⧠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
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.
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
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
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
reason wilbe because I hold it vnlawful for them to liue in popishe callings to be Lords ouer their bretheren to smother the trueth to rob Christ of his honor and his church of her libertie or to speake in their owne wordes because I dislike the gouernment of the church by L. Archb. and Lord Bb. established by the prerogatiue of hir majestie and the parliament Hereby in trueth declaring that in persecuting me a worm of the earth they are imployed in his cause with whom I feare me vnlesse they repent they shal haue their reward for speaking euill of the trueth For what else doe they in giuing out that I am a seditious person for oppugning the gouernment of Archb. and L. Bb. for maintaining the gouernement by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons but affirme the defence of Gods trueth to be sedition and the defence of the libertie of his Churche to be treason Will the parâ—iament then suffer the cause of God to be thus shamefulâ—y abused by wicked and prophane men Well my Ll. though you receiue not my Appellation in regarde of my selfe yet suffer the trueth to come before you Suffer not the cause of God and his Church for want of just triall to fall into ignomie and discredit Let it neuer be said that Festus an heathen Iudge should be more fauorable in supporting the credite of Gods trueth and the professors thereof then the parliament of England would be The spilling of my blood for this cause though it be a matter to be regarded of you that are in authoritie yet I thanke he Lorde it is not the thing that I feare For by his inestimable goodnes I finde my selfe an vnworthye wretche to be one of them who in this cause are not afraide of death when it commeth and one of them that may laugh at death and destruction because I knowe the beast stones of the fielde to be at league with me and that euerlasting peace for euer and euer shall be vnto me of the Lords free and vndeserued reward But the discrediting of the truth by my hard vsage is the thing that I regarde and the spilling of my blood for defending the trueth and writing against impietie is it that I feare me will make this lande an astonishment to our neighbors round about vs. Be it then that my complaint at this time were not the complaint of the oppressed and the straunger yet inasmuch as it is the cause of Christ Iesus for the which I am persecuted you are bound to receiue mine Appellation And here me thinks the Lord demandeth of you that are parlament meÌ„ as somtimes he did of the people of Iudah what iniquitie you finde in the Church gouernment by teaching Pastors and Doctors gouerning Elders ministring Deacons that you haue not onely committed two euils the one in refusing that gouernement th'other in chusing to your selues these broken pits I meane the gouernment of Archb. Lord Bb. which can holde in them nothing profitable to Gods Church but also think those that plead for Christs interest vnworthie your protection and countenance against the injust and cruell enemies and the cause wherein they stande vnworthie your defence The Lord I saye demaundeth what iniquitie you finde in the gouernment of his sonne that you haue thus altogether rejected and forsaken the same and cannot abide I speake now vnto such as are enemies therevnto to haue it consulted vpon in your meeting The best answere which in this point you can make are of late published by the publike authoritie of the Bishops theÌ„selues Let these reasons then be briefely examined see whether they will be a sufficient warrant for her Majestie and you in the day of Christe Iesus to refuse his gouernment and to imbrace this hierarchy of Bb. in steed thereof First it is saide that this hierarchie is established by the authoritie of her Majestie the parliament The Lord answereth that for this cause the Nauie of the Spaniarde of late threatned our destruction and that for this cause we haue had extreme famine in all our quarters deare yeares and many an vnseasonable haruest and that for this cause he threatened to take away our dread soueraign whom good Lord spare in thy mercies and crowne with eternal blessednes for thy sonnes sake by so many conspiracies as haue bene villanously attempted within our land and therefore warneth her Majesty you of this honorable courte that vnlesse you woulde feele his heauie hand vnto your destructioÌ„ that this wicked and pestilent gouernment of L. Bb. shoulde be no longer maintained by your prerogatiue Secondly it is alleaged that this gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons was inuented by they know not whom and that it is not yet proued that any such gouernment was in the primitiue Church VVhy this is more then shamelesse impudencie Is not that prooued in the 31. yeare of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth to haue bene at all in the primitiue Church which our booke of common prayer in the beginning of her Majesties raigne testified to haue beene therein and to shewe the necessitie thereof declareth that we are to wishe for the discipline then practized Thus you may see that our Bb. to saue themselues harmelesse take leaue when they thinke good to crosse the booke of Common prayer in that which is most true and which their owne writings graunt to be true whereas they crie treason treason when other men do not allow that which is amisse therein And you may also see howe fit they are to lead others in the way of life who are now growne so sharpe sighted as they will sweare that at noone dayes they can see no light whereas in the very morning they themselues sawe the vprising of the sun But to answer this point in a word the Lord maketh it knowne vnto the parliament of England that his sonne Christ Iesus was the author and ordainer of this Church gouernement whiche vncleane mouthes affirme to be inuented by they know not whome yea but our Bb. protest that the opinion which now thâ—y haue of their owne gouerment will not be shaken vntill they be resolued in two points whereof now they are ignorant First that a direct commaundement be brought out of the word to prooue that there should be in all ages and states of the church of Christ one onely forme of gouernement Secondly that some particular churches be set downe wherein the desired gouernment by Pastors doctors Elders Deacons was practised The high court of parliament is here soÌ„moned by the Lord of heauen to judg whether the iniquity of these men be to be borne with who blush not to speake euel of that vpright waie whereof they acknowledge them selues to be meetly ignorant why would they not require a resolution of their doubts before they had gainsaid the holy ordinance of the lord and accuse the same as traiterous vnto her maiesties gouernment and dangerous vnto the
nor just trial at their hands I can hope for nether of these from them For they haue wholly vowed them selues with all their might and maine to slaunder assaile resist and hinder the cause of Gods honor the saluation of his church in the defence whereof farbeit but I should spend my bloud as by the grace of God I will when I am thereunto necessarily called wherefore except ether mine aduersaries which I hartily wish would leaue the smothering of the trueth and the vnjust defence of their intollerable corruptions or that I should surcease which I trust shal neuer come to passe mine indeuours to haue the Gospel planted in my country and the house of God cleansed from pollution I can look for nothing else but al extremities at their hands Heereby also it is manifest that these men wil be so far from graunting me either any release from their tirannous Persecution or yet equity of judgment as they cannot possibly yeeld either of the twoe without the dangerous inpairing of their own state My course by the assistance of God I meane not to alter The cause of my poore country I mean to respect as long as I liue and neuer meane to giue ouer the discouering of those wicked men who in this cleare light of the Gospel detaine the trueth in vnrighteousnes If I may haue rather if Christ Iesus may haue justice against them I haue lately prooued vnto you that not one of these men I meane Lord bishops and whosoeuer depend vppon them ought to be maintained within these domminions Nowe seeing both the obtaining and also the solliciting of this suite must needs be joyned with the impairing of the Archbishop of Canterburies estate the rest in commission with him who sitt in these vnlawful chaires of Lord bishops or any wise depend vppon them how can they without their owne irrecouerable losse administer justice or graunt quietnes vnto me Doe they meane to yeeld vnto the knowne trueth and to giue ouer their places Why then am I molested by them Doe they meane to be stil the men which hytherto they haue bene that is enemies vnto Christs holy discipline and gouernement Then cannot they possibly affoard me any vpright triall For if they should the church of God would be soone disburdened of them And in wisedom they cannot let me go on quietly in my course for the more the trueth is opened the neerer are they to their fall My cause being thus what may be saide of the parliament if I be not releeued by your meanes in my most equal most reasonable and most christian suite Yea but seeing mine aduersaries are so mighty as they are knowne to be and this suite so vnlâ—kely to preuaile against them in our dayes were it not better forme to let them runn on in their wickednes then thus to striue to mine owne hinderance and extreame peril in a gainlesse enterprise And what calling haue I to deale in this cause That is it I knowe that the Diuel would haue euen to be lett alone and permitted quietly to cary all before him at his owne pleasure without any controlement As though the stones of the street had not a sufficient calling to gainsay the wickednesse of men when the seruants of God are tongtied And either it must be said that sinne at some age and time hath a commission to goe vncontroled or that the meanest in Gods church may speake in the behalfe of Gods honor when other men are silent at the treading thereof vnder foote The general desolution then and the oppression of Gods church in my country joyned with the deepe silence of all other men doe make it lawful and warrantable for me to seeke the ouerthrowe of Sathans kingdome not withstanding that I acknowledg my selfe euery way vnfit for so greate aworke And if it should please the Lord to stir vp any of place and guifts to deale in the cause I would soone set my hand vppon my mouth and be silent But I hope that the Archbishop and his bretheren are not growne to that passe as they will take the liberty to continue in vnlawful callings and to molest those that gainsay the badd course because they see not what calling any one man can haue to finde fault with their proceedings And I hope that you of the parliament considering the equity of my suit wil vonchsafe me the hearing in so reasonable a petition Consider the matter which way you wil and you shal find mine Appellation on all parts to be just but especially in regard of the proceedings of mine aduersaries The consideration whereof is not to be ouerpassed by the parliament if any portion of the equitie and justice sometimes florishing in that assembly benowd therein remaining Their vnlawful proceedings appeare first in that they assume vnto them selues the hearing of those causes wherein by vertue of their coÌ„mission they haue no warrant to deale whereat the parliament cannot winke vnlesse they would suffer an Anarchie to take roote in our state This they doe in a double sort For first as before hath bene set downe they lay treason to my charge and therefore send for me by their pursiuants What hath the high commission to doe with men suspected of treason Is the place at Lambeth now become the palor where traitors should be araigned The Archbishop of Canterbury the bishops of London Winchester Doctor Cosin c. nowe become judges in those causes Whether they incurr not the danger of lawe by entering into such matters as are not within the compasse of their commission you of this honorable assembly are best able to judge The trueth is that the Archbishop his associates when I was examined before them in the 29. yeare of her maiesties raigne enforced me to cleare my selfe vppon mine oath of the treason which they gaue out to be contained in the 40. page of my booke at that time written vnto the parliament Tollerate this course and what parloure or chamber may there be so priuate wherein the Archbishop and his assistants wil not arraigne their seditious traitors as they faulsay account them Secondly they presume to determine of those suites the hearing whereof are referred vnto the higher courts and ought not to be vsurped vppon by inferiors vntil the higher councels haue declared that they will not determine of them In this point I had triall of their dealing the last parliament At which time they presumed contrary vnto right and lawful custome and to the infringing of the auncient liberties of this noble house to arrogate vnto them selues the determining and finall ending of that suite wherein I moued the parliament and not the high comission And they wrongfully imprisoned me in the time of the parliament for becomming a suiter even in the cause of God vnto that assembly whereas by the priuiledges of this high counsel I was not to be molested by any during your session but only by your honors vnto whom I became a peticioner