and the state as Jsrael vvas somtimes by the godly king Hezekiah to giue the hand to the Lord 2. Chro. 31.8 and to come vnto the Sanctuary vvhich he hath chosen serue the Lord our God that the fiercenes of his vvrath should turne avvay from vs yet notvvithstanding least it should be preiudiciall vnto our children that vve neuer claymed any interest vnto the trueth of the Gospell and neuer desired to be vnburdened of our blinde and tyrannicall guydes This Petition of mine shal be a vvitnes that both hath bin labored for VVhosoeuer they be then that vvould vvish men not to trouble themselues in that cause vvherein in their iudgements they can see no hope of preuayling doe not consider that thereby they bereaue our posterities of a great means to come by that vvhich the children of God novv liuing vvould so vvillingly obtaine And they do not consider that as the Lord hath appointed some to lay the foundation make vp the buylding of his Church so he hath ordayned others to prepare and as it vvere to clense the place vvhere he meaneth to buyld his Temple The aduersaries of this cause may be many and of great countenance but vve knovve that the Lord hath committed all povver in heauen and in earth not vnto man but vnto his ovvne sonne Christe Jesus the alone head and king ouer his Church Math. 28.18 The cause therefore in hand being his in vvhose hands is all povver and dominion vvhy should vve feare any thing that earth can inuent against the same And if the question vvere vvho ought to be terrified in this matter they by vvhom the Petition is promoted or they vvho oppugne the same it shall be found that the aduersaries hereof haue no other cause but to be stroken vvith a desperate and vncomfortable feare VVhereas on the other side the patrons of the suite may be euery vvay exceedingly comforted For vvhat els do the enemies hereof but after the manner of the vvicked mencioned in the booke of IOB say vnto the Almighty depart thou from vs Chap. 2â— 13 15. Because we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes any further then it may stand vvith the vpholding of the corruptions receaued and mayntained in our Church by the consent of the State Yea and in their practize they say vvho is the Almighty that vve should serue him if he be so strickt in his vvorshipp that he cannot abide a Church gouernment to be mayntained vvhich may be changeable at the pleasure of the ciuill State VVho is the Almighty that vve should serue him if none must he in our ministery but such as both for their gifts and faythfulnes do in deed shevv themselues to be his true messengers VVho is the Almighty that vve should serue him if men for the bettering of their outvvard state may not be Lords ouer their brethren and ioyn liuing vvith liuing that they may be able to maynayne a part vnbeseeming their calling And I vvould they did not say vvhat profit is there if vve did stoup so lovv vnto him as vvithout delay there should nothing be in our Church vvhich might svvarue from that seuere rule of his vvord Should Gods children then feare least these men should haue the vpper hand ouer them and the Lords cause vvhich they mayntayn Nay I tell you that although such aduersaries vvere of that povver and authority that it might be demaunded VVho they vvere that durst presume to declare their euill vvayes vnto their faces yet should they vndoutedly be made as stubble before the vvind and as the chaff vvhich the storm caryeth avvay For this cause and euery one that in the sincerity of his hart seeketh the prosperous successe therof may boldly say vvith IOB Mine enemie shal be as the wicked Iob. 27.7 20.27 21.10 and he that riseth against me as the vnrighteous the heauens shall declare his wickednesse and the earth shall rise vp against him The encrease of his house shall go away it shall flowe away in the day of his wrath his eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the Almightie This shal be the portion of as many as to the end oppose themselues against the cause of reformation novv labored for Jt is not a matter of dalliance to vvithstand the povverfull ordinance of God in the gouerment of his Church especially vvhen in the steede thereof the marchandize of shamelesse Babylon is maintayned Jt is but folly to fight against the lambe in the defence of her pleasant things For the lamb shall ouercome because he is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords and they that are of his side chosen and called and faythfull Great Babylon the mother that mighty harlot being in her ful strength in this land vvas not able to stand against him vvhat then shall it boote the vveake daughter to striue And let them feare and take heede vvho defend the daughters fornication least they be made partakers of the punishment denounced against them vvho committed adultery vvith the mother Themselues they may hurt but their practizes against Gods trueth and his Sayntes ought not to discourage the Lords chosen from standing to the cause of their master Be they then neuer so many neuer so povverfull neuer so flovvrishing neuer of so great authority in the eyes of the vvorld vvho cannot abide that the Gospell should haue such a free passage in this kingdome as the heat thereof shoulde melt vvhatsoeuer is amisse in our state yet the Lorde not being of their side in this poynt they shall not be able to preuaile For this is that cause against vvhich neuer man as yet striued and prospered J knovve there vvill be many in this Parliament vvho questionlesse fauor the cause of God from their heart vvould be forvvard in pleading for the soueraigntie of Christ Iesus if they savv not their endeuors crossed and vvithstood by many of high place and authoritye All those vvhosoeuer they be J do from the bottome of mine heart earnestly beseech that they vvould consider that in dealing for the putting dovvne of the dumbe ministery for the abolishing of Nonresidency and the rooting out of Lord Archb. and Lord Bishops and vvhatsoeuer els the right hand of the Lord hath not planted and in seeing that the vvorde preached may freely sound thorowout this kingdome they do therby nothing els but desire that the God of heauen and earth may be acknoledged and accounted vvorthy alone to rule in his Church vvithin this land The consideration vvhereof ought so to mooue and stir them vp as no creature vnder heauen should be able to dismay them in this their Petition and request They seeke that he may rule his Church by his vvord and lavves alone at vvhose reproffe the a 2 Iob. 21.12 pillers of heauen do tremble and quake They seeke that he may be acknovvledged for the onely Sauiour and redeemer of men and for the onely
hands in the day wherein quick and dead shal be judged But it may be that you wil pretend the wante to be so difficult that it cannot possiblie be performed Do what lieth in you and then the Lord is answered The farther you go herein the esier wil be the passage you are desired no more then not to countenance sinn and for reformation to go no farther then meanes will reach Because it is a worke of difficultie therefore must you needs hinder the same by lawe as you doe by tollerating these abuses Because the whol worke is difficult therefore shal it not begin Because it is a hard matter to plant the ordinance of God therefore must the breache thereof be in force maintained Because in Canaan the sonnes of Anak Num. 13.14 towns walled vp to heauen mountains of pretensed excuses haue ben seene therefore must you needs suffer the people brought by her Maiestie and you out of Egipt to remaine stil in â—he wildetnes on this side Iordan eueÌ„ vnder these men the dumb ministers L. Bb. I meane which are â—it for nothing els then to be leaders whensoeuer â—portunitie shall serue Num. 14.4 to bring the people again â—nto Egipt Because our land by reason of our continuance in sinn and that wee haue not had skilful workmen among vs doth not now bring forth religion and godlinesse in the measure it should therefore must you needs be sure that profanesse and atheisme shal be sowen and the breach of Gods lawe flourish there in the persons of those men Therefore the just Lord Ezek. 2â— wil be just in the midst of you whensoeuer he reckoneth for these things because you are so far from doing what you may in the planting of godlinesse that you suffer impietie against his Maiestie to bear sway and that by law and authority Concerning the hardnesse of the work this I make knowne vnto you that if you wil be ruled by the cannon of the word you shal be able with ease and the good liking of your people to do so much therein as you shal deliuer your owne liues from the wrath of God But if that rule shal take place no farther then it may stand with the continuance of Lord Bishops and other corruptions of the ecclesiasticall state I see not what you can say vnto the Lord when he hath made you an astonishment and an hissing vnto all the nations vnder heauen Nehe. 9.39 but surely thou art just in all that is come vpon vs for wee would not be ruled by thy words Wel the word teacheth and requireth of you 2. things and no more in this worke In both it requireth your practise if you would be directed by it First it requireth that Wales may be redresse by proclaiming that commission giuen by ouâ— Sauiour Christ vnto his apostles Math. 28.19.20 in euery corner thereof and both the parts of thâ— commission it requireth to be kept inuiolably as well that of goe preach and baptise as the other of teach them to obserue whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Secondly while you stay the Lords leasure to raise vp fit men for this worke in euery congregation it requireth that the people where preachers cannot be placed at the first may haue som stay that inconueniences be avoided For the Lord will not haue religion so vndiscretly established as that the inconueniences that might growe thereby vnto the ciuil state as much as may be be not wisely preuented in the effectinge hereof 2. things are to be looked vnto both of them greatlie furthering the worke First the blessing of God is to be labored for by humbling your selues and your people with Daniel before the Lord Dan. 9.1.3 in fasting and praier and then you shal see he wil be with your endeuours Secondly you must enjoine euery one according vnto his place to haue a hand in this worke and encourage the gentlemen people that shal be found forward by gracing and countenancing them for their forwardnesse in religion and shewing that the more forward they be the more credit they are like to purchase with your Hh. And you must not suffer an vncircumcised mouth Nom. 14.39 to bring a slander vpon that good land whereunto the Lord offereth to bring you and your people Nom. 14.10 if you would obey much lesse to lift vp a stonn against Caleb or Ioshuah that withstand the fury of a whol wicked hoast in the defence of the Lord. For otherwise if you suffer al to sit stil and looke vppon our desolations the most to liue on the sweetnes of our ruines and discountenance all that labour therein you can looke for nothing else shortly but that lamentable complaint and it is a great work of God that we haue heard the same long agoe of euerie possessor in this land Whyther shall wee goe Our brethren and their hard intertainment haue discouraged our harts Deut. 1.18 woulde to God that we had died in the Land of Egipt would to God we weare dead were it not better for vs to turne into Egipt Nom. 14.2 com let vs make a captaine and returne thyther The land indeed is a good land whereunto when our soueraigne brought vs out of Egipt wee entended to make our iorney but alasse we are neuer able to stand against the pouertie losses imprisonment discountenance by our superiors that our brethren haue sustained which haue set their faces against this land neuer able to swallowe vp the slanders and bitter names of Puritans precisians traitos seditious libellers c. that wee see raised against those that would bring vs thyther And therefore my Ll. and the rest of the high assemblie in vaine shall you vse other meanes and leaue this vnattempted The redresse of Wales consisteth of 2. partes both must be speedely set vpon by your Hh. or els certainly the judgements of God will finde you out First you must abolishe out of the Churche whatsoeuer you shal finde to be a breach of gods ordinance as I haue prooued dumbe ministers nonresidents and L. Bb. to be or els your reformation will be little better then that of the a Kin. 17.33 Samaritanes who feared Iehouah but worshipped their owne gods I woulde haue it marked in this place what is required at the handes of the parliament that it may thereby appeare whether with any colour of reason this part of the petition in hand can be denied The parliament is desired to enact that no vnlawfull calling be tollerated vnder the gouernment within the church of God in Wales if they will not yeeld vnto this part of the suite now put vp in the behalfe of that people what cloake doe they leaue vnto themselues whereby they may but couer their small care to glorifie God Is not the case to be astonied at that an assembly professing true religion cannot be drawne to yeeld vnto so just a request it is a hard matter I grant to build the church
A viewe of some part of such publike wants disorders as are in the seruice of God within her Maiesties countrie of VVales togither vvith an humble PETITION vnto this high Court of Parliament for their speedy redresse ¶ WHEREIN IS SHEVVED not only the necessitie of reforming the state of religion among that people but also the onely way in regarde of substaunce to bring that reformation to passe ¶ To all those that faythfully loue the lord Iesus and vnfainedly desire the flowrishing estate of Sion together vvith the vtter razing of vvhatsoeuer obscureth the perfect beutie therof namely to such of my brethren and countrimen as the Lord hath enlightened with a true knowledge the ioy of an vpright and comfortable profession with the encrease of all other the Lords good graces be multiplyed in Iesus Christe our LORD I Am not ignoraunt beloued in the Lord hovv many and great causes there are vvherof the very least might seeme to haue bene sufficiently able to discourage me from this enterprise vvhich vnder the holy hand of my God I haue novv vndertaken J am guiltie vnto my selfe of great corruption and vveakenes The glory of God is not so regarded amongest men as it ought to be The Parliament hath hytherto reiected this cause The enemies thereof are many and strong But as the discouragements are not a fevve so J confesse my self to be dravvn back vvith none more then vvith the consideration of my selfe For looking into mine ovvn hart I do from the bottom therof protest so sinful base contemptible and euery vvay so vveak a vvretch as J am to be the vnfittest instrument vnder heauen to deale in so vvaighty a cause Jt commeth into my minde that the Lord in iust iudgments tovvards my sinnes should deny any blessing vnto my endeuors J knovv that my vveaknes in handling the cause might disgrace the same And inasmuch as states for the most part looke vvith fleshly eyes It commeth into my minde that the suit by reason of my base estate should be reiected and cast off But all those likelihoods notvvithstanding yet I see that the Lord vvill haue the cause once againe brought vnto the Parliament in my hands to try vvhether men vvill not acknovvledge the Gopell and the gouernment of his son to vvit the scepter vvhereby alone Christ Iesus ruleth among men to be vvorth the entertaynment in their assemblies thogh it be not accompanied vvith that vvorldly maiesty vvhervvith vvhen it pleaseth him he is able to countenance it And hereby it is in deed that men do truly shâ—vv themselues to tremble before the son of God and to stoop vnto his royall Scepter vvhen they are not ashamed of his vvord hovv base soeuer they be that become suiters in the behalfe therof For mine ovvne part hovvsoeuer I haue iust occasion to lament mine ovvne great corruptions yet J may boldly say in the presence of God al those vnto vvhose consideration these labors of mine are offred publish thus much that this cause as near as I could is altogither separated from those foul staines vvhervvith J acknovvledge my selfe to be defiled And J hope that it so offereth it selfe vnto the publike vievv and consideration of the Parliament as they haue no iust cause by reason of my great vveaknes and base estate to reiect the same Neyther is any man to maruell that J being charged of late by M. Doct. Some in publike vvriting to be not onely a defender of many blasphemous errors but also an vnderminer of the ciuill State durst presume to become a sutor vnto the high Court of Parliament before J had first cleared my selfe of those crimes For my purpose being to haue published an ansvvere to M.D. Some before this cause should be made knovvn I vvas dravvne vvhether I vvould or no to take the opportunity of setting out this vvhich I thought to be most vvaighty least that if I had deferred it vntill th' other had come forth I might haue bin preuented of the means to publish it in any due time Besides the 185. page line 2. 30. of M.D. Somes booke vvherein he hath freely graunted me the controsie betvveene vs vvhich is that vnpreaching ministers are no ministers and consequently not to be communicated vvith do euidently shevv that he did not vvell knovv himselfe vvhat he did in charging me so far beyond christian modesty for defending nothing els in these points but that vvhich his ovvne vvritings do publikely vvitnes against him to be Gods truth So that of al oother causes his bare and by his ovvne vvitnes for the most part false accusations ought least of all to disvvade me from this labour though I neuer ment to aunsvvere him But by the grace of God he shal be ansvvered and that very shortly And the Petition being in the behalfe of Gods honor and the good of his Church the small regard that the Parliament hath had heretofore vnto such suites ought not greatly to discourage me the nomber might povver and authoritie of the enemies of the cause much lesse He that ruleth the harts of men can encline them to the setting forth of his ovvne glory vvhen he thinketh good That vvhich the Lord for some cause seeming good vnto his vvisdome doth not grant at one time he being for the promoting of his honor lightly bringeth to passe at some other season And the attempts of his children for the buylding of his Church haue not alvvayes that successe vvhich they vvish vnder their hands For he vseth the endeuors of some not to finish the building but to be a preparation vnto that vvorke which he meaneth to effect by the hand of others Zerubabel and Ezra labored very hardly in the building of Ierusalem the Lord did not finish the vvorke by their means and yet that vvhich they did vvas a great furtherance vnto Nehemiah vvhose hands the Lord vsed in ioyning the vvall So the endeuors of Gods children in our dayes may haue their effect to the glory of God and the comfort of his Church amongst our posterities It vvas a common demaund the last Parliament vvhere the cause of reformation being then labored for vvas 26. or 28. years agone and vvherfore after so many years of the Gospell enioyed in this land the motion of altering the outvvard state of the Church in the offices and officers therof Came it so out of time to be considered off Least the like obiection should be vsed in the ages to come behold the mountayns of VVales do novv in the 31. yeare of the raign of Queen ELIZABETH call heauen and earth to vvitnes that they are vveary of their dumb ministers nonresidents Lord Bishops c. and that they desire to be vvatered by the devve of Christs holy Gospell and to be compassed about vvith that beautifull vvall of his holy gouernment Be it then granted that the Lord in anger tovvards our sins doth not account vs novv liuing vvorthy to be inuited by hir right excellent Maiesty
of God Men most willing to bring that worke to passe cannot doe it but there is no difficultie in the worlde for the parliament of England to manifest that although they cannot go so far in promoting the Gospell as they would wishe yet that they will not at any hand maintaine by lawe any thing which may hinder the course thereof Wel let as manye as are parliament men looke vnto this as sure as the Lord liueth they shall answere one day before him who is the judge of quicke and dead and giue a reason why they would not consent to root out sinne and the breach of gods law out of this common wealth Do they seek the innovation of the state who desire that no lawe or statute may be in force which vpholdeth the transgressing of Gods holy institution Or may they be accounted dangerous subjects vnto their prince who cannot abide that any treson against God should be countenanced Well this branche of the suite is such as the Tridentine conspiracie would blush to profes the rejecting therof What then may be thought of the high court of parliament if it cannot be there granted The second meanes for you to redresse the estate of Wales must bee this you must place as many godly learned men as can be found to call the people and see them prouided for But here great aduice is to be taken where and howe they be placed First then you are to looke out the places that are fittest by all likelihood to receiue the word and vnto those to haue the speciallest regard For seeing you are not able at once to furnish the whole countrie with able men you must first haue regard of that part of the haruist which is most readie for the mowers This respect we see the spirite of God to haue had Act. 16.7 Where the spirit woulde not suffer Paule to go to Bythinia but rather tooke his iourney to Macedonia where by reuelation verse 9.10 hee was assured that there was preparation made for the receyuing of the gospell Concerning the other point the ministers that shal be sent must not be scattered asunder one here and another there in the countrie neither sent one by one but many must be sent together placed so nere one another as may be And so the ministers hauing aedification and comfort one by another shall neither decay in their gifts nor be discouraged and the people by this meanes shal be sure to be thorowly called If the complaint be made for want of sufficient men and sufficient stay for their liuings For the men take al those whome the Lorde hath made fit for this worke and he can require no more at your hands vntill he rayse vp more which if he neuer do your good endeuours and encouragement vnto students and others not being wanting to bring this to passe he cannot in justice punish you though your people be not taught Because you haue sene all those well bestowed whō he quallified for the calling and so doe now expect a blessing from him vpon your labours that you might send more The subterfuge will be but the coat of a net to aske as cōmonly your prelats do how there should be possibly founde as many learned men as wales requireth seeing they who are found are not placed there And do you deale well with the Lorde that because all cannot be brought at once to serue him as he willeth therfore they that may shall not The same is to bee sayd of the ministers liuings Remoue the dumb ministers nonresidents L. Bb. if you will not do this you go besides the word of God and so there is no direction for you and there will be more liuings void able to maintain godly ministers thē shal be I fear me good men found to supply their places And verely I maruail what men perswade themselues the Lord to be whereas they thinke he can be satisfied with such sielie shifts Is it not a strange matter to find Church liuings in wales for L. Bb. nonresidents and dumbe ministers to sinne against God and starue soules withall and deny any to be there for godly ministers to honor God and worke the saluation of his people The children must starue for want of bread because the dogs before their eies must be fed therwith Good reason yea but the remouing of those men would be likely to set the land on fire Marke how subtill the deuill is in the maintenaunce of his kingdome When godly ministers are depriued because they will not linke themselues with wicked Bb. to betray the kingdome of Christe ouerthrow the lawes of this land there is no inconuenience feared But if Satans messengers be once shoued at behold the land will not be able to bear this losse I grant indeed that men which make no conscience for gaine sake to breake the law of the aeternall and massaker soules as these do are dangerous subjects and not to be trusted any farther then they are fed The most of them are vnsauerye salte such as haue hitherto liued vpon sacriledge and the spoil of soules Order might be taken notwithstanding by the magistrate that these and their families should neyther want thinges necessarie for their outwarde estate nor yet be maintayned in idlenes For the people the stay for them is eyther in regarde of publike meetings on the Sabboth or the sacraments mariage or buriall For the keeping of the Sabboth the worde requireth they should if possiblie they can resort where preaching is vntill good ministers be placed in euery parish if the places be far as commonly our parishes be verye large and it is not likely in short time to plant preachers so neere together as the people may euery Saboth resort vnto them they must be enjoyned to meete together in their parish churches some discreet man among them selues to read the worde and vse some forme of prayers as shal be thought meetest by the aduise of the godly learned Concerning the sacramēts the word requireth they should resort vnto a preching minister for them and not attempt to keep their children vnbaptized any longer then they must of necessitie Mariage is most conveniently to be don by the minister but is no proper essentiall worke of the minister and therefore may be solemnized by others at the magistrats appointment Concerning burial it is a worke of christian charitie and being the last duetie that we are to performe towards the departed we ought to accompany them decently and orderly with all comlines to the graue The word mentioneth or includeth noe forme of prayer vsed at buriall therefore they are superfluous neyther is the minister as in an action belonging to his office to haue any more to doe herein then any other of the brethren Thus I haue set downe vnto your Hh. the only course in regarde of substance that the worde warranteth to be taken in such a deformed estate as ours is And nowe my Ll. and the rest of this
honorable assembly let my counsell be acceptable vnto you breake of your sinnes by rooting out these plants which the Lorde neuer planted in his vineyarde and your iniquities by abandoning the same so much as in you lieth so there may be a healing of your former ouersight If not the Lords face will be against you yours and the wholland for euil not for good Oh my Lords is it not a miserable case that men should so liue vnder your gouerment in this life as they cannot possibly but liue in hel in the life to come Oh my Ll. heauen cannot be obtayned whē we are gon Oh my Ll. now is the time for the gospell to florish in Wales or neuer Oh my Ll. if her Maiestie and your honors whome from my verye heart I wish the Lorde to blesse should be gone the way of all the world for mine owne part the staffe of mine hope to see any good done amongst my brethren should be broken Blame me not therefore if I deale earnestly in a cause of so great a moment and so vnlikely to be obtayned of our wofull posterities whom my suit in a most neere sort concerneth Oh why should they haue cause to say the Lord be judge between vs and the gouernours which were vnder Queene Elizabeth in the dayes of our fathers for they might haue opened our eyes and healed our woundes which now alasse are desperat and past recouery It is now full 30. yeares and vpward since Babylon hath bin ouerthrowne in Wales rather by the voice of her maiesties good laws whom good Lord forget not for this worke then the sounde of any trumpet from the mouthes of the sonnes of Aaron among vs. But alasse what shall we and our posterities be the better for this if Sion bee not built And what comfort can Zerubbabel or Nehemiah haue to bring them out of Babylon if they meane but to reaedifie Shilo seeing it is the beautie of Sion wherein the Lorde delighteth We haue cause in deed to thanke God that this wicked citie hath beene by her Maiestie broken downe in some sort but are neuer the better seeing the walles of Sion lie euen with the grounde Nowe for the space of 28. yeares no man greatly laboured to her Majestie the parliament or the people themselues eyther by speaking or writing in the behalfe of eyther of these vnreconcilable cities Men belike thinking no more to be required at their hands then the razing of Babel and the diuel as yet contenting himselfe with Bethel The last parliament by al liklihod the very same week vpon a sodaine the interprises of the building of both in 2. seueral books issuing from 2. of the remotest corners in our lands Southwales and Northwales was taken in hand The one of the books pleading the cause of Sion cōminig forth by publike authority and alowance was directed vnto her Maiestie and the parliament requiring at their hands by vertue of the lords own mandatory letters the performance of this work shewing by euidence of greatest antiquitye this to be required of duty at their hands as a part of the homadge due vnto his highnes whose foedaries and vassales all the princes and states vnder heauen must acknowledg themselues to be and a portion of that inheritance being theirs by lineall dissent from their predecessors the godly kings and rulers who time out of minde alwaies laid their shoulders vnto this burthen y druch Christiano-gawl The other written in weltch printed in an obscure caue in Northwales published by an author vnknowne more vnlerned for I think he had neuer read any thing but the common published resolution of R. P. a booke contayning many substantiall errors Fryer Rush and other shamful fables stood to by non and hauing no reason to shew why his Babilon should be raedefied it contained it self within the hands of a fewe priuate men and neuer durst to this houre be made knowne vnto any of our magestrats Both the books in this thing had the same successe in that both together they fel into the hands of the prelats who as they pretend are enemies vnto both places but vndoubtedly vnto Sion especially as it apeared by their hard dealing with the patrone of that cause This is spoken in respect of the church gouernment whereas the fautors of the other being also in their handes were either not at al delt with or very curteously entertained of them The reason of their enemity vnto both but their hatred vnto Siō is that neuer I feare me meaning to go thether and constrained by lawe to be enemies vnto the other they haue of the gold of Caldea and the drosse of Ierusalem compacted them a citty wherewith they meane to content them selues vntil they returne to Babel again or the Lord be merciful vnto thē vnto a worse place Haue they not therfore good cause to be the more beholding to the on for the gold then the other for the drosse Wel be you asured hereof that they who stirred vp both these instruments both at one time will neuer suffer them to cease vntil in Wales either a church of Christ or a sinagogue of sathan be built Out of question the concurring of both causes sheweth that the lord hath som secret work in the matter Sathans instruments for their parts were neuer busier then they are at this houre and shal I be silent They trecherously against the lawes of God and this land seek to bring the people again vnto Egipt I according vnto both endeuour neuer to let them rest vntil it please the Lord by meanes of her Maiesty and the parlament to bring them within the land of promise no though they were vppon mount Nebo whence with their eies they might view the same They haue delt and deal secretly with poor soules in dark corners and dare not make knowne the fabulous cause I haue delt al this while in the face of the sun and nowe before the state of the land assembled together I-want not a good cause and by the grace of god it shal neuer want the poore defence which I cann yeld vnto it or hide the face as long as I liue whether you countenance it or no I know that on day it shal preuail when this wil be the Lord knoweth best but the matter is whether you wil embrace Christ in the building of his Church or Sathan in continuing the breaches thereof Therfore entertaine this cause you giue Sathan the foile reject this and you strengthen him And try if you deny it the hearing whether the very papists in this land wil not be thereby encoraged to supplicate vnto the parliament that you would graunt them the liberty of their seared consciences to commit publike idolatry Al that hitherto I haue spoken hath ben said either in the cause of Christ which is a good cause or in the behalfe of Sathan If I seeke the building of his sinagog wil you let me liue If of the
as being the highest councel in the land in this cause I apeale debarred of my liberty before my cause according vnto the word be ouerthrowne The injury which I sustained the last parliament being a suitor in this cause enforceth me to craue this at your hands which otherwise I should haue perswaded my selfe to be a needles suit For wheras the auncient priueledges and liberties of this house do giue leaue during the parliament vnto any that are suitors thereunto quietly to follow their suits without feare of any arrest and being arrested do presently deliuer and set them free I was not suffred to enioy any the former liberties But contrary vnto all religion law equity and conscience to the great derogatiō of the liberties of this noble court was committed close prisoner by some who abused the high commission their dealing might haue appeared more tollerable lesse derogatorious vnto your Hh. worships if they had shewed any cause of mine imprisonmēt their abused authority only excepted which vnto this day is altogether vnknowne vnto me I know that the infirmities and wants of men who deale in good causes are commonly beaten vppon the back of the cause they handle Therefore the Lord knoweth how careful I haue bin to keepe it vnspotted and my selfe out of all vnnecessary danger Setting downe nothing before I had considered what might insue ether in regard of the matter or manner of deliuery But why did I publish a matter of such waight before I aquainted the parliament therewith Whie it is published to the ende that the parliament may bee acquainted with the suite which could not be done by priuate writing And it is but an vngodly shifte of those that woulde smother the trueth to pretend it to be against the law to moue the parliamēt in any suit that is printed As thogh the suits of men vnto that high courte were parliament statutes In deede if the parliament had enacted the remoouing out of Wales all L. Bb. dumb ministers c. Then were it an intollerable part for any to publishe their actes but by their appointment Graunt you the petition and the cauill of committing it to the presse will easily be answered If you do not meane to yeeld vnto the suite neither woulde you haue done it being mooued therevnto by priuate writing The cause I make knowne to the end it may be granted and herein let not my life be precious vnto me vpon the necessitie of the publishing hereof I stande because that the worlde may see when you redresse these things that you did nothing that you durst leaue vndone vnles you would bring swift destruction vpon your selues and the whole lande But what follie is it to thinke that such great matters wil be reformed in our dayes Rather what injurie doe they vnto the whole state who thinke that they wil any longer tollerate the breach of Gods law And in this point let the good opinion that they who alledge such pretences conceiue be wayed with my dutiful perswasions of this honorable assembly and both causes judged accordingly For mine owne part I think the majestie of the cause to be such as they who are the Lordes dare not but entertaine it and tremble to thinke that all this while it hath beene so carelesly attended vpon And it is in the behalfe thereof that I haue presumed to deale with you who otherwise durst not haue suffered my voyce to be hearde in the ears of the princes of my people Let what I haue written bee examined yea by mine aduersaries themselues if I haue any and it shal appeare that I haue made a conscience howe I haue delt with my superiors especially those concerning whom it is said you are Gods lest I should seem to leaue behinde me the least print of a minde in any sort tending to defame them or their gouernement As I haue bene carefull hereof so let the Lorde yea and no otherwise which I speak as far as my corruptions will permit grant this cause and my selfe also if it be his will fauour in your eyes In deed in regarde of the cause I come Mandatorie wise vnto this honorable assembly but in regard of my selfe I come in feare and trembling as vnto the Lords vicegerents entreating most humbly that the dignitie of so high a cause be thoght off nothing the more dishonorably because it is brought in my hands And I protest in respect of my sinnes that the Lorde may justly denie it the fauour it deserueth in your eyes because I am a dealer therein But this should be no reason why the parliament should giue it a repulse For in the eyes and eares of al the world I make it knowne that it is the cause of the liuing god wherin I deal And that if it had beene possible for me to haue written more humblye and dutifully I had done it Or if I had seene anye waye that might haue bene likelier to preuaile wirh my superiors then this I take the Lorde to witnesse vnto my soule that I woulde not haue vsed this course And I would to God I could tel how to make the cause plawsible So farre I am from setting downe any thing that might cary with it any shewe of occasion to hinder and disgrace the same Well I haue don my endeuour the successe I expect at the Lords hands vnto whome I commend the cause and the saluation of that poore people The sword of iustice reached vnto you by the Lord himselfe to take punishment onely of him that is an euil doer I fear not because I haue not offended If it should be drawne against me for this action the president would be such as they who ment herafter to prophesie vnto you might be aduisedly counseled not to prophesie and the Lord as a token of your iust destruction to ensue would say they shal not prophesie nor take shame If I haue spoken any vntruth beare witnes thereof if a trueth I dare stand to it by the Lords assistance and demand what he is that will presume to obiect and throw him selfe vnto the vengance of God by punnishing me an innocente It is a common manner with some in these dayes to threaten those who deale in this cause nowe in hand but they are to know that it is not so easie a matter to spil their bloud whose daies are numbered with the Lord. The Lord may I confesse with griefe in regard of my other sinnes bringe mine head to the graue with bloud but in this case what haue I offended And therfore vndouted woe wil betide him that shall molest me for this worke Howe soeuer it be thus I haue performed a duty towards the Lord his church my country you of this high court which I wold doe if it were to be done againe though I were assured to endanger my life thereby And be it knowne that in this case I am not afraid of earth If I perish I perish My comforte is that I knowe whither to go in that day wherein the secrets of all hearts shal be manifested the sincerity also of my cause shal apeare It is inough for me howsoeuer I be miserable in regard of my sinnes that yet vnto Christ I both liue and die and purpose by his grace if my life should be prolonged to liue hereafter not vnto my selfe but vnto him and his church otherwise then hitherto I haue don The Lord is able to raise vp those that are of puerer hands and lipps then I am to write and speak in the cause of his honor in Wales And the Lord make them whosoeuer they shal be neuer to be wanting vnto so good a cause the which because it may be the Lords pleasure that I shal leaue them behind me in the world I earnestly and vehemently commend vnto them as by this my last wil testament And haue you R. honourable worshipful of this parlirment poore Wales in remembraunce that the blessing of many a saued soule therein may follow her Maiestie your Hh. and worships overtake you light vppon you and stick vnto you for euer The eternal God giue hir Maiesty you the honor of building his church in Wales multiply the daies of hir peace ouer vs blesse her and you so in this life that in the life to come the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen may be her and your portion So be it good Lord. By him that hath bound him selfe continually to pray for your Hh. and worships IOHN PENRI