and redresse to this foule vncharitablenesse Alas how ready are wee to tosse the fore-part of our Wallet whiles our owne faultes are ready to breake our neckes behinde vs all the world sees and condemnes their ordination to be faulty yea none at all yet they cry out first on vs craftily J thinke least wee should complaine that Church-gouernours should ordaine Ministers hath beene the constant practise of the Church from Christs time to this houre I except onely in an extreame desolation meerely for the first course that the people shoulde make their Ministers was vnheard of in al ages Churches till Bolton Browne and Barrow and hath neyther coulour nor example Dooth not this comparison seeme strange and harsh Their Tradesmen may make true Ministers our Ministers cānot who but they wold not be ashamed of such a position Or who but you woulde not thinke the tyme mispent in answering it No lesse friuolous are those exceptions that are taken against our worshippe of God condemned for false and Idolatrous whereof Volumnes of Apologies are written by others we meet together pray read heare preach sing administer and receiue Sacraments wherein offend we How many Goddes do we pray to Or to whom but the true God In what words but holy whom do we preach but the same Christ with them what point of faith not theirs What sacraments but those they dare not but allow Where lyes our Idolatry that we may let it out Jn the maner of performing in set Prayers Antichristian Ceremonies of crossing kneeling c For the former what sinne is this The Original and truth of Prayer is in the heart the voyce is but as accidentall if the heart may often conceiue the same thought the tongue her seruant may often vtter it in the same words and if daily to repeat the same speeches be amisse then to entertaine the same spirituall desires is sinnefull to speak once without the heart is Hypocriticall but to speake often the same request vvith the heart neuer offendeth What intollerable boldnesse is this to condemne that in vs which is recorded to haue beene the continuall practise of Gods Church in all successions Of the Iewes in the time of Moses Dauid Salomon Iehosophat Ezekiah Ieremie Of the auncient Christian assemblies both Greek and Latine and now at this day of all reformed churches in Christendom yea which our Sauiour himselfe so directly allowed in a manner prescribed the blessed Apostles Paul Peter in all theyr formall salutations which were no other then set prayers so commonlie practised for the other least I exceed a letter tho wee yeild thē such as you imagine worse they cannot be they are but Ceremonious appendances the body substāce is sound Blessed be God that we can haue his true Sacraments at so easie a rate as the payment if they were such of a few circumstantiall in conueniences Howe many deer children of God in al ages euen neere the Golden times of the Apostles haue gladly purchased them much deerer not complained but see howe our Church imposes them not as to bind the Conscience otherwise then by the common bonde of obedience not as actions wherein Gods worship essentially consisteth but as themselues Ceremonies comely or couenient not necessarie whatsoeuer is this a sufficient ground of seperation Howe many moderate and wiser spirits haue we that cannot approue the Ceremonies yet dare not forsake the Church And that holde your departure far more euill then the cause You are inuited to a feast if but a Napkin or Trencher bee misplaced or a dish ill carued do you run from the Table and not stay to thank the hoast Eyther be lesse curious or more charitable Woulde God both you and all other which either fauor the seperation or professe it coulde but read ouer the auncient Stories of the Church to see the true state of things and times the beginninges proceedings increases encounters yeildings restaurations of the Gospell what the holy Fathers of those first times were glad to swallow for peace what they helde practised found left whosoeuer knowes but these things cannot seperate and shal not be contented onely but thankful God shall giue you still more light in the meane time vpon the perril of my soule stay and take the blessed offers of your God in peace And since Christ sayeth to you by my hand wil you also go away Answere him with that worthy Disciple Maister whether shall I go from thee thou hast the words of eternall life EPIST. VI. To Mr. I. B. ¶ A complaint of the mis-education of our Gentry I Confesse I cannot honor blood without good qualities not spare it with ill There is nothing that I more desire to be taught then what is true Nobilitie What thanke is it to you that you are borne wel If you could haue lost this priuiledge of Nature I feare you had not beene thus far Noble That you may not plead desert you had this before you were long ere you could either know or preuent it you are deceiued if you thinke this any other then the body of Gentility the life and soule of it is in noble and vertuous disposition in gallantnesse of spirit without hautinesse without insolence without scornfull ouer lynesse shortly in generous qualities carriage actions See your error and know that this demeanor dooth not aunswere an honest byrth If you can follow all fashions drinke all healths weare fauours and good cloths consort with Ruffians companions swear the biggest Oaths quarrell easily fight desperately game in euery inordinate Ordinary spend your patrimony ere it fall looke on euery man betwixt scorne and anger vse gracefully some gestures of apish complement talke irreligiously dally with a Mistris or which tearme is plainer hunt after Harlots take smoake at a Play-house and liue as if you were made all for sport you thinke you haue doone enough to merit both of your blood and others opinions Certainly the world hath no basenesse if this be generosity Wel-fare the honest and ciuill rudenesse of the obscure sonnes of the earth if such be the graces of the eminent The shame whereof methinkes is not so proper to the wildnesse of youth as to the carelesnesse or vanity of Parents I speake it boldly our land hath no blemmish comparable to the mis-education of our Gentry Infancy and youth are the seed-times of al hopes if those passe vnseasonably no fruit can be expected from our age but shame and sorrow who should improue these but they which may commaund them I cannot altogether complaine of our first yeares How like are wee to children in the training vp of our children Giue a childe some painted Babe he ioyes in it at first sight and for some daies wil not abide it out of his hand or bosome but when hee hath sated himselfe with the newe pleasure of that guest hee now after a while casts it into Corners forgets it and can look vpon it with no care Thus
not more desirous to teach the ignoraunt what I knowe then to learne of you what I should teach know not The Lord direct all our thoughts to his glory the behoofe of his Church EPIST. V. Written long since to Mr. I. VV. ¶ Disswading from seperation shortly oppugning the grounds of that errour IN my former Epistle I confesse J touched the late seperation vvith a light hand onely setting downe the iniurie of it at the best not discussing the groundes in common now your daunger drawes me on to this discourse it is not much lesse thanke-woorthy to preuent a disease then to cure it you confesse that you doubt I mislike it not doubting is not more the way to errour then to satisfaction lay downe first all pride and preiudice and I cannot fear you I neuer yet knew any man of this way which hath not bewraide himselfe far gone with ouer-weening and therefore it hath beene iust with God to punish their selfe loue with error an humble spirit is a fit subiect for trueth prepare you your heart and let mee then answere or rather God for mee you doubt whether the notorious sin of one vnreformed vncensured defile not the whole Congregation so as we may not without sinne communicate therewith why not the whole Church wo were vs if we should thus liue in the daunger of all men haue we not sins enow of our own but we must borrow of others Each man shal beare his own burden is ours so light that we cal for more waight vndertake what God neuer imposed It was enough for him that is God man to bear others iniquities it is no taske for vs which shrink vnder the least of our owne But it is made ours you say thogh anothers by our toleration conniuence indeede if we consent to them encourage them imitate or accompany them in the same excesse of ryot yet more the publicke person that forbeares a knowne sin sinneth but if each mans known sinne be euery mans what difference is betwixt the roote and the braunches Adams sinne spread it selfe to vs because wee were in him stood or fell in him our case is not such Do but see how God scorneth that vniust Prouerbe of the Iewes That the fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge How much lesse are straungers Js any bond so neere as this of blood Shall not the childe smart for the Parent and shall wee euen spiritually for others You obiect Achans stealth Israels punishment an vnlike case extraordinary for see how direct Gods charge is Be ye ware of the execrable thing least ye make your selues execrable and in taking of the execrable thing make also the hoast of Israell execrable and trouble it Now euery man is made a party by a peculiar iniunction and not onely all Israell is as one man but euery Israelite is a publicke person in this act you cannot shewe the like in euery one no not in any it was a lawe for the present not intended for perpetuity you may as well challenge the Trumpets of Rammes-hornes and seauen dayes walke vnto euery siedge Looke else where the Church of Thyatira suffers the Woman Iezabel to teach and deceyue A great sinne Yet to you saith the spirit the rest of Thyatira as many as haue not this learning I will put vpon you none other burden but that which you haue holde fast Hee saith not Leaue your Church but Hold fast your owne Look into the practise of the Prophets ransacke their burdens and see if you find this there yea beholde our best patterne the sonne of God The Iewish Rulers in Christ time were notoriously couetous proud oppressing cruel superstitious our Sauiour feared not polluting in ioyning with them and was so far frō seperating himselfe that he called sent others to them But a little Leauen Leauens the whole lumpe it is true by the infection of it sinne where it is vnpunnished spreadeth it so wreth al those whose hands are in it not others If we dislike it detest resist reproue and mourn for it we cannot be tainted the Corinthian loue-feasts had grosse and sinfull disorder yet you heare not Paul say Abstaine from the Sacrament till-these bee reformed Rather he enioynes the act and controules the abuse GOD hath bidden you heare and receiue shew me where he hath sayd except others be sinfull Their vncleannesse can no more defile you then your holinesse can excuse them But while J communicate you say I consent God forbid It is sinne not to cast out the deseruing but not yours who made you a Ruler a Iudge The vnclean must be seperated not by the people I Would you haue no distinction betwixt priuate and publicke persons What strange confusion is this And what other then the olde note of Corah and his company Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the Congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them wherfore then lift you vp your selues aboue the congregation of the Lorde What is if this bee not to make a monster of Christs body hee is the heade his Church the body consisting of diuers limbes All haue their seuerall faculties and imployments not euery one al who would immagine any man so absurd as to say that this body shold be al toong or al hands euery man a Teacher euery man a Ruler As if Christ had sayde to euery man Goe teach and whose sinnes ye remit Howe Sencelesse are these two extreames Of the Papists that one man hath the Keyes Of the Brownists that euerie man hath them But these priuiledges and charges are giuen to the Church True to be executed by hir Gouernours the faculty of speech is giuen to the whole man but the vse of it to the proper Instrument Man speaketh but by his toong if a voice should be heard from his hand eare foote it were vnnaturall Now if the tongue speak not when it ought shall we be so foolish as to blame the hand But you say If the tongue speake not or speak ill the whole man smarteth the man sinneth I graunt it but you shall set the naturall body on too hard a racke if you straine it in all thinges to the likenesse of the spirituall or ciuill The mēbers of that being quickned by the same soule haue charge of each other and therefore either stand or fall together It is not so in these If then notwithstanding vnpunnished sinnes wee may ioyne with the true Church Whether is ours such You doubt and your solicitors deny surely if wee haue many enormities yet none worse then rash and cruel iudgment let them make this a colour to depart from themselues there is no lesse woe to them that cal good euil To iudge one man is bold and daungerous Iudge then what it is to condemne a whole church God knowes as much without cause as without shame Vaine men may libel against the spouse of
common mother If it be truth thou affectest what alone Coulde neuer any eyes till thine bee blessed with this obiect where hath that Sacred verity hid her self thus long from all her carefull Inquisitors that shee now first shewes her head to thee vnsought Hath the Gospel shined thus long and bright and left some Corners vnseene Away with all newe truths faire and plausible they may be sound they cannot some may admire thee for them none shall blesse thee But graunt that some of these are no lesse true then nice poyntes What doe these vnseasonable Crochets and quauers trouble the harmonious plain-songs of our peace Some quiet error may bee better then some vnruly truth Who binds vs to speak all we thinke So the Church may be still would God thou wert wise alone Did not our aduersaries quarrell enough before at our quarrels Were they not rich enough with our spoils By the dear name of our common parents what meanest thou Arminius Whether tend these new-rais'd dissentions Who shall thriue by them but they which insult vpon vs rise by the fall of truth who shall be vndone but thy Brethren By that most precious and bloudy ransome of our Sauiour and by that awefull appearance we shall once make before the glorious Tribunall of the son of God remember thy selfe and the poore distracted limbes of the Church let not those excellent parts wherewith God hath furnished thee lye in the narrow way and cause any weake one eyther to fall or stumble or erre For Gods sake either say nothing or the same How many great wittes haue sought no By-paths and now are happy with their fellowes Let it be no disparagement to goe with many to heauen What could hee reply to so playne a charge No distinction can auoid the power of simple truth I know hee hears not this of me first Neither that learned and woorthy Fran. Gomarus nor your other graue fraternity of reuerend Diuines haue beene silent in so mayne a cause I feare rather too much noyse in any of these tumults There may too many contend not intreat Multitude of sutors is commonly powerfull howe much more in iust motions But if either hee or you shall turne me home and bid me spend my little moisture vppon our owne brandes I graunt there is both the same cause and the same neede This Counsell is no whit further from vs because it is directed to you Any Reader can chaunge the person I lament to see that euery where peace hath not many Clients but fewer louers yea euen many of those that praise her follow her not Of old the very Nouation men Women Children brought stones and morter with the Orthodox to the building of the Church of the Resurrection and ioyned louingly with them against the Arrians lesser quarrels diuide vs and euery diuision ends in blowes and euery blow is returned and none of al lightes beside the Church Euen the best Apostles dissented neither knoledge nor holynesse can redresse all differences True but wisedome and charity could teach vs to auoyde their preiudice If we had but these two vertues quarrels should not hurt vs nor the Church by vs But alas self-loue is too strong for both these This alone opens the flood-gates of dissention and drownes the sweet but low valley of the Church Men esteem of opinions because their owne will haue truth serue not gouerne What they haue vnder-taken must be true Victory is sought for not satisfaction Victory of the Authour not of the cause Hee is a rare man that knowes to yeeld as wel to argue what shold we do then but bestow our selues vpon that which too many neglect publicke peace first in Prayers that we may preuaile then in teares that we preuaile not Thus haue I beene bold to chat with you of our greatest and common cares Your old loue late Hospitall entertainment in that your Island called for this rememberance the rather to keepe your English tongue in breath which was wont not to bee the least of your desires Would God you could make vs hapy with newes not of Truce but sincere amity vnion not of Prouinces but spirits The God of Spirits effect it both heere and there to the glory of his Name and Church EPIST. VIII To W. I. condemned for Murder ¶ Effectually preparing him and vnder his name whatsoeuer Malefactor for his death IT is a bad cause that robbeth vs of al the comfort of friendes yea that turnes their remēbrance into sorrow None can do so but those that proceed from our selues For outward euils which come from the infliction of others make vs cleaue faster to our helpers and cause vs to seeke and finde ease in the very commisseration of those that loue vs whereas those grieses which arise from the iust displeasure of Conscience will not abide so much as the memory of others affection or if it do makes it so much the greater corrasiue as our case is more vncapeable of their comfort Such is yours You haue made the mention of our names tedious to your selfe and yours to vs. This is the beginning of your payne that you had frends If you may now smart soundly from vs for your good it must be the onely ioy you must expect and the finall dutie wee owe to you It is both vaine and comfortlesse to heare what might haue beene neither would J send you backe to what is past but purposely to increase your sorrow who haue caused al our comfort to stand in your teares If therefore our former Counsailes had preuailed neyther had your hands shed innocent bloude nor Iustice yours Now to your great sinne you haue done the one and the other must be done to your paine and we your welwillers with sorrow and shame liue to be witnesses of both Your sin is gone before the reuenge of Iustice wil follow Seeing you are guilty let GOD be iust Other sinnes speake this cryeth and will neuer be silent till it bee answered with it selfe For your life the case is hopeles feed not your selfe with vaine presumptions but settle your selfe to expiate anothers bloude vvith your owne Would God your desert had beene such that we might vvith any comfort haue desired you might liue But now alas your fact is so heynous that your life can neyther bee craued without in-iustice nor bee protracted without inwarde torment And if our priuate affection shoulde make vs deafe to the shouts of bloud and partiality should teach vs to forget all care of publicke right yet resolue there is no place for hope Since then you could not liue guiltlesse there remaines nothing but that you labour to dye penitent and since your bodye cannot bee saued aliue to endeuour that your soule may bee saued in death Wherein howe happye shall it bee for you if you shall yet giue care to this my last aduice too late indeede for your recompence to the Worlde not too late for your selfe You haue deserued
death and expect it Take heede least you so fasten your eyes vppon the first death of the body that you should not look beyond it to the second which alone is worthy of trēbling worthy of teares For this though terrible to Nature yet is common to vs with you You must dye What doe wee else And what differs our end from yours but in hast and violence And vvho knowes whether in that It may bee a sickenesse as sharpe as suddaine shal fetch vs hence It may bee the same death or a worse for a better cause Or if not so There is much more miserie in lingering Hee dies easily that dyes soone But the other is the vtmost vengeaunce that GOD hath reserued for his enemies This is a matter of long feare and short payne A few panges lets the soule out of prison but the Torment of that other is euerlasting after tenne thousand yeares scorching in that flame the payne is neuer the neerer to his ending No time giues it hope of abating yea time hath nothing to do with this eternity You that shall feele the paine of one minutes dying thinke what paine it is to be dying for euer and euer This although it bee attended with a sharpe paine yet is such as some strong spirits haue indured without shew of yeildance I haue herd of an Irish Traitor that when he lay pining vppon the wheele with his bones broke asked his friend if hee changed his countenance at all caring lesse for the paine then the shew of feare Few men haue dyed of greater paines then others haue sustained and liue But that other ouer-whelms both body and soule and leaues no roome for any comfort in the possibility of mitigation Heere men are executioners or diseases there fiends Those diuels that were ready to tempt the gracelesse vnto sinne are as ready to follow the damned with tortures Whatsoeuer becom of your carcasse saue your soule from these flames and so mannage this short time you haue to liue that you may die but once This is not your first sinne yea God hath now punnished your former sins with this A fearefull punishment in it selfe if it deserued no more your cōscience which now beginnes to tell trueth cannot but assure you that there is no sinne more worthy of hell then murder yea more proper to it Turne ouer those holy leaues which you haue too much neglected now smart for neglecting you shall finde Murderers among those that are shut out from the presence of God you shall finde the Prince of that darknes in the highest stile of his mischief termed a Man-slayer Alas how fearefull a case is this that you haue heerein-resembled him for whome Topheth was prepared of old and imitating him in his action haue endangered your self to partake of his tormēts Oh that you coulde but see what you haue done what you haue deserued That your heart could bleed enough within you for the bloud your handes haue shed That as you haue followed Satan our common enemy in sinning so you could defye him in repenting That your teares could disapoint his hopes of your damnation What an happy vnhappinesse shall this be to your sad friendes that your better part yet liueth That frō an ignominious place your soule is receyued to glory Nothing can effect this but your Repentance and that can do it Feare not to looke into that horrour which should attend your sinne and bee now as seuere to your selfe as you haue beene cruell to another Thinke not to extenuate your offence with the vain Titles of man-hood what praise is this that you were a valiaunt Murderer Strike your owne breast as Moses did his Rooke and bring down Riuers of tears to wash away your bloud-shed Do not so much feare your iudgment as abhorre your sinne yea your selfe for it And with strong cries lift vppe your guilty hands to that God whom you offended and say Deliuer mee from blood-guiltines O Lord. Let me tell you as without repentance there is no hope so with it ther is no condemnation True penitence is strong can grapple with the greatest sin yea with all the powers of hell What if your hands be red with blood Behold the blood of your Sauiour shall wash away yours If you can bath your selfe in that your Scarlet soule shall be as white as Snow This course alone shal make your Crosse the way to the Paradice of God This plaister can heale all the sores of the foul if neuer so desperate Onely take heede that your heart bee deepe enough pierced ere you lay it on else vnder a seeming skinne of dissimulation your soule shall fester to death Yet ioy vs vvith your true sorrowe whome you haue grieued with your offence at once comfort your friends and saue your soule EPIST. IX To Mr. Iohn Mole of a long time nowe prisoner vnder the Inquisition at Rome ¶ Exciting him to his wonted Constancie and incouraging him to Martyrdome WHat passage can these lines hope to finde into that your straight and curious thraldome Yet who would not aduenture the losse of this paines for him which is ready to loose himself for Christ what do we not ow to you which haue thus giuen your self for the cōmon faith blessed be the name of that God who hath singled you out for his Champion made you inuincible how famous are your bonds How glorious your constancy Oh that out of your close obscurity you could but see the honour of your suffring the affections of Gods Saints in som an holy enuy at your distressed hapines Those wals cannot hide you No man is attended with so many eyes from earth heauen The Church your Mother beholdes you not with more compassion then ioy Neither can it bee sayde how shee at once pitties your misery and reioyces in your patience The blessed Angels looke vpon you with gratulation and applause The aduersaries with an angry sorrowe to see themselues ouercome by their captiue their obstinate cruelty ouer-matched with humble resolution and faithfull perseuerance Your Sauiour sees you from aboue not as a meer spectator but as a patient with you in you for you yea as an agent in your indurance victory giuing new courage with the one hād and holding out a Crowne with the other Whom would not these sights incorage who now can pitty your solitarinesse The harts of all good men are with you Neither can that place be but full of angels which is the continuall obiect of so many Prayers yea the God of heauen was neuer so near you as now ye are remooued from men Let me speake a bold but true worde Jt is as possible for him to bee absent from his Heauen as from the prisons of his Saints The glorified spirits aboue sing to him the persecuted soules below suffer for him and crie to him he is magnified in both present with both the faith of the one is as pleasing to him as the triumph of