by the name of Quadragesima but wherefore I confesse I know not Secondly I doe refer to your wisedomes whether it were not fit for some mitigation of the vsuall strictnesse thereof and that some libertie might be granted for the eating of Foules as some were wont to eat of Water Foules and of Conies and some greater meats the eating whereof might not be preiudiciall to the State of the Common-wealth Because some not well able to purchase Licence to eat Flesh are of weake bodies not able to feed of Fish neither is Fish wholesome for them Neither would this hinder the preseruation of Calues and Lambes but rather further the same because there being more libertie of other things men would be the better content to forbeare them Thirdly euen touching this thing also were it not better for some libertie to be giuen to some poore men that cannot well bring vp their Calues or keepe them long especially hauing but two or three or foure and them that haue many to be more strictly tied to the bringing vp of a certaine number euerie yeere If it be obiected that the former strict obsernation of Lent is necessarie for the better maintenance of the Nauie to omit other answers that many of your Honourable Court can make to this obiection may it please you to consider whether for helpe hereof the obstinate Papists being suffered still to liue though their life may be our death and mercie shewed to them may be crueltie to the whole Land then forasmuch as they attribute such holinesse to Fish as not hauing perished in the Flood it were not verie fit for such and other Papists so remaining to be restrained all the yeere long from Flesh and to feed only of Fish I doubt not but that the restraint of them all the yeere from Flesh would be as good for maintenance of the Nauie as the restraint of all sorts only for a time And oh how holy would such Papists be by this meanes Especially if also of their owne accord they would forbeare all Fruit and all things made of Fruit Figs c. Marmalads c. Wine and Beere c. as they which also perished in the Flood Moreouer to proceed now to some other 0146 0436 V 2 marters as all in Parliament are in place of Fathers to this Kingdome Choice of Parliament men to be free and as his Maiestie in his late most gracious Proclamation forbad all choise of Knights Burgesses to be made of any Bankrupts and other greatly indebted as likewise of any suspected not to be sound in Religion and as your Parliament hath alreadie taken some order for the present in such things and ye haue most worthily acquited your selues in dismissing of some vnlawfully chosen by Letters or otherwise so all posteritie shall haue cause to blesse God for some certaine Law now to be made for preuenting of such euils for euer hereafter and for making all vncapable of any place in that High Court that shall vse any such meanes for a place None vnder age to be of the Parliament Why also should any Young men whose Sonnes soeuer be admitted into so great a Councell for making of Lawes for the whole Kingdome that cannot well gouerne themselues and that are so young as their Bils or Bonds for paiment of money are not good in Law Is it not a Iudgement threatned by the Lord viz. that be would appoint Children to be their Princes Isai 3.4 and Babes to rule ouer them If none be admitted into your Vpper House but such as are of Age except perhaps to see the order thereof and to be the fitter for future times why should any of young yeeres be otherwise admitted into the Nether House The longer these grieuances haue hitherto been tollerated the more high time it is now for them to be reformed The like may be said for preuenting of confusion in Election of Burgesses especially of Knights for your most Honorable House This euill may easily be auoided if Election be made by a kind of Scrutinie some principall wise graue and religious Knights and Gentlemen for Shieres and other for Townes being appointed to take euerie mans voice in writing and sworne first to deale faithfully therein In the former consideration oh that your Honourable Senat would be pleased to take some order for more libertie for publike priuate Fasts Publike and priuat Fasts as occasion shall require the same By Gods gracious blessing heretofore vpon such Fasts as in the yeere of the Earth-quake this last Easter one and fourtie yeeres and in the yeere 1588 and at other times we may the more desire the same now and hereafter For certainly all Gods Iudgements being well considered the securitie of all sorts in this behalfe may be well thought to be the greatest Iudgement of all other Did not Dauid command all his people to rent their Clothes to gird themselues with Sack-cloth 2 Sam. 3 3â— 38. and to mourne for Abner because a Prince and a great man was that day fallen in Israel Alas therefore that we hauing seene the fall of some of greater worth then Abner and had many other Iudgements besides should thinke of no such thing Nay rather the performance of such exercises hath been accounted as pettie Treason Many may meet and sit daies and nights eating drinking playing and being drunke and committing many outrages and yet be in no danger in no feare But woe is me that I may say so much for some to meet either to fast and pray or to helpe one another by repetition of Sermons or to confer only priuatly of such things as they haue heard publikely taught c. these meetings are accounted and condemned as conuenticles What a strange thing is it also that all other Churches of other Nations both abroad and here in our Kingdome should haue praiers and fasting for the Prince and Princesse Palatine and yet we should neglect the same that in the Bond of loiall loue to his Maiestie should be most forward in such duties Alas also that in these present great distresses and persecutions in France and in the troubles of almost all other Countreys we should neither helpe them otherwise nor in this kind Oh the Lord keepe vs from that curse before spoken of that the Angel of the Lord inioined against Meroz Iudg. 5.23 and the Inhabitants thereof Especially the Lord keepe vs from such Traitors against his Maiestie against his Princely Sonne against the Prince and Princesse Palatine and their Off-spring and against all his Maiesties Kingdomes as shall secretly and vnder-hand perswade any not only to neglect this holy dutie of fasting for them but also condemn the same altogether in these daies of the Gospel as vnlawfull and no way tolerable but to be seditious and dangerous Doubtlesse there are too many such amongst vs as vnder pretext of loialtie are most pernitious and pest ferous Traitours And such are not all they only that
least they should be put out of the Syndgogue or rather the Congregation that is least they should be excommunicated Ioh. 9.22 because the Iewes had made such a generall Canon against any man that should confesse Iesus to be Christ so doe many worthy men consent with the Ministers silenced but feare of some Bishops vnmercifull indeed as some are in signification of their name they dare not bewray their Iudgements for feare of the said danger Yea I am perswaded that some of the most reuerend Bishops themselues doe vnfeignedly desire the reformation of some things that are the causes of the former troubles Yea I say more that I knew a verie learned reuerend and renowmed Bishop not long since deceassed that said to a silenced and depriued Minister of his Diocesse suing vnto him for some enlargement of his Ministerie that he would willingly grant his request but he durst not because he was a man vnder authoritie and must obey But said he I will pray for you that those things may be remooued that doe hinder you that we may all ioyne together against the common Aduersarie for it is high time May it please also your most Honourable Court to consider that your grace craued to further the free passage of the Gospel The remoue of Ceremonies concerneth the whole Land Can. 27. Est 3.2 and to remoue the hindrances thereof doth concerne your selues and yours and the whole Land and not such Ministers onely and that in respect of diuers Canons Such is the Canon of kneeling at the celebration of the Lords Supper in the verie act of receiuing the Bread and Wine not much vnlike the commandement of Ahashuerosh for bowing the knee to Haman whereunto Mordecai would not yeeld though thereby he hazarded his owne state and the state of all the Iewes and though for his yeelding he might haue pleaded that he neither did it religiously according to the manner of the People Exod. 17.14 Deut. 25.17 Est 3.1 10. 9.24 Can. 98. nor in contempt of Gods Commandement for warre and hatred on the part of the Iewes against the Amalekits whereof Haman was one euen an Agagite of the Kings Stocke but only ciuilly in respect of the Kings command still keeping hatred against the Amalekits though he gaue that ciuill outward reuerence vnto Haman The like is the Canon against Appeales to any Iudge ad quem in any case whatsoeuer if the Aduersarie may with any colour plead the other partie to be a Schismatike Such is the Canon touching Diuorcement Can. 4.6.7.8 Such is the Canon for Excommunication ipso facto of euerie one that shall speake any thing against any of the Canons or against any rights and ceremonies established wherby men may be disabled from making their Will or their Wills may be frustrated or at least their Executors much molested Such is the Canon or seueritie vsed for restraining the People from seeking the Word else-where though they haue no preaching at all in their owne Parishes or such only as would grieue any Christian heart to heare it Can. 18. Such is the Canon for the superstitious ridiculous bowing of the knee at the name of Iesus to the disturbance of the whole Congregation and the hinderance both of the Speaker or Reader also of the hearer whereas no such thing is inioined at the name of God the Father or of Christ or of the Lord or of our Sauiour thogh this be all one with the name of Iesus the very meaning therof The like may be said of diuers other canons Many Canons contrarie to our Lawes and although such Canons may be said euen iure humano not to be lawfull and therefore cannot be pleaded in any of his Maiesties Temporall Courts yet herein euerie man is not able to wage Law against their Aduersaries Although also some of the said Canons were not perhaps agreed vpon by the greater part of the Conuocation but onely hatched by some few great Prelats and caried out by strong boisterous hand yet who may make question of these things Much trouble hath been and daily is by such Canons and more will be if by your worthy Senat it be not preuented Many wicked men haue more libertie then ministers of the Gospel Of the restraint also of the before pleaded for Ministers from all benefit of the Law may not vnfitly be said that of Ioel touching the Famine of his time Heare ye this ô Elders and hearken all ye Inhabitants of the Land whether such a thing hath been in your daies or yet in the daies of your forefathers c. Shall all blasphemers contemners of all goodnesse drunkards c. haue the benefit of the Law and shall such Ministers onely be so vile as to be debarred from it The lewdest man that is cannot be so easily dispossessed of a poore Cottage of twentie shillings a yeere as many worthy Ministers haue beene ciected with their Wiues and Children from a Liuing of more then an hundred pound by the yeere and that sometimes for not obseruing a Booke neither established by Law nor inioyned by Canon neither euer tendred vnto them yea also without any presentment in that behalfe The old saying viuat Rex currat Lex importeth the safetie of Kings and Kingdomes to consist much in the execution of Iustice Pro. 20.28 and 29.14.39 the which also agreeth with the wisedome of Salomon Is it not likewise strange that common Players by diuers Acts of Parliament condemned to be Rogues and that are indeed the Lords of much misrule and great wickednesse that these I say should haue libertie to exercise their abominable trade condemned in all well ordered Commonwealths yea with especiall Command to all Officers for their ayd yea further that such base persons should so debacchari against all sorts and disgrace the greatest Peeres in the Land yea sometimes also being bold with his high Maiestie vpon their Stages much more with any Ministers that they shall heare to speake against their roguerie and that such learned and godly Ministers no way scandalous in their life should haue their mouthes stopped Most strange especially is it that his excellent Maiestie should enlarge all Papists and discharge them from Imprisonment and other penalties for any former offences and that without any submission to our Religion and that yet the hearts of the Prelats should be so hardned against their Brethren as not to enlarge them and discharge them from all punishments for their supposed offences but still to continue their seueritie against them Moreouer Examples to moue the Parliament Ier. 26.16 Ier. 38.9 your said most Honourable Court may the more boldly do the more for the enlargement of the Gospel and such Ministers thereof because of many other examples doing the like Of the Princes and People of Juda pleading for Ieremiah against the Clergie of Ierusalem Of Ebedmelech petitioning earnestly for him to the King and preuailing with the King
can deny you nothing as now the aduersaries of the said Minsters pretend they haue the like power from his Maiestie to deale as they haue done hauing no such power by any Law and yet afterward vpon the petition of one only and he no naturall subiect giuing a counter-commission for the sauing of Ieremiah and fetching him out of prison Ier. 38.10 Exo. 32.10.12 Iudg. 10.13 Exo. 32.11 To conclude this argument hath not God himselfe oft denyed helpe to his people and forbidden men to pray for them or them to pray for themselues and yet for all that holpen them Was this any dishonor to his diuine Maiestie Yea rather As Moses pleaded the honor of God therein and as other being as it were forsaken of the Lord Psal 79.9 craued his helpe and to be deliuered out of their trouble for the glorie of his name And as Samuel assured the Israelits being in great distresse and feare that the Lord would not forsake them for his great names sake c. so the Ministers before silenced 1 Sam. 12.22 and still in great distresse doe hope they may now plead for the free course of the Gospel and for comfort and to be made glad according to all the dayes wherein they haue beene afflicted Psal 90.15 for the greater honor of all the States of Parliament and for the greater glory of his gracious Maiestie it selfe As hitherto in the same priuiledge whereby other subiects preferre their complaints and causes to the High and most Honorable Court of Parliament I haue exhibited the former arguments for the enlargement both of the Gospel it selfe and of the Ministers thereof hitherto molested and like daily so to be vnto the graue and wise consideration of your sayd Court so now I will be bold vpon the same freedome and libertie of other subiects to exhibit also some other things to your sayd Court which much likewise concerne Gods glory and the common good both of Church and Common-wealth within his Maiesties Kingdomes First therefore I will beginne with Papists to shew some reasons for the better suppressing or conuerting of them Reasons for suppressing or conuerting of Papists as hauing mentioned them before Now because they are of diuers stamps some plaine Recusants and some Church Papists some obstinat some ignorant and such as are Papists rather to please some other then of any conscience May is please your Honorable Court to consider of all these accordingly Open Recusants and Church Papists are not much vnlike one to another Psal 55.20 21. Prou. 26.18 23.24.15 2 Sam. 3.27 and 20.10 Mat. 26 49 Luk. 22.47 48. Ier. 41.2 Only as a secret enimie is more dangerous then an open one as is manifest by diuers sentēces and examples of the Scripture Abner and Amasa being both vnawares slaine by a false kisse of Ioab as also our Sauiour by the like of Iudas and Gedaliah with all his companie being put to the sword by the pretended friendship of Ishmael As I say secret enemies are more dangerous then open so are Church Papists more dangerous then open Recusants because vnder colour of comming to Church they are more hardly discerned Notwithstanding they that are wise may know them How secret Papists may be knowne First by being from Recusants suddenly conuerted to come to our Churches and exercises of Religion because the kingdome of God is not like to Ionas his Gourd but to a graine of mustard seed Ionas 4.6 Matth. 13.31 and hauing beene conuerted only by some priuat persuasions or by present or hoped for kindnesses of men c. and not by any publike Ministerie Secondly By their late and slacke comming to the Word and by their loose attention therunto whiles it is preached but spending the time in talking and whispering with other or in reading of prayers or of some Popish Booke For he that is of God heareth Gods Word Ioh. 8.47 1 Pet. 2.2 he that is borne againe desireth the sincere Milke of the Word Thirdly By their priuat speeches eyther for Poperie or against the truth or the louers of it as some of the Ephraimits were knowen not to be Gileadits by their tongues Fourthly Iudg. 12.6 By their Farmers and Seruants and companie For Noscitur ex comite qui non cognoscitur ex se and birds of a feather will flye togeather Fifthly By their coldnesse in speaking or doing any thing publikely for the trueth Luk. 7.47 For as to whom a litle is forgiuen he loueth little so to whom much is forgiuen he loueth much Sixthly and lastly if they be great persons By their preferment of Papists to such preferments as are in their power All Papists dangerous All grounded Papists Recusant and other are so much the more dangerous because as Satan by little sinnes preuayleth with men for greater so do they by insinuation into Princes for small matters oftentymes bring their purposes to passe for greater As no humane Lawes also will reclayme Papists without the libertie of the Word so neyther will any clemencie of Princes do them any good without seueritie They can no more liue without treacherie then without eating drinking and breathing Frendshippe doth rather harden then mollifie them These things are manifest by their continuall treasonable practises against our late most Noble Queene and against our present dread Soueraigne as likewise against other Princes in other Countreys The more fauour hath beene shewed them the more they haue lifted vp their heeles against such their fauourers The more that other are for peace and speake thereof Psal 120.7 the more they are for warre Many good Lawes haue beene already made against them and are yet in force But what difference is there betwixt no Lawes at all and no execution of Lawes Little but this that where there is no Lawe there cannot in Iustice be any punishment but where there are Lawes there may be execution when God shall giue the Magistrates hearts so to doe Some of the Lawes alreadie are for death of some offenders in that kind Other are but pecuniarie whether these also are not to be made capitall I leaue to the wisedome of your Court to consider by the expresse Law of God in that behalfe Deut. 13.1 c. Exo. 21.16 Deu. 14.19 and 20.18 and 24.7 against all intisers to Idolatrie as also by other Lawes for death against lesse transgressions both of the First and also of the Second Table And touching that place Deut. 24.7 against men stealers and makers of merchandize of them who do so highly offend in this kinde as Papists that steale men from God from their Soueraignes and make merchandize of their Soules to the Deuil Do they not also rob men of their temporall goods to enrich their Pope and Iesuits whereby the kingdome of darkenesse may be the stronger against all other kings and kingdomes Are not such Papists murderers oftentimes of Princes euen of their owne Religion As also repentance of