steppes to your feet and feare not an happy issue out of all tentations And so with my hearty prayers to God for your good I leaue you to his guidance that neuer for sakes the faithfull Your friend He. Cl. Courteous Reader let me craue in kindnes That what faultes thou findest may not bee imputed to the Authour but meere ignorance and oversight in thâ— Publisher Fare well Pere Reâ— The Publisher and his Friend Question Is the Plague infectious or no Answer That is intricate more then I know To satisfie som-thing I will not grâ—dge With some experimentes then be thou iudgâ— I. A sucking childe suckt his mothers breast Hauing a filter 2. or 3. yeares elder at the least The mother absented the eldest out of thrall Not carâ—ing for the yongest any thing at all The yongest liued and survived The eldest with the mother greeved and died II. A man being marked with Gods tokens Looking euery hour when his heart would be brokeâ— Hauing one child loth to leaue behind him Layed it 3. dayes and 3. nights in bed by him The Father dyed the child survived And hath euer since prospered and thriued III. A plague fore within a spanne of a womans dugge Whereat the little child night and day did lugge Som fortnight sick and sore shee was all that while The child in midst of mothers grief at her did smile The mothers sore made whole so she mended The child since neuer sick nor with grief offended Now my friend if not my fo Tell me is the plague infectious or no Qu. Is there any place in the Scripture that vrgeth men to bee foâ—ward in perfection and striving to be perfect Answer Yes Ye shall therfore be perfect as your Father which is in heauen is perfect Mat. 5. 48. Also the great commandement doth say Loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde and with all thy strength This is the first and the great commandement And the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe On these two commandements hangeth the whole Law and the Prophetes The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitatable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes That the Man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes 2. Tim. 3. 16. 17. This is a straight gate yet we are