the wicked be made snares by you to catch the godly lay aside this Lording and shew your selues brethrē in deede if they haue offended you admonish them brotherly let not the vsurped names and titles of Lorde Lordes grace so puffe you vp as you forget your selues to be pastors preachers the lord called you or the most of you to this office to ioyne as laborers togither with your brethrē in his vineyarde he neuer called you to these lordly names dignities the office of bishop I finde apointed by scripture the office of Lordbishop I finde no warrant for there but in this I mean not to wade further only I beseche you that as Christ hath allotted you to be fellow ministers togither with them so you wil as companions in the Lord ioyne togither to further one truth sinceritie let these pore men tast of your christiā charity towards them as brethren and cease lordly to neglect them Lord it no longer think it no discredit to you or an abasing of your selues to ioyn in equaliti with your brethren but think it great presūption in you to clime higher then the lord hath appointed remember it was not in vain said of Christ our sauiour Principes gentiū dominantur in eas c inter vos autem non erat sic I seeke not to teach neither take I vpon me so to do yet despise not the admonition of your faithful brother in the Lord who wisheth to you all such godly consideration of your dueties as in no respecte you omit any parte thereof To cōclude in the name of god I beseche you yeld no such frutes of the gospel as where you shuld be careful you shew your selues carelesse of your brethrē nether post the matter ouer in such sort as you haue done from one to an other but so longe as they keepe them within the limites of the law of god ioyne christianly brotherly with them assist them and cease so to affect lordship liuing as therby you be withdrawne from yelding to a knowne manifest truth The Lord in his rich mercy giue euery of vs grace so to auoid all snares of sathā as wholy without let or hinderance we may be dedicated vnto him and yeeld our selues all together obedient vnto his wil so that what he hathe cōmaunded we may striue to maintain what he hath forbiddē we may indeuor to suppresse Thus praying your fauorable acceptatiō hereof I cōmit you to the lord Iesus ⧠An Exhortation to THE BISHOPS AND THEIR CLERgie to aunsvver a little booke that came forthe the last Parliament and to other Brethren to iudge of it by Gods worde vntill they see it aunsweared and not to be caryed away with any respect of man. COnsidering the vnitie of the body of Christe which are we bicause it is gouerned wyth one heade and one spirite and yet notwythstanding a diuersitie of parts and membres for the bodye is not one member for if they were all one member where were the bodye I haue to directe my talke to a whole bodye yet so that eyther parte hearken to that only which is belonging vnto him not snatching that vnto him whiche is not proper to him and vnto euery member seuerally but in suche sort that they be not deuided or cutte a parte from the whole There are in the Churche of Christe eyes and eares there are also handes and feete to eyther of these I haue a request to make for theyr profite if they heare it to their smart if they reiecte it I speake vnto them in the Lords name and do herein but his message I require vnderstanding eares therfore watchfull eyes I demaund diligent hands and painfull feete It is not vnknowne brethren howe it hath pleased the Lorde of late to bring forthe to the eyes and hands of you all a little scroll conteining as you know matters concerning the true reforming and building of gods church whether it tend in deede to that ende or noe I haue not here to debate but that it pretendeth at this I haue seene some stormyng as in the greif of man is easily to be perceaued and the authors of it as we know also are in the place of theeues murtherers for them I haue noughte els to say but that they are there iustly if falsely and vntruly they haue gone about to spoyle and robbe vs of an vnfayned truthe and murther oure soules wyth a corrupt and poysoned water drawn out of a stinking puddel of the filthy dunghill of mannes braynes For how were that to be suffered in the ciuil lawes of earthly princes that some one of the commen sorte or els other should go about to disanul the order law set out by the Prynce God 's lieuetenaūt in earth in those cases to place his owne deuise muche more in the house of God which is his churche To me it seemeth a thing so vntollerable that all the New gates and olde gates yea and all tibournes in Englande are too little for such rash and presumtious heads that will not geue God leaue to rule but will take the scepter out of his hande Being more ouer and besides that a shamefull horrible thing to make strife and contention betweene the people of God which are commaunded to be one as theyr heade and his father are one It was the laste and newest commaundement that Christe lefte vnto vs that we should loue one a nother euen as he loued vs and thys he tolde vs should be a signe wherby we should be knowen to be his disciples if we loue one an other as he loued vs which is not fleshlye or carnally or for any worldly respecte but in the consent and agreement of his commaūdement in folowing the prescrypt of his worde wherin consisteth the cause of all our loue and cause of al hatred euen of our parents when they swarue from it whych surely cannot be maintained where new and straunge orders in Gods matters are inuented broched and publyshed be who so be may the causers or founders of suche deuises And therefore better it were for them that a mylstone were hanged about theyr neckes they drouned in the myddest of the sea then one of the least of the kingdome of Christe should be offended by theyr deuises But as I sayd I mind not to entreate of that matter my desire is that for Israels sake I meane the children and churche of God that they which are the eyes of the churche are oure ouerseers to watche for our soules for oure bloud must be required at theyr hands wolde take this matter in hand to debate the equitie truth of the cause by the scriptures and worde of God which is the only foode of oure soules and stay for the direction of all oure godly actions that we the sheepe of Christ might knowe false fodder from true corne from chaffe Schisme from Truthe Christ from
pursse to releeue them if any of you haue though it be your dueties I muste needees commend him or them if none of you as it is your dueties I must nedes condemne you A lamentable case that Lording should so lead away the heartes of the learned that they forget their dueties in theyr calling for see how fouly you forget your selues Papistes lie abrode in your diocesses vntouched in contempt of the truth and her Maiesties lawes refuse to frequent diuine seruice and sermons and yet if anye honest man present them vnto you a fauorable speeche or letter of some worshipfull though not very godly in the Shire shall easely obtaine their dispatche But if any of our brethren striue or endeuoure them selues zealously to further the building of Gods temple and to procure reformation of things amisse it is easelye seene by these what helpe they shoulde haue at youre handes and if a christian brother make sute for hym fauoure is hardly obtained or not at all if it fall oute otherwise by this I shall be glad and yeelde my selfe faultie in saying thus of you Many leud light bokes and ballades flie abrode printed not only wythout reprehension but cum priuilegio the authors and printers wherof continue daily amongst vs without controlment and yet the Lord by his holy scriptures forbiddeth all filthy communication therfore wryting but if any of our brethren put in Print any booke of a godly zeale that tendeth to the furtherance of Goddes glory and sinceritie and vrgeth a reformatiō of things amisse he is newe fangled he is not frende to Cesar he is to be remoued from amongst the people Alasse deare brethren what hathe so bewitched and blineded you that you can not perceiue and see your owne euil dealing heerein if the title of Lordship cast it off if your huge liuings forsake them be not so wrapped in the desire of worldly things that you neglecte youre dueties in your vocation and calling I can not think so well of you but that I must needes say you neglect your dueties I thincke surely there is none of you but would be gladde to see reformation of things amisse for some of you I knowe haue sayde so neither can you deny but that many things are out of order in our Church of England euen many things that they make mention of in their boke what then moueth you to make their offence so greeuous in the sighte of the worlde or rather why doe you not allowe that is good in their booke seeing they seeke reformation therby of that you would gladly see reformed your selues surely I thinke to speake my conscience that there are some things in the boke which gladly you wold haue omitted that hindereth your liking of the rest that is the inueying against your Lordships and liuings for most of you would be glad to haue all remnauntes of Poperie superstition and Idolatrye vtterly remoued but none of you would willingly lose his Lordly dignitie and liuing Hinc illae lachrymae against your pore brethren hence riseth your dislike this is the cause you seke not their deliuerance libertie and release you would be glad of a reformation but you would not be reformed your selues but in these things there is but one truth or falshode If they holde the truth why thē resiste you it in these priuate respectes to please youre selues if their opinion be false shewe the reason and then will we beleeue you but wrest not the worde to satisfie your owne fansie and whether your honoures and Lordships stand or fall let not the holy scriptures lose their due dignitie and reuerence It is a lamentatable thing to beholde howe to make theyr owne matters good men wil in these dayes mangle the scriptures of God but the Lorde will not be so dallied with all howe so euer they please to dally with the simple men of the world and he wil be reuenged on you for neglecting to see this foule fault redressed But to my purpose oure brethren lie in prison where besides their bondes they lacke libertie of enioyinge the company of their frendes and haue great neede to be releeued let them in some sorte finde you carefull and mindefull of them trauaile for their deliuerie if that wil not be obtained yet endeuoure to procure them some further libertie if neither will be had forget not to releue them Their boke is out and cannot be called backe againe if it may be iustified by the word of truth take heede that by you the truthe be not betraied trie it by the touche stone examine it by the word set al affections aparte thinke it no disgrace to come downe from your Lordly dignities if the worde of the Lorde will haue it so Feede not your owne fantasies but follow the word thinke not scorne to be controlled by the same word out of whose mouth so euer it come Balaam was a Prophet of the Lord yet at one instant his Asse taught him a better lesson than he could teach him selfe I am not to teache you neither meane I so to take vppon me only I exhort you to deale Bishoply and brotherly and let no vaine loue of Lorldly dignitie make you carelesse of your brethren who wishe you good in the Lord though they would be glad you were vnlorded not for malice but because scripture alloweth no suche title to a Bishop If passionate affection shall so cary you away that because your Lordlinesse is touched you will therefore not deale so but against your brethren I knowe not what others wil conceiue therof but for my part to speake as I thinke I must nedes doubt your Lordlinesse hath made you vtterly to forget what ought to be in a Bishop If they do holde any error or behaue themselues licenciously and losely or neglected their vocation I were easily put to silence but in doctrine they are sounde in life not to be touched that euer I heard and were diligent in their calling why then should you so little esteeme them or why shoulde you not vse them as brethren let it not be truly said of you that the blasphemous swearer and the filthy adulterer may finde more fauoure among you then our christian brethren and fellowe workemen in the Lord I know for the first of these there is no lawe to touche him and for the seconde very slender punishment prouided yet for both the Lord hath left vnto vs very sharp lawes these are vnexecuted and the wicked escape many times for mony Many good lawes thankes be to God are prouided to bridle the wicked but in them oftentimes the godly are snared and by them you youre selues if not nowe yet at other times haue bene instruments to burthen your brethrens backes and that hath some of them felt in more sharpe sorte as I haue heard then I will hear speake Well let that passe and now deale more christianly for the Lordes sake with your brethren let not lawes that were purposely made for
Christ Antiquitie may deceiue vs nay we see it hathe deceiued vs I can not tell whether it wold stil deceiue it is not true to say it is old therfore it is good Sathan hath bene Lord of thys world a great while Antichrist of Rome pleadeth the continuance of many yeres I know not how many C. yeres neyther doth it follow it is new therfore it was nought it was sayd to Christ what new doctrine is thys yet it was no false doctrine so sayd the false priestes Bishops of Paules doctrine and the rest but it was not therefore naught wil you trie the old and the newe and see in deede which is the new which is the olde search the scriptures If it be found there it is olde say Bishops what they will let the Priestes call it as new as they list if it be not found there it is newe let them say what they can bring neuer so many fathers and neuer so good fathers better thē she brought I am sure they can not and yet dyd Christ preuaile and so will he still for he is the same in his worde that he was then in bodely presence the wryting of the Apostles doe paint him out truely and nothing but him If it be true that they say that this aucthoritie of Bishops churche hierarchie which they maintain come from the Pope and hath no ground but in his law and that God can not suffer to be serued according to mens pleasures in ruling of his house as though he wer such a fole that he could not set order himself or wer carelesse which is no point of wyt that he did not or that he see so little as to deuise an order which could not be for al times places so that we should haue nede of a new holy ghost for al this foloweth vpon that ground that they stand vpon away wyth that vile doctrine or what so euer ye list to terme it what incōuenience so euer wer like to ensue what antiquitie so euer be against it for you see there is a blasphemie ioyned with it which maketh our God a folish a carelesse an vncircumspect and vnprouident god Wel peraduenture they see somthing more then they say some things I am sure they would haue to be reformed which they can not bring to passe as they would therfore thinke it better with pollicie to saue the gospell then to haue it cleane shut out It is a common saying of two euils it is best to chuse the least better it is to haue a gospel of Christ ioyned with a peece of Antichriste then to haue none at all thus they persuade them selues the other doe not so they thincke it not lawful to ioyne God Belial together surely they haue some reason nay they haue greate reason for what societie hathe light wyth darknesse If all the world myght be gained with a little breache of Gods word it were not to be done better it were that the whole world should pearishe then one iote of Gods truth should be ouer slipped Pilate thought he had behaued himselfe wisely when he whipped Christe and put vpon hym a robe of scarlet thinking by that meanes making him to appeare vile to the Iewes to haue had him let goe that they might haue contented thēselues with that litle punishment so might Christ haue preached still But it is wickedly done to policie the matters of Christ after that sort Who so euer thinketh by putting a foles cote vpon Christ and clothing him with a garment which is not his owne to entertain him still thinketh he is content by such means to haue licēce to go preaching amōgst the people he deceiueth himself shal right wel vnderstand at the day of accomptes that God will not be mocked Thus in some respect you haue well to weigh the things that are put forth vnto you by the scriptures without further circumstances leaste in leauing the rule ye go out of rule But I doute not but our lords clergy wil quickly shew you whether it be wel ruled or no they haue said already in theyr sermōs to you that it is a very folish boke I trust they wil giue it vnto you in wryting that you may the better way both But before al things take hede to the word let not the shew of mā deceiue you Peraduēture some of you wil be persuaded bicause a bishop an olde mā a very learned mā saith so bicause this state hath cōtinued a great while many yeares amongst good fathers do not so that is no warrāt of the word you haue had exāples inough to shew vnto you how easie it is to be deceiued therin on the other side let not the simplicitie of men beare you away for that way also you may erre the only straight way as I haue tolde you to kepe you frō going astray is the word of god wherw t they as wel as you I trust will be cōtēt to be tried otherwise they haue no groūd against the papistes if they wil not but refuse to be iudged by the word leue thē there those pore prisoners haue the right whether they be whipped scurged or vtterly hāged assure your selues as wel of them as of your selues if they suffer with Christ they shal be glorified with Christ so shall you That we may so do god giue vs the knowledge of the truth whē we know it to stād stedfast in the truth that the loue of the world feare of mā may not more preuaile with vs then the loue of heauen and feare of god These things that I haue saide vnto you rudely I pray you take in good part good brethrē both you that are of the lerned sort you that are of the sympler I pray you lay forth the truthe as your duetie bindeth you you giue eare to the truthe Confute scismes by the scriptures iudge you thē by scriptures also as prisons be vsed so let the worde which is the armor of your warfare be practised Let not newegate be the only meanes to stay false procedings If you do so where error is redressed by the magistrate you shal be iudged because you dyd not your duety bring thē into the way if they be out or bi such good cōferēce they bring you home The which the father of al mercies graunt through his sonne Christ by our cōfortor the holy ghost FINIS 1. Cor. 12.13.14.19 15.26 Ioh. 17.22 Ioh. 15.11 13.35 Iohn 14.23.15.10.14 mat 10.35 mat 18.0 Eze. 3.17 Ioh. 6.27 Heb. 5.12 Psal. 119.105 Luk. 4.41 Tertullian lib. de spectaculis Iob. 10.12 1. re 18.17 mat 21.33 Ioh. 19.12 Acts. 4.7 1. reg 12.8 1. reg 1.21 Act. 4.19.5.30 1. re 18.22 1. reg 22.6 Iohn 3.4 Ioh. 9.30 mar 7.2.3 Ioh. 5.10 Ioh. 9.34 Ioh. 1.46 Mark. 1. Luk. 2.8 Math. 22. Mat. 28 Ioh. 20.18 Lu. 19.39 Act. 14.5 Luk. 20 20. Iohn 11 20. Mat. 10 25. Luk. 15.39 Iohn 4.20 Ioh. 14.30 Mar. 1.27 Act. 24.14 Ih. 10.1 2. Cor. 6 14. Ih. 19.1 Iohn 5.39 Act. 1.21 Rom. 8.17