12 Odious railing a thing put among things indifferent odious and 13 Do I say you are ignorant in railing ignorant railing c. I referre my selfe to indifferent iudgement vpon the bookes which are extant Matth. Sutcliffe The beginning of M. Cartwr answere to this charge hath no sense to be picked out of it which I take to be the correctours fault and so let it passe his meaning is that I can not shew either in his reply or other treatise of his that he hath so litle knowledge in diuinity as to say that the extemporall prayers of any in these dayes are vttered by the holy Ghosts secret inspiration wherein he doth himselfe wrong to call his knowledge of diuinitie in question for to say what I finde if he approue M. Fenners booke so farre as his epistle commendatory pretendeth his skill in diuinitie is nothing singular the same doth appeare by strange points holden in his replies but better should I iudge if leauing his busie kinde of dealing against the state hee had written any booke concerning points of faith Yea in this very point in hand I do wonder how he hath here slipped for being charged by me for better liking of extemporall prayers then any prescript forme of prayers as is true indeed and shall be verified against him here very ignorantly he falleth into the contrary errour and sayth hee is not so ignorant of diuinity as to affirme that the extemporall prayers of any in these dayes are vttered by the holy Ghosts secret inspiration which is to deny the working of the holy Ghost in the prayers of the godly and to contrary the holy apostle which 1 Rom. 8. sayth that the holy Ghost helpeth our infirmities when we know not what to pray as wee ought and if our prayers were not ayded by Gods holy spirit they would not please God so that to charge him herewith is no slander nor if I should so say is it criminall to say that extemporall prayers of godly men deuoutly and discreetly conceiued are vttered by the inward motions of Gods holy spirit inspiring them but indeed I do not charge him herewith but say that M. Cartwr doth commend extemporall prayers as vttered by the holy Ghosts secret inspiration which is true for whereas the authours of the admonition do 2 Admonit to the Parliam say that in the time of the apostles the minister spowred forth hearty supplications to the Lord as the spirit moued them M. Cartwright doth take on him the defence of this admonition beside that for my part I neuer heard M. Cartwright refuse to vse extemporall prayers and I doubtnot but he thought he prayed by the motion or assistauce of Gods spirit yea and all the brotherhood as they are mistermed doeth vse long extemporall prayers both before meat and after meat especially at great feasts for then they make longest prayers now they doubt not but they pray as the spirit giueth them vtterance although indeed some of their speaks do rather sauour of the pot then of any goodnesse finally all the Baroists vpon these foundations and the common practise of extemporall prayers haue condemned all prescript formes of prayer which declareth that they vnderstood M. Cartwright as I do Secondly he asketh me in what time place and in whose hearing he could scarcely be induced to like of a prescript forme of prayer and saith that if these circumstances had bene set downe the vntruth of my allegation would haue appeared and that his continuall practise in the ministery doth witnesse against me Wherein I cannot chuse but wonder that hee should so much forget himselfe and wilfully abuse his reader For first he may remember that the admonition which he taketh on him to defend doth holde that in the primitiue Church the ministers were not tyed to any forme of prayers inuented by man And that my L. of Canterbury refuting this error he goeth about to 1 1. reply p. 106. answere his reasons and yeeldeth not till afterward so that it appeareth he was not easily induced he may also remember that hee would 2 In the end of his first reply haue all Apostolicall orders now receiued and vsed Beside that his continual practise is to vse no prescript forme of prayers but such as himselfe deuiseth and so do the whole race of these sectaries yea and so often times haue they bene heard to commend extemporall formes and to dislike prescript formes that I wonder how it cōmeth to passe that M. Cartwright should here mainteine the contrary But let vs see his reasons First saith he my continuall 3 A weake reason for his practise is not alwayes according to his opinion and doctrine He was wont to speake against dispensations and non residence and yet now is non resident from his charge and prayed to be dispensed with as they say practise in the ministerie doth witnesse against it a matter notoriously vntrue For as long as he was in Cambridge hee prayed as it pleased himselfe and vsed formes by himselfe deuised And so like wise doe all his followers and those haue I heard most cōmended which preaching continually yet euery day vsed new formes And albeit M. Cartwright did read prayers at Antwerp and Middleborough out of the booke as hee saith yet that doth not shew that those prayers were prescribed to him neither were his formes of prayer at Warwike such as this Church of England prescribed but such as himselfe deuised Yea although he said the Lords prayer yet in that sort it was not to him prescribed as he said it I beseech you therefore iudge what a hainous slander this is to say that M. Cartwright scarce could bee induced when time was to like of a prescript forme of prayer when hee is not able to shew that either by doctrine or example he approued prayers publikely prescribed nor would euer suffer himselfe to bee tyed to the orders of the Church of England And thus much is sufficient for answere of his slanders supposed to be published by me against him concerning breach of necessary duties Wherein it may clearely appeare that either hee doeth lewdly collect that which was not meant or seeke to shunne that which cannot bee auoyded Did you euer before this heare of a man so slandred with trueth and matters not criminall but belike the man was podagricall and cried before we came neere him Now wee are to proceed to examine his second branch of slanders concerning matters indifferent the which is as strange as the other so strange are they both that in no good authour I euer read the like But before we beginne a word or two concerning that wrong that M. Cartwright thinketh to be done to him being charged as he saith with odious rayling which yet I trust hee will not count slander both for that it is left out of his diuision and for that it is most euident and true That he raileth vnciuily these particulers testifie his aduersaries
his aduersarie and am well acquainted with his folly wherein I leaue the man still rauing like those that cast stones into the aire and so proceed ¶ The preface And so harbouring still in thy brest the 1 He is altogether a stranger to this crooked generation comfortable guest of a good conscience as an asswagement of all the miseries and 2 Doeth he not plainly confesse himselfe to be a malcontent discontentments of this life cease not to pray in the 3 He saieth well in the spirite for voyces of prayer or prayses for her Maiestie or the state we seldome heare to proceed out of their mouthes spirite for the peace of Hierusalem and for her right excellent maiestie that hath bene so long Gods good instrument of that happy peace that as Iosua commaunded the Sunne to stand till he were auenged on his enemies so the Lord would commaund this 4 This sunne-shine the disciplinarians haue much obscured with the mistes of their turbu Ient stirres sunne-shine of our peace to stand and neuer to goe downe till all the 5 Then should M. Cartw. and I. Throk lie in the mire enemies of his church bee brought lowe to the dust and as that was the longest day that euer was so this hauing bene alreadie by the mercy of God the happiest may also prooue by the power of God to be 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the longest reigne that euer was That the date of her life may if it please the Lord end with the 7 Vae generationi huicà fermēto Tharisaorum Bornard in cant last date and dissolution of this earth to the 8 Diligamus non verbe lingua sed opere veritate 1. Ioan. 3. continuallblisse and renowne of this land to the terror and amazing of the wicked to the comfort and reioycing of the godly and to her owne euerlasting peace and happinesse in the life to come ¶ The answere Of all the guestes that come to the synoddicall meetings houses of these sectaries there is no greater stranger then this guest called Good conscience that he talketh of for neither in their publike writings against the church and chiefe gouernours thereof nor in their priuate negotiations and contracts doe they for any thing I can learne vse either good conscience or good dealing Other good fellowes there are that doe frequent their houses more often as pride disdaine malice enuie hatred detraction lying oppression follie furie and such like with which they are better acquainted but it is an easie matter to hide soule matters vnder faire wordes Wolues are disguised oft times in sheeps clothing and poyson is sometimes giuen in honie Impia sub dulci melle venena latent Take heed therefore of malcontents that cut mens throtes with their good conscience and doe not straight thinke that these men loue her matestie for that they make such glosing and flattering praiers it may be in ore mel in corde fel. All men honour the sunne in the midst of the firmament but when night commeth they fall on sleepe and forget all And of them wee may truely say That they flattered with their mouth dissembled with their tongue Psal 78. but their heart is not vpright for if these kind of men had truely loued her maiestie and from their heart prayed for her they would not haue prayed for her in spirit only as this man would haue his consortes to doe but expressed their affection in their words they would also in their prayers as other good subiects doe haue expressed and giuen to her her due stile they would not haue couertly and cunningly taken from her all power in ecclesiastical gouemment as they haue done not once so much as mentioning either her or her roiall authoritie in their booke of holy and synoddicall discipline to which M. Cartwright and many others subscribed they would not haue impugned her lawes and by right and wrong sought to haue altered her gouernment and to haue established new lawes and orders in this church they would not haue disgraced that blessed reformation which wee doe enioy by her meanes neither would 1 Gilby p. 66. 88. 142. Motion with submiss p. 31. 32. 33. they haue resembled her to Ieroboam Ahab Iehoram Ahas Gedeon Nadab Saul Iehu and Asa in those points wherein they failed in their duties toward God neither would M. Cart. haue made her maiestie and all princes subiect to the eldership which is nothing els but for the supremacie of the Pope to bring in the supremacie of the eldership and as he 1 2. part 2. reply pag. 65. 92. saieth to make princes to licke the dust of their feete so that where we had wel hoped that we had bene deliuered from kissing the Popes feete they would make vs not onely to kisse the feete of a packe of base pezants and artizans but also to licke the dust vnder their feete Much I doe know they doe brag of their loialtie and good minds but giue me the heart and let them leaue their glorious wordes What seruice at any time haue they done her maiestie at home or abroad in armes or in peace in the church or common wealth nay rather where haue they not bene readie to 2 Martin was then published to make a mutinie at home when the Spaniards were on the coast to fight with vs abroad crosse those that haue bene readie to doe her seruice and to trouble the state at home as valiant men defended the same abroad they may do well therefore to haue a more principall regard of her maiestie and their dutie towards her hereafter not either to shut her out of their discipline as they haue done or els to preferre Th. Cartwr innocencie before her safetie as this wretched prefator hath done painting him out first in many strange colours and gilding as they say earthen pots in many golden words and not remembring her saue in the last clause and to no purpose Which fault to amend let vs desire God not onely to shield her from her open enemies but also to discouer all her dissembling friends and to gard her from their trecherous practises and lewd disgraces that she may bee no lesse victorious ouer her open foes then secured from her pretended friends But enough of this malicious and yet most worthlesse gracelesse preface Let vs now come to M. Cartwrights briefe which is the foundation of the prefators vaine brags that thing that gaue the title to this worke and with whom our principall purpose is to deale if it may so please his highnesse who scarce vouchsafeth to looke downe vpon me or to speake to me in his Treatise the words of his briefe I set downe truely and entierly least thereby hee might thinke to escape with some aduantage THE EXAMINATION OF M. Cartwrights Apologie M. Cartwright HIs 1 Great wordes small reason slanders are either in 2 Doe slanders consist in
thereby neerely touched in that kinde and sound themselues vnable to answere in that kinde Matth. Sutcliffe M. Cartwright would accuse me of want of christian loue in committing these things to print as hee sayth vpon bare report but all men doe see a great want in him of Christian wisdome to accuse others for reporting such things as himselfe dare not deny what proofe therefore needeth when hee dare not deny what is alledged or what needeth other accuser when his owne conscience doth accuse him of speaking these words and yet if other proofe be required it shall be testified by him that heard it although now I forbeare to name my frend that is loth to come in print in olde M. Bodleyes house the words were spoken and if the man were aliue I suppose he could witnesse them besides him there are diuers about Warwike which will testifie that he sayd it was the iustice of God that bishops whose calling was vnlawfull should so be handled by Martin let no man therfore doubt of the truth of this report But sayth he I am able to produce witnesses that I misliked so naughty a course which shal not need for I wil not deny but he misliked the course yet not at the first but after that himself felt the smart sure that bishops should be railed at he did not mislike and woorthy it is to be marked that he sayth he misliked the course and not the purpose and thing that Martin aymed at yet certes if he had misliked either the course or the malicious matter of those execrable libels hee would one time or other haue publikely or priuatly declared his mislike of those matters and courses and rebuked the authors and neither haue read the books nor suffered his frends to reade them doing any of these how can it be thought that euer hee misliked that bishops should be so vnchristianly consistorianly dealt withall He answereth that he had no office to condemne euery vnlawfull and vnciuill writing I grant yet being either preacher or doctor or priuate lay man he might haue declared his opinion especially seeing so many did depend vpon it therefore hee sayeth that being allowed to preach he condemned all dealing in that kinde which I can hardly beleeue for how is it likely he should condemne Martin vsing so familiarly the authors of Martin viz. Iohn Penry that was not many yeeres agoe hanged and M. Iob Throk whom God preserue from hanging besides that he can not deny but that either he hath the booke or hath had or read the booke and heard that his partisans do commonly reade the bookes Cod. de famos libell l. vnic Now the ciuill lawes condemne not only the authors of libels but also all such as haue them or finde them and doe not teare them and burne them in what case then shoulde M. Cartwr be that not onely hath by his scoffes and flowers of railing traced out a way for Martin but also had the books of Martin and is so well acquainted with the authors the truth is that M. Cartwright and his confraternitie of disciplinarians so long as the libels of Martin went currantly thorow euery mans hands without all answere or opposition so long they liked them well and much ioyed in their brother Martin as a woorthy champion of discipline and a braue authour of their reformation but when as one began to whip him as an ape another to bang him as an asse another to cut him downe with an hatchet and that diuers of the brotherhood beganne to see themselues soundly lashed and felt themselues vnable to proceede in this course as men vnwilling to see their owne faults in print and impatient to be touched in their credit they began a litle to reproue libelling not because they misliked their mery madde frend Martin but because they would reproue speake against those that spoke against themselues so M. Cartwright percase condemned all dealing in that kinde albeit he do well loue and like M. Throkmorton and prayse his Martinicall writings Well therefore it may be said that albeit he liked well of Martin yet he condemned all others dealing in that kinde and that he is notwithstanding guilty of slandring many good men liking so well the authours and libels of Martin that I haue slandered him in reporting thus much he hath no reason nor witte to say for were it vntrue yet euery vntrueth amounteth not to slander and being most true and not directly denied howe shamed he not to note this as a slander M. Cartwrights answere being charged that he commendeth extemporall prayers most highly as being vttered by the holy Ghosts secret inspiration and for that when the time was he would scarse be induced to like of a prescript forme of prayer Where in my reply or in treatise of 1 Who can make any sence of all this sentence what matter I remember not nor M. Sutcliffe I beleeue shall euer shew that Tho. Cartwr hath so litle knowledge of diuinity as to 2 He hath affirmed worse matters affirme that the extemporall prayers of any how able soeuer in these dayes are vttered by the holy Ghosts secret inspiration and in what place or time and in whose hearing could I scarcely be 3 In your first reply pag. 106. where you argue as long as you can against it induced to like of a prescript fourme of prayer the 4 They shall be noted to your griefe noting of these circumstances which he doeth diligently yea curiously where hee thinketh they may serue the turne woulde easily haue bewrayed the vntrueth thereof my continuall 5 Your practise is no good rule no not of your owne opinions practise in the ministerie witnesseth against it for in the space of fiue yeeres I preached at Andwerpe and Middleborough I did euery Sunday reade the 6 Who prescribed you that forme prayer out of the booke and all the while I preached at Warwike there were fewe sermons I euer made there but to my remembrance I did shut vp the 7 viz. extemporall prayer either before or after the sermon with the Lordes prayer besides that the prayer before the sermon ordinarily was a set 8 All this prooueth not prescribed accustomed forme of prayer howsoeuer I read it not out of the booke and likewise was that after the sermon some small part excepted where in my prayer I applied some principall pointes of the doctrine then handled all 9 Al which is beside your purpose and maketh nothing for you which I would not haue done if I had not allowed yea well liked also a prescript forme of prayer and hitherto of the former kinde of 10 Neither are they slanders nor concerne they necessary duties slaunders concerning the breach of necessary dueties imposed vpon all Christians the second of things 11 Note how he is slandered for things indifferent indifferent in their owne nature followeth for as touching his charge of