A view of some part of such public wants & disorders as are in the service of God, within her majesties country of Wales, together with an humble PETITION, unto this high Court of Parliament for their speedy redress.  
¶ WHEREIN IS showed, not only the necessity of reforming the state of religion among that people, but also the only way, in regard of substance, to bring that reformation to pass.   

¶ To all those that faithfully love the lord jesus, and unfeignedly desire the flourishing estate of Zion, together with the utter razing of whatsoever obscureth the perfect beauty thereof: & namely, to such of my brethren and countrymen, as the Lord hath enlightened with a true knowledge, the joy of an upright and comfortable profession, with the increase of all other the Lords good graces, be multiplied in jesus Christ our LORD.  
I Am not ignorant (beloved in the Lord) how many and great causes there are, whereof the very lest might seem to have been sufficiently able to discourage me from this enterprise, which under the holy hand of my God I have now undertaken. I am guilty unto myself of great corruption and weakness. The glory of God is not so regarded amongst men as it ought to be. The Parliament hath hitherto rejected this cause: The enemies thereof are many and strong. But as the discouragements are not a few, so I confess myself to be drawn back with none more, then with the consideration of myself. For looking into mine own heart, I do from the bottom thereof protest, so sinful, base, contemptible, and every way so weak a wretch as I am, to be the unfittest instrument under heaven, to deal in so weighty a cause. It cometh into my mind, that the Lord in just judgements towards my sins, should deny any blessing unto my endeavours. I know that my weakness in handling the cause, might disgrace the same. And inasmuch as states for the most part, look with fleshly eyes; It cometh into my mind, that the suit, by reason of my base estate should be rejected and cast off. But all those likelihoods notwithstanding: yet I see that the Lord will have the cause once again brought unto the Parliament in my hands, to try whether men will not acknowledge the gospel, and the government of his son; to wit, the sceptre, whereby alone Christ jesus ruleth among men, to be worth the entertainment in their assemblies, though it be not accompanied with that worldly majesty, wherewith when it pleaseth him, he is able to countenance it. And hereby it is in deed, that men do truly sh●w themselves to tremble before the son of God, and to stoop unto his royal Sceptre, when they are not ashamed of his word, how base soever they be that become suitors in the behalf thereof.  
For mine own part, howsoever I have just occasion to lament mine own great corruptions, yet I may boldly say in the presence of God, & all those, unto whose consideration these labours of mine are offered, publish thus much, that this cause, as near as I could, is altogether separated from those foul stains, wherewith I acknowledge myself to be defiled. And I hope, that it so offereth itself unto the public view and consideration of the Parliament, as they have no just cause by reason of my great weakness and base estate, to reject the same. Neither is any man to marvel, that I being charged of late, by M. Doct. Some in public writing, to be not only a defender of many blasphemous errors, but also an underminer of the civil State, durst presume to become a suitor unto the high Court of Parliament, before I had first cleared myself of those crimes. For my purpose being to have published an answer to M.D. Some, before this cause should be made known; I was drawn whether I would or no, to take the opportunity of setting out this, which I thought to be most weighty; lest that if I had deferred it until th'other had come forth, I might have been prevented of the means to publish it in any due time. Besides the 185. page, line 2. & 30. of M.D. Somes book, wherein he hath freely granted me the controsie between us; which is, that unpreaching ministers, are no ministers, and consequently, not to be communicated with: do evidently show, that he did not well know himself what he did in charging me, so far beyond christian modesty, for defending nothing else in these points, but that which his own writings do publicly witness against him to be God's truth. So that of all other causes, his bare (and by his own witness, for the most part false) accusations, aught lest of all to dissuade me from this labour, though I never meant to answer him. But by the grace of God he shallbe answered, and that very shortly.  
And the Petition being in the behalf of God's honour, and the good of his Church, the small regard that the Parliament hath had heretofore unto such suits, ought not greatly to discourage me, the number, might, power, and authority of the enemies of the cause, much less. He that ruleth the hearts of men, can incline them to the setting forth of his own glory when he thinketh good. That which the Lord, for some cause seeming good unto his wisdom, doth not grant at one time, he (being for the promoting of his honour) lightly bringeth to pass at some other season. And the attempts of his children for the building of his Church, have not always that success which they wish under their hands. For he useth the endeavours of some, not to finish the building, but to be a preparation unto that work which he meaneth to effect by the hand of others. Zerubabel and Ezra laboured very hardly in the building of jerusalem; the Lord did not finish the work by their means: and yet that which they did, was a great furtherance unto Nehemiah, whose hands the Lord used in joining the wall. So the endeavours of God's children in our days, may have their effect to the glory of God, and the comfort of his Church amongst our posterities.  
It was a common demand the last Parliament, where the cause of reformation (being then laboured for) was 26. or 28. years agone, and wherefore after so many years of the Gospel, enjoyed in this land, the motion of altering the outward state of the Church, in the offices and officers thereof? Came it so out of time to be considered off? Lest the like objection should be used in the ages to come; behold, the mountains of Wales, do now in the 31. year of the reign of Queen ELIZABETH, call heaven and earth to witness, that they are weary of their dumb ministers, non-residents, Lord Bishops, etc. and that they desire to be watered by the dew of Christ's holy Gospel, and to be compassed about, with that beautiful wall of his holy government. Be it then granted, that the Lord in anger towards our sins, doth not account us now living, worthy to be invited by her right excellent Majesty and the state, as Jsrael was sometimes, by the godly king Hezekiah; to give the hand to the Lord, 
2. Chro. 31.8  and to come unto the Sanctuary which he hath chosen, & serve the Lord our God, that the fierceness of his wrath should turn away from us: yet notwithstanding, lest it should be prejudicial unto our children, that we never claimed any interest unto the truth of the Gospel, and never desired to be unburdened of our blind and tyrannical guides: This Petition of mine shallbe a witness that both hath been laboured for. Whosoever they be then, that would wish men, not to trouble themselves in that cause, wherein in their judgements, they can see no hope of prevailing; do not consider, that thereby they bereave our posterities of a great means, to come by that which the children of God now living, would so willingly obtain. And they do not consider, that as the Lord hath appointed some to lay the foundation, & make up the building of his Church; so he hath ordained others, to prepare, and as it were, to cleanse the place where he meaneth to build his Temple.  
The adversaries of this cause may be many, and of great countenance; but we know that the Lord hath committed all power in heaven, and in earth, not unto man, but unto his own son Christ Jesus, the alone head and king over his Church. 
Math. 28.18  The cause therefore in hand being his, in whose hands is all power and dominion; why should we fear any thing that earth can invent against the same? And if the question were, who ought to be terrified in this matter, they by whom the Petition is promoted, or they who oppugn the same: it shall be found that the adversaries hereof, have no other cause, but to be strooken with a desperate and uncomfortable fear: Whereas on the other side, the patrons of the suit may be every way exceedingly comforted. For what else do the enemies hereof, but (after the manner of the wicked mentioned in the book of JOB) say unto the Almighty, depart thou from us? 
Chap. 2●. 13 15.  Because we desire not the knowledge of thy ways, any further than it may stand with the upholding of the corruptions received and maintained in our Church, by the consent of the State. Yea, and in their practise they say, who is the Almighty that we should serve him; if he be so strict in his worship, that he cannot abide a Church government to be maintained, which may be changeable, at the pleasure of the civil State? Who is the Almighty that we should serve him; if none must he in our ministry, but such as both for their gifts and faithfulness, do in deed show themselves to be his true messengers? Who is the Almighty that we should serve him; if men for the bettering of their outward state, may not be Lords over their brethren, and join living with living, that they may be able to maynayne a part unbeseeming their calling. And I would they did not say, what profit is there, if we did stoup so low unto him, as without delay, there should nothing be in our Church, which might serve from that severe rule of his word? Should God's children than fear least these men should have the upper hand over them, and the Lords cause which they maintain. Nay, I tell you, that although such adversaries, were of that power and authority, that it might be demanded, Who they were that durst presume to declare their evil ways unto their faces: yet should they undoubtedly be made as stubble before the wound, and as the chaff, which the storm carrieth away. For this cause and every one, that in the sincerity of his heart, seeketh the prosperous success thereof, may boldly say with JOB: Mine enemy shallbe as the wicked; 
job. 27.7. & 20.27. & 21.10.  and he that riseth against me, as the unrighteous, the heavens shall declare his wickedness, and the earth shall rise up against him. The increase of his house shall go away, it shall flow away in the day of his wrath, his eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. This shallbe the portion of as many as to the end, oppose themselves against the cause of reformation now laboured for. It is not a matter of dalliance, to withstand the powerful ordinance of God, in the government of his Church, especially when in the steed thereof, the merchandise of shameless Babylon is maintained. It is but folly to fight against the lamb, in the defence of her pleasant things; For the lamb shall overcome, because he is the king of kings, and the Lord of Lords, and they that are of his side, chosen, and called, and faithful. Great Babylon the mother, that mighty harlot, being in her full strength in this land, was not able to stand against him; what then shall it boot the weak daughter to strive? And let them fear and take heed, who defend the daughter's fornication, lest they be made partakers of the punishment denounced against them, who committed adultery with the mother. Themselves they may hurt, but their practises against God's truth and his Saints, ought not to discourage the Lords chosen, from standing to the cause of their master. Be they than never so many, never so powerful, never so flourishing, never of so great authority in the eyes of the world, who cannot abide that the Gospel should have such a free passage in this kingdom, as the heat thereof should melt whatsoever is amiss in our state; yet the Lord not being of their side in this point, they shall not be able to prevail. For this is that cause against which, never man as yet strived and prospered. I know there will be many in this Parliament, who questionless favour the cause of God from their heart, & would be forward in pleading for the sovereignty of Christ jesus, if they saw not their endeavours crossed and withstood, by many of high place and authority. All those whosoever they be, I do from the bottom of mine heart earnestly beseech, that they would consider, that in dealing for the putting down of the dumb ministry, for the abolishing of Nonresidency, and the rooting out of Lord Archb. and Lord Bishops, and whatsoever else the right hand of the Lord hath not planted: and in seeing that the word preached, may freely sound throughout this kingdom, they do thereby nothing else, but desire that the God of heaven and earth may be acknoledged, and accounted worthy alone to rule in his Church within this land. The consideration whereof, aught so to move and stir them up, as no creature under heaven should be able to dismay them, in this their Petition and request. They seek that he may rule his Church by his word and laws alone, at whose reproof the 
a 2 job. 21.12  pillars of heaven do tremble and quake. They seek that he may be acknowledged for the only Saviour and redeemer of men, and for the only lawgiver in his Church, who hath protested that he will not abide to impart the glory thereof unto any other. And whom should they then fear in this suit? The Lord hath promised, that none who trust in him shall perish, Psal. 34.22. And he hath promised, that although the wicked watch to slay the righteous, yet he will not leave him in his hand, psal. 37.32. Yea, he hath promised to be with those that fear him, when they 
Esay. 48.1.2.  pass through the waters, that they should not be overflown; and when they walk through the fire, that they should not be burnt. Wherefore then, should they fear man, whose breath is in his nostrils, as long as they sincerely stand to the cause of their God. Though they be but a few in number, yet the Lord with legions of Angels standeth on their side, to d scomfite all those that contend with him. Oh I would that the words of the Lord spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, were thoroughly written in the hearts of as many in this honourable assembly, as for the fear of man will be the hardliar drawn, thoroughly to stand to the cause of their God. For thus comfortably the Prophet, Chap. 51 of his prophesy, speaketh unto all those that with an upright heart seek the honour of the lord Hear me, ye that follow after righteousness, and ye that seek the Lord, look to the rock whence you are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you are digged. Consider Abraham your father, and Sarah that bore you; for I called him alone and blessed him, and increased him. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, and the people in whose hearts is my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be you afraid of their rebukes: I, even I am he that comfort you. Who art thou that thou shouldest fear a mortal man, and the son of man, which shallbe made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker, which hath spread out the heavens, & laid the foundations of the earth, etc.  
Now then, whosoever they be, that are timorous in the cause of God, (as alas, what flesh and blood is not too too fearful) here is a steadfast rock for them to lean unto; here is a defender for them, under the shadow of whose wings, they might be bold to contemn whatsoever their adversaries can bring against them. Are they but a few in number, let them look unto Abraham, he was called alone, and yet the Lord blessed him, and increased him. Are they afraid of the rebukes of man? why they seek the righteous ways of the Lord, and therefore he commandeth them not to fear. Are they powerful and mighty, by whom the suit is d scountenaunced: yea, but notwithstanding they are but mortal, & they shallbe made as grass, and the time will come, wherein it shallbe demanded; Where are they now that withstood the cause of God in the Parliament of England? Is not their memory written in water, and their hope perished together with them? To desire the free passage of the Gospel in this land, together with the speedy removing of all that hindereth the same, is to plead the cause of that God, who hath controlled kings and great monarchs, yea quite overthrown them & their kingdoms, for denying the free use of his service within their dominions. Even the cause of that God, who hath not only bridled the rage of tyrants, intending the suppression of his truth, but also turned that, unto the great good of his Church, whereby they sought to work the ruin thereof. Pharaoh, Achitophel, Senacherib, Haman, came to the grave with blood, when in the eyes of men, the most of them were likeliest to prevail, and the cause of God and his children unlikeliest to stand. The Lord in this kingdom can do the like when he thinketh good. 
Ezra. 4.7.8. & 5.3. Cap. 6.7. & 7.23.  The accusations and slanders of Mithridath, Tabeel, Rehum, Shimsai, Shetherboznai, with their companions, did seem likely once and again, to hinder the building of the holy city: but at the length it brought from Darius, a most sure & strong commandment for the furtherance of the work, clean contrary to the expectation of the enemy. And who knoweth whether the Lord at this Parliament, will not stir up the spirits of the States, and especially, of her R. excellent Majesty, that they may say unto the enemies of this cause, as Darius did unto the men aforenamed. Therefore Tatnai, captain beyond the river, & Shetherboznai with their companions; be ye far from them. Suffer the work of this house of God to go forward. And 
a Ezra. 7.23.  whatsoever is by the commandment of the God of heaven, let it be done speedily for the house of the God of heaven; for why should he be wrath against the realm, etc. wherefore beloved, whosoever you be, that at any time shallbe employed, either as Parliament or otherwise, in the s●tting forward of the cause of reformation, stand manfully in defence of the truth, & the liberty of his Church  
The practices of the adversaries, I mean of our bishops, show manifestly, that these relics of cursed Babylon, which they maintain among us, must needs go away with a noise, as the rest was overthrown. They will not yield to the truth, howsoever it hath gotten the upper hand of them. The Lord must use violence to throw them out, as he did against the caterpillars their forefathers. Revel. 18.19. They have manifested hitherto, how desperate and past recovery, the cause which they defend is become, in that they have denied, to yield a quiet and a brotherly conference or disputation, with those who are contrary minded unto them. If I may but procure this with our BB. in Wales, I will lose my life, if they be not overthrown: which I speak not, without the humble acknowledgement of mine own weakness. And let me not be thought by any, to deal too confidently, for I deal in a sure and a confident cause, which is not timorously to be dealt in, but in the fear of God, with all boldness to be stood to, and avouched. And whensoever they or any of theirs, shall but adventure their places against my life; they shall perceive by the grace of God, that there is strength in the cause, which hitherto they have withstood to their small gain.  
Yea, but I might have dealt more sparingly against them. It were pity in deed, but I should entreat the high court of Parliament to heal the disease of my country, but so notwithstanding, as they would suffer the cause of the grief and misery thereof still to remain. The Parliament should be sued unto for help, against the disease and bane of the country of Wales, but so as they would favour the causes thereof. And what malady is there I pray you in our Church, whereof the dumb ministers, non-residents, our Lord BB. with the rest of that ungodly generation are not the cause. I should spare them who spare not the Church, and in whose eyes the glory of God is not esteemed, and yet the Lord knoweth, I hate them no farther than they are Gods enemies. Their favour I desire not, as long as they continue to be the adversaries of the Church. If they would yield peace unto it, I would be soon brought to lay down my complaints against them.  
Concerning you my dear countrymen, whom God of his infinite goodness and mercy, hath translated out of the kingdom of darkness, unto the blessed possession of the heavenly jerusalem; I beseech you very earnestly, that you would be careful to walk worthy the Gospel of christ. Be careful hereof, whether your abode be in England or in Wales, and at any hand, endeavour to live where you may enjoy the means of the word. And be careful to have the Lord purely worshipped in your families. Take heed of the profaneness, whereby the most now living, are drawn to contemn God's judgements against their sins. The time will come, wherein it shallbe made known that your hope was not in vain. Labour diligently, as far as your callings will suffer you, to be a means to convey that treasure unto your country, whereof you yourselves have been made partakers. Particularly, let me here put you in mind, R. honourable and worshipful, who of my country are in this Parliament, to acquaint this honourable court, with the miseries of our country, and to be earnest for a redress. And you my brethren, who having fit gifts, and are employed in the ministry, either in your own country or in England, forget not I pray you, to be remembrancers of Zion, give the Lord no rest, until the righteousness thereof break forth as the light, and the salvation thereof as a burning lamp. I would to God that I might join with you, and you with me, in some endeavour, whereby the means of salvation might be had in our native country; it is my hearty desire. The God of peace, who hath called us to his eternal glory by Christ jesus, make us perfect, confirm, strengthen and 'stablish us to the end, Amen.   

A view of some part of such public wants & disorders as are in the service of God, within her majesties country of Wales, together with an humble PETITION, unto this high Court of Parliament for their speedy redress. Anno 1588.  
THe aeternal God, before whom I now stand, and shall stand in that day, either to be acquitted or condemned; knoweth that the pitiful & miserable estate of my pitiful and miserable countrymen, the inhabitants of Wales; do enforce me in most dutiful and humble manner, at this time, both to lay open before your eyes, who by the providence of God, are now to be assembled together in this high court of parliament: the wants and deformities of the service of god in wales, my dear & native country, and also to entreat with the like submission, that the same by your wisdoms may be speedily redressed. The Lords holy service among that people hath many corruptions and more wants. Their case in regard thereof is very pitiful. Few or none there be who are thoroughly touched to have compassion thereof. The means of redress is in the hands of this assembly, who are met together, to the end that all the subjects of this kingdom, may with freedom and liberty acquaint them with their suits and Petitions, for the promoting of God's glory, and the good of their country. And therefore, in that I make known unto this high court, the griefs of my country, & desire the redress thereof; therein I neither entreat any thing which lieth not in your power to grant, nor crave that, wherein the case being neglected by others, I may not lawfully be a suitor. The reason that moveth me thereunto, is the discharge of my duty towards the Lord my God, towards his Church, towatdes my native country, and towards you of this honourable assembly, which could not stand with my silence now in this suit. Concerning the Lord, because I am a poor wretched sinner, upon whom he hath showed great mercies, in pardoning my great offences often committed against his majesty; I have by his grace taken a bond of myself, to seek the promoting of his honour by all means possible: and in the seeking thereof, to utter the truth as far as my calling will permit, without respect of person, time, place, estate, or condition of life whatsoever; and so to become an utter enemy unto all these corruptions (by what authority or person soever they be maintained) whereby his holy service is hindered. And therefore you of this honourable assembly are not to marvel, that I both seek the overthrow of these corruptions in Wales, whereof a non I will speak more at large, whereby the Lords holy and sacred ministry is shamefully polluted, and his service with the salvation of his people greatly withstood: and also lay upon you whose authority, good name, credit, estimation, and high place, I ought and by the grace of god will defend, against all the detractors thereof, even with the loss of my life when it shallbe needful; the stain and discredit of denying gods heavenly truth, the passage joined with the continuance of the lamentable misery of souls, and the defence of monstrous impiety, even in gods own house, unless you yield unto the suit, whereunto at this present you are entreated to be favourable. As for the Church of God into which I have been begotten thorough the word preached, by means of my abode in England, in these peaceable days of her highness. I have wholly dedicated myself to seek the flourishing estate thereof by labouring to beautify the same, both in the plucking up by the roots, of these filthy Italian weeds, wherewith it is now miserably deformed; and planting therein whatsoever might be for the comeliness of God's orchard, in respect of my poor country; because it pleased the Lord of life that therein I first saw the light of the sun, and have been by my parents there living, brought up in both the universities of this land, to the end if ever the Lord enabled me, I should procure the good of my native countrymen. I have vowed myself dutifully to benefit them all the ways I may. And in doing them good, I purpose not to respect mine own quietness, yea or life, where my death can win them the gospel. And wherein shall I stand my dear countrymen in any steed, if not by speaking in their behalf then, when their wants are most pitiful, & they not able, or not willing, to make known their misery? if not in blessing their deaf ears, in removing the stumbling block from before the eyes of the blind? if not in labouring to bring them to heaven, who of their own natures should live eternally in a worse place to their woe? Their misery at this day consisting partly, in the great ignorance of God wherein they live, partly in those corruptions and unlawful callings, where by the Church generally within her majesties dominions is pestered; I am now with all humility to seek the redress both of the one and the other at the hands of this honourable assembly. This ignorance also, and these corruptions standing as enemies in the way to hinder my brethren from eternal life, I profess myself to seek their overthrow and confusion, and by the Lord's assistance as long as I live, never leave either of both, until the Church of God in Wales be disburdened of such unnatural plants. Concerning you of this honourable assembly, seeing I have received the former blessings through your hands by means of the outward peace, whereof her right excellent majesty hath made the whole land partaker from the Lord, I cannot of conscience; but in most humble submission & reverent manner, put you in mind of the estate wherein you stand before the Lord, unless at this your meeting, there be order taken, for the reforming in Wales of such things as now shallbe made known unto you to be amiss, and you earnestly with all reaverence and duty, entreated to reform. May it please you therefore to understand, that there is not only such a defect of the service of the everliving God in all the public meetings for the most part, of all the inhabitants of Wales, her majesties free borne subjects and people: as the most parishes within that country, want the means of salvation, and have wanted the same all this time of her prosperous government: but also that there is such corruptions in that part of God's service which is established, as the Lords holy and sacted ministery, with all other ecclesiastical functions, pertaining unto the outwatd service of God, and the government of his Church, are most intolerably abused, and profaned by such as are there tolerated to intermeddle with them. And may it please you in like sort, that some order may be taken, whereby the service of God in his pure worship, being as you hear, many ways defective and corrupt among the people, may be without delay restored unto the integrity, which shallbe acceptable in the sight of God, and the means of their salvation who profess the same. This most humble and most weighty petition, I am the rather encouraged at this time to prefer, in as much as it doth not only tend to the salvation of many thousands souls, whom now (alas) perish in miserable darkness and ignorance, but concerneth the furtherance, which is the point especially to be respected, of the pure and sincere worship of the eternal God. And it is that cause, being my second encouragement, which you of this high court of parliament profess all of you to favour. For who is he that will not profess himself to be the favourer of a suit tending to the honour of God, and the deliverance of men from eternal woe and perdition? And it is that cause wherein every of you are bound upon your allegiance unto the Lord and her majesty, laying all other matters aside, first and principally to deal; and so to deal as you suffer not yourselves, for any worldly respects, either by the utter rejecting, or by the cold and careless entertaining hereof, to betray God, to betray his truth, to betray the salvation of men, and to betray the whole kingdom unto the fiery wrath of God's heavy displeasure: Of all which sins the Lord himself findeth and pronounceth every one of you to be guilty, that will not labour at this time of your assembly, for the promoting of the cause now in hand. And howsoever in former times, he hath seemed hitherto to wink at the careless respect, which you have had to his true service: yet you are now to understand, that it is to be feared, lest shameful and speedy destruction will betide the whole kingdom, if the suit whereupon the worship of Gods own Majesty standeth; be as slenderly entreated of the parliament of England, as always heretofore it hath been. And that the petition may appear to be no other, then that, which he by whom alone all kingdoms and commonwealths are maintained, requireth without contradiction to be granted, by this honourable assembly, except his heavy wrath and displeasure, would be procured upon the whole land. And that it may appear to be no other than that, the grant where of, is the only way to save them on whose behalf it is made; no other than that which no state, no kingdom, no council, prince, potentate, high or low can deny, except they would show themselves to have no care of religion and piety: that these things I say may appear, we are to consider more at large of the petition, and then whether it be such, as upon the denial thereof, the wrath and anger of God is to be expected, for to fall upon them, who shall deny the same, and the whole land for their sin. Now therefore, if there be nothing else required at your hand, in this whole treatise following, but that which the Lord himself from heaven, pronounceth to be so nearly joined with the former points; as upon the refusal of the suit, you shall openly declare, that you are an assembly wherein the Lords cause shall not be hard; an assembly wherein the felicity of miserable men shall not be respected; an assembly who wittingly and willingly call for the judgements of God upon the whole kingdom; an assembly wherein truth, religion, and piety can bear no sway: then I hope that none will be found in this honourable court, to be such an enemy unto the honour of God, the felicity of men, and the quiet state of this common wealth: none so profane, wicked, and irreligious, as even to think that the consultation of this matter may be differred. But if on the other side, the suit be found to be of no such importance, as before is expressed, or if I be found to write any thing impertinent unto the former points, or not to have behaved myself so dutiful in my style and manner of writing towards this honourable court, as it became the basest vassel under heaven, having a calling to deal in the like cause, to carry himself towards the princes of his people, then let not my life be precious in your sight. Here therefore, with all humility and reverence, before the eternal God, his elect Angels and Church, her right excellent, our dread sovereign, Queen ELIZABETH; I call every one of you to record, that upon the peril of my life, I will show, that you cannot but give ear unto the suit, which is now preferred unto you, though by my base and sinful hands, except you will neglect the honour of God, set light by the salvation of his people, endanger the state of her Majesty (whom the Lord long preserve unto his glory) with the whole kingdom, and proclaim unto the world, that all religion and truth is perished from among you. My manner of dealing herein, as it shallbe by the grace of God in all duty and submission; as writing unto those, whose authority and places, I am not without great reverence to consider, so shall it be plain and free without minishing or clipping any part of the truth (for the fear or favour of any creature) which it concerneth you to hear; wherein I will utter nothing but that, which by the assistance of God, I will seal with my blood, if I shall be driven thereunto. The reason moving me to so free and plain a kind of writing, as neither I dealing in the same cause, nor yet any else before me have used, is not (the Lord is my witness) because I would hereby, arrogate unto myself, the praise of a bold rebuker of states, & great personages; but it is first, because I deal in that matter, upon the goodness whereof, I may presume to speak the whole truth of God, especially writing unto an assembly professing true religion. Secondly, because the suit is put up unto them, who although they profess to seek the honour of God: yet have heretofore altogether undutifully refused to give the hearing unto any motion tending unto the reformation of the religion, which they pretend to favour and profess. Some of them thinking the cause at all not worthy to be dealt in. Others, not altogether disliking the suit, judged notwithstanding the time wherein it was to be handled, not to be as yet come. Because they saw that the base and supplicatory manner whereby it desired the hearing, made all other causes coming with authority from men, to be preferred before it. The most who in deed sincerely favoureth the cause, have thought it to be a gaineles matter to deal at all therein. For as much as it is the general voice of all men, that reformation cannot be taken in hand, without the high and heavy displeasure of her Majesty, who (to speak as I am persuaded) being borne in hand, by the ungodly persuasions of some godless and irreligious men of the Ecclesiastical state, that the Church within her majesties dominions, cannot be at a better stay than it is; hath not without great reason, been hitherto the hard liar induced to have the cause of religion again dealt in, which she is persuaded altogether to be in a tolerable sort, according to the will of her God. Being also undutifully borne in hand that the endeavour of reforming religion is nothing else, but a new fangled and seditious attempt, proceeding from the factious & discontented brains of those, who are slandered to desire thereby nothing else, but the alteration of the present state, dangerous to her royal crown and person, and ruinous unto the whole kingdom. In respect whereof, the cause offering itself again to be considered of this high court; it became the same to come, with a majestical and terrifying countenance; that if it pleased the Lord, it might this way for fear compel them dutifully to stoop unto it, whose favour and good liking in a peaceable manner, hitherto it could by no means procure. And it became it so to offer itself, as withal it might appear, that the enterprise of reforming religion, is not a matter tending to the disturbing of the commonwealth, and the disliking of her Majesty. Except men would slanderously surmise the estate of this kingdom, to be so out of square, as God's truth cannot have passage therein, without the imminent ruin of all, and slanderously report her majesties will and affection, to be then intolerably crossed, when the will of her God, is sought to be established: which assertions, shallbe manifested to be grievous, and undutiful slanders against her Majesty and the state; by the opening of such things as being amiss within Wales, the Lord requireth to be reform, at the hands of her Majesty and this Parliament.  
The wants therefore, and corruptions of the service of God in Wales, joined with the misery of that people are; first, in that the most congregations within that country, have all this time of the Gospel preached in England, had no other service of God, for the working of faith and repentance sounding in them, but such, as whereby the people partaking the same, cannot possibly be saved ordinarily. Mistake me not. For I do not say, that either that service, which all this time of her majesties government they have had, and now have, is idolatrous, or that by the public authority of her Majesty and the Parliament, they have been publicly enjoined, to profess any other religion, then that only true religion, in the profession whereof alone, ordinary salvation is to be had. But I affirm that God is not otherwise served in the most assemblies there, than that way, whereby the food of eternal life, shall never be ordinarily conveyed to the people. This I affirm, and this I will stand unto, because for the space now of 30. years complete, they have every where, for the most part, wanted the preaching of the word, without which, as it is plainly set down in many places of the 
a jam. 1.12. 1 Pet. 1. 2●. job. 33.23. 1. Cor. 121. Rom. 10.14. Ephes. 1.13. and 2.17. Acts. 20.32. Pro. 8.34.35. isaiah. 53.11.  word, and I have elsewhere largely proved unto her Majesty and this high court, ordinarily, no flesh can be saved. Now my Lords, and you the rest of this Parliament, consider I pray you, what care hath been had of the souls of men under her majesties government, and how in the days of reckoning and account these things will be answered. Consider how lamentable a case it is, that in the flowrishingest government for outward peace, that is again under the cope of heaven; where public idolatry hath been banished, not one family or one tribe; but a whole nation should perish for want of knowledge. And see whether I have not sufficient cause to deal with you on the behalf of my country. My cry, my cry is not the cry of 
b Deut. 11.8  guiltless and innocent blood, which were very woeful, but of lost and damned fowls, which is most lamentable: and give you ear unto it, my LL. lest the blood of souls be laid to your charge, and required at your hands. For it is not the judispensible duty of the Parliament to give ear unto this cry? How then I pray you, will it be answered before the judge of all the world in the day of judgement, if you be careless of a duty so necessarily required at your hands: when our Saviour Christ affirmed it to be nothing available unto men, to win the whole world, 
Luk. 9.22.  if they lose their own souls. Did he thereby think you, not only enforce that they are in a miserable taking, who in respect of the knowledge of their salvation, know not the right hand from the left: but also forcible in fear, that governors unto whom of trust he hath committed inferiors, discharge not their duties in his sight, unless they have great care of the salvation of their people? Questionless he doth. Let them therefore be afraid of aeternal shame and confusion, who blush not to be busy in the consultation of every trifling matter, and would be accounted great state men for tithing Mint and Cummin, whereas in the mean time, they are not ashamed, no not to withstand the consultation, purposing to bring that to pass, which the wisdom of God himself jesus Christ, hath pronounced to be worthy the whole world, even the saving health of men. Well the day will come, how soon he alone knoweth, in whose hands are the keys of all knowledge; wherein it shall appear by woeful experience, & that too late, what an heavy reckoning will be made with such Parliament men. And take you heed that are of this assembly, now at the length after so many warnings, lest you be found in their number, who make light account of the cause of the Gospel offered unto them, and who think the matter of men's salvation, to be nothing else but a conceit, wherewith the imaginations of melancholic heads are usually troubled. The cause one day shallbe found worth the consideration, howsoever men now think that they may without damage securely contemn the same. And I would humbly entreat this high court more seriously to consider thereof. The suit is, that God's honour may be truly yielded unto him by the subjects of this kingdom, and that their souls may be saved in the day of jesus Christ; such a suit as a greater cannot be consulted of amongst the sons of men. And will not the wisest and greatest assembly in the land, take order that this may be hearkened unto? Will they not consult of a way how men may come unto the means whereby they may be saved; To what end else my Lords should you be assembled together, if this cause be not handled in your meetings? A Parliament gathered together in England, in the days of the Gospel under Queen ELIZABETH, and the cause of God's honour, & the felicity of the subjects never thought upon, never accounted worthy the consultation. Such a state and such a government may flourish and continue in peace for a time: but undoubtedly the destruction thereof is decreed with the Lord, the execution of which decree, shall not be overlong deferred, without speedy repentance. Can there be a meeting of all states in the land to consult in Parliament, what may be most behoffull for the promoting of God's glory, and the good of the common wealth, and yet no care had, how the eternal misery of a whole nation, even almost the fourth part of the kingdom may be prevented? What is this else but to dally with God's honour, and to delude his people of their salvation? When especially after so many Parliaments, in a kingdom freely professing the Gospel for the space of 30. years, in the fourth part of the kingdom, there shallbe found such gross ignorance, as no region under heaven, could at any time yield the like precedent, so long after the banishing of idolatry. I do not solace myself in considering the misery of my native countrymen, neither do I think thereof at all, unless it be to bewail their estate, and to consider how it may be redressed. This I may say of them without offence, that they never as yet for the most part, enjoyed the preaching of the Gospel, since they were professed idolaters under popery. Now what felicity concerning spiritual things, a profession without the Gospel preached can have, the same they may enjoy I deny not. But what will be the end of such a profession? verily even this. After a few days miserably spent in this life such professors shallbe sure (for any thing that is otherwise revealed) to live in hell for evermore. Will it then profit them at all, to have lived in a kingdom professing true religion, though they have gained the whole world therein, seeing they are sure to lose their own souls: because in this life they have wanted the preaching of the Gospel. And if this that I have set down be not sufficient to express their misery, and to move you to consider of them, I know not what may be accounted miserable, or what may procure compassion. Or if this will not move you to grant them the preaching of the Gospel, then shall you leave unto posterities, but a small testimony of your religious hearts, and love to the Lords sanctuary. Is there not an heaven my Lords, after this life for men to go unto? Is it possible that they shall ordinarily go thither, who never enjoyed the preaching of the Gospel? Or can our people in Wales look for extraordinary salvation? And will not you see that they be no longer destitute of this means, whereby they may walk in the statutes of life and not die? Is this petition that God may be truly honoured, and the souls of men saved, hurtful to the state, dangerous to her majesties ctowne and dignity, and contrary unto her affection? cannot this state stand if God should be truly honoured, and that people trained in the ways of godliness? Cannot her Majesties crown and dignity stand, if these things be enacted in Parliament? And must she needs be undutifully gainsaid, when the honour of her God, & the blessedness of her people are pleaded for? Whosoever have, do, or will slander their sovereign, and the whole state, in this vile and undutiful sort, it is pity they were not severely punished. Again my LL. is that a religious assembly? Is that an assembly wherein truth, piety, the honour of God, and the aeternal happiness of men shall bear any sway, where this petition can not be granted? Which desireth nothing else, but that which may be enacted without the great hurt of any, & which ought to be granted, whatsoever in the judgement of fleshly wise men might seem to ensue thereof. They will never therefore in the sight of God and his Church, escape the ignominy and stain of irreligious and profane men, whose eyes will not be moved with compassion at the estate of our people, and defects of God's service among them. Now if I be thought to have reported any untruth, concerning their estate, let me be brought face to face, for the trial hereof, with those unto whom the care (I should say the spoil) of the Church there is committed, and being convinced to have uttered any untruth, let me have no favour, but die the death, before you of this honourable assembly, and my blood be upon my own head, for impeaching the credit of the rulers of my people, and their government, undutifully by public writing, whose estimation I know it to be unlawful for me, even in thought once to violate.  
I do here therefore before your Hh. offer to prove more at large, that the most congregations in Wales, want the very especial outward marks of a Church, and so the means of salvation by the word preached, and the comfort of faith, by the right administration of the Sacraments. I also offer to prove, that your Hh. without your speedy repentance shallbe reckoned with, because that in this point, you have ploughed but iniquity, and sowed wickedness, and so as job saith, 
job. 4.8.  you shall reap the same. Believe them not, who tell you that all is well within Wales, & that they are a sort of clamorous and undiscreet men, who affirm the contrary. Believe them not, who tell you that it belongeth not unto your duties to be careful of the estate of the Church, and that the Lord requireth no more at your hands, but the maintenance of outward peace. As though men committed to your government, were but droves of bruit beasts, only to be foddered, 
je. 17.13.14.  and kept from external invasions and inroods. Give ear rather unto the words of the Prophet, who with a loud voice crieth unto you; Why will you die, you, your families & people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. And why will you be damned (I may allude without injury unto the word) as the Lord hath spoken against all those governors, that will not see their people provided 
a Ezra 7.17.23. psa 2.10. & 101. 2. chr. 29 10. & 30.9 & 34.27. ex. 20.10. gen. 18.19. 2. chr. 15.12.13. & 17.7.  for, of the means of salvation. Therefore hear not the words of the prophets, who tell you, that you shall neither see sword nor famine, though you be still as careless of your people, as hitherto you have been. Look the punishments both of flattering prophets, and of those that are deceived by their flattery. jerem. 14.15. Hear them not I say, but obey the Lord in the execution of that duty which he exacteth at your hands, by calling your people to the knowledge of his son, that you may live. For why should this land be made desolate, for this your carelessness? jerem. 27.17. They prophesy vanity and lies unto you, which say peace, peace, while you despise the Lord, and walk in this secure course, or else jeremiah is deceived. If they be prophets, and if the word of the Lord be in their mouths, let them entreat her Majesty, & you of this parliament, that the misery of helpless Wales, may at this time of your meeting be considered off, and redressed.  
Thus I have set down some part of the wants ●n the service of God in Wales, and some part of ●hat misery, wherein my country is bewrapped; ●nd which you are bound unto the Lord (but by ●●e most humbly entreated) to redress. And this ●s the cause wherein if you deal not, you betray ●he honour of God, betray his truth, betray the religion which you profess, and betray her majesty, and the whole kingdom, unto the revenging hand of God. For without controversy, the continuance of our ignorance, and the defects of God's service, will one day, and that shortly, I fear me, bring the Lord in fearful and consuming judgements to take punishment of you, your wives children, families and the wholland: because in your states & consultation, his honour, and the blood of men's souls were not regarded. But this is neither all the misery of the inhabitants of Wales, neythet is this all that the Lord requireth to be amended by this Parliament, under pain of his heavy wrath.  
In the second place than we are to consider, the corruptions tolerated by the positive laws of this land, and countenanced by the authority of this high court of Parliament, in the service of God within Wales. Whereby no small dishonour redoundeth unto the Majesty of God, and wherein no small part of the spiritual misery of that people doth consist. For the removing of which corruptions, it behoveth the Parliament, with speed to be very careful, even before such time as the Lord calleth the land to an account, for the wicked constitutions therein maintained. Here therefore I affirm, unless without delay you labour to cleanse the Church under your government in Wales, of all L. Bb. dumb ministers, non-residents, archdeacon's, commissaries, and all other romish officers & offices, there tolerated, and so tolerated, as by the consent & authority of the Parliament they are maintained; that you are both in this life and the life to come, likely to be subject unto the intolerable mass of God's wrath, the execution whereof is not unlikely to fall upon you and your houses, unless you prevent the fierceness of the lords indigna●●●●▪  
If Moses by a positive law, should have allowed the offering of strange fire by Nadab and Abihu, tolerated the ministry of blemished & 
a Leu. 20.18 23.  deformed levites, ennacted that one not being of the line of Aaron, might press before the Altar, 
b Num. 16.10.18.7.  to offer the bread of his God: if David had made it lawful for Vzzah, to lay his hand upon the Ark; if josiah or any other the godly rulers had, either given leave to the cursed shepherds in their days, to place others in their stead, to take 
c Ezek. 44.9  the oversight of the Sanctuary? Or permitted a consecrated priest to be a civil governor; briefly had established any thing in the Church government prescribed by Moses, contrary to the commandment, had they not been in danger of the Lords wrath? They had without controversy.  
And shall you of the high court of Parliament be dispensed with, being guilty (except you labour to remove the dumb ministry, nonresidence, with the usurped and Antichristian seats of L. Bb. &c.) of tolerating & establishing greater sins among your people in Wales, in steed of the government prescribed by jesus Christ? assure yourselves no. I do therefore in this point also, for the discharge of my duty and conscience towards the Lord, his Church, my country, and the whole estate of this kingdom, taking my life in my hand testifying unto you, before the Majesty of God, ●nd before his church that our dumb ministers, ●hat the callings of our L. Bb. archdea. commiss. with all other remnants of the sacrilege brought ●nto the Church by that romish strumpet, and now remaining in Wales; are intolerable before the Lord, and that it is not likely 〈◊〉 ●uer you tolerating these things any longer, shall escape Gods fiery wrath. The truth hereof I do briefly make known by the reasons following, and offer to prove them more at large, even upon the peril of my life, against our 4. L. Bb. all their chaplains, retainers, favourers and well willers; whether in either of the two universities of this land, or in any place else whatsoever. These things I offer to prove against M. D. Bridges, who lately in a large volume, hath undertaken their defence. In which book of his, he hath offered her Majesty & the Parliament most undutiful injury, by going about for the maintenance of his own belly, & the bellies of the rest of his coat, to alienate the hears of the loyallest subjects in the land, from their most careful prince and governors. As though her Majesty and this honourable court, meant to turn the edge of the sword against them, who indeed deserve not to be threatened with the scabbard. 
Compare pag. 448. of D Bridges his book with Bellarmine. cap. 10. li. 5. cont 3. and you shall find the one to have written the very same thing for the A●ch that the other hath for the pope  Into which book he hath crammed as plain popery for the defence of our Bb. as ever Harding, Saunders, Turrian, Bellarmine, or any other the firebrands and ensign bearers of Romish treason against her majesties crown, have brought for the Pope's supremacy. And for as much as he in that book, hath both undertaken the defence of those corruptions, for the tolerating whereof, the anger of God hangeth over the whole land; and also showed himself to be Ammonitish Tobiah, against the building of jerusalem in Wales, by defending the very breaches & ruins of the Babylonish overthrow, which by the just judgements of God under popery we sustained, to be the perfectest building that Zion can be brought unto; and so by this slander withstandeth the salvation (which I doubt not) her Majesty and the parliament wish unto my country. I have so framed the reasons following, as they overthrow the very foundation and whole frame of that wicked book & of all others, written for the defence of our established Church government.  
Now that our dumb ministers, non-residents, L. bishops, archdea. etc. are nothing else but an increase of sinful men, 
Num. 22.14.  risen up in steed of their fathers the idolatrous Monks and Friars, still to augment the fierce wrath of God against this land and our governors: & that this book of D. Bridges, and whatsoever else hath been written for their defence, are nothing else, but edicts, traitorous against God, and slanderous to your sacred government, to defend the sale and exchange of Church goods, & the very destruction of souls: to speak all in a word, that both these corruptions & their defences, are condemned by the Lords own revealed will, as things directly against the same, and the laws of her Majesty, expressed in his written word; and therefore not to be tolerated by your authority, unless you think that you may tolerate sin by your laws; nor yet once to be spoken for or countenanced, unless you would plead for Baal, I prove by these reasons.  
That form of Church government which maketh our Saviour Christ inferior unto Moses, 
judg. 6.38.  is an impious, ungodly, and unlawful government flat contrary to the word, 
Heb 3 6. Nom. 12.7.  and therefore in no case to be tolerated by any laws or authority, and the book or books defending the same, are ungodly and impious books. But our Church government in Wales, by L. bishops, arched. dumb ministers, and other ecclesiastical officers (as for non-residents, let this one reason for all serve against them; they as much as in them lieth, bereave the people over whom they thrust themselves, of the only ordinary means of salvation, which is the word preached) is such government, as maketh the Lord of life, jesus Christ inferior to Moses, and this book of D. Bridges, with all other books of the like arguments do the same. Therefore this government is a government, not to be tolerated by law in any state, unless men would feel Gods heavy judgements for the same, and therefore also it is a government most pernicious and dangerous, even in policy unto the civil government where it is established, and this book or books defending the same, are ungody wicked and pernicious books, traitorous against the Majesty of jesus Christ; crying for unsufferable vengeance upon such as tolerate them.  
The proposition is not to be doubted off. For is that Church government or books to be tolerated, which make Christ jesus the son of the aeternal God, yea God himself inferior unto Moses? The assumption is thus proved. That government, and that book or books, which holdeth jesus Christ God and man, to have prescribed no external form of the government o● his Church; but such, as at the pleasure of the magistrate, when time and place requireth may be altered without sin; preferreth Moses before jesus Christ. This is manifest out of the express words of the text. Heb. 3.2.6. Because the Lord jesus, being the son, is in that place compared with Moses a faithful servant in deed, and preferred before Moses, in regard of the external government, which Moses had so faithfully prescribed under the law, as it was not to be changed at the pleasure of any magistrate, until 
a Dan. 9.27.  the Messiah should cause the oblations to cease. For what king was there ever in judah, who without the breach of God's law, 
1 Chron. 23.24.  could alter the external regiment of the jewish Church in the Levitical priesthood and officers? David I grant, ordained some things not mentioned in the books of Moses, but that which he did, proceeded from the spirit of God, and he had the word for his warrant. The same is to be said of whatsoever was done by any other of the godly kings in judah.  
Now that the former comparison, Heb. 3.2.6. between the son and the servant, Christ and Moses, is concerning the external regiment of the church, and not the spiritual government of the inner man (as D. Bridges affirmeth pag. 51. lin 30.) it is plain. Because Moses had nothing to do with the governing of the inner man; and therefore it were no prerogative for the Lord to be preferred in faithfulness before Moses, in that dispensation wherein Moses never dealt. Hence then I assume, that our form of Church government in Wales, and this wicked book, holdeth jesus Christ to have ordained such an external form of government in his Church, at his departure from earth to heaven, as at the pleasure of the magistrate, might be altered without the breach of God's institution: which thing D. Bridges affirmeth pag. 55. And all our prelate's grant that this high court of parliament may lawfully alter the form of Church government now established. Therefore this government, and this book, preferreth Moses before jesus Christ. And I cannot see how far this differeth from blasphemy. Now if Christ should be said to ordain no external regiment at all, then Moses is far before him, and the thirst of superiority in our prelate's, and their accomplisses, is turned into extreme drunkenness of impiety by this assertion.  
I beseech the Lord in mercy to open your eyes that are of this assembly, that you may see how he and his people have been dealt with by retaining such laws in force, as justle & overthrow the 〈◊〉 prerogative of his son. And the Lord make you to see whether those men, that defend the interest of the son of God in this point against the tyrannical usurpation of Bb. and have brought for his title unanswerable evidence, out of the sacred records of Gods own writings, offending either in matter or circumstance in no one thing, but that they have not dealt more earnestly with your Hh. and more roundly with the adversaries in the right of their master; have deserved to be imprisoned, thrust out of their livings, reviled, & railed upon by ungodly and wicked prelates unto the state, as seditious and discontented men with the civil government, dangerous subjects & enemies unto her majesties crown. And surely the cause being made known unto you, as now it is, how soever the Lord may bear with your oversight heretofore, in the ignorance of the weight thereof: yet if you do not, now abrogate such a church government, well may you hope for the favour and entertainment of Moses, that is the curse of the law: but the favour and loving countenance of jesus Christ, I do not see how you shall ever enjoy. To prosecute this point a little farther. In most humble manner, I would know of you that are of this high court, whether of these 2. points following you would be said to maintain, by the continuance of the aforesaid callings & corruptions within Wales? For of either of the 2. you must needs be guilty. First do you think you may presume to defend by your authority and laws, such offices and officers in the ecclesiastical state, whereby the church is to be governed; that is, such a Church government, as in your consciences you cannot, but acknowledge to be unlawful before the Lord, and hurtful unto his Church? Secondly do you think that any Church government can be lawful before your God, and profitable unto his church, which the Lord jesus Christ himself hath not prescribed in his word? The which point whosoever goeth about to defend, he, as before you have hard, maketh jesus Christ, who as he is the only head of his church, so he hath the alone jurisdiction to ordain the government thereof, not to have in the government of his own house, as great a prerogative as Moses had. I earnestly entreat you then, that as you would not be accounted, either to defend & countenance those things which in your own consciences are sinful, or to account such a Church government to be lawful, as cannot stand with the royal sovereignty, that jesus Christ hath in his church: so to see the speedy abolishing of all dumb ministers Lord Bishops, Archdeacon's, commissaries, chancellors, etc. Out of the church, under your government in Wales. You are now entreated to abrogate no other Church government then that, which either in your own consciences you must acknowledge to be unlawful and odious in the sight of God, and therefore without delay to be removed, or such a regiment the unlawefulnes whereof, if with our Bishops you should go about to maintain, than should you rob jesus Christ of the prerogative & privilege wherewith the spirit of God hath adorned him. Heb. 3.6. Because it hath been showed, that it was not lawful for any state or power to ordain any other form of government in the church under the law, then that prescribed by Moses. If then you think our church government by Lord Bb. Archdeacon's, dumb ministers, &c: in your consciences to be unlawful, that is; if you think it unlawful for a minister, to join the office of a civil Magistrate with his ministery, and to bear rule and dominion over his brethren either as a spiritual or temporal Lord; if you think it unlawful for a Lord Bishop to bear sovereign authority of all the ministers within his diocese; and if you think it unlawful that their ministery with the execution thereof, should depend upon his pleasure, or disliking; if also in your conscience you think it unlawful for him to take the charge of all the souls within 4. or 5. shires, and to take the charge of those men's souls, whose faces for the most part, he well knoweth he shall never behold; if in like manner you think it unlawful for an Archdeacon, whose name and office was never read of in the word, and in his best institution is, but to attend upon the ministers and look unto the poor (to have a great number of ministers at his beck and controlment) or if you think it unlawful in your souls and consciences, for our dumb ministers, the patrons of all ignorance and blindness, to take upon them the office of the imbassadors of jesus Christ, to declare his will unto the people, the best, part whereof, they themselves never know: them there is no question to be made, but that either you will utterly raze the memory of this wicked and ungodly generation out of the Church of Wales, or openly manifest, unto men and angels, that you will to the contumelious dishonour of your God, and the undoing of his church, countenance and maintain L. Bishops, Archdeacon's, dumb ministers, with the rest of that ungodly race, whose corruptions in your own consciences you cannot but detest. On the other side, if you think it lawful for you, to ordain, what form of church government you like best of: and so hold it lawful to maintain this established among us; then see what will follow the diminishing of the prerogative that jesus Christ hath in the government of his church. And that I fear me will be this. The Lord will enter into judgement with you of this parliament, for all the souls that hereafter shall be damned in Wales. Because you make it lawful by your authority, for such guides to be over your people, as cannot possibly lead, and direct them in the ways of godliness and salvation. He will enter into judgement with you for all the sins that shallbe there committed, for want of government, which his son Christ hath ordained as a means to keep men from transgressing against their God. He will enter into judgement with you for the monstrous profanation, whereby those proud, pope like, and blind guides, have polluted his house in the days of your government, which you should have withstood. He will enter in to judgmnt with you for the punishments that are likely to fall upon them, because you have countenanced, and freely priveleadged them by law, to provoke his wrath in that grievous sort against their own souls. He will also (it is to be feared) enter into judgement with the whole land, for this your sin, and make his sword drunk with the blood of our slain men, yea he will give the whole kingdom, high & and low, into the hands of the enemy, that is cruel and skilful to destroy, that all the nations under heaven professing religion, may fear and take heed, how they do not only deny to be governed by the laws of his son jesus Christ, but which is more grievous in stead thereof, establish such institutions as are directly against his majesties revealed will. If those things be not likely to fall upon us, except the above mentioned unlawful callings of Lord Bb. dumb ministers, etc. be now at once even in this Parliament rooted out of the church in Wales, let not my head go to the grave in peace. Where are they now, who usually affirm the intent or motion of removing L. Bb. dum ministers, ye the whole church government established in wales, to be a matter odious in the sight of her Majesty, & dangerous to the state? Cannot her Majesty abide to hear, that Christ jesus should be more faithful in his own house, than Moses was? Is it an odious hearing unto her Majesty, that the church in her kingdom should be cleansed of all unlawful callings and corruptions, and beautified, with the holy ordinances of her saviour jesus Christ, even in her days; that the same praise might be truly ascribed unto her, in the adges to come, which the spirit of God hath yeeled unto King josiah. 
2. Kin. 23.25.  Like unto Queen Elizabeth was there no Queen before her, that turned unto the Lord with all her heart, with all her soul, and with all her might, according to all the law of Moses, neither after her arose there any like unto her. Cannot her Majesty I say abide these things? Far be it that any should persuade themselves she cannot. Then are they undutiful slanderers of her highness, who to terrify the Parliament from dealing, concerning the redress of the church, usually avouch such purposes, to be altogether vain, because her Majesty will never be induced to yield her consent unto the removing of the established government of the Church; neither is the slander any whit less undutiful against the estate, when the kingdom is said to be endangered, except jesus Christ, should make it lawful for the Parliament to tolerate what Church government the civil state can best away with. And it is a point wherein you of this Parliament may show what hearts you bear unto the sincerity of religion. My 2. reason followeth.  
That form of Church government, and that book or books, which make the established regiment to be an humane constitution, that is inclusively according to the word (but no otherwise according to the word than the civil government is, which also must 
a 1. Pet. 2.13 2. Pet. 2.10.  be inclusively according to the same,) and so may at the pleasure of man be altered, as the civil government may: that government and that book or books, (besides that they prefer Moses before jesus Christ) is a wicked and pernicious government, 
Pag. 55.  and they ungodly and pestilent books.  
But our Church government in Church causes, and this book of D Bridges with all other books of this grieste, make the ecclesiastical government to be nothing else, but an human constitution, which may be lawfully altered, and abolished at the magistrates pleasure. Therefore our Church government in Wales, and this book or books, are ungodly and wicked.  
The proposition is proved by these reasons. First they are wicked and intolerable, because they make no difference between that which belongeth to the true worship of God, as ecclesiastical government doth, and that which apertaineth unto civil policy. Contrary to the apostle Peter, who affirmeth in express words, that we have received by the knowledge of God, whatsoever belongeth unto true religion, in such sort as it is unlawful for man to add any thing of his own invention thereunto. For so the word Eusebeia translated, godliness, signifieth in that place. Whereas the word hath not so furnished us, with whatsoever belongeth to the civil magistracy, called 
b Pet. 3.13.  man's ordinance by the same apostle, but that therein those things, that have been and are invented by them that never knew God, are warrantable, and may be inclusively according to the word. Secondly ecclesiastical government being granted to be an human constitution, maketh the Pope to have sufficient warrant out of the word, 
If you read D. Bridges pag. 448. lin 3 you shall find him not far from avouching this point.  not of his Idolatrous and false religion, but of his superiority, over all civil Magistrates and pastors within the ecclesiastical body of the church. For why should not the pope the civil Magistrate granting him this superiority, as all they under his jurisdiction do) be allowed by the word, to be above the emperor, and all other Magistrates and ministers whatsoever, if the ecclesiastical government be an human ordinance? For I am assured that the emperor, with all other princes in Europe, may lawfully choose a Magistrate superior unto them all, if they wil And why may not this magistrate whom they may lawfully choose (and he lawfully yield unto their choice) to be the highest and superior go●or in christendom, to be a bishop, or an archb. ●f the Church government be an human ordinance, or if it be lawful for either of them to be Lords, and to bear a civil office? Before I go farther, I am particularly in this point, to deal with such in this parliament, as are our L. Bb. in Wales. Here therefore in the audience of her R. excellent Majesty, and this honourable council, 〈◊〉 prove before you the B. of Landaff, David's, A●aph and Bangor, that the Pope of Rome, whose superiority all sound hearted christians do acknowledge to be intolerable and accursed, hath altogether as good warrant from the word for his ecclesiastical hierarchy, as you, unto whom I ●ow speak, to be L. bishops in Wales. My reason 〈◊〉 conclude after this manner; and if you can infringe any part thereof, I will not refuse any death, or other punishment, that shallbe laid upon me. What Bb. soevet they be, that have no other warrant of their lordly jurisdiction, whereby they exercise temporal government, as civil magistrates, having still their ministry upon them, & claim unto themselves superiority over their fellow brethren, as ministers, than the ordinance, good will and pleasure of man, that is, of the state wherein they live; they have no better warrant from the word of god, for this their lordly superiority, than the Pope of Rome hath for his, who claimeth no other jurisdiction and superiority unto himself, over magistrates and ministers, then that which he hath, by the free consent, good liking, and authority of those states, who voluntarily submit themselves unto his idolatrous religion. But you the Bb. of Landaff, david's, Bangor, and Assaph in Wales, have no other warrant to be L. bishops, that is, to join both magistracy and ministery together, and claim unto yourselves authority spiritual (in deed according to the spirit that ruleth in the air, as the Apostle saith) over your fellow ministers, than the constitutions of man, to wit; the will and pleasure of her Majesty and this high court of parliament. Therefore you the said L. bishops, have no other warrant for your Lordships and superiority over other ministers, than the pope hath for his supreme authority, and universal prerogative. As for hi● cruelty, pride, and idolatrous profession; far be it but I should make difference between you an● him. Although every part of this reason be already proved; yet I demand of you, by what authority you are so far, in respect of temporal things, and the abuse of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, preferred before many godly and learned ministers in this land; as you by virtue of your places, are Barons of the parliament house, enjoy great revenues, and are Lords over your brethren and fellow ministers? Your answer will be I know, that you hold this by the sole authority of man, and no otherwise. This must needs be your answer. For if you would claim your jurisdiction by any other title, your bishoprics would soon be forfeited. Now I pray you tell me, hath not the pope as good warrant for his hierarchy as this is? For hath not the Emperor, the king of Spain, the French king, with other states, now professing popery, as good allowance from the word, in regard of the office (as for the abuse in the person or religion, that is not the question) to make whom they will the superior B. within their own dominions, as her Majesty and the parliament hath to make one of you to be above all the ministers in your diocese, or as good warrant as they might have to make either of you, to be Primate and Metropolitan over the rest; which authority you will not deny unto them, as unlawful I am sure. Either therefore, the superior power of the pope in his universal bishopric, is a lawful superiority, or else your lordships having no better warrant from the word, than the popedom hath; are unlawful, and intolerable. And it being unlawful for the parliament to tolerate, and countenance (I do not say the popish religion) but his superiority over the ministers within this land; it is also as unlawful for them to tollerat your spiritual jurisdiction over your fellow brethren. Here than I appeal unto your consciences, whether you do not see that the pope hath altogether, as good allowance from the word, of his Antichristian jurisdiction, as you have of your lordly callings. And again I appeal unto you, whether you, who dare not, but hold the popedom of the B. of Rome to be an unlawful jurisdiction; do not you think, that the pope (though he professed the truth of religion, as you do, which in the days of the first bishops of Rome they also did) were not bound in conscience, to give over this universal sovereignty? Or if he could not abide to hear, that his place and office, which by the positive law, and the good liking of the present government, were authorized, should now be accounted unlawful in the sight of God; do you not think that her Majesty, and this high court of parliament, notwithstanding the laws established, and the favour they bear unto his juriidiction, were bound before the Lord, to abrogate his superiority, as unlawful and intolerable in God's Church. If you thus judge of the pope, as I hope you do! Oh then, why will not you execute this sentence against yourselves, which you have pronounced against him? you being no less guilty of tyrannising over your brethren, by virtue of your unlawful calling. The jurisdiction of the pope is unlawful (say you) notwithstanding all the states in Europe allow him to be universal bishop, and it is unlawful notwithstanding popery were true religion, and he a most holy man who sat in the romish chair. And you hold it also unlawful for the parliament, notwithstanding all the former exceptions, to tolerate the popish supremacy, even over the ministers in this land. Why the word of God by the same reason, pronounceth your callings to be unlawful, and denieth it to be possible for them to be lawful and tolerable, no though her Majesty and all the states and parliaments in the world ratified them to be lawful.  
To return again unto the whole body of this honourable assembly. I entreat you in the name of God to consider, how prejudicial it will be for our posterities to refuse the pope's jurisdiction (if ever motion should be made in parliament, for the reducing of that man of sin, as God forbid there should) seeing you have not thought it unlawful to retain their Ll. & superiority, who have no better warrant for their calling then the pope might have for his, being confirmed by the free consent of the state. I go forward.  
Thirdly, if Church government be an human constitution, than it may be lawful for a church governor, uz. a bishop, archdeacon, or some other of that order, to preach, administer the sacraments, oversee, excommunicate, etc. and to be a king. For the holy Ghost maketh it lawful, 1. Pet. 2.13. for any, supplying the place of an human constitution lawfully, to be a king. And I would our bishops durst deny it? Where then learn they that divinity, that it is more against the word, for a bishop to be Basi●eus, a king, Hyperichon, a superior, Hegemon, a captain or governor, being titles 
a 1. Pet. 2.13  sanctified by the holy Ghost for civil officers, then Curios a Lord, Hyperpheron, a prelate, Euergetes, a lords grace. The former and latter, uz. Curios & Euergetes, being denied by our Saviour 
b Luk. 22.25  Christ unto bishops or ministers, the 2. uz. Hyperpheron, never red in the word, for aught that I can remember. If they say, that the abuse of lordliness, and graceless grace is forbidden by Christ, they have been answered, they are answered, and let them reply when they can; that our Saviour Christ never allowed abuse or tyranny in civil governors, when as he doth not forbid them to rule as Lords, or to be called grace; and therefore speaketh in this place, Luk. 22.25. of the lawful and sanctified use of civil government, and titles, which sanctified use being lawful in the civil magistrates, he denieth to be lawful in his ministers. He denieth I say, the use both of the name and title of the magistracy, and also of the office unto his ministers. Because it were palpable absurd, to think that the Lord in deed forbiddeth his ministers to bear the name and title of the magistrates, whereas he granteth them the office and dignity, whereunto that name or title may be lawfully joined in the civil magistrate. Here I know that the example of Ely the high priests civil government, will be brought in for the confirmation of the civil authority of our bishops; whereunto I will make no other answer at this time, but that I hope that our bishops do not think, that we under her majesties reign and peaceable government, are brought to that exigency, which the prophet threateneth should come upon the people of judah: 
Isa. 3.6.  namely, that we should take hold of some bishop, and say, thou shalt be our governor, because we mean that our fall and overthrow shallbe under thine hand. For when Ely joined the civil government of the jews with his priesthood, than the philistines gave the jews a shameful overthrow, and took away the Ark of God. So that unless we hold it lawful for us to seek such means, as whereby we shall be sure to fall before our enemies, and to be bereaved of the Ark of God; I see not why the example of Ely (who to make the best of it, showeth some extraordinary thing proper unto Ely, and not to be drawn into example by others) should make it lawful for ministers to bear civil offices. For in deed it showeth nothing else for our instruction, but that a ready way to bring a final destruction upon the land, is, for the parliament to give our ministers leave to join the magistracy & the ministry together. And here it would be known, whether they (who in their books have hotly and eagerly pursued this example of Ely, to defend the civil jurisdiction of ministers) have not therein some secret meaning, if opportunity would serve, to aspire unto the crown. For they may be suspected to hope, if ever an in●erregium should fall (as I trust in God it shall never be in their days) that the estate would think ●t most convenient, to commit the sovereignty unto some conscionable Churchman, until it may be otherwise disposed off. And therefore it may be justly suspected, that in disputing from the example of Ely, they had one eye unto this whereof I speak. For they may procue far better by the example of Ely, who was the chief magistrate in his days, that a minister may join a whole kingdom unto his ministery, rather than any other inferior office.  
To conclude this point. Seeing, First to make that which belongeth to the outward worship of God, to have no more ground out of the word, then that which appertaineth unto the civil magistracy. Secondly, to allow of the pope's superiority as lawful. And thirdly, to hold that a minister may be both a king and a minister, are wicked and absurd assertions, and as we see directly against the word. Therefore it is wicked in like manner, to make the ecclesiastical government to be an human constitution: and not unlikely by little and little, to pave the way for the undermining of the civil government; as the reasons which our Bb. do bring for the maintenance of their superiority, and experience under popery do give us just cause to suspect. For why may not a forged donation of Constantine, or Lodovicus pius, in time join the crown of England, to the sea of david's or Bangor especially; which from joseph of Aramathea, can be proved to have a little better continuance of personal succession, than Rome can from Peter; as well, as it joined the kingdom of Sicilia, the Dukedom of Naples, the Islands, Corsica; Sardinia, &c: unto the pope's Mitre.  
The third reason is thus framed, and I will be brief. That form of Church government, and that book or books, which teacheth, that there is something to be observed, besides that, which was included in the commission given by our saviour Christ unto his Apostles, 
Math. 28.19  wherein they were enjoined to teach men, to observe whatsoever he commanded, is a government execrable and accursed by the spirit of God in plain words, Gal. 1.9: and so are the books. And being such, far beit, that either the government, or the books should be maintained by the authority of this high court of parliament. Such a curse being pronounced against the maintaining of execrable things, as we find Deuter. 7.15. But our form of church government in Wales, and this book with many others, published by authority teach the same. For where is it included, much less prescribed in the word, that our Saviour Christ abolished an outward government of the Church in the Levitical policy, being in no sort an human ordinance, but altogether prescribed by the lord himself, to the end, that under the Gospel there should be no government of the Church but an human ordinance, that might lawfully be changed at the pleasure of man? Or where is it revealed, that the Apostles gave the civil magistrate, when any should be in the Church; the commission to abolish the Presbytery by them established; because there was no christian magistrate in the Church, as our adversaries themselves confess: but as the word saith, 
a 1. Cor. 13.5 11. ephe. 4.4 rom. 12.6. 1. pet. 4.10 math. 21 25.  established by the Lord; and therefore not to be abrogated by the magistrate, until his pleasure in that point be farther known: therefore this government, & this book or books, are execrable & accursed.  
Lastly, that form of Church government, & that book or books, which affirm the kingdom of Christ in the outward government, to be a kingdom that can be shaken, that is, altered, or removed as the ceremonial government was: affirm that, which is contrary to the express written word of God. Heb. 12.28. and therefore are not to be tolerated. But our Church government in Wales by L. Bb. archdea. dumb ministers, commiss. etc., in their making of ministers, excommunication, &c: is such, and such is this unlearned heap and sophistical book, with the rest written on this argument. And therefore both the book or books, affirm things contrary to the word, and so are not to be tolerated, unless we would have the Lord to bring speedy shame and confusion upon us, for maintaining sin by law.  
The proposition is apparent. Because that by the word kingdom that cannot be shaken in the afoersaid place. Heb. 12.28. must needs be meant particularly (whatsoever signification else they have as more general) the outward government established under the Gospel, since the abolishing of the ceremonial law, which being compared, in regard of continuance, and removing or doing away with Moses his government, (is said to be a kingdom that cannot be shaken) that is, such as the Lord never meaneth to alter again unto the world's end: as to have any other government placed in stead thereof by himself, much less by man, whereas that under Moses is affirmed by the prophet Haggaie, 
Haggai 2.7.  and hear by the apostle, to be a kingdom or government that could be shaken, that is, altered. And this is the proper meaning of the place, Heb. 12.28. For by the kingdom that cannot be shaken, must needs be meant, either the assurance of salvation, which we have under the Gospel, or our enjoying and professing of external life, or else the outward government, not only in the preaching of the word, and administration of the sacraments, but in the Church officers, the manner of their choice & their subjects, wherein they are to be occupied. But as concerning assurance of salvation in this life, & the profession of eternal life in heaven, which the fa●hers enjoyed under the law, it was no more to be shaken than ours, the means thereunto by the word preached, they want no more than we do. And so in these respects they had a kingdom ●hat could no more be shaken than ours. It remaineth therefore, that theirs was to be shaken, ●n regard of their outward government, which was abolished by the coming of Christ. And ●herefore ours immovable in this respect, vn●il his second coming, which were senseless to be affirmed, if Christ in his kingdom, whereunto we are subject, had instituted no external regiment of his Church. Can that be unmovable which is not at all? More senseless it were to think, ●his kingdom to be immutual in regard of the sacraments, and not of the persons, and officers, who are to deal with those mysteries.  
To come again unto you of this honourable ●ourt of Parliament, you are not to learn, that ●o defend, by law, or to countenance by authority, the breach of god's ordinance is the defence of sin, and that the defence of sin, is the hatred of God, who rewardeth them to their faces that ●ate him, Deut. 7.10. and therefore also you are ●ot to be taught, what horrible sins you shall commit, 
Nomb. 26.9.  if hereafter you still maintain such plain & manifest impieties. They are no trifles as you ●ee. For I assure you, that Dathan and Abiram ●he sons of Eliab, men famous in the congregation had more colour of right, to claim unto themselves either the civil government from Moses, or the priesthood from Aharon. Because they were the sons of Reuben the first borne (unto whose lot, had he not defiled his father's 
a Gen. 49.4.  bed, by all likelihood, either the sceptre or the priesthood should have fallen) then these usurpers have to claim the places they are in, whereunto either by right of inheritance according to the flesh, or ordinance from God, they came by no title.  
Here it must needs follow (you of this honourable assembly having regard unto the estate of your souls and bodies before the Lord, and your good names among posterities) that if these things set down be true (if not bring upon me deserved shame and punishment) you will either labour to redress the miserable estate of distressed wales, by erecting there a godly ministery, and abolishing all Canaanitish relics, or for the defence, of a few unconscionable and godless men, adventure to undergo the fiery and flaming execution, of the burning decree of God's wrath: My Lords, and you the rest of this assembly, be not deceived, the Lord of heaven is angry with you and his whole host for the Babylonish garments of these Achanes. 
joh. 7.9.21  Retain them no longer if you would not fall before the enemy. When the L. shall plead with you, your wives, children, family, & the whole land, 
Ezek. 38.22.  with pestilence or with blood, as he is likely to do for these wedges of execrable gold, it is not the pontifical Lordships of Bishops, at whose commandment the Lords sword will return again into his sheath, when your gasping souls shall cry for mercy at the Lords hand; it is not the proud and popelike Lordships of bishops, their usurped jurisdictions, their profane excommunications, their pitiles murdering of souls, their railing slanders, against God's truth and his servants, their impious breathing of the holy Ghost upon their Idol priests, that will drive the Lord to give you any comfort. Let me therefore (though my person be base) entreat you, that the judgements of God against sin, both in this life, & in that other of eternal woe & misery may appear so terrible in your eyes, and of that undoubted consequence, as you will no longer retain under your government these things, whose continuance do give the Lord just cause in this life to pronounce this sentence by the mouth of jeremy against every on of you, 
jere. 22.29.  that will not promote this suit, and execute the same. O earth, earth, earth, here the words of jehovah, writ these men destitute of children, men that shall not prosper in their days, yea there shall not be a man of their seed that shall prosper, and be a-parliament man, or bear rule in England any more. And in the life to come to say moreover: These mine enemies that would not have me to bear rule, 
Luk. 19.27.  by mine own laws over them and their people, bring hither & slay before my face, yea bind them hand and foot, and throw them to utter darkness, there is weeping & gnashing of teeth. And let me, craving upon my knees, with all submission and earnestness, and more earnest if it were possible to obtane, that my countrymen by your means may have the word preached, even the means whereby they may live for ever, with Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. Grant them this my Lords, though I die for it. And this the Lord knoweth is the only scope of my writing, and not the discrediting or galling of our Lord Bb. Let not their places withstand the salvation of my brethren, and the true service of God among them, and if ever I either write or speak more against them, any further than their places, are like to be the ruin of her Majesty and the whole state, let it cost me my life. Here me in this suit good my Ll. The reward thereof, your souls shall find; otherwise I am likely to become a wearisome and an importunate suitor unto this high assembly. The cause is so just, that if it were as sometimes it was, by the apostle himself decided in the Athenianes Areopago, a court for heathen justice of famous and celebrated memory, I doubt not but it should be hard. And shall it not have justice in the christian parliament of England; justice my Lords I say, for I seek nothing else, but that the statutes of the God of judgement and justice may be made known in my country, where now they are unheard of. Then the which, I know not what can be more just; neither can I see what justice in truth can be administered by them that neglect this cause. Truly for mine own part, God aiding me, I will never leave the suit; though there should be a thousand parliaments in my days, until I either obtain it at your hands, or bring the Lord in vengeance and blood to plead against you, for repelling his cause. I hope it will not be here said, that the parliament can do nothing in the matter, because hitherto all Church causes have been referred unto the convocation house & the leaders thereof, namely to our Bishops. And do you mean it shallbe so still? Then shall you still maintain these horrible profanations of God's sanctuary, whereof I have spoken. Then may it be said unto your shame, that Zion lying upon the ground, and mourning like a widow, stretched out her hands unto the parliament of England, but could find no comfort. Then may you still be said to betray God's truth, to betray the salvation of his people, yea and to betray the liberties of this parliament. For what assembly is there in the land, that dare challenge unto itself the ordering of religion, if the parliament may not? When you say then, that you may not deal in the matters of religion, because the determinations of that cause is referred unto the Bishops assembled in the convocation house, who in their Cannons, are to provide and see that the church be not in a decayed state, do you not thereby think you rob yourselves of your own prerogative and liberties, and take order that the church without controversy may be starved and spoiled.  
In deed if the convocation house were such as it ought to be, uz. a synod of sincere, and godly learned ministers, wherein matters of religion were determined of according to the word, and the cause of God heard with out partiality, than indeed were it their parts to set down for the direction of the parliament, such things as were behoveful for the glory of God, and the good of his church, & the parliament by their direction according to the word, aught to enjoin all the ministers and people, whatsoever should be thus enacted by the civil state. And if the convocatition house were such an assembly, than were it not lawful for the parliament, to establish any thing in the matters apertaininge unto the pure worship of God, among their people, but that wherein they should be directed, by the advise of the church governors. For as in a christian common wealth, where the civil state sincerely favoureth the true worship of the Lord, it is not tolerable, no not for the right and lawful, much less (say the usurping tyrannical governors of the church) establish any thing in the church, but by the authority of the christian magistrate: so where there are godly wise and sincere ministers, it is unlawful for the civil governor, to order any thing in the church within his domminions, but by their direction according to the word. So that I do not deny, but that the convocation house being an assembly of true and lawful church officers, you ought to use their advice and direction how the wants of the church might be supplied. But you should not permit them to enact what they would by their own authority, especially their decrees being as now they are, to the ratifying of corruptions, and to the continuance of ungodly callings within these dominions. And if you mean to give over your right in dealing with the case of God unto the convocation house, to what end shall the states of the land meet together in parliament, be ever again sued unto.  
But alas, that any thing in church causes, shallbe referred unto that assembly, which would not stand as it doth, if there wear that good order in the church which the Lord requireth, and and as long as it doth stand, must needs be the cause of all disorders therein, and must needs be a means of continuing that starving ignoranuce which reigneth in this land. Why my Lords, to refer the cause of religion unto the Convocation house, is nothing else, but to charge the wolves under pain of the displeasure of careful shepherds, to see that the lambs may be fed, besides the injurious derogation that thereby is offered unto the liberties of this house.  
And that it may appear how justly I apeal from that synagogue, unto this high court of parliament, and what small hope there is to be conceived of reforming the abuses of our Church, if the redress be committed unto that meeting; you of the honourable court of parliament are to understand, that the convocation house condemneth this cause of christ now in hand, before it be hard: and that their only endeavours who are there met, is how to prevent him from bearing rule in the Church by his own laws. For it is well known, that all of them have banded and linked themselves together, to maintain the corruptions of our Church, whereof I have before spoken; as the ungodly and popish hierarchy of bishops, the ignorant ministry, etc. Which thing shall be manifested by the consideration of the persons, who are admitted unto the consultation & mee●ing. And they are of 2. sorts. First, these who by ●eason of the superiority they usurp over their brethren, must needs be the chief doers in that house, ●ow ignorant, unconscionable, and unfit for the government of the Church soever they be. Of which number, are our Archbb. and L. bishops, etc. The second sort is of these, who having no interest to be there, in respect of any superiority they bear in the Church, are therefore elected and chosen to be there as the clarks of the Convocation house, etc. But there is such freedom and liberty in the choice of these men, that great care and heed is always had by our L. Bb. that none shallbe chosen thither, but such, as for good causes are known to be utter enemies unto all sincerity, and strong maintainers of the established corruptions: if any other by some means be gotten thither, who doth but once mention the healing of the wounds of our Church, he is straightways taken for a Nicodemus among them; namely, for a man favouring that side, which none of the great Scribes and Pharisees can brook, and lightly they take that order with him, which the jews took with those, who professed our Saviour Christ; that is, they banish him out of their Synagogue. To be brief, whosoever are of the house there is nothing done there, but what the former sort; to wit, L. archb. & Bb. would have enacted. For the rest, either cannot or will not withstand their proceed. The whole sway then, & direction of this synod, being in their hands, who are for the most part, the greatest cause of the tears of our Church; will you refer the ordering of religion, & the reformation of the church unto the Convocation house? I have already showed, that you ought to be so far from permitting unto L. Bb. the disposition of any thing beautiful unto the Church of God, as the very names and places should be razed from under your government. And woeful experience these 30. full years, hath taught us what a lamentable reformation these men now bring to pass, if they may have their own wills. Why these men my Lords, and consequently, the whole Convocation house are in judgement contrary unto our 
a Luk. 22.25.  Saviour Christ; for they hold it lawful for ministers to be Lords over their brethren. These men my Ll. are of judgement, that the exhortation of the Apostle Peter, was not directed unto them? The Elders which are among you, saith the Apostle, I beseech, which am also an Elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, & also a partaker of the glory that shallbe revealed, Feed the flock of God which dependeth upon you, caring for it, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre's sake, but of a ready mind, not as though ye were Lords over God's heritage, but that ye may be ensamples to the flock; and when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory. These men I say, are in judgement, contrary unto this blessed Apostle, for they drink it lawful for them to be Lords over God's heritage. They are of judgement, that christ jesus was not so faithful as Moses, in the government of his own house. And do you then think that they care how unfaithful they do behave themselves, in the oversight of the Church? They hold the government of the Church to be an human ordinance, and so hold the Pope to have sufficient warrant of his hierarchy. They my Ll. hold the kingdom of Christ in the outward government, to be a kingdom, the laws whereof, may be changed and abrogated, at the pleasure of man. They do not stick to affirm it lawful for them, to teach many things, not included in the commission given by our saviour Christ unto his Apostles. These men reject as untrue, that which the spirit of God hath set down by the Apostle Paul, 1. Cor. 1.21. Rom. 10.14. which is, that men are ordinarily saved, by the preaching of the word. For they are persuaded, that salvation may be ordinarily attained unto by reading; & so they are persuaded, that the Lord hath promised his spirit to seal that doctrine in the hearts 
Ephes. 1.13.  of men, which through preaching was never made known unto them. What care then will they have, to see the people provided for of preaching, whereas they are not persuaded of the ordinary necessity thereof. They my Ll. maintain the continuance of the dumb and ignorant ministry, whereby our Church hath long since gotten her bane. Their judgement is, that they may be tolerated for lawful ministers, in a christian commonwealth and that the parliament may securely maintain them in our Church, without all fear of God's judgements for tolerating them! O the great hand of God in punishing our ingratitude, that in this clear light of the gospel, they who take upon them to be Archseers, willingly see not, that none can be lawful ambassadors of jesus Christ, but they out of whose mouths, this embassage is heard; 
1. Cor. 5.  We beseech you in Christ's steed, that you be reconciled unto God: And yet such is the blindness of the convocation house, that they cannot see this.  
But I blush to think, that they dare once presume to give any countenance unto nonresidency, that ghastly and fearful sin: and yet behold notwithstanding, they are not only all of them guilty thereof themselves, but even in the books which they have published unto the world, in the defence of their corruptions, they have not been ashamed to advouch the lawfulness of this unnatural and desperate murder: Yea the very pulpits have rung again & again, with invectives against all those that withstood this their madness. O my Ll. & you the rest of the R. honourable and worshipful of this high court of parliament, I can not stay myself, but I must needs in this place, cry unto you for help and justice, against these unnatural men. The Convocation house my Ll. defendeth nonresidency to be lawful! nonresidency my Ll. is defended to be lawful in the Convocation house! And will you then trust them with the oversight of the people, who are of judgement, that they may lawfully starve & murder them? Can you hope for any good to come unto the church of God from that council, where it is enacted, that it may be lawful for a bond of murdering non-residents to destroy the same If therefore in the parliament of England, there be any care of the glory of God, and the liberty of his Church; if any pity and compassion of the starved souls of men, let others be trusted to provide food for your people, and not those, whose very judgements are so darkened, that they hold it allowable by the word, for them to take order, that men may not be fed. It is now meet my Ll. that they who hold it lawful for men to make a trade of murder, should be allowed for physicians. And what else are they, who defend the lawfulness of nonresidency, but such as profess it lawful for men to be maintained (rather than they should want living) even by the murdering of their brethren.  
Is it not great pity then, but that this Convocation house should be still countenanced by the state, to be the only place whence reformation of all the things out of order in our Church should be expected? For therein doubtless, any thing shall be heard, which may tend to the furtherance of the gospel; seeing none sound (few excepted) are admitted into that assembly, who are not guilty of the merciless and cruel murder of souls, as being all of them for the most part, cursed and bloody non-residents. And is it not great pity, but that the parliament should stay and go no further in the reformation of religion, than it should be directed by the Convocation house. For it may be hoped, out of question, that the Convocation house will see, that no calling be henceforth tolerated in the ministery, but such as the Lord in his word warranteth to be lawful. And therefore it may be hoped, that the leaders thereof will not stick to put down Archbishops, and L. Bb. that Christ alone, by the officers which he in his word hath appointed may rule in his church. They will not abide that any blemished & maimed Levit should come near to the Lords Sanctuary, nor any pharisaical high priest should usurp any authority over his brethren in this land. If this hope might be conceived of them, then in deed would they be meet to cure the diseases of our church. But the truth is, that there is no reason why this should be expected at their hands, because they are so far (as this whole land knoweth) from having any remorse of the unlawful and ungodly callings wherein they now remain, that their practices against God and his truth, do proclaim unto the world, that they never mean to restore again her own authority unto the Church, whereof by their Lordships it hath been spoiled.  
I have determined with myself, not to trouble this honourable assembly at this time, with any large discourse, concerning these men & their dealngs: otherwise, I would show by evident profs, that they (and so the whole Convocation house) are guilty of such crimes, as the favorablest interpreter of their proceed, would of necessity be drawn to give this sentence against them, namely; That they are intolerable oppugners of God's glory, and utter enemies unto the liberties of his Church. And they should also be drawn to confess, that the parliament in maintaining the Convocation house, did maintain and defend, together with the hindering and smothering of the truth, not only the deformed ruins; but also the lamentable oppression of the Church. So that it should appear, that as long as that house standeth, as at this day it doth; there could be no hope at all, that either Gods heavenly truth should have free passage, or the Church her liberty in this kingdom. The brief heads of the public crimes, whereof the leaders of the Convocation house are guilty, I will here set down, & they shallbe hereafter evidently proved, if they unto whose charge they are laid dare deny them  
First therefore, their very callings and places, that is, the callings & places of our Archbishops and L. Bb. are such as they they cannot possibly, but dishonour God, and bereave the Church of her liberty by continuing in them. Secondly their practices in those places, for the maintenance of their tyrannical superiority, & others the corruptions of the Church, which they wilfully contrary unto all truth and equity do maintain, are such, as by them, they have not only monstrously maimed the outward face of the church, in the matter of government and ceremonies: but also grievously wounded the same, in the matters of doctrine and sacraments: unto the maintenance of all which corruptions in the government of the Church, in the ceremonies, in the doctrine & sacraments, they have joined the crimes of seducing and deceiving the civil state and people, by bearing all estates in hand, that all hath been and is well in the Church; and in like manner, as much as in them lay, they have vexed and persecuted as many of the dear servants of God, as have but intended to motion the redress of any of the former corruptions. Hereof if I shall not be able to prove the eyes and leaders of this synagogue, & consequently the whole house to be guilty; let me to the terror of all slanderers, be put to all the torments that may be invented. The Convocation house cannot here object, that I deal injuriously with the whole assembly, by laying unto the charge of the whole, those crimes whereof our Bb. alone are guilty. For the whole house, never as yet, disavowed the hierarchy of Bb. their practices in urging subscription, in maintaining the dumb ministery, nonresidency, etc. And until the corruptions of the Bb. be overthrown in that assembly, the whole house shall be still justly subject unto the former accusations.  
See now my Lords whether they do not bewray their impiety who think, that men weary themselves about small matters, when they call for a reformation of the church. And see whether there be not many and urgent causes, to enforce the parliament to take the government of the Church out of the hands of these men, unless the continuance of the ruinous breaches of our Church would be still maintined, it is not the matter of cap, surplice, tippet, and other beggarly and popish ceremonies, whence all the dissension and dissagreement in our church is sprung up. But the controversies arise, because our Archbb. and Bb. are not permitted with the silence and consent of the servants of God, to smother, persecute, deprave & corrupt, the truth of that true religion which in name they profess, & to undermine, and captivate the church of God in this land. Those who withstand, their ungodly proceedings, have hitherto dutifully kept themselves within the bonds of the callings, wherein the Lord hath placed them, they have in all submission and duty entreated that the cause of God might be equally hard, and that her Majesty and the parliament would amend the things proved to be amiss, they have never as yet, presumed themselves, to take in hand the correction of any thing. But how quietly on the other side, have the leaders of the convocation house behaved themselves, when a redress hath been called for at the hands of the civil state? Surely they have always hitherto presently betaken themselves, to imprisonments and bonds and would never suffer the truth to have the herring, nor any man with quietness to stand in the defence thereof. And therefore also, all the tumults that hereafer are like to arise in the Church of God within this land, about these controversies, the leaders of the convocation house, are the causes thereof, for they will not yield unto the truth, but labour by all means possible, to smother the same. God's servants cannot wink at their proceedings, unless they would betray God's truth, and the liberty of his church. The least part of the sins of our Bb. hath been in the maintenance of unprofitable, superstitious, and corrupt ceremonies. If they would but yield free passage unto the truth, and her authority unto the church in other matters, they should not be greatly molested for these things. And woe be unto them, if they had rather provoke god and his church to battle against them for the defence of the truth, then receive the light, & grant peace unto the church. Concerning her Majesty, who (as it is thought) can never be induced to altar the established government, I answer, that if it be made known unto her, and proved out of the word, that the established regiment of the church, is traitorous against the Majesty of jesus Christ, that it confirmeth the pope's supremacy. O therefore it is dangerous unto her crown, that it is beside the commission given by our Saviour Christ unto his apostles; and therefore accursed, that it showeth them to be void of all care of religion, who wittingly countenance the same, and that it calleth for the judgements of God against her, and her kingdom, and then if she yield not unto the razing of all sinful callings, out of the church, I will not desire to live, if this be thought a matter worthy of death, for a man to be dutifully persuaded of his sovereign. Be it that her Majesty hath been moved, by some of this house, for the redress of the church, you should move her again, and again, and never leave until you be heard. Great matters are never brought to pass, without great and mighty endeavours. Our sins have otherwise deserved, then, that the Lord should at the first incline mercy unto us, in the sight of her highness. Would any of you altar any part of the government of his family, being persuaded by lewd flatterers, that all were well, unless the abuse were showed, and you earnestly dealt with for a reformation. And can you then marvel, that our sovereign is hardly drawn to reform the church, whose estate, in her hearing, is daily said out of the pulpit to be most flourishing, whereas the deformity thereof is not made known unto her. I know it is no small persuasion that should drive a monarch, to abrogat the received constitutions, and establish new, unless the unanswerable necessity thereof, were made known unto her or him. I am persuaded that her Majesty knoweth not, the exacting necessity, that lieth upon her shoulders of reforming the church. She knoweth not the estate of her untaught and damned subjects to be as it is. Wherefore serve parliament men, if her eyes must be in all places to see every thing, and what do you see, if you do not see our misery and lament it? I grant indeed, that of this point she ought to be most careful, but if of oversight, the weightiest matters be omitted, should not you put her in mind hereof? And in submission entreat her and never leave entreating, until she yield to turn away the wrath of God from her, and her kingdom, by abolishing ungodly ordinances, and restoring beauty unto Zion.  
Well, I have forged, the most notable slanders that ever were coined, or else, the state of my country under her majesties government, is very miserable, & yours no less lamentable, if it so continue. And if you make not the same known unto her Majesty, and see it be speedily amended, the Lord make Queen Elizabeth, and her crown free, from the blood of her destroyed people. And I pray God if it be his will, that their souls be not required at your hands in the day wherein quick and dead shallbe judged.  
But it may be, that you will pretend the want to be so difficult, that it cannot possibly be performed. Do what lieth in you, and then the Lord is answered. The farther you go herein, the esier willbe the passage, you are desired no more, than not to countenance sin, and for reformation to go no farther than means will reach. Because it is a work of difficulty, therefore must you needs hinder the same by law as you do, by tolerating these abuses; Because the whole work is difficult, therefore shall it not begin; Because it is a hard matter to plant the ordinance of God, therefore must the breach thereof be in force, & maintained? Because in Canaan the sons of Anak, 
Num. 13.14.  & towns walled up to heaven (mountains of pretenced excuses, have been seen) therefore must you needs suffer the people, brought by her Majesty and you, out of Egypt, to remain still in ●he wildetnes, on this side jordan, even under these men, the dumb ministers L. Bb. I mean which are ●it for nothing else, then to be leaders, whensoever opportunity shall serve, 
Num. 14.4.  to bring the people again ●nto Egypt? Because our land, by reason of our continuance in sin, and that we have not had skilful workmen among us, doth not now bring forth religion and godliness in the measure it should, therefore must you needs be sure, that profaneness and atheism shallbe sown, and the breach of God's law flourish there, in the persons of those men? Therefore the just Lord, 
Ezek. 2●.  will be just in the midst of you, whensoever he reckoneth for these things, because you are so far from doing what you may in the planting of godliness, that you suffer impiety against his Majesty, to bear sway, and that by law and authority.  
Concerning the hardness of the work, this I make known unto you, that if you willbe ruled by the cannon of the word, you shallbe able with ease and the good liking of your people, to do so much therein, as you shall deliver your own lives from the wrath of God. But if that rule shall take place no farther, than it may stand with the continuance of Lord Bishops, and other corruptions of the ecclesiastical state, I see not what you can say unto the Lord, when he hath made you an astonishment, and an hissing unto all the nations under heaven: 
Nehe. 9.39  but surely thou art just in all that is come upon us for we would not be ruled by thy words.  
Well the word teacheth and requireth of you 2. things and no more, in this work. In both it requireth your practice, if you would be directed by it. First it requireth, that Wales may be redress by proclaiming that commission given by ou● Saviour Christ unto his apostles, Math. 28.19.20 in every corner thereof, and both the parts of th● commission, it requireth to be kept inviolably as well that, of go preach and baptize, as the other, of teach them to observe, whatsoever I have commanded you. Secondly, while you stay the Lords leisure to raise up fit men for this work in every congregation, it requireth, that the people where preachers cannot be placed at the first, may have some stay, that inconveniences be avoided. For the Lord will not have religion, so undiscreetly established, as that the inconveniences that might grow thereby unto the civil state, as much as may be, be not wisely prevented; in the effecting hereof, 2. things are to be looked unto, both of them greatly furthering the work. First the blessing of God is to be laboured for, by humbling yourselves and your people with Daniel before the Lord, 
Dan. 9.1.3.  in fasting and prayer, and then you shall see, he willbe with your endeavours. Secondly you must enjoin every one according unto his place, to have a hand in this work, and encourage the gentlemen, & people that shallbe found forward, by gracing and countenancing them for their forwardness in religion, and showing that the more forward they be, the more credit they are like to purchase with your Hh. And you must not suffer an uncircumcised mouth, 
Nom. 14.39.  to bring a slander upon that good land, whereunto the Lord offereth to bring you and your people, 
Nom. 14.10.  if you would obey, much less, to lift up a stonn against Caleb or joshuah, that withstand the fury of a whole wicked host in the defence of the Lord. For otherwise, if you suffer all to sit still, and look upon our desolations, the most to live on the sweetness of our ruins, and discountenance all that labour therein, you can look for nothing else shortly; but that lamentable complaint, and it is a great work of God, that we have heard the same long ago, of every possessor in this land. Whither shall we go? Our brethren and their hard entertainment have discouraged our hearts; 
Deut. 1.18.  would to God that we had died in the Land of Egypt, would to God we wear dead: were it not better for us to turn into Egypt? 
Nom. 14.2.  come let us make a captain and return thither. The land indeed is a good land, whereunto, when our sovereign brought us out of Egypt, we intended to make our journey: but alas, we are never able to stand against the poverty, losses, imprisonment, discountenance by our superiors, that our brethren have sustained, which have set their faces against this land, never able to swallow up the slanders and bitter names of Puritans, precisians, traitoes, seditious libelers, etc. that we see, raised against those that would bring us thither. And therefore my Ll. and the rest of the high assembly, in vain shall you use other means, and leave this unattempted  
The redress of Wales, consisteth of 2. parts, both must be speedily set upon by your Hh. or else certainly the judgements of God will find you out. First you must abolish out of the Church, whatsoever you shall find to be a breach of god's ordinance (as I have proved dumb ministers, non-residents, and L. Bb. to be) or else your reformation will be little better than that of the 
a Kin. 17.33.  Samaritans, who feared jehovah, but worshipped their own gods. I would have it marked in this place, what is required at the hands of the parliament, that it may thereby appear, whether with any colour of reason, this part of the petition in hand can be denied. The parliament is desired to enact, that no unlawful calling be tolerated under the government within the church of God in Wales; if they will not yield unto this part of the suit, now put up in the behalf of that people; what cloak do they leave unto themselves, whereby they may but cover their small care to glorify God? Is not the case to be astonished at, that an assembly professing true religion, cannot be drawn to yield unto so just a request, it is a hard matter I grant, to build the church of God: Men most willing to bring that work to pass, cannot do it; but there is no difficulty in the world, for the parliament of England to manifest that, although they cannot go so far in promoting the Gospel as they would wish; yet that they will not at any hand maintain by law any thing, which may hinder the course thereof. Well let as many as are parliament men, look unto this, as sure as the Lord liveth, they shall answer one day, before him, who is the judge of quick and dead, and give a reason why they would not consent to root out sin, and the breach of god's law, out of this common wealth. Do they seek the innovation of the state, who desire, that no law or statute may be in force, which upholdeth the transgressing of God's holy institution? Or may they be accounted dangerous subjects unto their prince, who cannot abide that any treason against God should be countenanced? Well, this branch of the suit is such, as the Tridentine conspiracy would blush to profess the rejecting thereof. What then may be thought of the high court of parliament, if it cannot be there granted?  
The second means for you to redress the estate of Wales must be this; you must place as many godly learned men as can be found, to call the people, and see them provided for. But here great advice is to be taken, where, and how they be placed. First then, you are to look out the places, that are fittest by all likelihood to receive the word, and unto those, to have the speciallest regard. For seeing you are not able at once, to furnish the whole country with able men; you must first have regard of that part of the harvest, which is most ready for the mowers. This respect we see the spirit of God to have had, Act. 16.7. Where the spirit would not suffer Paul to go to Bythinia, but rather took his journey to Macedonia, where by revelation, verse 9.10. he was assured, that there was preparation made for the receiving of the gospel. Concerning the other point, the ministers that shallbe sent, must not be scattered asunder, one here, and another there in the country; neither sent one by one, but many must be sent together, & placed so near one another, as may be. And so the ministers having edification, and comfort one by another, shall neither decay in their gifts, nor be discouraged; and the people by this means, shallbe sure to be thoroughly called. If the complaint be made for want of sufficient men, and sufficient stay for their livings: For the men, take all those, whom the Lord hath made fit for this work, and he can require no more at your hands, until he raise up more: which if he never do, your good endeavours, and encouragement unto students and others, not being wanting to bring this to pass, he cannot in justice punish you, though your people be not taught. Because you have seen all those well bestowed, whom he qualified for the calling, and so do now expect a blessing from him upon your labours, that you might send more. The subterfuge will be but the coat of a net, to ask (as commonly your prelates do) how there should be possibly found, as many learned men, as wales requireth, seeing they who are found, are not placed there. And do you deal well with the Lord, that because all cannot be brought at once to serve him, as he willeth, therefore they that may shall not? The same is to be said of the ministers livings. Remove the dumb ministers, non-residents, L. Bb. (if you will not do this, you go beside the word of God, and so there is no direction for you) and there will be more livings void, able to maintain godly ministers, then shallbe I fear me, good men found to supply their places. And verily I marvel, what men persuade themselves the Lord to be; whereas they think, he can be satisfied with such silly shifts? Is it not a strange matter to find Church livings in wales for L. Bb. non-residents, and dumb ministers, to sin against God, and starve souls withal, and deny any to be there, for godly ministers to honour God, and work the salvation of his people. The children must starve for want of bread, because the dogs before their eyes must be fed therewith. Good reason? yea, but the removing of those men, would be likely to set the land on fire. Mark how subtle the devil is, in the maintenance of his kingdom. When godly ministers are deprived, because they will not link themselves with wicked Bb. to betray the kingdom of Christ, & overthrow the laws of this land, there is no inconvenience feared. But if Satan's messengers be once showed at, behold, the land will not be able to bear this loss. I grant indeed, that men which make no conscience for gain sake, to break the law of the aeternal, and massacre souls (as these do) are dangerous subjects, and not to be trusted any farther than they are fed.  
The most of them are unsavoury salt, such as have hitherto lived upon sacrilege and the spoil of souls. Order might be taken, notwithstanding by the magistrate, that these and their families, should neither want things necessary for their outward estate: nor yet be maintained in idleness. For the people, the stay for them is, either in regard of public meetings on the Sabbath, or the sacraments, marriage or burial. For the keeping of the Sabbath, the word requireth they should, if possibly they can, resort where preaching is, until good ministers be placed in every parish: if the places be far, as commonly our parishes be very large, and it is not likely in short time, to plant preachers so near together, as the people may every Saboth resort unto them, they must be enjoined to meet together in their parish churches, & some discreet man among themselves to read the word, and use some form of prayers, as shallbe thought meetest: by the advise of the godly learned. Concerning the sacraments, the word requireth, they should resort unto a preaching minister for them, and not attempt to keep their children unbaptized any longer, than they must of necessity. Marriage is most conveniently to be done by the minister, but is no proper essential work of the minister; and therefore may be solemnized by others, at the magistrates appointment. Concerning burial, it is a work of christian charity, and being the last duty that we are to perform towards the departed; we ought to accompany them decently and orderly, with all comeliness to the grave. The word mentioneth or includeth no form of prayer used at burial; therefore they are superfluous, neither is the minister as in an action belonging to his office, to have any more to do herein, than any other of the brethren.  
Thus I have set down unto your Hh. the only course in regard of substance, that the word warranteth to be taken in such a deformed estate as ours is. And now my Ll. and the rest of this honourable assembly, let my counsel be acceptable unto you, break of your sins, by rooting out these plants, which the Lord never planted in his vinyeard, and your iniquities, by abandoning the same, so much as in you lieth; so there may be a healing of your former oversight. If not the Lord's face will be against you, yours, and the wholland for evil, & not for good. Oh my Lords, is it not a miserable case, that men should so live under your government in this life, as they cannot possibly, but live in hell in the life to come. Oh my Ll. heaven cannot be obtained when we are gone. Oh my Ll. now is the time for the gospel to flourish in Wales or never. Oh my Ll. if her Majesty and your honours (whom from my very heart I wish the Lord to bless) should be gone the way of all the world; for mine own part, the staff of mine hope, to see any good done amongst my brethren should be broken. Blame me not therefore, if I deal earnestly in a cause of so great a moment, and so unlikely to be obtained of our woeful posterities, whom my suit in a most near sort concerneth. Oh, why should they have cause to say, the Lord be judge between us and the governors which were under Queen Elizabeth, in the days of our fathers; for they might have opened our eyes, and healed our wounds, which now alas, are desperate and past recovery.  
It is now full 30. years and upward, since Babylon hath been overthrown in Wales, rather by the voice of her majesties good laws (whom good Lord forget not for this work) than the sound of any trumpet, from the mouths of the sons of Aaron among us. But alas, what shall we and our posterities be the better for this, if Zion be not built. And what comfort can Zerubbabel, or Nehemiah have, to bring them out of Babylon, if they mean but to reaedifie Shilo, seeing it is the beauty of Zion, wherein the Lord delighteth. We have cause in deed to thank God, that this wicked city hath been by her Majesty broken down in some sort; but are never the better, seeing the walls of Zion lie even with the ground. Now for the space of 28. years, no man greatly laboured to her Majesty, the parliament, or the people themselves, either by speaking or writing in the behalf of either of these unreconcilable cities. Men belike, thinking no more to be required at their hands, than the razing of Babel, and the devil as yet, contenting himself with Bethel. The last parliament, by all liklihod the very same week upon a sudden, the enterprises of the building of both in 2. several books, issuing from 2. of the remotest corners in our lands. (South-Wales and North-wales) was taken in hand. The one of the books pleading the cause of Zion, & comminig forth by public authority and allowance, was directed unto her Majesty and the parliament, requiring at their hands by virtue of the lords own mandatory letters, the performance of this work showing by evidence of greatest antiquity, this to be required of duty at their hands, as a part of the homadge, due unto his highness, whose foedaries and vassals, all the princes and states under heaven must acknowledge themselves to be, and a portion of that inheritance being theirs by lineal dissent, from their predecessors, the godly kings and rulers, who time out of mind always laid their shoulders unto this burden. 
y druch Christianogawl.  The other written in weltch, printed in an obscure cave in North-wales published by an author unknown & more unlearned (for I think he had never read any thing but the common published resolution of. R. P. a book containing many substantial errors, Friar Rush, and other shameful fables) stood to by non, and having no reason to show why his Babylon should be raedefied, it contained itself within the hands of a few private men, and never durst to this hour be made known unto any of our magestrats. Both the books in this thing had the same success, in that both together they fell into the hands of the prelates, who as they pretend, are enemies unto both places, but undoubtedly unto Zion especially, as it appeared by their hard dealing with the patron of that cause, 
This is spoken in respect of the church government.  whereas the fautors of the other, being also in their hands, were either not at all dealt with, or very courteously entertained of them. The reason of their enemity unto both, but their hatred unto Sion is, that never I fear me, meaning to go thither, and constrained by law to be enemies unto the other, they have of the gold of Caldea, and the dross of jerusalem compacted them a city, wherewith they mean to content themselves until they return to Babel again, or (the Lord be merciful unto them) unto a worse place. Have they not therefore good cause to be the more beholding to the on for the gold, than the other for the dross; Well be you assured hereof, that they who stirred up both these instruments, both at one time, will never suffer them to cease, until in Wales either a church of Christ, or a synagogue of sathan be built. Out of question the concurring of both causes, showeth that the lord hath some secret work in the matter. Satan's instruments for their parts, were never busier than they are at this hour, and shall I be silent? They treacherously against the laws of God and this land seek to bring the people again unto Egypt. I according unto both, endeavour never to let them rest, until it please the Lord by means of her Majesty, and the parliament, to bring them within the land of promise, no though they were upon mount Nebo, whence with their eyes they might view the same. They have dealt, and deal secretly with poor souls in dark corners, and dare not make known the fabulous cause. I have dealt all this while in the face of the sun, and now before the state of the land assembled together. I-want not a good cause, and by the grace of god, it shall never want the poor defence which I can yield unto it, or hide the face as long as I live; whether you countenance it or no, I know that on day it shall prevail, when this willbe the Lord knoweth best: but the matter is, whether you will embrace Christ in the building of his Church, or Satan in continuing the breaches thereof. Therefore entertain this cause, & you give Satan the foil, reject this, and you strengthen him. And try if you deny it the hearing, whether the very papists in this land, will not be thereby encouraged to supplicate unto the parliament, that you would grant them the liberty of their seared consciences, to commit public idolatry  
All that hitherto I have spoken, hath been said either in the cause of Christ, which is a good cause, or in the behalf of Satan. If I seek the building of his synagogue, will you let me live? If of the church of Christ, will you deny me your help? which yet again and again, in the name of the eternal God I require, & for the precious death & passions sake of jesus Christ, I earnestly desire at your hands. My Ll. and whosoever are parliament men, as you would have the Lord to entertain your souls in the life to come, as you would have him show you any mercy, as you love her Majesty and her life, as you would have the continuance of her peaceable reign over us, which the Lord undoubtedly threateneth to shorten, because he would bring destruction upon you and us all, for the contempt of his truth, as you would not have your names razed from under heaven, as you would not have the Lord to bring upon us and our land, the Spanish, Italian, Romish or Guisian forces, as you would not have these, who shall live to see the desolation and desperate sorrow, which the Lord is likely to bring upon this land, not abide to see you or your children ride, or go in the strets, as you would not have the most contemptible to stretch forth his hand upon the dearest things you possess, and offer violence unto the fruit of your bodies? So entertain this cause, grant this suit, and be careful of the Lords true service in wales. Otherwise, the vengeance of God I fear me, will never leave you and your posterities, as long as there is a man of your houses left under heaven.  
Ezekiel in deed is not now living, to put you in mind of the necessity of redressing the things amiss, by laying open the corruptions of all estates under your government, as he doth cap. 22. of his prophesy. His words I will set down that you may weigh our estate, with the time wherein the prophet lived, and see whether the Lord will spare you & us, if we still provoke him to smite. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, saith the prophet, like a roaring lion, ravening the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken the riches and the precious things: they have made her many widows in the midst thereof, her priests have broken my law, and have defiled my holy things: they have put no difference between the holy & profane, neither discerned between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbath, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, for their own covetous lucre. And her prophets have daubed her with untempered mortar, seeing vanities, and divining lies unto them, sayihg, thus saith the Lord jehovah, when jehovah had not spoken. The people of the land have violently oppressed, by robbing and spoiling, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea they have oppressed the stranger against right. Thus far Ezechiel. Be the sins of our prophets, of our princes, and of our people the same, that here he speaketh against, be they greater or be the less: yet without controversy, if the Lord may say, I have sought for a man in the parliament of England, that should make up the hedge, & stand in the gap, before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none: then woe be unto us, for that shall follow, which is set down in the prophet. Therefore have I powered out mine indignation upon them, and consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own ways have I rendered upon their heads, saith the Lord jehovah; And unless there were just cause to think that this Lord, had either already or shortly meant to pronounce this sentence against us, we might contemn and scorn at the broken assaults of the Spaniards, or any other the enemies of the Gospel, and her Majesties whosoever. But as long as we give not the right hand to the Lord, by entering into his sanctuary, we have just cause to fear a nation that is no nation, much more a people in number as the sand, which is by the seashore. Our leagues and most stable covenants with the enemies; the Lord will soon disannul, standing thus at the staffs end with his Majesty, as we do.  
Let it not be said in this place, that the Lord would not have so wonderfully wrought our late deliverance, out of the hand of the spaniard, if he meant at all to have called the land to reckoning for the great ignorance, and wicked ecclesiastical constitutions, which are truly said to be maintained therein. For this, both Moses and Saloman, 
Deut. 29.18.49.20.  note to be the man of all those that shall not prolong their days, Moses warneth all states in any case to take heed, that there should not be among them, man, woman, family, nor tribe, which should turn his heart away from the Lord God, so that when he heareth the words of the curse, he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace though I walked after the stubbornness of mine own heart, thus adding drunkenness unto thirst. For saith he, the Lord will not be merciful unto that man: but then the wrath of the Lord shall smoke against that man, and every curse that is written in this book shall light upon him, and the Lord shall put out his name from under heaven, & the Lord shall separate him unto evil, according unto all the curses that is written in the book of the law. 
Eccles. 8.11.13.  And Solomon knowing the corruptions of men to be such, as their hearts are fully set in them to do evil, because sentence against their evil works is not speedily executed, openly testifieth, that although a sinner do evil an hundredth times, & the Lord prolong his days, yet it shall only be well, with them that fear the Lord, and do reverence before him. But it shall not be well with the wicked (saith he) for he shallbe like a shadow, because he feareth not before God. And therefore although at this time the Lords anger hath not visited, nor called the sins of our land to account, with great extremity by the hand of the Spaniard: yet let us be assured, that it shall not go well with us, unless you of the high court of parliament, show that you fear your God, and do reverence before him, in purging out of his holy service, what soever is superfluous therein, and in adding whatsoever is wanting thereunto. The Lord by that deliverance, gave us warning that he passed by us, but so, as unless the corruptions of his service be clean done away with speed by her Majesty and the parliament, meaneth to pass by us no more: but to suffer his whole displeasure to fall upon us, at his next coming. And in deed, as often as I consider our late defence from the Spanish invasion, together with our deserts, I am induced to think, that the Lord then was affected towards us, as sometimes he was towards Israel his own people, concerning whom he speaketh, Deut. 32.26. I have said, I would scatter them abroad, I would make their remembrance to cease from among men, save that I feared the fury of the enemy, lest their adversaries should wax proud, & lest they should say, our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this. Therefore let not our deliverance harden, you of the parliament, in the sin of maintaining the breaches of the Lords house. The same Lord that wrought our deliverance, will surely be the cause of our ruin, if his honour be so neglected by you as usually before time it hath been. And we are to take heed, lest the Lord seeing our profane, and vain insulting of the victory, when we are not a whit bettered thereby, send some jeremy among us which may cry, as he did unto the king, and states of his time, in the like matter. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, thus shall you say to the parliament of England. Behold, except at this your meeting, all the deformities that are tolerated in my service, be at once done a way, and except you grant free passage unto my gospel: the navy of the Spaniard which I discomfited before you, shall come again, and fight against this land, and waste it with fire and sword. Therefore deceive not yourselves, saying, the Spaniards are so weakened by their last discomfiture, that they are not able to pursue their intended invasion, for it shall not be so. No though you had smitten the whole host of the Spaniard, that fought against you, and there remained, but wounded men among them: yet should every man rise up in his tent, and overrun this land. And let us look assuredly, whensoever the abject and contemptible enemy shall assail us, abject and contemptible I say, in all respects, in comparison of the value and strength of our men and munition (and the Lord increase them a thousand fold more) that this God, whose service is so little esteemed of us, will send a terror into the heart of our valiantest and stoutest men, so that he, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shallbe as weak as water: and on enemy shall chase a thousand of us, because the hand of the Lord willbe against us for our sins. It is not therefore the Spanish furniture and preparations: but the sins within the land, which we are most of all to fear. For although the army of the Spaniard were consumed with the arrows of famine: although the contagious and devouring pestilence had eaten them up by thousands: although their totterting ships were dispersed, and carried away with the whirlwind and tempest, although madness and astonishment were amongst them, from him that sitteth in the throne, unto her that grindeth in the mill: although the Lords revenging sword, in the hand of our valiant captains and soldiers, had so prevailed against them, as it had left none in that uncircumcised host, but languishing and foiled men, notwithstanding a contemptible, & withered remnant, of the plague and famine: a navy of wind and weather beaten ships, a refuse of feeble and discomfited men, shallbe sufficiently able to prevail against this land; unless another course be taken for God's glory in Wales by your Hh. then hitherto hath been. If I did speak unto infidels, & ungodly atheists, I know I should not be so plain, because unto such, the truth at sometimes is unseasonably spoken. But I speak unto those, that have undertaken the profession of Christianity, and therefore should at all times be fit to hear the truth of God. And I know no temporising truth, no temporising judgements of God against sin; no truth that is to be concealed unto christians, because their Hh. cannot brook the same; no truth that is, either not at all, or minsingly to be uttered, because states love not to here thereof. So that I was in this matter, not to consider what your high places were content to here, but what was the duty of your high places to hear. And therefore I should think it (I protest) an undutiful and flattering petition, to entreat your Hh. not to be offended with me, for uttering the truth. As though I supposed, you would think it wonderful, that a man should adventure to speak, even in the cause of his God, any farther than stood with your good liking.  
The sum of all that the Lord requireth at your hands in the cause of his honour, is concluded in these 2. points. First, that you abrogate out of the Church, whatsoever you find therein, to be a breach of God's ordinance. Secondly, that you countenance the preaching of the word, in such sort, as the course thereof be not stayed, for the pleasure or profit of any creature. These points are so reasonable, that whosoever upon choice, & deliberation, denieth any of them (of inconsideracie and want of due examination of matters. I know many things may be done amiss) I cannot see, what he differeth from a plain Atheist. And therefore again I admonish you, in the name of God, to look unto yourselves, and thoroughly to weigh, what the Lord by the mouth of Ezekiel, threateneth against you, if you still refuse his ways and maintain these by-paths of man's inventions in his Church. You have feared the sword, 
Ezek. 11. 8● 10.12.  saith the prophet, and I will bring a sword upon you saith the Lord jehovah, and I will bring you out of the midst of this land, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgements among you. You shall fall by the sword, and you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in my statutes, nor executed my judgements, but have done after the manner of the heathen that are round about you.  
The laws offices and officers of our church for the most part, being not according to the statutes of the lord, but framed after the manner of the popish government, whereby the nations round about us are tiranized by the man of sin; that is not a matter to be wondered at, that the alteration of our ecclesiastical state is desired. And besides our saviour Christ & his Gospel came into the world, to alter, yea, and overthrow states and governments, in all things wherein they should be contrary unto his will, and I hope that you of this parliament will not deny him this prerogative. If I have sought the removing of any thing, which the lord requireth not to be altered, I crave no pardon of mine oversight. What I have written in this whole treatise, I am ready by the grace of God, personally to make good (though it were upon mine uttermost peril) whensoever I shallbe thereunto called, by you of this honourable assembly; wherein there are many of good estimation and credit, who upon the motion of mine appearance by this house, will I trust, undertake that I shall come to stand unto the premises by me set down. So that I may obtain (which I most humbly crave of you, R. Hh. and worshipful) that upon mine appearance I be not ●y any court, or prerogative (only the H. court of parliament excepted, unto whom, as being the highest council in the land, in this cause I appeal) debarred of my liberty, before my cause according unto the word be overthrown. The injury which I sustained the last parliament (being a suitor in this cause) enforceth me to crave this at your hands, which otherwise, I should have persuaded myself to be a needle's suit. For whereas the ancient privileges and liberties of this house, do give leave (during the parliament) unto any that are suitors thereunto, quietly to follow their suits without fear of any arrest, and being arrested, do presently deliver and set them free, I was not suffered to enjoy any the former liberties. But contrary unto all religion, law, equity, and conscience, to the great derogation of the liberties of this noble court, was committed close prisoner by some, who abused the high commission; their dealing might have appeared more tolerable, & less derogatorious unto your Hh. & worships, if they had showed any cause of mine imprisonment (their abused authority only excepted) which unto this day is altogether unknown unto me.  
I know, that the infirmities and wants of men, who deal in good causes, are commonly beaten upon the back of the cause they handle. Therefore the Lord knoweth how careful I have been to keep it unspotted, and myself out of all unnecessary danger. Setting down nothing before I had considered what might ensue, either in regard of the matter or manner of delivery. But why did I publish a matter of such weight, before I acquainted the parliament therewith? Why it is published to the end, that the parliament may be acquainted with the suit, which could not be done by private writing. And it is but an ungodly shift of those that would smother the truth, to pretend it to be against the law, to move the parliament in any suit that is printed. As though the suits of men unto that high court, were parliament statutes. In deed if the parliament had enacted the removing out of Wales, all L. Bb. dumb ministers, etc. Then were it an intolerable part, for any to publish their acts, but by their appointment. Grant you the petition, and the cavil of committing it to the press, will easily be answered. If you do not mean to yield unto the suit, neither would you have done it, being moved thereunto by private writing. The cause I make known, to the end it may be granted, and herein let not my life be precious unto me; upon the necessity of the publishing hereof I stand, because that the world may see when you redress these things, that you did nothing, that you durst leave undone, unless you would bring swift destruction upon yourselves and the whole land. But what folly is it to think, that such great matters willbe reform in our days. Rather what injury do they unto the whole state, who think that they will any longer tolerate the breach of God's law. And in this point, let the good opinion, that they who allege such pretences conceive, be weighed with my dutiful persuasions of this honourable assembly, and both causes judged accordingly. For mine own part, I think the majesty of the cause to be such, as they who are the Lords, dare not but entertain it, and tremble to think, that all this while, it hath been so carelessly attended upon. And it is in the behalf thereof, that I have presumed to deal with you, who otherwise durst not have suffered my voice to be heard, in the ears of the princes of my people. Let what I have written be examined, yea by mine adversaries themselves (if I have any) and it shall appear, that I have made a conscience, how I have dealt with my superiors, especially those, concerning whom it is said, you are Gods, lest I should seem to leave behind me, the least print of a mind in any sort tending to defame them or their government, As I have been careful hereof, so let the Lord, yea and no otherwise, (which I speak as far as my corruptions will permit) grant this cause, and myself also, if it be his will, favour in your eyes. In deed in regard of the cause, I come mandatory wise, unto this honourable assembly, but in regard of myself, I come in fear and trembling as unto the Lords vicegerents, entreating most humbly, that the dignity of so high a cause, be thought off, nothing the more dishonourably, because it is brought in my hands. And I protest in respect of my sins, that the Lord may justly deny it the favour it deserveth in your eyes, because I am a dealer therein, But this should be no reason why the parliament should give it a repulse. For in the eyes and ears of all the world I make it known, that it is the cause of the living god wherein I deal And that if it had been possible for me to have written more humbly and dutifully, I had done it. Or if I had seen any way, that might have been likelier to prevail wirh my superiors, than this, I take the Lord to witness unto my soul, that I would not have used this course. And I would to God I could tell how to make the cause plausible. So far I am, from setting down any thing, that might carry with it any show of occasion to hinder and disgrace the same. Well I have done my endeavour, the success I expect at the Lords hands, unto whom I commend the cause and the salvation of that poor people.  
The sword of justice reached unto you by the Lord himself, to take punishment only of him that is an evil doer. I fear not, because I have not offended. If it should be drawn against me for this action, the precedent would be such, as they who meant hereafter to prophesy unto you, might be advisedly counseled not to prophesy, and the Lord as a token of your just destruction to ensue, would say they shall not prophesy nor take shame If I have spoken any untruth, bear witness thereof, if a truth, I dare stand to it by the Lord's assistance, and demand what he is that will presume to object and throw himself unto the vengeance of God, by punishing me an innocent; It is a common manner with some in these days, to threaten those who deal in this cause now in hand: but they are to know that it is not so easy a matter to spill their blood, whose days are numbered with the Lord. The Lord may (I confess with grief) in regard of my other sins, bring mine head to the grave with blood, but in this case what have I offended? And therefore undoubted woe will betide him, that shall molest me for this work. How soever it be, thus I have performed a duty towards the Lord, his church, my country, & you of this high court, which I would do if it were to be done again, though I were assured to endanger my life thereby. And be it known, that in this case I am not afraid of earth. If I perish I perish. My comfort is, that I know whither to go, & in that day wherein the secrets of all hearts shall be manifested, the sincerity also of my cause shall appear. It is enough for me, howsoever I be miserable in regard of my sins, that yet unto Christ, I both live and die, and purpose by his grace, if my life should be prolonged, to live hereafter, not unto myself, but unto him and his church, otherwise then hitherto I have done. The Lord is able to raise up those that are of purer hands and lips than I am, to write and speak in the cause of his honour in Wales. And the Lord make them whosoever they shallbe, never to be wanting unto so good a cause; the which, because it may be the Lords pleasure, that I shall leave them behind me in the world, I earnestly and vehemently commend unto them, as by this my last will & testament. And have you R. honourable & worshipful of this parlirment, poor Wales in remembrance, that the blessing of many a saved soul therein, may follow her Majesty, your Hh. and worships, overtake you, light upon you, and stick unto you for ever. The eternal God give her Majesty & you, the honour of building his church in Wales, multiply the days of her peace over us, bless her and you so in this life, that in the life to come, the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, may be her and your portion. So be it good Lord.  
By him that hath bound himself continually to pray for your Hh. and worships. JOHN PENRI▪