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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19461	A modest and reasonable examination, of some things in vse in the Church of England, sundrie times heretofore misliked and now lately, in a booke called the (Plea of the innocent:) and an assertion for true and Christian church policy, made for a full satisfaction to all those, that are of iudgement, and not possessed with a preiudice against this present church gouernment, wherein the principall poynts are fully, and peaceably aunswered, which seeme to bee offensiue in the ecclesiasticall state of this kingdome. The contentes whereof are set downe in the page following.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1604 (1604)	STC 5882; ESTC S108881	174,201	234

It is now at the least three and thirty yeares since our troubles began to be beauie vpon vs let them shew how wee haue moued our finger against our dread Souereigne and in defence of all those who haue laboured in this cause he is not affraid to say Was not all our doings by humble Supplications honest and Christian Apologeticall writings and by lowly and earnest suing by our friendes And further In this wee haue done no otherwis●●han all Christian Ministers may and ought to doe And if any man maruell how the Bishops became their enemies he aunswereth Bishops were our enemies by the Papists meanes Could any man Imagine that either so much without cause against the Bishops or so many things without truth for thēselues could haue beene vttered if an opinion peraduenture of that wherein thēselues were Innocent did not carrie them with ouermuch charitie both to thinke all which was against them to be too vehement too much and all for them ouer modest and too little Can it be thought that the Author of the plea of the Innocent should be perswaded that the Papists had made any of the Bishops to be their enemies or that those libels which past vnder the name of Admonitions Supplicatiōs Demonstrations Martin Dialogues and such like should by any indifferent reader be thought to be either hūble honest or Christian or that they had done nothing in this cause more than all Christian Ministers may ought to haue done no surely the Christian part of the world to whom our vnnaturall violent and vnholy contentions haue cōmen are able to witnes too wel that he who hath brought a willingnes to speake euill and hath performed it in howe vnseemly a manner soeuer hath beene thought by the patrons of that cause to haue merited sufficiently the name of a brother and to haue beene a deserued partner of their liberall contribution This to many yong men hath beene a daungerous temptation I meane those of the meanest sort who in themselues naturally haue a double aduātage to giue strength to this daungerous weakenes The one a disposition to reproue wherein their owne innocency is thought greatest when they dare in vnseemely tearmes take vpon them to controule others The other a hastie desire to seeme of some account which in an ordinary course without great labour is not easily attained where as euil speaking and vnseasonable raylings Commonly called Zealous preaching bringeth them at least among their partiall followers into an opinion of learning innocency and purified Zeale But let these men vnderstand that where readers are of Indifferen●y as some times their Bookes fall into the hands of such though for the most part they are dispersed amōgst the Breathren of the cause they gaine this Iust Censure That that cause cannot be good which hath not other patrons to support it than those who haue learned nothing but only to speake euill I am sorie the inferiour sort of our Clergie are both so ignorant themselues and haue possessed their auditors with the same error that we may not allow any thing vsed in the Church of Rome no more than any thing vsed in any assembly of the Heathen whatsoeuer So that whilst ouer bitterly we distast euerie thing which is in vse in that Church whose greatest part is infected with much error we breed an opiniō in those who are not fully resolued that we rather mislike many things because they vse them than for that we are able to giue a reason why we doe mislike them The best course in this had beene first to haue made Demonstration that the same things being vsed by diuers are all one or that those things contēded for by authority in our Church were not in the better and former times of the Church or are not of an indefferent nature neither can be made lawfull by any circūstance These things being neglected and other meanes vsed lesse reasonable and lesse honest we conclude that the proceeding of the Reformers hetherto hath beene altogether vnlawfull and without warrant CHAP. V. Of Contentions THere was neuer any thing more fatal to the prosperitie of Gods Church thā the violēt nourishing of contentiō within her Bowells and especially by their meanes who ought to haue been the principall Authors to procure her peace for where euery man is violent for that which himselfe likes and partiall affection through stronge humors becommeth the best reason to plant a Religion a falt most vsuall in those Kingdomes that are most vertuous euery man becommeth so great an opposite that in the ende they are in hazard to be depriued of all truth There is nothing safer to a Kingdome than that the Religion professed be but only one and this safetie then shall bee accompanied with much honor when those of the same Religion are desirous and carefull to preserue the Vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace otherwise it must needes come to passe that those small and first beginnings which receiued life and increase from an holy Vnion must in the end by discord and discention al perish And therefore not vnwisely the Cities of Greece receiued of their Citizens no other oath sauing only this to preserue Vnion That Satan hath had apt instruments to hinder this in all ages those Scarres in the Church which are not yet throughly cured shall witnes well to the ages that succeed after and the hatefull note of reproch shall remaine as a blemmish vnto their names who rather than they would yeeld haue been contēt in the midst of these flames that the Church perish This being the blessing annexed to the cōmandement of the holy Prophet Pray for the peace of Hierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee As though the happines of prosperitie could not light vpon their heads whose Tongues haue been the principall actors of contentiō in Gods Church this being an euil by so much the lesse cureable by how much the oppositions for Religiō be more violent This made the Apostle to frame that most Eloquēt Exhortation to humilitie and peace If there be any Consolation in Christ If any comfort of loue if any fellowshippe of the spirit if any compassion and mercy fulfill my ioy that yee be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of Iudgement that nothing be done through contention or vaine Glorie This being the meanes to attaine vnto this perfection if in meekenesse of minde euery man esteeme better of others than of himselfe for saith the wise man as the Cole maketh burning Coles and woode a fier so the Contentious man is apt to kindle strife In the case of the Church wee ought to haue remembred long since the great reason of that attonement betwixt Lott and Abraham Wee are Breathren vnlesse they in discreatiō of some few haue caried them so farre that they can hardly afforde those to be tearmed by that name who because their Iudgements and wisedome are farre greater Their Religion

our next desire is they may bee censured by all that haue Vnderstanding and Conscience as the intemperate and extrauagant conceits of some giddie headed persons and that men beware except they meane to aduenture to depriue themselues of all sence of Religion and to paue their owne hearts and make them like the high way how they bee consuersant in them and giue credit or beliefe vnto them Therefore to conclude this poynt seeing contentions are of that daunger and that zeale is no warrant to ouerthrow the Church let vs all follow the counsa●le which the Angel gaue vnto Agar Returne vnto thy dame and humble thy selfe vnder her hands There is no vertue that better beseemeth vs that are inferiors than Patience and Humilitie Therefore we exhort with the Apostles But God be thanked that ye haue beene the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed from the heart vnto the forme of the doctrine whereunto ye were deliuered Being then made free from sinne ye are made the seruants of righteousnesse Let vs not bee desirous of vaine glory prouoking one another enuying one another For where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all maner of euill workes But the wisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to bee intreated full of mercie and good fruits without iudging and without hypocrisie And the fruite of righteousnesse is sowen in peace of them that make peace CHAP. VI. Of Ceremonies WHere men are apt to mislike things of necessarie vse the entrance for the most part into that contempt is through the distasting of those things which are of a meaner nature and serue but in the opinion of wise men onely to make the act of deuotion to be more solemne Solemnitie in some measure being a necessarie adiunct to all publike seruice And whilst it stirreth men with greater holinesse to become outwardly religious whilst it stayeth men from wauering in that they do and others from contempt of that which is done all being by these outward Solēnities better prepared we cannot but account them the hedge of deuotion and though not the principall points yet as some of the fathers call them the second Intentions of the law Intermeditate meanes not to be despised of a better and more religious seruice This whilst some in our Church haue either not vnderstood or not much regarded they haue earnestly laboured as for a matter of great moment that because the Iews had a religiō ful of Ceremonies the most part whereof being types are in their particular so far ceased be●●use the Church of Rome hath not limited the infinit burden in this kind partly idle partly needles the greatest part through the corruption of ●lme being growen superstitious these in opposition to all the rest onely misunderstanding the time of Grace are desirous to haue Religion without any Ceremonies at all As if the same God who seeing the weakenesse of his owne people and therefore ledd them as if it were by Ceremonies to that worship which was fittest for them and for that time and who euer since hath beene the Author and approouer of solemne order especially in the publike action of Religion did now eyther see vs to bee so absolute as that these outward helpes were of no vse or that all Ceremonies were but shadowes of things to come not ornaments and helpes to things present did meerely with the passion of his Sonne cancell all kinde of worship that had any solemnities or Ceremonies how vertuous soeuer annexed to it But as to think that Ceremonies without true and inward holinesse could cleanse them from their sinne were to erre and to be Iewish and superstitious so to account them of no vse were to be meerely prophane Wee call them Ceremonies properly all such thinges as are the externall act of Religion which haue their commendation and alowance from no other cause but onely that in Gods worship they are vertuous furtherances of his honour For Religion which is the height and perfection of all Morall vertues conteyneth in it three actes as all other vertues doo the first the Internall which is the willing desire to giue vnto God his due worship and honour secondly the externall aunswering to this which is no otherwise good or commendable than that it vertuously serueth to this end thirdly the commaunded act that is the act of euery vertue ordained by religion to Gods honour so fasting almes and such like are tearmed the Actes of Religion when they are done for Gods worship howsoeuer othe●●ise they are properly the actes of other vertues This the Apostle calleth pure Religion and vndfiled bofore 〈◊〉 the Father to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their ad●●rsity and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Saint Austine saith that God is worshipped with Faith Hope and Charity of these three the first is no way Ceremoniall The third likewise is no Ceremonie but as it is an act inioyned by Religion but the second is properly that which concerneth the Ceremoniall part of Gods worship All antiquitie was euer so farre from misliking of those that they had almost placed Religion in them onely The name which the Hebrewes gaue vnto Ceremonies signifieth not so much the externall act as the law and the precept by which is was commaunded so that in the new Testament euen those which had no longer continuāce but vntill Iohn for then began the Iewish Ceremonies to decline are tearmed by our Sauiour by the name of the Law and the Prophets Saint Paule calleth them Iustifications because they were Rites instituted ordayned to that end With them they were the Images of heauenly things opposite to the Images of the Heathen howsoeuer we follow neither of them in the particular the one being the Idolatrous prophanation of an Heathenish superstition the other but the externall seruice appropriate to that people and to that time yet wee dare not seeing no Religion can want all Ceremonies fall so headlong to the error on eyther side as to embrace or refuse all those Ceremonies that the Church hath Now as it is the vnhappinesse of Religion to bee ouerloaden with Ceremonies so in those that haue authoritie not to establish by law such as are needefull is a defect to neglect them in those that ought to bee obedient is a fault but to contemne them in any that liue in the bosome of the same Church must needs bee the manifest argument of their pride and in the end the vtter ruine of Religion it selfe For in the Ceremonies of the Law there were three things to bee obserued first that they were all ordayned for the expressing of the inward and morall worship to serue to true holinesse Fayth Hope and Charity without which all the rest were reiected euen as a burthen by him that commaunded them saying I will haue mercy but not sacrifice for obedience is better than sacrifice and to hearken

the execution of such lawes would haue giuen tolleration for a time that they might be resolued if by their humilitie they manifested a desire that they had to learne but se●ing they confesse that by the late Queenes Iniunctions all superstitious ceremonies are taken away ●s shrines tables pictures and such like a testimonie not vnworthely giuen to the reformed gouernment of so good a Prince it is but a slender exception annexed such doe we take the surplesse to be A weake eye surely would haue seene a difference and an humble minde would haue indured much more rather then by such violent oppositions to haue so farre troubled the Churches peace I cannot well obserue in the tennor of that last defence the Plea of the innocent what their constant opinion is concerning the cerimonies misliked in our Church vnlesse they meane that they are idle indifferent and humane ordinations whilest they are commaunded but being disobeyed by them they are waight●i and great causes able to warrant resistance and rebellion in the highest measure I wish they would either account them as trifles and so being commaunded not so stifly refuse to vse them or else esteeme them matters of great moment and so thinke the gouernors of the Church haue reason and warrant so much to vrge them But the things say they in controuersie which wee desire to bee reformed and others earnestly maintaine are but accessarie additaments brought into the Church by humane constitution and without these the religion would stand But we are sure that once being brought in they are to be obeyed for conscience and surely the religion that would stand without them with them shall be able to stand much better Many things which are not requis●t for the being are notwithstanding required to the well being But afterward speaking of themselues as desirous to be iustified for their dealing in this cause they call it a good iust and wa●ghtie cause founded in Gods word iniuriously reputed and tearmed an accidentall fancie and deuise I hope wise men from their owne wrytings will obserue the dealings of these men that they may not be vrged by authoritie to obedience a poynt of religion I wish they had well learned they call these things but additaments fit enough to bee contemned because they are humane constitutions and yet after to approue their obstinacie for refusing of them they call them waightie causes this contrarietie may peraduenture deceiue some but truth at the length will discouer it selfe Falsehoode is slight and shines through if we looke into it These onely mislike what they are not autho●s of themselues and euer labour for excuses as reasons to warrant what they doe mislike They thinke and say it is pitrie necessarie seruice wherein I thinke they vnderstand their preaching should be houlden backe by these vnnecessarie ceremonies But if vnnecessarie whereof it is not fit for them to be iudges why doe they not rather yeeld vnto them by conformitie then depriue themselues by their obstinacie of doing that good which by obedience they might and if any man thinke these ceremonies vnlawfull as weaknes may stumble in the plainest way why doe not they who haue cast these doubts show which they are the daungers of them and aduer tise those as becommeth them that make lawes seeing we vse none but those which the law doth warrant besides if abuses had crept in with these ceremonies and things tollerated first for good ends could not afterward be retained but with great abuse these only had been to be remoued by authoritie and not from the fancies of priuate men It is their error who thinke it the act of reformation to take things away and not onely the abuse for reformation is properly the repetition and restitution of the auncient vse neither can that be said to be reformed which is made new far be it from vs faith an auncient Father that things which are good and lawfull if through the corruption of some few they become hurtfull that this should be imputed to vs as our fault For thus the vse of all things were daungerous and vnlawfull seeing nothing can be so profitably imployed from whence daunger may not arise vnto those that snall vse them otherwise Doubtles they haue done much in this that haue been before vs yet some thing may be added by those which follow wherein if we alter or dissent from them it can be no blemish to their names which are not mentioned by vs but with much honor It is sufficient Rome knew not Cato but when she lost him And the innocencie vertue of Rutilius had laine secret if he had not receiued iniurie But diseases as a wise man noteth sometimes ouertake those that are most temperate punishment those that are most innocent tumults those that are most secret But to conclude this point and to i●stifie the Church of England in the matter of ceremonie wherein she hath heard euil by some of her owne children without cause I doubt not to affirme that few men haue euer red any iudgement or censure of ceremonies written with greater moderation and learning then that which is published next after the preface in the communon booke out of which it shall not bee amisse to note the iust reprehension of the intemperat affectours of innouation as also the lawfull defence of such ceremonies as soberly they are vsed in our Church Cerimonies there are which though they haue been deuised by man yet it is thought good to reserue them still as well for a decent order in the Church for the which they were first de●ised as because they pertaine to edification whereunto all things done in the Church as the Apostle teacheth o●ght to be referred and although the keeping or omitting of a cerimonie in it selfe considered is but a small thing yet the willfull and contemptuous transgression and breaking of a common order and discipline is no small offence before God let all things be done among you saith Saint Paul in a seemely and due order the appoyntment of which order pertaineth not to priuate men therefore no man ought to take in hand nor presume to appoint or alter any publike or common order in Christs Church except he be lawfully called and authorised thereunto And as concerning those persons which peraduenture wil be offended for that some of the old cerimonies are retained still if they consider that without some cerimonies it is not possible to keepe any order or quiet discipline in the Church they shall easily perceiue iust cause to reforme their iudgements and if they think● much that any of the old remaine and would rather haue all deuised anew then such men graunting some cerimonies conuenient to be had surely where the old may be well vsed there they cannot reasonably reproue the old onely for their age without bewraying their owne folly For in such a case they ought rather to haue reuerence vnto them for their

such be seruants to the state in the executiō of these lawes as are furthest from partialitie and pittie yet least to be suspected for vnsatiable desiring of their own gaine But there is a greater defect in most kingdomes wherein this Church is an humble suter to your Highnesse that it would please your Grace a thing absolutely hoped for at your Maiesties hands as well to reward those that deserue well as to punish those that are dangerous to the Church or the commonwealth doubtlesse there is no politike consideration of greater vse in a kingdome that all parts of it may florish than the iust bestowing of these two reward and punishment seeing they are the spurre and the bridle absolutely requisit for the right commanding of a whole Realme And surely it is a great question whether to the happinesse of a state it be safer to want punishment for the euill or rewards for the vertuous But seeing all kingdomes haue greater feeling and can better iudge of what is euill than well done therefore punishments are by the lawe due to the one whereas the other is many times a matter of great suit fauour and sometimes of infinite corruption which the best and most worthy obseruing they are in al likelihood furthest from being preferred because least subiect to such corruption It was an Honorable farewell the last Deanry that was giuen by Queene Elizabeth Honorab●e to him that procured it freely as I heard of his owne motion Honorable to him that had it without al corruptiō neither in acquitting of him do I condēn al others and most Honorable to her who no sooner heard of a man worthy but was most willing to preferre him There are few things of a greater aduantage to the Church than to haue the eyes of the Prince if sometimes his occasions diuert him otherwise drawne to looke at men of very speciall and singular deserte who peraduenture are neither so corrupt so fortunate so seasonable so well frended nor indeed so any thing sauing only worthy that they can obtaine that which men of farre meaner deserts if not easily yet commonly doe And surely for vs of the Church there is not out of the Vniuersitie excepting the Kings Chappell a better stand for the nobilitie to take ●ew of such than the Sermons at Pauls Crosse this being sincerely lookt at vertue shall haue incouragment to take paines because vertuous paines shall be sure to haue recompence a thing where it wanteth that want must of necessitie fill all places with the worst and the worst disposed So shall men that are worthy and very excellent be preferred either slowly or not at all whilst euery ignorant vnhonest vnprofitable flatterer shall depart loaden with the best preferments the due recompence that belongs to vertue for redresse whereof I dare not take vpon me to aduise only I wish that they especially the Honorable and reuerend Bishops Fathers of the Church who haue any stroake in the disposition of such preferments as appertaine vnto learned men would be thinke themselues what it is to respect any thing either aboue or besides merit considering as one well noteth how hardly the world taketh it when to men of commendable note and qualitie there is so little respect had or so great vnto them whose deserts are very meane that nothing doth seeme more straunge than the one sort because they are not accounpted of and the other because they are It being euery mans hope and expectatiō that the only purchase of greater rewards should be alwaies greater deserts that nothing should euer be able to plāt a thorne where a vine ought to growe or to commit that to a Fox or an Asse which requireth the strength the toyle of the painful Ox the careful obseruatiō of this which the Church humbly intreateth at your Graces hands shal roote out all Idolatours from your lands banish all Heretikes from Christs fold which steale in like rauenous wolues discouer those Anabaptists who stirre vp contentions to hinder Religion labour to haue magistrates contemned inueying against the lawfull ordination of our Clergie accounting them to be but Scribes and Pharisies Idle haue too great liuings flatterers of the Ciuill Magistrate saying the reformation of the Church is not spirituall enough perfect and their vnhallowed priuate conuenticles are more holy making their pretence of all the puritie of the Gospell these pretend grauitie reprehend seueritie speake gloriously and all in Hypocrisie these dayly inuent newe opinions and run from error to error their wilfulnes they account constancie their deserued punishment persecution their mouthes are euer open to speake euill they giue neither reuerence nor titles to any in place aboue them in one word the Church cannot feare a more dangerous and fatall enemie to her peace and happines a greater cloud to the light of the Gospell a stronger hand to pull in Barbarisme and pouertie into all our La●d a more furious monster to breed contempt and disobedience in all states a more fretting Cankar to the very marrowes and sinewes of this Church and kingdome than the Anabaptist who is proud without learning presumptuous without authoritie Zealous without knowledge holy without Religion in one word a dangerous and malicious Hypocrite Sundrie of these m●nifest and violent disturbers of the peace of this Church and the Common-wealth were banished from amongst vs in the dayes of out late Souereigne we heare they are returnd they make petitions they hope for fauour Consided great and mightie Prince right Honorable Lords and all yee whom it may concerne to defend this state that now is the time to make and execute lawes against them for these are more daungerous than other Heretikes because they are transformed into the shapes of some amongst vs The Church of England which lyeth prostrate at your Graces feet desireth not to be fauoured in her errors not to haue her corruptions warranted by authoritie to haue staines not washed because shee hath had them long to haue idolatrie and superstition harbored in her bosome to be loadē in her Religiō with the inuentions of man and vnhalowed Ceremonies to be supported with a prophane Hierarchie an vsurping dominion to bee poysoned with humane learning to be murdered with Idle and vnpreaching Ministers but she humbly intreats showing her wounds with teares in her eyes sights in her hart humilitie in her whole behauiour that she may be defended protected and armed in that truth which Christ and his Apostles haue taught her which Queene Elizabeth hath Cherished maintained in her which the earth hath wondered at heauens haue blessed that her beautie may not be defaced vnder pretence of washing that she may not be left naked of her comely decent and Religious ceremonies that the gouernment of her Bishops auncient warrantable and safe may not be taken from her that her schooles may florish with all sacred and Heathen learning that her Ministers may be painefull and liberally maintained and last

of all that the Liturgie so vertuous so holy for which so many Martyrs of hers haue dyed restored in the dayes of King Edward continued in the gratious and happie dayes of Queene Elizabeth may by your Princely authoritie seeing all the learned of your kingdome are readie in the defence of it be strongly and vnresistably maintained against her enemies so shall we account it a second birth day to our countrie a day of grace and saluation wherein God hath sworne by his holinesse that hee will not faile you and therefore to this ende hath preuented you with the blessings of goodnesse and set a crowne of pure gold vpon your head a day wherein the Nations that are round about vs shall say as Hyram when hee heard the words of Salomon blessed be the Lord this day which hath giuen vnto Dauid a wise Sonne ouer this mightie people Vnto Queene Elizabeth an Heire of her owne house and linage full of Religion wisedome and vnderstanding so that we may truely say as they did doubtlesse we haue seene straung things this day straunge to our countrie to ourselues to our enemies to haue neighbours to our prosteritie for which our harts burne within vs and shall for euer with feruencie of deuotion for your highnesse safetie our mouthes are filled with laughter and our tongues with ioy and we must needes confesse with the Prophet Dauid The Lord hath done great things for vs alreadie whereof we reioyce for which we intreate the heauens to reioyce with vs the earth to be glad and the Sea to make a noyse and all that therein is the compasse of the round World and they that dwell therein for by this means innumerable benefits are common vnto them to the Heauen a multitude of Saints to the earth peace to the Sea Treasure to the fields plentie for God hath broken the rod of the wicked and the whole land is at rest and surely if euer Natiō of the world had cause either to hope for happines to this Church and Commonwealth or to giue thankes vnto the Lord and to that ende to fall low vpon our knees before his footestoole it is we to haue a King but which is greater happinesse of the same blood nay more than that of the same Religion but most of all without bloodshed and especially Then when all the politikes of the world had set our period rung our passing Bell euen thē by your Highnesse meanes the Lord himselfe for we must al acknowledge that it was his worke deliuered our soule from death our eyes from teares and our feet from falling our soule from bodily and spirituall death our eyes from teares arising from our daunger nay from our holy teares for our late Souereigne our feete from falling into troubles which then were present into sinne which then was likely into blindnesse which then we feared into shame which we all deserued into misery which many hoped but we say againe the Lord hath done great things for vs alreadie and greater and far greater shall doe if we be not vnthankefull and therefore howsoeuer thou art either Iesuite or Preest Anabaptist Protestant or Atheist which sayst in thy heart let vs make hauocke of them altogether thou shalt so dianly consume and perish and come to a fearefull ende and the Church shall continually intreate at the hands of the Lord of heauen and humbly before the Throne of your gratious Maiestie for protection against her and all your aduersaries saying O deliuer not the soule of the Turtle Doue vnto the multitude of the enemies and forget not the congregation of the poore for euer looke vpon the couenant for al the earth is full of darkenesse and cruell habitations O let not the simple goe away ashamed but let the poore and needy giue praise vnto thy name A rise O God maintaine thy own cause remēber how the foolish man blasphemeth thee dayly forget not the voyce of thy enemie the presumption of them that hate thee increaseth euer more and more Amen FINIS This Epistle following is here annexed and thought fit to be Printed because the Dedication of this booke was first intended vnto the late right Honorable and right Reuerend Father the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace To the most Reuerend Father in God my very good Lord the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace Primate and Metropolitan of all England WHat benefit Right Reuerend this Church hath receiued by your Graces meanes God bessing your Counsell vnder the gouernment of two great Princes as this age present doth sensiblie perceiue so the memorie thereof shal be honorable in the time to come For when the vertuons Gouernment of our late Souereigne had banished from all parts of her Kingdome the Tyrannie and superstitiō of the Church of Rome some men fit instruments to disturbe the peacefull happinesse of this Land fearefull as it seemed of the dangers that might follow and impatient of that forme of gouernment which mercy and wisedome had planted for the Churches safetie laboured by meanes ouer violent and vnholy to bring in perhaps from the partiall loue to the orders of those Churches which comfortably refresht them in the time of banishment a presbiteriall Discipline both of them notwithstanding following a diuers shape of the Ecclesiasticall state in diuers times the one in peace the other in persecution neither of them both doubtlesse circumstances being weighed either warranted by truth or answerable to these times The one labouring to ouerload vs with an intollerable burden of humane traditions polliticke inuentions to make an outward greatnesse whilst inwardly Religion must needs ●aile the other to strippe her as naked as the day wherein shee was first borne discouraging her teachers by robbing them of honour and maintenaunce traducing that learning wherein many of our Reuerend Fathers were equall to any in any part of the world besides and in steade of these making the Church to doe Pennance for her wontonnesse in the dayes of superstition being left vnpitied desolate ignorant and without honour all their purposes tending to this end to make vs had in dirision of all those that were rounde about vs Thus these two enemies in our owne bosome looking both of them with enuie at your happinesse and with Ielosie at that fauour which we might be suspected to beare towards either of them their discentions were not so violent to each other as they both were cruell and daungerous to our peace as if Ephraim and Manasses had made a truce and both of them concluded to deuour Iuda At this time your Lordship for lawes and authoritie had restrayned the one vndertooke the defence of this Church Gouernment against the other wherein doubtlesse if your great wisedome and moderation had not like another Athanasius indured the furie and rage of this vnbridled multitude Wee might ●●stly haue feared that disorder and barbarisme would haue tyrannously possest long since the worthiest and most beautifull