men and women that striue to serv God according to his wil in his word Be not your Bishops executioners in burning bannishing hanging and imprisoning of harmlesse and peaceable Christians but let them enjoy fredom of the gospell and liberty of conscience that so the Apostoliq Church which is scattered and driven into the wildernes aÌ„d desert of this world may be againe gathered togather both of Iewes and gentils into visible and stablished congregations And that the Catholiq and vniversal Church of Antychrist may bee consumed abolished by his word spirit as the holy Apostle hath foretold even the vttermost of his arival which is the Emperial triple crowne through the triple sea of Rome And againe I humbly entreate the King and parliameÌ„t to vouchsafe to heare me with patience yet a litle further If freedom of the gospel and permission of conscience might be graunted then would not Papisâ— nor any others dissemble their soules and to the greate danger both 〈◊〉 King and State seeing they are forced to Church against their consciences And may not Popish Priests and Iesuits vnawares to the Bishops become the Bishops Ministers seeing the change of their Religion and religions habit differ so litle aÌ„d so by degrees infect the people with more popish doctrine as occasion shal bee And such men wil readely imbrace the Bishops orders and so they shall readely have the Bishops favours by which meanes they may more easily aÌ„d speedly haâ— accesse vnto the court and presence of the King and Prince which indeed is very dangerous howsoever not regarded Therefore I doe according to my dewty humbly advise his Majesty not to bewtifie his couâ—â— and presence with any popish stones not with one though it be of Allâ—â—blastor But permission of Conscience and freedom and liberty of the gospeâ— will no â—ay bee dangerous to the King or State if such like rules â— these bee observed First that no people tainted with Treason doe beare any office That al sorts of people tainted with TreasoÌ„ doe at al times froÌ„ home weare ab lack hat with two whire signes the one before the other behinde in open sight That no people tainted with treason approach within ten myles of the Court without licence That no people tainted with treason doe inhabit the Citty of London nor yet within ten myles thereof That none tained with treason doe make any assembly or congregation That no person or persons in whatsoever difference by reasoning or disputing doe draw any weapon nor give any blow stroke or pushe in payne and penalty as his Majesty and Parliament thinck meet That for the more peace and quietnes and for the satisfyeing of the weake and simple among so many persons differing in Religion it bee lawfull for every person or persons yea Iewes and Papists to write dispute comfer and reason print en publish any matter touching religioÌ„ either for or against whomsoever alwayes provided they aledge no fathers for proffe of any point of religioÌ„ but onely the holy scriptures neither yet to reproch or 〈◊〉 one another nor any other person or persons but with al love gentlenes and peaceablenes enforme one another to the glory of God honor of the King and State and to their owne good and credit by which meanes both few errors and few bookes will bee written and printed seeing al false Ministers and most people have litle or nothing els besides the Fathers to build their religion and doctrine vpon or if it be once stablished by law that none shal confirme their Religion and doctrine by the Fathers and by prisons burning and bannishing etc but by the holy Scriptures then error will not bee written nor disputed except by obstinate persons and 〈◊〉 consciences seeing the word of God will bee no shelter for any error Yea I know by experience among the people caled Brownists that a Man shall not draw them to wryte though they bee desyred for one of their preachers caled Mast Rob hath had a wryting of myne in his hards above sixe Moneths and as yet I can get no answer it seemes he knoweth not how better to hide his errors then by silence and this willbee the case of all false Bishops and Ministers who had rather be mute and dumb then bee drawen into the light with their errors Therefore permission of conscience and liberty of the gospel in our laÌ„d of great Brittaine wil mightily further the advancement of the Apostoliq faith And chiefly their books whereout sufficient matter willbee drawen for the convinceing of every perticuler religioÌ„ which is against the religion stablished by Christ and his Apostles who by all meanes Lawfull sought the conversion and salvation both of Iewes and Gentils And they are vnconstant and faithles men or at least very ignorant that thinck error will ouercome and prevayle against the truth For the Abolishing of such thoughts I desper such men to coÌ„sider the mighty victory and prevailing of the truth in the tyme of Christ aÌ„d his Apostles which notwithstanding resisted and disputed against by the most part of the Priests and learned men both of Iewes and Gentils yet ouercame and prevayled against al the errors of the high priests and great learned Men both of the Iewes and gentils and the Apostle saith we cannot doe any thing against the truth but for the truth and seing it is the same truth which al good men would embrace why should we not hope the same victory by it Did not King Darius aÌ„d al the people both jewes and gentils cry out and say that truth is greate and strongest Why then should those that have the truth and those that wold have the truth be affraid of errore seing truth discovereth dark and dangerous wayes of error though abroad in open books even as light discovereth darke and dangerous places though abroad in open high wayes And as the more darke and dangerous the wayes be the more necessary and needful will light be found of al that travaile So the more darke and dangerous the errors be the more needful and profitable wil truth be found of all that would travil to heaven But som may say objection let al this be graÌ„ted yet it is no wisdom we think to bring dangerous errors into the light that so many men may stumble at them Which being not brought to light would not bee so much as knowen to som I answer no more then a Rock that lyeth hid vnder water which for want of bringing into the light many Men may make shipwrack thereoÌ„ and so stumble or fal neverthelesse though it be not so much as knowen to them before Therfore as a stock in the Seas though not so much as knowen to som yet for want of being made knowen many men stumble and fal theron aÌ„d so perish both men and goods So an error though not so much as known to som yet for wanâ— of
perswade Prince and people to heare and beleeve the gospell by hisâ— word and spirit and as Ambassadors for him to beseech both Prince aÌ„d people to be reconciled vnto God and not as Tyrants to force and coÌ„strayne them by perseqution Thirdly because through perseqution it wil come to passe that the Ambassadors of the onely spiritual Lord King Iesus may be persequted and inprisoned burned haged or baÌ„nished for deliuering the message of their gratious Lord sentearly and often both to Prince and people which to doe is a more heynous fact then to persequte the Ambassadors of the greatest King and Prince in the World for insteed of hereticks they shal as they have alredy burne bannish and hang the Ambassadors of the Lord Iesus Christ who doth choose out whom he pleaseth to beare his name before Kings Rulers for a Testimonial to them Fourthly because then we cannot say we have the liberty of the Gospell in our Land seing where that is there is no perseqution for any difference in Religion nor forceâ—ing of the conscience to beleeve the gospel except by the word and spirit of God onely the which doe wound and kill the â—rrors of men and not their persons Fiftly because Christ came into the world to fave sinners aÌ„d not to destroy them though they be blasphemers seing the Lord may convert them as he did Saule after caled Paul and though they have difference in Religion or wil not heare nor beleeve in Christ that they may be converted yet ought you not to persequte them seing Christ rebuketh such and his Father sent him not into the world to condemne the world but to saue it be ye followers therefore of Christ and not of Antychrist in gathering people to the Faith Sixtly because then you shal not walke wisely towards theÌ„ that are without as the Scripture teacheth but shal offend also the Iewes and al other straÌ„gers who account it Tyranny to have their consciences forced to religion by perseqution Seaventhly because if perseqution be not laid downe and liberty of coÌ„science set vp then cannot the Iewes nor any strangers nor others contrary mynded be ever converted in our Land for so long as they know a forehand that they shal be forced to beleeve against their consciences they wil never seeke to inhabit there by which meanes you keep them from the Apostoliq saith if the Apostoliq faith bee onely taught where perseqution is Eightly because if freedom of conscience be not set vp and perseqution laid downe then al the Kings subjects and al strangers inhabiting the Land that shal beleeve the Apostoliq faith must depart the land to som free contry or els abide the danger of burning bannishing hanging and imprisoning the first will bee a great impoverishing and weakning of our land besides a losse of the faithfullest subjects and freinds the secoÌ„d wil provoke the lord to wrath by spilling the bloud of his faithful servants Ambassadors and witnesses and also open the mouthes of al straÌ„gers to speake yet more lamentably of the cruel and bloudy perseqution of our Land Ninthly because if perseqution contynue then the King aÌ„d State shal have against their wils many dissemblers in Authority and office both in court Citty and contrye yea no man of any degre shal know whether they are al faithful and true ChristiaÌ„s that are about him aÌ„d with whoÌ„ he hath to doe seing most men wil conforme themselves for feare of perseqution although in their harts they hate aÌ„d detest the religioÌ„ wherto they are forced by law the which is very dangerous and hartful both to King and State in tyme of temtation from bejond the seas and in rebellion at home for they that are not faithful to God in their ReligioÌ„ wil never bee faithful to the King and State in their alegiance specialy being tryed by a greate reward or by a myghty rebel but will to encrase their honors and reverennues conforme themselves and fome to save their honors Lands goods and lives wil yeeld and submit though against their wils even as they have done in case of Religion for through forceing men to Church by perseqution the true hearted subjects are forced out of the Land and out of the World som bannished others burned hanged and imprisoned to death Tenthly because then if there be many religions in the land as it is wel knowen there are it wil com to passe through the continance of perseqution that many religions wil be continued in the Church seeing al are forced to Church who bring their religions with them as wel as their bodies wherby al their devotion is against their consciences and all the Church is a confused Babel ful of every vncleane hateful bird even a hold of soule Spirits as the Scripture speaketh out of which the people of God are Commanded to flee least as of their sins they bee also pertakers of their plague And the Bishops the Authors of perseqution are very ignorant to thinke that when they have gotten people to their Church by perseqution that then they have gotten them to their saith and religion the which is nothing so for most people though contrary mynded to save life and goods wil dissemble their religion as for example the Iewes in Spaine and Portugale and the Papists Reformists and others in England but when they com hether or to som other free Citty or Country where praised be God is liberty of the gospel then they shew that before they dissembled to avoyd the cruel perseqution of our land Moreover the Bishops bewray great ignorance wheÌ„ they perswade the King and Parliament to force Prince and people to Church by perseqution for if that bee the meanes to com to the Church of Christ then Christ hath taught vs to fle the meanes of salvatioÌ„ seing he hath taugt vs to flee perseqution the which the Bishops and their Ministers perswade to be a great meanes to bring men to the Church Indeed I confesse it is the onely meanes to bring Prince and people to the false Chur and therefore Christ teacheth vs to flee that meanes least through perseqution which is a great temtation we be constrayned to go the broad way which is the false Church that leadeth to destruction many goe in therat and no maxvaile for there mâ—â—may be any thing except good Christians for besides Demas the worldlying and Hymeneus the blasphemer and many other sorts of indifferent Christians excommunicants covetous and profane persons there are notale rebels aÌ„d Traytors yea most cruel and desperate Traytors and Rebels as Digby Catesby Percy c whose buread and vnheard treathery wil never be forgotten which persons if they had not been forced to Church against their conscieÌ„ces had never enterprised such horribel and hateful treason And the Bbs should vnderstand that it is preaching and not persequting that getteth people to the church of Christ
Christ hath injoyned Christians not by perseqution to force other mens consciences against their wils by the irritation of the Bishops of our Land Sixteenthly because perseqution doe cause men and women to make shipwrack of faith and good consciences by forceing a religion vpon theÌ„ even against their mindes and consciences and also doe send them quike to the devil in their errors if that be heresy for which they are haÌ„ged aÌ„d burned which to doe is a most vnChristian vnnaturall cruell and tyrannous deed and I am suer you would not bee content to be so dealt with all your selves but indeed the popish and Idol Bishops are the authors hereof against the people as wel as of other persequtioÌ„ against the princes For AntychristiaÌ„ Bbs doe draw Kings aÌ„d Princes hereto against their myndes as may appeare by Edward the sixt that Godly King of famous memory who being vrged by his bloudy Bbs to subscribe to the burning of a womaÌ„ caled Ioane Butcher he answered wil you have me to send her quick to the devil in her error but when his bloud thirsty Bs wouls have no nay he said againe to Bishop Cranmer I lay al the chaledg therof on you before God and Cranmer said he had never so much to doe in al his life as to procure it whereby I doe perceave that godly Kings are drawen to battel against the Saints by Antychristian Bbs and false Prophets who otherwyse would rule and reigne more agreable to the mynde of Christ Also herby may al men perceave that the counsel and Bbs could not satisfy the Kings conscieÌ„ce by their perswasioÌ„ if they could have shewed him the word of God for burning that Christian it wold have prevailed with that godly King and he might then of faith have consented but his answer sheweth that he was not of their minde for al that they had said and therfore now if it please you to require of your Bishops warrant from the word of God for the persequting of Christians or for forceing Prince and people to church you shal find not one Bishop yea not all of them together though assisted with their Ministers wil be able to shew warrant from Gods word whereby to perswade your conscieÌ„ces therevnto and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne and whatsoever is not from Gods word cannot be of faith Seaventeenthly because perseqution of Christians by Christians doe not onely justifye papists and teach the Iewes and PagaÌ„s to persequte Christians but also doe teach the papists and others that know not the mynde of Christ and once get the vpperhaÌ„d to persequte those that persequted them yea it is a meanes as we have had lamentable experieÌ„ce to set such as are forced to Church against their consciences at deadly hatred against the King and State and vrgeth al them to treason and rebellioÌ„ that have not truly learned Christ who himself was persequted to death whose harmles crosse al true Christians must take vp aÌ„d whose gentle and humble steps they must follow aÌ„d walke in or els they caÌ„not be his disciples nor sheepe of his pasture And nether can the papists be perswaded that perseqution is a sinne so loÌ„g as they aÌ„d other Christians are also persequted by the protestants seing the papists doe build their perseqution on the same ground with the protestants but both sorts of Bbs doe erre grosly as shal be shewed Godwilling when they make their defence except heerewith their consciences be convinced to yeld as I wish they may for the salvation of their owne foules the peace both of Prince and people and the saftye of the King and State In the meane whyle it is to be observed that those Bbs aÌ„d Ministers which perswade the King and Parliament to burne bannish hang and imprison for difference of religion are bloud-suckers and manslayers and such it cannot be denyed caused Kings and Magistrats to be their excicutioners and tormentors in burning the Martyrs in former tymes even in the dayes of King Henry the eyght Queene Mary as the books of Acts MonumeÌ„ts wil witnes if they be not burned and I aske the Bbs and their Mini if the martyrs should have obeyed the King and Queene rather theÌ„ have suffered death And now I must humbly and with al reverence doe beseech his Maje and parliament advisedly to consider among themselves whether the Prince or Princesse differing with the Church now in matter of coÌ„scieÌ„ce and religion stablished by law in our land as the right noble Princesse Elizabeth did in Queene Maryes dayes doe not incurre the danger ad cruelty of the law now as that worthy Princesse did then seing that popish and cruel law standeth stil in force in most points of religion and who dare trust the Bbs and ther adhereÌ„ts in such a case the matter lyeing in their hands Let it be supposed that the Princes heart should be moved by the lord to embrace the Apostoliq faith discipline shal he be forced to beleeve as the Bishops doe against his conscience shal he bee constrayned to submit to their goverment and discipline against his conscience shal he live in vexation and perseqution and in danger of his life by the Bishops and law stablished as the Princesse Elizabeth did yea it must bee thus with our right noble Prince except there bee partiality yea it will bee thus with his Princely person except those popish and cruel lawes be repealed and extinguished Wherefore I meekly intreate seeing death is most certaine though most vncertayne when that those Antychristian and Popish Lawes may bee dissimulled and made voyd in tyme least wee all lament and bewayle it when it wil bee to late And I pray your Majesty and honors to consider that Kings and Princes hearts are in the hands of the Lord as the Ryvers of waters to turne as he will And the scripture saith The ten hornes by which I vnderstand ten Kings shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked Likewyse the Scripture saith to Abraham the Father of beleeving Princes as well as beleeving people Also I will make thee exceeding fruitful and will make Nations of thee Yea Kings shall proceed of thee Which Scripture doe also overthrow the judgment of those men that hould a Christian may not bee a King nor Magistrate Let such consider that the Lord here speaketh of Abrahams Spirituall seed and not of his naturall seed Because if it be vnderstood of his Natural seed then cannot Abraham be o Father of many nations seeing all Abrahams natural seed are caled Iewes and are but one nation of the Iewes so that the covenant of God could not be performed that said I wil make nations of the yea Kings â—â—al proceed of thee Therefore it must be vnderstood of his spiritual seed of which may be Kings and Princes that are not naturaly descended of him as wel as people that are not