A SERMON PREACHED IN S. PETER'S CHURCH AT westchester THE XXV. OF SEPTEMBER, 1586. CONTAINING MATTER FIT FOR THE TIME:  
By Edward Hutchins Master of Arts, and Fellow of Brazennose College.  PSALM 74. 
O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of enemies. vers. 20.  
Arise O God, maintain thine own cause. vers. 23.  
AT OXFORD, ●●inted by JOSEPH BARNES, and are to be sold in Paul's Churchyard at the sign ●f the tigers head.   

●O THE WORSHIPFUL Master ROGER PULESTON Esquire, grace and peace in Christ.  
ALthough there be in Zion numbers of such as have & do cast off their riches into the lords treasury: such as are every way ●●reful & able to disburse their two ●ence committed to them for the cu●●ng of the wounded man in jerico: ●hose labours or rather alms are corious on earth & written in hea●en: though I know myself to be one of them, not worth any riches, at only a mite, rather wishing to ●ue, then having to bestow the two ●nce of God, yet have I been (as be●●re, so now again) by entreaty won bestow this short sermon, though it be but a mite: though nothing to that, which others cast into the treasury. Whereof therefore as of all desire favourable acceptation, so o● your worship I am to crave it, to whom I have been bold, & yet of dut● bound to offer the same, as a true though a small token of my dutiful & thankful remembrance of your sundry benefits towards me from tim● to time, which the lord god requited where I cannot: who double & multiply his blessings upon you & kee● you in all your ways, and us from those enemies that study nothing but how to disquiet us. AMEN  
Your Worships in Ch●●●● to command, E. H.   

It is written in the 5. Chapter of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galathians, & 12. verse.  I would to God they were cut off that do disquiet ●ou. 
AS SAINT PAUL (RIGHT Worshipful & dearly beloved in our dear saviour) was chosen of God, to be his lamp, & a light of his golden candlestick; so did he perform the duty of light: he bent himself to lighten them ●hat were in darkness, wheresoever he came. He was a lamp to the Thessalonians, a lamp ●o the Corinthians, a lamp to the Romans, a ●amp to the Ephesians, a lamp to the Colossians: to omit the rest, he was a lamp to these people of Galatia, as appeareth by this Epistle which he penned first (as many take it) and first ●ent unto them. Wherein appeareth that he had laid the skilful builder, & laid them on christ ●e corner stone of the temple: called & converted ●hem from foolishness to wisdom; from ignorance to knowledge; from error to the truth; ●om superstition to christian religion. Howbeit where by his painful care, & careful tra●el among them, he had thus brought them to an ●●ppy estate in jesus Christ, it grieved Sa●n to see it, & therefore he busied himself to put out the clear light of Paul the lamp of Christ our saviour, & to pull out of the wall the lively stones that Saint Paul his elect builder had laid upon him. Nay alas, he did not only grieve at this prosperous estate of these Galathians, wherein they stood; & therefore sent out such as should seek to overthrow the good that Paul had wrought among them: but as he attempted, so he tempted; and by his tempting prevailed so far, that the Galathians fell from light to darkness; from true wisdom to their former folly; from truth to error; from the sincerity of religion to superstition; from christ to Moses: by which means it came to pass that S. Paul their Apostle was in a manner forgotten, and his truth almost forsaken of them, and among them. Which their miserable estate ● piteous the Apostle considering, he took thi● course to write this epistle to them; thereby to warn them of their estate by him in the gospel; of their folly in revolting; of his care to convert them again from concision to the true circumcision: from the ceremonies of the La●● to the truth of the gospel, that so jesus Chri●● might profit them, and he be a joyful Apostle over, & in them. Many ways doth he move th● I need not to express the specials. In th● verse he layeth before him the mischief, & grea● evil that the false Apostles wrought in the church, how they were enemies to the estate of these Galathians: how they brought them from the bread of life to feed on leaven: from the green tree, to the dry stick; from the body to the shadow: from the kernel to the shell: from Christ to the Law ceremonial: whereby they made them sore where they were healed: slaves where they were freed: lost where they were before quit by the gospel of grace, and made Christ unprofitable unto them: where they fought well before, yet now to flee; where they ●anne well before, yet now to stand: where they were in the spirit, yet now to end in the flesh: where they had, yet now to lose the faith of Christ our saviour. Which their miserable con●ition the Apostle pondering with himself, how attended to their destruction, & to the disglory of God: (whose gospel was despised that way for untruth, and the blood of Christ was like ●o be of no profit unto them) it did so grieve ●im on the one side to see their p●teous estate, & ●eale on the other side did so eat him up, to see ●he glorious gospel of peace so trod in the dust, ●hat he burst out in these words which I have ●ead unto you, Would to god they were cut off ●hat so disquiet you, as if he should have said: O Galathians, I begot you in the faith, & should be your father: I brought you to the light, an● should be your star: I have taught you the truth, and should be your master: and whereas the Church is an espoused virgin to one husband, 
●. Cor. 11.2.  & that one husband is jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the God of all glory, I am the bridegrooms friend, (and so you ought to repute me) that have brought you to the spouse, your mother the Church, in the King's privy chamber. 
Cant. 1.3.  I have brought you as Solomon speaketh, 
Cant. 1.11.  to see the King at his repast, & your spikenard hath given the smell thereof. O Galathians, what shall I say? I had an office: I prepared myself to perform it: yea I laid before you a vessel full of the precious blood of Christ to the purging of you from your sins: nay I have taken the pains to wash you therein, as whit● as ever was the snow in Salmon: in a word, I have described Christ before you, and preached him only a free and full jesus unto you: yet and it was my joy to see the happy fruits of these my labours among you: that you were become the Lambs of Christ, 
●oh. 10. Cant. 2.1. ●phe. 5.23.  and Christ your shepherd: the leaves of Christ, and christ the Lily: the members of the body of Christ, and Christ your head: the inheritance of Christ and Christ your Lord, and gracious Saviour But yet alas my dear Galathians what shall say? Where you were my sons, 
Gal. 4.19.  now ye ●e bastards: where you were light, now ye ●e dark: where you were in the truth, now ye ●e stray: 
Gal. 5.8.  where you were with the spouse in ●e kings privy chamber, now ye are out: your ●ikenard now doth give no smell thereof. O my ●alathians therefore what shall I say? The ●oxe hath played the crafty part among you: ●e false Apostles have deceived & bewitched ●u: they have broken the quiet league that ●u had with God in Christ his only Son our dear Saviour. 
Gal. 2.1.  Oh my dear Galathians therefore I would to God they were cut off ●at do disquiet you: for it pitieth my heart see the cockle so to hurt my corn: to see the ●auen so to sour the lump of my good dough ●at I had among you: 
Gal. 5.9.  to see the false apostles circumcision (indeed the authors of conci●on) by their false and perilous persuasion to ●●t you off from Christ the tree of life, where●● ye did grow. O my dear Galathians therefore I would to God they were cut off that ●us disquiet you. This I take to be the whole nor of this Apostolic wish: wherein I commend to your godly consideration, first, the Apostles tender affection towards the people Galatia: 2 I note a difficulty concerning ●s affection: 3. I note the estate and condition of all false Prophets and Apostles: and lastly short application of all. Touching the fi●●● point, 
●. Part.  the Apostles affection how tender was and deeply set upon these people of Galatia, the whole Epistle beareth strong witney and evident proof. So that how, & how painfully he traveled to teach them, I shall not ne● to tell you: how careful he was that way, the● state whereunto he had brought them doth ●●ry sufficient tokens. Only this, to labour make them Christians: nay indeed to bri● them to the estate of Christians: to be do●● and to feed on no grain but the wheat: to be Eagles, and to pray upon no flesh but of t●● Lamb: to thirst and to drink of no well but Christ the well of God, 
Gal. 4.13.14. & 5.13.  the well of the water life: where they were lost sheep, to seek them: seek them as to find them: being found to close t●● in the fold of Christ, our Saviour, this Apostles love was great that did so lovingly teruel for them, but this was not all: for he did ●● only thus take care to bring them to the fo●● of Christ our Saviour, 
Gal. 6.11  but to keep them in: n● not only that, but where the Devil had plai● the crafty Fox, and got them out of the foul● of Christ, 
Gal. 5.2.  and then fed them: not with truth, b● with error: with circumcision: not with christ with concision rather than circumcision: 
Gal. 5.4.  i●●●ed with gall, not with honey: with poison, not ●ith the sweet bread of life: he took the pains 〈◊〉 labour again in their behalf, and to reduce ●●em to the fold from whence they were got. His hearts desire was that they might not ●ose the profit of their godly and good profession, but that they might return and have por●on, and profit together with him in the pre●ous passion of Christ, which yet these false Apostles went about to make of none effect vn●● them. And though he might have turned his ●auel another way, for this their unthankful buolt from Christ the way, the truth, & life, hereunto he had brought them: yet did he ●t: but as he had been a mother to them, to ●nceaue them, to travel for them, to bring ●●em forth to Christ: 
Gal. 4.19.  so did he not cease as another to travel again and again, that christ ●ight a new be framed in them, where they ●d by folly and false subtlety of the false Apostles lost the very beauty of christ whereunto he ●●d brought them. In which his travel because ●e false Apostles did greatly travel to hinder ●m and them: therefore even of mere zeal to ●ods glory and their salvation he broke into ●is loving wish: O Galathians, 
Gal. 4. 1●.  I would to ●od they were cut off that do disquiet you: which words do argue a tender entireness of the Apostle over them: as that he wish their health where they were wounded, the recall where they had strayed, their return the truth which they had received by him: 
Gal. 5.7.  th● so their estate might be sure, and their salvation yea and Amen in Christ jesus, who could not otherwise profit them. 
Gal. 5.4. 2. Part.  But here it wi●● demanded what the Apostle meaneth thus burst out into so vehement a wish as here he seth? For it may be thought more meet for Apostolic spirit to confute then to curse: to soft then thus sharp: rather to pity his enemy then to pray thus against them, would to G●● they were cut off that do disquiet you. Whereunto I answer, that indeed many take th● words of the Apostle to be not against, but the behalf of the false apostles: as that Sai●● Paul doth not wish their hurt, but their g●● therein: that as they had taught circumcise before, and by that means stopped the people Galatia from their godly course which th● had begun in christ jesus, 
Gal. 5.7.  and thereby did danger theirs and their own souls, so th● might now at length be cut off from that th● perilous dealing, and called to the light of t●● gospel of christ, that so the Galathians mig●● be no more disquieted, nor their estate any l●ger endangered: so that they will have th● ●●rds of the Apostle to be full of love & tender ●ection, not only towards the Galathians, ●●ose case he most pitied, but also towards ● false apostles, whose conversion he also wi●d. And indeed I grant the Apostles wish ●●uld have been, that these false Apostles might ●●ue reclaimed their erroneous and damnable ●●xture of circumcision with the Gospel. And doubt not but his tender heart did so tender ● salvation of souls, that he could have wi●d them, and could have been heartily glad to ●●ue seen them & these people of Galatia, both together cut off from this their false persuasiō●●d dangerous: Nay I am persuaded that nothing could have fallen out more to his joy than have seen than altogether, as corn growing one field, as flowers flourishing in one gar●●n, as branches bearing grapes in one vine, 〈◊〉 knit together in the eye of jesus Christ, as ●e white or apple of the same: but yet where he ●●w before his eyes the piteous state wherein ●e Galathians stood, and how the false Apo●●●s had busied themselves to bring them ther●●●to, and how they sought by all means, not on●● to make, but to continue them as dogs, 
Gal. 4.17. Gal. 6.12.  ●here they were once the darlings: as thorns, ●here they were once lilies: strangers, where ●ey were once near: idle, where they once ran well: 
Gal. 5 7. Gal. 3.1. Gal. 3.3.  fools where they were once wise: flesh●● where they were once spiritual, and gave ea●● unto the spirit, that not only said it: but cri●● and proclaimed it in their hearts, that God Christ was only and wholly, fully and freel● Abba, father unto them: whereby his darlin● was like to be devoured: his lily in Galatia be torn, 
Gal. 4.11.  his own crown & glory to be take from him, and God's glory to lie in the dust● so grieved him that he burst out and said, ● would to God they were cut off that so disqu●●et you. Wherein he hath principally respect God's glory: secondarily to the happy and sa● estate of these Galathians: and thirdly to t●● prosperous recovery of his labours among th● which because they were greatly hindered ● the means of these false Apostles, therefore burst out even of zeal and said thus: O would to God etc. In which words (to come to t●● point) the Apostle yet breaketh not the bond charity, but keepeth it, in that he thus wishe● not of private affection, but in respect of God glory, his church and congregation, which had in Galatia planted happily, & yet the fal●● Apostles sought to destroy most craftily. 
Gal. 4.15.  No● where evil is wished to the dross, that the go● may be pure: evil to the chaff, that the whea●● may be fanned: evil to the leaven, that the dou●● ●y be sweet: evil to the pitch, that the clean ●y be clean: evile to the tore, that the corn may safe: evil to the wolf that the sheep may be ●: ●n a word to wish evil to the devil & to his ●rites & false Apostles, that the glory of God ●y be glorious & the church of god redeemed danger of them: zeal it is, evil zeal it cannot ●ut very christian: the love of god constraineth ●● the love that is due to the church of Christ ●●h beg & crave it. Neither indeed do I take ●●se words of the Apostle, to be so much ●ordes of evil wish to his adversaries, as ●●rds of good will to the people of Galatia: 
Gal. 5.10.  for much as he doth not wish them evil simply, 〈◊〉 in respect, because they did trouble the ●urch, hinder & hurt her in her race: because ●y did disquiet her. So that in respect of the ●●lathians, whose safety was dear unto him: whose salvation God's glory had been glori●, in whose revolt from the truth & continue therein, the false Apostles had stopped the ●●rse of the glory of God, and brought their ●s to piteous case: (considering that it was ●●er that many dogs should die the death, than one darling of jesus Christ, much more ●● so many as were in Galatia) he might ●ly & did godly break out into these words and say, o would to God they were cut off t● do disquiet you.  
3 Wherein we may see both what he ●sheth to the false Apostles & therein their estal as also the cause of his wish. He wisheth t● were cut off: cut off from the people of Gala● cut off from the company of them: cut off fr● the number of Christians: nay cut off utterly cursed everlastingly, before they should bre● such goodly plants, as he had planted, Apol● had watered, and God himself had blessed Galatia. O terrible wish to proceed from Apostle, to wish their death and damnation yet o wish no less just than terrible: just to v● the barren fig tree a curse: 
Mat. 21.16. Luc. 16.2. Ps. 1.4.  just to wish the f● steward a reckoning: just to wish fire for st●ble: just to wish wind to scatter the chaff, ● that not simply, but in respect: lest the gr● trees of the lord, lest the children of his ta● lest his corn that grew in Galatia sho● take any hurt. For that was the cause 〈◊〉 the Apostle did so wish unto them, because t● disquieted them. Which is the third n● wherein if you ask me wherein they did ● quiet them, the whole Epistle beareth wit● They did disquiet them, 
Gal. 2.  because they brou● them in doubt of his Apostleship: disq● them, 
Gal. 3.1.  because they taught a contrary doctr● to him: disquiet them, 
Gal. 5.7.  because they did ●t suffer them to enjoy the truth that he had ●uen them: disquiet them, because they by such ●eans had brought them from faith to works, 
Gal. 4.21. Gal. 5.3 13. Luc. 2.14. Ephe. 2.17.  ●m grace to the law, from Christ to ceremo●es, from liberty to bondage, from the peace conscience in jesus Christ the true and only ●ace of God, to seek it in circumcision, if not ●ly, yet with the gospel jointly: whereby they ●de Christ jesus (who is and will be in the ●tter of salvation either all in all, or nothing all) no way profitable unto them: in a word, ●y did disquiet them, because they by such ●ans took the peace of conscience from them. But to come to an application of all: dearly ●oued in our saviour christ jesus, as these peo●●● of Galatia had their Paul, by whose labori●s preaching they did attain to the knowledge God the father in Christ his dearly beloved ●ne, so have you, and with you, the people of 〈◊〉 our land not wanted, but enjoyed the same ●efite these many years, nay where you ●re withered branches, yet Paul hath plan● & where you were ready to whither again 〈◊〉 again, yet Apollo hath watered, and god 〈◊〉 blessed you with heavenly knowledge: and ● know it, and I hope you all thank god for that we have been clouds and have given forth the dew: candles & have given forth ● light: the breasts of the spouse and have offer● milk: her teeth and have divided the Man● the meat: 
Cant. 4.11.  her tongues and have spoken (as Salmon speaks) no less than the very honey heaven unto you: and the Lord our God is ● witness how we have traveled in every pl● to be fruitful wombs unto him among yo● you yourselves easily can, and I hope for yo● parts will thankfully witness, how we h● been voices, and what we have cried: how 〈◊〉 have been hands, and what we have labor● how we have been feet of, and for the Lord ●●sus, and how we have stood in this, and ot● like places to deliver out the gladsome tidi● of heavenly peace unto you: nay more than t● we have been writing these many years (〈◊〉 as S. Paul doth sweetly figure out the ●●ter) we thank the living, 
1. Cor. 3.2.  and our most lou● God, that we have written a fair and g● Epistle among you: so that all the world ● run and read, not the name of superstit●● and superstitious devotion, but of truth, ● Christian knowledge, & religion in your ● heads. You are the seals of our labours, are our crown, and glory, and therein we glory: 
Luc. 13.34.  to hear Christ our hen clocking, you as christians following: to see you wi● fold of christ, & christ your shepherd: to see 〈◊〉 corns of christ, the lose of life: 
joh. 6.  to see you cal● to the knowledge of the truth to consent to it, ●ome thus to hear it, that you may continue 〈◊〉 how it joyeth our hearts? But alas though 〈◊〉 be our joy & happiness, to see you in this ●r happy estate; & nothing could more glad then to see the branch abide in the vine: yet sa● hath had & yet hath his are abroad, wherwt●ot only hacks, but hopes to hue down the ●ch of christ in diverse places. Nay as it was Galatia, so hath it been & so it is now in Eng●●●d: God grant that it be not: or (if it be not) yt●ay not be so among you. For satan hath spi● his your prosperous estate in jesus Christ, & ● not spared almost in every place, every ● to overthrow it. For what the powers of world have done in this cause, I need not to ●ember you: & what his false Apostles have ● of late & yet do attempt, you are not ignorant. ●y you know what devils have come unto ●● shape of Angels: What Esau's under the ●e of jacob: What cutthroats under the ●e of Catholics: What Judases under the ●e of jesus: And that, not only to corrupt ● but also so far to disquiet you, as to suck ●ery blood of Prince & people among you, were possible. By which means, it is come to pass that the ship of Christ is not only daed with waves, but in a manner overwhelms and his sheep not only pursued, but alm● quite devoured in many places: as was t● therefore, so is our Galatia troubled. Nay 〈◊〉 Scribes and pharisees to the disquieting of 〈◊〉 church Apostolic wan judas from christ o● saviour, 
joh. 18.2.3.  and of an Apostle made him an A●stata. 
Gal. 3.1.  These false Apostles bewitched th● Galathians, and made them fools: where t● were in the way to run out: they went ab● by their mixture of circumcision with the grapple, 
Gal. 3.4.  to make the gospel of Christ fruitless v● them. Oh would to God Scribes and Phari● were not in this our land: o would to God t● no familiars had played by their means the p● of judas with Christ our saviour, o would to ● that many Galathians that run well, had been stayed & stopped from the good course t● had begun. But alas we want not in this ● day the man that playeth judas: nay alas vn● the name of jesus, they have been and amongst us, that have sought and do seek their false persuasion to make the true C●●●stian a judas: nay alas they do it in diu● places already: and even yet they spare no ●uel to make you all Apostates. They ca● abide to see you come to these our congreg● ●s: they cannot abide to see you gather to serve ●e living lord: they cannot abide the flourishing the truth that we deliver faithfully, and you ●●ceiue obediently from us: yea it grieveth them the very heart to see so many ears in 〈◊〉 house of our god, the word of god in known inner offered unto you: but above all things ●hich was the only thing that among and a●●e all spited these false Apostles to the very ●rt) that Christ should be preached as a full, a free jesus only, unto you and among you. ●d therefore our adversaries cry out against 〈◊〉 gospel of Christ, that, that faith, which works by charity, should only be said to ●ify & save (which is our proposition neither ●re nor less) for which cause as these false A●tles to the disquieting of this church of Ga●a mingled circumcision & grace, & taught 〈◊〉 gospel to be unavailable, unless circumces were used as necessary: (by which means ●y deceived many) so also our adversaries do ●●gle works with faith: and teach salvation ●ome not only by faith, but also by works: which means many of the simple are cari●●way from us, and lose the profit of our sa●urs gospel. But here, because by the way ●y do except, by the way I am to answer: ●y except the comparison not to be just: whereas yet as these Apostles joined together circumcision and Christ, so do they couple the ●●rites of their works and Christ. But he● they except that circumcision was a matter the Law ceremonial, which did not, wh● could not justify: but as for good works th● are duties of the Law moral, which both ● and do justify: but I answer, that indeed for circumcision: truth it is, that it neither d● neither could execute that office: & no less d● say of the duties of the law moral. For thou it be a principle in divinity (confessed also our adversaries) that Lex impleta doth just care, and iustificatos servare) that the Law fulfilled doth justify and save the just: yet touchit the categorical and positive (whereabout question is) I find it not to be true, that any doth actually or can possibly fulfil the la● and therefore be justified and saved by the la● But here again they except, that then god h● commanded things impossible. Whereunto I ●swere, that as for the impossibility of the commandment, it is no matter of absurdity: ● it is a point of the catholic verity taught scriptures, to be confessed by all: the Apo● S. Peter in the 15. of the Acts doth witne no less, and our adversaries themselves d● say no less: but here again they except, tha● 〈◊〉 the place of S. Peter, it concerneth points the law ceremonial, which was but a Law ●mporall: but as for good works they are flies of the Law moral, that binds all men & ●al ages, so that if the duty thereof and therein ● God of us exacted, were impossible, God ●ere proved a cruel & rigorous God. Where●●to I answer first, that touching the per●●tualnes or temporalnes of the commandment, that is nothing, whence the impossi●●enesse is granted for a truth: 2 I answer, ●at as for the duties of the law moral, though ●ey bind perpetually and yet be impossible be performed by the Godly: yet is not God ●ereby proved a cruel & rigorous god, but 〈◊〉: ● cause he demandeth nothing but his due; ●e? Yea what man's conscience calleth duty & confesses to be due: now to ask nothing but ●e: yea what man cannot but confess to be ●e, that is no cruelty, no rigour but justice: ●d therefore to answer more fully: as for the flies of the law moral, God asketh therein thing but what man should perform. Ther●e nothing but duty: yea nothing but what ●an could perform: nothing therefore but petty: yea nothing but possible duty: which ●●ough now he cannot perform: and there●re now finds the law impossible, that is because when he could & therefore had possibility 〈◊〉 perform it, yet he would not: so that that impossibility argueth not God's cruelty & rigour but justice on his part: on our behalf our miserable infirmity, and yet voluntary miser● Nay their own Hugo de Victore in his annotations upon this chapter saith that man ●● not love God with all his heart, soul etc. in th● life, and therefore is not to seek salvation 〈◊〉 merits but only in grace. Wherefore to ●●mit all large and yet easy apologies in th● point, it is flat in conclusion that our adversaries offend no less to the disquieting of t●● church now in adding works moral, th● did these false Apostles in the time of this Apostle in adding works ceremonial to the gospel's: for both ways the church finds disquietness: both ways christ is made vnprofitabl● Now therefore (Dear beloved) sith by th● their legal, indeed impossible, and therefore no gospel, our adversaries bar many a● seek to bar you from all possibility of salvation: sith all their endeavour is to make you t● Disciples not of faith but of works, not grace but of merit, not of the gospel but the law, not of christ but of Moses: and so v●der the name of jesus do fight indeed again the glory of the Gospel of jesus and safe your souls: sith there is such venom, such ●yson, such peril among you and for you abade by reason of them: sith they the servants ●atan busy themselves every way to bring you this most miserable stay & piteous state; oh ● at shall I say but with the Apostle, I would to ●●d they were cut off that thus do seek to corked you: oh would to God they were cut off ●t thus disquiet you. For you are dearly belo● in happy case: & where your fathers were in ●t miserable plight, that they could not, should ● (the key of knowledge being taken & kept frō●m) know God and his Christ: yet you ●w both, yea and it is our joy to see you thus like of christ the bread of life that we diu●●e ●o you: and happy are you all, to your eu●r●ing comfort we assure you all, that hun●er ● feed by faith upon him: and I trust that ●n in your own hearts you are oft joyful & ●ry many a time to think upon this our acuted time, wherein you have the food of ●r souls so fully & freely broken unto you. ●d therefore sith these evil nurses of Rome ●k to feed you with trust in your own works ●●ch you perform: and merits which they ● imagine of you (which you do not, yea being ●ers cannot perform, and therefore needs ●st famish you, if that you trust to them) and not only of Christ: who yet was & is the on● alone loaf of life broken upon the cross for ● sins, and alone by faith able and withal r●dy to feed you, oh would to God they w● cut off that thus do seek to corrupt you: would to God they were cut off that th● disquiet you; not that we could not wish th● better: for (alas) we know the price of soul● and acknowledge the grace and good will our gracious God that way: and you can witness with and for us, that in our gener● assemblies & public prayers we pray for speedy conversion and salvation of them: na● would do our hearts good to see the Goat ●ome a Lamb: to see the thorn become a li● 〈◊〉 there were but one fold and one sheepshead o● us all: but alas be our charity never so gr● towards them: though we pray for the● when they curse us: though we bless the● where they persecute us: though we preach a● pen, take careful care every way to discon their untruth, that they may leave it, to bri● them to the light of the truth that they 〈◊〉 cleave unto it, yet alas they condemn our c●ritie: they continue their wilful race, and their travel is how to root up the goodly vn●● yard that God by us hath planted amo●● you: day and night they watch to steal the g● of Zion from you: they spite the brightness the golden candlestick of Christ among you, ●herby they seek the ruin of your happy estate ●herein you now stand, utterly & to drown the ●yce of the turtle now heard in our land: and ●●erfore oh what can I say, but oh would to god ●●ey were cut off that thus do seek to grieve 〈◊〉: I would to god they were cut off that thus aquiet you.  
Oh but this is no charitable wish you will ●●e. I have answered and answer further, ●at we wish them well with all our hearts: but ●●t when we consider the stiffness of them in er●●: yea how resolute they are in defence of their heresies: & how earnestly they travel from place 〈◊〉 place to corrupt men that embrace the truth: ●●a how they condemn and curse true christians, and thirst after nothing more than the ●●solation of God his holy temple among us, ●●her by persuasion, or if that prevail not, yet ● treachery, force and cruelty: when I thus ●●member how they are & will be nothing but ●●re, to trouble, yea to choke you the goodly ●●n of our saviour christ, & how they labour & ●●ke the pains to chase the poor woman a●●ne to the wilderness, upon whose breasts ●●u do now quietly take your fill of the sincere ●ilk of the honey-sweet gospel, the very power of God to save your souls, I cannot choose 〈◊〉 wish with this our Apostle: oh would to G●● they were cut off that do disquiet you. N● therefore that we wish not their conversion not therefore that we wish not consequent their salvation: not therefore that we owe them charity (as they uncharitably do slander o● charity) but sith they profess themselves enemy's to the truth, and that they may not o● darken but bury it, do by all means travel it, you all know, & this our day is a lively and ●mentable witness, oh would to God they we● cut off that so disquiet you. In a word to conclude: our heart's desire and continual prayer God is, that his gospel may have a free cou●● among you: that the light of the world may continued with you: that the dew of heaven may 〈◊〉 drop upon you: that this day of knowledge, th● day of comfort in christ your dear saviour m● not be darkened again by antichrist: that t● Dove that now doth rest in the holes of t● rock (as Solomon speaks) be not driven aga● to take to her wings and elsewhere to seek h● rest: this dear-beloved is our wish and dai●● prayer to God for you, even that you may 〈◊〉 thus & in this comfortable & happy estate, th● gods mercy may still compass you & his na● be glorious among you: and therefore whe● ●●tichrist is abroad & his Angels among us, 〈◊〉 hath even at this very hour moved the ewers of the world against us, who only spite 〈◊〉 hope to spit at our peace & plenty, our flo●h and prosperity in the truth of our saviour: or that cause seek not only abroad to trouble ●r brethren, but even at home to set Cain to ●w his sword upon Abel: yea to store our land ●th trouble where there is quietness: with war ●ere there is peace: with scarceness, where ●re is plenty: with tears where there is joy: 〈◊〉 to store and stream our streets with the ●od of old and young, man, woman & child ●ong us: yea to take away the course of gods ●y word from us: and to make this our land ●lace for that owl of Rome, that now is a ●ce for the tall tree of christ, wherein the fouls the air do build their nests & quietly rest, ● would to God they were cut off that thus ●e seek to molest you: yea oh would to God ●y were cut off that thus disquiet you. Not ●t you need (dear beloved) to fear the force flesh whatsoever: not that this world shall ●t you, though it never so deeply hate you: ●not Satan that prince of hell, that god of this ●●rld (for God hath numbered the very hairs 〈◊〉 your heads: he hath care over a sparrow, ●ch more over you:) but because we could wish that the gospel of christ might still run ●mong you: that mother Rachel might enjoy this her comfortable day with you: that h● children might quietly suck upon her breasts that neither Herod nor antichrist might d●quiet them: that so the truth of Christ mig●● triumph, and the devil of Rome be still trod ● the dust, to your great joy here, & to your perpetual safety hereafter: in which respect as began, so for this time I conclude and ma● an end: I would to God they were cut off th● do disquiet you. Cut off from your compan● cut off from your congregations: cut off fro● the land: cut off & not permitted by foolish petty and charity; yea cut off utterly and curs● everlastingly before they should either by ●resy corrupt you, or by violence & force ban● the truth of christ from amongst you: rath● then either of these should fall out, I say it a● say it again and again, and that with chari● object what they please: oh would to God th● were cut off that do disquiet you. Oh therefore that Papists were cut off from the la● for they are the traitorous and tyrannous ●●rits of this our time, who have & still do seek disquiet you. God therefore look upon us w● the eye of his favour, & deliver us from the● And sound your Amen to this conclusion.