An exact COPY OF A LETTER, Sent to William Laud late Archbishop of Canterbury, now Prisoner in the Tower, November the 5. 1641. At which his Lordship taking exceptions, the Author visited him in his own person: and having admittance to him, had some private discourse with him; concerning the cruelty, in which he formerly reigned in his power. The substance whereof is truly composed by the Author himself. Wherein doth appear a sign of complying with the times, and some hopes of his Repentance.  
London Printed for H, W. and T.B. 1641.   

An exact Copy of a Letter, sent to the Bishop of Canterbury, now prisoner in the Tower, Novem. the 5. 1641.  
My Lord,  
YOur participating the sudden evils, & daily alterations incident to terrene frailty, and nature's imbecility, hath occasioned me, as well as others, to pass my judgement on your former course of life; and though I do with most consent, you have done evil, yet do I not with many consent, you have done it knowingly, but rather ignorantly, &c. by imprisoning God's people, unjust proceedings, &c. The complainents in this case, are the Delinquents themselves, many of which will not be persuaded to have such a charitable thought, as I have of you: and I verily believe, that men do omit the Christian duty to pray for you; wherefore, my humble request unto your Lordship is, that you would be pleased to condescend so far below yourself, as to vouchsafe by way of answer hereunto, to vindicate your own innocency, and my charity. So also, shall they I hope, who are otherwiseminded, be convinced of their harsh and uncharitable Censure, and so be brought to be otherwise minded: that so i with them, and they with me, may with one accord say, concerning you, and other offenders, after the examples of our saviour, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do: and with his Martyr Stephem Lord lay not this sin to their charge,  
My Lord I am, Your Lordships in all humbleness, A.   

THe letter being delivered to my Lord's own hand 〈◊〉 read it over the messenger being by, to whom 〈◊〉 told that the Author had abused him: and done him wrong; which when the author understood, he went himself to him the next Lord's day to the Tower, where he had admittance to his presence.  
Of whom first he craved pardon for boldness; but the Bishop, laying aside that complementing with him, rebuked him for his letter, especially for charging him with imprisoning God's people.  
He answered, my Lord, quoth he, i have been both an Eye and an earwitness at the High commission court, when men truly fearing God, have been called to the Bar, and your Lordship hath commanded to give them the oath which when they have refused, you have committed them to prison? No, quoth my Lord, it is well known I have showed great favour and clemency to those obstinatemen, in that I have sometime forborn them a twelve month together; and have in the mean time referred them to Godly and learned Doctors and Ministers, for satisfaction in that point: and when they out of wilfulness & obstinacy, would not be satisfied, I could do no less by the order of the Court then commit them to prison,  
Then he told my Lord, that he was confident it was not out of wilfulness, nor obstinacy, that they refused the Oath, but rather out of tenderness of conscience, they being not satisfied of the lawfulness of it.  
That is more than ytu know, quoth my Lord?  
It may be, quoth he, I know some of the men, and their conversation, that they are very godly men, and you know my Lord, our saviour warrants to judge the tree by the fruits?  
Stay, quoth my Lord, you and I differ in that point.  
Then my Lord, said the man, it seems you did it ignorantly according to my thoughts of you not knowing them to be the servants of God?  
I had nothing to do to judge their p●s●ns said the Bishop, nor question whether they were the servants of God or no, I judge all to be the servants of God until they apparently show the contrary, but their action I judge to be evil, and what a matter was it to imprison 3. or 4. of them in a twelve months' space, and in the mean time let thousands in the City go free, and if we had not taken such a course with some of them, the number would have so increased, and men would have taken liberty to have done what they list. as now we see they do since we see authority, suppressed?  
Then he told the Bishop that he makes no doubt, my Lord, if it please the Lord that the Parliament go on they will take order that men shall not do what they list, and though it seem good unto them to suppress that government, which hath been heretofore, yet I hope they will establish another.  
i pray God they may, for it is a lamentable thing to consider what disorder there is amongst people, at this time when men are suffered to frequent Conventicles, without Restraint.  
Nay, therein my Lord you much mistake, for though I myself am a mean scholar: and therefore know not so well as your Grace, what a Conventicle is: yet have I heard that a conventicle is properly, when a company of men meet together, to a wicked intent, to plot & devise mischief to the Church or State: which I am certain, these men you mean are far from; for though I myself have not much frequented such Assemblies: for which I think, I have rather cause to condemn, then justify myself. Yet am I sure, that in their Assemblies, they pray earnestly for the King, and all in Authority▪  
Tell me, quoth the Bishop, what warrant have they to meet, it may be forty or threescore together, on such an occasion.  
My Lord, quoth he, you know the prophet Malachi saith, than they that feared the Lord, spoke often one to another, and doth not the Apostle command us, not to forsake the fellowship of the Saints, but to edify one another. Then the Bishop told him, that he said not that, with out the consent of Authority; can they not do this neighbour, with neighbour in public Congregations.  
My Lord, quoth he, it may be these men are persuaded in their consciences, that the Lord calls them to humbling themselves, in fasting and prayer: and it may be authority doth not see it meet to appoint a day: is it evil in them then, some two or three families, it may be ten or twelve persons to meet together to spend a day on that occasion. And they cannot do this alone by themselves; for men are apt to be dull and drowsy when they are alone: and therefore they think it meet to be together, to stir up one another, as you know, my Lord, the more fuel is laid on the fire, the hotter it burns, & the more it flames.  
When he heard this, he smiled, and almost laughed out: flames; indeed, I think so, but said he in your Letter, you quote Scripture, that some in killing God's Saidts, shall think they do him service, and you say, you take me to be one of them. But I think, if you rightly understand yourself, you would take yourself to be one of them: for what warrant have you to call me a sensual man? Ye say you judge the tree by the fruits, I pray you, what fruits have you seen to judge so of me.  
My Lord, quoth he, I have seen and heard such things at the high Commission Court, as have caused me to conclude undoubtedly: if you had been enlightened with the true knowledge of Jesus Christ, you would not have sitten there, though the place were never so honourable.  
Why quoth the Bishop what things have you seen and heard.  
First my Lord saw he, I will tell by e●perience as touching m● self: I have been seized on by your pursuivant, and had to the registers Office, and been bound over to the Court, and there taken oath, and have come again to the Registers Office and there waited many a days, and at last have been examined and afterwards waited again at the Court, and yet never heard more of it: but indeed it was but the pursuivants manner to bring me in. But is not this a miserable thing, my Lord, that I and others should be thus served, and must never know their accuser, nor recover any damage.  
Then he told him, that it was not in the power of that Court to give damage, or else I could willingly have given it many times, and as for calling you in with out any accuser, it was in our power to do it according to the Law of the Court, and the King's advocate was to accuse you: but did ever any of you come to me in the week day, and pray me to let you know your accuser, or dismiss you and i denied it.  
No my Lord, quoth he, I cannot say you did.  
Then my Lord asked him what his name was, and what was the matter he was brought in for: for that you say, quoth he, you were so served.  
I pray my Lord; quoth he, spare me in that, for I am not willing to tell you my name, and indeed the knowledge of it would be no gain to you. but might be hurtful to me: for it is not unpossible, but you may come into authority again, and then you may call me before you, & chide me for this my bold attempt.  
Even as pleaseth God, quoth the Bishop: but I will here pass my word before your friend, meaning the Messenger that carried the Letter, that you shall never hear more of it: no if you have such thoughts of me, you are deceived in me, and many of you have been much mistaken in me.  
But yet he told my Lord, he desired to be spared in that. Well if you think it meet to tell me your name quoth the Bishop, do as you please. Then the Author took occasion to envy against the Officers of the Court, and especially the pursuivants, seeing they were the natorion, sest Drunkaods and Swearers as could be found among-men. And he said, I am persuaded that if your Lordship had been enlightened, you would not have suffered such about you. Alas, said he, it cannot be helped, for none but such will be in those places, I pray consider that me Lord Mayors Sergeants are not the honestest men.  
Then was there spéeched had about those men they call Puritans and precisians. And the Bishop affirmed it twice over, that he thought in his conscience, there were as honest men given them that name, as any were in London, we cannot, said he, be too pure, if we consider the strictness of God's Law: but yet, said he, I am persuaded, that many of those simple-hearted men are seduced, sometimes by others that are more cunning than they, but I ever had a tender care over the conscience of men, I stand not on the word puritan, but if a man be an honest man, what ever he is I do approve of him. Indeed, my Lord, quoth he, it may be, there may be some Hypocrites that may have that name put upon them, as you know among our saviour's Disciples there was one Judas, but yet, my Lord, it is pity the true-hearted should fare the worse for their sake.  
FINIS.