and the state as Jsrael vvas somtimes by the godly king Hezekiah to giue the hand to the Lord 2. Chro. 31.8 and to come vnto the Sanctuary vvhich he hath chosen serue the Lord our God that the fiercenes of his vvrath should turne avvay from vs yet notvvithstanding least it should be preiudiciall vnto our children that vve neuer claymed any interest vnto the trueth of the Gospell and neuer desired to be vnburdened of our blinde and tyrannicall guydes This Petition of mine shal be a vvitnes that both hath bin labored for VVhosoeuer they be then that vvould vvish men not to trouble themselues in that cause vvherein in their iudgements they can see no hope of preuayling doe not consider that thereby they bereaue our posterities of a great means to come by that vvhich the children of God novv liuing vvould so vvillingly obtaine And they do not consider that as the Lord hath appointed some to lay the foundation make vp the buylding of his Church so he hath ordayned others to prepare and as it vvere to clense the place vvhere he meaneth to buyld his Temple The aduersaries of this cause may be many and of great countenance but vve knovve that the Lord hath committed all povver in heauen and in earth not vnto man but vnto his ovvne sonne Christe Jesus the alone head and king ouer his Church Math. 28.18 The cause therefore in hand being his in vvhose hands is all povver and dominion vvhy should vve feare any thing that earth can inuent against the same And if the question vvere vvho ought to be terrified in this matter they by vvhom the Petition is promoted or they vvho oppugne the same it shall be found that the aduersaries hereof haue no other cause but to be stroken vvith a desperate and vncomfortable feare VVhereas on the other side the patrons of the suite may be euery vvay exceedingly comforted For vvhat els do the enemies hereof but after the manner of the vvicked mencioned in the booke of IOB say vnto the Almighty depart thou from vs Chap. 2â— 13 15. Because we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes any further then it may stand vvith the vpholding of the corruptions receaued and mayntained in our Church by the consent of the State Yea and in their practize they say vvho is the Almighty that vve should serue him if he be so strickt in his vvorshipp that he cannot abide a Church gouernment to be mayntained vvhich may be changeable at the pleasure of the ciuill State VVho is the Almighty that vve should serue him if none must he in our ministery but such as both for their gifts and faythfulnes do in deed shevv themselues to be his true messengers VVho is the Almighty that vve should serue him if men for the bettering of their outvvard state may not be Lords ouer their brethren and ioyn liuing vvith liuing that they may be able to maynayne a part vnbeseeming their calling And I vvould they did not say vvhat profit is there if vve did stoup so lovv vnto him as vvithout delay there should nothing be in our Church vvhich might svvarue from that seuere rule of his vvord Should Gods children then feare least these men should haue the vpper hand ouer them and the Lords cause vvhich they mayntayn Nay I tell you that although such aduersaries vvere of that povver and authority that it might be demaunded VVho they vvere that durst presume to declare their euill vvayes vnto their faces yet should they vndoutedly be made as stubble before the vvind and as the chaff vvhich the storm caryeth avvay For this cause and euery one that in the sincerity of his hart seeketh the prosperous successe therof may boldly say vvith IOB Mine enemie shal be as the wicked Iob. 27.7 20.27 21.10 and he that riseth against me as the vnrighteous the heauens shall declare his wickednesse and the earth shall rise vp against him The encrease of his house shall go away it shall flowe away in the day of his wrath his eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the Almightie This shal be the portion of as many as to the end oppose themselues against the cause of reformation novv labored for Jt is not a matter of dalliance to vvithstand the povverfull ordinance of God in the gouerment of his Church especially vvhen in the steede thereof the marchandize of shamelesse Babylon is maintayned Jt is but folly to fight against the lambe in the defence of her pleasant things For the lamb shall ouercome because he is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords and they that are of his side chosen and called and faythfull Great Babylon the mother that mighty harlot being in her ful strength in this land vvas not able to stand against him vvhat then shall it boote the vveake daughter to striue And let them feare and take heede vvho defend the daughters fornication least they be made partakers of the punishment denounced against them vvho committed adultery vvith the mother Themselues they may hurt but their practizes against Gods trueth and his Sayntes ought not to discourage the Lords chosen from standing to the cause of their master Be they then neuer so many neuer so povverfull neuer so flovvrishing neuer of so great authority in the eyes of the vvorld vvho cannot abide that the Gospell should haue such a free passage in this kingdome as the heat thereof shoulde melt vvhatsoeuer is amisse in our state yet the Lorde not being of their side in this poynt they shall not be able to preuaile For this is that cause against vvhich neuer man as yet striued and prospered J knovve there vvill be many in this Parliament vvho questionlesse fauor the cause of God from their heart vvould be forvvard in pleading for the soueraigntie of Christ Iesus if they savv not their endeuors crossed and vvithstood by many of high place and authoritye All those vvhosoeuer they be J do from the bottome of mine heart earnestly beseech that they vvould consider that in dealing for the putting dovvne of the dumbe ministery for the abolishing of Nonresidency and the rooting out of Lord Archb. and Lord Bishops and vvhatsoeuer els the right hand of the Lord hath not planted and in seeing that the vvorde preached may freely sound thorowout this kingdome they do therby nothing els but desire that the God of heauen and earth may be acknoledged and accounted vvorthy alone to rule in his Church vvithin this land The consideration vvhereof ought so to mooue and stir them vp as no creature vnder heauen should be able to dismay them in this their Petition and request They seeke that he may rule his Church by his vvord and lavves alone at vvhose reproffe the a 2 Iob. 21.12 pillers of heauen do tremble and quake They seeke that he may be acknovvledged for the onely Sauiour and redeemer of men and for the onely
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
the cause of God heard with out partiallitie then indeed were it their partes to set downe for the direction of the parliament such thinges as were behoofull for the glorie of God and the good of his church the parliament by their direction according to the word ought to enjoine all the ministers and people whatsoeuer should be thus enacted by the ciuil state And if the conuocatition house were such an assembly then were it not laweful for the parliament to establish any thing in the matters apertaininge vnto the pure worship of God among their people but that wherein they shoulde be directed by the aduise of the churche gouernours For as in a christian common wealth where the ciuill state sincerely fauoureth the true worship of the Lord it is not tollerable no not for the right and lawful muchlesse say the vsurping tiranical gouernors of the church establish any thing in the church but by the authoritie of the christian magistrat so wher there are godly wise and sincere ministers it is vnlawfull for the ciuill gouernour to order any thing in the church within his domminions but by their direction according to the word So that I doe not denie but that the conuocation house being an assembly of true and lawful church officers you ought to vse their advise and direction how the wants of the church might be supplied But you shoulde not permit them to enact what they would by their owne authoritie especially their decrees being as now they are to the ratifying of corruptions and to the continuance of vngodly callings within these dominions And if you mean to giue ouer your right in dealing with the case of God vnto the conuocation house to what end shall the states of the land meete together in parliament be euer againe sued vnto But alasse that any thing in church causes shal be referred vnto that assemblie which would not stand as it doth if there weare that good order in the church which the Lord requireth and and as long as it doeth stand must needs be the cause of all disorders therein and must needs be a meanes of continuing that staruing ignoranuce which raigneth in this land Why my Lords to referre the cause of religion vnto the Conuocation house is nothing els but to charge the wolues vnder paine of the displeasure of careful shepherds to see that the lambes may be fedd besides the injurious derogation that thereby is offered vnto the liberties of this house And that it may appear how justly I apeal from that sinagogue vnto this high court of parliament and what small hope there is to be conceiued of reforming the abuses of our Church if the redresse be committed vnto that meeting you of the honorable court of parliament are to vnderstand that the conuocation house condemneth this cause of christ now in hand before it be hard and that their onely endeuours who are there mett is howe to preuent him from bearing rule in the Church by his owne lawes For it is well knowne that all of them haue banded and linked them selues together to maintaine the corruptions of our Church whereof I haue before spoken as the vngodly and popish hierarchie of bishops the ignorant ministery c. Which thing shal be manifested by the consideration of the persones who are admitted vnto the consultation meeâ—ing And they are of 2. sorts First these whoe by â—easoÌ„ of the superiority they vsurp over their breâ—hreÌ„ must needs be the chief doers in that house â—ow ignorant vnconscionable and vnfit for the gouernment of the Church soeuer they be Of which number are our Archbb. and L. bishops c. The second sort is of these who hauing no interest to be there in respect of anye superioritie they beare in the Churche are therefore elected and chosen to be there as the clarks of the Convocation house c. But there is such freedome and liberty in the choyse of these men that great care and heede is alwayes had by our L. Bb. that none shal be chosen thither but such as for good causes are knowen to bee vtter enemies vnto all sinceritie and strong maintainers of the established corruptions if any other by some meanes be gotten thither who doth but once mention the healing of the wounds of our Church he is straightwaies taken for a Nicodemus among theÌ„ namely for a man fauoring that side which none of the great Scribes and Pharises can brook and lightly they take that order with him which the Iewes tooke with those who professed our Sauiour Christ that is they bannish him out of their Synagogue To be briefe whosoeuer are of the house there is nothing done there but what the former sort to wit L. archb Bb. would haue enacted For the rest eyther cannot or wil not withstand their proceedings The whole sway then direction of this synod being in their hands who are for the most part the greatest cause of the teares of our Church will you referre the ordering of religion the reformation of the church vnto the Conuocation house I haue alreadye shewed that you ought to be so far from permitting vnto L. Bb. the disposition of any thing behofull vnto the Church of God as the very names and places should be razed from vnder your gouernment And wofull experience these 30. full yeares hath taught vs what a lamentable reformation these men now bring to passe if they may haue their owne wils Why these men my Lords and consequently the whole Conuocation house are in judgement contrarye vnto our a Luk. 22.25 Sauiour Christ for they holde it lawfull for ministers to be Lordes ouer their brethren These men my Ll. are of judgement that the exhortation of the Apostle Peter was not directed vnto them The Elders which are among you sayth the Apostle I beseech which am also an Elder and a witnes of the sufferings of Christ also a pertaker of the glorye that shal be reuealed Feede the flocke of God which dependeth vppon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lukers sake but of a readie minde not as though ye were Lords ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke and when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare you shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory These men I say are in judgement contrary vnto this blessed Apostle for they drinke it lawful for theÌ„ to be Lords ouer Gods heritage They are of judgment that christ Iesus was not so faythfull as Moses in the gouerment of his owne house And do you then thinke that they care how vnfaythfull rhey doe behaue themselues in the ouersight of the Church They hold the gouernment of the Church to be an humane ordinaunce and so holde the Pope to haue sufficient warrant of his hierarchie They my Ll. hold the kingdome of Christe in the outward gouernment to be a kingdome the lawes whereof may be chaunged and abrogated at the pleasure
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
A viewe of some part of such publike wants disorders as are in the seruice of God within her Maiesties countrie of VVales togither vvith an humble PETITION vnto this high Court of Parliament for their speedy redresse ¶ WHEREIN IS SHEVVED not only the necessitie of reforming the state of religion among that people but also the onely way in regarde of substaunce to bring that reformation to passe ¶ To all those that faythfully loue the lord Iesus and vnfainedly desire the flowrishing estate of Sion together vvith the vtter razing of vvhatsoeuer obscureth the perfect beutie therof namely to such of my brethren and countrimen as the Lord hath enlightened with a true knowledge the ioy of an vpright and comfortable profession with the encrease of all other the Lords good graces be multiplyed in Iesus Christe our LORD I Am not ignoraunt beloued in the Lord hovv many and great causes there are vvherof the very least might seeme to haue bene sufficiently able to discourage me from this enterprise vvhich vnder the holy hand of my God I haue novv vndertaken J am guiltie vnto my selfe of great corruption and vveakenes The glory of God is not so regarded amongest men as it ought to be The Parliament hath hytherto reiected this cause The enemies thereof are many and strong But as the discouragements are not a fevve so J confesse my self to be dravvn back vvith none more then vvith the consideration of my selfe For looking into mine ovvn hart I do from the bottom therof protest so sinful base contemptible and euery vvay so vveak a vvretch as J am to be the vnfittest instrument vnder heauen to deale in so vvaighty a cause Jt commeth into my minde that the Lord in iust iudgments tovvards my sinnes should deny any blessing vnto my endeuors J knovv that my vveaknes in handling the cause might disgrace the same And inasmuch as states for the most part looke vvith fleshly eyes It commeth into my minde that the suit by reason of my base estate should be reiected and cast off But all those likelihoods notvvithstanding yet I see that the Lord vvill haue the cause once againe brought vnto the Parliament in my hands to try vvhether men vvill not acknovvledge the Gopell and the gouernment of his son to vvit the scepter vvhereby alone Christ Iesus ruleth among men to be vvorth the entertaynment in their assemblies thogh it be not accompanied vvith that vvorldly maiesty vvhervvith vvhen it pleaseth him he is able to countenance it And hereby it is in deed that men do truly shâ—vv themselues to tremble before the son of God and to stoop vnto his royall Scepter vvhen they are not ashamed of his vvord hovv base soeuer they be that become suiters in the behalfe therof For mine ovvne part hovvsoeuer I haue iust occasion to lament mine ovvne great corruptions yet J may boldly say in the presence of God al those vnto vvhose consideration these labors of mine are offred publish thus much that this cause as near as I could is altogither separated from those foul staines vvhervvith J acknovvledge my selfe to be defiled And J hope that it so offereth it selfe vnto the publike vievv and consideration of the Parliament as they haue no iust cause by reason of my great vveaknes and base estate to reiect the same Neyther is any man to maruell that J being charged of late by M. Doct. Some in publike vvriting to be not onely a defender of many blasphemous errors but also an vnderminer of the ciuill State durst presume to become a sutor vnto the high Court of Parliament before J had first cleared my selfe of those crimes For my purpose being to haue published an ansvvere to M.D. Some before this cause should be made knovvn I vvas dravvne vvhether I vvould or no to take the opportunity of setting out this vvhich I thought to be most vvaighty least that if I had deferred it vntill th' other had come forth I might haue bin preuented of the means to publish it in any due time Besides the 185. page line 2. 30. of M.D. Somes booke vvherein he hath freely graunted me the controsie betvveene vs vvhich is that vnpreaching ministers are no ministers and consequently not to be communicated vvith do euidently shevv that he did not vvell knovv himselfe vvhat he did in charging me so far beyond christian modesty for defending nothing els in these points but that vvhich his ovvne vvritings do publikely vvitnes against him to be Gods truth So that of al oother causes his bare and by his ovvne vvitnes for the most part false accusations ought least of all to disvvade me from this labour though I neuer ment to aunsvvere him But by the grace of God he shal be ansvvered and that very shortly And the Petition being in the behalfe of Gods honor and the good of his Church the small regard that the Parliament hath had heretofore vnto such suites ought not greatly to discourage me the nomber might povver and authoritie of the enemies of the cause much lesse He that ruleth the harts of men can encline them to the setting forth of his ovvne glory vvhen he thinketh good That vvhich the Lord for some cause seeming good vnto his vvisdome doth not grant at one time he being for the promoting of his honor lightly bringeth to passe at some other season And the attempts of his children for the buylding of his Church haue not alvvayes that successe vvhich they vvish vnder their hands For he vseth the endeuors of some not to finish the building but to be a preparation vnto that vvorke which he meaneth to effect by the hand of others Zerubabel and Ezra labored very hardly in the building of Ierusalem the Lord did not finish the vvorke by their means and yet that vvhich they did vvas a great furtherance vnto Nehemiah vvhose hands the Lord vsed in ioyning the vvall So the endeuors of Gods children in our dayes may haue their effect to the glory of God and the comfort of his Church amongst our posterities It vvas a common demaund the last Parliament vvhere the cause of reformation being then labored for vvas 26. or 28. years agone and vvherfore after so many years of the Gospell enioyed in this land the motion of altering the outvvard state of the Church in the offices and officers therof Came it so out of time to be considered off Least the like obiection should be vsed in the ages to come behold the mountayns of VVales do novv in the 31. yeare of the raign of Queen ELIZABETH call heauen and earth to vvitnes that they are vveary of their dumb ministers nonresidents Lord Bishops c. and that they desire to be vvatered by the devve of Christs holy Gospell and to be compassed about vvith that beautifull vvall of his holy gouernment Be it then granted that the Lord in anger tovvards our sins doth not account vs novv liuing vvorthy to be inuited by hir right excellent Maiesty
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
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
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
make their remembrance to cease from among men saue that I feared the fury of the enemie lest their aduersaries should wax proud lest they should say our high hand and not the Lord hath done al this Therefore let not our deliuerance harden you of the parliament in the sinn of maintayning the breaches of the Lords house The same Lord that wrought our deliuerance wil surely be the cause of our ruine if his honor be so neglected by you as vsually before time it hath ben And we are to take heed lest the Lord seeing our profane and vaine insulting of the victory when we are not a whit bettered thereby send some Ieremy among vs which may cry as he did vnto the king and states of his time in the like matter Thus saith the Lord God of Israel thus shal you say to the parliament of England Behold except at this your meeting all the deformities that are tollerated in my seruice be at once done a way and except you grant free passage vnto my gospel the nauy of the Spaniard which I discomfited before you shal come againe and fight against this land and waste it with fire and sword Therefore deceiue not your selues saying the Spaniardes are so weakened by their last discomfiture that they are not able to pursue their intended inuasion for it shal not be so No though you had smitten the whole hoste of the Spaniard that fought against you and there remained but wounded men amonge them yet should euery man rise vp in his tent and ouerrun this land And let vs looke assuredly whensoeuer the abject and contemtible enemy shall assaile vs abject and contemptible I say in al respectes in comparison of the value and strength of our men and munition and the Lord increase them a thousand fold more that this God whose seruice is so litle estemed of vs wil send a terror into the hart of our valiantest and stoutest men so that he whose hart is as the hart of a lion shal be as weake as water and on enemye shal chase a thousand of vs because the hand of the Lord wil be against vs for our sinns It is not therefore the Spanish furniture and preparations but the sins within the land which we are most of all to feare For although the army of the Spaniard were coÌ„sumed with the arrowes of famine although the contagious and deuouring pestilence had eaten them vp by thousands although their totterting shipps were dispersed and caried away with the whirlwinde and tempest although madnesse and astonishment were amongst them from him that sitteth in the throane vnto her that grindeth in the mill although the Lords reuenging sword in the hand of our valiant captaines and souldiers had so preuailed against them as it had left none in that vncircumcised hoast but languishing and foyled men notwithstanding a contemptible wythered remnant of the plague and famine a navie of winde and weather beaten ships a refuse of feeble and discomfited men shal be sufficiently able to preuaile against this lande vnlesse another course be taken for Gods glory in Wales by your Hh. then hitherto hath bene If I did speake vnto infidels vngodly atheists I know I should not be so plaine because vnto such the trueth at sometimes is vnseasonably spoken But I speake vnto those that haue vndertaken the profession of Christianitie and therefore should at all times be fit to heare the trueth of God And I know no temporizing trueth no temporizing judgements of God against sinne no trueth that is to be concealed vnto christians because their Hh. cannot brooke the same no trueth that is eyther not at all or minsingly to be vttered because states loue not to here thereof So that I was in this matter not to consider what your high places were content to here but what was the dutie of your high places to heare And therefore I should thinke it I protest an vndutifull and flattering petition to entreat your Hh. not to be offended with mee for vttering the trueth As though I supposed you would thinke it wonderful that a man should aduenture to speake euen in the cause of his God any farther then stood with your good liking The sum of all that the Lord requireth at your hands in the cause of his honour is concluded in these 2. points First that you abrogate out of the Churche whatsoeuer you finde therein to be a breach of Gods ordinaunce Secondly that you countenance the preaching of the word in such sort as the course thereof be not stayed for the pleasure or profit of any creature These poyntes are so reasonable that whosoeuer vpon choise deliberation denieth any of them of inconsideracie and want of due examination of matters I know many things may be done amisse I cannot see what he differeth from a plaine Atheist And therefore againe I admonish you in the name of God to looke vnto your selues and thorowly to waigh what the Lorde by the mouth of Ezekiel threatneth against you if you stil refuse his waies and mainteine these bypaths of mans inventions in his Church You haue feared the sworde Ezek. 11 8â— 10.12 sayth the prophet and I will bring a sworde vpon you sayth the Lord Iehouah and I will bring you out of the middest of this land and deliuer you into the hands of strangers and execute judgements among you You shall fall by the sworde and you shall know that I am the Lorde for you haue not walked in my statutes nor executed my judgementes but haue done after the manner of the heathen that are round about you The lawes offices and officers of our church for the most part being not according to the statuts of the lord but framed after the maner of the popish gouernment whereby the nations round about vs are tiranized by the maÌ„ of sin that is not a matter to be wondered at that the alteratioÌ„ of our ecclesiastical state is desired And besides our sauior Christ his Gospell came into the world to alter yea and ouerthrow states and gouernements in al things wherin they should be contrary vnto his wil and I hope that you of this parliament wil not deny him this prerogatiue If I haue sought the remouing of any thing which the lord requireth not to be altered I craue no pardon of mine ouersight What I haue written in this whol treatise I am ready by the grace of God personally to make good though it were vppon mine vttermost peril whensoeuer I shal be therevnto called by you of this honorable assembly wherein there are many of good estimation and credit who vpon the motion of mine apperance by this house wil I trust vndertake that I shall come to stand vnto the premises by me set downe So that I may obtain which I most humbly craue of you R. Hh. and worshipful that vpon mine apperance I be not â—y any court or prerogatiue only the H. court of parliament excepted vnto whom