euen by vertue of their places cannot chuse but oppresse the church of God are the ready and direct waie not only to kepe my countrimen from eternal life but also to bringe the Lords wrath vppon vs our prince maiestrats people and the whol kingdome So that I am molested for soliciting the cause of God the cause of mens soules the cause of her maiestie and the State with whome the Lord with out speedy repentance is not likely to beare any longer for the manifold corruptions of our church I am molested because I cannot be content that my countrymen should want the means of their saluation and so run headlong to their owne eternall ruine and because I am not silent at the miserable prophanation of Gods sanctuary by swine and vncleane beastes I am molested because I suffer not without any shewe of dislike the holy ministery of the Lord and the sacred gouernment of his church to be a pray vnto such men as are not worthy to liue in any wel ordered common wealth much lesse in a reformed church I am molested because I hold it vnlawful for any man to take vppon him the care charge and ouersight of those soules whome he cannot possibly feede guide and direct in the paths and pastures of eternal life I am molested because with the holy Apostle Peter I think it vnlawfull for any minister to be Lord ouer gods heritage and thinke the judgment of our Sauiour to be sounde who held it vnlawful for his ministers to Rule like Lordes I am molested because I hold that which is set downe Heb. 3. 6. to be true whereby I am inforced to confesse that as non but Moses or some other prophet by the expresse commaundement of God was to ordaine th'officers of the church vnder the lawe So non but our Sauiour Christ or his apostles in the expresse written word are to ordaine the officers of the churche gouernement vnder the newe couenaunt I am also molested because being constrained by the former scripture Hebr. 3. 6. to acknowledge that our Sauiour lefte an externall gouernement of his Church and so is equall with Moses and such a gouernement as cannot be changed by any but himselfe and so is superior vnto Moses I am driuen to confesse this vnchangeable forme of externall church gouernement ordained by him to be a gouernment th' execution whereof is committed to these 4. officers namely Teaching Pastors Doctors gouerning Elders ministring Deacons because I finde non other officers or offices either expressed or included in the Newe Testament Apostles Prophetes and Euangelistes onely excepted which being remooued out of the Churche by the Lord himselfe the boldnes of our Bishops their defenders is intolerable in demanding why Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons should be permanent seeing Apostles Prophets and Euangelists were but temporarie As though the Lord himselfe were not of sufficient wisedome to ordaine what he thought good in the gouerment of his Church or as though he were bounde either to continue Apostles Prophets and Euangelists or to abrogate th'other 4. offices vnder the Gospell to haue no gouerment of his appointment muchlesse vnchangeable I am molested because I made it knowne that to maintaine a Churche gouernement which at the pleasure of man according to the diuers estates of the Church may be changeable is flatly to ouerthrowe the prerogatiue whereby Christe Iesus is aboue Moses in th'ordering of his owne house Th'outwarde regement whereof cannot be held chaungeable vnder the Gospell according to times places countries states but Christ Iesus must be made inferior vnto Moses contrary to th'expresse decree and counsell of th'eternall God Heb. 3. 6. Briefly I am molested because I made it knowen that the gouernment of the Church by L. Bishops and Archbishops being as they themselues graunt a temporarie gouernement fit for the Church in time of peace but not of persecution and neuer ordained by the Lorde but inuented by man to preuent schismes c. is intollerable in Gods Church because it maketh Christ Iesus to haue ordained either a changeable church gouernement of his owne house or none at all and so to be far lesse faithfull in Gods house then Moses was These and such like my Lordes are the causes why th'Archb and his are so bloodily affected towardes me And I haue as mine aduersaries themselues confesse alleadged vnto you the true cause of their hatred and enmitie For if th'Archb c. were demaunded by this honourable assembly why they imprisoned me why they rifeled my studie tooke away my writinges why they now seeke for me their present answere would be that I am an enemie to the present gouernment of the cleargie established by her Majesties prerogatsue and the consent of the State And what is this in effect but because I thinke Christ Iesus to be more faithfull in the gouernment of his owne house then Moses was I know in deed that for this cause they giue out that I am an enemie to her Majesties gouernment a seditious and discontented subject guiltie of many attemptes and practises against her royall prerogatiue and one that intendeth nothing els but the vtter innouation of the state wherein I doe acknowledge th' auncient and perpetuall slaunder of Gods trueth and his seruants in all ages For it hath bene the continuall course and practize of the diuell at all times to laye matter of state vnto their charge that haue gainsaid any of those corruptions which his instruments haue maintained in Gods holy seruice And if our Bishops should new refraine from this slaunder then could they not so manifestly discrie themselues as they doe to be their naturall successors whose roomes in this age they supplie in the defence of the kingdome of darkenesse and ignorance Our Sauiour Christe was guiltie of so many and so outragious practises against the State wherein he liued as Pilate the Iudge could not saue his life and be a friend vnto Cesar This did the high priest openly protest against him Iohn 19. 12. And can we then maruel that his trueth in this age among our high priests is subiect vnto the same obloquie Tertullus th'orator would not be tedious in accusing th'apostle Paule if Felix of his curtesie would but heare him a few words he would briefly lay forth the cause of the Iewes hatred towards the apostle in this sorte Certainly wee haue found this man a pestilent fellowe and a mouer of sedition among the Jewes thorough out the world and a chief mainteiner of the sect of the Nazarites The wicked Iewes also Act. 17. 6. 7. missing of Paul and Silas drew Iason with certaine other brethren vnto the heads of the city crying These are they that haue subuerted the State of the world and here they are that gainsay the decrees of Cesar saying that there is an other king on Jesus c where I do the lesse maruel that sedition and treason is laied to my
to bring it out into the face of the sunn here they may be assured of justice without any suspition of partiallity My reasons vsed in my last supplication vnto your Hh. against their gouernment are but a fewe if D. Bridges or any of their side can answere them I wil grant my selfe to haue oppugned the truth and soe wil destroie my selfe that which I haue built amisse otherwise they shewe them selues to be but vpholders of a ruinous building and the repairers of that which wanteth a foundation They can not refuse you of the Parliament to be their judges vnlesse either they think much to be tried by you or because as it is in the prouerb they which do euil hate the light They will it may be alleage the prerogatiue of their commission to be very large what then doe they think herby to haue libertie to oppresse whom they will doe they thinke hereby to be aboue the parliament whereunto al courts in the land are and ought to be subiect and from whence the highe commission deriueth al the prerogatiue it hath Are al courts yea and al persons in the land subiect vnto the parliament only the Archb. and the high commission excepted What else were this but for them to claime a forreine authority vnto them selues and to begin after the manner of their predicessors to shake of the yoke of the ciuil authoritie FroÌ„ which suspicion as they would cleare themselues so must they be content to yeeld that the parliament may be the judges betwene vs. Except they be ashamed of their cause and their proceedings therein they cannot possibly refuse this offer of just trial And no reason they should for they cannot pretend them selues either to be greater in power or more forward in good wil to administer justice then the R. honourable assembly of parliament is well knowne to be Though I feare me R. honorable worshipful that the Lord wil enter into judgment with you for the smal care you haue to yeld his sonne Christ Iesus his right in this kingdome If heere they should demaund by what authoritie either I may lawfully appeale from them or by what obligation your honors are bound to giue eare vnto my complaint although both be alredy shewed yet a farther answere vnto both are to ensue as followeth I appeale from them at whose handes I can receiue no equitie by the same commission that the apostle Paul and the prophet Ieremy appealed vnto the ciuil magistrates from the vsurped and tirannical high priestes in their daies The accepting of Paules appellation by Festus an heatheÌ„ judg and the deliuery of Ieremy by the princes of Iudah from the slanderous accusations and wrongful proceedings of the wicked priests and false prophets besides many other vnanswerable reasons do necessarily bind me to appeale and the parliament not to denie me the shadowe of their winges vnder which I may be kept from the violence of mine enemies when Festus willing to get fauour with the Iewes vsed this speech vnto the apostle wilt thou goe then to Ierusalem and there be judged of these things before me Paul knowing that at Ierusalem the malice of his enemies would be more likely to take effect then else where answered I staÌ„d at Cesars judgment seate where I ought to be judged If I haue done wronge or committed any thing woorthy of death I refuse not to dye but if there be non of these things true whereof they accuse me no man can deliuer me vnto them I appeal vnto Cesar his appellation was receiued of the Pagan judge Nowe my state being not in respect of danger altogeather vnlike the condition wherein the holy Apostle was at this time mine answere vnto the high commission is I appeale vnto the parliament where I ought to be judged If I haue done any wronge or committed any thing worthy of death I refuse not to dye The parliament wil not be partial in administring justice vnto me according to my deserts But if there be nothing laied to my charge but the defence of Gods cause and the oppugning of impietie and corruption no man ought to deliuer me into your hands whoe care not whome you aflict in the maintenance of your owne kingdome I appeale vnto the parliament I am in regard of my safety as necessarily driuen therunto as the Apostle Paul was ro appeale vnto Cesar or rather more For he might conceiue some hope of justice when he was to be judged of Festus who did not so mortally hate his cause as the high priest and others his accusers did whereas I am to haue you for my judges who also are mine accusers and sworn enemies vnto the cause I appeale to the ciuil state I hope by their meanes to be heard and deliuered from your tyrannie As the prophet Ieremie was in the like case by meanes of the princes in his time The high priests and prophets judged him worâ—hie to die the princes hearing his cause debated in their presence deliuered him out of danger The whol action is set downe cap. 26. of his prophesie in these words Now when Ieremy had made an end of speaking all that the lord had commaunded him to speak vnto al the people then the prists and the prophetes and all the people tooke him and said thou shalt die the death Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Iehouath saying this house shalbe like Shilo and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant And al the people were gathered against Ieremy in the house of the Loâ—d And wheÌ„ the princes of Iudah heard of these things they cam vp from the kings house into the house of the Lord and sate downe in the entry of the newe gate of the Lords house Then spake the priests and the prophets vnto the princes and to al the people saying this man is worthy to dye for he hath prophesied against this city as you haue heard with your eares Then spake Jeremiah vnto all the princes and to all the people saying the Lord hath sent me to prophesie against this house against this city al the things that you haue heard therefore now amend your waies and your workes and heare the voice of the Lord your god that the lord may repent him of the plague that he hath pronounced against you As for me behold I am in your hands doe with me as you think good right but knowe you for certaine that if you put me to death you shall surely bring innocent bloud vppon your selues vppon this City vppon the inhabitants thereof for of a trueth the lord hath sent me vnto you to speake al these wordes in your eares Then spake the princes al the people vnto the priests prophets this man is not worthye to dye for he hath spoken vnto vs in the name of the lord our god Let my cause now right Honourable be weighed with the prophecy in this place thereby it shal appeare
reason wilbe because I hold it vnlawful for them to liue in popishe callings to be Lords ouer their bretheren to smother the trueth to rob Christ of his honor and his church of her libertie or to speake in their owne wordes because I dislike the gouernment of the church by L. Archb. and Lord Bb. established by the prerogatiue of hir majestie and the parliament Hereby in trueth declaring that in persecuting me a worm of the earth they are imployed in his cause with whom I feare me vnlesse they repent they shal haue their reward for speaking euill of the trueth For what else doe they in giuing out that I am a seditious person for oppugning the gouernment of Archb. and L. Bb. for maintaining the gouernement by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons but affirme the defence of Gods trueth to be sedition and the defence of the libertie of his Churche to be treason Will the parâ—iament then suffer the cause of God to be thus shamefulâ—y abused by wicked and prophane men Well my Ll. though you receiue not my Appellation in regarde of my selfe yet suffer the trueth to come before you Suffer not the cause of God and his Church for want of just triall to fall into ignomie and discredit Let it neuer be said that Festus an heathen Iudge should be more fauorable in supporting the credite of Gods trueth and the professors thereof then the parliament of England would be The spilling of my blood for this cause though it be a matter to be regarded of you that are in authoritie yet I thanke he Lorde it is not the thing that I feare For by his inestimable goodnes I finde my selfe an vnworthye wretche to be one of them who in this cause are not afraide of death when it commeth and one of them that may laugh at death and destruction because I knowe the beast stones of the fielde to be at league with me and that euerlasting peace for euer and euer shall be vnto me of the Lords free and vndeserued reward But the discrediting of the truth by my hard vsage is the thing that I regarde and the spilling of my blood for defending the trueth and writing against impietie is it that I feare me will make this lande an astonishment to our neighbors round about vs. Be it then that my complaint at this time were not the complaint of the oppressed and the straunger yet inasmuch as it is the cause of Christ Iesus for the which I am persecuted you are bound to receiue mine Appellation And here me thinks the Lord demandeth of you that are parlament meÌ„ as somtimes he did of the people of Iudah what iniquitie you finde in the Church gouernment by teaching Pastors and Doctors gouerning Elders ministring Deacons that you haue not onely committed two euils the one in refusing that gouernement th'other in chusing to your selues these broken pits I meane the gouernment of Archb. Lord Bb. which can holde in them nothing profitable to Gods Church but also think those that plead for Christs interest vnworthie your protection and countenance against the injust and cruell enemies and the cause wherein they stande vnworthie your defence The Lord I saye demaundeth what iniquitie you finde in the gouernment of his sonne that you haue thus altogether rejected and forsaken the same and cannot abide I speake now vnto such as are enemies therevnto to haue it consulted vpon in your meeting The best answere which in this point you can make are of late published by the publike authoritie of the Bishops theÌ„selues Let these reasons then be briefely examined see whether they will be a sufficient warrant for her Majestie and you in the day of Christe Iesus to refuse his gouernment and to imbrace this hierarchy of Bb. in steed thereof First it is saide that this hierarchie is established by the authoritie of her Majestie the parliament The Lord answereth that for this cause the Nauie of the Spaniarde of late threatned our destruction and that for this cause we haue had extreme famine in all our quarters deare yeares and many an vnseasonable haruest and that for this cause he threatened to take away our dread soueraign whom good Lord spare in thy mercies and crowne with eternal blessednes for thy sonnes sake by so many conspiracies as haue bene villanously attempted within our land and therefore warneth her Majesty you of this honorable courte that vnlesse you woulde feele his heauie hand vnto your destructioÌ„ that this wicked and pestilent gouernment of L. Bb. shoulde be no longer maintained by your prerogatiue Secondly it is alleaged that this gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons was inuented by they know not whom and that it is not yet proued that any such gouernment was in the primitiue Church VVhy this is more then shamelesse impudencie Is not that prooued in the 31. yeare of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth to haue bene at all in the primitiue Church which our booke of common prayer in the beginning of her Majesties raigne testified to haue beene therein and to shewe the necessitie thereof declareth that we are to wishe for the discipline then practized Thus you may see that our Bb. to saue themselues harmelesse take leaue when they thinke good to crosse the booke of Common prayer in that which is most true and which their owne writings graunt to be true whereas they crie treason treason when other men do not allow that which is amisse therein And you may also see howe fit they are to lead others in the way of life who are now growne so sharpe sighted as they will sweare that at noone dayes they can see no light whereas in the very morning they themselues sawe the vprising of the sun But to answer this point in a word the Lord maketh it knowne vnto the parliament of England that his sonne Christ Iesus was the author and ordainer of this Church gouernement whiche vncleane mouthes affirme to be inuented by they know not whome yea but our Bb. protest that the opinion which now thâ—y haue of their owne gouerment will not be shaken vntill they be resolued in two points whereof now they are ignorant First that a direct commaundement be brought out of the word to prooue that there should be in all ages and states of the church of Christ one onely forme of gouernement Secondly that some particular churches be set downe wherein the desired gouernment by Pastors doctors Elders Deacons was practised The high court of parliament is here soÌ„moned by the Lord of heauen to judg whether the iniquity of these men be to be borne with who blush not to speake euel of that vpright waie whereof they acknowledge them selues to be meetly ignorant why would they not require a resolution of their doubts before they had gainsaid the holy ordinance of the lord and accuse the same as traiterous vnto her maiesties gouernment and dangerous vnto the
being the cause of God his church and that against sinne against impietie against that which is likely to be the vndoing and ouerthrow of her Majestie and our state it desireth no fauor but to be heard and to cleare it selfe euen in the presence of the aduersarie that vpon good groundes you may either acquite it or condemne it It will prooue it selfe by Gods assistance to be the author of no tumulte no sedition nor treason It will also prooue that no danger or inconuenience can possiblie ensue the receiuing of it into any state that the bookes and writinges sincerely fauouring the same for any vnsound or any vnjustifiable bookes that haue bin published which might seem to yeeld any countenance vnto it the cause is not to answer haue not bene invented of late or stamped by mans brain but haue had their beginnings from the daies of our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles and were penned by the spirite of God himselfe On the contrarie side it offereth to conuince the aduersaries cause as an author of tumult and sedition from time to time both in Churche and common wealth as traiterous vnto the Majestie of Iesus Christe a dangerous enemy vnto princes and states and the fourtaine of all confusion and inconvenience not to bee repaired And it offereth to prooue this cause side of our Bb. to haue no other original and beginning then the good intents of mans invention not warranted by the word euen corruption it selfe And to be now supported and maintained onely by the vnlawfull institutions of man So that it is nowe manifested vnto your honors by how many waies you are bound before the Lord to accept and giue eare vnto this mine appellation and I to appeale Mine only hope is in you be not vnmerciful and pittilesse towards me I am persecuted and oppressed for the cause of God by those enemies that cannor possibly affoard me either vpright judgment or release from trouble without their owne likely ouerthrowe I desire but that which is most christian namely that I may not haue them both for mine acusers and judges who before any seate of justice dare not stand to their accusations against me and whome their proceedings with me and alwaies heretofore with the cause I defend doe manifestly conuince that all trueth and equitie is perished from among them Either the cause and their doings haue no trueth no strength and no equitie in them or else they wil now she we the same in your presence non haue authority to exammine their proceedings whether they dare this attempt or no. I do heere before Heauen and earth before hir maiestie and this assembly before euery estate in this land and al ages to come cleare my selfe and the cause I defend from the grieuous and vngodly slaunders whereby they doe continually loade the same I offer my selfe and my cause to be tried by any lawful authoritie so dare not mine aduersaries let them proue that I haue done any thing whereby in equitie I deserue punishment I will not grudge to sustaine the same So that mine aduersaries be not my judges and the judges of my cause vnto whom they cannot chuse but be vtter enemies I do not here set downe all that coulde be saide against them and their proceedings which are most Antichristian and intollerable diuers wayes I omit that they are fallen from euill to worse since the beginning of her Majesties raigne vnto this houre and that they are likely to proceed in this course without their restrainte vntill they haue brought the Lords hand to execute his vengeaunce against vs our land Their errours are growne intollerable euen in the maine pointes of religion and that contrarie not onely vnto the written word of God but euen to the writings that haue bene and are published by authoritie euen by themselues They allow a forme of morning prayer joyned vnto all printed Psalmes in meeter allowed also by publike authoritie Therein it is flatly and expresly set downe that it is not possible for anye man ordinarily to be saued but by preaching and yet behold these men euen our Bb. especially the Archb. of Cant. haue and doe maintaine that men may heare beleeue and so ordinarily be saued without preaching And by the practize of this monstrous errour contrarie to the word of God contrarie vnto the established priuiledged doctrine allowed and practized in this kingdom in the beginning of her Majesties raigne They are the verye knowne cause of the perdition without the Lordes secreete and vnreuealed mercies of infinit thousandes of soules in this land But although I say that in their vngodly proceedings they neither agree with the Lord and his word nor with themselues and the receiued and established doctrine in our Church yet I do here omit to make any catalog of their damnable errors and practises Onely in this pointe I wishe your Hh. to consider whether in trueth the words of the prophet Hosea may not be truely applied vnto our Bishops in England at this day the most that depend vpon them The prophet is a foole in all good waies the spirituall man is mad The watchman of Ephraim should be with God but the prophet is the snare of a fouler in al his waies and hatred in the house of God or whether with Zephaniah and Ezekiel you may not truely say vnto them that they are light and wicked persons such as haue poluted the sanctuary wrested the lawe that they are like the Foxes in the wast places and such as haue not risen vp in the gapps nor made vpp the headg for Englande to stand in the battel in the day of the Lord. And if you finde these things to be verified in our prophets and spiritual men then also vndoubtedly may it be saide vnto England the dais of thy visitacion 〈◊〉 England are come the daies of thy repentance are at hand and England shal knowe it Because thy prophets for the most part are fooles and thy spiritual men are madd thy watchmen are as the snare of a fowler in al their waies yea and they are the very cause that the house of thy God is so hated and detested of all estates as the building thereof is not regarded It remaineth now right honorable that I betake you vnto the almightie whose cause is nowe in hand and before whome one day you shall giue account of your dealings in it humbly beseeching and intreting you that herein and in all other matters of waight you would take the holy man Iob for a patterne that the same eternal blessing may fall vppon you which he enjoieth to his neuer ending comfort with whose words I wil end And when the eare hard me saith Iob it blessed me and when the eie saw mee it gaue witnesse to me for I deliuered the poore that cried and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him the blessing of him that was ready to perish came vppon me and I caused the widowes hart to rejoice I put one iustice and it couered me my iudgment was a robe and a crown I was the eyes to the blinde and I was the feet to the lame I was a father to the poore and when I knewe not the cause I sought it diligently I brake also the chawes of the vnrighteous man and pluckt the pray out of his teeth Your most humble suppliant IOHN PENRI Master Edvvard Donlee Amos 7. If the high commissioners can justly charge me vvith anye crime I doe them a great benefite and greatly endammage my selfe in appealing vnto the parliament That I am bound to appeale and the Parliament to receiue mine Appellation Act. 25. Ierem. 26. 12. Iere. â—6 6. 7. It is no nevv thing to find the supposed pillers of the church to be the most pestilent enemies thereof They are to be accounted oppressors vvhich vvill not if they may deliuer the oppressed Exod. 22.23 Deut. 1. 17. Leuit. 19. 15 Esai 1. 23. 24 1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. Luk. 22. 25. D. Bridges page 284. T. C. pa. 135. 76. The crimes vvherevvith Gods trueth and his seruants haue bene charged in all ages are treason and sedition Act. 24. 5. Act. 17. 6. 7. The Bishops note Amos. 7. 11. 12. Ierem. 2. 6. Ezra 2. 19. 2. Infallible marks of the enemies of the trueth Ierem. 2. 6. 9. Iob. 5. 21. 24. The Bb. reasons in the defence of their hierarchie and against christs true gouernment examined T. C. Epist page 2. T. C. pa. 16. page 140. Before the Commination on Ashvvednesdaye T. C. page 8. This is a popish demand An ansvvere to the Bb. 3. 4. reasons Rom. 12. 6. 7. 8. Act. 20. 28. 14. 23. Phil. 1. T C. pag 82. Our Bb. 5. reason ansvvered T. C. pag. 16 Our Bb. 6. reason Luk. 13. 14. 14. 26. Matth. 16. 24 Mark 8. 35. T. C. pag. 8. T. C. pag. 87. It is reason that all states should be maintained sauing the estat of christs kingdome T. C. pa. 8â— T. C. p. 92. 93 In my supplication to the parliament Act. 23. 35. Act. 25. 16. The maner of administring justice at Lambeth Iohn 18. 30. M. Sharpe book binder of Northamton M. D. Some table page 3. line 20. M. D. Some Epist pag. 2 Page 53. M. D. Some pag. 185. line 3. 31. M. D. Some table pag. 4. Rom 10. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 21. Iam. 1. 21. Hosea 9. 7. 8. Zephan 3. 4. Ezek. 13. 4. Iob. 29. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15 16. 17.