of what spirit these railings haue proceeded Saint Iames saith that the wisedome which is from aboue is pure peaceable gentle easie to be entreated no oath of conscience can entreate Mr. Dauid It is full of mercie he is so full of malice that hee runnes ouer for who will say but that the house is full of smoake when it commeth out at the dore and window It is without iudging he is bold to iudge the most secret things It is without Hâ—pocrisie hee at one time kisseth and killeth with Ioab The same man whom at one word hee cals A beloued Brother at the next word hee cals An abhominable man a false Teacher c. His mouth is full of bitter enuie and strife his tongue set on fire of Hell would set on fire the course of Nature yea the whole Church if hee could this wisedome descends not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuellish saith S. Iames. Loe where you are Mr. Dauid see by what Decree you are condemned in this doing not mine but the Apostles Is not this the monstrous birth of your Viperous minde Looke backe to it againe and see if it be well faced or not Thinke you not shame of it or otherwise will nothing content you except yee be the Basiliske king of Serpents and crowned as chiefe of railers But let vs examine more narrowly and see what truth is in him You will first haue mee to confesse an error why not I daily doe it who knoweth the errours of his life Errare possum Haereticus esse nolâ— Wee are men and may fall into errour from Heresie Grace will keepe vs and mine heart abhorres it But are you Mr. Dauid and your fellowes free from errour Homo iuste sanctâ—le tune sine macula Holie one tell mee are you without blemish Dic mihi noue Pharisae nomine duntaxat pure Is it so I hope you will thinke shame to be a new Pharisie pure in name onely Audes tu mundum te dicere qui etsi operibus mundus esses hoc solo verbo immundus fieres Dare the Catharan Nouatian Donatist say he is cleane albeit in regard of his workes he were cleane yet this same proud word would make him vncleane But I thinke Mr. Dauid will confesse error also why then casts he the first stone at mee O forsooth Mr. Dauid is a common Christian and I am a Preacher But may not a good and faithfull Preacher commit an errour To cite a testimonie of Scripture not out of the right place is an errour to draw a sense out of the words not consonant to the course of the Text suppose agreeable to the Analogie of Faith is an errour to say that Timothie placed in Ephesus was an extraordinarie Euangelist seeing it is plaine hee was setled there as an ordinarie Bishop may be an errour but no Heresie to say that Papall Hierarchie came out of Episcopall authoritie is an errour for it is not the proper cause of the other but who will call it Haeresie or falsifying of Gods message And many other waies not needfull to be repeated may Preachers commit errour which yet are not Heresies God forbid they so were O but it is an higher Commission which this Legate from the Legion hath brought against mee Hee is to accuse mee of many points of Treason against the most high God for so hee reckens them out You haue taught erronious doctrine false doctrine and deceiued others Auoid Sathan thou art shamelesse in lying You haue falsified Gods Message Goe behinde mee Sathan you are diuellish in railing You haue prophaned the chaire of veritie The Lord rebuke thee Sathan Mr. Dauid this is not you I will neuer thinke the good man of Gods-Croft hath said this no it is but subtle Satan abusing the sillie Serpent Vas es alius te vtitur organum es alius te tangit The Apostle leades vs to this consideration We wrastle not with â—lesh and bloud but with Principalities Powers and spirituall Wickednesses In this you are but Satans Serjeant Is est qui omnia peccata nostra rimatur diligentia inuidiâ— It is hee that searcheth all our sinnes with the watchfull eye of Enuie I am onely sorie that you are thus abused by him and haue learned Ex vno multa facere so cunningly to calumniate and to imploy your engin to make a mountaine of a mote if you could finde it yet you would seeme modest and professe you are loath to touch but can you be more malicious and if yee can I defie you For I must tell you many a time hath Satan troubled mee with his grieuous accusations so much more fearefull then yours in that they were internall I haue appealed and drawne him before the highest Tribunall and there sundrie absoluitorie Decrees hath my God giuen mee against his false imputations by many glorious victories hath the God of peace trampled Sathan vnder my feete And now you come in as it were vpon a new factorie from him to charge me againe with the same criminations and pursue mee before the Iudicatorie of men Sillie man why haue yee done this Seeing I haue endured the roaring of a Lyon thinke you that I will be commoned for the biting of a Flea Euen Satan himselfe as false as he is knowes and if hee could speake any truth hee might tell you that you are here miscarried from the truth I am no prophaner of the Chaire of Veritie I haue gone to the Pulpit in much feare and trembling I neuer went to it vnsanctified by Prayer and the best part of that houre of preparation haue I spent lying vpon the ground on my face with teares and cries begging the Lords mercifull assistance And after greatest humiliation I haue found his most comfortable presence I am forced to vtter that which I thought neuer flesh should haue knowne for answering this shamelesse Accuser who chargeth mee as a prophaner of the Chayre of Veritie And as for false Doctrine you are the first aduersarie among Professors that euer charged any in our Church with it Is any Article of Faith denyed because the gouernment which you would haue is denyed Are they all false Teachers who stand for defence of Presbyteries against Episcopall Gouernment or will you haue them false Teachers who stand for the maintenance of Episcopall gouernment Doth the one of them so esteeme of the other You will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctor of the Law but vnderstand not what you speake nor what you affirme Can you call it false doctrine which impugnes not any article of Faith Know you not that Preachers are the lawfull Iudges of true and false Doctrine Spiritus Prophetarum subijcitur Prophetis You are no Prophet nor Preacher God called you not to that honour yet your pride causeth you to stretch your selfe beyond your line and to giue out against a Preacher a decree of false Doctrine You would haue it a matter of Faith least
therefore when first his Maiestie perceiued an intended nouation in Church-gouernement his Highnesse discharged it and protested against it by his letter registred in the Bookes of generall assembly An. 1579. â—ul 7. What can you finde out of all this why Episcopall authoritie should not be restored againe or rather see you not many reasons that should moue vs to receiue it 7 As for your alleadged oath whereby you make the simpler sort beleeue that our Church hath abiured Episcopall gouernement the strength of your cause is in it but it shall be knowne to be as weake as the rest of your defences For first of all an Oath should be defended by the lawfulnesse of the thing that is sworne and it is no good ground in Diuinitie to defend the thing that is sworne by pretence of the sacred authoritie of an Oath This order you keepe not Secondly since the most part of Preachers in our Church gaue no Oath for Discipline at all for mine owne part it was neuer required of mee and I know there 〈◊〉 many others in the same estate What reason is it that the Oath of some albeit they had made it as you say which will not be found should binde others that made it not Thirdly when it was appointed by act of Parliament An. 1572. Ianuar. 26. that the confession of faith which therein at length is exprest should be sworne and subscribed by all Church-men the gouernement which then was in our Church was Episcopall for the Oath and subscription is ordained to be made in presence of the Archbishop Superintendent or Commissioner of the Diocie as the words of the Act plainly imports so that this Oath makes no renunciation of Episcopall authoritie but rather ratefies and approues it Fourthly concerning the latter Negatiue confession whereof it is most likely you meane what will you finde there against Episcopall gouernement Nothing at all it is a good confession many Pastors professours of our Church haue sworne it subscribed it Othere say you an Oath is conceiued against Hierarchie Mr. Dauid speake as the truth is Now Rahel takes the Idols and hides them in Cammels litter Now Rachel blushes for shame Now Mr. Dauid steales away the chiefe words of the confession and hides them for feare they should tell the truth and shame him will you say M. Dauid Hath our Church renounced Hierarchie simply all sacred authoritie all order all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say it not for shame there are the words looke what we haue renounced these are the verie words of the Oath We detest and refuse the vsurped authoritie of that Romane Antichrist his worldly Monarchie and wicked Hierarchie Therefore saith Master Dauid we detest all Hierarchie Why mutilate you the words and why falsifie you the words which you bring by a corrupt sense of your owne which I will proue was not the Subscribers minde Will you condemne Episcopall gouernement vnder the name of Papall vsurped worldly wicked Hierarchie Is it ignorance hath moued you who would thinke you were so ignorant or if you know better what malice is this to beare downe a good thing vnder an euill name Were not Bishops in the Church before a Pope vvas in Rome at least before Antichrist was hatched in it Haue any sort of men in the Church done more suffered more to destroy Antichrists Kingdome then Bishops yet you will haue all Bishops Antichristian Let vs first see the iudgement of the Fathers of our owne Church plat contrarie to M. Dauids it may be he will reuerence them and thinke shame of his owne folly when M. Iohn Knox got license from our generall assembly to goe into England they wrote a Letter with him of this tenour The Superintendents and Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to their brethren the Bishops and Pastors in England that haue renounced the Romish Antichrist and doe professe the Lord Iesus with them in sinceritie the perpetuall encrease of the holy Spirit See it registred in our assembly Bookes An. 1566. M. Dauid did our Fathers esteeme Episcopall gouernment Antichristian Hierarchie Do they not plainely disioyne them writing to Bishops that had renounced the Romish Antichrist O but it will be said Our Church was then in her infancie it may be you make them all Infants all the worthie learned and vnspotted Superintendents of our Church Iohn Willok Superintendent of the West Iohn Winram of Fyfe Iohn Spotswood of Lowthian Iohn Erskin of Din Superintendent of Angus Iohn Row Superintendent of Galloway make Infants also of M. Knox M. Craig M. Lyndsay M. Hay with many more I cannot name present at the writing of that Letter all these may well be Infants where a man of your experience comes out but beleeue me wee haue not seene many such olde men in our Church since Now as this sense which you make of the word Hierarchie is against the minde of our first Fathers so is it against the minde of the swearers and subscribers and are you not a foule abuser to inforce vpon them a sense whereof they thought neuer This is cleere as the light For why did not his Maiestie sweare and subscribe that confession of Faith This was his royall and most Christian oath offered to God in defence of his truth Did not his Highnesse there and at many other times professe openly a renunciation of that wicked Hierarchie Will you inferre vpon this that his Maiestie therefore abiured Episcopall gouernement I dare appeale to your owne knowledge hath not his Maiestie kept one constant iudgement concerning Church-gouernement euer from his young yeeres doth not the inhibition of nouation in Church-gouernement cleere this doth not the publike printed Declaration of his Highnesse intention proue it doth not all his Highnesse speeches and actions before the subscription since the subscription declare his Highnesse approbation of Episcopal gouernement and yet you would make it to be beleeued of the people that his Highnesse renounced Episcopall gouernement when his Maiestie renounced Hierarchie vsurped Papall wicked this or else a worse must be the drift of your language Truly you may thanke God you haue to doe with a clement and gratious king And that this same which is his Highnesse mind of that Article is also the minde of most part of the ancient teachers and other brethren learned godly vnspotted who haue well deserued of the Church present by fidelitie in their ministrie will bee cleared also I will not goe about in any inordinate manner to seeke subscriptions to this purpose but when it shall be required by order in the Church you will finde a cloud of witnesses standing against you to improue this calumnie of yours yea many times in my younger yeeres haue I heard famous and auncient Fathers of our Church who haue seene the first beginnings thereof affirme that our Church could not consist vnlesse Episcopall gouernement were restored againe this they spake when there was no appearance of it and when Episcopall
of them as if they contained humane and diuine learning like that which Augustine hath vttered in his two and twentie Bookes de Ciuitate Dei or if for Eloquence you esteeme them like the workes of some new Cicero or else for vndoubted Rules of Church-gouernement that are in them you meane to make them vp as the bodie of some new Canon Law whereunto in reasoning you will remit men as vnto Rules and Decrees or at least will haue other men take paines to make glosses and Notes vpon them then I pray you Mr. Dauid seeke some Aldus Manutius or Ludouicus Viues or some new Gratianus you will get of these right good on that side of the water but Mr. Dauid for me I thinke them not worthie of that paynes neyther haue I any time to spare vpon them the paines I haue taken are for your satisfaction if reason may doe it to pleasure you I haue lost much good time which I intended to bestow another way At the midst of September I receiued your Admonitorie as your Letter will shew though many saw it before you sent it to mee In the end of October I absolued this answere to it what time hath ouerpast since hath beene spent in writing it ouer and ouer againe for the Presse for you will haue it publicke and it is best so for others and me also to ease me of much paines of priuate writing wherein I cannot giue euery man contentment If my paines profit not you I haue great losse beside my instant labour being forced all this time to intermit mine ordinarie exercise of teaching at Euening Prayer wherein I know you haue done more euill to this people then I thinke you haue done good to any Congregation in the Land but if eyther my paines or their losse for this time may serue to gaine you the one I will thinke pleasure the other I thinke they will esteeme vantage if not yet I hope it shall doe good vnto others And now in the end albeit M. Dauid doe shunne the Question it selfe yet seeing hee desireth I should communicate to him such light as I haue I will not refuse to doe it partly for his satisfaction and partly also for satisfaction of others who are not contentious of purpose about this question There are some godly and learned men in the Church who maintaine Episcopall gouernment to be iuris diuini of diuine authoritie there are others worthy Light of the Church also who albeit they thinke it not to be iuris diuini but humani or Ecclesiastici and sees not that it is a diuine ordinance but humane or Ecclesiastique yet they reuerence it as a good and a lawfull and a profitable policie for the Church If Mr. Dauid will not adioyne himselfe to the first I wish at least hee would betake himselfe to the modest iudgement of the second and consider what a grieuous sinne it is to nourish a Schisme in the Church for such a matter and how far the famous Lights of our time mislike them who spare not to diuide the Church for their opinion in the contrary The Arguments vsed by the first sort the Reader will finde at length in the learned Treatises of D. Whytgift Bilson Douname The reasons mouing mee to incline to Episcopall gouernment and by which I found greatest light and contentment to mine owne minde occurred to mee in the handling of the Epistles to Timothie I haue shortly subioyned them and submit them to the censure of the Church A view of Church-gouernment best warranted by the Word proponed in these few POSITIONS 1 AS other Bookes of holy Scripture are written chiefely for the institution of a Christian to teach him what he must beleeue and doe that he may be saued so the Epistles to Timothy and Titus are especially written for the institution of Ecclesiastique Office-bearers teaching them how to behaue themselues in the gouernement of Gods house 1 Tim. 3. 15. So that as the Tabernacle was build according to the patterne shewed to Moses in the Mount so the right plat-forme of Discipline must be learned from the patterne prescribed by God in his Word and most clearely in these Epistles 2 And as no man can be so farre miscarryed as to thinke that the Epistles directed to the Romanes Corinthians c. containing rules of Faith and Manners belonged to them onely but to all Christians till the worlds end So is there no reason why a man should thinke that the Epistles written to them containing rules of Discipline and Church-gouernment were for them onely but for their successors also 3 So that the power giuen to Timothie and Titus was not personall to endure onely during their dayes or to dye in the Church when they by death were taken from the Church but it is perpetuall to continue in the Church to the worlds end for why the precepts are giuen for gouernment of Gods house and wee know his house is not for one age but for all ages till the worlds end And againe Timothie is commanded to keepe this rule to the second appearance of Christ 1 Tim. 6. 14. which by himselfe is impossible to doe but in his successors 4 Now this power giuen to Timothie and his successors is the power of a Bishop not onely in respect of preaching for in this generall sense all Pastors are Bishops hauing the ouer-sight of their flockes but also in regard of their speciall gouernment and power ouer other Pastors committed to their inspection in which sense the name of a Bishop is proper to some Preachers of the word not common vnto all as is euident out of the points of power by diuine authoritie giuen them 5 As first a power to commaund Pastors that they teach no otherwise then according to the rule of the word 1 Tim. 1. 3. Secondly a power to depose and stop the mouthes of them who teach otherwise 2 Tim. 2. 16. Tit. 1. 11. Thirdly a power to lay hands vpon Pastors to ordaine and admit them to their Callings 1 Tim. 5. 23. Lastly a power to iudge Pastors and to receiue or repell accusatious giuen in against them 1 Tim. 5. 19. So that his power is not onely ouer his flocke but ouer other preaching Pastors also according to this rule 6 This power afore-said wee finde by diuine authoritie established in the person of one let any man contrary minded shew as cleere a warrant to proue that this power is taken from one and giuen vnto many 7 And as here we haue this power giuen to one for gouernement of Gods house in the precept so is this same power established in the person of one by the practise of the Son of God for in his seauen Epistles to the Churches of Asia he writes vnto one as bearing the burden of all both Pastors and people in those Cities And Beza confesseth that when S. Iohn directed his Epistle to the Angell of the Church vnder that name he directed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
no reasonable man will denie the Assumption will be this But Episcopall gouernement is such Embraced of the Catholike Church not instituted first by any Councel for it was before the first Oâ—cumenick Councell of Nice retained by all Councels not reiected nor impugned by any and this assumption is verefied by consent and testimonie of the Church in all ages which the learned Fathers of our time Zanchius and Beza plainely confesse the words of Zanchius here follow Fides autem mea nititur cum primis simpliciter verbo Dei deinde nonnihil etiam communi totius veteris Ecclesiae consensu si ille cum sacris literis non pugnet Credo enim quae a pijs patribus in nomâ—â—â— Dominâ— congregatis communi omnium consensu citra vllam sacrarum literarum contradictionem definita recepta fuerunt ea etiam quanquâ—m hand eiusdem cum sacris literis authoritatis a Spiritu Sancto esse Hinâ— fit vt quae sunt etusmodi ego ea improbare nec velâ—m nec audeâ—m bona conscientia Quid autem certius ex Historijs ex Conâ—lijs ex omnium patrum scriptis quam illos ministroruÌ„ ordines de quibus diximâ—s communi totius republicae Christianae consensu in Ecclesia constitutos receptosque fuisse Quis autem ego sum qui quod tota Ecclesia approbâ—uit improbâ—m My faith leanes first of all and simply vpon the word of God thereafter also it something depends vpon the common consent of the whole ancient Church where it is not repugnant to the holy Scripture For I beleeue those things which by godly Fathers assembled in the name of the Lord haue beene concluded decreed and receiued not contradictorie vnto holy Scripture and that those same things also albeit they be not of equall authoritie with the holy Scripture haue proceeded from the holy Spirit whereof it comes to passe that I neither will nor dare in a good conscience contradict them For what is more certaine out of Histories Councels and the writings of all Fathers then that these orders of the Ministrie whereof we haue spoken were by common consent of all Christendome concluded and receiued into the Church And who am I that I should dâ—sallow that which the whole Church hath allowed Zanch. in his confession To this same purpose serues the testimonie of Beza who hauing declared the reasons that moued the auncient Church to elect one of the Presbâ—terie who in place and dignitie should be aboue the rest and to whom the name of a Bishop in speciall manner should be giuen by the remanent hee subioynes as followes Neque enim quicquam est quod in hac Prostasia reprehendi potest aut debet for there is nothing in this presidencie or supereminence of one Pastor aboue the rest which either can or ought to be reproued And the reason he giues for it is worthy marking Quum praesertim vetustus hic mos primum Presbyterum deligendi in Alexandrina celeberrima Ecclesiaiam inde a Marco Euangelista esset obseruatus Especially saith hee seeing this ancient custome to choose out the first of the Presbyters to gouerne the rest hath beene obserued in the famous Church of Alexandria euer since the dayes of S. Marke the Euangelist Now it may be collected that S. Marke died in the eight yeere of the Emperour Nero the holy Apostles Peter Paul and Iohn being yet aliue whereof it followes that this policie hath had the Apostles eyther authors or approuers of it and so will fall to be of diuine authoritie Now then the proposition being manifest in it selfe and by the testimony of Tertullian and Ambrose confirmed The assumption also cleare and confessed by the testimonie of Zanchius and Beza that one Pastor was in place and dignity aboue the rest called by the name of a Bishop in a speciall sense proper to him not common to the rest the conclusion followes sure that this policie may and should be receiued as descended from authoritie But now we come to speake of them who albeit they thinke not that Episcopall gouernement is diuine yet they reuerence it as a necessary and profitable policie for the Church That Episcopall gouernement is a good and profitable policie for the Church in the iudgement of most learned and modest Doctors in our time AND as concerning these worthy Diuines of our time who thinkes not Episcopall gouernement to be of diuine authoritie yet they reuerence it as a godly and most necessary policie and all of them condemnes you that nourishes a Schisme for it I cannot now attaine to them as I would being absent from my Bookes but you shall haue some notable testimonies to this purpose Zanchius hauing set downe Ieroms iudgement concerning it subâ—oynes as here followes Non damnat Hieronimus consuetudinem hanc vtpote vtilem ferme necessariam vt fit ordo in Ecclesia Adde quod non prohibetur verbo Dei si igitur liberum est Ecclesiae possunt ex totâ— Presbyterorum Collegio Presbyterum vnum eligere qui peculiarem Ecclesiae curam â—uscipiat in Conâ—istorio â—it seâ— Consul in Senatu politico at que vt ab alijs decernatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocars potest Episcopus vel Superintendens vel Inspector vel alio quoâ—â—s nomine Episcopus Certe Ecclesiae vnitas scindi non debet propter huius cemodi titulorum aut nominum differentias Zanchius epist. ad Philip. cap. 1. Ierome condemnes not this confuetude of the power and preferment of a Bishop before a Pastor as being profitable and almost necessary for conseruation of order in the Church Besides that it is not forbidden in the word of God Seeing therefore it is free the Churches may chuse out one of the Colledge of Presbyters to haue the peculiar care of the Church and who may be in the Consistorie of Presbyters as a Consull in the politique Senate and to the end he may be distinguished from others he may in more excellent manner then the rest be called Bishop Superintendent or Inspector or by any other such name Certainely the vnitie of the Church should not be rent for any such titles or differences of names See you not here that in the iudgement of this worthy Doctor Episcopall gouernment is not forbidden in the Word and so is not against any point of Faith as you affirme See you not that the name of a Bishop is not abused when it is giuen to one and not vnto the rest And thirdly doth hee not condemne you that â—end the vnitie of our Church for such a matter Iunius in like manner O 〈◊〉 haec vt iuris humani atque 〈◊〉 si ita placet ecclesiastici concedimus fuisse iâ—m olim absâ—ruâ—ta nec dâ—mnamus ea simpliciter si non abusus accessâ—â—it Wee confesse that all these haue beene of a long time obserued in the Church as being of humane authoritie or if you please Ecclesiastique neyther condemne wee them simplie if they be not abused
your humour yet that they are in account with men of greater pietie and learning then you is euident in that now the third time that Commentarie vpon the eight to the Romanes hath beene imprinted others of them fiue times imprinted You come short of this honour your selfe and grieues at it you cannot walke with mee in the same way to put your talent vnto profit neither yet can suffer another to doe it beside you vnlesse you lye snarling and barking at his heeles and thereby declare your selfe to be but a base bodie I must tell you as the truth is for many of you blinded with a vaine conceit of your selues spils vnspoken to whose manner is that either they vvould doe but cannot or else can doe but for idlenesse will not or may not yet doing no good themselues they will censure the doings of all others neither can any thing be done were it neuer so good that shall escape the stroke of their tongue But now to the word you quarrell I know very well that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime a Substantiue and you cannot denie it is also an Adiectiue Beza in his notes findes fault most iustly with the Latine translation rendring the words in this manner Carnem inimicam esse Deo First because if the word had beene vsed heere as an Adiectiue the Apostle would haue said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make it agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly because it doth not so significantly expresse the Apostles meaning it being more to say the sense of the flesh is inimitie with God then to say it is an enemie to God Now if I looking especially to the best sense haue vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an Adiectiue substantiuated in the plurall the more effectually to expresse the corruption of our nature according to that of Moses All the iâ—aginations of the thoughts of mans heart are onely euill continually And so hath rendered the words Sensus carnis Inimicitiae aduersus Deum And out of it haue drawne a true and profitable obseruation what haue you heere to carpe it As to these words subioyned otherwise it could not agree with the Substantiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of truth it is drawne out of the first vncorrected Copie and continues in the second Edition expresly against my direction But when you shall haue taken as great paines to encrease your talent for edification of the Church and shall offer your labours to the publicke censure of others I can assure you modest and reasonable men will excuse you for the like construction prouided they finde good in the remanent of your labours And truly I haue great cause to thanke the Lord my God that so many eyes and tongues and Pennes being stretched out to marke my wayes my words my secret writings my publicke writings yet among them all they can finde nothing either in my life or in my labours wherewith to charge me if they could the world should haue heard it ere now yea since some of them haue beene so impious as to iudge of Gods affection toward me by the death of some of my children which I know hath beene tratled into the eares of some within Edenburgh What would these who so narrowly seekes a blame against mee haue done if they could haue found it Againe I thanke the Lord who hath so watched ouer me as not to suffer mee to fall vnder the rebuke of man I feare not I care not the censure of flesh and I trust in his grace that still hee will preserue me pure and blamelesse to his heauenly Kingdome for his names sake But to returne vnto you you haue here no other thing worthie of an answere not answered alreadie It is scarse a sheete of paper you haue sent me and you post through it with such speede that any man may perceiue the heat of your humour hath spurred you to clatter out of the Cabinet of your cheeke any thing came readiest into it neuer going in into your selfe as becomes a modest man to aduise with your minde My counsell to you is that when such a fitte of furie takes you againe you giue commaund before to your seruants to holde Paper Penne and Inke out of your vvay least you shame your selfe yet more and so good Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvishing to you greater modestie of minde and speech I bid you farewell Edenburgh Nouemb 25. 1613. An Answere to the third THE third begins his Logomachick declamation with a great exclamation O tempora O mores wherein is more noise of words then dint of reasons Who saith hee would haue said within these twelue yeeres that I would haue beene of this minde But indeede it is no strange thing to see any Christian farre lesse a Christian Preacher in twelue yeeres yea in one yeere attaine to knowledge which he had not before What else is our life heere but a daily changing from darknesse to light from sinne to sanctification from Satan to the liuing God from euill to good from good to better Wee behold as in a mirrour the glorie of God with open face and are changed from glorie to glorie into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord what change I haue made is neither so so dainly nor so lightly done as you suppose I haue considered the matter at length and findes for the one part arguments from the authoritie of persons which did long restraine mee as also from a late custome of our Church which when I searched the register of our generall assemblies I found easily taken away by a more auncient custome of our Church On the other part arguments from the truth it selfe which I dare not conceale for respect of persons neither is it any reason that I should be bound with the cordes of former ignorance and holden backe from giuing place to a better light when God reueales it yet this is the maine argument you bring against me which I thinke you would not repeat so often if you had any stronger to bring for you In this same Page you charge mee with two speeches which are vntruths they are not mine I neuer had any such words and it is a shame for you who in the end of your Treatise subscribes your selfe Philaletheâ— that you should proue Pseustes in the very beginning But if these vaine reports wherewith you fill the hearts of such as leane their eares vnto you were taken from you you would be found bare and barren of matter whereby you might maintaine them in a liking of your opinion Your calumnies Fol. 2. that Episcopall dignitie drawes neere to Babel and Egypt that the calling is euill in it selfe and corrupts the Cariers thereof that the shew of worldly glorie hath turned me out of the pathâ—way of Christ that a man nose-wise like you might smell in my speeches the sauour of a vaine-glorious and selfe-pleasing humour that mine heart cleaueth to the world that it appeares to be