in as few words and as punctually as I can I have commended these small labours of mine to thee which I desire may be to Gods glory and thy direction and then let God deale wth mee as seemeth good in his owne eies Farewell in the Lord farewell From my lodging in Amsterdam the 6. of December 1631. STEVEN PVCKELL TO ALL THOSE IN ENGLAND exercising Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction over Gods people Bishops Archbishops Archdeacons Deans Officialls Commissaries and all other their depending Officers from the highest Prelate to the meanest Apparitor in the Kingdom OH that my counsell might become acceptable to you all that you would breake of your offences by repentance and your crueltyes by mercy to Gods saints and people and that you would leave lording of it over your fellow brethren let not the Lord when he shall come in the cloudes finde you smiting Ieremie on the cheek lest Pashurs portion prove your inheritance and the Lord make you a terrour to your selvs for know you all for a certain that your vinyards are most ripe to the winepresse and that the Angell wbo hath that sharp sickle in his hand is coming forth to cutt downe all the vines of the vineyards of the earth and to cast them into the winepresse of the wrath of almighty God therefore let me again and again intreat you to leave lording of it over Gods inheritance and rob not the Kings Majesty of his maintenaunce nor the nobility of their titles and dignityes nor the magistrates of their power and authority nor the subjects of their rigths and inheritances take not the garmente from the widdow nor the bread from the fatherles by your extortions eate not up the Lords people like bread any longer lest the Lord bring a plague upon you out of which you shall not hee able to pull your necks let the Lord Christs name be honoured and sett up in all his offices and ordinaunces on Sion his holy mountain jussel him no longer out of his Kingly throne lest he reckon you among his enemies and so slay you all before him build not up your Syon with bloods nor your Ierusalem with crueltyes lest you make a fruitfull land become an heap or a desolate wildernes think not by cruelty to suppresse Gods truth for rather then it shall want witnesses God wil make the stones to doe it and so raise up witnesses out of the dust of them whom you and your forefathers have slaine digge no longer so deep to hide your counsells from the Lord for the Lords knowes and hath revealed it to his saincts that you are no other then the very bellowes of Antichrist by which he blowes up and kindleth that fire of superstition and idolatrye in our English nation therefore display no longer the coulours of Antichrist in the Lords camp hold no longer up the ensigne staffe of that man of sin by which you have so long beaten the Lords people lay down your bucklers now at the length at the Lords feete that if it he possible you may finde mercy oh hear hear and be not proud lest your bonds increase let not the soules of Gods saints whom you contemne weep anie longer in secret for your pride be not you a means to cause the Lord to forsake his people and to suffer his people to be led away captive and to sing the songs of Sion in a strange land and be not so in love with an Italian Lord as for him to ingage your soules King and coūtrye But why doe I thus speake unto you can a blackemoore change his skin Not unlesse it be flead of no more can you unlesse the Lord change your natures and make you of wolvs sheep and of lyons lambs which the Lord in his time will either effect in you or els will give you your portion with the beaste and the false prophet and with all those that with you have received the marke of the beast in their foreheads and hands Thinke not that I aime at anie mans person but at the unlawfullnes of your callings and standings for my soule pittyeth your persons to see so manie excellent naturall parts which manie of you are indued withall bewitched with those strong delusions which the just God hath sent for the damnation of all those that receive not the love of the truth yea the Lord knows I would be glad to become anie thing to doe you good but of that I have little hope therfore farewell S. P. A TABLE OF ALL SVCH FEES AS ARE DVE TO THE Ecclesiastical courts under the Bishop of London in the liberty of Essex and Harford and to all the depending Officers of them both Iudges Registers Apparitors and Proctors in causes of instance betweene party and party  Commissary Register Apparitor INprimis for decreeing the originall citation and for sealing of it vj. d. vj. d. nil Item for decreeing the originall citation in a matrimoniall cause with an inhibition and for sealing of it xij d. xij d. nil Item for rhe decree for every party principall ix d. ix d nil Item for every decree viis modis ix d. ix d. nil Item for every excommunication or suspension in writing ix d. ix d. onely iv d. at nil the release Item for every absolution from an excommunication or suspension ix d. ix d. iv d. Item for letters testimoniall to be made upon a search or any other cause vj. s viij d. vj. s viij d. nil Item for the oath of every witnes upon any matter nil nil ij d. Item for examination of every first witnes upon any matter ix d. ix d. nil Item for examination of every other witnes iv d. ob iv d. ob nil Item for the examination of witnesses upon interrogatories ix d ix d nil Item for the examination of every party principall ix d ix d nil Item for the oath of every party principall nil nil ij d Item for the copy of every witnes upō any matter produced and examined nil viij d nil Item for the copy of the partyes principall answer nil xij nil Item for every commission for the examination of a party principall or witnesses or for the praising of goods of a deceassed or to take the oath of a party upon an inventorie or accountes or any other matter v. s v. s nil Item for the constitution of a proctor nil iv nil Item for exhibition of every proxie in writing nil ij d nil Item for every acte nil iv nil Item for everie act upon the opening or receieving of a prohibition consultation or any others of the Kings writts xv s xv s nil Item for every deffinitive sentence and interlocutorie decree v. s v. s xij d Item for every significavit to the chancery for the taking and imprisoning of an excommunicate person in any cause as well of instance as office v. s v. s nil Item for every significavit to the chancery for the freedom
yeare 1624. they have changed the oath of Curchwardens and sidemen as they call them into that forme that it is now become nothing ells but a rack for the consciences of men and may truly be called an injurjous and blooddy oath 2. What else is the ground why they have taken away all those Cannons that respect them selues that the people cannot see them but that they might more peaceably and freely prey on the bodyes and soules of men at their owne pleasures 3. What is the reason they doe of late use so many shiftes and trickes to maintayne their standings as they do by devising all the inchrochments upon the liberty of the subject the like whereof cannot beparalelled by robbing of the nobility of their honorus tytles offices and dignityes and conferring them on their owne heades or the heades of their favorites yea is it not matter enough if not a friend to the prelacy for any though otherwise deserving never so well to stand like a beakon on the top of a hill not respected 4. who seeth not that all the good and whollesomme lawes of the Common wealth is by them turned upside downe like a leaden wand bowed to every end that suits them selues be it right or wrong thus like horses are they prepared to battell with strong unresistible power to beare downe all before them that doth but mute against their cursed usurpations 5. what ranke or order of men comes not under their tyranny and oppression in their matchles extortions they sleight the rich in the height of their pride they regard not the cryes of the widdow and fatherlesse but like men voyd of compassion or bereft of humanity wring and wrest from all men in all causes abundantly more then is alowed them by their owne Cannons and Ecclesiasticall lawes and especially in the probats of wills and administrations they are as the Proph. Zeph saith 3. 3. Like the evening wolfs that leave not the bones untill the morning my brethre may not the Lord cōplaine against us as against his owne people Ier. 5. 26. that among his people are found wicked men that lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a trap to catch men as a cage is full of birdes so are their howses full of deceyt therfore they are become great wax rich also they Judg not the cause of the fatherlesse but as in the 29. shall not the Lord visit for these thinges shall not his soule be avenged on such a nation as this Therfore brethren and loving countrymen considering these things let me in a word speak to you all under these two ranks other as you are the called of God or as yet uncalled by him And first to you that are called of God let me speak to you in the words of the Lord by the Prophet Ierem. 2. 18. What have you to doe in the way of Aegypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thou to doe in the way of Assyria to drink the waters of the river Or for the fear of man to bee found in the way of Gilgall for all their wickednes is in Gilgall there doth the Lord hate them and for their iniquityes wil in his time arive them out of his house therfore come not at their courts obey not their summons sent out in their own names against the law of the land and honour of the King so that if the Kings Majesty were not very patient towards them and those that submit to their usurpations where were they Trust God with your goods and lives he is able to recompence all wth better ad not fire then to this altar of Baal neither by purse nor presence Walk not after these commaundemens of men lest Ephraim like ye he oppressed and broken in judgment and the Lord become to you as to him a moth or as he was to Iudah rottenes Hosea 5. 11. 12. My brethren be not affraid of man in Gods cause consider what the Apostle saith to Timothy 2. epist 1. 7. God hath not given to us the spirit of fear but of power of love of a sound minde Where observe this fear of man for the prevailing power therof is called the spirit of feare and is opposed to the spirit of God as power and love and a sound minde whence then we may learn That where ever his fear of man is residing in the strength and power of it there no sound power of godlines nor soundnes of judgment nor power of action is to be looked for Besides this fear of man will be a snare to you for the fear of man bringeth a snare but who so trusteth in God shal be sure Prov. 29. 25. Besides there is a lake prepared for the fearfull say not then wth the fainthearted spyes there be giants and walls up to heaven and we shall never overcome for we overcome in sufferring Consider also that God the Gospell and the people of God are more beholding if I may so speak to one constant sufferrer sent of God then to ten thousand fainthearted apostates and backsliders therefore my brethren looke what Gods worthyes have done and doe likewise as Paule to Timo. 2. epist 1. 8. so I speak to you all in his words Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimonie of our lord nor of me his prisonner but be you partakers of the afflictions of the Gospell according to the power of God who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling And to you my countrymen that are yet uncalled what shall I say to sett you a worke about the works of a living mā that have not a principle of life in you were but a vain thing I therefore say no more to you but thus Take courage to your selvs as you are men and know your own priviledges and stand to them consider the laws of a kingdome are the subjects inheritance and no subject can be deprived of them without manifest injustice therfore suffer not your selvs to be gulled in these things looke the Statute for the probate of wills and testaments observe the penaltyes upon all that shall extort upon the same the lawe saying directely in these words That if a Bishop or Archbishop or anie other ecclesiasticall jurisdiction shall extort or take of anie of his Mayestyes subjects either more or greater fees then is allowed them by law they shall forfeit to the party wronged three times that they take to the party greived and over and above they shall forfeit to the King ten pounds the which shal be levyed by way of trespasse or of debt recoverable by lawe in anie of his Majestyes courts of record against which action there shal be no appeale nor act of errour to be graunted but the monies so levyed shal be one half to the King and the other half to the partye wronged Or els thou must maintain thy right by an inditement at the common sessions of the quarter where the offence was committed Thus
but as they formerly had their power from the Pope so doe they exercise this power and jurisdiction by Popish constitutions and customs and by vertue therof challenge power and right so to doe 2. This appeares to be true from that statute of 28. H. 8. which statute being the rule of our Archbishops Bishops and other the like Officers with all their ushering ceremonies shews plainly that they are the same they were in the dayes of darknes and so contrary to the Laws of God and the King yea even to the same act in the true meaning of it as all who will may see to be most plaine for first the King Peers and commons being at this time not instructed in the unlawfullnes of the Prelacy and their ushering ceremonies did not onely not aabridge anie of their former rights and Priviledges but gave them power to exercise them as before so they were not contrary to the word of God and the Laws of the Land now the Prelates being cunning Politicians and knowing what great revenues came into them and to the holy Father the Pope made use of their ignorance and the Kings clemency and so continued all or so manie of their Popish customs as might be sufficient to bring such an estate to them their followers as wherby their pride pomp and tyrannicall rule might be maintayned and hereby is it they Lord it over all Hereby is it they maintain their courtly governments and that they cite Summon and draw all causes and controversyes before themselves and their courtly government and do challenge power and right to doe so from their popish customs and constitutions which have been heretofore added to the severall seates and Seas of government and doe begin continue and end them in their owne name even as they did in the dayes of darknes onely they use not the Popes name but have left off his Supremacy although it seems to be their grief which appeares in this amongst other things in that they use him and his triple crowne for their character and superscrption in their seales of office Obje But it will be said to me they doe not exercise this rule from themselves nor from the Pope but as from the King and by his prerogative Ans To which I answere doe they not stand in relation to the Pope and more to him then to his Majesty when they will execute his laws to full and persecute his Majesties faithfull subjects even to death by imprisoning syning and banishing of them for the least neglect of them doth not every King speake by his owne lawes and by his own officers Now when the Popes lawes are thus executed by them doth it not declare them to be Subjects of his Kingdome .. 2. The Laws of the Land and so of the King are they not all snapped in peeces by them what Law can stand before them if they take-in with the offender Thirdly if they doe fine anie as they doe manie not onely without but against law under pretence for the King doe they not preferre one or other of their favourites to beg the fyne of the King and so he is never the better for it But if it were graunted that they stand by the King yet why should they execute these Laws among us seeing they doe us no good but hurt and annoy us and are needles and burdenous and I would to God both they and all their trash were footles too 3. No way can we more gratify the Pope nor give him hopes of a reentrance amongst us then by authorizing and practising his Lawes amongst us and this is the cause he hath so manie abetters and favourites amongst us and this causeth him to looke for a day still among us therefore can we doe the Lord no better service or his Majesty a better turn or the Land more good then by rooting out the pedlery wares of that man of sin by overthrowing this courtly governmē◠by which these merchants of Rome are grown rich mighty amongst us but alas my brethren may we not renue the cōplaint of the Prophet Habak 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. to the Lord and say Oh Lord how long shall I cry unto thee and thou wilt not help even cry out and thou vvilt not hear cry out unto thee of violence and thou vvilt not save c. The Lavv is dissolved and Judgment doth never go forth for the wicked doth compasse about the righteous therefore wrong judgment proceedeth But let Gods people be comforted the plowman hath a time to sow and a time to reap and therefore let them know God hath a time for them and in his time will send forth that Angell to reap and commaund him to thrust in his sickle and reap for the harvest is ripe Apoc. 14. and to cut down all the vines of the vinyards of the earth and to cast them into the winepresse of the wrath of Almighty God although now the locusts be like horses prepared to battle Revel 9. 7. strongly linked together with ready prepared minds against all such as doe but mute against their cursed usurpation yet let them know they and all their popish titles and dignityes with that head of theirs the Pope from whom they received their life and power are now allmost if not altogether ripe unto the harvest they are now become as a baskett of summer fruit and the Lord will not long passe by them anie more let them looke on the yeare 1539. and gnaw their tongues with grief with the remembrance thereof as they have often done and remember that that lopping of their vines that then was was but a begining to prepare them for the fire of the wrath of God which shal be kindled here and shal burne in the bottom of Hell at the kindling wherof they and all other the merchants of these things which are wexen rich shall stand afar off for feare of her torment weeping and wailing and saying alas alas Rev. 18. As I am perswaded some of them have done allready and shall doe more for he that rides on the white horse whose name is the Word of God will goe forth and conquer and smite the heathen and rule them with a rod of iron for he it is that treadeth the winepresse of the wrath of allmighty God Revel 19. 15. Then shall the Churches rejoyce and all the holy saints therin when God hath revenged their bloods for among these men is found the blood of the Prophets and of the saints and of all that were slain upon the earth Rev. 18. 24. Having thus farr inlarged according to my poore ability to strike at the maine pillers of the bodye of this beast that tyrannise over the bodyes and consciences of all I will ad a notable project or compact plotted between some of their under officers the thing is no fable but a certain truth found out and confessed by the chief actor before the justice who at first thought to have punished it