Think not the Lorde to winke al this while at our great sins Nay thinke rather that the Lorde will throwe as with a sting the inhabitantes of our land because our pastors are become beasts haue not sought Iehouah Ier. 10.18.21 There be two Archplagues vndoubtedly to be expected for of vs the inhabitants of Wales if our petition be not graunted The first indeed containing all the exquisite torments that may be inuented yet leauing a place for the latter In a woord it is the putting out of that small light of religion which wee haue the cutting off both of vs and our posterity from belonging vnto the Lord. The reason hereof is this if the knights of our shiers and Bishops c. will not shew themselues desirous to returne vnto the Lord with earnest labour for the word preached then they doe asmuch as if they said the woord spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare but we wil do whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth as did the wicked Iewes Ier. 44. But what was replied vnto them Verily this Vers 26. Behold I haue sworne by my great name saith Iehouah that my name shal be no more called vpon by the mouth of any man of Iuda in the land of Aegypt saying Iehouah liueth Our sinnes being like vnto theirs shall be surely rewarded alike The other punishment is the vtter ruine of our land the rasing of our names frō vnder heauē that we shal be no more a people Ieremy maketh it but a smal matter with the Lord to ouer-throw a kingdome for the sinnes of the people therein Chap. 18.7.8.9 So doth Amos 9.8 We haue not indeed as yet a barren womb giuen vnto vs but I feare me we haue brought forth children for the murtherers Though we bring foorth children yet will the Lorde slay the dearest of our bodies yea wo vnto them saith he when I depart from them Hos 9.21.17 Accoūt not these I pray you whom I haue before named to be the visions of the daies afarre off Ezech. 12.18 but tremble and feare least the Lord say the words in our daies and perform thē Thinke rather the Lord to expostilate with vs as he did sometimes with the people of the Iewes O you inhabitants of Wales why wil you dy saith the Lord Why should I giue you for a terrible plague to al the kingdoms of the earth Ier. 12.7 Why should I forsake mine house leaue mine inheritance giue the dearely beloued of my soul into the hands of her enimies Ier. 3.12.13 c. Thou disobedient saith the Lord return and I wil not let my wrath fall vpon thee for I am merciful Be thou instructed least my soule be dismembred frō thee and I make thee a lande without an inhabitant Ier. 6.8 Think these speeches I say to belong vnto you vs in respect of them be vehement The calamities of vs your kinsmé in the flesh yea your own and your childrens wil force you or els you are vnnaturall to vnfould our griefe vnto hir Maiesty and this assembly Our case is pitiful you know Our life short we know not how soone the Lord wil cal for vs. How soon he wil make an end of al. If we haue not more knowledge than as yet we haue enioied meanes to come by the same we can hope for nothing at his hand but that deadly voice I know you not You haue both a Herod in Vra◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persuasion and necessity which driue wise men to take great matters in hand to pricke you forwarde Throw downe your selues before hir maiesty and this honourable assembly and plead for your liues and your peoples rise not thence vntill your suite bee yeelded vnto We poore people look for nothing else but destruction except our God graunt you fauour at this verie instant time in their sight I with in the Lord that if wee perish we may perish our selues alone and that Queene Elizabeth and hir counsel with the estate and the whole communalty of England may in a good conscience testifie before the Lord and say b Deut. 21.17 Our hands haue not shed the blood of these men neither haue our eies seene it I do most earnestly beseech the Lord Iehouah for his Christes sake who is great and wise in counsell seuere in punishing sinne yet aboundant in mercy and kindnes towards the brused and humble soule to turne his wrath from vs to giue hir Maiesty and this honourable court his spirit to direct them in euery action according vnto his word to make al the enimies of his truth Queen Elizabeth like c Ier. 29.22 Ahab and Zedechiah whom the king of Babel burned in the fire continue hir raigne ouer vs hasten the comming of his Sonne Christ Iesus Amen Amen Yea come quiokelie Lord Iesus To the reader Some rumor of the speedy dissolution of the Parliament enforced me from the 32 Pag. or there abouts so much being already vnder the presse to cut off more of the booke by two parts than is now in the whole The neerer I came to the ende the more hast I made I regarded not herein Amphora coepit Institui currente rota cur vrceus exit The ouersight I hope hath not been very great if any I hartilie craue pardon How tedious vngainful it was for me to dismēber the whole and sow togither the torne parts let other men iudge Some thing spoken of in the Epistle could not be well perfourmed Pag. 30. l. 22. Read through-out his dominion
vnto their petition is this Either it must be said that her highnes would not haue the Lord honored with our saluation that hue in hir daies and that she enuieth vs that good nay enuieth herself yea reiecteth the infinite reward in the life to come and assurance of safety with diuerse other benefits in this life freely offered vnto her for adding vs vnto the kingdome of his son which assertion I know they will detest and gainesay or that shee greatly longing for the honour of God and our vnspeakable good desirous of the crowne that shal bee giuen hir in the life to come will be most carefull incontinently whatsoeuer may ensue to plant the word in Wales This later is to be embraced affirmed Neither can it be said that she wil take leisure herein for that were plainly to say her Maiesty waied not the honour of Iesus Christ because many a thousand of vs should die before he were known to be a sauiour of distressed soules Shee hath otherwise learned Christ and therefore knoweth that the Lorde must not staie mans leasure when hee woulde haue anie thing perfourmed towards his seruice If one wil not do it he can finde another whom he wil honor â—â—â—h the deed Shee hath learned that it is to wâ—â—ken the Lordes omnipotencie and to teach him wisedome and discretion to goe no farther in a matter required by him than mans reasons seeth good likelie to come thereof She assureth hir selfe the Lord is discreet wise inough in commanding and therefore will doe hâ—â— will though hir kingdome should be endaungâ—red For he sufficiently recompenseth the losse that befalleth to anie while the execution of his will is attended vppon This course she tooke at hir first coronation This course I doubt not she wil take at this Parlament euen this I saie for who knoweth whether the Lord Iesus meaneth to keepe his before we haue a second proclaimed Will you therefore good gentlemen I speake vnto you my fathers my brethren my kindred and what name of loue else can be inuented my deare countrimen be mute where there is no question you shal be hard vnles the fault be in you Indeed it concerneth vs poor inhabitants of Wales verie nearly to be hard as wel in respect of our present misery as of the wonderfull calamity that is to fall vppon vs. Our case now is to bee especiallie pittied in respect of the inner man For howe many souls doe daily starue and perish among vs for want of knowledge And how many are like still to tread the same path It grieueth me at the hart to consider how hel is enlarged to receaue vs. And here the Lord knoweth and our soueraigne with this most honourable assembly shal know that I doe not complaine withour cause For our estate is such that we haue not one in some score of our parishes that hath a sauing knowledge Thousands there be of our people that know Iesus Christ to be neither God nor man king priest nor prophet ô desolate and forlorne conditiom yea almost that neuer heard of him If anie by the great goodnesse of God be called this came to passe not by the diligeÌ„ce of their pastours which are either dumme or greedy dogs that delight in sleeping as saith the Propheâ— a few honest meÌ„ excepted but either extraordinarily through reading or by meanes of their reâ—â—â—t and abode in some corner of the Church of â—ngland where the gospel is preached And lâ—â—g â—ay it be preached there to the glory of Gâ—d the felicity of our soueraign and the eueâ—â—asting good of that whole nobility and people â—hose kindnes towards strangers the Lord wilâ—â—ot forget And our Godremember Queen Elizabeth herein and wipe not out hir kindnes shewed toward thy people shew mercy vnto hir iâ— that daie good Lorde and forget hir not in this life also seing by means of fostering thy Gospell in hir land some of vs a people not regarded haue known the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes euen of our great sinnes Let this neuer be forgotten good Lord. I am caried I knowe not whither from my purposed intent These latter sort are some few gentlemen or such like The rest of our people are either such as neuer think of anie religion true or false plainly meere Atheists or stark blinded with superstition The later are of 2 sorts The first crue is of obstinate idolaters that would fain be again in execrable Rome so hold for good diuinity whatsoeuer hath bin harched in that sacrilegious nest But these may doe what they wil with vs for nether ciuil magistrat nor Bishop wil controul them They may be euen of the Parliament house least that congregation should be without some AchaÌ„ that might giue the Lord iust occasion to execrate his whole hoast Hence flow our swarmes of south saiers and enchanters such as will not stick openly to professe that they walke on Tuesdaies and Thursdaies at nights with the fairies of whom they brag themselues to haue their knowlege These sonnes of Belial who shuld die the death Leuit. 20.6 haue stroken such an astonishing reuerence of the fairies into the harts of our silly people that they dare not name theÌ„ without honor We cal them bendith û mamme that is such as haue deserued their mothers blessing Now our people wil neuer vtter bendith û mamme but they wil saie bendith û mamme û dhûn that is their mothers blessing which they account the greatest felicity that any creature can be capeable of light vpon them as though they were not to be named without reuerence Hence proceed open defending of Purgatory the Real presence praying vnto images c. with other infinit monsters The other sort is of good simple soules that would full gladly learne the way vnto saluation and spend their hart blood for the safety of their godly Prince in whoÌ„ they do claim more interest then the rest of hir subiects whosoeuer And this is almost the only happines they haue These poore soules because the Idol pastor can teach them nothing entering more deeply with themselues into the consideration of things find by the small light of religion we enioy through the meanes of hir Maiesty by the instinct of nature that there is a diuine essence who must be carefully and religiously serued and praied vnto for al blessinges that would be obtained Which things they see vnperfourmed publikely therefore priuatly they assay what they can doe But wofull estate they being not taught out of the worde of God what he is that must be serued how he requireth this to be doone inuent vnto themselues both their God and the maner of his seruice concerning saluation they either think that the Lorde is bound to saue all men because they are his creatures or that al shal be saued at the later day at the intreaty of the virgin Mary who shal desire her sonne after iudgement giuen to saue as many of the damned as may bee
honourable assembly know that the seruice of the eternall is not to be disperised withall and therefore out of hand will see the erecting thereof which shall neuer â—e do 〈◊〉 as long as any excuse wil be admitted to hinder the worde preached If impropriations Nontesfidencies were not tolerated a teaching minister in Walles might liue wel by the Church Is it not intolerable that some of our Gentle-men should haue 6. impropriate liuings Our earnest and humble petition vnto her Maiesty and this high court of Parliament is that it could please them to decree that the tenth part of euery impropriat liuing in Wales may be bestowed to the maintenaÌ„ce of a teaching minister which is so reasonable that I hope it wil be graÌ„ted And that theÌ„ minister finding hir Maiesty sufficient security may be hir farmer in euery impropriat liuing that beloÌ„geth vnto hir highnes within wales We humbly intreat that the same order may be taken with al improptiations in our counâ—rey whatsoeuer Non-residencies haue cut the throte of out Church Some that neuer preached haue three Church liuinges Many of our liuinges are possessed by students of either of the Vniuersities who neuer come amongst vs vnles it be to fleece This I hope wil be tolerated no longer seeing it is the very desolation of the Church the vndoing of the common wealth and a demonstratiue token that the Lords will watch ouer vs to euill and not to good Our petition is that none whosoeuer maâ—â— possesse 〈◊〉 one liuing and that al may be constrained to bee resident on their charges These reasonable petitions coÌ„cerning Non residencies and impropriations being graunted a great many liuinges will bee ready to entertaine a learned pastor Thus I hope al the difficulties that seemed to hinder preaching vnto vs are taken away But I maruel what will be said to bee the cause why we haue not had publicke reading in welsh to any purpose as yet The old testament we haue not in our tongue therefore the 1. lesson is read in English vnto our people in many places that vnderstand not one word of it This reading is taken to be the blasphemous masse And they giue it the very name of the masse û maû yr offairiad ar y ffereÌ„ say they when the first lesson is read that is the priest is at masse One man seene in the original by the blessing of God would bee able to translate the whole in 2. yeares more handes would make more speede The small prophets in welsh might he read vnto vs vntil we obtaine the whole which shal be ready for the Presse whensoeuer it shall please hir Maiesty and the Parliament to call for them Our humble petition is that the whole woorke may be set vpon incontinently and that some order may be taken for the charge of the impressioÌ„ The dialect that euery sheire hath almost proper vnto it selfe should not hinder this woorke For it preaching were in euery Parish the people would be stirred vp to read the worde priuatly in their houses and so become acquainted with the phrase Our ministers though neuer so ignorant yet all vnderstanding English might easily remedy this by conferring the Welsh with the English translations and so where they vnderstood not their owneroung the English might direct them they their hearers But they are far from taking this small pains I would some of them in â—0 years had learned to reade welsh at the first sight They haue made the word of God of that base and contemptible account with many of our people that they will aske to what end many thinges euen in the new testament it selfe are set downe Because they waÌ„t preaching some points of the high mysteries of saluation seeme vnto them to bee but vulgar and common thinges not beseeming the wisedome of the great God Bring some place out of Peter Paul c. and their answere wil be â—eth a wodhon ni pûneû bod hwûyn dâ—edûd gwir eû paidio What know we whether they say tru or no Is not this our case lamentable The faculties and dispensations of our Non residentes whose absence do imprint these skars of spiritual misery vnto vs wil not deliuer vs froÌ„ death No they wil not shild vs from the temporal punishments that we now sustaine which is our second misery for want of their diligeÌ„ce We feel the Lords haÌ„d many waies against vs at this time in regard of the scarcity of all thinges and especially of victuals and great number of poor Euery man among vs was either wont to sow as much corne as serued his familie al the year or to make asmuch of his sheep and other cattle as might buy the same The vnseasonable haruest 1585 yealded very little Corne. Therefore many were able to sowe nothing the last year because they had not bread corne much lesse seed The winter 1585 destroied al their cattle wel near so that now the very sinowe of their mainteinance is gone Many that liued well and thriftily are faine to giue ouer both house and home and to go a begging They were driuen the last haruest to al the shifts in the world As to rub the standing come being not halfe ripe to make them some bread thereof This famine is for our sinnes the Lord without our repentaunce faith it shal continue Read Deut. 28.15.17.18 Amos. 4.8.11 It weer folly to continue in our sin for the lord wil make vs sick againe in smiting of vs. Mich. 6.13 Leuit. 26.40 As long as the Lords house lieth wast in our land we shall sow but meere salt Haggai maketh this out of controuersie Reade the whole prophesie Al the politicke Laws in the worlde is not able to amend our estate vntill the Lordes house be builded and those sent among vs who may teach vs by praier and fasting to humble our selues before our God This was the counsel of Ioel euen in the like case and this wee must follow or abide the smart of it It were strange that our estate being so many waies pitiful would nor be redressed You shall find it as yet more lamentable by entering into the consideration of that which is like to fall vpon vs. Here first I wil not say that the estate of that kingdome is verie ruinous where there is not a preaching minister 2. Chron. 15.2.5 God forbid that wee euer should haue occasion to say that we haue no Prince Hosea 10.3 Ezra 7.23 because we feare not Iehouah as did those wicked ones in Hoshea his daies Artashash was afraide that the Lord would be angry with the King and his childreÌ„ because speedy prouision was nor had for his true seruice in Ierusalem Confer Prou. 14.18 with Hose 7.13 and see whether the estate of that Prince whose people transgresse against God as wee do euen in pollicy is very daungerous Ioshiah was gathered to his fathers because he should not see the misery that was to fall vpon a more relligious people than we are
night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You must not sleepe al night in this case but intreat the Lord her maiesty and this honourable court to raise the ministerie of his word in Wales This matter concerneth al verie nearlie The way to procure to your selues fauour with the Lord and credite with her Maiestie is to sollicite our cause and so you shal find it The more earnest you be herein the more honor shal be vnto the Lord and her Maiestie wil be the more beholding vnto you Nebuchad-nezzer an idolater blessed the Lorde because Shadrak Meshak and Abednago the seruants of the liuing God Dan. 3.9 changing the kings decree did yeeld their bodies rather than they would worship anie other God If they had been as backewarde as were other Iewes in this case howe had that notable decree to the honour of God beene promulgated ver 29. Where had been their commendation No other waie conueyeth the true fauour of anie prince vnto the subiect Prou. 10.22 Gods blessing which maketh rich and honourable is ioined hereunto Though it were otherwise yet this thing is laid vpon you be not disobedient And likely it is to be otherwise For I am affraid behold that which the Lord hath built he wil destroie that which he hath planted he will roote vp Ierem. 45.45 And doe you seeke for great things vnto your selues Seeke them not If in the daie of trouble you will be hidden you must be Ieremies you must be Hebedmeleches you must be Barucks In these three men the Lord shewed that euen in this life he maketh great difference betweene the zealous and luke-warme professors Ieremy for his roundnes in his office was beaten and put in the stocks Ier. 35.15.16 Ier. 29.26.27 Iere. 35.15.16 iudged worthy to die Ier. 29.26.27 accounted a rauer and one that made himselfe a prophet Ier. 29.26.27 a man that sought not the wealth of his people but the hurt Iere. 38.4 Hebedmelech was a noble man but some thing ouer zealous and one that would not stick to tel the king himselfe that he had yeelded vnto his noble men in a thing that was euill in all that they had doone to Ieremie the Prophet Ier. 38.5.9 Baruch was out of fauor both with prince and priest Ier. 36.19.26 because he fauoured Ieremie But when the land was made desolate and the wordes of poore Ieremie became true who then went vnto the wal Verily the king and his nobles priests and prophets And Ieremy the true seruant of the Lord must haue a whole senat of noble men sent to take him out of prison and to know his wil Nebuzaradan Nebushasban Raebsaris Neregal Ier. 39.4.13 c. the king of Babeles princes Hebedmelech should not bee giuen into the hands of the men whom he feared but bee surely deliuered because hee put his trust in Iehouah Ierem. 45.45 Baruch should haue his life giuen him for a pray Howesoeuer it goeth therefore your seruice in our cause shall bee recompensed They that know what it is to haue their iniquities forgiuen and their sinnes couered by the sufferings and passions of Iesus Christ will be wounded to see others vnder the curse The Churches of God round about vs goe to wrack in Fraunce Belgia and a great part of high Duch I would Scotland had continued in her first loue and that the hands of the builders were strengthned among you Come what will come stand you manfully in the faith my fathers and brethren and according to the counsel of Iude a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renew the battle againe with your spiritual enimy Iud. 3. and contend with earnestnes It maie please God though the liuelie branches be cut off to quicken vs dead boughes by the vertue of our head Iesus Christ I doubt not by the Lords goodnes if the truth be established among vs through continual preaching but that al which professe Godlines in Europe shall hartilie thank the Lord for our zeal and courage therein Our nation are ful of drosse I graunt as al the sonnes of Adam are by nature and verie stonie harted But the word of God is a fire for the drosse and an hamber for the stone Ier. 23.29 And the weapons whereby the man of God warreth are not carnal but mightie through God to cast downe houldes and to bring vnder euerie imagination that is against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.5 when al things shall be measured vnto vs by the measure of the sanctuarie as all must bee or else the building proue ruinous our God will be for a diadem of beutie vnto vs and for a spirite of iudgmēt he wil giue vs his spirit to please him I thought it needlesse to put hir Maiestie and the Parliament in mind that euerie thing amongst vs must be ordered according to the word it selfe For otherwise both the word and the Minister shall want a great deale of the dignitie due vnto both Suffer the scepter of the word to rule this will not be derogatorious vnto man much lesse vnto the word It wil be hard to find a yoke fellowe for that which can neither abide superior nor brooke an equal My brethren for the most part know not what preaching meaneth much lesse think the same necessarie to saluation Though they graunt it needeful they think it sufficient to heare one sermon once perhaps in al their life Therefore was is needfull for me to set downe the necessitie of preaching and of continual preaching that if they labor not for the same their bloode maie be vppon their owne heads For they cannot denie themselues to be put in mind hereof If there be anie other point of doctrine touched it tendeth also to this end The diligence beloued which I hope your learned Bishoppes Doctors and other great Diuines men of famous report haue taken in England cannot suffer you to be ignorant in these pointes Therefore take thē not as written vnto you For the case it selfe you know what it is euen that which the Lord of host will haue most seriouslie thought vpon graunted without al naie In respect wherof it commeth with Gods own letters patents wherewith all estates in the worlde naie all the Angels in heauen cannot dispence Concerning the hādling of it by me a wretch I protest my self to haue labored according to the example of the Apostle to speak as I haue beene allowed of my God seeking to win the fauour of none much lesse the disliking of anie least mans vnequall displeasure would bee contented with no lesse satisfaction than the bloode of manie a thousand soules God forbid mans infirmities in mee should bring this effect Naie it must not For be I the sonne of Adam ten thousand times compassed with neuer so manie infirmities neuer so base vile polluted and defiled yet the preaching of the word in Wals is Gods glorie and therfore must stand And yet it maie be the Lord by this supplication doth but trie the good
if men knew the sinne of resisting the Gospell to bee so hainous they would perhaps further our suite or at least not hinder it But because the preaching of the woorde is thought no better than folly of worldly wisemen it commeth often to passe that the reiecting of a suite tending thereunto is made a thing of smal moment And although in very deed this sinne be high treason against the Lord yet the offenders herein will auouch themselues to seeke the honor of God no lesse than the earnest furtherers of the woorde preached yea though they throw al their blockish and wilful reasons in the way to stop the passage of it And least men shoulde terme them by their rightname they thinke the excuse will stand in good steede to saie they cannot see how the hindering of the Gospell should bee so odious in the sight of God and therefore no reason why they should be thought kickers against the heauen seeing they in euery point fauour the proceedings of their Prince But how vaine and ridiculous is their excuse For shal a traitour be therefore acquited because he offending against the Lawes of God and his soueraigne as in transferring the praerogatiue due vnto his Prince vnto a forraine Idolatrous shauen priest protesteth that he neither acknowledgeth not seeth his actions therein to bee traiterous Or shall Pellagians Papists Arians c. auoid the names and punishments of heretickes because they affirme nothing but that whereof by the strong delusion of Sathan they are persuaded I trow not No more can hee be said to doe any thing lesse than to iustle against the heauen and him that dwelleth therein which putteth his shoulder against the progresse of his woord though his owne corruption will not suffer him to perceaue this his rauing madnesse As therefore you of this honourable assembly would not bee taken defacers of Gods glory so in most humble wise I admonish you not to oppose your selues in any sort against this our petition and as you would find fauour at the handes of the iudge of al the woorld in the day of iudgement and bee acquited before Iesus Christ and by him further his honour to the vttermost of your power Regard whose cause it is what account hee maketh of it how derogatorious it is vnto his glory for you to deny vs the Gospell I know it will bee aunswered here that her Maiesty and the Parliament deny the true seruice of God vnto none and haue taken order that no false religion should bee vsed of anie subiect in this land Which thing also I doe affirme from my hart and thank God for and the Lord wil not forget Queene Elizabeths kindnesse in this thing towards his house I adde moreouer that if any the people of this Realme want the same in particular which hee hath granted all in general it is her wil they should acquaint the Parliament with their cause where they ought to bee heard Hitherto therefore tendeth my speach If we th people of Wales making our estate known shall not haue it redressed by this assembly that then the ouerthrowe and weakning of Christes kingdome is intended thorough this meanes by them that shall binder preaching to be graunted vnto vs our calling adding great strength thereunto Let all know therefore how greatly it tendeth to the honour of the most high God which he wil maintaine as the apple of his eie against al the euil willers thereof vnto their vtter ruine and shamefull confusion both of body and soule that the lamp of the Gospell should bee set on fire amongest vs and that a repulse should bee giuen to Iesus Christ by repelling this our cause Good my Lords whose honour in the feare of God I desire thinke with your selues that the Lord of heauen being now reiected of most nations of the earth is thrust into this poore Iland of England as into the furthest westerne partes sauadge America and that continent excepted but surely his entertainment here if one handmaid had not better cherished him had beene very cold He hath often threatned vs to depart by taking her with him from such vngrateful subiectes as wee are Particular men he hath by his seueral blessing and the sound of his woord from the highest to the lowest sollicited vnto his seruice Alser the most part refused This one time he wil try whether the whole estate of the land will allowe him anie larger demaines than hitherto he enioied And therefore he now knocketh by this our suite at the doore of the Parliament to know whether we the people of Wales shall bee graunted him as his herytage If it be denied he protesteth that hee will stay no longer He expecteth an aunswere Haue a regard what ye doe A greater matter cannot be consulted vpon What a shameful thing were it for man to deny his God that which most concerneth his glory Alas the day what hinderance wil it be vnto any of you to haue vs poore Welshmen celebraters of the honour of our God And what pleasure will it bee vnto you to haue him departed from this kingdome in a rage because he is not heard in that thing wherein he most delighteth And beleeue me I am highly afraid he will take your denial so vnkindly that England shal feele by the taking away of his Gospell what a gest it vngratefully lost Therefore as I said before so I say againe that our suit is not sleightly to be looked vnto much lesse denied because vppon the graunting of it not onely the saluation of many thousand soules but also the glory of the most mighty God relieth It were extreme madnesse for vs to be cold in that suite wherein we woulde haue others whom it concerneth not so much to be vehement and earnest And we might iustly both before God and men fry againe in our condemnation if we were not most earnest in a matter of such weight Saluation is not bestowed vpon them that care not whether they haue it or no Nay our Sauiour setteth downe that seeking for it will not serue but there must be great striuing vsed and that with agony and contention a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Striue saith hee b Luk. 13.24 to enter in at the strait gate for many I tel you wil c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeke to enter and shal not be able Maruel not therefore if we leaue no stone vnturned to come by that which is so precious and so hardly found But the obiection ministreth greater strength to our argument For either the Parliament must deale most iniuriously with her Maiestie and saie it is not her will to haue Christ Iesus raigne ouer vs which far be it from entering into anie mans heart or that they will in a cause so directly tending vnto Gods glorie and the good of the weale publicke resist that which she most of al would haue decreed This later hath not beene found and I hope neuer will be in the Parliament of
the Lorde Iesus who had it powred vppon him without measure seeing wee that haue but a dramme thereof and that in a body of sinne are not without some reioicing effects by the power of Gods mightie spirite Herein and in such actions the power of God to a beleeuing heart sheweth it selfe to be ten thowsand times greater than in creating a thousand worlds Can the Parliament of England be desirous to glorify their God and not decree that this power of his be manifested vnto vs by deliuering euery of vs out of the tyranny of that mighty potentate who is euen the God of this world Our sauior Christ euen in respect of his manhood is so glorified of his father that man cannot augment the same yet the Apostle is plain that his honor consisteth in no other point than that euerie tongue should confesse a Phil. 2.11 him to be the Lord to the glory of God the father And least carnall men should thinke the Lord smally to esteem the glory hee gaineth by these that are called vnto the knowledge of his trueth the regard he hath hereunto is two maner of waies shewed First in that hee which was the substance and essence of the Lords owne glorious Maiesty b Phil. 2.6 equall with God c Ier. 2.3 I saie 44.26 1 Iohn 1. Rom 9.5 God himselfe made himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruaunt became vile bale as we read Esai the 52 14.15.3 Phil. 2.7.8 onely to the end hee might reserue from hell some of the lost sonnes of Adam by whose saluation he should be glorified Secondly for asmuch as the chiefe end of his comming to iudgement 2 Thess 1.9 in that great and glorious daie wherin the secrets of all hearts shal appeare is to bee made glorious in his Saintes and marueilous in them that beleeue It is out of controuersie that on this daie the Lord will make the maiestie of his sonne Christ so glorious and of such rare excellencie as the verie Aungels themselues shall wonder and be astonied thereat and yet there be none others set downe in whom he shal be glorified but only those that beleeue Shal we say then the training vp of such is of smal acceptaunce in his sight God forbid Shall we think that their estate wil be any thing tolerable who in this life though they doe not further the Gospel yet will not hinder the same No truly For here be onely two estates of men spoken of either those in whom Christ Iesus shall bee glorified in euery of whose harts the Lord hath so wrought by his spirit that they desire nothing more than that he maie rule the soules of men by his woord or the other whose portion shall bee woe of soule And who are they only turks infidels papists traitors adulterers theeues murderers and such like workers of iniquity These I graunt indeed but not these alone For the Apostle giueth no such mark vnto al but he comprehendeth both the one and the other in this that they obey not the Gospell Be a man therefore accounted neuer so ciuilly honest talk he neuer so well of the Church and the dignity of the Gospel be he in shewe neuer so good a subiect vnto his prince for the diuell is not so vnwise as he wil haue al his limmes manifest breakers of the commandements but he will vse some visured oppugners of Gods glorie yet if in any sort you can perceaue that he vseth any other behauiour towardes Gods trueth than he ought to shew there whereunto greatest obedience and duety is to be yeelded take him by and by for one whom Paul meaneth Because he obeieth not but vndutifully handleth the gospel Slips I grant the children of God may haue and that very foul ones but few of them so fal as they must needs haue that to accompany them whervnto the honour of God is tied We may see then what reckoning our sauiour Christ maketh of the fruit he reapeth by the ministers labour And he wil maintaine his honour in this point by the vtter ruine of al the clippers thereof and be smally beholding as wee heare in heauen vnto them that negligently labor for the same in earth Here mark I beseech you that for as much as Sathan is permitted among vs not only to lift vp his heel against his Lord but euen to out-face him in his owne inheritance the Lord threatned very lately and doth euerie day to measure our punishment by the same line Howe likely was it had not he in mercy choked with their owne raiging spirits these vnsatiable blood-suckers Babington and his adherentes that we should haue had in this kingdome the hand of the vile against the honorable the base against the noble Isaie 3.4 the indigne against the woorthiest of the land Yea and the Lords anointed the very a Lamen 4 20 breath of our nostrils she vnder whose shadow we haue beene thus long preserued from heathen popish tortors was like to fall into their hands The Lord graunt you of this honorable assembly wise harts before it be to late to examine aright the cause of these vngodly attempts to preuent the issues of them Which shall neuer be done as long as the Parliament wil permitte Non-residences impropriate liuinges swarmes of vngodlie ministers the insolent and tyrannicall proceedinges of some ioined with pomp too too vnreasonable to keep out a learned and godlie ministerie by whose means the Lord Iesus would recouer his owne againe Persuade your selues that the Lord maie iustlie giue our possessions to strangers because an enemie is tolerated in this land quietly to enioie the right of Iesus Christ and by suffering such vngodlie practises countenanced in the action If the Spaniard French or anie the forces of Rhomish Caine haue their desire vpon vs as I hope in God they neuer shall how shall pluralities of impropriations other Church-liuings c. defend vs ours from their furie To shut vp this point all the former thinges confidered is not our petition most reasonable in regard of Gods honour Wel in respect of her Maiestie it hath manie reasons where-vpon it maie be grounded Can we euer hope to haue the tidings of saluation proclaimed in Wales vnlesse this be perfourmed in hir daies And haue we a lease of hir life Would it pleased God we had Rather the door of our hope is euerie day threatned to be shut Now therefore the Lord warneth vs to take the opportunity while it is offered Now hee taketh heauen and earth to witnes that at this instant at this Parliament at this time of her Maiesties prosperous raigne hee laieth before vs life and death good and euil saluation and damnation and that for euer We shal neuer haue the time to choose againe for anie thing we knowe And howe effectuall for the preseruation of her highnes think you would be the praiers of so manie thousand of hir people euen of the