on the fire for it wil not quench the fire and therefore it will not be consumed by the fire as to say receiue this reformation for it is not repugnant therefore it will abide the triall of the word but the scripture abideth no suche distinction of contrary and diuers for he that is not with me take he the Iewes parte the Turkes the Papistes or the hipocriticall Englishe protestantes parte * he is against me sayth Christe Another he talketh for the Quenes supremacie Out saythe he may not the Queene doe thys and that but you muste 〈…〉 her to a reckening howe allowe you then hir supremacie in Ecclesiasticall things which are in deede to be determined in conferences and councels and that by the warraÌ„t of the worde you will proue very Anabaptistes not suffering Magistrates nor any politique orders besides and so he runneth away with alleaging scriptures that commaunde obedience to magistrates and say things must be done orderly and decently and he deuiseth many foule names and reproches for vs But heere hir Maiestie is to be humbly intreated that of hir clemencie shee will abide vs who are bound by duetie and obedience to God freely to discusse all things as they are set forthe in the woorde of God though her Maiestie otherwise thinke it straunge and also haue in owe to exasperate hir Maiestie against vs pore men who are farre vnable to abide hit displesure and would be sory to offende her if it might please God to encline her Maiesties heart to consider of our cause and not to be turned from vs by the importunatenesse of oure aduersaries nor by other preiudice of oure persones or places but to deale with vs euen according to the truthe of the matters we deale in which are according to the very woorde of almightie God or else if it will not fall out so we will be content to abide hir displeasure and sharp punishment Out if it fal out â—o then as an 〈…〉 oure Magistrate may not take the authoritie of the highest into hys hantes no more may any Magistrate vâ—urpe Gods. To Ce 〈…〉 geue that whych is Cesars to God that whych is hys saythe oure sauioure Nonâ— is so high at her common wealthe as hir maiestie none so vse the sweard but shee and whom shee appointeth vnder hir according to y lawes of thys land so that it be not repugnant to their vocation as to ministers Likewyse none is so hygh in the churche as Christe none to doe any thing nor any thing to be done in hys churche but as it is appointed in hys woorde eyther by precise or generall direction And therfore it is allowed and commaunded to Christian men to trie all * things and to holde that whiche is good whosoeuer forbâ—dde wythoute exception Prince or other so that if we examine euerye thyng done in thys churche of God in Englande by the worde of God and holde that whiche is good though the lawe be offended that lawe is to be reformed and not we to be punished for whatsoeuer our personnes or places be if oure matters we deale in be God 's her maiestie we trust remembreth what the scripture sayth he that despiseth you * despiseth me and he that receyueth you receyueth me As we know thys case to be cleare so we trust and dayly pray that God wyll open her maiesties heart to consider of it and vs But to these men agayne let them shewe vs if they can by what aucthoritie they may enâ—oyne vs if God hys worde beare them to be magistrates to obserue the boke of Common prayers bothe in matter and manner as in theyr laste Canons they forbid theyr ministers to depart from one or other it is wycked to say no worse of it so to attribute to a booke in deede â—ulled out of the vile popish seruice booke with some certaine rubrikes and gloses of their owne deuise suche authoritie as only is due to God hys booke and inditements imprisonments and suche extremities vsed agaynst them which breake it is cruell persecution of the members of Iesus Christe And of all other greeuous enormities layde vppon thys churche of God in England this is the greatest that it is not lawfull to vtter that whych we learne truely oute of the scriptures We must be in daunger of a premunire if we folowe not the lawes of the land thoughe they be agaynste the scriptures and in daunger of a twelue monthes imprisoment if we speake agaynst the booke of common prayer though it be agaynste the word of god In deede if there were order taken for conferences such as the scriptures commendeth to the church for the triall of truthe when it is hard darke then were the dealing not harde but vprighte As for the Conuocation house I tolde you before what it was and what may be looked for at theyr handes and somewhat more shall be sayde of it heereafter If that were sayd for the Bible whych is sayd for the booke of common prayer and whych God sayth in his law for hys woorde then were the dealyng vpryght and and good Now if they meane by not repugnaÌ„t that it is consonante in all and euerye the contents thereof wyth the woorde of God that can they neuer proue But coulde they proue that yet they snare the church of God betweene that boke and other bookes whych they obtrude with straight charge to be obserued whych bookes doe differ amongs themselues as the booke of common prayer and the iniunctions about wafers the boke of common prayer and the aduertisements about the churche vestures the Canons against the pontificall in not ordering of ministers sine titulo the preface of the last boke of homilies and of the last newe Bible agaynst the booke of Common prayer in the manner of reading of the scriptures And in many things the bishops articles in theyr seuerall diocesses differ from thys booke as aboute the standyng of the communioÌ„ table fetchyng the dead to church and such lyke but the courte of Faculties that for marrying wythoute asking the banes and many moe things differeth from it and all other theyr bookes but cheefely from God hys Bible what say we to thys case we are neyther free to folowe the Bible nor out of doubt what to doe by these bookes but to followe God and hys woorde we are so free that we are by the Apostle forbidden to become seruaÌ„ts of men If thys be true as who can denye it then is it your partes to rid our churche of these shrewde encombrances And whereas it was meant to bridle papists make direct lawes against them Further wheras our church yet misseth of the right course of the scriptures in our reformatioÌ„ let youre learned men be driuen to drawe a platforme out of God his boke wher it is descrybed at ful according to hys will in the same reuealed and the examples of the best Churches beyonde
⧠A SECOND Admonition to the Parliament Ieremie 26. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Then spake the Priestes and the Prophets vnto the Princes to all the people saying thys man is worthye to dye for he hathe prophesyed agaynst this Citie as yee haue heard with your eares Then spake Ieremiah vnto all the princes and to the people saying The Lorde hathe sent me to prophesie against this house and againste this Citie all the things that yee haue heard Therfore nowe amend your wayes and workes and heare the voyce of the Lorde your God that the Lorde maye repent hym of the plague that he hathe pronounced agaynste you As for me beholde I am in your handes doe wyth me as you thinke good and ryghte But knowe yee for certaine that if you putte mee to deathe yee shall surely bring innocent bloud vpon your selues and vpon thys Citie and vpon the inhabitants therof for of a truthe the Lorde hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your cares To the godly readers Grace and peace from god c. THe treatyse ensuing Christian Reader being in dede purposely meant as the tytle pretendeth to be a seconde Admonition to the Parliament as yet not being not dissolued cannot chuse I am sure but be read of diuers that are not of that honourable assembly at thys tyme so that though the treatise is principally directed to them yet the knowledge of the matters as it must needes passe further so are they necessary to be further known and they are the liker to take good effect by meanes of the general consent of those that like them and especially by meanes of the faythful prayers whych many good men shall poure forthe to God for hys gracious good blessyng therin wherfore some thyng was to be sayd in a Preface as me thought which might be direcâ—ed to thee christian reader whosoeuer thou art that lightest vpon thys boke to read it And world to God many moe myght read thys boke then are lyke bycause muche worse will be sayd against it by them whych shall speake of it by heare say then could or would be said if all read it that will speake of it whereof we haue had too much experience in the former Admonition But we haue cast our accompts whych do bend ourselues to deale in these matters not onely to abyde hard wordes but hard and sharpe dealings also for our laboure and yet shall we thynke oure laboure wâ—ll bestowed it by God hys grace we attayne but to thus much to giue some light of that reformation of religion whych is grounded vpon Gods boke and somewhat to haue opened the deformities of oure English reformation whych hyghly displeaseth our eternall god Neuerthelesse if it might be we wold be sory to offend any but especially any good Christian man for our purpose is not if we may chuse to â—urchase more hatred or get vs more enenmies for vndeserued we haue of that and them far too much already and to offend the godly man is farre from our meaning for God knoweth we altogether soâ—ke to do such good But what is ther in our bokes that should offend any that be or would seeme to be godly â—nd yet some man may say either there is muche amisse in our bokes or else we haue a great deale of wrong offered vs and that by suche men as woulde seeme to be the fathers of all true godlynesse for the authors of the former haue bene are hardly handeled to be sent close prysoners to Newgate next dore to hangyng and by some of no meane estimation it hath bene sayd as is reported that it had bene well for them if they had beene sente to Bedlem to saue their lyues as though they had bene in â—earill of be 〈…〉 hanged and another lykely prelate sayde if they were at hys orderyng Newgate should haue beene their sureâ—â—e and fetters their bondes And yet now that they haue had the law and I thynke wyth the most too y they were close prisoners they are found nether to haue ben traytors nor rebels and if it had bent tryed by Gods law they should not haue beene found to haue offended agaynst that lawe at all but to haue deserued prayse of that lawe and of the church of God as ryghtly that learned man mayster Beza sayth they deserue which oppose themselues against such endeuours as they doe in that little booke farre worse then those whych he calleth a manifest falling away from Christ And I pray theâ— gentle Reader marke these words wel of that great learned godly M. Beza and it shall answer for them to two men principally that haue ernestly declamed against that admonition and the authors therof The one sayd â—t was a folyshe boke the other sayd the authors were to rashe in setting it forth wythout a councell and I wot not what allowance before it wer de 〈…〉 ed. But thys learned man answereth them bothe wyth one word that it is a commendable work and deserueth no disprayse And whatsoeuer the declaimer saythe they shal be circumspect enough that shall auouche vndoubted truthes out of the scriptures though they wait not for the consent of a fewe no nor yet of many for maister Beza dare say it is a manifest falling away from Christe to maintaine pluralities of benefices licences for non residence c. though he heare not that any couÌ„cel hath agreed vpon it in England sor he knoweth it is a resolued truth in all ryght reformed churches and especially in the scriptures And what I pray you haue they done amisse but the declamer also offended in it if it be an offence They haue published in Print that the ministerie of England is out of square he hath published at Paules crosse that the bishops of England haue bene vncircumspect in making of ministers and that hathe he publyshed before any councell in England had determined it Woulde to God he had neuer done worse faulte nay woulde he had not more offended there whych he craued pardone for when he had done it and yet so as he sayd he cared not thoughe they pardoned hym not for he thinketh of lyke that he neede not care for offending the poore members of Iesus Christ and for as muche as he spake agaynste them two in Newgate he shall neuer goe to Newgate for saying the byshops were vncircumspect I coulde wishe such to be more circumspect what they saye to offend simple and pore meÌ„bers of Christe Let such men remember the penaltie threatned better a milstone tied about their necks and they drowned in the depth of the sea Nowe I neede not aske what they haue aunswered to that boke for they haue answeared nothyng but the it is a folysh booke c but wyth godly wyse men I trust that will not be taken for a sufficient answere as in deede it is not â–ª They saye there is an
answere towards for my part I long to see it and yet to say truthe I should be lothe considering they cannot but betray their weaknesse to the papistes or else confirme them in their follyes but principally offend the churche of god And in parte you shall perceiue their dealing in a collection that they haue made of those things which they misselike in the former Admonition by a short treatise containing a confutation of their collection or view as they call â—â— The treatise came to oure handes the author vnknowne and we haue thought good to unparte it to thee Christian reader that thou mightest see and consider But what stand I so much in defence of y former admonition Some peraduenture wil thinke I had nede to speake for thys second more But till I heare more I will say little Yet thus muche I say if some suppose it to be too particular to touch the quicke to neare let them thynke withall how necessary it is to be knowne and further that these deformities be the cause that we require reformation and what an intollerable thing it is to suffer all these enormities amongst vs And if some doute whether all the particulares be true that are heere named let them seeke examination and they shall fynde farre worse matter then is here alleaged They shal finde such stomacke of one side against the other that they cannot abide any thyng neuer so wel done of the other side and that of a stomacke I will not open an olde vlcer or examine whye the Geneua translation and notes of the Bible fynde so little fauoure althoughe to thys day no translation is so good in England I will not rip vp among our prelates the symonie the treacherie so particularly as is come to my knowledge But those particulars which I haue touched the very occasion forced me to it and suche iust occasion I may haue that I maye be more particulare hereafter Now whereas some very vnproperly as I thinke do say that we in thys do vncouer our fathers priuities and would withe vs to forbeare so to do We are of their minde that Cham dyd noughte but they shall not fynde vs like that ribaulde Cham which toke delite in that nakednesse they shall finde the time seruers and such as dallye wyth the shame of nakednesse in thys time they shall fynde them to take Chams trade but for vs we woulde and doe what we can to couer thys shame with a ryght couer that is with a right reformation and that do we going backward as men lothe and sorye to heare of the nakednesse and desirous to couer it that our fathers if they wil be our fathers may no loÌ„ger shew their shame Againe wheras some men that good men to wil say these treatises be too hotte for thys time I wish to know wherin whether in the matters whych we handle or in the handlyng of the matters The matters are Gods wherin we may not minse hym And the deformities haue continued long and are manifestly intollerable where against we are commaunded to cry out Crye out and cease not lift vp thy voice lyke a trumpet tell my people their wickednesse and the house of Iacob their synnes sayth the Lord to hys Prophet whych saying and the verse folowing doth so belong to vs that we shall hardly answer it to God if we doe the contrary scarse wel answere it that we haue forborne so long And who they be and what the scrypture thinketh of them that require that their Preachers should speake pleasing things it is more euideÌ„t then that I neede to amplifie that point Againe that they which studie and endeuor to please men are not the seruaunts of God Paules wordes are plaine Now for the handling of the matters whereas some will say such a sentence is too hote and suche and suche a worde is too sharpe if they measure oure zeale with the zeale of milde Moises of Elias of the prophets of Iohn Baptist of Paul of the Apostles of Iohn the elder against Diotrephes of Christ our sauiour agaynst the Phariseis I trust they shall finde vs to kepe our selues wythin the bounds of the examples of the scriptures And if they marke oure wrytings well they shal finde vs to haue vttered nothing but true and necessary matter and to haue framed oure words vnto our matter not to haue sought words to serue our affections But they whych speake slaÌ„derously of them â— offend not oâ— those ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—n their doing which call them rebels and seditious which are faithfull subiects to God their Prince which eyther wrest mennes words or falsefie them what deserue they God forgiue them that and far worse matters for his Christes sake and giue them better mindes towardes hys true churche a ryght reformation And yet for as much as we heare they will answere vs thys I say if they wil keepe them to the truth it selfe the worde of God then wyll the maters shortly come to a good issue but if they draw vs to other trials there will proue craft in dawbing as they say for that hath beene the craft of the papistes to rigge vp all corners and to fynde all the shiftes they can to haue scope enough to varie a lye to say much nothing to the profe and yet to amase the people wyth shewe of authorities But if they will answer vs still wyth crueltie persecution we will kepe our selues out of their handes as long as God shall giue vs leaue and content our selues wyth pacience if God suffer vs to fall into their handes and surely we shall hardly escape them if they and their doers which be certaine persecuting printers maye haue their willes And heere humbly we beseche her maiestie not to be stirred agaynst vs by such men as will endeuoure to bring vs more into hatred which will not care what to lay to our charge so they may oppresse vs and suppresse the truth They will saye we despise authoritie and speake againste her soueraignetie But O Lord what will not enuie say against truth ill will they say neuer sayd well No no we heartely plainly and faythfully professe that the chefe gouernors in ciuill matters haue chefe authoritie ouer all persons in their dominions countreys and are the softer fathers and nursses of christes church And as Iehosaphat hauing cheefe authoritie did by his authoritie set vp and defend not only the ciuill gouernment but also the true reformation of the church at that time in hys dominion and to our soueraigne beseeching her Maiestie and the whole state to proceede in it And thys is most true that her Maiestie shall not finde better subiectes in her land then those that desire a righte reformation whose goodes bodyes and lyues are moste assured to her Maiestie and to their Countrey and which cease not to poure forthe their
truthe and worde of god Theirs raiseth many douts and questions in religion breedeth many troubles and contentions and wyl haue nothyng examined that they doe but many must abâ—e for the pleasure of some one of them and all must abide the determination of one suche Lordshyp they claime ouer the faithe of their christian brethren The Apostle renouncing it and acknowledging hymselfe to be a helper If they say Lordshyppe of bishops is agreeable to the word of God who may say agaynst them wythout much trouble yea dare say against them yea what preuayleth it to say against them if they hold together to whom it is to swete to say say agaynst it or if my Lords grace Metropolitane of al England holde sticke fast in the matter for so it goeth many must to one so froÌ„ one to one til it come to the Pope of Lambeth as it was wont in the Poâ—ishe church cleane contrary to the course of the scriptures for there is no more ones but only one one to whome all the churche must obey and from him the whole church hath authoritie ouer the membres of the same for so goeth the scriptures you haue but one maister all you are brethren heare him and tell the church thys is the scripture Now except they will followe the Popes rule and bryng the vniuersal churche to be but a particulare place and a particulare man in that place as Rome is the place and the pope is y man or as Caunterbury or Lambeth might be the place and my Lorde hys grace the man the scriptures and their doings will not agree And hys Lordship shall be a Pope and his confederates the Popes vnderlings excepte they leaue their Lordlynesse and submit them selues to the church of God to be ordered by the same according to the woorde And take them for better who shall they are none other but a remnaunt of Antichristes broode and God amende them and forgeue them for else they bid battell to Christ and his church and it must bid the defiance to them all they yeelde And I protest before the eternall God I take them so and thereafter wil I vse my self in my vocation and many moe to no doubt which be careful of God his glory and the churches libertie wyll vse themselues agaynst them as the professed ennemies of the churche of Christ if they proceede in thys course and thus persecute as they doe What talke they of their being beyond y seas in Quene Maries dayes because of the persecution when they in Queene Elizabethes dayes are come home to rayse a persecution They bost they followe the steps of good maister Ridley the martir let them followe hym in the good and not in the badde What man Martyr or other is to be followed in all things why follow they not M. Hooper as well as him who is a martir also or Rogers or Bradforde who are martirs also They say all those good men in Quene Marres dayes died for the booke of common prayer but they slaunder them for they toke not so slender a quarel they dyed for god his boke and for a true faith grounded vpon the same Diuers of those martires would not in those dayes of king Edwarde abide all the orders in that booke but if they had had such a time beyonde the seas in the reformed churches to haue profited and encreased in knowledge of a right reformation as these men had it is not to be doubted but that they would haue done better then he promised y had rather all England were on a fishpoole then he would be brought to matters fâ—r lesse then now of hys owne accorde he wilfully thrusteth hym selfe vpon Why we they not followe the examples which they sawe beyonde y seas In which of the reformed churches saw they a Lord bishop allowed or the Canon lawe to direct church orders or will they translate the boke of common prayer into Latine and their pontilicall and vse the Latine of the popishe portuise manual and pontifical in those matters wherin they haue folowed those bokes and but translated them out of Latin and will they require abide y iudgements of the reformed churches concerning the matters If they be not singulare if they meane plainely lette them doe thus If it will abyde the triall then let them vse it still They shal not be disgraced but we for disquieting of theÌ„ They haue fâ—cendes that will saye for them they are a learned company and neâ—oe not the helpe of any other churches Then let them offer to defende their course by learning Let them neuer goe ouer sea for the matter and yet surely I woulde some toke that translation in hande toke some paynes in the matter to procure the iudgements of those reformed churches but lette them offer free confereÌ„ce heere at home Nay let them take our offer for conference by wryting to auoyde muche brabble if they will and shew themselues ready to the state wythoute cunning practise to stoppe it by their freendes and let vs ioyne in it freely and then we will thincke better of them and yeelde oure selues to haue beene deceiued in them if they deale plainly O Lord that we wer deceiued â—n them That they were not wickedly bent to maintaine that which they are entred into to the great disquieting of thys Churche of Christe in Englande vntill the Maister come which they thinke will deferre hys commyng and disquiet them whome he fynedeth like lordly Epicures eating drynking wyth y worldly drunkardes and beatyng their fellow seruauÌ„ts They that are poore men already beggered by them and which haue many wayes bâ—ne molested and imprysoned some in the Marshalsey some in the white Lion some in the Catchouse at Westmiâ—ster others in the counter or in the Clynke or in the Ficete or in Bridewell or in Newgate they whych haue these many wayes and times bene hampered ill handled by them they stil offer themselues to al their exercinities and therefore put for the their treatises because they passe not howe deare they bought it so they myght redeme our state out of this deforâ—ed reformation to a ryght platforme drawne oute of the scriptures They say such are men pleasers Surely if they soughâ—e aduauntage that way it were best for them to please my Lords They say they are desirous to be sayd to be in pryson that they profite by it they would not then kepe themselues out of the way nor wheÌ„ they are in be suche suters to come toorâ—he nor abide to be stifeled and choked with the stench of the prison but that is an old shift and cunning of he aduersary to say so No no God hys cause is the mater You pretend a reformation and followe not the worde of God nor will be led by that The summe of all therfore is thys that eyther you of the Parliament muste â—ake order to haue all reformed according to