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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	church_n	minister_n	ministry_n	3,814	5	8.8738	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07040	Theses Martinianae that is, certaine demonstratiue conclusions, sette downe and collected (as it should seeme) by that famous and renowmed clarke, the reuerend Martin Marprelate the great: seruing as a manifest and sufficient confutation of al that euer the Colledge of Catercaps with their whole band of clergie-priests, haue, or canbring [sic] for the defence of their ambitious and antichristian prelacie. Published and set foorthe as an after-birth of the noble gentleman himselfe, by a prety stripling of his, Martin Iunior, and dedicated by him to his good neame and nuncka, Maister Iohn Kankerbury: hovv the yongman [sic] came by them, the reader shall vunderstande sufficiently in the epilogue. In the meane time, vvhosoeuer can bring mee acquainted vvith my father, Ile bee bounde hee shall not loose his labour.	Marprelate, Martin, pseud.; Throckmorton, Job, 1545-1601, attributed name.; Penry, John, 1559-1593, attributed name.	1589 (1589)	STC 17457; ESTC S112312	15,688	32

this cause of ouerthrowing the state of lorde bishops and bringing in the equalitie of Ministers is no new cause but that which hath bin manie yeeres agoe helde and maintained euen in the fire by the holie martires of Christ Iesus 45 That this wicked gouernement of bishops was an especiall point gainesaid by the seruants of God in the time of King Henrie the eight and Q. Marie and in the withstanding whereof they died the holie martires of Christ Iesus 46 That none euer defended this hierarchie of bishops to be lawfull but Papists or such as were infected with popish errors 47 That we haue not expelled and banished euerie part of poperie as long ae we maintaine L. bishops and their seates 48 That the offices of lord archbishops and bishops together with other their corruptions are condemned by the doctrine of the church of England 49 That the doctrine of the church of England condemning the places of lord bishops is approoued by the statutes of this kingdome and her Maiesties royall prerogatiue 50 That to be a lord bishop is directlie against the statute 13. Elizab. rightlie vnderstoode and flatlie condemned by her Maiesties royall priuiledge 51 That al her Maiesties louing subiects Ministers especiallie are bound by statute and haue the alowance of the doctrine of the church of England published with her Maiesties prerogatiue not to acknowledge yea to disauow and withstand the places and callings of lord bishops 52 That the doctrine of the church of England in the dayes of King Henrie the eight was the doctrine which the blessed martires of Christ Iesus M. Tindall M. D. Barnes and M. Fryth taught them and deliuered vnto vs. 53 That this doctrine of theirs is now to be accoūted the doctrine of the church of Englande in as much as being the doctrine of Christ his Apostles it is published in print by Master Fox and that by her Maiestiies priuiledge 54 That this their doctrine is mainteined by statute vnder the name of the doctrine of the faith and sacraments 55 That the doctrine which according to the word is published by Maister Fox in the booke of Martyres seeing it is cum priuilegio is also to bee accompted the doctrine of faith and sacramentes in the church of England and so is approoued by statute 56 That vpon these former groundes wee may safely holde these conclusions following and are thereby allowed by statute and her Maiesties prerogatiue 57 That by the doctrine of the church of England it is not possible that naturally there can be anie good lord bishop Master Tindalls practise for prelates pag. 374. 58 That by the doctrine of the church of England a bishoprike is a superfluous honour and a lewd libertie ibid. 59 That by the doctrine of the church of England our bishops are none of the Lordes annoynting but seruants of the beast 60 That by the doctrine of the church of England our lord bishops are none of Christs bishops but the Ministers of Antichrist 61 That by the doctrine of the church of Englande our bishops and their gouernement are no part of Christs kingdome but are of the kingdome of this world 62 That by the doctrine of the church of England lord bishops are a part of that body wherof Antichrist is the head 63 That by the doctrine of the church of England the places of archbishops and bishops are the seates of Antichrist 64 That by the doctrine of the church of England a bishop can haue no other lawfull authoritie but onelie to preach the word 65 That by the doctrine of the church of England the desire of a bishopricke or anie other honor in a minister is a note of a false Prophet 66 That according to the doctrine of the churche of Englande all our bishops and their chapleines are false prophets 67 That the doctrine of the church of England concerning the ciuill offices of our Prelates is That all ciuil rule and dominion is by the word of God flatlie forbidden vnto the Cleargie 68 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England the ministerie and the magistracie cannot by the ordinance of God bee both in one person 69 That by the doctrine of the church of England the ioyning together of the ministerie in one person doeth put euerie kingdome out of order 70 That for a lord bishoppe to bee of the priuie counsell in a kingdome according to the doctrine of the church of England is as profitable vnto the Realme as the woolfe is to the lambes 71 That bishoppes ought to haue no prisons wherein to punish transgressors Marke this good Reader 72 That according to the church of Englande all Ministers be of equall authoritie 73 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England those Doctors who are dayly alleadged by our bishops in the defence of their superioritie ouer their brethren to wit Cyprian Ierom Augustine Chrysostome knewe of no authoritie that one bishop shoulde haue aboue another neither thought or once dreamed that euer anie such thing should be 74 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England a bishoppe and an elder or a minister note out in the word of God the one and the selfe same person and church-officer the contrary whereof is popery 75 That by the doctrine of the church of England it is popery to translate the worde Presbyteros into Priest and so to call the ministers of the Gospell Priests 76 That according to the doctrine of the churche of Englande D. Bancroft in his Sermon at Paules the 28. of Ianuary 1588. mainteined a popish errour in auouching that in the dayes of Cyprian there was a difference betwene a bishop and a priest or minister 77 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England Iohn Cant. is a mainteiner of a popish errour in terming the ministers of the Gospel by the name of priests 78 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England our prelates haue no authoritie to make ministers or to proceede to anie ecclesiasticall censure 79 That by the doctrine of the church of Englande to haue a bishops licence to preach is the very marke of the beast Antichrist 80 That by the doctrine of the church of England the godly ministers ought to ordeine those that would enter into that function without anie leaue of the Prelats not so much as once to suffer them to take anie approbation of the Prelats 81 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England there ought to be no other maner of ecclesiasticall censure but that which is noted Matth. 18.15,17 which is to proceede from a priuat admonition to one or two witnesses thence to the church that is not to one but vnto the gouernours of the church together with the whole congregation 82 That according to the doctrine of our churche the citations processes excommunications c. of the Prelates are neyther to be obeyed nor regarded 83 That according vnto the doctrine of

the church of England men ought not to appeare in their courtes seeing their proceedings are so directly against the trueth as now they are manifested to be seeing the doctrine of the church warranteth them no such calling 84 That according to the doctrine of the churche of England that a man being excommunicated by them ought not to seeke any absolution at their hands 85 That according vnto the doctrine of the church of Englande euery minister is bounde to preach the Gospell notwithstanding the inhibition of the bishops 86 That according vnto the doctrine of the church of England a man being once made a minister is not to be kept backe from preaching by the inhibition of any creature 87 That according vnto the doctrine of our church our prelates notably profane the censure of the church by sending them out against those who are not offendours against God for money matters and other trifles c. 88 That according vnto the doctrine of the church of England it is great tyrannie in them to summon and cite poore men as they doe to come before them for hearing the word or speaking against their hierarchie 89 That it is tyrannie by the doctrine of the church of England and the badge of Antichrists disciples for our prelates to breake vp into mens consciences to compell them by othes to testifie against themselues 90 That by the doctrine of the church of England our prelates learned this abomination of Pilate Matth. 26.93 91 That according vnto the doctrine of the church of England none ought to be in the ministerie but such as are able to preach 92 That according vnto the doctrine of the church of England Nonresidents and pluralities of benefices are most intollerable in the sight of God and man 93 That all true subiects haue better warrant to denie the superioritie of bishoppes then the bishops haue to impose themselues vpō the church 94 That her Maiesties true subiects in oppugning the state of L. bishops haue the warrant of the word of God the warrant of our laws and statutes the doctrine of the church of England the consent of the church of God for the space of aboue 400. yeeres and her Maiesties priuiledge 95 That the bishops haue nothing for their defence but the corruption receiued into our church contrary vnto the word cōtrary vnto our statutes contrary vnto her Maiesties priuiledge contrarie vnto the doctrine of our church 96 That our bishoppes in this controuersie for their hierarchie haue not me poore man for their onelie aduersarie but our sauiour Christ his Apostles and holy Martires our lawes and statutes her Maiesties priuiledges and the doctrine of our church hath long agoe condemned them for traitors vnto God vnto his word his church and vnto our lawes and priuiledges 97 That Maister Thomas Cartwright together with all those learned men and my selfe also that haue written against the state of the Clargy could do no lesse then we haue done except wee woulde betray the trueth of God the lawes of this lande and the doctrine of our church 98 That our magistrates in mainteining both the doctrine of our church and also the hierarchie of our bishops mainteine twoo contrarie factions vnder their gouernement which their wisedomes knowe to be dangerous 99 That this faction is likely to continue vntill eyther of the parties giue ouer 100 That those who defend the doctrine of our church in oppugning of our bishops neyther can nor wil giue ouer the cause in as much as it is confirmed by the word professed in our church allowed by our statutes and mainteined by her Maiesties priuiledge 101 That the bishops will not giue ouer in any likelihoode to die for it as long as the state will mainteine them 102 That the continuance of these contrarie factions is likely in a while to become very daungerous vnto our state as their wisedomes who are magistrates doe well know and perceiue 103 That their wisedomes then are bounde euen for the quieting of our outward state to putte downe eyther the doctrine of our Church or the corruption viz. our bishoppes and their proceedings 104 That they cannot without the endaungering of themselues vnder the wrath of God and the odious and most monstrous sinne of ineuitable Apostacie from the trueth put downe and abolish the doctrine of our church 105 That they can not any longer mainteine the corruptions of our church namely archbishops and bishops without the shamefull contradiction of our doctrine and the discontentednes of their subiects 106 That all Ministers are bound by subscription by vertue of the statute that requireth their subscription vnto the doctrine of faith and sacraments in the church of Englande to disauowe the hierarchie of bishops 107 That it were well that all these ministers who are vrged to subscribe would require a resolution in this poynt before they yeelde their subscription 108 That Doctour Bancroft in affirming her Maiestie to be a pettie pope in his Sermon preached at Paules the ninth of Februarie 1588. preached treason against her Maiesties royall crowne and dignitie Pag. 68. lin 19 109 That the sayde Bancroft is a traytor in affirming her Maiestie to vsurpe that authoritie within her dominions in causes ecclesiasticall which the pope vsurped in times past 110 That our bishoppes in suffering the sayde Sermon to be published in print conteining the former points of treason are accessary vnto Bancrofts treason That our prelates Heere the father lefte his writings vnperfite and thus perfitely beginnes the sonne Martin Iuniors Epilogue To the worshipfull his very good neame Maister Iohn Canturburie AFter my harty commendations vnto your VVorshippe good nunckle Canturbury trusting that you vvith the rest of the Cater-caps are as neere your ouerthrovve as Jyour poore nephevv am from vvishing the prosperitie of your Antichristian callings The cause of my vvriting vnto you at this instant is to let you vnderstand first that I vvas somevvhat merry at the making heereof being indeed sory together vvith others of my brethren that vvee cannot heare from our good father Maister Martin Marprelate that good learned discoursing brother of yours but especially grieued that vve see not the vtter subuersion of that vnhappy and pestilent gouernement of L. Bishops at the helme vvhereof ye sitte like a Pilate or a Caiphas rather Moreouer I do you to vveete that you shal receiue by this bearer certaine vnperfect vvritings of my fathers praying your prelacie if you can send mee or any of my brethren any vvord of him that you vvould returne vs an ansvvere vvith speede MAny flim flam tales goe abroad of him but of certaintie nothing can be heard in as much as he keepeth him selfe secrete from all his sonnes Some thinke that hee is euen nowe employed in your businesse and I thinke so too my reason is quoth Robert Some because it was for your sakes and good that hee first fell a studying the Arte of Pistle making Others giue out that in the seruice

Church or man 5 That if Christ did not ordeine a Church-gouernement which at the pleasure of man can not be changed then hee is inferiour vnto Moses for the gouernment placed by him might no man to alter and thereto might no man adde any thing Heb. 3.2,3 6 That the Lorde in the Newe Testament did appoint as perfite and vnchangeable a forme of Church-gouernement in the offices and officets thereof as Moses did in the olde 7 That the Lorde neuer placed any offices in the Newe Testament but the offices of Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Pastors Doctours Elders and Deacons 8 That vnto the end of the worlde there were no other offices to bee placed in the Church but onely these 9 That none of these were and so no offices of a lawful Church-gouernement are to be remoued out of the Church by any but by the Lorde Christ himselfe who placed them because they are the members of his body in the placing or displacing whereof man hath no skill nor yet commission to deale 10 That the Lord for the causes seeming good to his owne wisedome whereof any further then hee hath set downe in his worde man is not to enquire hath remoued out of the church the offices of Apostles Prophets and Euangelists 11 That the want of these can bee no maime vnto the church seeing the Lorde by remoouing them thence sheweth that the body can haue no vse of them 12 That the church is nowe vnto the worldes end to haue none other offices in it but of pastors doctors elders and deacons 13 That the displacing or the want of these is a maime vnto the church And therefore 14 That the churches of God in Denmarke Saxony Tygurium c. wanting this gouernment by these offices are to be accompted maimed and vnperfect 15 That it is as good a reason yea and a farre better to say that learned men and valiant captaines must haue their eyes put out because Homer and Zisca were blinde as to auouch that the church of England may not bee gouerned by Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons because other good churches want this regiment 16 That to place others in the steade of these is both a maiming and a deforming of the church 17 That no magistrate may lawfully maime or deforme the body of Christ which is the Church And therefore 18 That no lawefull Church-gouernement is changeable at the pleasure of the magistrate 19 That the platforme of gouernement by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons was not deuised by man but by our Sauiour Christ himselfe the onely head and alone vniuersall Bishop of his church as it is set downe Rom. 12.4,5 Ephes 4.12 and 1. Cor. 12.8,28 God hath ordained saith the Apostle 20 That no inconuenience can possibly come vnto anie state by receiuing this gouernement 21 That the true stabilitie of al christian states and common-wealths consisteth in the sound execution of this church-gouernement by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons 22 That of necessitie all christian Magistrates are bound to receiue this gouernment by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons and to abolish al other church-gouernements 23 That a church gouernement being the ordinaunce of the magistrate or of the church is an vnlawfull church-gouernement 24 That it is meerely and vtterly vnlawfull for anie man church or state to ordeine anie church-gouernement or anie church officer saue that gouernement and those officers before named Because 25 That a church-gouernement consisting of any other officers but Pastors Doctors Elders Deacons is a gouernment of maimed and mishapen members Therefore 26 That our church-gouernement in England by lord archbishops and bishops is a gouernment of maimed vnnaturall and deformed members seruing for no vse in the church of God Therefore also 27 That no lord bishop is to be maintained in anie christian common wealth 28 That those kingdomes and states who defend any church-gouernement saue this of Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons are in danger of vtter destruction in as much as they defend the maime and deformitie of the church And therefore 29 That our lord archbishops and bishops in defending this their vngodly gouernment are not onelie traitours to God and his church but vtter enemies vnto her Maiestie and the State in as much as they enforce the Lord by these their sins to drawe the sworde against vs to our vtter ruine 30 That our lord archbishops bishops holde it lawfull for our magistrates to maime or deforme the church 31 That they holde Iesus Christ to haue left behinde him an vnperfite and a maimed church wanting some of her members 32 That they holde it lawful for the magistrate to abolish the true and naturall members of the body and to attempt the making of newe by his owne inuention 33 That they to wit archbishops and bishops are the maime of our church and like to bee the destruction of our common-wealth 34 That the warrant that the archbishops and bishops haue for their places can be no better then the warrant which the maintenaunce of the open and most monstrous whoredome in the Stewes had in times past amongest vs. For by the worde they are condemned to be the maime or deformitie of the church or both And as for the laws that maintaine them being the wound and sore of the church they are no more to be accounted of then the lawes mainteining the Stewes 35 That the places of lord bishops are neither warranted by the word of God nor by anie lawfull humane constitutions 36 That the gouernement of the church of England by lord archbishops and bishops is not a church gouernement set downe in the worde or which can be defended to be Gods ordinance 37 That the gouernement of lord archbishops and bishops is vnlawefull notwithstanding it bee mainteined and in force by humane lawes and ordinances 38 That the humane lawes mainteining them are wicked and vngodly and to be abrogated of al christian magistrates 39 That to be a lord bishop then is simplie vnlawefull in it selfe that is in respect of the office though the man susteining the same should not abuse it as our prelates do 40 To be a lord bishop in it selfe simplie besides the abuse consisteth of two monstrous parts wherof neither ought to be in him that professeth himselfe a minister 41 The first is to beare an inequall and a lordlie superioritie ouer his brethren in the ministery and the rest of the church of God vnder his iurisdiction 42 The second is the ioyning of the ciuill Magistracie vnto the Ministerie That both these partes are condemned by the written word of God Luke 22.25 1. Pet. 5.1,2 Mat. 20.25 Marke 10.42 1. Cor. 8.10 Luke 12.14 2. Tim. 2.4 and Iohn 18.36 compared with Matth. 10.25 Luke 16.13 43 That the hierarchie of bishops in their superioritie ouer their brethren and their ciuill offices hath beene gainesaide and withstoode by the visible church of God successiuelie and without intermission for these almost 500. yeeres last past 44 That

of his countrey and her Maiesties he died or was in great danger at the Groine And the others ka mine vncka Bridges haue seene motiues inducing them to be of this minde Some there are also who feare that you haue him in your handes Howsoeuer it be somewhat is not well that hee is silent all this while We his sonnes must needes be disquieted seeing wee can neither knowe where our father is nor yet heare from him If we could but heere by some Pistle though it were but of 20. sheetes of paper that he is well we would not then be so inquisitiue of him But now that he hath bin so long time tongue-tied these foure or fiue moneths wee must needes enquire of the matter Speake then good nuncles haue you closly murthered the gentlman in some of your prisons haue you strangled him haue you giuen him an Italian figge or what haue you done vnto him haue you choaked him with a fat prebend or two What I trowe my father wil swallow downe no such pilles And he doe I can tell he will soone purge away al the conscience hee hath and prooue a mad hinde ere he die But tell me I pray you what you meane to doe vnto him if you haue him in holde Do you meane to haue the keeping of him least he should not be otherwise well looked vnto whie what need tat I am sure he hath 500. sonnes in the lande of good credit and abilitie with whome hee might haue other gates welcome then with any Catercap o them all And I pray you nunckles neuer trouble your selues with the keeping of him I trust he shal do well though he neuer come neere any of you all And I thinke in reason it were more meete his sonnes then his brethren shoulde bee charged with him if it so came to passe that hee were forced to leane vnto others This I knowe full well that my father woulde bee sory from his heart to put you to any such cost as you intend to bee at with him A meaner house and of lesse strength then the Tower the Fleete Newgate or the Gate-house is woulde serue him well enough he is not of that ambitious vaine that many of his brethren the bishops are in seeking for more costly houses then euer his father built for him And therefore good sweete neames nowe if you haue him let him bee dispatched out of your hands with honesty and credit My father is of a kingly nature I perceiue by him hee woulde doe good vnto you but he would not be recompenced for it againe He will none of your courtesies vnlesse it be for your owne sakes that you will giue ouer your bishopdomes that is the greatest benefite he accounts of from you other recompence he seekes none If you demaund of mee where I founde this the trueth is it was taken vp together with certaine other papers besides a bush where it had dropped from some body passing by that way I hope my fathers worship will not bee oftended with me for publishing of it being not so perfit as questionlesse he would haue had it Hee and you can not but commend my good dealing in setting it out for I chose rather to leaue the sentences vnperfite then to adde any thing more then I found legible The Arithmeticall nombers in the end of his preamble shew that when he had written so farre he had something more in his head then all men doe conceiue which made him leaue in the middest of a period I my selfe doe perceiue some tantologies in the cōclusions as being the first draught but I would not presume to mend them that I referre to himselfe if he be yet liuing if dead yet posterities may haue his after-birth to be altogether his owne And let them take this as his cygncam cantionem viz. his farewell to booke-making But that would I be sorie of For who can bee able to prooue the poynts which he hath set downe here concerning the doctrine of our church mainterned by statur her Maiesties priuiledge so soundly and so worthily as he himselfe would performe it A thirtie or fortie of the first Conclusions are alreadie shewed in Hai any work for the Cooper and therefore they neede no further proofe then the reading ouer that woorthie Treatise whence they seeme to haue beene collected The rest I hope shall be shewed in More worke for the Cooper And vather if you can proue these thinges out of the doctrine of our church then certainelie you deserue to be chronicled for euer Then Iohn Canturbury come downe with thy poperie ka M. Martin Iunior for now art thou set out in thy colors to be an aduersary not onely of Christ and his Apostles which all men might know but euen also an vtter enemie vnto the doctrine of the church of England sowed heere by the holy Martires and sealed with their blood yea allowed by statute and published with her Maiesties royall priuiledge which is a point that the most haue not considered of And who is hee now that dares perswade Martin to giue ouer his course vnlesse the same also will shewe himselfe an enemie to the doctrine of the church of England For Martin in his writings is not so much an ennemie vnto the bishoppes as a defender of the doctrine of our Churche And therefore you Puritanes that mislike of him take heede that you bee not founde amongest posterities to bee the betrayers of this doctrine for your ease and quietnesse sake which you are bound to deliuer vnto your children without corruption or mangling though it cost you your liues a thousande times For to tell you the trueth if you do but read ouer the writings of M. Tindall M. Frith M. Barnes M. Hooper M. Knox M. Lambert c. which were the first planters of the Gospell amongest vs you shall find your selues in faithfulnes courage and zeale yea euen the best of you farre behind them which I speake not but to your great shame with a desire of your amendement And therefore I tell you true I thinke it a great blessing of God that hath raised vppe this Martin whome you can hardelie brooke to holde tackling with the bishops that you may haue some time of breathing or rather a time to gather courage and zeale ioyned with knowledge to set vpon these enemies of the doctrine of our church euen the doctrine of God I meane maintained in our church For that as hitherto ye haue done you be so loth for the disturbing of our state forsooth and the offending of hir Maiestie not onely to speake against but euen vtterlie to reiect this hierarchie of our bishops euen to haue no more to doe with it then with the seate of the beast you shall declare vnto our children that God raised vppe but a companie of whiteliuered souldiours to teach the Gospell in sinceritie vnder her Maiestie and take heede lest our forenamed fathers rise vppe in iudgement against you As for

her Maiestie or the state I think shee hath little cause to thanke you for your wisedome in seeking the quietnesse of this common-wealth by-winking at the sinne of the pompous ministerie And me thinkes you are bounde vnto her and her people to make so much at the least knowen as shee mainteineth publikelie in bookes by her statutes and priuiledges to be the doctrine of this our church vnder her gouernement Therefore looke vnto these thinges for certainelie if euer the Lorde shall make the proceedings of our wicked bishoppes knowen vnto her Maiestie to bee so contrarie to worde of God the profession of holie Martyres and the doctrine of our church mainteined both by our statutes and priuiledges as in these Theses they are sette downe assure your selfe that she will then enquire whether she had not any faithfull preachers in her kingdome that would stand to the defence of the trueth vntill shee sawe further into it As for the bishops they may herein see to their woe what wicked caytiffes they are in maintaining themselues their thrice curssed popedome against such cleare light But the beastes I feare were borne to no other end then to be the Lords scourge to chastice his church and then to bee burnt in hell And out vppon them they are as vnlike Christ his Apostles and holy Martyres which were the planters of our Churche as the wretches are like vnto themselues A man would haue thought if they had not beene desperate in their wickednesse that by the warning which Martin gaue them they woulde haue beene restrained from their villanie in some sort But as though their very reason had bene cleane gone the more they are threatned to haue their proceedings displayed the more wicked doe they manifest themselues As if they woulde declare vnto the worlde that they will not bee made knowen vnto posteritie but vppon the condition that they may bee the most wicked that euer were in the church of God They will be so many Iudases so many Diotrepheses so many Simon Maguses as nowe they are wicked bishoppes of Englande or else they thinke not themselues well dealte with Wherefore reuerend father if you bee as yet on your feete and haue escaped out of the danger of gunne shotte beginne againe to play the man Feare none of these beastes these pursuvants these Mar-Martins these stage-players these prelates these popes these diuels and al they can do Quit your selfe but as like a man as you haue doone in Hai any worke and I doubt not but you will make these rogish priests lie in the kenell The reporte abroad goeth that you are drawen drie and can say no more They are fooles that so thinke I say Let these Conclusions bee iudge whereby I tell you true I hope you shall be able to emprie euerie bishopricke in Englande if waight of tructh can doe it There bee that affirme the rimers and stage-players to haue cleane putte you out of countenaunce that you dare not againe shew your face Alas poore haglers their fathers are too yoong to outface the least of your sonnes And I doe thinke that lay aside their tyrannie all the bishops of Englande are too weake to deale with a scarre-crowe that hath but the name of reuerend Martin written vppon it And therefore I perswade my selfe that they their selues are thorowlie so perswaded ka my nuncka Bridges that you contemne such kenell rakers and scullions as to their shame in the time of your silence haue solde them selues for pence a peece to be derided of come who so will to see a companie of disguised asses Concerning Mar-martin if he be a Londoner or an vniuersitie man tenne to one but you shall see him one of these odde dayes carted out of the towne for his honestie of life Why that time of his sheweth that hee had no other bringing vppe then in a brothel-house And heerein I woulde craue pardon of the vniuersities and the famous citie of London if I shoulde bee thought to giue out that such a ribaulder as this is were there maintained To speake what I doe thinke of the youth I can not bee induced to thinke that hee hath had his bringing vp at any other trade then in carryeng long Meg of Westminsters hand-basket and in attending vppon some other of his auntes at her appointment while shee liued After her death it may be he hath beene promoted vnto the seruice of some laundresse in a bishoppes house where in hope to bee preferred by his good lordes he hath vndertaken to mar-rimes in publishing bawdery and filthinesse for the defence of these honest bishops The stage-players poore seelie hunger-starued wretches they haue not so much as an honest calling to liue in the common-wealth And they poore varlets are so base minded as at the pleasure of the veryest rogue in England for one poore pennie they will be glad on open stage to play the ignominious fooles for an houre or two together And therfore poore rogues they are not so much to be blamed if being stage-players that is plaine rogues saue onely for their liueries they in the action of dealing against Maister Martin haue gotten them many thousande eie-witnesses of their wittelesse and pittifull conceites And in deede they are marueilous fitte vpholders of Lambehith palace and the crowne of Canturburie And therefore menne shoulde not thinke of all other things that they should any wayes make Maister Martin or his sonnes to alter their course And heereof good Maister Canturburie assure your selfe Well to growe to a point with you if you haue any of your side eyther in the Vniuersities or in your cathedrall Churches or any where within the compasse of all the bishopdomes you haue that dare write or dispute against anie of these pointes sette downe by my father heere I do by these my writinges cast you downe the Gloue in my fathers name and the names of the rest of his sonnes If my father be gone and none else of my brethren will vpholde the controuersie against you I my selfe will doe it And take my challenge if you dare By writing you may do it qand be sure to be answered By disputations if you will appoint the place with promise that you will not deale vi armis you shall be taken also by me if I thinke I may trust you Otherwise the Puritanes will I doubt not maintaine the chalenge against you But heere by the way Iohn Canturbury take an odde aduice of your poore nephew and that is this First in regard of your selfe play not the tyrant as you doe in Gods Church if you goe on forward in this course the ende will bee a wofull reckoning Thou hast beene raised vp out of the dust and euen from the very dounghill to bee president of her Maiesties counsell being of thy selfe a man altogether vnmeet for any such preheminence as neyther endued with any excellent naturall witte nor yet with any great portion of learning The Lorde hath passed by many thousands in this land farre meeter for the place then is poore Iohn Whitgift Well then what if thou hauing receiued so great blessings at the Lordes hand beeing of all others in no comparison anye thing neere the fittest for it or the likeliest to obraine it shalt now shew thy selfe vngratefull vnto thy mercifull Lorde God or become a cruell persecutour and a tyrant in his church a cruell oppressour of his children shall not all that thou hast receiued be tourned vnto a cursse vnto thee euen into thine owne bosome Yea verely For the Lorde in one day is able to bring more shame vpon thee and that in this life then he hath heaped blessings vpon thee now for the space of thirtie yeeres and vpward But when I doe consider thy preheminence and promotion I do sensiblie acknowledge it to be ioyned with a rare cursse of God euen such a cursse as very fewe I will not say none in Gods Church doe sustaine And that is thy wicked and Antichristian Prelacie The consideration of which popedome of thine maketh me thinke that thy other place in the ciuill magistracie being in it selfe a godly and a lawfull calling is so become infectious that it will be thy bane both in this life and in the life to come And I am almost fully perswaded that that archbishopricke of thine together with thy practises therein shew verely that the Lorde hath no part nor portion in that miserabble and desperat caytiffe wicked Iohn Whitgift the Pope of Lambehith Leaue therefore both thy popedome and thy vngodly proceedings or looke for a fearefull ende My second and last aduise is this in a word Suffer no more of these haggling and profane pamphlets to be published against Martin and in defence of thy hierarchie Otherwise thou shalt but commend thy follie and ignorance vnto the world to be notorious Mar-martin Leonard Wright Fregneuile Dick Bancroft Tom Blan. o Bedford Kemp Vnderhil serue thee for no other vse but to worke thy ruine and to bewray their owne shame miserable ignorance Thus far of these matters And mee thinkes you see nunckle Canturburie that though I bee but young yet I beginne prettily well to followe my fathers steppes for I promise you I am deceiued vnlesse I haue a prety smattering gift in this Pistle-making and I feare in a while I shall take a pride in it I pray you if you can now I haue shewed you my minde that you woulde be a meanes that my vather or my brethren be not offended with me for my presuming this of mine owne head I did all of a good meaning to saue my fathers papers and it would haue pitied your heart to see how the poore papers were raine and weather-beaten euen truely in such a sort as they coulde scant bee read to bee printed There was neuer a drie threede in them These sea-iourneys are pittifull I perceiue One thing me thinkes my father should like in me and that is my modestie for I haue not presumed to publishe mine in as large a print or volume as my father doth his Nay I thinke it well if I can drible out a Pistle in octauo nowe and then Farewell good nuncle and pay this bearer for the cariage Iuly 22. 1589. With as great speede as I might Your worships nephew MARTIN IVNIOR