and in vvhose eyes the glory of God is not esteemed and yet the Lord knovveth I hate them no farther then they are Gods enemies Their fauor I desire not as long as they continue to be the aduersaries of the Church If they vvould yeeld peace vnto it I vvould be soon brought to lay dovvn my complaints against thē Concerning you my deare countrimen vvhom God of his infinit goodnes and mercy hath translated out of the kingdome of darknes vnto the blessed possession of the heauenly Ierusalem I beseech you very earnestly that you vvould be carefull to walk vvorthy the Gospel of christ Be carefull hereof vvhether your abode be in England or in VVales and at any hand endeuor to liue vvhere you may enioy the meanes of the vvord And be carefull to haue the Lord purely vvorshipped in your families Take heed of the profanenes vvhereby the most novve liuing are dravvn to contemne Gods iudgements against their sinnes The time vvil come wherin it shal be made known that your hope vvas not in vaine Labor diligently as far as your callings vvill suffer you to be a means to conuay that treasure vnto your country vvhereof you your selues haue bin made partakers Particularly let me here put you in minde R. honourable and vvorshipfull vvho of my countrye are in this Parliament to acquaint this honorable court vvith the miseries of our country and to be earnest for a redresse And you my brethren vvho hauing fit gifts and are employed in the ministery either in your ovvn countrie or in England forget not I pray you to be remembrancers of Sion giue the Lord no rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake foorth as the light and the saluation thereof as a burning lampe J vvould to God that I might ioyne vvith you and you vvith me in some endeuor vvhereby the means of saluation might be had in our natiue countrie it is my harty desire The God of peace who hath called vs to his eternall glory by Christ Iesus make vs perfect confirme strengthen and stablish vs to the ende Amen 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 Anno 1588. THe aeternall God before whom I nowe stand and shall stande in that day eyther to be acquited or condemned knoweth that the pitifull miserable estate of my pitifull and miserable countreimen the inhabitants of Wales doe inforce me in most dutifull and humble maner at this time both to lay open before your eyes whoe by the prouidence of God are now to be assembled togither in this highe court of parlament the wantes and deformities of the seruice of god in wales my deere natiue country and also to intreat with the like submission that the same by your wisdomes may be speedely redressed The Lords holy seruice amonge that people hath many corruptions and more wants Their case in regarde therof is very pitifull Few or none there be who are thorowly touched to haue compassion thereof The means of redresse is in the hands of this assembly who are met together to the end that al the subiects of this kingdome may with fredome and liberty acquaint them with their suits and Petitions for the promotinge of Gods glory and the good of their cuntry And therfore in that I make known vnto this high court the greefes of my country desire the redresse thereof therin I neither intreat any thing which lieth not in your power to grant nor craue that wherin the case being neglected by others I may not lawfully be a suter The reason that mooueth me thereunto is the discharge of my duty towards the Lord my God towards his Church towatdes my natiue country and towards you of this honorable assemblie which coulde not stand with my silence nowe in this suit Concerning the Lorde because I am a pore wretched sinner vpon whom he hath shewed great mercies in pardoning my great offences often committed against his maiestie I haue by his grace taken a bonde of my selfe to seeke the promoting of his honor by al means possible and in the seeking thereof to vtter the truth as far as my calling wil permit without respect of person time place estate or conditiō of life whatsoeuer and so to become an vtter enemie vnto all these corruptions by what authoritie or person soeuer they be maintained whereby his holy seruice is hindred And therfore you of this honorable assembly are not to maruel that I both seeke the ouerthrow of these corruptions in Wales whereof a non I wil speak more at larg wherby the Lords holy and sacred ministery is shamefully polluted and his seruice with the saluation of his people greatly withstood and also lay vppon you whose authority good name credit estimation and high place I ought and by the grace of god wil defend against al the detractors therof euē with the losse of my life when it shal be needful the staine and discredit of denying gods heauenly truth the passage joyned with the continuance of the lamentable miserie of soules and the defence of monstrous impietie euē in gods own house vnles you yeeld vnto the suit whervnto at this present you are entreated to be fauorable As for the Church of God into which I haue bin begotten thorowe the word preched by means of my abode in Englande in these peaceable dayes of her highnes I haue wholly dedicated my selfe to seeke the flowrishing estate thereof by labouring to beutifie the same both in the plucking vp by the rootes of these filthie Italian weedes wherwith it is nowe miserably deformed and planting therein whatsoeuer might be for the comlines of Gods orchard in respect of my poore countrey because it pleased the Lord of life that therin I first sawe the light of the sunne and haue been by my parents there liuing brought vp in both the vniuersities of this land to the end if euer the Lord enabled me I should procure the good of my natiue countrymen I haue vowed my selfe dutifully to benefite them al the waies I may And in doing them good I purpose not to respect mine own quietnes yea or life where my death can win them the gospel And wherein shal I stand my deare cuntrimen in any steed if not by speaking in their behalf then when their wantes are most pitiful they not able or not willing to make knowne their miserie if not in blessing their deaf ears in remouing the stumblinge blocke from before the eies of the blinde if not in labouringe to bring them to heauen who of their owne natures should liue eternally in a worse place to their woe Their misery at this day consisting partly in the great ignorance of God wherein they liue partly in those corruptions and vnlawful callings where by the Church generally within her maiesties dominions is pestered I am
state men for tything Minte and Cummin whereas in the meane time they are not ashamed no not to withstande the consultation purposing to bring that to passe which the wisdome of God himselfe Iesus Christ hath pronounced to be worthy the whole world euen the sauing health of men Wel the day will come how soone he alone knoweth in whose handes are the keyes of all knowledge wherein it shall appeare by wofull experience that too late what an heauie reckoning will bee made with such Parliament men And take you heed that are of this assembly now at the length after so many warnings lest you be found in their number who make light account of the cause of the Gospell offered vnto them and who thinke the matter of mens saluation to be nothing else but a conceit wherewith the immaginations of melanchollicke heads are vsually troubled The cause one day shal be found worth the consideration howsoeuer men now thinke that they may without dammage securely contemne the same And I woulde humbly intreate this high courte more seriously to consider thereof The suite is that Gods honour may be truely yeelded vnto him by the subiectes of this kingdome and that their soules may be saued in the daye of Iesus Christ such a suit as a greater cannot be consulted of amongst the sonnes of men And will not the wisest and greatest assembly in the land take order that this may be harkened vnto Wil they not consult of a waye how men may come vnto the means whereby they may be saued To what end else my Lordes should you be assembled together if this cause be not handled in your meetings A Parliament gathered together in England in the dayes of the Gospell vnder Queene ELIZABETH and the cause of Gods honor the felicitie of the subiectes neuer thought vpon neuer accounted worthy the consultation Such a state and such a gouernment may flowrish and continue in peace for a time but vndoubtedly the destruction therof is decreed with the Lord the execution of which decree shal not be ouerlong deferred without speedie repentance Can there be a meeting of all states in the lande to consult in Parliament what may be most behoffull for the promoting of Gods glorye and the good of the common welth and yet no care had how the aeternal miserie of a whole nation euen almost the fourth part of the kingdome may be preuented What is this else but to dally with Gods honour and to delude his people of their saluation When especially after so many Parliaments in a kingdome freely professing the Gospell for the space of 30. yeares in the fourth part of the kingdome there shal be founde such grosse ignorance as no region vnder heauen coulde at anye time yeelde the like president so long after the bannishing of idolatrie I doe not solace my self in considering the miserie of my natiue cuntrimen neither do I thinke thereof at all vnlesse it be to bewaile their estate and to consider how it may be redressed This I may say of them without offence that they neuer as yet for the most part enjoyed the preaching of the Gospell since they wer professed idolators vnder poperie Now what felicitie concerning spirituall things a profession without the Gospell preached can haue the same they may enjoye I denie not But what will be the end of such a profession verely euen this After a few dayes miserably spent in this life such professors shal be sure for any thing that is otherwise reuealed to liue in hell for euermore Will it then profit them at all to haue liued in a kingdome professing true religion though they haue gayned the whol world therein seeing they are sure to lose their owne soules because in this life they haue wanted the preaching of the Gospell And if this that I haue set downe be not sufficient to expresse their miserie and to mooue you to consider of them I know not what may be accounted miserable or what may procure compassion Or if this will not mooue you to graunt them the preaching of the Gospell then shal you leaue vnto posterities but a small testimonie of your religious hearts and loue to the Lords sanctuarie Is there not an heauen my Lordes after this life for men to goe vnto Is it possible that they shall ordinarily go thither who neuer enjoyed the preaching of the Gospell Or can our people in Wales looke for extraordinarie saluation And will not you see that they be no longer destitute of this meanes whereby they may walk in the statutes of life and not die Is this peticion that God may be truly honored and the soules of men saued hurtful to the state dangerous to her Maiesties ctowne and dignitie and contrary vnto hir affection cannot this state stand if God should be truly honored and that people trained in the waies of godlines Cannot her Maiesties crowne and dignitie stand if these thinges be enacted in Parliament And must shee needs be vndutifully gainsaid when the honor of her God the blessednesse of her people are pleaded for Whosoeuer haue do or will slaunder their soueraigne and the whole state in this vile and vndutifull sort it is pitie they were not seuerely punished Againe my LL. is that a religious assembly Is that an assemblie wherein trueth pietie the honor of God and the aeternall happinesse of men shal beare any sway where this petition can not be granted Which desireth nothing els but that whiche may be enacted without the great hurt of any which ought to be graunted whatsoeuer in the judgment of fleshly wise men might seeme to ensue thereof They will neuer therefore in the sight of God and his Churche escape the ignominie and staine of irreligious and profane men whose eyes will not be mooued with compassion at the estate of our people and defects of Gods seruice among them Nowe if I be thought to haue reported any vntrueth concerning their estate let me be brought face to face for the triall hereof with those vnto whom the care I should say the spoile of the Church there is committed and being conuinced to haue vttered any vntrueth let me haue no fauour but dye the death before you of this honourable assemblye and my blood be vpon my owne heade for impeaching the credite of the rulers of my people and their gouernement vndutifully by publike writing whose estimation I know it to be vnlawfull for me euen in thought once to violate I doe here therefore before your Hh. offer to prooue more at large that the most congregations in Wales want the very especiall outwarde markes of a Church and so the meanes of saluation by the worde preached and the comfort of fayth by the right administration of the Sacraments I also offer to prooue that your Hh. without your speedie repentaunce shal be reckoned with because that in this point you haue plowed but iniquitie and sowed wickednes and so as Iob sayth Iob. 4.8 you
shall reape the same Beleeue them not who tell you that all is well within Wales that they are a sort of clamorous and vndiscreet men who affirme the contrary Beleue them not who tell you that it belongeth not vnto your duties to be carefull of the estate of the Church and that the Lorde requireth no more at your hands but the mayntenance of outwarde peace As though men committed to your gouernement were but droues of bruite beastes onely to be foddered Ie. 17.13.14 and kept from external invasions and inroods Giue eare rather vnto the words of the Prophet who with a loude voyce crieth vnto you Why will you die you your families people by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence And why will you be damned I may alude without injurie vnto the word as the Lord hath spoken against all those gouernours that wil not see their people prouided a Ezra 7.17.23 psa 2.10 101. 2. chr 29 10. 30.9 34.27 ex 20.10 gen 18.19 2. chr 15.12.13 17.7 for of the meanes of saluation Therefore heare not the words of the prophets who tell you that you shall neyther see sword nor famine though you be still as careles of your people as hitherto you haue bene Looke the punnishments both of flattering prophetes and of those that are deceiued by their flatterie Ierem. 14.15 Heare them not I say but obeye the Lord in the execution of that dutie which he exacteth at your hands by calling your people to the knowledge of his sonne that you may liue For why should this lande be made desolate for this your carelesnes Ierem. 27.17 They prophesie vanitie and lies vnto you which saye peace peace while you dispise the Lorde and walke in this secure course or else Ieremiah is deceiued If they be prophets and if the word of the Lord be in their mouths let them intreat her Maiestie you of this parliament that the misery of helples Wales may at this time of your meeting be considered off and redressed Thus I haue set downe some part of the wants â—n the seruice of God in Wales and some part of â—hat miserie wherein my countrie is bewrapped â—nd which you are bound vnto the Lord but by â—â—e most humbly entreated to redresse And this â—s the cause wherein if you deale not you betray â—he honor of God betraye his trueth betraye the â—eligion which you professe and betraye her Maâ—estie and the whole kingdome vnto the reuenâ—ing hand of God For without controuersie the continuance of our ignorance and the defectes of Gods seruice will one day and that shortly I feare me bring the Lord in fearefull and consuming judgementes to take punnishment of you your wiues children families and the wholland because in your states consultation his honor and the blood of mens souls were not regarded But this is neyther all the miserie of the inhabitants of Wales neythet is this all that the Lorde requireth to be amended by this Parliament vnder paine of his heauie wrath In the seconde place then we are to consider the corruptions tollerated by the positiue lawes of this land and countenanced by the authority of this high court of Parliament in the seruice of God within Wales Whereby no small dishonor redoundeth vnto the Maiestie of God and wherein no small part of the spirituall miserie of that people doth consist For the remouing of which corruptions it behoueth the Parliament with speede to be very carefull euen before such time as the Lord calleth the land to an account for the wicked constitutions therein maintayned Here therefore I affirme vnlesse without delay you labour to cleanse the Churche vnder your gouernement in Wales of all L. Bb. dumbe ministers nonresidents archdeacons commissaries and all other romish officers offices there tollerated and so tollerated as by the consent authoritie of the Parliament they are mainteyned that you are both in this life and the life to come likely to be subiecte vnto the intollerable masse of Gods wrath the execution whereof is not vnlikely to fall vpon you and your houses vnlesse you preuent the fiercenes of the Lordes indignaâ—â—â—â— If Moses by a positiue lawe should haue allowed the offring of strange fire by Nadab and Abihu tollerated the ministery of blemished a Leu. 20.18 23. deformed Leuites ennacted that one not being of the line of Aaron might presse before the Altar b Num. 16.10.18.7 to offer the bread of his God if Dauid had made it lawfull for Vzzah to lay his hand vpon the Arke if Iosiah or any other the godly rulers had either giuen leaue to the cursed shepheardes in their dayes to place others in their stead to take c Ezek. 44.9 the ouersight of the Sanctuary Or permitted a consecrated priest to be a ciuill gouernour briefely had established any thing in the Churche gouerment prescribed by Moses contrary to the commandement had they not bene in danger of the Lords wrath They had without controuersie And shall you of the high court of Parliament be dispenced with being guilty except you labor to remoue the dumbe ministery nonresidence with the vsurped and Antichristian seats of L. Bb. c. of tollerating establishing greater sinnes among your people in Wales in steed of the gouernment prescribed by Iesus Christ assure your selues no. I do therefore in this point also for the discharge of my dutie and conscience towardes the Lord his Church my countrie and the whol estate of this kingdom taking my life in my hand â—estifying vnto you before the Maiestie of God â—nd before his church that our dumbe ministers â—hat the callings of our L. Bb. archdea commiss with al other remnants of the sacriledge brought â—nto the Churche by that Romishe strumpet and now remaining in Wales are intollerable before the Lorde and that it is not likely 〈◊〉 â—uer you tollerating these thinges any longer shall escape Gods fierie wrath The trueth hereof I do briefly make knowne by the reasons following and offer to prooue them more at large euen vpon the peril of my life against our 4. L. Bb. all their chaplains retainers fauorers and wel willers whether in eyther of the two vniuersities of this lande or in any place els whatsoeuer These things I offer to prooue against M. D. Bridges who lately in a large volume hath vndertaken their defence In which booke of his he hath offered her Maiestie the Parliament most vndutifull injurie by going about for the maintenance of his owne belly the belies of the rest of his coat to allien at the hears of the loyallest subiects in the lande from their most carefull prince and gouernours As though her Maiestie and this honourable court ment to turne the edge of the sword against theÌ„ who indeed deserue not to be threatned with the scabbord Compare pag. 448. of D Bridges his booke with Bellarmine cap. 10. li. 5. cont 3. and you shall finde
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
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
church of Christ wil you deny me your help which yet againe and againe in the name of the eternal God I require for the precious deth passions sake of Iesus Christ I earnestly desire at your handes My Ll. and whosoeuer are parlament men as you would haue the Lord to entertaine your souls in the life to come as you would haue him shewe you any mercy as you loue her Maiesty and her life as you would haue the continuance of her peaceable raign over vs which the Lord vndoutedly threatneth to shorten because he woulde bring destruction vpon you and vs al for the contempt of his truth as you would not haue your names razed from vnder heauen as you would not haue the Lord to bring vpon vs and our land the Spanish Italian Romish or Guisian forces as you would not haue these who shal liue to see the desolation and desperat sorrow which the Lord is likely to bring vpon this land not abide to see you or your childrē ride or go in the strets as you would not haue the most contemtible to stretch forth his hand vpon the derest things you posses and offer violence vnto the frute of your bodies So entertaine this cause grant this suite and be careful of the Lords true seruice in wales Otherwise the vengeance of God I feare me will neuer leaue you and your posterities as long as there is a man of your houses left vnder heauen Ezekiel in deed is not nowe liuing to put you in mind of the necessity of redressing the things amis by laying open the corruptions of all estates vnder your gouernment as he doth cap. 22. of his prophesie His words I wil set downe that you may wey our estate with the time wherin the prophet liued and see whether the Lorde wil spare you vs if we stil prouoke him to smite There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the middest thereof saith the prophet like a roring lyon rauening the pray they haue deuoured soules they haue taken the riches and the precious thinges they haue made her many widdows in the middest thereof her priests haue broken my law and haue defiled my holy things they haue put no difference betweene the holy profane neither discerned between the vncleane and the cleane and haue hid their eies from my sabboth and I am profaned among them Her princes in the middest thereof are like wolues rauening the pray to shed blood and to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre And her prophets haue daubed her with vntempered morter seeing vanities and deuininge lyes vnto them sayihg thus saith the Lord Iehouah when Iehouah had not spoken The people of the land haue violently oppressed by robbing and spoiling and haue vexed the poor and needy yea they haue opressed the stranger against right Thus far Ezechiel Be the sinns of our prophets of our princes and of our people the same that here he speketh against be they greater or be the lesse yet without controuersie if the Lord may say I haue sought for a man in the parliament of England that should make vp the hedge stand in the gapp before me for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none then woe be vnto vs for that shal follow which is set downe in the prophete Therefore haue I powred out mine indignation vppon them and consumed them with the fier of my wrath their own waies haue I rendered vpon their heads saith the Lord Iehouah And vnlesse there were just cause to thinke that this Lorde had either already or shortly ment to pronounce this sentence against vs we might cōtemne and scorn at the broken assalts of the Spaniards or any other the enemies of the Gospel and her Maiesties whosoeuer But as long as we giue not the right hand to the Lord by entering into his sanctuarye we haue just cause to feare a nation that is no nation much more a people in number as the sand which is by the seashore Our leagues and most stable couenants with the enemies the Lord will soone disanul standing thus at the staffes end with his Maiestie as we doe Let it not be sayd in this pIace that the Lord would not haue so wonderfully wrought our late deliueraunce out of the hand of the Spaniarde if he ment at al to haue called the land to reckoning for the great ignorance and wicked ecclesiasticall constitutions which are truly sayd to be maintained therein For this both Moses and Saloman Deut. 29.18.49.20 note to be the man of all those that shall not prolong their dayes Moses warneth al states in any case to take heed that there should not be among them man woman family nor tribe which should turne his hart away from the Lord God so that when he heareth the wordes of the curse he blesse him selfe in his hart saying I shall haue peace though I walked after the stubbornenes of mine owne hart thus adding drunkennes vnto thirst For saith he the Lord wil not be mercifull vnto that man but then the wrath of the Lorde shall smoke against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shal light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen the Lord shal seperate him vnto euil according vnto all the curses that is writen in the booke of the lawe Eccles 8.11.13 And Soloman knowing the corruptions of men to be such as their harts are fully set in them to doe euil because sentence against their euil works is not spedely executed openly testifieth that although a sinner doe euill an hundreth times the Lord prolong his days yet it shal only be well with them that feare the Lord and do reuerence before him But it shall not be wel with the wicked saith he for he shal be like a shadow because he feareth not before God And therefore although at this time the Lords anger hath not visited nor caled the sinnes of our land to account with gret extremity by the hand of the Spanyard yet let vs be assured that it shall not goe wel with vs vnlesse you of the high court of parliament shew that you feare your God and doe reuerence before him in purging out of his holy seruice what soeuer is superfluous therein and in adding whatsoeuer is wanting therevnto The Lord by that deliuerance gaue vs warning that he passed by vs but so as vnlesse the corruptions of his seruice be clean don away with speed by her Maiesty and the parliament meaneth to passe by vs no more but to suffer his whol displeasure to fall vppon vs at his next comming And in deed as often as I consider our late defence from the Spanish invasion together with our deserts I am induced to think that the Lord then was affected towards vs as somtimes he was towards Israel his owne people concerning whom he speaketh Deut. 32.26 I haue sayd I would scatter them abrod I wold
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
lavvgiuer in his Church vvho hath protested that he vvil not abide to impart the glory thereof vnto any other And vvhom should they then feare in this suite The Lorde hath promised that none vvho trust in him shall perish Psal 34.22 And he hath promised that although the vvicked vvatch to slay the righteous yet he vvill not leaue him in his hand psal 37.32 Yea he hath promised to be vvith those that fear him vvhen they Esay 48.1.2 passe through the vvaters that they should not be ouerflovven and vvhen they vvalke thorough the fire that they should not be burnt VVherefore then shold they fear man whose breath is in his nostrels as long as they sincerely stand to the cause of their God Though they be but a fevv in nomber yet the Lord vvith legions of Angels standeth on their side to d scomfite all those that contende vvith him Oh J vvould that the vvords of the Lord spoken by Isaiah the Prophet vvere thoroughly vvritten in the hearts of as many in this honorable assembly as for the feare of man vvill be the hardliar dravvn throughly to stand to the cause of their God For thus comfortably the Prophet Chap. 51 of his prophesie speaketh vnto all those that vvith an vpright heart seeke the honor of the Lord. Heare me ye that follow after righteousnes and ye that seeke the Lord looke to the rocke whence you are hewen and to the hole of the pitt whence you are digged Consider Abraham your father and Sarah that bare you for I called him alone and blessed him and encreased him Hearken vnto me yee that know righteousnes and the people in whose hearts is my law fear ye not the reproch of men neither be you afraide of their rebukes I euen I am he that comfort you Who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the sonne of man which shal be made as grasse and forgettest the Lorde thy maker which hath spredd out the heuens layd the foundations of the earth c. Novv then vvhosoeuer they be that are timerous in the cause of God as alasse vvhat flesh and blood is not too too feareful here is a stedfast rocke for them to leane vnto here is a defender for them vnder the shadovv of vvhose vvings they might be bold to contemne vvhatsoeuer their aduersaries can bring against them Are they but a fevv in nomber let them looke vnto Abraham he vvas called alone and yet the Lord blessed him and encreased him Are they afrayd of the rebukes of man vvhy they seeke the righteous vvayes of the Lord and therefore he commandeth them not to feare Are they povverfull and mighty by vvhom the suit is d scountenaunced yea but notvvithstanding they are but mortall they shal be made as grasse and the time vvill come vvherein it shal be demanded VVhere are they novv that vvithstood the cause of God in the Parliament of England Js not their memory vvritten in vvater and their hope perished together vvith them To desire the free passage of the Gospell in this land together vvith the speedie remoouing of all that hindereth the same is to plead the cause of that God vvho hath controlled kings and great Monarches yea quite ouerthrovvne them their kingdomes for denying the free vse of his seruice vvithin their dominions Euen the cause of that God vvho hath not onely brideled the rage of tyrants entending the suppression of his trueth but also turned that vnto the great good of his Church vvhereby they sought to vvorke the ruine thereof Pharaoh Achitophel Senacherib Haman came to the graue vvith blood vvhen in the eyes of men the most of them vvere likeliest to preuayle and the cause of God and his children vnlikeliest to stand The Lord in this kingdom can do the like vvhen he thinketh good Ezra 4.7.8 5.3 Cap. 6.7 7.23 The accusations and slanders of Mithridath Tabeel Rehum Shimsai Shetherboznai vvith their companions did seeme likely once and againe to hinder the buylding of the holy citie but at the length it broght froÌ„ Darius a most sure strong commandement for the furtherance of the work clean contrary to the expectation of the enemie And vvho knovveth vvhether the Lord at this Parliament vvill not stir vp the spirits of the Sates and especially of her R. excellent Maiestie that they may say vnto the enemies of this cause as Darius did vnto the men aforenamed Therefore Tatnai captaine beyond the riuer Shetherboznai vvith their companions be ye far from them Suffer the vvorke of this house of God to go forvvard And a Ezra 7.23 vvhatsoeuer is by the commandement of the God of heauen let it be done speedely for the house of the God of heauen for vvhy should he be vvroth against the realm c. vvherfore beloued vvhosoeuer you be that at any time shal be imployed eyther as Parliament or othervvise in the sâ—tting forvvard of the cause of reformation stand manfully in defence of the truth the liberty of his Church The practises of the aduersaries I mean of our bishops shevv manifestly that these reliques of cursed Babylon vvhich they maintayne among vs must needs go avvay vvith a noyse as the rest vvas ouerthrovvne They vvill not yeelde to the trueth hovvsoeuer it hath gotten the vpper hande of them The Lord must vse violence to throvv them out as he did against the caterpillers their forefathers Reuel 18.19 They haue manifested hitherto hovv desperate and past recouery the cause vvhich they defend is become in that they haue denyed to yeelde a quiet and a brotherly conference or disputation vvith those vvho are contrary minded vnto them Jf J may but procure this vvith our BB. in VVales I vvill loose my life if they be not ouerthrovven vvhich I speake not vvithout the humble acknovvledgement of myne ovvne vveaknes And let me not be thought by any to deale too confidently for J deale in a sure and a confident cause vvhich is not timerously to be delt in but in the feare of God vvith all boldnes to be stood to and auouched And whensoeuer they or any of theirs shal but aduenture their places against my life they shall perceiue by the grace of God that there is strength in the cause which hitherto they haue withstood to their smal gaine Yea but I might haue dealt more sparingly against them It vvere pity in deed but J should intreat the high court of Parliament to heale the disease of my countrie but so notvvithstanding as they vvould suffer the cause of the griefe and misery thereof still to remaine The Parliament should be sued vnto for helpe against the disease and bane of the country of VVales but so as they vvould fauor the causes thereof And vvhat malladie is there J pray you in our Church vvhereof the dumbe ministers nonresidents our Lord BB. vvith the rest of that vngodly generation are not the cause J should spare them vvho spare not the Church
to consider so shal it be plaine and free without minishing or clipping any part of the trueth for the feare or fauor of any creature which it concerneth you to heare wherein I will vtter nothing but that which by the assistaunce of God I will seale with my blood if I shall be driuen therevnto The reason moouing me to so free and plaine a kind of writing as neither I dealing in the same cause nor yet any els before me haue vsed is not the Lord is my witnes because I would hereby arrogate vnto my selfe the prayse of a bolde rebuker of states great personages but it is first because I deale in that matter vpon the goodnes whereof I may presume to speak the whole truth of God especially writing vnto an assembly professing true religion Secondly because the suite is put vp vnto them who although they professe to seeke the honor of God yet haue heretofore altogether vndutifully refused to giue the hearing vnto any motion tending vnto the reformation of the religion which they pretend to fauor and professe Some of them thinking the cause at all not worthie to be delt in Others not altogether disliking the suite iudged notwithstanding the time wherein it was to be handled not to be as yet come Because they saw that the base and supplicatorie maner whereby it desired the hearing made al other causes comming with authority from men to be preferred before it The most who in deede sincerely fauoreth the cause haue thought it to be a gaineles matter to deale at all therein For as much as it is the generall voyce of all men that reformation cannot be taken in hand without the high and heauie displeasure of her Maiestie who to speake as I am perswaded being borne in hand by the vngodly perswasions of some godlesse and irreligious men of the Ecclesiastical state that the Church within her Maiesties dominions cannot be at a better stay then it is hath not without great reason bene hitherto the hard liar induced to haue the cause of religion againe dealt in which she is perswaded altogether to be in a tollerable sort according to the will of her God Being also vndutifully borne in hand that the endeuour of reforming religion is nothing else but a new fangled and seditious attempt proceeding from the factious discontented braines of those who are slandered to desire thereby nothing els but the alteration of the present state dangerous to her royal crowne and person and ruinous vnto the whole kingdome In respect whereof the cause offering it selfe againe to be considered of this high court it became the same to come with a maiesticall and terrifying countenance that if it pleased the Lorde it might this way for feare compell them dutifully to stoupe vnto it whose fauor and good liking in a peaceable manner hitherto it coulde by no means procure And it became it so to offer it selfe as withall it might appeare that the enterprise of reforming religion is not a matter tendinge to the disturbinge of the common-wealth and the disliking of her Maiestie Except men would slanderously surmise the estate of this kingdome to be so out of square as Gods trueth cannot haue passage therein without the imminent ruine of al and slanderously report her Maiesties will and affection to be then intollerably crossed when the will of her God is sought to be established which assertions shal be manifested to be grieuous and vndutifull slaunders against hir Maiestie and the state by the opening of such thinges as being amisse within Wales the Lorde requireth to be reformed at the handes of her Maiestie and this Parliament The wants therefore and corruptions of the seruice of God in Wales joyned with the misery of that people are first in that the most congregations within that countrie haue all this time of the Gospell preached in Englande had no other seruice of God for the working of fayth and repentance sounding in them but such as whereby the people partaking the same cannot possibly be saued ordinarily Mistake me not For I doe not saye that eyther that seruice which all this time of her Maiesties gouerment they haue had and now haue is idolatrous or that by the publike authoritie of her Maiestie and the Parliament they haue bin publikely enjoyned to professe any other religiō then that only true religion in the professiō wherof alone ordinary saluation is to be had But I affirme that God is not otherwise serued in the most assemblies there then that way whereby the food of eternall life shall neuer be ordinarily conuayed to the people This I affirme and this I will stand vnto because for the space nowe of 30. yeares complete they haue euery where for the most part wanted the preaching of the word without which as it is plainely set downe in manye places of the a Iam. 1.12 1 Pet. 1 2◠Iob. 33.23 1. Cor. 121. Rom. 10.14 Ephes 1.13 and 2.17 Acts. 20.32 Pro. 8.34.35 Isay 53.11 word and I haue elswhere largely prooued vnto her Maiestie and this high court ordinarily no fleshe can be saued Now my Lords and you the rest of this Parliament consider I pray you what care hath bin had of the soules of men vnder her Maiesties gouernement and how in the dayes of reckoning and account these things wil be answered Consider how lamentable a case it is that in the flowrishingest gouernment for outward peace that is again vnder the cope of heauen where publike idolatrie hath bene bannished not one family or one tribe but a whole nation should perishe for want of knowledge And see whether I haue not sufficient cause to deale with you on the behalfe of my countrie My crie my crie is not the crie of b Deut. 11.8 giltlesse and innocent blood which were verye woefull but of lost and damned foules which is most lamentable and giue you eare vnto it my LL. least the blood of soules bee laide to your charge and required at your hands For it is not the judispensible dutie of the Parliament to giue eare vnto this crie Howe then I pray you will it be answered before the judge of all the worlde in the day of judgement if you be carelesse of a dutie so necessarily required at your handes when our Sauiour Christ affirmed it to be nothing availeable vnto men to winne the whole worlde Luk. 9.22 if they lose their owne soules Did he thereby thinke you not only enforce that they are in a miserable taking who in respect of the knowledge of their saluation know not the right hand from the left but also forcible in feare that gouernours vnto whome of trust he hath committed inferiours discharge not their duties in his sight vnlesse they haue great care of the saluation of their people Questionlesse he doth Let them therefore be afraide of aeternall shame and confusion who blushe not to be busie in the consultation of euerye trifling matter and would be accounted great
the one to haue writen the verie same thing for the Aâ—ch that the other hath for the pope Into which booke he hath crammed as plaine poperie for the defence of our Bb. as euer Harding Saunders Turrian Bellarmine or any other the firebrands and ensigne bearers of Romish treason against her Maiesties crowne haue brought for the Popes supremacie And for as much as he in that booke hath both vndertaken the defence of those corruptions for the tollerating wherof the anger of God hangeth ouer the whole land and also shewed himselfe to be Ammonitish Tobiah against the buylding of Ierusalem in Wales by defending the very breaches ruins of the Babylonish ouerthrow which by the just judgements of God vnder poperie we sustained to be the perfectest building that Sion can be brought vnto and so by this slander withstandeth the saluation which I doubt not her Maiestie and the parliament wishe vnto my country I haue so framed the reasons following as they ouerthrow the very foundation and whole frame of that wicked book of al others writteÌ„ for the defence of our established Church gouernment Now that our dumbe ministers nonresidents L. bishops archdea c. are nothing els but an encrease of sinnefull men Num. 22.14 risen vp in steed of their fathers the idolatrous Monkes and Fryars stil to augment the fierce wrath of God against this land and our gouernors that this booke of D. Bridges and whatsoeuer els hath bin written for their defence are nothing els but edicts trayterous against God and slanderous to your sacred gouernment to defend the sale and exchange of Church goods the very destruction of souls to speak al in a word that both these corruptions their defences are coÌ„demned by the Lords own reuealed wil as things directly against the same and the lawes of her Maiestie expressed in his written word and therefore not to be tollerated by your authoritie vnlesse you thinke that you may tollerate sinne by your lawes nor yet once to be spoken for or countenaunced vnlesse you would plead for Baal I prooue by these reasons That forme of Church gouernement whiche maketh our Sauiour Christ inferior vnto Moses Iudg. 6.38 is an impious vngodly and vnlawfull gouerment flat contrarye to the worde Heb 3 6. Nom. 12.7 and therefore in no case to be tollerated by any lawes or authoritie and the booke or bookes defending the same are vngodly and impious bookes But our Churche gouernment in Wales by L. bishops archd dumb ministers and other ecclesiastical officers as for nonresidents let this one reason for all serue against them they as much as in them lieth bereaue the people ouer whome they thrust themselues of the onely ordinarie means of saluation which is the word preached is such gouerment as maketh the Lord of life Iesus Christ inferiour to Moses and this booke of D. Bridges with all other bookes of the like arguments doe the same Therfore this gouernment is a gouernment not to be tollerated by law in any state vnlesse men woulde feele Gods heauie judgementes for the same and therefore also it is a gouernment most pernicious and dangerous euen in pollicie vnto the ciuil gouernment where it is established and this booke or books defending the same are vngody wicked and pernicious bookes trayterous against the Maiestie of Iesus Christe crying for vnsufferable vengeance vpoÌ„ such as tolerate theÌ„ The proposition is not to be doubted off For is that Church gouernment or bookes to be tollerated which make Christ Iesus the sonne of the aeternall God yea God himselfe inferiour vnto Moses The assumption is thus prooued That gouernement and that booke or bookes whiche holdeth Iesus Christ God and man to haue prescribed no externall forme of the gouernment oâ— his Churche but such as at the pleasure of the magistrate when time and place requireth may be altered without sinne preferreth Moses before Iesus Christe This is manifest out of the expresse wordes of the text Heb. 3.2.6 Because the Lord Iesus being the sonne is in that place compared with Moses a faithfull seruant in deed and preferred before Moses in regard of the external gouernment which Moses had so faythfully prescribed vnder the law as it was not to be chaunged at the pleasure of any magistrate vntill a Dan. 9.27 the Messiah should cause the oblations to cease For what king was there euer in Iudah who without the breach of Gods law 1 Chron. 23.24 could alter the external regiment of the Iewish Church in the Leuitical priesthood and officers Dauid I grant ordained some things not mentioned in the bookes of Moses but that whiche he did proceeded from the spirit of God and he had the worde for his warrant The same is to be saide of whatsoeuer was done by any other of the godly kings in Iudah Nowe that the former comparison Heb. 3.2.6 betweene the sonne and the seruant Christe and Moses is concerning the externall regiment of the church and not the spiritual gouernment of the inner man as D. Bridges affirmeth pag. 51. lin 30. it is plaine Because Moses had nothing to do with the gouerning of the inner man and therefore it were no prerogatiue for the Lorde to be preferred in faithfulnes before Moses in that dispensation wherein Moses neuer dealt Hence theÌ„ I assume that our forme of Church gouernment in Wales and this wicked booke holdeth Iesus Christ to haue ordained such an externall forme of gouernment in his Churche at his departure from earth to heauen as at the pleasure of the magistrate might be altered without the breach of Gods institution which thing D. Bridges affirmeth pag. 55. And all our prelates grant that this high court of parliament may lawfully alter the forme of Church gouernement now established Therefore this gouernment and this booke preferreth Moses before Iesus Christ And I cannot see how far this differeth from blasphemie Now if Christ should be saide to ordaine no externall regiment at all then Moses is far before him and the thirst of superioritie in our prelates and their accomplisses is turned into extreame drunkennes of impietie by this assertion I beseech the Lord in mercy to open your eies that are of this assemblie that you may see how he and his people haue been dealt with by retaining such laws in force as justle ouerthrow the 〈◊〉 prerogatiue of his sonn And the Lord make you to see whether those men that defend the interest of the sonn of God in this point against the tiranicall vsurpation of Bb. and haue brought for his title vnanswerable euideÌ„ce out of the sacred records of Gods owne writings offending eyther in matter or circumstance in no one thing but that they haue not dealt more earnestlie with your Hh. and more roundly with the aduersaries in the right of their master haue deserued to be imprisoned thruste out of their liuinges reuiled railed vpon by vngodly and wicked prelats vnto the state as
seditious and discontented men with the ciuil gouernment dangerous subiectes enimies vnto her Maiesties crown And surely the cause being made knowne vnto you as nowe it is how soeuer the Lord may beare with your ouersight heretofore in the ignoraunce of the waight thereof yet if you doe not nowe abrogate such a church gouernment well may you hope for the fauour and intertainement of Moses that is the curse of the lawe but the fauoure and louing countenaunce of Iesus Christ I doe not see how you shal euer enjoy To prosecute this point a litle farther In most humble manner I would know of you that are of this high court whether of these 2. pointes following you would be said to maintain by the continuance of the aforesaid callings corruptions within Wales For of either of the 2. you must needes be guiltie First doe you think you may presume to defend by your authoritie and lawes such offices and officers in the ecclesiastical state whereby the churche is to be gouerned that is such a Church gouernment as in your consciences you cannot but acknowledg to be vnlawful before the Lord and hurtful vnto his Church Secondly doe you thinke that any Church gouernment can be lawfull before your God and profitable vnto his church which the Lord Iesus Christ himself hath not prescribed in his word The which point whosoeuer goeth about to defend he as before you haue hard maketh Iesus Christ who as he is the onely head of his churche so he hath the alone jurisdiction to ordaine the gouerment therof not to haue in the gouerment of his owne house as great a prerogatiue as Moses had I earnestlie intreat you thē that as you would not be accounted ether to defēd countenāce those things which in your owne consciences are sinful or to account such a Church gouernment to be lawful as cannot stand with the roiall souerainty that Iesus Christ hath in his church so to see the spedy abolishing of al dumbe ministers Lorde Bishops Archdeacons commissaries chauncellors c. Out of the church vnder your gouernment in Wales You are now intreated to abrogate no other Church gouerment then that which either in your own consciences you must acknowledg to be vnlawful and odious in the sight of God and therfore without delay to be remoued or such a regiment the vnlawefulnes whereof if with our Bishops you should go about to maintaine then should you rob Iesus Christ of the prerogatiue priueledge wherwith the spirit of God hath adorned him Heb. 3.6 Because it hath ben shewed that it was not lawful for any state or power to ordaine any other forme of gouernment in the church vnder the lawe then that prescribed by Moses If then you think our church gouernment by Lord Bb. Archdeacons dumb ministers c in your consciences to be vnlawful that is if you think it vnlawful for a minister to ioine the office of a ciuil Magistrate with his ministerie and to beare rule and dominion ouer his bretheren either as a spiritual or temporal Lord if you think it vnlawfull for a Lord Bishop to beare soueraigne authoritie of al the ministers within his diocesse and if you think it vnlaweful that their ministerie with the execution thereof should depend vpon his plesure or disliking if also in your conscience you think it vnlawful for him to take the charge of al the soules within 4. or 5. shires and to take the charge of those mens soules whose faces for the most part he wel knoweth he shal neuer behold if in like mannet you think it vnlawfull for an Archdeacon whose name and office was neuer read of in the word and in his best institution is but to atend vpon the ministers and looke vnto the poore to haue a great number of ministers at his becke and controlment or if you think it vnlawful in your soules and consciences for our dumb ministers the patrons of al ignorance and blindenes to take vpon them the office of the imbassadors of Iesus Christ to declare his will vnto the people the best part wherof they them selues neuer know thē there is no question to be made but that either you wil vtterly raze the memorie of this wicked and vngodly generation out of the Churche of Wales or openly manifest vnto men and angels that you will to the contumelious dishonor of your God and the vndoing of his church countenance and maintaine L. Bishops Archdeacons dumbe ministers with the rest of that vngodly race whose corruptions in youre owne consciences you cannot but detest On the other side if you think it lawful for you to ordain what forme of church gouernment you like best of and so holde it lawful to maintaine this established among vs then see what wil follow the diminishinge of the prerogatiue that Iesus Christ hath in the gouernment of his church And that I feare me wil be this The Lord will enter into iudgement with you of this parliament for al the soules that hereafter shal be damned in Wales Because you make it lawfull by your authority for such guides to be ouer your people as cannot possiblie lead and direct them in the waies of godlines and saluation He wil enter into judgment with you for al the sinnes that shal be there commited for want of gouerment which his son Christ hath ordained as a meanes to keepe men from transgressing against their God He will enter into judgment with you for the monstrous profanation whereby those proude pope like and blinde guides haue polluted his house in the dayes of your gouernment which you shoulde haue withstood He wil enter in to judgmnt with you for the punishments that are likely to fall vpon them because you haue countenanced and freely priueleadged them by lawe to prouoke his wrath in that greuous sort against their own souls He wil alsoe it is to be feared enter into judgement with the whol land for this your sinne and make his sword drunk with the bloud of our slain men yea he wil giue the whole kingdom high and lowe into the handes of the enemie that is cruel and skilful to destroy that all the nations vnder heauen professing religion may feare and take heed howe they doe not only denye to be gouerned by the lawes of his sonne Iesus Christ but which is more grieuous in stead thereof establishe such institutions as are directly against his maiesties reuealed will If those thinges be not likely to fall vppon vs except the aboue mencioned vnlawfull callings of Lord Bb. dumbe ministers c. be now at once euen in this Parliament rooted out of the churche in Wales let not my head go to the graue in peace Where are they now who vsually affirm the intent or motiō of remouing L. Bb. dum ministers ye the whol church gouerment established in wales to be a matter odious in the sight of her Maiestie dangerous to the state Cannot hir Maiesty abide to heare
that Christ Iesus should be more faythful in his owne house then Moses was Is it an odious hearing vnto her Maiestie that the churche in her kingdome should be cleansed of al vnlawful callings and corruptions and beutified with the holy ordinances of her sauiour Iesus Christ euen in her daies that the same praise might be trulie ascribed vnto hir in the adges to come which the spirite of God hath yeeled vnto King Iosiah 2. Kin. 23.25 Like vnto Queene Elizabeth was there no Queene before hir that turned vnto the Lord with all hir hart with all her soule and with al hir might according to all the lawe of Moses neither after hir arose ther any like vnto hir Cannot hir Maiestie I say abide these things Far be it that any should perswade them selues she cannot Then are they vndutiful slaunderers of hir highnes who to terrifie the Parliament from dealing concerninge the redresse of the church vsually avouch such purposes to be altogether vaine because hir Maiestie will neuer be induced to yeeld hir consent vnto the remouing of the established gouernement of the Church neither is the slaunder any whit lesse vndutifull against the estate when the kingdome is said to be indangered except Iesus Christ should make it lawfull for the Parliament to tollerate what Church gouernment the ciuill state can best away with And it is a point wherin you of this Parliament may shew what harts you beare vnto the sinceritie of religion My 2. reason followeth That forme of Church gouernment and that booke or bookes which make the established regiment to be an humaine constitution that is inclusiuely according to the worde but no otherwise according to the worde then the ciuill gouernement is whiche also must a 1. Pet. 2.13 2. Pet. 2.10 bee inclusiuely according to the same and so may at the pleasure of man bee altered as the ciuill gouernement may that gouernment and that booke or bookes besides that they prefer Moses before Iesus Christ is a wicked and pernicious gouernment Pag. 55. and they vngodly and pestelent bookes But our Church gouernment in Church causes and this booke of D Bridges with al other books of this grieste make the ecclesiasticall gouernment to be nothing else but an humane constitution which may be lawfully altered and abolished at the magistrates pleasure Therefore our Church gouernment in Wales and this booke or bookes are vngodly and wicked The proposition is proued by these resons First they are wicked and intollerable because they make no difference between that which belongeth to the true worship of God as ecclesiasticall gouernment doth and that which apertaineth vnto ciuil pollicie Contrarie to the apostle Peter who affirmeth in expresse wordes that wee haue reaceaued by the knowledge of God whatsoeuer belongeth vnto true religion in such sort as it is vnlawful for man to add any thing of his owne inuention therevnto For soe the worde Eusebeia translated godlines signifieth in that place Whereas the worde hath not so furnished vs with whatsoeuer belongeth to the ciuil magistracie called b Pet. 3.13 mans ordinaunce by the same apostle but that therein those thinges that haue been and are inuented by them that neuer knew God are warrantable and may be inclusiuely according to the word Secondly ecclesiasticall gouernment being granted to be an human constitution maketh the Pope to haue sufficient warrant out of the word If you read D. Bridges pag. 448. lin 3 you shall finde him not far from auouching this point not of his Idolatrous and false religion but of his superioritie ouer all ciuil Maiestrates and pastors within the ecclesiastical bodie of the church For whie should not the pope the ciuill Maiestrate granting him this superioritie as all they vnder his jurisdiction doe be alowed by the word to be aboue the emperor and all other Magistrates and ministers whatsoeuer if the ecclesiasticall gouernment be an human ordinance For I am assured that the emperor with al other princes in Europe may lawfully chuse a Magistrate superior vnto them all if they wil. And why may not this magistrate whom they may lawfully chuse and he lawfully yeelde vnto their choyse to be the highest and superiour goâ—or in christendome to be a bishop or an archb â—f the Church gouernement be an humane ordinaunce or if it be lawfull for either of them to be Lordes and to beare a ciuill office Before I goe farther I am particularly in this poynt to deale with such in this parliament as are our L. Bb. in Wales Here therefore in the audience of her R. excellent Maiestie and this honorable councel 〈◊〉 prooue before you the B. of Landaff Dauids Aâ—aph and Bangor that the Pope of Rome whose â—uperioritie all sounde hearted christians doe acâ—nowledge to be intollerable and accursed hath â—ltogether as good warraunt from the worde for his ecclesiasticall hierarchie as you vnto whom I â—ow speake to be L. bishops in Wales My reason 〈◊〉 conclude after this manner and if you can infringe anye part thereof I will not refuse anye death or other punishment that shal be laide vpon me What Bb. soeuet they be that haue no other warrant of their lordly jurisdiction whereby they exercise temporal gouernment as ciuil magistrates hauing still their ministery vpon them claime vnto themselues superiority ouer their felow brethren as ministers then the ordinance good will and pleasure of man that is of the state wherin they liue they haue no better warraÌ„t froÌ„ the word of god for this their lordly superiority then the Pope of Rome hath for his who claymeth no other jurisdiction and superioritie vnto himselfe ouer magistrats and ministers then that which he hath by the free consent good liking and authoritye of those states who voluntarilye submit themselues vnto his idolatrous religion But you the Bb. of Landaff Davids Bangor and Assaph in Wales haue no other warrant to be L. bishops that is to joyne both magistracie and ministerie together and claime vnto your selues authority spirituall in deed according to the spirite that ruleth in the ayre as the Apostle sayth ouer your fellowe ministers then the constitutions of man to witt the will and pleasure of her Maiesty and this high court of parliament Therfore you the said L. bishopps haue no other warrant for your Lordships and superioritie ouer other ministers theÌ„ the pope hath for his supream authoritie and vniversall prerogatiue As for hiâ— crueltie pride and idolatrous profession far be it but I should make difference betweene you anâ— him Although euery part of this reason be already prooued yet I demand of you by what authority you are so far in respect of temporal things and the abuse of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction preferred before many godly and learned ministers in this land as you by vertue of your places are Barons of the parliament house enjoye great revenews and are Lordes ouer your brethren and fellow ministers Your answere will be I knowe that you hold
this honourable â—ourt of Parliament you are not to learne that â—o defend by lawe or to countenance by authoriâ—ie the breach of gods ordinance is the defence of sin and that the defence of sinne is the hatred of God who rewardeth them to their faces that â—ate him Deut. 7.10 and therefore also you are â—ot to be taught what horrible sinnes you shall â—ommit Nomb. 26.9 if hereafter you stil maintaine such plain manifest impieties They are no trifles as you â—ee For I assure you that Dathan and Abiram â—he sonnes of Eliab men famous in the congregation had more colour of right to claime vnto themselues either the ciuill gouernement from Moses or the priesthood from Aharon Because they were the sonnes of Reuben the firste borne vnto whose lotte had he not defiled his fathers a Gen. 49.4 bedd by all likelihood either the scepter or the priesthood should haue fallen then these vsurpers haue to claim the places they are in wherevnto either by right of inheritance according to the flesh or ordinaunce from God they came by no title Here it must needes followe you of this honorable assemblie hauing regarde vnto the estate of your soules and bodies before the Lord and your good names amoÌ„g posterities that if these things set downe be true if not bring vppon me deserued shame and punishment you wil either labor to redres the miserable estate of distressed wales by erecting there a godly ministerie and abollishing all Cananitishe relikes or for the defence of a fewe vnconscionable and godlesse men aduenture to vndergoe the fierie and flaming execution of the burning decree of Gods wrath My Lords and you the rest of this assemblie be not deceiued the Lord of heauen is angrie with you and his whole hoast for the Babilonish garments of these Achanes Ioh. 7.9.21 Retayne them no longer if you would not fall before the enemie When the L. shall plead with you your wiues children family the whole land Ezek. 38.22 with pestilence or with blood as he is likely to do for these wedges of execrable golde it is not the pontificall Lordships of Bishops at whose commaundement the Lords sword wil returne again into his sheath when your gasping soules shal cry for mercy at the Lords hand it is not the proud and popelike Lordshipps of Bishopps their vsurped jurisdictions their profane excommunications their pitiles murthering of soules their railinge slaunders against Gods truth and his seruants their impious brething of the holy Ghost vpon their Idol priestes that wil driue the Lord to giue you any comfort Let me therfore thogh my persoÌ„ be base entreat you that the judgments of God against sin both in this life in that other of eternal wo misery may apeare so terible in your eies and of that vndouted consequence as you wil no longer retain vnder your gouernment these things whose continuance do giue the Lord just cause in this life to pronounce this sentence by the mouth of Ieremie against euerie on of you Iere. 22.29 that wil not promote this sute and execute the same O earth earth earth here the wordes of Iehouah write these men destitute of children men that shall not prosper in their dayes yea there shal not bee a man of their seed that shall prosper and bee a-parliament man or beare rule in England any more And in the life to come to say moreouer These mine enemies that would not haue me to beare rule Luk. 19.27 by mine owne lawes ouer them and their people bring hither slay before my face yea bind them hand and foote and throw them to vtter darknes there is weeping gnashing of teth And let me crauing vpon my knees with all submission and earnestnes and more earnest if it were possible to obtane that my countrymen by your meanes may haue the word preached euen the meanes whereby they may liue for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Graunt them this my Lordes though I dye for it And this the Lord knoweth is the only scope of my writing and not the discrediting or galling of our Lorde Bb. Let not their places withstand the saluation of my brethren and the true seruice of God among them and if euer I either write or speake more against them any further then their places are like to be the ruine of hir Maiestie and the whole state let it cost me my life Here me in this sute good my Ll. The reward thereof your soules shall find otherwise I am likelie to become a wearisom and an importunate sutor vnto this high assemblye The cause is so juste that if it were as sometimes it was by the apostle him selfe decided in the Athenianes Areopago a court for heathen justice of famous and celebrated memory I doubt not but it should be hard And shal it not haue justice in the christian parliament of England Iustice my Lords I say for I seeke nothing else but that the statutes of the God of judgment and justice may be made known in my country wher now they are vnhard of Then the which I know not what can be more just neither can I see what justice in truth can be administred by them that neglect this cause Trulie for mine owne parte God aiding me I wil neuer leaue the suite though there shoulde bee a thousand parliaments in my dayes vntill I either obtaine it at your handes or bring the Lord in vengeance and bloud to plead against you for repelling his cause I hope it wil not be here said that the parliament can doe nothing in the matter because hytherto all Churche causes haue bin referred vnto the conuocation house the leaders thereof namelie to our Bishops And doe you meane it shal be so still Then shall you still maintain these horrible profanations of Gods sanctuarie whereof I haue spoken Then may it be said vnto your shame that Sion lying vppon the ground and mourning like a widdow stretched out her handes vnto the parliament of England but could find no comfort Then may you stil be said to betray Gods truth to betray the saluation of his people yea and to betray the liberties of this parliament For what assembly is there in the land that dare chaleng vnto it selfe the ordering of religion if the parliament may not When you say then that you may not deale in the matters of religion because the determinations of that cause is referred vnto the Bishops assembled in the conuocation house who in their Cannons are to prouide and see that the church be not in a decaied state do you not thereby thinke you rob your selues of your owne prerogatiue and liberties and take order that the church without controuersie may be starued and spoiled In deed if the conuocation house were such as it ought to be vz. a sinod of sincere and godly learned ministers wherein matters of relligion were determined of according to the worde and
of man They do not stick to affirme it lawful for them to teach many thinges not included in the commission giuen by our sauiour Christ vnto his Apostles These men reject as vntrue that which the spirite of God hath set downe by the Apostle Paule 1. Cor. 1.21 Rom. 10.14 which is that men are ordinarilye saued by the preaching of the word For they are perswaded that saluation may be ordinarily attayned vnto by reading so they are perswaded that the Lorde hath promised his spirit to seale that doctrin in the hearts Ephes 1.13 of men which through preaching was neuer made knowen vnto them What care then will they haue to see the people prouided for of preching wheras they are not perswaded of the ordinary necessitie thereof They my Ll. maintaine the continuance of the dumb and ignorant ministery whereby our Church hath long since gotten her bane Their judgement is that they may be tollerated for lawful ministers in a christian commonwelth and that the parliament may securely maintain them in our Churche without all feare of Gods judgementes for tollerating them O the great hand of God in punnishing our ingratitude that in this cleare light of the gospell they who take vpon them to be Archseers willingly see not that none can be lawfull embassadors of Iesus Christ but they out of whose mouthes this embassage is heard 1. Cor. 5. VVe beseech you in Christs steed that you be reconciled vnto God And yet such is the blindnes of the convocation house that they cannot see this But I blush to thinke that they dare once presume to giue any countenance vnto nonresidencie that gastly and fearfull sinne and yet behold notwithstanding they are not onely all of them guiltie thereof themselues but euen in the books which they haue published vnto the world in the defence of their corruptions they haue not bene ashamed to advouch the lawfulnes of this vnnaturall and desperat murther Yea the verye pulpits haue rung again againe with invectiues against al those that withstood this their madnes O my Ll. you the rest of the R. honourable and worshipful of this high court of parliament I can not stay my selfe but I must needes in this place crie vnto you for helpe and justice against these vnnaturall men The Conuocation house my Ll. defendeth nonresidencie to be lawfull Nonresidencie my Ll. is defended to bee lawfull in the Conuocation house And will you then trust thē with the ouersight of the people who are of judgment that they may lawfully starue murther them Can you hope for any good to come vnto the church of God from that councel where it is enacted that it may be lawfull for a bond of murthering nonresidents to destroy the same If therfore in the parliament of Englande there be any care of the glorye of God and the libertie of his Church if any pitie and compassion of the starued soules of men let others bee trusted to prouide foode for your people and not those whose very judgements are so darkened that they hold it allowable by the worde for them to take order that men may not be fedd It is now meet my Ll. that they who holde it lawfull for men to make a trade of murther should be allowed for phisicions And what els are they who defende the lawfulnes of nonresidencie but suche as professe it lawfull for men to bee maintayned rather then they shoulde want liuing euen by the murthering of their brethren Is it not great pitie then but that this Conuocation house should be stil countenanced by the state to be the only place whence reformatiō of all the things out of order in our Church should be expected For therein doubtles any thing shal be heard which may tende to the furtherance of the gospell seeing none sound few excepted are admitted into that assembly who are not guiltie of the merciles and cruell murther of soules as beeing all of them for the most part cursed and bloody nonresidents And is it not great pitie but that the parliament should staye and go no further in the reformation of religion then it should bee directed by the Conuocation house For it may be hoped out of question that the Cōuocation house will see that no calling be henceforth tollerated in the ministerie but such as the Lord in his worde warranteth to be lawfull And therefore it may bee hoped that the leaders thereof will not sticke to put downe Archbishops and L. Bb. that Christ alone by the officers which he in his word hath appointed may rule in his church They will not abide that anye blemished maymed Leuit should come neere to the Lords Sanctuarie nor any pharisaicall high priest shoulde vsurpe anye authoritie ouer his brethren in this lande If this hope might be conceiued of them then in deed woulde they bee meete to cure the diseases of our church But the truth is that there is no reason why this should be expected at their hands because they are so far as this whole land knoweth from hauing anye remorse of the vnlawfull and vngodly callings wherein they nowe remaine that their practises against God and his trueth doe proclaime vnto the worlde that they neuer meane to restore againe her owne authoritie vnto the Churche whereof by their Lordships it hath bene spoyled I haue determined with my selfe not to trouble this honorable assemblie at this time with any large discourse concerning these men their dealngs otherwise I would shew by euidēt profs that they and so the whole Conuocation house are guiltie of such crimes as the fauorablest interpreter of their proceedings woulde of necessitie be drawne to giue this sentence against thē namely That they are intollerable oppugners of Gods glory and vtter enemies vnto the liberties of his Church And they should also be drawne to confesse that the parliament in maintayning the Conuocation house did maintayne and defend together with the hindering and smoothering of the trueth not only the deformed ruines but also the lamentable oppression of the Church So that it should appeare that as long as that house standeth as at this day it doth there could be no hope at all that either Gods heauenly trueth should haue free passage or the Churche her lybertie in this kingdome The briefe heades of the publike crimes whereof the leaders of the Convocation house are guiltie I will here set downe they shal be herafter evidently prooued if they vnto whose charge they are laid dare deny them First therefore their very callings and places that is the callings places of our Archbishops and L. Bb. are such as they they cannot possibly but dishonour God and bereaue the Church of her libertie by continuing in thē Secondly their practises in those places for the maintenaunce of their tyrannicall superioritie others the corruptions of the Church which they wilfully contrary vnto all trueth and aequitie doe maintaine are such as by them they haue
not onely monstrously maymed the outward face of the church in the matter of gouernement and ceremonies but also grieuously wounded the same in the matters of doctrine and sacramentes vnto the mayntenance of all which corruptions in the gouernment of the Churche in the ceremonies in the doctrin sacraments they haue joyned the crimes of seducing and deceiuing the ciuill state and people by bearing all estates in hand that al hath bene and is well in the Church and in like manner as much as in them lay they haue vexed and persecuted as many of the deare seruants of God as haue but entended to motion the redresse of any of the former corruptions Hereof if I shall not be able to prooue the eyes and leaders of this synagogue consequently the whol house to bee guiltie let mee to the terror of all slaunderers be put to all the torments that may bee invented The Conuocation house cannot here object that I deal injuriously with the whol assembly by laying vnto the charge of the whol those crimes whereof our Bb. alone are guiltie For the whole house neuer as yet disauowed the hierarchie of Bb. their practises in vrging subscription in maintayning the dumbe ministerie nonresidencie c. And vntill the corruptions of the Bb. be ouerthrown in that assembly the whol house shall be still justly subject vnto the former accusations See now my Lords whether they doe not bewray their impietie who think that men weary them selues about small matters when they call for a reformation of the church And see whether there be not many and vrgent causes to inforce the parliament to take the gouernment of the Church out of the hands of these men vnlesse the continuance of the ruinous breaches of our Church would be stil maintined it is not the matter of capp surplice tippet and other beggerlie and popish ceremonies whence al the dissention and dissagreement in our church is sprong vp But the controuersies arise because our Archbb. and Bb. are not permitted with the silence and consent of the seruants of God to smother persecute depraue corrupt the truth of that true religion which in name they professe to vndermine and captiuate the church of God in this land Those who withstand their vngodly procedings haue hitherto dutifully kept them selues within the bonds of the calings wherin the Lord hath placed them they haue in al submission and duty entreated that the cause of God might be equally hard and that her Maiestie and the parlament would amend the things proued to be amis they haue neuer as yet presumed theÌ„selues to take in hand the correction of any thing But how quietly on the other side haue the leaders of the conuocatioÌ„ house behaued them selues wheÌ„ a redres hath bin caled for at the hands of the ciuil state Surely they haue alwais hitherto preseÌ„tly betakeÌ„ theÌ„selues to imprisonments and bonds and would neuer suffer the truth to haue the hering nor any man with quietnes to stand in the defence therof And therefore also al the tumults that hereafer are like to arise in the Church of God within this land about these controuersies the leders of the conuocation house are the causes thereof for they wil not yeeld vnto the truth but labour by all meanes possible to smother the same Gods seruants cannot winke at their procedings vnlesse they would betray Gods truth and the libertie of his church The least parte of the sinnes of our Bb. hath bin in the maintenance of vnprofitable supersticious and corrupt ceremonies If they would but yeeld free passage vnto the truth and hir authority vnto the church in other matters they should not be gretly molested for these things And woe be vnto them if they had rather prouoke god and his church to battel against them for the defence of the truth then receiue the light grant peace vnto the church Concerning her Maiestie who as it is thought can neuer be induced to aulter the established gouernment I answere that if it be made known vnto her and proued out of the word that the established regiment of the church is traiterous against the Maiestie of Iesus Christ that it confirmeth the popes supremacie O therfore it is dangerous vnto her crown that it is besides the commission giuen by our Sauiour Christ vnto his apostles and therefore accursed that it sheweth them to be void of all care of reâ—igion who wittingly countenance the same and that it calleth for the judgments of God against her and her kingdom and then if shee yeeld not vnto the razing of all sinful callings out of the church I will not desire to liue if this be thought a matter worthy of death for a man to be dutyfully perswaded of his soueraigne Be it that her Maiestie hath bin moued by some of this house for the redresse of the church you should moue her againe and againe and neuer leaue vntil you be heard Great matters are neuer brought to passe without great and mighty endeuours Our sinnes haue otherwise deserued then that the Lord should at the first encline mercy vnto vs in the sight of her highnes Would any of you alter any part of the gouernment of his family being perswaded by leud flatterers that all were well vnlesse the abuse were shewed and you earnestly dealt with for a reformation And can you then maruel that our soueraigne is hardly drawne to reforme the church whose estate in her hearing is daily said out of the pulpit to be most florishing wheras the deformity therof is not made knowne vnto her I know it is no smal perswasion that should driue a monarch to abrogat the receued constitutions and establish new vnles the vnanswerable necessiry thereof were made knowne vnto her or him I am perswaded that her Maiestie knoweth not the exacting necessitie that lieth vppon her sholders of reforming the church Shee knoweth not the estate of her vntaught and damned subiects to be as it is Wherefore serue parliament men if her eies must be in al places to see euery thing and what doe you see if you do not see our miserie and lament it I grant indeed that of this point she ought to be most careful but if of oversight the waightiest matters be omitted shoulde not you put her in mind hereof And in submission entreat her and neuer leaue entreating vntill shee yeeld to turne away the wrath of God from her and her kingdome by abollishing vngodly ordinances and restoring beauty vnto Zion Well I haue forged the most notable slanders that euer were coined or els the state of my cuntrey vnder her Maiesties gouernment is very miserable yours no lesse lamentable if it so continue And if you make not the same knowne vnto her Maiestie and see it be speedely amended the Lord make Quene Elizabeth and her crown free from the bloude of her destroyed people And I pray God if it be his will that their soules be not required at your
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