⧠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
gouernment of Bishops at that time sought for The dislike of the petitiō they did not conceal and therfore presently dispatched their warrants to call in the printed bookes and to enquire for the author The books in nomber about 500. togither with my selfe were fastened vpon by the wardens of the Stacioners M. Bishop and Denham accompanied with Cole the Pursiuaunt wherevpon being caried before the high commissioners I was for enterprising the former action charged by th'Archb owne mouth not onely to be a factious slaunderer of her Majesties gouernment but also to haue published flat treason and heresie in my saide treatise I was threatned very bloodily and reuiled vpon in a most vnchristian sort with earnest protestation that they woondered how I durst sollicite the parliament in that petition See the cursed and outragious prophanenes of these whom the Lorde hath in his just judgement giuen ouer to withstande the mightie power of his word As though the matter were to be astonied at that they should be more forward in hindring the cause of Gods glory then meaner men should be to promote the same If they had beene the true gouernours of Gods Church they woulde haue shewed themselues the most earnest fauorers of that supplication For it is well knowen in what a taking the country of wales is for want of the true knowledge of God And assuredly they who of intended mallice withstood that motion shal one day feele the price and reward of their disobedience vnto their neuer ending woe VVell mine offence in presuming to speake in the cause of God oppugned by my betters was accounted so haynous as in close prison I must be kept 12. daies at the keepers vttermost perill Before my departure from the commission vnderstanding their intent to commit me I demaunded the particuler cause why I was so hardlie dealt with Answere was made that they would examine me againe and then I should know After a moneths imprisonment I was deliuered without anie examination or anye mention of the crimes of heresie and treason wherewith I had bene charged And so vnto this daie I remaine ignorant of anie expressed cause wherefore they either tooke away my books or debarred me of my libertie and readie by the grace of God both to conuince the high commission of most injurious dealing in the premises to cleare my selfe of anie crime they can lay to my charge whensoeuer before you of this honorable assembly or any other equall judgement seat they darebe tried with me Since the time of my release I sawe my selfe bounde in conscience not to giue ouer my former purpose in seeking the good of my countrymen by the rooting out of ignorance and blindnes from among them And as it pleased the lord to increase this my care so haue mine aduersaries augmented their rage and fury towards me and especially to the cause that I maintaine This furye of theirs at diuers times shewed by many of their instruments did especially manifest it selfe on the 29. of Ianuary last At which time one Richard Walton hauing a commission from the Archb. and others wherein all her maiesties officers were chardged and commaunded in her name to assist the sayd VValton to make entry into all houses shops c to apprehend all those whome he should any waies suspect and to commit them at his discretion vnto the next Gaol or prison vntil farther order should be taken with them came into the place of mine aboad at Northampton ransacked my study and tooke away with him all such printed books and written papers as he himself thought good what they were as yet I cannot justly tel And not contented to keepe him self within the immoderate limits of a larger commission then as I thinke can be warranted by lawe he offered violence vnto diuers persons and threatened not only to breake open doores hauing noe such commission but also to vntile houses vnlesse he could find me where in deed I was not At his departure he charged the Maior of the towne who then attended vpon him to apprehend me as a traitor giuing out that he had found in my study both printed bookes and also writings which conteined treason in them Whereas the bookes and writings of geatest disgrace evē in the sight of his master which he could there finde were one printed coppy of the demonstration of discipline and an answere vnto master D. Some in writing both which he caried away with him The treason conteined in either of those books is no other then that which Amasiah the high priest at Bethel found in Amos the prophet euen the cleare words of truth not to be abidden in a corrupt state of a church I graunt Behold nowe my Lordes and you the rest of this high court the original and continuance of these mens enmity towards me And judg whether I haue not greate reason both for mine owne safety and for the clearing of the cause wherein I stand to vse this lawful meanes of Appelation vnto your Hh. and worships from their tirannous and vngodly dealing with whome neither mine owne innocency nor yet the equity of the cause can any whit preuaile They are knowne to be very mighty and haue felt them very vnjust and tiranous The only justice which I can expect from them if I fall into their hands is to be kept languishing in prison during their pleasure and neuer suffered to come to the triall of my cause If I hoped for any other measure I should reason contrary vnto mine owne experience against which no conceite ought to take place In consideration wherof being now by the lords prouidence kept out of theire handes and that in the time of the meeting and assembly of the highest councell of this kingdome I doe in most dutifull humble sort make this my just appelation from the Archb. of Canterbury and the rest of his colleagues in commission vnto you of the honorable and high court of parliament humbly referring my selfe and my cause vnto your determination according vnto justice My only suite and petition is that either I may haue assurance of quietnes and safety or that the causes of my trouble being laide open by mine aduersaries I may receiue condigne punishment of mine offences Where it may be seene that I craue no immunity let me haue justice and that is all I craue This in regard of your places you are bound to affoard me as in the day of judgment you shall answere before him vnto whome no vnrighteousnes is acceptable I doe mine aduersaries no injury in appealing from them vnto you For they may be assured of justice at your hands if they will adueuture to pursue their suite And me they cannot blame in repairing vnto you for judgment and equitie seeing from their tribunal seat I am like to receiue nothing else but gal and woormwood If their cause against me be good if it be strong if it be to be embraced nowe let them not be ashamed
vnto you that necessitie is laied vppon me to appeale from mine aduersaries and that yee are bound to heare my cause by the example of these noble men Jeremy was judged by his enemies worthy to dy and I assure my selfe it was not their falt that he was suffered to liue They wanted but power and opportunity to dispatch him They did what in them lay when they apprehended him and adjudged him woorthy to die for speaking against the State The princes hearing the greeuousnes of his accusation thought them selues bound to try out the matter and sitting in judgment heard the cause equally on both sides and so cleared the prophet Nowe had Ieremy done wel if hearing the greuous accusations of his enemies he would not haue taken th'oportunitie offered him by the lords prouidence to haue judgment at the hands of the princes he had not out of question or had the princes don wel in beleeuing th'accusations and slaunders of the prists and false prophets against him and so in permitting the prophet to be debarred of his libertie without any farther examination of the matter or had they done wel in sitting stil while the pore prophet and his mighty aduersaries tried out the matter They sawe an other duty to be required of them and therefore presently without delay they holpe him that was ready to perish The case is now with me as it was then with the prophet I am judged by th'Archb of Canterbury and others in commission with him to be a man vnworthy to liue in any State And I haue more cause to thanke the Lord for the peaceable gouernment of her right excellent majestie theÌ„ for any fauour of mine enemies that I now breath aboue the earth I must either appeale from them or be guiltie of mine owne blood I appeale therefore vnto the high court of Parliament and if ye therein assembled either credite the slaunders of mine aduersaries before ye know the cause or sit stil in rejecting my just Appellation and suffer them to persecute mee without a cause Festus an heathen Iudge and the princes of Iudâ—h will rise vp in judgment against you For the same God that required at their hands the deliuery of his seruants out of the handes of their rauening enemies requireth of you th' equall hearing of my cause And if ye suffer me to fall by their meanes you shall bring innocent blood vpon your owne selues and this whole kingdome My case at this time is the case of the poore the fatherlesse the stranger and the widdowe and therefore in that respect ye ought to haue a special consideration of it For not to deliuer the widdowe and the fatherlesse from the violence of the oppressor when it lieth in your power what is it else but for to oppresse the poore the widow and the fatherles concerning whome the Lord hath thus spoken If thou vex or trouble such so he cal and cry vnto me surely I wil heare his cry And then shal my wrath be kindled I wil kil you with the sword and your wiues shalbe widowes and your children fatherlesse Either then by graunting vnto me righteouse judgment ye of the parliament must deliuer me from oppression and wrong or I must be forced to account you among the number of mine oppressors And you knowe that being oppressed and troaden downe I am bound to cry to the Lord for aide otherwise I shal disobey his commaundement Psal 50. 15. Acquainting him with my griefe he hath promised to heare my suite what will followe thereof you cannot I am sure be ignorant For then he hath protested that his wrath wil be kindled against you that he will deuour you with the sword and cause your wiues to be widowes and your children fatherlesse doe ye not then see your selues bound to receiue mine appellation with such a bond as in wisdome ye ought to take heede that ye incurre not the danger thereof Although then I be a thousand degrees inferiour vnto mine aduersaries in regard of outward things yet by the mercies of the Lorde I haue the vpper hand of them in the goodnesse and equitie of my suite For I come vnto you in the name of God most humbly intreating and earnestly beseeching that in a good matter euen in my right I be not ouerthrowen by the power of vnconscionable enemies and therefore many waies I come not without th'vnreasonable support of my peticion I come euen with that warrant by the vertue whereof the poore the widowe the fatherlesse and the stranger are of due to haue their right against the mightiest potentate vnder the sunn And that is the commandement of the Lord of heauen and earth concerning th' administration of justice without partialitie you shal haue no respect of persons in judgment saieth the Lord but shal heare the small as the great you shal not feare the fuce of man for the iudgment is Gods And again you shal not doe vniustly in iudgment Thou shalt not fauour the person of the poore nor honor the person of the mightie but shalt iudg thy neighbour righteously These ye knowe are the commaundements of the land wherby ye are bound to heare me vnlesse ye think you may haue respect of persons in judgment for if the Archb. or any of his associats came vnto you to be heard against me you would easely condiscend vnto the motion The like fauor are ye bound to shewe vnto me because you are to heare the smal as well as the great and ought not to fauour the person of the mightie It is not vnknowne vnto you what the prophet Esaiah spake of the judges in his time because they would not help the fatherlesse to his right nor suffer the widowes cause to come before them would ye avoide the just desert of that reprehension Then I beseech you helpe me to my right and suffer my cause to come before you least it may be truely saide of you that you execute no judgment no not the judgment of the fatherles and oppressed And albeit you wil not doe this in regarde of my person which aâ— as the fatherlesse as the poore and as the stranger yet deny me not the same either in â—â—spect of the cause of God for the which I am tâ—oubled or in consideration of th' equity of mine aduersaries from whome I can neither hope for justice in my trial nor safety from danger The cause of this my trouble and perill as before hath bene briefly touched is only that the Lord vouchsafed me the fauour to motion a redresse of the great ignorance and corruption which at this day raigneth in the church within my country And because I doe not conceile that which in conscience I am bounde to lay open namely that the blindnes and ignorance of our blind ignorant guides the tiranny vnlawful bondage and vnjust oppression of Gods church by vngodly and tiranical Lord Bishops with the rest of th'vnlawful church gouernoures who
euen by vertue of their places cannot chuse but oppresse the church of God are the ready and direct waie not only to kepe my countrimen from eternal life but also to bringe the Lords wrath vppon vs our prince maiestrats people and the whol kingdome So that I am molested for soliciting the cause of God the cause of mens soules the cause of her maiestie and the State with whome the Lord with out speedy repentance is not likely to beare any longer for the manifold corruptions of our church I am molested because I cannot be content that my countrymen should want the means of their saluation and so run headlong to their owne eternall ruine and because I am not silent at the miserable prophanation of Gods sanctuary by swine and vncleane beastes I am molested because I suffer not without any shewe of dislike the holy ministery of the Lord and the sacred gouernment of his church to be a pray vnto such men as are not worthy to liue in any wel ordered common wealth much lesse in a reformed church I am molested because I hold it vnlawful for any man to take vppon him the care charge and ouersight of those soules whome he cannot possibly feede guide and direct in the paths and pastures of eternal life I am molested because with the holy Apostle Peter I think it vnlawfull for any minister to be Lord ouer gods heritage and thinke the judgment of our Sauiour to be sounde who held it vnlawful for his ministers to Rule like Lordes I am molested because I hold that which is set downe Heb. 3. 6. to be true whereby I am inforced to confesse that as non but Moses or some other prophet by the expresse commaundement of God was to ordaine th'officers of the church vnder the lawe So non but our Sauiour Christ or his apostles in the expresse written word are to ordaine the officers of the churche gouernement vnder the newe couenaunt I am also molested because being constrained by the former scripture Hebr. 3. 6. to acknowledge that our Sauiour lefte an externall gouernement of his Church and so is equall with Moses and such a gouernement as cannot be changed by any but himselfe and so is superior vnto Moses I am driuen to confesse this vnchangeable forme of externall church gouernement ordained by him to be a gouernment th' execution whereof is committed to these 4. officers namely Teaching Pastors Doctors gouerning Elders ministring Deacons because I finde non other officers or offices either expressed or included in the Newe Testament Apostles Prophetes and Euangelistes onely excepted which being remooued out of the Churche by the Lord himselfe the boldnes of our Bishops their defenders is intolerable in demanding why Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons should be permanent seeing Apostles Prophets and Euangelists were but temporarie As though the Lord himselfe were not of sufficient wisedome to ordaine what he thought good in the gouerment of his Church or as though he were bounde either to continue Apostles Prophets and Euangelists or to abrogate th'other 4. offices vnder the Gospell to haue no gouerment of his appointment muchlesse vnchangeable I am molested because I made it knowne that to maintaine a Churche gouernement which at the pleasure of man according to the diuers estates of the Church may be changeable is flatly to ouerthrowe the prerogatiue whereby Christe Iesus is aboue Moses in th'ordering of his owne house Th'outwarde regement whereof cannot be held chaungeable vnder the Gospell according to times places countries states but Christ Iesus must be made inferior vnto Moses contrary to th'expresse decree and counsell of th'eternall God Heb. 3. 6. Briefly I am molested because I made it knowen that the gouernment of the Church by L. Bishops and Archbishops being as they themselues graunt a temporarie gouernement fit for the Church in time of peace but not of persecution and neuer ordained by the Lorde but inuented by man to preuent schismes c. is intollerable in Gods Church because it maketh Christ Iesus to haue ordained either a changeable church gouernement of his owne house or none at all and so to be far lesse faithfull in Gods house then Moses was These and such like my Lordes are the causes why th'Archb and his are so bloodily affected towardes me And I haue as mine aduersaries themselues confesse alleadged vnto you the true cause of their hatred and enmitie For if th'Archb c. were demaunded by this honourable assembly why they imprisoned me why they rifeled my studie tooke away my writinges why they now seeke for me their present answere would be that I am an enemie to the present gouernment of the cleargie established by her Majesties prerogatsue and the consent of the State And what is this in effect but because I thinke Christ Iesus to be more faithfull in the gouernment of his owne house then Moses was I know in deed that for this cause they giue out that I am an enemie to her Majesties gouernment a seditious and discontented subject guiltie of many attemptes and practises against her royall prerogatiue and one that intendeth nothing els but the vtter innouation of the state wherein I doe acknowledge th' auncient and perpetuall slaunder of Gods trueth and his seruants in all ages For it hath bene the continuall course and practize of the diuell at all times to laye matter of state vnto their charge that haue gainsaid any of those corruptions which his instruments haue maintained in Gods holy seruice And if our Bishops should new refraine from this slaunder then could they not so manifestly discrie themselues as they doe to be their naturall successors whose roomes in this age they supplie in the defence of the kingdome of darkenesse and ignorance Our Sauiour Christe was guiltie of so many and so outragious practises against the State wherein he liued as Pilate the Iudge could not saue his life and be a friend vnto Cesar This did the high priest openly protest against him Iohn 19. 12. And can we then maruel that his trueth in this age among our high priests is subiect vnto the same obloquie Tertullus th'orator would not be tedious in accusing th'apostle Paule if Felix of his curtesie would but heare him a few words he would briefly lay forth the cause of the Iewes hatred towards the apostle in this sorte Certainly wee haue found this man a pestilent fellowe and a mouer of sedition among the Jewes thorough out the world and a chief mainteiner of the sect of the Nazarites The wicked Iewes also Act. 17. 6. 7. missing of Paul and Silas drew Iason with certaine other brethren vnto the heads of the city crying These are they that haue subuerted the State of the world and here they are that gainsay the decrees of Cesar saying that there is an other king on Jesus c where I do the lesse maruel that sedition and treason is laied to my
state but concerning the former of their demaundes the Lord answereth that there is a direct commaundement in the word whereby the church in all ages and states is enjoined to acknowledg the Lord Iesus to be superior vnto Moses And therefore also that there is a direct commaundement in his word whereas by all adges and times are bound to haue on only outward forme of church gouernment The latter question though it be a popish interrogatorie is yet satisfied without any greate labour For the church of Rome Phillippi Ephesus Derbe Listra c. with many others mētioned in the word practised this gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons And if Christ Iesus be as faithful in Gods house as Moses was it is cleare that no church as before was touched in what age or state soeuer can haue any lawful gouerment established but only this by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons because no church vnder the lawe could haue any lawful established gouerment but that prescribed by Moses Whereby the pretence that other churches professing the Gospel haue not this gouernment is euidently shewed to be nothing else but a profe that other churches haue their imperfections and are not as yet so farr built as the Lord requireth Asa was a godly King and reformed many things in the house of God yet the Idolatrous high places remained al his daies These high places were the blemish and imperfections of his gouernment Nowe were it any reason because he was a godly King that therefore the spots of the church vnder him should be the paterne of Iosiahs reformation and that the high places should stil be continued It must needs be so if our Bb. manner of reasoning against the Lords holy ordinances be good and allowable In the sixth place the inconueniences of receauing this gouernment of the Lords ordaining are saide to be so greate that the attempting thereof might bring rather the overthrowe of the Gospell heere amongst vs then the end that is desired If the receiuing of the Lordes discipline be inconuenient vnto any state that is not the fault of god his ordinance but the sinne of men which haue made their estate out of square as Christ cannot be wholly receaued thereunto without their likely detriment To gainsay the trueth because an inconuenience wil followe the embracing of it is an argument not to be heard of amongst christians For our Sauiour Christ him selfe affirmed it to be no light matter to enter into the kingdome of heauen and therefore declareth them to be vnfit disciples for him that wil not enter thereunto through manye tribulations yea and forsake all earthly comforts much lesse the maintenance of their outward estate rather then not to followe him in all the waies wherein he requireth their obedience To pretend inconueniences then in this cause bewraieth an hollowe hart vnto Gods glory And yet it is not halfe so inconuenient to bring in Christes gouernment as it was to expel popery If her maiestie and the parliament would agree to establish the same al inconueniences would be soone preuented The feare of ouerthrowing the Gospel by that meanes is a slaunderous surmise and vndutiful vnto her maiesty and the state vnlesse our Bb. be guiltie vnto them selues of some such purposes I knowe not why this should be aleadged The inconueniences are first the alteration of the whole state of the lawes of this realme as the vtter ouerthrowe of the studie of the ciuil lawe and the alteration of the ciuil and common lawe As though al these things coulde not be helped by one act of parliament Popery had more shew and coulor of trueth to reason thus for it selfe in the raigne of our late Soueraigne of famous memory King Henry the 8. So had heathen Idolatry in the daies of Iosiah or Hezekiah They that vse such arguments shew them selues to be giuen ouer to withstand the trueth I hope the Parliament wil admit of no such reason as these are Christ Jesus must not be allowed by his owne lawes to rule in state he must needes be decreede by our lawes inferiour vnto Moses and that because we wil not aulter the state of our lawes we wil not haue the studye of the ciuil lawe ouerthrowne We must not greatly wonder that papists and Mahometists doe kepe Christs holy and sacred verity out of their dominions seeing in a state professing the true God such godlesse men are found as tremble not to publish and vtter their vngodly conceits in this sort against Gods heauenly ordinances and especially seeing in a state professing the true God such pretences are of force to keepe out Christs soueraigne and kingly gouernement I hope that you who are parliament men see this kinde of reasoning to bee such as will stand in no account at the dreadfull day of judgement That which is spoken of Ciuillians is also slanderous For they liue by temporall courts and therefore it is not necessarie that their profession should decay when the Antichristian gouernement of Archb. and Lord Bb. is expelled out of our Churche Further our Archb. and L. Bb. vsurpe the determination of many ciuil causes in the deciding whereof Ciuillians might be well imployed And is it more reason in deede that the true Churche of God should want the vse of Christs holy lawes and statutes then the studie of the Ciuill law O most shamefull speeche to be conceiued much more to be published in print and that by Bishopps in the dayes of the Gospell But what dare not they publish who professe themselues to gainsay the way of trueth And therefore they are not ashamed to giue out that the desired alteration of Church gouernment would bring the judiciall law of the Iewes into our state This is a lewd slaunder For Christs gouernement necessarily requireth no part of the Iewishe lawe to be receiued into any common wealth but that which is morall It is further objected that the lawes maintaining the Queens supremacy in gouerning of the church and hir prerogatiue in Ecclesiasticall causes must be abrogated or els Christe cannot raigne in our state The reason whereof right honourable you haue heard before alleaged both by the Iewes vnto Pilate namely that our Sauiour Christe Iesus is a deadly enemie vnto Cesar and also by Rehum and the men beyond the riuer vnto Artaxerxes For as they noted the building of the true church of God cannot chuse but be an hindrance vnto princes For Ierusalem is knowne of olde to be a rebellious citie But remember then O my God if they belong not vnto thee that thus slander the trueth and the vpright ordinances of thy sonne Christ Iesus and if they be thine conuert them speedily My Lords you the rest of the parliament as you haue any care of the glory of your God see that the enemies of reformation may either decist from their forgerie against the trueth or prooue their accusations The Lord will
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