A viewe of some part of such publike wants disorders as are in the seruice of God within her Maiesties countrie of VVales togither vvith an humble PETITION vnto this high Court of Parliament for their speedy redresse ¶ WHEREIN IS SHEVVED not only the necessitie of reforming the state of religion among that people but also the onely way in regarde of substaunce to bring that reformation to passe ¶ To all those that faythfully loue the lord Iesus and vnfainedly desire the flowrishing estate of Sion together vvith the vtter razing of vvhatsoeuer obscureth the perfect beutie therof namely to such of my brethren and countrimen as the Lord hath enlightened with a true knowledge the ioy of an vpright and comfortable profession with the encrease of all other the Lords good graces be multiplyed in Iesus Christe our LORD I Am not ignoraunt beloued in the Lord hovv many and great causes there are vvherof the very least might seeme to haue bene sufficiently able to discourage me from this enterprise vvhich vnder the holy hand of my God I haue novv vndertaken J am guiltie vnto my selfe of great corruption and vveakenes The glory of God is not so regarded amongest men as it ought to be The Parliament hath hytherto reiected this cause The enemies thereof are many and strong But as the discouragements are not a fevve so J confesse my self to be dravvn back vvith none more then vvith the consideration of my selfe For looking into mine ovvn hart I do from the bottom therof protest so sinful base contemptible and euery vvay so vveak a vvretch as J am to be the vnfittest instrument vnder heauen to deale in so vvaighty a cause Jt commeth into my minde that the Lord in iust iudgments tovvards my sinnes should deny any blessing vnto my endeuors J knovv that my vveaknes in handling the cause might disgrace the same And inasmuch as states for the most part looke vvith fleshly eyes It commeth into my minde that the suit by reason of my base estate should be reiected and cast off But all those likelihoods notvvithstanding yet I see that the Lord vvill haue the cause once againe brought vnto the Parliament in my hands to try vvhether men vvill not acknovvledge the Gopell and the gouernment of his son to vvit the scepter vvhereby alone Christ Iesus ruleth among men to be vvorth the entertaynment in their assemblies thogh it be not accompanied vvith that vvorldly maiesty vvhervvith vvhen it pleaseth him he is able to countenance it And hereby it is in deed that men do truly shâ—vv themselues to tremble before the son of God and to stoop vnto his royall Scepter vvhen they are not ashamed of his vvord hovv base soeuer they be that become suiters in the behalfe therof For mine ovvne part hovvsoeuer I haue iust occasion to lament mine ovvne great corruptions yet J may boldly say in the presence of God al those vnto vvhose consideration these labors of mine are offred publish thus much that this cause as near as I could is altogither separated from those foul staines vvhervvith J acknovvledge my selfe to be defiled And J hope that it so offereth it selfe vnto the publike vievv and consideration of the Parliament as they haue no iust cause by reason of my great vveaknes and base estate to reiect the same Neyther is any man to maruell that J being charged of late by M. Doct. Some in publike vvriting to be not onely a defender of many blasphemous errors but also an vnderminer of the ciuill State durst presume to become a sutor vnto the high Court of Parliament before J had first cleared my selfe of those crimes For my purpose being to haue published an ansvvere to M.D. Some before this cause should be made knovvn I vvas dravvne vvhether I vvould or no to take the opportunity of setting out this vvhich I thought to be most vvaighty least that if I had deferred it vntill th' other had come forth I might haue bin preuented of the means to publish it in any due time Besides the 185. page line 2. 30. of M.D. Somes booke vvherein he hath freely graunted me the controsie betvveene vs vvhich is that vnpreaching ministers are no ministers and consequently not to be communicated vvith do euidently shevv that he did not vvell knovv himselfe vvhat he did in charging me so far beyond christian modesty for defending nothing els in these points but that vvhich his ovvne vvritings do publikely vvitnes against him to be Gods truth So that of al oother causes his bare and by his ovvne vvitnes for the most part false accusations ought least of all to disvvade me from this labour though I neuer ment to aunsvvere him But by the grace of God he shal be ansvvered and that very shortly And the Petition being in the behalfe of Gods honor and the good of his Church the small regard that the Parliament hath had heretofore vnto such suites ought not greatly to discourage me the nomber might povver and authoritie of the enemies of the cause much lesse He that ruleth the harts of men can encline them to the setting forth of his ovvne glory vvhen he thinketh good That vvhich the Lord for some cause seeming good vnto his vvisdome doth not grant at one time he being for the promoting of his honor lightly bringeth to passe at some other season And the attempts of his children for the buylding of his Church haue not alvvayes that successe vvhich they vvish vnder their hands For he vseth the endeuors of some not to finish the building but to be a preparation vnto that vvorke which he meaneth to effect by the hand of others Zerubabel and Ezra labored very hardly in the building of Ierusalem the Lord did not finish the vvorke by their means and yet that vvhich they did vvas a great furtherance vnto Nehemiah vvhose hands the Lord vsed in ioyning the vvall So the endeuors of Gods children in our dayes may haue their effect to the glory of God and the comfort of his Church amongst our posterities It vvas a common demaund the last Parliament vvhere the cause of reformation being then labored for vvas 26. or 28. years agone and vvherfore after so many years of the Gospell enioyed in this land the motion of altering the outvvard state of the Church in the offices and officers therof Came it so out of time to be considered off Least the like obiection should be vsed in the ages to come behold the mountayns of VVales do novv in the 31. yeare of the raign of Queen ELIZABETH call heauen and earth to vvitnes that they are vveary of their dumb ministers nonresidents Lord Bishops c. and that they desire to be vvatered by the devve of Christs holy Gospell and to be compassed about vvith that beautifull vvall of his holy gouernment Be it then granted that the Lord in anger tovvards our sins doth not account vs novv liuing vvorthy to be inuited by hir right excellent Maiesty
and in vvhose eyes the glory of God is not esteemed and yet the Lord knovveth I hate them no farther then they are Gods enemies Their fauor I desire not as long as they continue to be the aduersaries of the Church If they vvould yeeld peace vnto it I vvould be soon brought to lay dovvn my complaints against thē Concerning you my deare countrimen vvhom God of his infinit goodnes and mercy hath translated out of the kingdome of darknes vnto the blessed possession of the heauenly Ierusalem I beseech you very earnestly that you vvould be carefull to walk vvorthy the Gospel of christ Be carefull hereof vvhether your abode be in England or in VVales and at any hand endeuor to liue vvhere you may enioy the meanes of the vvord And be carefull to haue the Lord purely vvorshipped in your families Take heed of the profanenes vvhereby the most novve liuing are dravvn to contemne Gods iudgements against their sinnes The time vvil come wherin it shal be made known that your hope vvas not in vaine Labor diligently as far as your callings vvill suffer you to be a means to conuay that treasure vnto your country vvhereof you your selues haue bin made partakers Particularly let me here put you in minde R. honourable and vvorshipfull vvho of my countrye are in this Parliament to acquaint this honorable court vvith the miseries of our country and to be earnest for a redresse And you my brethren vvho hauing fit gifts and are employed in the ministery either in your ovvn countrie or in England forget not I pray you to be remembrancers of Sion giue the Lord no rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake foorth as the light and the saluation thereof as a burning lampe J vvould to God that I might ioyne vvith you and you vvith me in some endeuor vvhereby the means of saluation might be had in our natiue countrie it is my harty desire The God of peace who hath called vs to his eternall glory by Christ Iesus make vs perfect confirme strengthen and stablish vs to the ende Amen A viewe of some part of such publike wants disorders as are in the seruice of God within her Maiesties countrie of VVales togither vvith an humble PETITION vnto this high Court of Parliament for their speedy redresse Anno 1588. THe aeternall God before whom I nowe stand and shall stande in that day eyther to be acquited or condemned knoweth that the pitifull miserable estate of my pitifull and miserable countreimen the inhabitants of Wales doe inforce me in most dutifull and humble maner at this time both to lay open before your eyes whoe by the prouidence of God are now to be assembled togither in this highe court of parlament the wantes and deformities of the seruice of god in wales my deere natiue country and also to intreat with the like submission that the same by your wisdomes may be speedely redressed The Lords holy seruice amonge that people hath many corruptions and more wants Their case in regarde therof is very pitifull Few or none there be who are thorowly touched to haue compassion thereof The means of redresse is in the hands of this assembly who are met together to the end that al the subiects of this kingdome may with fredome and liberty acquaint them with their suits and Petitions for the promotinge of Gods glory and the good of their cuntry And therfore in that I make known vnto this high court the greefes of my country desire the redresse thereof therin I neither intreat any thing which lieth not in your power to grant nor craue that wherin the case being neglected by others I may not lawfully be a suter The reason that mooueth me thereunto is the discharge of my duty towards the Lord my God towards his Church towatdes my natiue country and towards you of this honorable assemblie which coulde not stand with my silence nowe in this suit Concerning the Lorde because I am a pore wretched sinner vpon whom he hath shewed great mercies in pardoning my great offences often committed against his maiestie I haue by his grace taken a bonde of my selfe to seeke the promoting of his honor by al means possible and in the seeking thereof to vtter the truth as far as my calling wil permit without respect of person time place estate or conditiō of life whatsoeuer and so to become an vtter enemie vnto all these corruptions by what authoritie or person soeuer they be maintained whereby his holy seruice is hindred And therfore you of this honorable assembly are not to maruel that I both seeke the ouerthrow of these corruptions in Wales whereof a non I wil speak more at larg wherby the Lords holy and sacred ministery is shamefully polluted and his seruice with the saluation of his people greatly withstood and also lay vppon you whose authority good name credit estimation and high place I ought and by the grace of god wil defend against al the detractors therof euē with the losse of my life when it shal be needful the staine and discredit of denying gods heauenly truth the passage joyned with the continuance of the lamentable miserie of soules and the defence of monstrous impietie euē in gods own house vnles you yeeld vnto the suit whervnto at this present you are entreated to be fauorable As for the Church of God into which I haue bin begotten thorowe the word preched by means of my abode in Englande in these peaceable dayes of her highnes I haue wholly dedicated my selfe to seeke the flowrishing estate thereof by labouring to beutifie the same both in the plucking vp by the rootes of these filthie Italian weedes wherwith it is nowe miserably deformed and planting therein whatsoeuer might be for the comlines of Gods orchard in respect of my poore countrey because it pleased the Lord of life that therin I first sawe the light of the sunne and haue been by my parents there liuing brought vp in both the vniuersities of this land to the end if euer the Lord enabled me I should procure the good of my natiue countrymen I haue vowed my selfe dutifully to benefite them al the waies I may And in doing them good I purpose not to respect mine own quietnes yea or life where my death can win them the gospel And wherein shal I stand my deare cuntrimen in any steed if not by speaking in their behalf then when their wantes are most pitiful they not able or not willing to make knowne their miserie if not in blessing their deaf ears in remouing the stumblinge blocke from before the eies of the blinde if not in labouringe to bring them to heauen who of their owne natures should liue eternally in a worse place to their woe Their misery at this day consisting partly in the great ignorance of God wherein they liue partly in those corruptions and vnlawful callings where by the Church generally within her maiesties dominions is pestered I am
nowe with all humilytie to seeke the redresse both of the one and the other at the handes of this honorable assembly This ignoraunce also and these corruptions standing as enemies in the way to hinder my bretheren from eternal life I professe my selfe to seeke their overthrowe and confusion and by the Lords assistance as longe as I liue neuer leaue either of both vntill the Church of God in Wales be disburdened of suche vnnaturall plantes Concerning you of this honorable assemblye seing I haue receaued the former blessings throughe your handes by meanes of the outward peace whereof hir right excellent maiestie hath made the whole land partaker from the Lord I cannot of conscience but in most humble submission reuerent manner put you in minde of the estate wherein you stand before the Lord vnlesse at this your meetinge there be order taken for the reforming in Wales of such things as now shal be made known vnto you to be amisse and you earnestly with all reauerence and dutie entreated to reforme May it please you therefore to vnderstand that there is not only such a defect of the seruice of the euerliuing God in all the publike meetinges for the most part of all the inhabitantes of Wales hir maiesties free borne subiects and people as the most parishes within that cuntry want the means of saluation and haue wanted the same all this time of her prosperous gouernment but also that there is such corruptions in that part of Gods seruice which is established as the Lords holy and sacted ministerie with al other ecclesiastical functions pertayning vnto the outwatd seruice of God and the gouernment of his Church are most intollerablie abused and prophaned by such as are there tollerated to intermedle with them And may it please you in like sort that some order may be taken whereby the seruice of God in his pure worship being as you heare many waies defectiue and corrupt among the people may be without delay restored vnto the integritie which shal be acceptable in the sight of God and the meanes of their saluation who professe the same This most humble and most waightie petition I am the rather encoraged at this time to prefer in as much as it doth not only tend to the saluation of many thousandes soules whō now alasse perish in miserable darknes and ignorance but concerneth the furtherance which is the point especially to be respected of the pure and sincere worship of the eternall God And it is that cause being my second incouragement which you of this high court of parliament professe all of you to fauour For who is he that will not professe him self to be the fauorer of a suit tending to the honor of God and the deliuerance of men from eternall woe and perdition And it is that cause wherein euery of you are bound vpō your alegeance vnto the Lord and her maiesty laying al other maters aside first and principally to deale and so to deale as you suffer not your selues for any worldly respectes either by the vtter reiecting or by the cold and carelesse intertaining hereof to betraie God to betray his truth to betraie the saluation of men and to betray the whole kingdome vnto the fiery wrath of Gods heauie displeasure Of all which sinnes the Lord himselfe findeth and pronounceth euery one of you to be guiltie that will not labour at this time of your assemblie for the promoting of the cause nowe in hand And howesoeuer in former times he hath seemed hitherto to wincke at the carelesse respect which you haue had to his true seruice yet you are now to vnderstand that it is to be feared lest shamefull and speedie destruction wil betide the whole kingdome if the suite wherevppon the worshipp of Gods owne Maiestie standeth be as slenderly entreated of the parliament of England as alway heretofore it hath bene And that the petition may apear to be no other then that which he by whome alone all kingdoms and common welths are maintained requireth without contradiction to be graunted by this honourable assemblie except his heauie wrath and displeasure would be procured vpon the whole land And that it may apear to be no other then that the graunt where of is the onlie way to saue them on whose behalf it is made no other thē that which no state no kingdom no councell prince potentate high or lowe can denie except they would shewe them selues to haue no care of religion and pietie that these thinges I say may appear we are to consider more at large of the petition and then whether it be such as vpon the denial thereof the wrath and anger of God is to be expected for to fal vppon them who shall denie the same and the whol land for their sinne Nowe therefore if there be nothing else required at your hand in this whole treatise following but that which the Lord himselfe from heauen pronounceth to be so neerly joined with the former points as vpon the refusall of the suite you shal openly declare that you are an assembly wherein the Lords cause shal not be hard an assemblie wherein the felicitie of miserable men shall not be respected an assembly who wittingly and willingly call for the iudgements of God vpon the whole kingdome an assembly wherein trueth religion and pietie can beare no swaye then I hope that none will be found in this honorable court to be such an enemie vnto the honor of God the felicitie of men and the quiet state of this common wealth none so prophane wicked and irreligious as euen to thinke that the consultation of this matter may be differred But if on the other side the suite be founde to be of no such importance as before is expressed or if I be found to write any thing impertinent vnto the former points or not to haue behaued my selfe so dutifull in my stile and maner of writing towards this honorable court as it became the basest vassel vnder heauen hauing a calling to deale in the like cause to carie himself towardes the princes of his people then let not my life be precious in your sight Here therefore with all humility and reuerence before the eternall God his elect Angels and Church her right excellent our dread soueraigne Queene ELIZABETH I call euerye one of you to recorde that vpon the perill of my life I will shewe that you cannot but giue eare vnto the suite which is now preferred vnto you though by my base and sinnefull hands except you will neglect the honor of God set light by the saluation of his people endanger the state of her Maiesty whom the Lord long preserue vnto his glorie with the whole kingdome and proclaime vnto the world that all religion and truth is perished from amonge you My manner of dealing herein as it shal be by the grace of God in all dutie and submission as writing vnto those whose authoritie and places I am not without great reuerence
hands in the day wherein quick and dead shal be judged But it may be that you wil pretend the wante to be so difficult that it cannot possiblie be performed Do what lieth in you and then the Lord is answered The farther you go herein the esier wil be the passage you are desired no more then not to countenance sinn and for reformation to go no farther then meanes will reach Because it is a worke of difficultie therefore must you needs hinder the same by lawe as you doe by tollerating these abuses Because the whol worke is difficult therefore shal it not begin Because it is a hard matter to plant the ordinance of God therefore must the breache thereof be in force maintained Because in Canaan the sonnes of Anak Num. 13.14 towns walled vp to heauen mountains of pretensed excuses haue ben seene therefore must you needs suffer the people brought by her Maiestie and you out of Egipt to remaine stil in â—he wildetnes on this side Iordan eueÌ„ vnder these men the dumb ministers L. Bb. I meane which are â—it for nothing els then to be leaders whensoeuer â—portunitie shall serue Num. 14.4 to bring the people again â—nto Egipt Because our land by reason of our continuance in sinn and that wee haue not had skilful workmen among vs doth not now bring forth religion and godlinesse in the measure it should therefore must you needs be sure that profanesse and atheisme shal be sowen and the breach of Gods lawe flourish there in the persons of those men Therefore the just Lord Ezek. 2â— wil be just in the midst of you whensoeuer he reckoneth for these things because you are so far from doing what you may in the planting of godlinesse that you suffer impietie against his Maiestie to bear sway and that by law and authority Concerning the hardnesse of the work this I make knowne vnto you that if you wil be ruled by the cannon of the word you shal be able with ease and the good liking of your people to do so much therein as you shal deliuer your owne liues from the wrath of God But if that rule shal take place no farther then it may stand with the continuance of Lord Bishops and other corruptions of the ecclesiasticall state I see not what you can say vnto the Lord when he hath made you an astonishment and an hissing vnto all the nations vnder heauen Nehe. 9.39 but surely thou art just in all that is come vpon vs for wee would not be ruled by thy words Wel the word teacheth and requireth of you 2. things and no more in this worke In both it requireth your practise if you would be directed by it First it requireth that Wales may be redresse by proclaiming that commission giuen by ouâ— Sauiour Christ vnto his apostles Math. 28.19.20 in euery corner thereof and both the parts of thâ— commission it requireth to be kept inuiolably as well that of goe preach and baptise as the other of teach them to obserue whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Secondly while you stay the Lords leasure to raise vp fit men for this worke in euery congregation it requireth that the people where preachers cannot be placed at the first may haue som stay that inconueniences be avoided For the Lord will not haue religion so vndiscretly established as that the inconueniences that might growe thereby vnto the ciuil state as much as may be be not wisely preuented in the effectinge hereof 2. things are to be looked vnto both of them greatlie furthering the worke First the blessing of God is to be labored for by humbling your selues and your people with Daniel before the Lord Dan. 9.1.3 in fasting and praier and then you shal see he wil be with your endeuours Secondly you must enjoine euery one according vnto his place to haue a hand in this worke and encourage the gentlemen people that shal be found forward by gracing and countenancing them for their forwardnesse in religion and shewing that the more forward they be the more credit they are like to purchase with your Hh. And you must not suffer an vncircumcised mouth Nom. 14.39 to bring a slander vpon that good land whereunto the Lord offereth to bring you and your people Nom. 14.10 if you would obey much lesse to lift vp a stonn against Caleb or Ioshuah that withstand the fury of a whol wicked hoast in the defence of the Lord. For otherwise if you suffer al to sit stil and looke vppon our desolations the most to liue on the sweetnes of our ruines and discountenance all that labour therein you can looke for nothing else shortly but that lamentable complaint and it is a great work of God that we haue heard the same long agoe of euerie possessor in this land Whyther shall wee goe Our brethren and their hard intertainment haue discouraged our harts Deut. 1.18 woulde to God that we had died in the Land of Egipt would to God we weare dead were it not better for vs to turne into Egipt Nom. 14.2 com let vs make a captaine and returne thyther The land indeed is a good land whereunto when our soueraigne brought vs out of Egipt wee entended to make our iorney but alasse we are neuer able to stand against the pouertie losses imprisonment discountenance by our superiors that our brethren haue sustained which haue set their faces against this land neuer able to swallowe vp the slanders and bitter names of Puritans precisians traitos seditious libellers c. that wee see raised against those that would bring vs thyther And therefore my Ll. and the rest of the high assemblie in vaine shall you vse other meanes and leaue this vnattempted The redresse of Wales consisteth of 2. partes both must be speedely set vpon by your Hh. or els certainly the judgements of God will finde you out First you must abolishe out of the Churche whatsoeuer you shal finde to be a breach of gods ordinance as I haue prooued dumbe ministers nonresidents and L. Bb. to be or els your reformation will be little better then that of the a Kin. 17.33 Samaritanes who feared Iehouah but worshipped their owne gods I woulde haue it marked in this place what is required at the handes of the parliament that it may thereby appeare whether with any colour of reason this part of the petition in hand can be denied The parliament is desired to enact that no vnlawfull calling be tollerated vnder the gouernment within the church of God in Wales if they will not yeeld vnto this part of the suite now put vp in the behalfe of that people what cloake doe they leaue vnto themselues whereby they may but couer their small care to glorifie God Is not the case to be astonied at that an assembly professing true religion cannot be drawne to yeeld vnto so just a request it is a hard matter I grant to build the church
as being the highest councel in the land in this cause I apeale debarred of my liberty before my cause according vnto the word be ouerthrowne The injury which I sustained the last parliament being a suitor in this cause enforceth me to craue this at your hands which otherwise I should haue perswaded my selfe to be a needles suit For wheras the auncient priueledges and liberties of this house do giue leaue during the parliament vnto any that are suitors thereunto quietly to follow their suits without feare of any arrest and being arrested do presently deliuer and set them free I was not suffred to enioy any the former liberties But contrary vnto all religion law equity and conscience to the great derogatiō of the liberties of this noble court was committed close prisoner by some who abused the high commission their dealing might haue appeared more tollerable lesse derogatorious vnto your Hh. worships if they had shewed any cause of mine imprisonmēt their abused authority only excepted which vnto this day is altogether vnknowne vnto me I know that the infirmities and wants of men who deale in good causes are commonly beaten vppon the back of the cause they handle Therefore the Lord knoweth how careful I haue bin to keepe it vnspotted and my selfe out of all vnnecessary danger Setting downe nothing before I had considered what might insue ether in regard of the matter or manner of deliuery But why did I publish a matter of such waight before I aquainted the parliament therewith Whie it is published to the ende that the parliament may bee acquainted with the suite which could not be done by priuate writing And it is but an vngodly shifte of those that woulde smother the trueth to pretend it to be against the law to moue the parliamēt in any suit that is printed As thogh the suits of men vnto that high courte were parliament statutes In deede if the parliament had enacted the remoouing out of Wales all L. Bb. dumb ministers c. Then were it an intollerable part for any to publishe their actes but by their appointment Graunt you the petition and the cauill of committing it to the presse will easily be answered If you do not meane to yeeld vnto the suite neither woulde you haue done it being mooued therevnto by priuate writing The cause I make knowne to the end it may be granted and herein let not my life be precious vnto me vpon the necessitie of the publishing hereof I stande because that the worlde may see when you redresse these things that you did nothing that you durst leaue vndone vnles you would bring swift destruction vpon your selues and the whole lande But what follie is it to thinke that such great matters wil be reformed in our dayes Rather what injurie doe they vnto the whole state who thinke that they wil any longer tollerate the breach of Gods law And in this point let the good opinion that they who alledge such pretences conceiue be wayed with my dutiful perswasions of this honorable assembly and both causes judged accordingly For mine owne part I think the majestie of the cause to be such as they who are the Lordes dare not but entertaine it and tremble to thinke that all this while it hath beene so carelesly attended vpon And it is in the behalfe thereof that I haue presumed to deale with you who otherwise durst not haue suffered my voyce to be hearde in the ears of the princes of my people Let what I haue written bee examined yea by mine aduersaries themselues if I haue any and it shal appeare that I haue made a conscience howe I haue delt with my superiors especially those concerning whom it is said you are Gods lest I should seem to leaue behinde me the least print of a minde in any sort tending to defame them or their gouernement As I haue bene carefull hereof so let the Lorde yea and no otherwise which I speak as far as my corruptions will permit grant this cause and my selfe also if it be his will fauour in your eyes In deed in regarde of the cause I come Mandatorie wise vnto this honorable assembly but in regard of my selfe I come in feare and trembling as vnto the Lords vicegerents entreating most humbly that the dignitie of so high a cause be thoght off nothing the more dishonorably because it is brought in my hands And I protest in respect of my sinnes that the Lorde may justly denie it the fauour it deserueth in your eyes because I am a dealer therein But this should be no reason why the parliament should giue it a repulse For in the eyes and eares of al the world I make it knowne that it is the cause of the liuing god wherin I deal And that if it had beene possible for me to haue written more humblye and dutifully I had done it Or if I had seene anye waye that might haue bene likelier to preuaile wirh my superiors then this I take the Lorde to witnesse vnto my soule that I woulde not haue vsed this course And I would to God I could tel how to make the cause plawsible So farre I am from setting downe any thing that might cary with it any shewe of occasion to hinder and disgrace the same Well I haue don my endeuour the successe I expect at the Lords hands vnto whome I commend the cause and the saluation of that poore people The sword of iustice reached vnto you by the Lord himselfe to take punishment onely of him that is an euil doer I fear not because I haue not offended If it should be drawne against me for this action the president would be such as they who ment herafter to prophesie vnto you might be aduisedly counseled not to prophesie and the Lord as a token of your iust destruction to ensue would say they shal not prophesie nor take shame If I haue spoken any vntruth beare witnes thereof if a trueth I dare stand to it by the Lords assistance and demand what he is that will presume to obiect and throw him selfe vnto the vengance of God by punnishing me an innocente It is a common manner with some in these dayes to threaten those who deale in this cause nowe in hand but they are to know that it is not so easie a matter to spil their bloud whose daies are numbered with the Lord. The Lord may I confesse with griefe in regard of my other sinnes bringe mine head to the graue with bloud but in this case what haue I offended And therfore vndouted woe wil betide him that shall molest me for this worke Howe soeuer it be thus I haue performed a duty towards the Lord his church my country you of this high court which I wold doe if it were to be done againe though I were assured to endanger my life thereby And be it knowne that in this case I am not afraid of earth If I perish I perish My comforte is that I knowe whither to go in that day wherein the secrets of all hearts shal be manifested the sincerity also of my cause shal apeare It is inough for me howsoeuer I be miserable in regard of my sinnes that yet vnto Christ I both liue and die and purpose by his grace if my life should be prolonged to liue hereafter not vnto my selfe but vnto him and his church otherwise then hitherto I haue don The Lord is able to raise vp those that are of puerer hands and lipps then I am to write and speak in the cause of his honor in Wales And the Lord make them whosoeuer they shal be neuer to be wanting vnto so good a cause the which because it may be the Lords pleasure that I shal leaue them behind me in the world I earnestly and vehemently commend vnto them as by this my last wil testament And haue you R. honourable worshipful of this parlirment poore Wales in remembraunce that the blessing of many a saued soule therein may follow her Maiestie your Hh. and worships overtake you light vppon you and stick vnto you for euer The eternal God giue hir Maiesty you the honor of building his church in Wales multiply the daies of hir peace ouer vs blesse her and you so in this life that in the life to come the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen may be her and your portion So be it good Lord. By him that hath bound him selfe continually to pray for your Hh. and worships IOHN PENRI