capacity of favour with God by the bloud of Christ so it is faith with a life conforme to the Gospel that gives us an actual interest in his Death and thereby unto the peace of God but seing the result of this in plain language is no other then that our Lord having by his own bloud ransomed fallen and forfeited mankind hath in liew of the first Covenant made with man and by him transgressed proposed to us a second adding to the condition of a holy life required by the fâ—â—st that of beleeving That this is altogether dissonant both to the declared love of God and the grace revealed by Jesus Christ in his Gospel any Christian may discern Your next words are And a fourth And the root of this new life is a faith which worketh by love purifieth the heart and overcometh the world and there fore Iustification is ascribed unto it in Scripture But pray Sir how is it that faith becometh such a fruitful root Is it not by laying hold on Christs Righteousnesse by which pardon being obtained and we reconciled unto God we have right unto and so do attain in due time the benefite of all the promises of Grace which in Christ Jesus are yea and Amen or that the same faith which layeth hold on him as our Righteousnesse in Gods sight doth also unite us to him for Sanctification and ingraffing us as it were in him through the communication of his grace purifieth the heart and overcometh the World Or lastly is it not that by faith we are brought to the bloud of Sprinkling which is both the bloud of atonement that sprinkleth from an evill Conscience and also the Laver which cleanseth from all sin and wherewith we are sanctifyed This being then the Scripture account and it being most apparent that Christ through faith becometh first our Righteousnesse for remission of sin and Justification in Gods sight and then our Sanctification unto Good works your own acknowledgement that faith is the root of this new life of holiness may evince that a holy life subsequent to faith and our acceptation therethrough cannot be therewith joined as a condition for our Justification But that which followeth in your discourse and therefore i. e. because of the above enumerat fruiâ—s which it produceth Iustification is ascribed unto faith in the Scripture is the grossest error of all because 1. It directly repugnes to Scripture clearly intimating that it is unto faith as the instrument only whereby the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ is unto us applyed that Justification is in Scripture ascrived If we be justifyed by the faith of Jesus Christ and if by the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ the free gift cometh upon all to the Justification of life if he be the propitiation through faith in his bloud and our righteousnesse which is of God by faith are you not affrayed to say that Justification requiring a satisfactorie righteousnesse is ascrived to faith because of its poor and imperfect fruits in us and thereby to â—light and vilipend the perfect Righteousnesse of Christ the immediat object whereon it layeth hold and our only acceptation in Gods sight 2. Because this your error derogates from Divine justice We have already heard you call Justification a legal or judicial act and consequently an act wherein free grace doth not more favour the lost sinner then justice doth regard a valuable ransome and surety If Iustification then be ascribed in Scripture to faith this must certainly be understood either as faith is in it self or is relative to a compleat and adequat satisfaction Now to think that faith in it self or as it is an act or habite which is the Gift of God or its fruits which beside that they are also the gift of God and our dutie as from us are mixed with much weakness and imperfection or lastly that any thing else then the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ apprehended by faith can be commensurable to holy Iustice is more then redargued by the simple proposal 3. This your ascribing Iustification unto faith in regard of a holy life which it produceth doth no less detract from the praise of the glory of the grace of God wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Is it the praise and commendation of this wonderful love and grace that he spared not but gave his only begotten Son to be a ransome for sinners and that it is in the Beloved that we are accepted and justifyed and should not you be ashamed to say that it is unto faith as the root of a holy life and not as it doth respect and take hold on him who was made to be sin for us and knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousnesse of God in him that Iustification is in Scripture ascrived 4. This your error as it is contrary to the Scripture and derogatorie to the Righteousnesse of Christ the Holinesse of Divine justice and the Glory of free Grace so it is the manifest product of and cannot but be a most dangerous temptation to that inward and spiritual pride in the heart of man of all sin the most subtilly insinuating deeply rooted and pernicious A price or something meriting or moving at least of our own is that which the natural man liketh well nay knoweth not how to renounce was it not a subtile and strange effect of this pride and corrupt selfe Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul When as the thing required by the Lord was to do justly love mercy and walk humbly with God And whence did the Iews their stumbling at the Gospel proceed Was it not that they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and therefore they did not submit themselves unto the Righteousnesse of God Say not that this accusation against you is unwarranted I know you tell us That your explanation ascribes all to Christ through whom it is that our sinnes are pardoned our services accepted and grace and glory conveyed to us But it is evident that these are but vain words in as much as though you here tell us that our services are accepted through Christ yet almost immediatly before we heard you say that it is faith and a life conforme to the Gospel by way of antecedent condition which gives us an interest in his bloud Now that our services cannot be prerequired by way of condition to his acceptance of us and also only accepted as performed by us in himâ— is of it self manifest 2. Though you should more clearly and consistently ascribe all unto Jesus Christ yet by turning his grace into a condition the subtilty and folly of your pride doth but the more bewray it self For as simply to obtrude our own good works which in the acknowledgement of the most exact and confident legalist are both commanded and given us of God is a proud presumption so the more you attribute either the strength or the acceptance of performances
208. l. 32. For r. To. p. 215. l. 17. r. fealty ibid. l. 34. r. and any p. 217. l. 3. r. That p. 220. l. 2. r. our p. 228. â—l 9. r. 1590. ibid. l. 10. r. doubted p. 242. l. 8. r. on p. 252. l. 9. r. one p. 253. l. 7. r fervent p. 269. l. 29. r. pattern p. 284. l. 17. r. ridiculous p. 341. l. 16. r. mostly p. 387. l. 6. r. mitigated p. 391. l. 31. r. ashamed p. 572. l. 14. r. this p. 496. l. 8. r. maintained p. 502. l. 17. r. convinced ibid. l. 18. r. qualifies Reader what others thou may find through a letter wanting or redundant or one for another or through a comma colon or the like misplaced or wanting thou mayest correct as thou readest The first DIALOGUE Answered SIR If I premise that your modest and free conference doth obviously appear to me to be rather a phantastick rancountre of a mocking Conformist and a Mock-Non-conformist it is not from any design to preoccupy by so severe a character but only to releeve both you and my self of the fruitless observation and tedious prosecution of the many impertinencies incident to such a practice and therefore as you are not to expect my particular noticing of the high pretensions weak replyes faint cedings ridiculous evasions plain concessions and flattering insinuations whereunto you prompt your Puppet-non-conformist either for your own advantage or diversion so in the tracing of these things that seeme to be more serious and important in your Dialogues I promise you all the candor and calmness whereof I am capable Yea though your double dealing in this cause which not content to impugne as a Conformist you go about also as a Non-conformist to betray might well warrant a more sharpe and large animadversion both upon your end and method yet being only desirous of truths vindication and in the occurrence of so many temptations justly jealous of my own infirmitie I do here francklie cease from and lay aside all wrath and bitterness that I sin not and shall as sincerely distinctly as I can review and answere your reasonings as they ly Before you fall to your direct accusations you suggest 1. That the Non-conformists do boast of their way as the Glory 2. That their Ministers tell them only of Christs death which is not to preach him 3. That they study more to convince them of the need of Christs Righteousness then of having anâ— of their own 4. That Non-conformists think they may quite the Communion of the Church if in their opinion noâ— in the truth in every point 5. That in former times they repressed some sins specially of the flesh but scarcely in a Gospel way and as for other sins were very gentle to them Nay were themselves guiltie of them Sir were I not very loath to irritate you in the entrie I would tell you that to commence your conference with such groundless odious and incoherent hints which you dare not positively affirme is more agreeable to a design of prejudice then to the charitie you so amply professe But to particulars to the first that the Non-conformists do boast of their way as the Glory 1. We bless our God our Glory who hath made all the manifestations and means of his Grace Glorious these are the overflowings of the excellent Glory by the streames whereof all our gloryings and praises ought to be carried back to concentred in and swallowed up of the Ocean-fountain whence they proceed 2. The Scripture is plain that Jesus Christ the Prince of Glorie in the revelation of his Glorious Gospel hath made the ministration thereof so farre to exceed in Glory that even he himself accounteth the Messengers thereof his Glory Whether these things be not sufficient to justifie both the Non-conformists boasting and regrete needeth not my assertion Sure I am if a pure Ministrie not modelled by the policy and pride of man but singly squared to our Lords institution if able Ministers of the New Testament declaring all the Counsel of God and imparting the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel And lastly if the growing and Multiplying of the word of God and his peoples desire after and rejoicing in it have any lustre of this Glory the present sad catastrophe whereby all these have been so wickedly and wofully changed to their contraries may more justly move every concerned serious soul to a lamentation for the departed glory then these occasions that first produced that complaint If you judge these to be swelling words of vanitie remember that as I do speak the true Non-conformist so it is your part by this your conference more solidly to redargue him The second thing you suggest is that the Non-conforming Ministers tell us only of Christs death which is not to preach Christ. Sir this allegeance short as it is presents it self with a disgust that I can scarce express Not that I think the Non-conformists are thereby in the least noted Nay on the contrarie I am confident that in whatsoever sense you are able to render the accusation pertinent the Non-conformists are most free to deny it and that with the universall evidence of all their unprejudicate hearers and the unanimous testimony of all their confessions and writings extant And whether this be more to their advantage or your dishonour I hope you will consider But that which in my heart I detest is to hear the glorious subject of the precious death of Christ so both slighted and narrowed within its Scriptural acceptation by such a Cold restrictive If the Apostle Paul desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified and Gloryed only in his Cross If the death of Christ doth necessarily suppose and did certainly confirme his preceeding Testament nay if in the Gospel it be often mentioned as the substance and root of all had you no fitter words for your intended accusation of N. C. then that they tell us only of Christs death I know your meaning viz. That to tell people onely of an interest in Christ while they are strangers to his Laws and Gospel is to deceive them is as sound as it is untruly charged upon the Non-conformists Neither would I have taxed an innocent lapse in the phrase observed but it s too visible tendencie to the discredite of the doctrine of Justification by the bloud of Christ and to the new rationall Method of more exalting our righteousness to an equality with his merit then pressing it in Conformity to his life and love is the cause of my aversion The Non-conformists therefore do indeed tell us of the death of our Lord Jesus not with your ill appropriat and restringent only but do preach to us alwayes and principally this doctrine of his Cross as that whereby both the great mean of our reconciliation â— and the strongest motive best pattern and most certain assurance of our dying unto sin and living unto God wherein our Sanctification consists are held forth 3.
speak and they saw themselves ready to be sisted before the righteous Tribunal of God and that for no other cause but because they durst not do as you would have them in adoreing your Dagon and upon the other hand to compleat your wickedness thrusting in Men upon these Flocks who were bereft of such as did stand and feed in the strength of the Lord without any thing else to commend or qualifie them save that ye knew them to be of such mettal and complexion as they would not decline nor dispute your impositions which is certain as to matter of fact that I might here appeal to your own Conscience to the Conscience of the chiefe men who are chiefe in the transgression persecuting them who adhere to their Covenant keep the Commands of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ because they will not ackowledge and submit to such obtruded Intruders as the sent called Ministers of Jesus Christ if they would committ the keeping of their dogs the careing for their swine or the feeding of their horses to persons who had so little skill to do and faithfulness to performe it as most of these have to whom the flock of God purchased with his own Blood is committed Sir this is an over-rating with a witness and such as if ye will rate right and reflect upon it may and certainly will fâ—ll your Soul with horrour if the wrath of God be come upon them to the uttermost who forbid his Sent Servants to speak unto his people these words by which they must be saved it only argues a judicial blindness of minde benumnedness of Conscience in the chiefe of your partie and promoters of that interest that their lyableness to the wrath of God Almighty for the desolations made in his Sanctuary by them doth not make them roar by reason of the disquietness of their heart and cry out as persons against whom the terrors of God have sett themselves in array I might tell you of an over-rating also of which ye as we have in part heard already and your companions glory wherein the very fundation of our Salvation is struck at viz such an over-rating of works and our pitiful performances as advances them to the altitude of being the condition of the justification of a sinner before God and is utterly inconsistent with the tenoâ— of the Covenant of Grace the unhappie Author whom we last named hath led you and your companions into this ditch also and ye glory in this shame but I shall forbear the discovery of your dangerous folly and false-hood about this great foundation of Salvation by you put out of course till I come to examine your sixt Dialogue It was only fit here to give the Reader an hint and let him see what over-raters ye are But Sir why are ye so shye as to shun the true known and common definition of Superstition given by Godly and Learned Men ye know that that excellent definition given by Zanchy and followed by other great men makes Superstition to consist in the addition of Ceremonies in the worship of God not instituted by Christ as well as in the addition of more substantial matters but easiely foreseing that this would not serve your evil designe of loading the Servants of Christ with reproach and calumnie and that the bulk of your burdensome Ceremonies must be rejected as reprobate mettal if nothing pass for current as a part of worship in the Church but what hath the Seal and impress of God upon it ye substitute in its place one wherewith ye are at present better pleased but with what advantage to your cause I leave it to be judged But sir since you do not ingage further upon the head of Superstition then first to cast it into such a mould as may sute your designe and having done so then to cast the iniquitie of it upon us I shall at present satisfy my self with what is said and for your further satisfaction I will give you all the assurrances you can require both in my own name and in the name of all the N C. that when ever you are able to instruct your challenge we will thank you for your charitie And if your evidence as to proof answere your confidence in the charge yee shall find us so far from a pertinacious obstinacie that we will abandon with a blush whatsoever of Superstition we might through ignorance have indulged in our way and in the mean time rest confident that as in demonstration of my reality in what I undertake I shall endeavour henceforth to affect my own heart more and more into a deep abhorrence at and detestation of all your abjured usurpations Antiscriptural methods and Episcopal impositions in the matters of God and so far as I am able shall interpose with all the People of God to do the same Yet Sir there is one thing more before we part I must tell you that when I consider your straine thorow the whole by the superstitious over-rateing of things imputed unto us in your first and our being charged with our overprizing of Ordinances in the next with the neglect as you say of your Moralitie and your stretch of charity for Papists with your insinuat censures of all who have stood up in the defence of the absoluteness and immutabilitie of the Decrees of God the efficacie of his Grace c. against Arminians which is to your moderation and latitude but a digladiation about niceties and curiosities I say Sir when I consider these things and grant you the common Privilege acclaimed by every man to be optimus interpres suorum verborum the best expounder of his own words I must take this to be your meaning that we are superstitious over-raters of things in standing at so great a distance from Papists and in contending with Arminians about these things in controversie betuixt them and uâ— and because we are not cast into that new convenient mould of yours whereby you can coutch under and comply with any mutation in the matters of God and in your profound heights deep silences abstractions and novell latitude â—ush at all these things as not to be contended for and despise all the men who are not cast in the new mould of your perfection as pitifull Puntes of the lowest sise this we see is manifestly your meaning and truely Sir I only regrate we are so litle worthy of your indignation and that the truths of God are not more deare to us and that the Zeal of his house doth not more eat us up And while you contemne these things as not to be contended for to make the world beleeve your holy fire is not extinguished though nothing of its flame appear about the conservation of these to us precious things though to you despicable ye would make all these stirrings for them and striveings about them to be the sparkles of a superstitious wild fire and not a flame of God I cannot
be pleased to re-examine your instances I doubt not but you will find them neither to be unanswerable nor that the Doctrine of our Teachers against causeless Separatists doth homologate your inference As to what you add That it is a great cruelty if a Minister be put from his place whether justly or unjustly that the people should be starved Sir I am verily of your opinion and therefore as I wish our outed Ministers had testified more love in despising hazards for the relief of Souls so I cannot but remember you how dreadful a charge this driving away of Pastors and starving of Souls will one day amount to against such who have been its direct Authors However seing the love and faithfulness of Christ the Great Shepherd hath secured the event they that believe need not make haste for verily they shall be fed Your N. C. next Argument is That your Curates are naughtie men and weak preachers Sir such is the notoriety of this charge and so afflicting ought it to be to every one concerned in the credit of the Gospel and honour of its Ministery that I am assured all sober men will rather impute it to tenderness then want of matter that I incline not either to inlarge the objection or insist in the examination of your answere You think it an odd piece of Religion for us to reproach our Pastors by the name of Curats a designation not to be ashamed of but though the name Curate ows its invention only to the vanity of men by whom the lowly Scripture-stile of Minister was disdained and be of no proper origination and in effect the product of the corruption both of the Churches humility and purity of the Latine Tongue yet seing you account it honourable and I and many others do rather use it for distinction I heartily wish that you and others who do appear so sensible of an apprehended reproach may be as serious in reflecting upon that important aggravation it shall furnish in the last Judgement against these who in stead of caring for Souls do visibly destroy them As for what you insinuat that the Curats are our Pastors and over us in the Lord pardon me to say that I cannot finde the relation either in their office or exercise and that if Scripture-marks do intitle to Scripture-names these Intruders entering not by the door are liker to Theeves these false Teachers are but revening Wolves and these Prophets who teach lies are but the taill Nay every one who rightly considers how that in place of minding the Lords Work whereunto they pretend and honouring him before the people they have made his offering and Sanctuary to be abhorred and his name to be prophaned in liew of that honour which you acclaime may justly conclude that they that despise the Lord shall be lightly esteemed Say not where is Christian Charity to call the manifest lewdness and lies of these pitiful Miscreants whose gross abominations are almost every where the grief of the godly and the very scorn of all nay such whereof your self pag. 30. doth abhorre the patrociny and for which you pretend to be a bitter mourner in secret Slight grounds and to bid men be slow to take thence an impression is plain mockery Charity that beleeveth all things resteth and rejoiceth only in the Truth and rejoiceth not in iniquity neither can you alleadge our grounds being good your Church in our not complaining to be neglected it were strange charity to beleeve as the proverb runs that Satan will reprove sin As for your alledging that to separate upon the personal â—ailing much more weakness of a Preacher will open a wide door to Separation Whatever danger may be in your smooth generality yet I am confident not to owne for as to separation I have already cleared how the practice of these you do condemn doth differ from it for Ministers such vitious intruders and flagitious livers as your Curates are is a Soveraign expedient for preserving both of Truth and Christian Unity and that as to ty the good of Worship to the sincere intention of him that manageth it is an error so to think that Gifts and a suitable converse in a Minister are of no influence or regard as to the work of his Ministery and that because not to hear Sermons only but the solemn worship of God is the chief end of our meeting wherein you are mistaken if you think that you and we do not agree which we can do be the Minister what he will is irreligion unmixed which your jejune commending of the reading of good Scriptures and singing of good Psalmes doth not palliate Be the minister what he will What be he Socinian Arminian notoriously flagitious an Adulterer or Incestuous Person a despiser of Discipline a strengthener of the hands of the Wicked and sander of the hearts of the Godly a Symoniack is nothing but what he may will and many of yours do de facto will nay be he Popish Mahumetan Pagan or Atheist all are but what he may will O execrable latitude But you conclude this point that our crouding to hear such weak men now in Conventicles who formerly were of no esteem among us sayes we are not so zealous for good Preachings as we would make the world beleeve Pray Sir if a man in plenty make choise and in penury make a shift will you thence inferre he is not desirous of the best this is too weak but to be ingenuous with you I question not but some Curats make constantly more able and frequently better Sermons for the matter then weaker Non-conformists and vet the just grounds of our exceptions do still conclude that they are neither so good men nor acceptable Preachers as these whom we preferre As for what you add That the way to make a man popular among us is to rail against Church and State It is a malitious calumny wherewith you endeavour to slander us unto our Rulers and which they who ought to be as the Angels of God may easily discerne and repell Your N. C in the next place objects to you the obligation of the Covenant wherein the whole Nation and the posterity are engaged to maintain our former Presbyterian Ministery extirpat your Prelacie and all depending on that Hierarchie and whatsoever shall be found conâ—raire to â—ound Doctrine and the power of Godliness I shall not improve this argument being of such an obvious evidence in any further explication but briefly review what you answere on the contraire And 1. Your evil Conscience foometh forth your indignation against the Covenant in your reproachfull calling it our Goliah alwayes brought out by us to defy the Armies of the living God whose strength like Sampsons lay in its hair the Armies that fought for it and not in any innate vigour But as notwithstanding all the arrowes of malice blasphemy and rage that you and your party have shot at it it still abideth in strength and the Armies of its
most High not prostitute to mens lusts devices While I say you are still such what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what communion hath light withdarkness And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath he that keepeth Covenant with him that avowedly breaketh it If these be schismatical insinuations we are very willing to be accounted such and do heartily imbrace the reproach nay if I should tell you that such are the nature and circumstances of the present defection that it doth not only enjoyne a necessarie separation from your pretended and corrupt Ecclesiastick Courts for eviting the sin that attends a conjunction but also a witnessing withdrawing to testify against backsliders I might as easily evince it both from Scripture-precept and example But may be I am too prompt if the termes that you are about to offer be as fair as is promised that is as can be demanded by any rational person no doubt they will satisfie all our scruples And therefore wishing that the event may redargue this apparent anticipation I goe on to your following promise viz. to give your N. C. at next meeting a full prospect of the state of the ancient Church and you doubt not to convince him that their frame was better suted for promoting the ends of Religion then ever Prebyterie could be Sir your performance is expected and for your encouragement I am free to tell you that though the improbabilitie of the undertaking may possibly give the world a disappointment yet it will be no surprise It is not the first promise that you have failed in upon more unaccountable reasons Mean while you forbid us to abuse our Soveraign's royal goodnesse nor the tendernesse of these he sets over us But this in my opinion is a superfluous caution the Prelats have taken a surer course to prevent your fears for such hath been their care to secure this goodnesse and tendernesse from our abuse that hitherto they have thought fit to keep it without our reach I know this will appear a hard reflection to some of your party who would have even the common air estemed his Majesties and us to breath it by his indulgence But a flattering mouth worketh ruine and the Lord shall cut off all flattering lips We despise not his Majesties favour nay we desire and long for it that it may come down like raine upon the mowen grasse But while there is so great a short-coming in the things which are right in the eyes of the Lord and righteous toward his servants why should flatteries deceive And thus we are come to your Conclusion of Prayers for and exhortation to peace love and charity a very expedient one to so bad a cause so badly managed your rebellion against God your usurpation against our Lord Jesus Christ the wrongs done to his Church and People by which your Prelats have got into the chair and in compliance wherewith you your self do at least find ease If they cannot be mentioned by reason yet may in a manner be secured by peace And no doubt the love and charity which you crave would go a great length I will not say with Iehu what have you to do with peace But there is no peace to the wicked saith my God And that ought to be unto you of more moment then if Iehu with all his fury and forces were at your heels But you are of that number who would have peace though you walk in the imagination of your own hearts nay you seduce this people and heal their hurt slightly by saying peace where there is no peace But if you had stood in the counsel of the Lord and had caused his people to hear his words then you should have turned them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a far off Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. I have heard what the Prophets said who Prophesie lyes in my name and do cause my people to erre by their lightnesse yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profite this people at all saith the Lord. As for the love that you desire should we love them that hate the Lord you know whose profession it was do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee And am not I grieved with these that rise up against the I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Neither are these the words of one only under the old dispensation which elswhere you are pleased to terme more carnal and fierie He who wished that they were even cut off who troubled the Church appeareth to be of the same Spirit Nay God who is love and perfect in goodnesse to all his creatures is neverthelesse a consuming fire unto his adversaries And our Lord Jesus who came in lowlinesse and meeknesse to seek sinners and dye for enemies enjoyning love as a badge and legating peace as his proper blessing to all his followers doth notwithstanding pronounce many a sad wo unto the hypocritical proud covetous in a word if as shamlessly irreligious Prelatick Pharisee Let us therefore above all things in the first place contend for the love of God and to be found and to abide therein This once purging our hearts from dividing and distracting lusts will only happily cement us by its own bond But if you continue your opposition against God perversion of his righteous wayes and persecution of his Saints you do in vain pretend to that peace which is the Saints their priviledge and without which outward peace is no better then one of these snares that the Lord raineth upon the wicked Your next wish is for charity and O! that it might be both your and our blessing in its full extent charity not rejoycing in iniquity but rejoycing in the truth would quickly produce a desireable Accommodation but this is not the charity which you study 't is like a charity thinking no evill of your evil doings beleeving all your imposings enduring all your usurpations and bearing all your rigours would please you well And at this rate the most violent irreligious persecutor would become your concurrent But we have not so learned Christ. It is a very easie and advantagious thing to men possest of their desires to wish for security in the peace love and charity even of their adversaries And yet we are not so short of rememberance as to believe that this was alwayes the language of your partie At first it was make a chaine the land is full of bloodie crimes and the city is full of violence and your cry was rase it rase it even to the foundation And when after much crueltie and blood your Prelats would scarce by the restraint of more safe counsel be taken off their eager pursuites how hardly are they prevailed upon even