doctrine ronne here and there â—here â—hey myght be hearde anâ—â—atinge the People against obedience due to the gooâ— manly 〈◊〉 2. and poâ—eâ—ke lawes and ordinances of theyr Prinâ—es and gouernours Aâ—â—ikâ—â—ise whâ—t â—â—â—sâ—â—g vp of tumults whâ—t murdering and â—onâ—umâ—ng one of an other is come to â—â—â—e daylie in other lands therabout videlicet about religion the Trueâ—h it woulde be I say too long to reâ—vie for sâ—eedy reformation wherof aâ—d that the lyke inconuenience in alâ— whiâ—h God forbid coâ—e not to passâ— with in this Land but rather may in tyme through your good providenâ—e and Noble wisdoms in the Lord before seene and peruented May it therefore please the Kings Majestie the Lords Spirituall and Temperall together with the worshipfull and commons here assembâ—ed to let proclamation go forth into all coasts of the Land and that it be permitted and graunted of euery Religion one at the least to come into the peâ—lament house there to speake freely his mynd conserning the Trueth and the effect or ground of his religion And when eueryone hath sayd his mynde and your princely wisdome aduisedly and deeply considered therof as which of them all shall go nearest the Trueth So may you then doe your best in the Lord that the Trueth onely may take place for as-much as God who alone is worthy of all honour is a spirit and wil none otherwise be honored saue in spirit and Trueth And thus to thend all enuy contencion and disobedience mought once seace amongst vs that now boast so much of â—hristianity and that all godly loue obedience vnity peace and concord in the Trueth myght come in place whereby God myght rightly be honored Iesus Christ myght faythfully be beleeued the King and you all that beare authority dutifully obayed the People that are vnder you become blessed and the common welth alwayes florish to your euerlasting fame I make an end Referring all thing here spoken to the Lord and your wisdomes to consider of and so I committ you to God and to his good tuicion who is well able to endow you with his heauenly wisdom or holy spirit for to doe in all his wil Amen And so he ended Balt. This was no doubt a maruellous good waie for to bring all to one vniformity of Religion as also for to fynde out the Trueth if so be the King majestrates when they haue harde all speâ—ke caÌ„ discerne the Trueth and true religion from all others which thing they may easily doe when as the Lord shall see it good for as much as the Trueth is playne and seeketh no corners and they also Gods Ministers appoynted to that end but yet thou hast not tolde me what was sayd to this matter nor what ensued therupon Ben. Then sayd the King this mans consell is very good let therefore proclamation go forth and let them come before vs to wit of euery Religion one and then shall euery one say his mynde freely conserning his Religion and conserning the Trueth And for my part after I haue heard euery one speak and aduisedly coÌ„sydered therof according vnto the Trueth of the Scriptures I wil by the grace of God giue true Iudgement without perceality because that God whose minister I am mought rightly be honored in Spirit and in Trueth Then spake the Counsell all at once and sayd God saue thee ò Kinge for euer For â—e likewise are good advouching thereunto and therefore wish with all our haertes that it mought euen-so come to passe After that spake the Lords Spirituall and sayd God blesse the King in his determination for we also are zealous for the Trueths cause and therefore woulde gladly that it vvere manifested And then spake the Lords Temperall and sayd God preserue the King and graunt him good suckcesse in all that he taketh in hand for vve are redy to the vttermost of our power to defend the Trueth vvere it once made knowen Then last of all spake the commons and sayd God prosper the King in his good purpose for vvee stand also ready to liue therin mought vve once know certaynlie vvhich vvere the Trueth Balt The God of all Trueth blesse them vvith his euerlasting blessing make manifest his Trueth vnto them and then geve them and vs all grace to liue in the same But vvhat followed I pray you tel me Ben. Vpon this the proclamation vvent forth into all quarters and therevpon came into the Parlament house 4. men diuersly Apareled also of sundry myndes or Religions Videlict A Catholick comonly called a Papist A Protestant câ—monly called a Liberâ—in A Puritan comonly called a Rebell And a playne Plowmâ—n vvhose religion vvas vnknowen comonly called an Heretique Balt Now of Fellowship let me heate more of this matter for there is like alwaeys to iâ—sue some good sporte vvhere so many Players doe resorte Ben After such tyme as they all kneeling vpon their knees had craued perdon and lisence euery man to speak freely his mynde vvithout any interruption for the profe of his Religion and the manifesting of the Trueth and that free liberty vvas graunted them Then vvas it concluded also that the Catholick shoulde speake first next after him the Protestant 3. the Puritane and last of all the playne Plowman Balt. Suerly this vvas excellent vvel now then as thou louest me let me heare vvhat good stuffe the Catholique coulde bring for his old rusty Religion Ben Then the Catholique after his humble submission made to the K. and to the Honourable and vvorshipfull there assembled he sayd Most Noble Prince you all most Honourable worshipfull audience In as much as you haue most graciously graunted me to speake for my Religion and the Trueth so I most humbly beseech you all to heare me Be it knowne vnto you all that the Catholique generall Religion had her first foundacion as it is thought neare vpon 1â— hundred yeares past and hath remayned in force and no other generall Religion among the Christians with in Europe knowen or frequented vntill about 80. yeares past that one Matin Luther someâ—ymes a ffryer tooke vpon him vpon a displeasure taken aganst the Pope to vvryte dispitefully there agaynst and this our Religion vvas instituted accâ—rding to the holy scriptures by a generall councell of holy Fathers For after such tyme as they out of a great zeale towards the Trueth beheeld the increase of all Iniquity amongst the People in somuch as Chrâ—st and his doctrine vvas almost forgotten yea and more ouer fearing least in processe of tyme the Natiuety Death and Passion of Christ together vvith his doctrine lyfe and miracles as also the doctrine lyfe and miracles of the Prophets Apostles Euangilests and holy fathers should likevvise be altogether forgotten especially nâ—w in these last lisencious dayes vvherin they vnderstood in the Spirite that all iniquity vvould abound lyke as it is come to passe at this day Then they thought it good to call a generall Councell at the vvhich counsell they ordayned not vvithout the
what should I speake of their superstitious names Videlicet my Lord of Canterburyes grace my Lord Yorcks grace my Lord Bishop Mr. Deane Mr. Subdeane Mr. Archdeacon Mr. Commosary Dr. such-a-on Mr. Soueraigne Mr. Parson Mr. Vicker c. and to be shorte vvat soeuer the protestant vseth so vvel in his seruice as in his ministration of Sacraments and Ceremonyes they are all counterfeyted out of Papistry and are therefore no better to be termed then rotten Raggs of the Romish Church For that cause right Honourable audience I beseech you in the bowels of Iesu Christ that you vvoulde once ouerthrowe and cleane roote out for euer all such Antichristan memorials aforesayd of that Babilonish hoore so that nothing remayne vpon the Earth in any remembrance of her And then may you reforme Religion as we shall Instruct you after the maner of the best reformed Churches in all Europe And vntill that tyme we wil neyther obey you nor your lawes and Institutions for in such case say we it is better to obey God then men And thus I conclude Right Noble and worshipfull forasmuch as our zeyle standeth more towards God and his lawes then towards the lawes and ordinances of men Therefore we who are aboue in our ministration men or Angels doe holde our Religion to be the best because we seeke the reformation of the Church in all things that are amisse and moreouer we haue our foundation from Ezechia Iosia Iudas Machabeus c. and for that cause of greater antiquitie then them both And our ministration which we vse and teach among our Colleges in our exercises and nightly conventikles is the Trueth And here I end comitting all things herein touched to your vvisdoms to consider of And so departed Balt. O Lord what shall I saye or vpon what Religion shall I now staye me wherby I mought now find out the Trueth then hath he so vnfolded it in such sorte also layde his ground so sure that all men vvhich heareth him as I conjecture must needs thinke that he vvhich is so zealous for Gods cause feareth not to reproue the King to his face seeketh the reformation of the Church and also bringeth vvith him the greatest antiquitie is like to preuayle and also winne the best game Yet vvould I fayne heare what the 4◠could saye to all these profound and groundly reasons but alas what should a playne Plowman saye among such high learned Prelats Notwithstanding of fellowship let me heare what the foolish fellowe could say or what answer he could make that I might laugh a little Ben. Last of all stood vp this playne Plowman whose Religion was vnknowen although he had bin so long tyme by all these 3 aforsayd suspected bruted for an Heretique And falling downe vpon his knees he sayd O most puissant Prince together vvith all your Honorable and vvorshipfull in this present Parlament assembled Are you desyerous in this contentious and troublesome tyme wherin all Iniquity doth abounde and wherin also so many Religions sects and opinions are out of flesh and bloud entred or taken on among the Children of men to vnderstand the best Religion as also the Trueth and what thing the Trueth is to th end that God mought be honoured therin Then I beseech you of your clemencie heare me speake You haue heard of these 3. one being contrary to an other speake the very best that in them was for the aduouching of their Religion and the Trueth And now as touching the first namely the Catholike he hath out of a good zeale brought in so nere as he could conjecture the first ground of the Catholik Religion and the long continuance thereof declaring also that the sacraments Ioan. 14 a. b c 1. Ioan. 3.4 a.b.c. signes ceremonyes and seruices of the same Church were ordeyned onely to keepe in memory things passed c. euen like as the seruices and sacraments ceremoniall of the old lawe were in the beginning ordeyned to keepe in memorie things that thē were to come c. Notwithstanding the good life wherevpon all sacraments signes ceremonies or shadowes figuratiue in the Catholik church did point vpon and vvhich also the holy scripture doe require and whereout the dutifull obedience towards God and Gouernours doth proceed was of this Catholicke now in these last dayes altogether forsaken rejected and forgotten euen like as it vvent also in times before with the disobedient and vnbeleeuing jewes so hath he forsaken the Trueth vvhereupon he sayth his Religion was grounded And therefore the Lorde hath now no pleasure in this Apostated Catholik nor yet in his absurd Religion vvherevpon it is now come to passe that the 2. namely this Protestant beholding the many-maner abuses and disorderlynesse of life which hath bin now in these latter dayes found in this Cotholique and his Religion and for the vvhich no doubt he hath receiued greate chastisment of the Lord and his Ministers hath declared forth to his great reproach many of the same abuses before you all very rightly as they vvere and moreouer out of a great zeale hath commended his owne Religion for the best which thou O king hast now appointed and set vp among vs Videlicet the declaring forth of the gospell and holy scriptures among vs. The seruice vsed and read in the mother tongue to thend all mought heare and vnderstand what is sayd and then followe the same vvhich is good as likewise the sacraments ceremonies ministred in the same tongue to thend all subjects mought be holden vnder godly and manly obedience and hue according to the scriptures in one vniformity of Religion according to the kings good meaning therein Psalm 1. and. 15.24 Math. 25. d. ◠All these say I were it accomplished in the deed and in the Trueth is a very good Religion also vvere very vvell sayde of him as out of a singuler good zeale Notwithstanding the vvhile this Protestant vvhich can readily reproue an other by the scripture vvalketh forth still in all malitiousnes of life although he boaste neuer so much of Light Life Liberty Psa 15. Ioan. 12. g. Rom. 8. b. Math. 7. d. 1. Cor. 6. b. Collo 3. a. 2. Tim. 3. a. Freedome by Christe he remayneth notwithstanding in darkenes and is the seruant of sinne or bondslaue of Sathan vvhat should I say of the couitousnes that vvorshipping of Images Enuie Pride Extortion Symony Vsery Whoredome together vvith all maner of Iniquity that now doth abound in this Protestant so vvell among the Clergie as the Layetie Thus may vve see that he likevvise in rejecting the good life Ioan. 14 a. 12. g. Gal. 2. d. Math. 5. 2. Ioan. 4. b. vvhich all the holy scriptures do requier and witnes and were vpon also all the holy scriptures as also al sacraments ceremonies figures or shadowes that good are do signifie figure forth point vpon hath rejected the Trueth And novv beholde I pray you what fruits haue insued since this liberty
to th end I mought once attayne to the same Trueth vvithout the vvhich there is for me no Salvation Therefore consider hereof aduisedly I most humbly beseech you so many as haue rejected obedience they haue rejected the true Religion Eph 4. d. Ioan. â—â— c Ioan. 14 a.b. Hab. 1. a. Gal. 2. d. And so many as haue rejected the holy and godly lyfe haue rejected forsaken the Trueth namely Iesus Christ Therefore am I boulde to say as vnder correction and submission that this â—y Religion and this Trueth vvhereof I haue spoken being once fast grounded in our myndes and spirits is the principall good wherein the Lord hath set his whole delight and vvherout he vvil onely be honored serued Also vverunto all Christian and Catholique Religions Kings Princes Magistrates people ought of right for evermore to geue place as one flocke vnder one shepheard For it is an Euerlasting lyfe in the which and through which vve being vnited soule and spirit vvith God the Father shall rise againe in this same flesh and liue vvith Christ our Sauiour in ioyes everlastingly It is very True And now as I haue here acknowledged right High and Honorable c before you all one onely true Christian Catholik Religion so let no man from hence forth charge me to be of no Religion neither yet to be of all Religions but rather such a one as would good vnto all to vvit that all religions in most louing vvise mought be gathered together now in these last dayes according to the promisses through the gospell of Iesus Christ vnto this onely true Religion aforesayd of faythfull obedience to God Gouernours and Trueth towards all men For then vvhosoeuer is a right Catholique Protestant or Puritan and liueth in the sayd obedience and Trueth I can in no vvise disalowe of him in somuch as I my self indevour me dayly by the grace of God to accomplish or attayne vnto vvith them that most holy religion of obedience and Trueth because there mought bee no more in th end saue one God one Christ and sauiour one Holy Ghost one Fayth one Baptisme one obedience one Trueth one Flocke one shepheard euen such is my mynd so would I bee conceived of and no other vvise Great is the King great and mighty is his power yea greate is the knowleÌ„dge that the sonnes of men haue found out vpon the Earth Also great and many maner are the Religions services and ceremonyes which men haue deuised to serue the Lord wâ—â—hâ—ll yet notwithstanding much greater is obedienâ—e in the Trueth That louely lyfe of â—od or of hâ—s holy vvord for it is as I sayd before Christ â—esus the vvay wherin 〈…〉 ought to waâ—ke the Trueth vvherin all men ought to beâ—â—eâ—e And the lyfe wherin all mâ—n oughâ— to liue Therefore great is Oâ—e lunâ—â— in the Trueth and of worthynes part goeth beyond them all And so after reverence done he ended Balt. O most mâ—rcyfull God what shalâ— become of all such Ignoâ—ant sâ—ules as I am which are redy to runne now afâ—er this Relâ—gion then after thâ—t alas neighbour alas iâ—â—eemeth noâ— by these his speeches which doubtles are very true Ioan. 8 d Mar. 1. b. 6. b. Ioan. 15. a.b. that all People on Earth â—hich haue chosen to them selves a Religion wherin they supposed to haue obtayned their freedome Iustification and salvation by Christ and yet neuer attayned to true repentance muâ—h lesse to Obedienâ—e in the godly lyfe vvhich he callâ—th the Trueth or Christ himself are cleane set besyde the saâ—dle For I now perceaue right well the Oâ—edience in the good lyfe is a most precious treasure proseeding from God and vvherewith God the King and a mans neighbour is serued Moreouer by the lyfe men may knowe the workes of God from the workes of men alwayes As for example let vs looke vpon all the Creatures that the Lord hath made yea whâ—tsoeuer thing the eye of man can beholde and see it hath or it hath had a kynde of lyfe in it Likewise let vs looke vpon all the workes of man seeme they neuer so bewtifully and loe they haue no lyfe in them So that although one man may fashion an other man â— Cor. 13. Ioan. 14 a.b. Ioan. 3. a. Gala. 6. c. through smoth words deepe knowledges to an outward shew of holines yet is he no better before such tyme as God worketh through his grace and the ministration of his holy word the new birth or true godly lyfe in the man then a dead Image or paynted Sepulcher which the man had made vvith his owne hands And now therefoâ—e it cometh redâ—ly to my remembrance how it standeth written in the Scriptures to the same effect 2. Cor. 13. Rom. 8. Gala 4. Ephes 3 2. Cor. 4. c. Videlicet Except Christ be in you sayth Paul to the Christian Congregations you are cast awaâ—es also if a man haue not the spirit of God the same is none of his moreouer I trauell in birth till Christ be fashioned in you agayne a newe with a number of such like savings in scriptuer more vvhich vvere too long to resite Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. Ioan. 14.15 a. b. c. d. So that now I perceaue his mynd right well whiâ—h is this he that obayeth the vvord obayeth the King and leadeth a godly lyfe and he that leadeth a godly lyfe hath Christ dwâ—lling in him And herefore Christ sayth without me ye can doe nothing Ioan 8 d. Gal. 2. d. 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 8. a. Eph. 5. a. â— Ioan 4. b. c. for I am the Wâ—y the Trueth and the Lyfe So then when any good worke is wrought it is Christ onely that doth the good-workâ— that are acceptable vvith God and not the man and therefore vvhere he so extolleth the Trueth or good lyfe aboue all he meaneth Iesus Christ vvhich ought to dwell in the man vvhose spirit at that tyme vvill lead the man into all right obedience and Trueth vvhich lyfe doubtlesse I see now being wel considered of is the principall good vvherunto all People vvith their high knowledges Religions Services Sacraments and Ceremonyes ought for evermore to geve place And now therefore in myne opinion if any man shall henceforth resist or deny this same playne Ploâ—mans Religion or he Tâ—ueth aforesayd vvhich is now so manyfestly expressed aâ—proueâ— by the holy scriptures his conscience bâ—â—â—â—â—g him record that it is euen so then doubtlesse he is eyâ—hâ—r an â—gnorant and supersticious Papist vvho being digressed from the right ground of the Cath lique Religion esteemeth more of the Sacraments Misteryes Ceremonyes or shadows then of the very thing vvhich hey signify or hâ—ue hidden in them Or els he is a lisencious Protestant vho contrary to the vvord â—f God as also contraâ—y to the good meaning of the King abuseâ—h that gooâ— Relâ—gâ—on vvhich his Majeste hath appoynted to be frequented amongst vs and liueth afâ—er his owne filthy lusts and