Bishops the Copie bearing this inscription A letter sent to the Bishops from Doct. Laur. Humphrey president of Magdalen College in Oxford and Reader of Divinity lecture there YOur Lordships letters directed unto us by our vice-Chancelour although written in generall words yet hath so hearted our adversaryes that wee are now no more coÌ„pted brethren friends but enimies syth the old masse attyres be so straightly commanded the masse is selfe is shortly looked for A sword now is put into the enemyes hands of these that under Q. Mary have drawn it for Popery under preteÌ„ce of good order are ready without cause to bewreck their popish anger upon us who in this wil use extremitye in other laws of more importance partialiâ—y I would have wished My Lords rather privy admonition then opeÌ„ expulsion yea I had rather have received wounds of my brother then kisses of myne enymye if wee had privily in a CoÌ„venient day resigned then neyther should the punisher have ben noted of cruelty neyther the offender of temerity neyther should the pap have accused in their seditious book protestants of contention Religion requireth naked Christ to bee peached professed Glorifyed that Graviora legis by the faithfull ministrye of feedinge pastours should bee furthered after that orders tending to edification not to destruction advanced finally the spouses friends should by all meanes be cherished favourd defended not by counterfite false intruders condemned overborne defaced But alas a man qualified with inward gifts for lack of outwarde shews is punished a maÌ„ onely outwardly confornable inwardly cleane unfurnished is let alone yea exalted the painfull preacher for his labour is beaten the unpreaching Prelate offending in the greater is shot free the learned man without out his cappe is afflicted the capped man without learning is not touched Is not this directly to breake Gods laws Is not this the Pharises vae It not this to wash the outside of the Cup and leave the inner part uncleansed Is not this to praeferre mint and anis to faith and Iudgement and Mercie Mans tradition before the ordinance of God Is not this in the schoole of Christ and in the Methode of the Gospel aplayn disorder hath not this praeposterous order a woe That the Catechisme should be reade is the word of God it is the order of the Church to preach is a necessary point of a Priest to make quarterly sermons is law to see poore men of the poore mens box relieved vagabonds punished Parishes Communicate Roode lofts pulddowne monuments of superstition defaced service done and heard is scripture is statute that the oath to the Q. Majesty should bee offered and taken is required as wel by ordinance of God as of man These are plaine matters necessary Christian and profitable To weare a Surplys a Coape or a cornerd cappe is as you take it an accidentall thing a devise onely of man and as wee say a doubt or question in Divinitie Syth now these substantiall points are inall places of this realme almost neglected the offendes either nothing or little rebuked and syth the transgessors have no colour of conscience it is sinne and shame to proceede against us first having also reasonable defeÌ„ce of our doings Charity My Lo. would first have taught us equitie would first have spared us brotherlinesse would have warned us pitty would have pardoned us if we had beÌ„ found trespassers God is my witnesse who is the beholder of all faith I thinke of your Lordsh. honourably esteeming you as brethren reverencing you as Lords and Masters of the congregation alas why have not you som good opinion of us why doo you trust knowne adversaries and misttrust your bretkren wee confesse one faith of Iesus we preach one doctrine we acknowledg one ruler upon earth in all things saving in this we are of your judgement shall we bee used thus for a surplus shall Brethren persecute BrethreÌ„ for a forked Cappe devised singularly of him that is our enemy Now shall we fight for the Popish Coate his head and body being banished shall the controversy so fall out in conclusion that for lacke of this necessary furniture as it is esteemed labourers shall lacke wages Churches preaching shall we not teach shall we not exercise our talents as God hath commanded us Because we will not wante that which our enemies have desired and that by the appointement of friends Oh that ever I saw this day that our adversaries should laugh to see bethren fall together to the eares Oh that Ephraim should thus eat up Manasses Manasses Ephraim My Lords before this take place consider the cause of the Church the Crests and triumphs of Anti Christ. The laugher of Satan the sorrow and sighs of a number the mysery and sequel of the tragedie I write with zeale without proofe of my matter at this time present but not without knowledge of it nor without greife of minde God move your spirit at this praesent to fight against Carnem Circumcisionem imo Concisionem against literam et legem which principally is now regarded rewarded Speake I humbly beseech you to the Queenes Majesty to the Chancelour and to Mr. Secretary and the rest that these proceedings may sleepe that England may understande your zealous minde toward the worshippe of God your love toward the poore welwillers your hate towarde the professed enimies your unity in true conformity the other neither be needfull now neither exacted in any good age So shall the little flock be bounde to you so shall the great sheepherd be good to you By this we may judge of some others whome he onely nameth 3. That all allowed some â—ignificant Ceremonies is manyfestly proved false in the former allegations 4. We glory no more of synceritie in refusing the Ceremonies then the Rejoynder doeth in using of them 5. It is no abusing of the world to allege generall sentences of men condemning that which they seeme to allow in their practise If it were I can name one protestant writer who hath more abused the world in this kinde then any or all of us and that is no other then our Def. D. Morton For he hath written many bookes of good use against the Papists the cheif grace wherof is that having a good Librarie and using it with deligence and discretion he hath alleged many thousands of their owne testimonies for the disproving of those errors and superstitions which the same Authors in other places or at least in their practise doe apparently eyther allow or admitte of This is the wordy answer which the Rejoynder giveth unto the testimonies alleged in the Abr. pag. 33.34 for to praevent our bragging now let us trie if the Argument naked of testimonies will not stand 3. The Argument is this If those Ceremonies which God himself ordeyned to teache his Churche by their signification may not be used muche lesse may those which man hath devized The Def. his first answer
for stiffe opposition to Ecclesiasticall lavves vvhich they despitefully speake vvrite agaynst for contempt of these statute lavves by vvhich the book of common prayer is established For that they dravv as fast as they can into a body of themselves ingrossing a forehand the name of brethren The Godly the Church the good Christians as though vve had lost our Christ they had found him quite avvay 222 pag 13. The tearming of our Cerem Popish is done out of faction to make the imposers Observers of them hatefull vvith the people of God vvhich I beleeue no Church vvould suffer I am sure it should not pag 238. 14. This man forceth his vvitt I feare his conscience also doth not beleeue himselfe vvhen he sayth that these Cerem are imposed as parts ofGods vvorship but only for faction opposition vvould fayne haue it thought so that their opposition might be justifyed before men 243. p. 15. For a vvrangling spirit yea an ill conscience is so playnly to be observed vvhile he studies to persvvade vvhat himself beleeues not 243. 16. But vvhat should I presse these men vvith the authority of men vvho have themselues in estimation for soundnes of judgement before all men p. 370. 17. But the Repl. seing no interpretation vvill help agaynst the cleare Testimonies of the Learned by us alleadged confesseth they vvere men as if he his partners vvere more then men that ther is a little variety So vvilling are men rather to cast dirt in the faces of others then to confesse any mistaking in themselues Is this any thing but the spirit of pride thus masterly to judge the Lords vvorthyes 387. p. 18. This ansvver you think good to give because you are resolved to sinke the reputation of all men auncient or latter hovv learned zealous soever they vvere ratherthen to confesse your ovvne mistaking Open Revilings of the Persons of Non-conformitants or secret inducements to bring them into distast In 52. pag of the Praeface some Noncōformists are brought in sayd to be of that temper that vvhen the remove all of Cerem only vvas mentioned Their ansvver vvas They must not have a hoof-behinde them And the note in the Margent tells us 1. This S r. Fran VValsingham told M r. Knevvstubs of vvhom I had it 2. It is a ridiculous supposition it s a malitious surmise all this scurrilous bundle is of no use unlesse it be to ingraft himselfe into the affections vvhich he calleth the consciences and applause of his ovvne partie p. 633. Preface 3. These tvvo notes note you to be an egregious vvrangler p. 6. 4. Did ever sober-man reason thus p. 61. 5. I should be sory to fynde so much vvayvvardnes falshood in any man of our Religion but cannot but vvonder at it in a man pretending more then ordinary sincerity p. 15. 6. Hovv ever these men vvho in effect say to all other men stand backe I am more holy then thou c. 7. VVhat a shame is it for men to glory of sincerity for refusing Cerem And use no sincerity in alleadging authors 284. 8. But that use vvhich the learned divines call Historicall these men call Religious that they might by a false eare-mark bring us into suspicion abroad into hatred vviht our Religious people at home and yet they vvould be counted sincere men 303. Certaine Quaeres by vvhich these passages may be weighed in the balance ofserious consideration Of all in generall the quaeres are these 1. If the Replier did any where give sentence of conformists consciences 2. If he uttered any one bitter speache against all Conformists 3. The former being negatiuely true if the Rejoyner in his over under-lashings was not overcome of his owne evill rather then the Repliers Quaere 1. 1. If a man upon probability affirme such a poynt or out of ignorance mistake conclude it certaine so relate it as by him conceaved doth he hereby necessarily manifest a spirit of contradiction or the weaknes of his owne apprehension 2. If charity hopes the best that can be conceaved in reason to iudge mens spirits by grounds weake feeble out of which nothing can be concluded Quaere whether it be not uncharitable censuring 3. Do all those who contradict the like conceites of the Rej as false manifest a sinful spirit in lusting after contradiction Quaere 2. Whether may not a man mistake a thing plaine be of no contentious spirit Whether in such a mistake is it certaine God smites with giddines Whether is not this to iudge mens consciences beyond warrant of any word of God or the nature of the work wil beare But is not this not only unreasonable but intollerable if the thing be true Quaere 3. 1. Whether these words come from a calme loving merciful spirit 2. Whether God may not abate a man for his fals in executing iudgments here or may lay many punishments on him beside open shame 3. Whether these definitive determinations of iudgments upon men for some light differences those not so cleare be not to jussle God out of the place of iustice to cast thunderbolts where he doth not But if the replier make his expression good by his defense as he hath is not this a strange censure upon so smal a thing so strange a mistake Quaere 4. Whether this charge issues not out of a principle desirous to make the Persons of non conformists odious to all proclayming them as such whose intollerable pride scornes contemnes all men in regard of themselves Whether the Rej. his passion did not transport him beyond himself in this accusation when it makes him contradict his owne confession preface p. 5. Ther be some moderate learned Godly loving c. VVhether his spleen is not great that would spare none but even destroy the Nation of Nonconformists in the esteeme of men As Haman the Iues For of all he speakes They Them Quaere 5. VVhether he be not more charitable to Fryars then Nonconformists since he knowes what they haue printed Quaere 6. VVhether if this Repl. was faulty was it reasonable to fly in the face of all Nonconformists These men VVhether the Rej. his conscience in cold blood dare say that their is not amongst the NonConformists the truth of worthines but only the names VVhen in his preface he thus writes p. 3. some peacable very VVorthy Ministers were cast out Quaere 7. Whether they that cannot entertaine truth crosse to their opinion seeke honor one from another can have any truth of grace our saviour seemes to gainsay it 5. Iohn And therfore Whether there be any colour of argument for the Rej. to condemne al Nonconformists as such whom this charge condemnes Quaere 8. Whether doth the vilefying of a relique which one conceaves superstitions argues a spirit of rancor How came the Rej to be sure that God will judge them for these VVhether may they not repent
then God wil pardon them not judge them How if the reliques be base deserve to be scorned Quaere 9. How knowes the Râ—j but they might do it out of ignorance an error of ignorance may stand with a good conscience How knowes the Rej that it was a hauty desire no other passion But if all this be maynteined is not the Rej extreamely harsh in his censures when no roome wil serue him unlesse he situpon mens consciences Pilat-like condemne the innocent Quaere 10. If one call a non-conformitant a good Christian doth he expresse a strong savor of seperation He that names a Non-conformitant a good Christian doth he conclude that the adversaryes to the Bish. are the only Christians Quaere whether reason or passion agaynst all colour of reason make these consequences And whether the Rej. would suffer us to make the like out of his words when he calleth Conformists the faithfull servants of Christ as he doth pag 628. Quaere 11. VVould not the Rej. make Nonconformitants monsters of men who shal commit so capital a sinne as condemnation of meÌ„ to Hell being voyd of law calling reason conscience in so-doing Where doth this Repl condemne all that are not his party or all conformed ministers â—ay if neither he nor any Non-conformitant ever writt spake printed nay thought so unreasonablely quaere whence such an accusatioÌ„ comes what ground it argues which exceeds the bounds of truth or reason yea common sense Quaere 12.13 Whether these hundreds of ministers silenced at the beginning of K. I. were despitefull speakers agaynst the cerem or conscionable forbearers of their use Whether these who desire to subscribe according to law be despisers of the law or those who deny them the benefit of it Where is that body into which the Non-conformitants gather them selves How appeares it that they ever ingrossed such Titles to them selves so as to deny them to all others or more then the Rej. ingrosseth the title of the faithfull servants of Christ unto conformists pag 628. Whether this imputation be not to bring them into hatred distast of the state Whether ever prophane drunkards riotous adulterers scoffing Atheists or the bitterest of the Iesuits geered more tauntingly agaynst many faythfull And is it not loathsome to lick up their vomits For the worst of men have not worse language agaynst the Nonconformists Quaere 14.15 VVhether the Rej. can judge of a mans heart any other way theÌ„ by his expressions outward Since the Repl proffessions expressions are playne one way by what warrant can the Rej. conclude his conscience is other Neither word nor reason nor loue nor Religion learnes or allowes such inferences what is the principle whence these proceed 16. Quaere VVhether any man truly humble gracious can preferr him self before all men VVhether the Rej. accountes all Nonconformists voyd of all truth of grace when he layeth this to their charge 17. Quaere VVhether he that sayes the Auncients were men doth therby inferr that he himselfe is more then a man VVhether to affirme the Fathers to be men is masterly to judge them or argues a Spirit of pride when they them selves so judge speake of themselves VVhether to affirme the Auncients to be men argues a man resolved to sinke all mens reputation how holy zealous soever they be rather then to confesse his owne mistake Quaere 18. VVhether ther can be a heavier charge layd agaynst a man then rotten hearted unfit to live in the society of men And yet what lighter ground more insufficient can be pretended to beare it up Quaere 19. VVhat if no man should have knowne what Mr. Knewstubbs told D r. B in private conceaving him of the same judgement ergo Quaere VVhether it be safe for fellow brethren to betrust their secrets to the Rej. his keeping 2. VVhether the Rej. did not rake up all the blind corners of his memory to fetch out what might be to bring Nonconformers into distast Quaere 20. VVhether this be not downe-right rayling Quaere 5.6.7.8 VVhether the Pharisies in their Ceremonies did not praetend more holinesse then other men And whether Conformists be not therin more like the Pharisies then Non-conformists VVhether this be not to leaue the Persons to gibe at sincerity it self VVhether doe the professed enemyes agaynst the power of godlines use any otherlanguage when they would jeare at the sincerity of Gods servants Is not some historicall use Religious what want of synceritie then is it to distinguish that historicall use of images which is to stirr up devotion from other civill use by the terme Religious Nay what synceritie is ther in branding such a declaration with a false affected ear-mark His tart jests taunts are not as graines of salt but so frequent that they seeme as Pickle in vvhich the passages of his book are layd to steep therfore I vvill but poynt at some number of places to ease the reader my self PAg. 71. lyn Praeface pa. 14. ly 29. pa. 19. pa. 33. ly 22. pa. 15. ly 1.2.11 pa. 37. ly 24.25 And he not only takes but seeks an occasion yea is content to goe some miles about to reache men a blovv vvho vvere of Godlines vvorth by some slighting taunt to disparage their persons or vvorks That judicious paynfull laborer faithfull servant of Christ he slights pa. 4. Praeâ—ace on this manner M â— Parkars Gaudye passionate treatise of the crosse A vvorke in truth of that strength beauty that it bleares dazells the eyes of envy it self And therfore men out of hope either to imitate it or ansvver it vvould beare the vvorld in hand it vvas not vvorth the vvhyle to spend labor in it But the Rej. vvisheth some vvould reduce it to Logicall arguments then he doubts not but it vvould soone be ansvvered pa. 75. praeface VVhich is such a meer put-of so unbeseeming the skill of a Logicall disputer much more the champion-like confidence of Doctor Burgesse that had not his heart secretly misgiven him in this seeming bravado such an expression vvould never haue falne from his penn For let any rationall man be judge in this case Are not Logicall arguments playnly expressed in a continued discourse by a Logician easily collected vvhat needs a reducing to a forme then Beside M r. Parkars discourse is eyther empty voyd of sinevves of sound reason then the vveakenes of it is soone discovered may be confuted yea disgraced vvith more ease or else ther be arguments of that solidity strength vvhich eyther the Rej. cannot reduce or else is not able or not vvilling to ansvvere To say he cannot reduce theÌ„ to forme is a thing too meane to imagine nor vvill the Rej. graunt nor vvill I or do I thinke To say he is not vvilling to ansvver is to gaynsay his ovvne course the profession of his care to traverse this cause his