Supplication to the Privy Council

A SVPPLICATION MADE TO THE COVNSELL BY M ^r WALTER TRAVERS.

R IGHT Honorable, the manifold benefits which all the subjects within this dominion do at this present, and have many years enjoyed, under her Majesty's most happy and prosperous reign, by your godly wisdom, and careful watching over this estate night & day: I truly and unfeignedly acknowledge from the bottom of my heart, ought worthily to bind us all, to pray continually to almighty God for the continuance & increase of the life and good estate of your honors, and to be ready with all good duties to satisfy & serve the same to our power. Besides public benefits common unto all, I must needs, and do willingly confess myself to stand bound by most special obligation to serve and honor you more then any other, for the honorable favor it hath pleased you to vouchsafe both oftentimes heretofore, and also now of late, in a matter more dear unto me then any earthly commodity, that is the upholding and furthering of my service in the ministering of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For which cause, as I have been always careful so to carry myself as I might by no means give occasion to be thought unworthy of so great a benefit, so do I still, next unto her Majesty's gracious countenance, hold nothing more dear and precious unto me, then that I may always remain in your Honors favor; which hath oftentimes been helpful and comfortable unto me in my ministry, and to all such as reaped any fruit of my simple and faithful labor. In which dutiful regard, I humbly beseech your Honors to vouchsafe to do me this grace, to conceive nothing of me otherwise thē according to the duty wherein I ought to live, by any information against me, before your Honors have heard my answer, and been thoroughly informed of the matter. Which although it be a thing, that your wisdoms, not in favor, but in justice yield to all men: yet the state of the calling unto the Ministry, whereunto it hath pleased God of his goodness to call me, though unworthiest of all, is so subject to misinformation, as except we may find this favor with your Honors, we cannot look for any other, but that our vnindifferent parties may easily procure us to be hardly esteemed of; and that we shall be made like the poor fisherboates in the sea which every swelling wave and billow raketh and runneth over. Wherein my estate is yet harder then any others of my rank & calling, who are indeed to fight against flesh & blood in what part soever of the Lord's host and field they shall stand marshalled to serve, yet many of them deal with it naked and unfurnished of weapons: but my service was in a place where I was to encounter with it well appointed and armed with skill and with authority; whereof as I have always thus deserved, & therefore have been careful by all good means to entertain still your Honors favorable respect of me, so have I special cause at this present, wherein misinformation to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, & other of the high commission hath been able so far to prevail against me, that by their letter they have inhibited me to preach, or execute any act of Ministry in the Temple or elsewhere, having never once called me before them to understand by mine answer the truth of such things as had been informed against me. We have a story in our books, wherein the Pharisees proceeding against our Savior Christ without having heard him, is reproved by an honorable Counselor (as the Evangelist doth term him) saying, doth our law judge a man before it hear him, & know what he hath done? Which I do not mention to the ende that by an indirect and covert speech, I might so compare those, who have without ever hearing me pronounced a heavy sentence against me, for, notwithstanding such proceedings, I purpose by God's grace to carry myself towards them in all seeming duty agreeable to their places: much less do I presume to liken my cause to our Savior Christ's, who hold it my chiefest honor & happiness to serve him, though it be but among the hinds and hired servants, that serve him in the basest corners of his house. But my purpose in mentioning it, is to show by the judgment of a Prince and great man in Israel that such proceeding standeth not with the law of God, and in a princely pattern to show it to be a noble part of an honorable Counselor, not to allow of indirect dealings, but to allow and affect such a course in justice, as is agreeable to the law of God. We have also a plain rule in the word of God not to proceed any otherwise against any elder of the Church; much less against one that laboreth in the word and in teaching: which rule is delivered with this most earnest charge and obtestation, I beseech and charge thee in the sight of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect Angels, that thou keep those [rules] without preferring one before another, doing nothing of partiality, or inclining to either part; which Apostolical and most earnest charge, I refer it to your Honors wisdom how it hath been regarded in so heavy a judgment against me, without ever hearing my cause, and whether, as having God before their eyes, and the Lord Jesus by whom all former judgments shall be tried again, and as in the presence of the elect Angels witnesses, and observers of the regiment of the Church, they have proceeded thus to such a sentence. They allege indeed two reasons in their letters whereupon they restrain my ministry, which, if they were as strong against me as they are supposed, yet I refer to your Honors wisdoms, whether the quality of such an offense as they charge me with, which is in effect but an indiscretion, deserve so grievous a punishment both to the Church and me, in taking away my ministry, and that poor little commodity which it yieldeth for the necessary maintenance of my life; if so unequal a balancing of faults and punishments, should have place in the commonwealth, surely we should shortly have no actions upon the case, nor of trespass, but all should be pleaes of the Crown, nor any man amerced, or fined, but for every light offense put to his ransom. I have credibly heard, that some of the ministry have been committed of grievous transgressions of the laws of God and men, being of no ability to do other service in the Church then to read, yet hath it been thought charitable and standing with Christian moderation and temperancie, not to deprive such of ministry and beneficency, but to inflict some more tolerable punishment. Which I write not because such as I think, were to be favored, but to show how unlike their dealing is with me, being through the goodness of God not to be touched with any such blame, and one who according to the measure of the gift of God, have labored now some years painfully, in regard of the weak estate of my body in preaching the Gospel, and as I hope not altogether unprofitably in respect of the Church. But J beseech your Honors to give me leave briefly to declare the particular reasons of their letters, and what answer I have to make unto it.

The first is, that as they say I am not lawfully called to the function of the ministry, nor allowed to preach according to the laws of this Church of England.

For answer to this, I had need to divide the points, & first to make answer to the former, wherein leaving to show what by the holy Scriptures is required in a lawful calling and that all that is to be found in mine, that I be not too long for your other weighty affairs, I rest.

I this answer, my calling to the ministry was such as in the calling of any thereunto is appointed to be used by the orders agreed upon in the National Synods of the low Countries, for the direction and guidance of their Churches, which orders are the same with those whereby the French & Scottish Churches are governed, whereof I have shown such sufficient testimonial to my L. the Archbishop of Canterbury, as is requisite in such a matter: whereby it must needs fall out if any man be lawfully called to the ministry in those Churches then is my calling, being the same with theirs, also lawful. But I suppose notwithstanding they use this general speech, they mean only my calling is not sufficient to deal in the ministry within this land, because I was not made minister according to that order which in this cause is ordained by our laws. Whervnto I beseech your Honors to consider thoroughly of mine answer, because exception now again is taken to my ministry whereas having been heretofore called in question for it, I so answered the matter, as I continued my ministry, and for anything I discerned, looked to hear that no more objected unto me. The communion of Saints (which every Christian man professeth to believe) is such, as that the acts which are done in any true Church of Christ's according to his word, are held as lawful being done in one Church, as in another. Which as it holdeth in other acts of ministry, as baptism, marriage, and such like, so doth it in the calling to the ministry; by reason whereof all Churches do acknowledge and receive him for a minister of the word, who hath been lawfully called thereunto in any Church of the same professiō. A Doctor created in any University of Christendom, is acknowledged sufficiently qualified to teach in any country. The Church of Rome it self, and the Canon law holdeth it that being ordered in Spain, they may execute that belongeth to their order in Italy, or in any other place. And the Churches of the gospel never made any question of it. Which if they shall now begin to make doubt of, and deny such to be lawfully called to the ministry, as are called by another order then our own, then may it well be looked for that other Churches will do the like: & if a minister called in the low Countries be not lawfully called in England, thē may they say to our preachers which are there, that being made by another order thē theirs, they cannot suffer them to execute any act of ministry amongst them, which in the ende must needs breed a schism & dangerous division in the Churches. Further I have heard of those that are learned in the laws of this land, that by express Statute to that purpose Anno 13. upon subscription of the Articles agreed upon Anno 62. that they who pretend to have been ordered by another order then that which is now established, are of like capacity to enjoy any place of ministry within the land, as they that have been ordered according to that is now by law in this case established. Which comprehēding manifestly all even such as were made Priests according to the order of the Church of Rome, it must needs be that the law of a Christian land professing the Gospel should be as favorable for a mimister of the word as for a Popish Priest, which also was so found in M ^r Whittingames case, who notwithstanding such replies against him, enjoyed still the benefit he had by his ministry, and might have done until this day if God had spared him life so long, which if it be understood so and practiced in others, why should the change of the person alter the right, which the law giveth to all other. The place of ministry, whereunto I was called, was not presentative, and if it had been so surely they would never have presented any man whō they never knew; and the order of this Church is agree able herein to the word of God, and the ancient & best Canons, that no man should be made minister sine titulo. therefore having none I could not by the orders of this Church have entered into the ministry, before I had charge to tend upon. When I was at Anwerp, and to take a place of ministry among the people of that nation, I see no cause why I should have returned again over the seas for orders here, nor how I could have done it, without disallowing the orders of the Churches provided in the country where I was to live. Whereby J hope it appeareth, that my calling to the ministry is lawful, and maketh me by our law of capacity to enjoy any benefit or commodity, that any other by reasō of his ministry may enjoy. But my cause is yet more easy, who reaped no benefit of my ministry by law, receiving only a benevolence and voluntary contribution, and the ministry I dealt with being preaching only, which every Deacon here may do being licensed, and certain that are neither Ministers nor Deacons: thus J answer the former of these two points whereof if there be yet any doubt, J humbly desire for a final ende thereof, that some competent judges in law may determine of it; whereunto J refer & submit myself with all reverence and duty.

The second is, that I preached without license, where unto this is my answer. I have not presumed upon the calling I had to the ministry abroad, to preach, or deal with any part of the ministry within this Church without the consent and allowance of such as were to allow me unto it: my allowance was from the Bishop of London, testified by his two several letters to the inner Temple, who without such testimony would by no means rest satisfied in it; which letters being by me produced, J refer it to your Honors wisdom, whether I have taken upon me to preach without being allowed (as they charge) according to the orders of the Realm. Thus having answered the second point also, J have done with the objection of dealing without calling or license.

The other reason they allege is concerning a late action wherein J had to deal with M ^r Hooker, Master of the Temple: in the handling of which cause they charge me with an indiscretion and want of duty, in that I inveighed (as they say) against certain points of doctrine taught by him as erroneous, not conferring with him, nor complaining of it to them. My answer hereunto standeth in declaring to your Honors the whole course and carriage of that cause, & the degrees of proceeding in it, which J will do as briefly as I can, and according to the truth, God be my witness, as near as my best memory, and notes of remembrance may serve me thereunto. After that I have taken away that which seemeth to have moved them to think me not charitably minded to M ^r Hooker, which is because he was brought into M. Alveyes place, wherein this Church desired that J might have succeeded; which place, if J would have made suit to have obtained, or if J had ambitiously affected and sought, J would not have refused to have satisfied by subscription such as the matter then seemed to depend upon: whereas contrariewise, notwithstanding J would not hinder the Church to do that they thought to be most for their edification and comfort, yet did J neither by speech, nor letter, make suit to any for the obtaining of it, following herein that resolution which J judge to be most agreeable to the word and will of God, that is, that laboring and suing for places and charges in the Church is not lawful. Further whereas at the suit of the Church some of your Honors entertained the cause, and brought it to a near issue, that there seemed nothing to remain, but the commendation of my Lord the Archbishop of Canterbury, when as he could not be satisfied but by my subscribing to his late articles, and that my answer agreeing to subscribe according to any law, and to the statute provided in that case, but praying to be respited for subscribing to any other, which J could not in conscience do, either for the Temple (which otherwise he said he would not commend me to) nor for any other place in the Church, did so little please my Lord Archbishop, as he resolved that otherwise J should not be commended to it. J had utterly here no cause of offense against M ^r Hooker, whom J did in no sort esteem to have prevented or vnderminded me, but that God disposed of me as it pleased him, by such means and occasions as I have declared. Moreover as J had taken no cause of offense at M ^r Hooker for being preferred so there were many witnesses that J was glad that the place was given him, hoping to live in all godly peace and comfort with him, both for acquaintance & good will which hath been between us, and for some kind of affinity in the marriage of his nearest kindred & mine: since his coming J have so carefully endeavored to entertain all good correspondence & agreement with him, as I think he himself will bear me witness of many earnest disputations and conferences with him about the matter; the rather because that contrary to my expectation, he inclined from the beginning but smally thereunto, but joined rather with such as had always opposed themselves to any good order in this charge, and made themselves to be brought indisposed to his present state and proceedings. For both knowing that God's commandment charged me with such duty, and discerning how much our peace might further the good service of God and his Church, and the mutual comfort of us both, J had resolved constantly to seek for peace, and though it should fly from me (as J saw it did by means of some, who little desired to see the good of our Church) yet according to the rule of God's word to follow after it. Which being so (as hereof J take God to witness, who searcheth the heart, and reins, and by his son will judge the world, both the quick and dead) I hope no charitable judgment can suppose me to have stood evil affected towards him for his place, or desirous to fall into any controversy with him. Which my resolution I pursued, that whereas I discovered sundry vnfound matters in his doctrine (as many of his sermons tasted of some sower leaven, or other) yet thus I carried myself towards him. Matters of smaller weight, and so covertlie discovered that no great offense to the Church was to be feared in them, I wholly passed by, as one that discerned nothing of them, or had been unfurnished of replies. For other of greater moment, and so openly delivered, as there was just cause of fear, least the truth and church of God should be prejudiced and perilled by it, and such as the conscience of my duty & calling would not suffer me altogether to pass over, this was my course, to deliver, when I should have just cause by my text, the truth of such doctrine as he had otherwise taught in general speeches, without touch of his person in any sort, and further at cōvenient opportunity to confer with him in such points. According to which determination, whereas he had taught certain things concerning predestination otherwise then the word of God doth, as it is understood by all churches professing the gospel, and not unlike that wherewith Coranus sometimes troubled his church; I both delivered the truth of such points in a general doctrine, without any touch of him in particular, and conferred with him also privatlie upon such articles. In which conference, I remember, when I urged the consent of all churches, and good writers against him that I knew, and desired if it were otherwise, what authors he had seen of such doctrine, he answered me that his best author was his own reason: which I wished him to take heed of, as a matter standing with Christian modesty & wisdom in a doctrine not received by the church, not to trust to his own judgment so far, as to publish it before he had cōferred with others of his profession, laboring by daily prayer, and study to know the will of God, as he did, to see how they understood such doctrine: notwithstanding he with wavering replying that he would some other time deal more largelie in the matter, I wished him, & prayed him not so to do, for the peace of the church, which by such means might be hazarded; seeing he could not but think, that men, who make any conscience of their ministry, will judge it a necessary duty in them, to teach the truth, and to convince the contrary. Another time upon like occasion of this doctrine of his that the assurance of that we believe by the word, is not so certain, as of that we perceive by sense; I both taught the doctrine otherwise, namely the assurance of faith to be greater, which assureth both of things above, and contrary to all sense and human understanding, and dealt with him also privatlie upon that point. According to which course, of late, when as he had taught that the Church of Rome is a true Church of Christ, and a sanctified Church by profession of that truth, which God hath revealed unto us by his son, though not a pure, and perfect Church: & further that he doubted not, but that thousands of the fathers, which lived and died in the superstitions of that church, were saved because of their ignorance, which excuseth them, misalleaging to that end a text of scripture to prove it: the matter being of set purpose openly and at large handled by him, and of that moment that might prejudice the faith of Christ, encourage the ill affected to continue still in their damnable ways, and other weak in faith to suffer themselves easily to be seduced to the destruction of their souls; I thought it my most bounden duty to God, and to his church, whilst I might have opportunity to speak with him, to teach the truth in a general speech in such points of doctrine.

At which time I taught that such as die, or have died at any time in the Church of Rome holding in their ignorance that faith, which is taught in it, and namely justification in part by works, could not be said by the scriptures to be saved. In which matter foreseeing that, if swaded not warilie in it, I should be in danger to be reported (as hath fallen out since notwithstanding) to condemn all the fathers: I said directly and plainly to all men's understanding, that it was not indeed to be doubted, but many of the fathers were saved, but the means (I said) was not their ignorance, which excuseth no man with God, but their knowledge and faith of the truth, which it appeareth God vouchsafed them by many notable monuments and records extant of it in all ages. Which being the last point in all my sermon rising so naturally from the text I then expounded, as would have occasioned me to have delivered such matter, notwithstanding the former doctrine had been sound, and being dealt in by a general speech without touch of his particular: I looked not that a matter of controversy would have been made of it, no more then had been of my like dealing in former time. But far otherwise, then I looked for M ^r Hooker showing no grief of offense taken at my speech all the week long, the next Saboth, leaving to proceed upon his ordinary text, professed to preach again that he had done the day before for some question that his doctrine was drawn into, which he desired might be examined with all severity.

So proceeding, he bestowed his whole time in that discourse, concerning his former doctrine, and answering the places of Scripture, which I had alleged, to prove that a man dying in the Church of Rome is not to be judged by the Scriptures to be saved. In which long speech, and utterly impertinent to his text, under color of answering for himself, he impugned directly and openly to all men's understanding the true doctrine which I had delivered, and added to his former points some other like (as willingly one error followeth another) that is, that the Galatians joining with faith in Christ circumcision, as necessary to salvation, might not be saved. And that they of the Church of Rome may be saved by such a faith of Christ, as they had, with a general repentance of all their errors, notwithstanding their opinion of iustificatiō in part by their works & merits. I was necessarily, though not willingly drawn to say something to the points he objected against sound doctrine, which J did in a short speech in the end of my sermon, with protestation of so doing, not of any finister affection to any man, but to bear witness to the truth according to my calling. And wished, if the matter should needs further be dealt in, some other more convenient way might be taken for it; wherein, I hope, my dealing was manifest to the consciences of all indifferent hearers of me that day, to have been according to peace, and without any uncharitableness being duly considered.

For that I conferred with him the first day, I have shown that the cause requiring of me in duty at the least not to be altogether silent in it, being a matter of such consequence, that the time also being short, wherein I was to preach after him, the hope of the fruit of our communication being small, upon experience of former conferences, my expectation being that the church should be no further troubled with it, upon the motion I made of raking some other course of dealing. I suppose my differring to speak with him till some fit opportunity, cannot in charity be judged uncharitable.

The second day his unlooked for opposition with the former reasons made it to be a matter that required of necessity some public answer; which being so temperate as I have shown, if notwithstanding it be censured as uncharitable, and punished so grievously as it is, what should have been my punishment if (without all such cautions & respects as qualified my speech) I had before all, and in the understanding of all so reproved him offending openly, that other might have feared to do the like? Which yet if I had done, might have been warranted by the rule & charge of the Apostles, them that offend openly rebuke openly, that the rest may also fear, and by his example, who when Peter in this very case which is now between us, had (not in preaching) but in a matter of conversation not gone with a right foot, as was fit, for the truth of the gospel, conferred not privately with him, but, as his own rule required, reproved him openly before all, that other might hear, and fear, and not dare to do the like: all which reasons together weighed I hope will show the manner of my dealing to have been charitable, and warrantable in every sort.

The next sabbath day after this M ^r Hooker kept the way he had entered into before, and bestowed his whole hour and more only upon the questions he had moved and maintained, wherein he so set forth the agreement of the Church of Rome with us, & their disagreement from us, as if we had consented in the greatest, & weightiest points, and differed only in certain smaller matters: which agreement noted by him in two chief points, is not such as he would have made men believe. The one in that he said, they acknowledged all men sinners, even the blessed Virgin, though some of them freed her from sin, for the Council of Trent holdeth that she was free from sin. Another in that he said; they teach Christ's righteousness to be the only meritorious cause of taking away sin, and differ from us only in the applying of it. For Thomas Aquinas their chief schooleman, and Archbishop Catherinus teach, that Christ took away only original sin, and that the rest are to be taken away by our selves; yea the council of Trent teacheth that righteousness, whereby we are righteous in God's sight, is an inherent righteousness: which must needs be of our own works, and cannot be understood of the righteousness inherent only in Christ's person, and accounted unto us. Moreover he taught the same time, that neither the Galatians, nor the Church of Rome did directly overthrow the foundation of justification by Christ alone, but only by consequent, and therefore might well be saved; or else neither the Churches of Lutherans, nor any which hold any manner of error could be saved, because (saith he) every error by consequent overthroweth the foundation. In which discourses and such like he bestowed his whole time, & more, which, if he had affected either the truth of God, or the peace of the Church, he would truly not have done. Whose example could not draw me to leave the Scripture I took in hand, but standing about an hour to deliver the doctrine of it, in the end upon just occasion of the text leaving sundry other his unsound speeches, and keeping me still to the principal; I confirmed the believing the doctrine of justification by Christ only to be necessary to the justification of all that should be saved, and that the Church of Rome directly denieth that a man is saved by Christ, or by faith alone without the works of the law. Which my answer as it was most necessary for the service of God, and the church, so was it without any immodest, or reproachful speech in M ^r Hooker, whose vnfound and willful dealings in a cause of so great importance to the faith of Christ, and salvation of the Church, notwithstanding I knew well what speech it deserved, and what some zealous earnest man of the spirit of John and James surnamed Boanerges sons of thunder would have said in such a case: yet I chose rather to content myself in exhorting him to revisite his doctrine, as Nathan the Prophet did, the devise which without consulting with God he had of himself given to David concerning the building of the Temple: and with Peter the Apostle to endure to be withstood in such a case not unlike unto this. This in effect was that which passed between us concerning this matter, & the invectives I made against him, wherewith I am charged; which rehearsal, I hope, may clear me (with all that shall indifferently consider it) of the blames laid upon me for want of duty to M ^r Hooker in not conferring with him, whereof I have spoken sufficiently already: and to the high commission in not revealing the matter to them, which yet now I am further to answer. My answer is, that I protest no contempt nor willful neglect of any lawful authority staide me from complaining unto them, but these reasons following.

First I was in some hope, that M ^r Hooker, notwithstanding he had been overcarried with a show of charity to prejudice the truth, yet when it should be sufficiently proved, would have acknowledged it, or at the least induced with peace, that it might be offered without either offense to him, or to such as would receive it; either of which would have taken away any cause of just complaint. When neither of these fell out according to my expectation, and desire, but that he replied to the truth, and objected against it, I thought he might have some doubts, and scruples in himself, which yet if they were cleared, he would either embrace some doctrine, or at least suffer it to have his course; which hope of him I nourished so long as the matter was not bitterlie, and immodestlie handled between us.

Another reason was the cause it self, which according to the parable of the tares (which are said to be sown amongst the wheat) sprung up first in his grass. Therefore as the servants in that place are not said to have come to complain to the Lord till the tares came to show their fruits in their kind: so I thinking it yet but a time of discovering of it, what it was, desired not their sickle to cut it down.

For further answer it is to be considered, that the conscience of my duty to God, and to his Church, did bind me at the first to deliver sound doctrine in such points, as had been otherwise uttered in the place, where I had now some years taught the truth. Otherwise the rebuke of the Prophet had fallen upon me for not going up to the breach, and standing in it, and the peril for answering the blood of the City, in whose watch-tower I sat, if it had been surprised by my default. Moreover my public protestation in being unwilling, that if any were not yet satisfied, some other more conveniēt way might be taken for it. And lastly that J had resolved (which I uttered before to some dealing with me about the matter) to have protested the next Saboth day, that I would no more answer in that place any objections to the doctrine taught by any means, but some other way satisfy such as should require it. These I trust may make it appear, that I failed not in duty to authority; notwithstanding I did not complain, nor give over so soon dealing in the case. If I did, how is he clear, which can allege none of all these for himself, who leaving the expounding of the Scriptures, and his ordinary calling, voluntarily discoursed vpō school points and questions neither of edification, nor of truth, who after all this, as promising to himself, and to untruth a victory by my silence, added yet in the next Saboth day to the maintenance of his former opinions these which follow.

That no additament taketh away the foundation except it be a privatiue, of which sort neither the works added to Christ by the Church of Rome, nor circumcision by the Galatians were as one denieth him not to be a man, that saith he is a righteous man, but he that saith he is a dead man: whereby it might seem that a man might without hurt add works to Christ, and pray also, that God and S. Peter would save him.

That the Galatians case is harder then the case of the Church of Rome, because the Galatians joined circumcision with Christ, which God hath forbidden, and abolished: but that which the Church of Rome joined with Christ were good works which God hath commanded. wherein he committed a double fault; one, in expounding all the question of the Galatians, and consequently of the Romans, and other Epistles of circumcision only, and the ceremonies of the law (as they do who answer for the Church of Rome in their writings) contrary to the clear meaning of the Apostle, as may appear by many strong, and sufficient reasons: the other in that he said the addition of the Church of Rome was of works commanded of God, whereas the least part of the works, whereby they looked to merit, was of such works, and most were of supererogation, and of works which God never commanded, but was highly displeased with, as of Masses, Pilgrimages, pardons, pains of Purgatory, and such like: further that no one sequel urged by the Apostle against the Galatians for joining circumcision with Christ, but might be as well enforced against the Lutherans, that is, that for their vbiquitie it may be as well said to them, if ye hold the body of Christ to be in all places, you are fallen frō grace, you are under the curse of the law, saying, cursed be he that fulfilleth not all things written in this book with such like: he added yet further, that to a Bishop of the Church of Rome, to a Cardinal, yea to the Pope himself, acknowledging Christ to be the savior of the world, denying other errors, & being discomforted for want of works whereby he might be justified, he would not doubt but use this speech; Thou holdest the foundation of Christian faith, though it be but by a slender thread; thou holdest Christ, though but as by the hem of his garment, why shouldst thou not hope that virtue may pass from Christ to save thee? That, which thou holdest of justification by thy works, overthroweth indeed by consequent the foundation of Christian faith; but be of good cheer, thou hast not to do with a captious Sophister, but with a merciful God, who will justify thee, for that thou holdest, and not take the advantage of doubtful construction to condemn thee. And if this, he said, be an error, I hold it willingly; for it is the greatest comfort I have in this world, without which I would not wish either to speak or to live. Thus far, being not to be answered in it anymore, he was bold to proceed; the absurdity of which speech I need not to stand upon. I think the like to this and other such in this sermon, and the rest of this matter hath not been heard in public places within this land since Queen Mary's days. What consequence this doctrine may be of, if he be not by authority ordered to revoke it, I beseech your HH. as the truth of God & his gospel is deer and precious unto you, according to your godly wisdoms to consider.

I have been bold to offer to your HH. a long and tedious discourse of these matters. But speech being like to tapestry, which, if it be folded up, showeth but part of that which is wrought, and being vnlapt & laid open showeth plainly to the eye all the work that is in it; I thought it necessary to unfold this tapestry, & to hang up the whole chamber of it in your most Honorable senate: that so you may the more easily discern of all the pieces, and the sundry works and matters contained in it. Wherein my hope is your HH. may see J have not deserved so great a punishment as is laid upon the Church for my sake, and also upon myself in taking from me the exercise of my ministry: which punishment how heavy it may seem to the Church, or fall out indeed to be, J refer it to them to judge, & spare to write what I fear; but to myself it is exceeding grievous, for that it taketh from me the exercise of my calling. Which I do not say is dear unto me as the means of that little benefit whereby I live (although this be a lawful consideration, and to be regarded of me in due place, and of the authority under whose protection I most willingly live, even by God's commandment, both unto them, and unto me:) but which ought to be more precious to me then my life, for the love which J should bear to the glory and honor of Almighty God, and to the edification and salvation of his Church, for that my life cannot any other way be of like service to God, nor of such use and profit to men by any means: for which cause, as J discern, how dear any ministry ought to be unto me, so it is my hearty desire, and most humble request unto God, to your HH. and to all the authority I live under, to whom any dealing herein belongeth, that I may spend my life according to his example, who in a word of like sound of fuller sense * comparing by it the bestowing of his life to the offering poured out upon the sacrifice of the faith of God's people, and especially of this Church whereupon I have already poured out a great part thereof in the same calling, from which I stand now restrained. And if your HH. shall find it so that J have not deserved so great a punishment, but rather performed the duty, which a good and faithful servant ought in such a case to do to his Lord, & the people he putteth him in trust withal carefully to keep; I am a most humble suitor by these presents to your HH. that by your godly wisdom, some good course may be taken for the restoring of me to my ministry and place again. Which so great a favor shall bind me yet in a greater obligation of duty (which is already so great, as it seemed nothing could be added unto it, to make it greater) to honor God daily for the continuance and increase of your good estate, and to be ready with all the poor means God hath given me, to do your HH. that faithful service, I may possibly perform: but if, notwithstanding my cause be never so good, your HH. can by no means pacify such as are offended, nor restore me again, then am I to rest in the good pleasure of God, and to commend to your HH. protection under her Majesty's my private life, while it shall be led in duty, and the Church to him, who hath redeemed to himself a people with his precious blood, & is making ready to come to judge both the quick & the dead, to give to everyone according as he hath done in this life, be it good or evil, to the wicked and vnbeleever justice unto death, but to the faithful, and such as love his truth mercy and grace to life everlasting.