MEN of anie sound iudge­mente (good Sir) that hard or read that decla­mation made at Paules Crosse the 9. of Februa­rie, 1588. in time of Parlament, by RICHARD BANCROFT, D. of Diuinity, and chap­laine, &c, (as he will needs be styled) and afterward enlarged by him, and set forth in print, may easily perceiue that (small regard had to godly edifiyng, by the right cutting of that worthy text of Scripture. Beleeue not euerie Spirit, &c. 1. IOHN. 4. 1. which then hee tooke to entreate) he made the whol drift of his speach, to serue his intended turne, for a bitter inuection against the godlie brethren of Englande, who vrge Reformation of that Churche, and chiefly, the remoouing of that heauie [Page] bondage of Antichristian gouernment by loftie Lordes, wrongfully called Bishops, (an hurtfull relicke of Romish confusion) & restoring in the place thereof, the ioynt administration of Christian Discipline by the Ministers and Elders of the Churche, which is most clearely prooued by them and others, to be established by the word of GOD, to continue to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ: whose godly ende­uours, when for a while he hath laboured to improoue, after his maner, hee leaueth the matter in question at last altogeather, and setteth himself against theyr persons, and trauaileth with tooth and naile (as they say) to bring them into extreame ha­tred with the supreme Magistrate, as men who by this their new gouernment (so it pleaseth him to speake of it) intend no les matter then hie Treason and rebellion, by ouerthrowing her Majesties authority in Ecclesiasticall causes, and highly deroga­ting thereby, to her supreamacie in that case, to the apparant indangering of her person and state in the end, except good order bee taken with the matter in time: Then the which, what can bee more odi­ously affirmed, and more woorthy of ex­treme [Page] punishment, if it be true.

But how doth he prooue all this geare I pray you? euen from his owne feare for­sooth, which riseth vpon his falsly conie­ctured suspicions, without al groundes of truth, to wit, that as outlandish meanes & practises haue bene traiterous and rebel­lious, in erecting and establishing of this new gouernement (as he speaketh) so hee feareth, that they, who so exactly, and with such hoat persuit, follow the outlan­dish preceptes in this case, will fall to the same meanes in England, pag. of his book 83. 84. and least his credite should come in question, for abusing his auditors with vntruthes in this matter, he wil not seeme to speake any thing without his warrand: and therefore finding nothing to charge the good breethren at hoame withall in this case: (such is the mercy of GOD to­ward them, that the very aduersarie him­selfe, seeking matter of accusation against them, can finde no hole in their coat, doe his best, but by his vnwilling silence, is compelled, in a manner, to iustifie their dewtifull modestie, in seeking Reformati­on hitherto.) Not being able then I say, to finde any thing against the brethren of [Page] Englande in this case (for otherwise they shoulde haue heard of it, ye may bee sure) he raungeth abroad, and as a stranger cu­rious in an other Commonweale, making choise, especially of Scotland, hee setteth vpon it with al his maine, assuring himself of sure proof of his purpose from thence, Pag. 72. In doing whereof, as he most out­ragiously vpbraideth our whole Ministe­rie, & Christian Discipline of our church, with a cartful of calumneis, vtered against them both: So he cannot refrain himselfe from most reprochfull slaundering of the K. Majestie himselfe, as after shal be seen, and disdaineful contemning of the whole inhabitants of the land. A perrilous pra­ctise (whose Chaplaine so euer hee be) a­gainst the happie amitie between the two Realmes, especially now, in these daunge­rous daies, wherein our common peace is so highly indangered, aswel by the dome­sticque male-contens and conspirators at home, as by the forraine detected enemy abroad: good men in the meane time pil­lers, as it were, and chiefe intertainers thereof, daily waxing fewer and fewer in both the lands.

Neuerthelesse, so egar is the man in the [Page] matter, that before hee will not bring his stick to the fire, he will not spare to speake euil, euen, of those things which he know­eth not, and verye boldelye, though most rashly, builde vppe an vglie heape of most slanderous accusations against our sayde Church, and that vpon the false testimo­nies of the friuelous reports of other mē, and chiefly of two, the very bare naming of whom, where they are knowne, is suffi­cient ynough of it selfe, to discredit what­soeuer is alleadged in their names: For as touching the former of them, corruptlie and falslie called Bishop of S. Androis,P. Adamson it is much better that the legend of his leud life bee buried in eternall obliuion, then that Christian eares should bee polluted with the vnsauorie mention thereof. Al­though it is not hard to gesse, the whole course of his proceedings (as a Lyon may bee knowen by his clawes) by one spe­ [...]iall action. For what will that man be a­shamed to doe, that durst father his owne forgerie vppon the Lords lieuetenant the K. Majestie himselfe, and that in a matter of no lesse importance, then the declarati­on of the meaning of some acts of Parlia­ment, which howbeit it was but his own [Page] declaration (as his Majestie hath plainely witnessed by his own hand writ yet extant to be seene) and not the Kings. Yet durst he bee bolde to giue it out in the Kinges name, as though, hee had beene the verie vndouted author therof: If this be not to play the falsarie forger, & that in the hiest degree, let the Chaplain himself be judge.

But here hee will replie, that this is but our Ministers affirmation (who saith hee, page 75. dare say what they list.) Other­wise, as the declaration is the Kings: so, as for the King, he is not altered. Ictus pi­scator sapit, &c. Whereby he will not only haue that counterfeit and bastard decla­ration bound on the Kinges backe, whe­ther he will or not: But before it shall not be so, he dare be bold, in the same page a­boue cited, to charge his Majestie with deepe dissimulation, while in effect, he af­firmeth, that howbeit the king by his wri­ting, speaking, and actions, would seeme to approoue the present exercise of that same discipline, which so flatly is condem­ned in that foresaid declaration: yet hee doth not approue it in hart, because (saith the Chaplaine) hee is not altered, to wit, from that thing which he would haue him [Page] to haue set downe in that declaration, flat contrary to his present practise, allowing it after al the waies foresaid. In the which saying, hee necessarily dooth implie deepe dissimulation to be in his Majestie, while hee will haue him to condemne that in heart, which in deed so manifestly he doth allow: let it be judged then, whether it be our ministers that speak as they list, or he.

It had become his person and place to haue spoken & written, at the least, more reuerently of his Majestie, how vncharita­blie so euer hee had judged of him in his mind: yea, charitie would haue made him thinke with himselfe (if there had beene a sponke thereof within him) that nowe be­ing of perfect age, and yeres of discretion, he is christianlie mooued in singlenesse of hart, by his auctority to approue that christian discipline, which nowe he cleerely se­eth to be so well warranted by the worde of God, which perhaps in his minority & none age (being misled by crafty men) he did not so perfitly vnderstand. But let not his maiestie, nor any prince, looke for any better dealing at the handes of any of his coat, when their honor, & these mens pro­fites come into their way to be ballanced.

[Page] But God be praised, it hath pleased his maiestie, not to winke at this malapert ca­lumny, but to note it with a coale, to their confusion that allowed of that lye, while by his owne hande writ, set downe in the margent of BANCROFTS book, page fore­said, iust ouer aboue these his most impu­dent assertions. ‘For the K. he is not alte| red: Ictus Piscator sapit. his crown & their soueraignty will not agree together,’ most plainely hee declareth the singlenes of his hart in this behalf, flat cōtrary to these im­pudent assertions in the words following.

MY SPEAKING, VVRITING, AND ACTIONS, VVERE AND ARE EVER ONE, VVITHOVT DISSEMBLING, OR BEARING VP AT ANY TIME, VVHAT EVER I THOVGHT.

Whereby, as he purgeth him selfe of al dissembling in times past, so hee protest­eth, that his speaking, writing, and actions in approuing the present exercise of Disci­pline, are fully agreeing to his thought & minde, and therefore hee concludeth in these wordes following.

Ergo CASTS THE LIBEL, nequid asperius.

Which is as much to say, as, wherefore the D. assertions are vntrue, to vse no [Page] rougher tearmes, which after his accusto­med maner, is subscribed as followeth:

I. R. That is, Iacobus Rex.

Which wordes vttered in Scottish after this sorte, if the Chaplaine shall goe about to misconstrue, or wrangle from this his true meaning, his M. hath faithfully pro­mised to giue him such a categoricke, and simple answer by a plain lie in round eng­lish, as shall make him, and al his maintai­ners in this cause, to be ashamed that euer they medled with this matter. Thus god recompenseth the foolish, while hee ma­keth deceite to returne into the harte of them that forge euil.

And touchinge that truthles TVRI­NVS, of whome the Chaplain had the pa­terne of this pagean: he is presently as far out of his maiesties fauour (let the Bisho­pists of England trust the intelligence gi­uen by him to them of the contrary, so much as they lift) as euer before he semed to be in it. But whether he shal receaue the like recompense in the end, that that his predecessor did, at the the handes of that worthy emperor Alexander Seuerus, while being fastened to a stake, the cryer stoode thus crying to the people, smoke he solde, [Page] and with smoke he is punished, it resteth to his maiesties discretion to consider.

But yet I thinke that soe the Chaplaine will not let goe his holde: but wil alledge that in noe wise hee is to bee blamed for building vppon the testimony of this his author, in that declaration at least (what euer the man be otherwise) seeing, so pub­lickly & vniuersally, in a maner, it was re­ceiued by many of his betters, for the K. owne declaratiō, in so much, y^t it was prin­ted again, & reprinted with a most odious preface at London, without any controle­ment, in so far as it cōcerned vs, red, & re­marked diligētly by many, & vigilantly in­sinuated to the view of som chief persona­ges of the state, who were made so to like of it, & to thinke it to be of truth, like to som new gospel, that som, not of the most inferior of such, whoe are called children of the most high amonge them, haue not spared, as we heare, to take boldnes ther­by of late, in their publict Iudiciary trials reprochfully, to vpbraid our countrimen, in the persons of such as were tried before them, comparing them to Scottish men, who when the K. proclaimed a feast, wold needes haue a fast, or contrariwise, when [Page] the K. wold haue a feast, they proclaimed a fast, alluding to that false narration, tou­ching the banketting of the French Am­bassadour, set downe in that counterfait declaration. And last of al, for the perpe­tual triumphing memory thereof against vs, it was insert, worde for worde, in the Chronicle of England, cōpiled by HOLIN­SHED, and published to the posteritie in print. To the which I answer, that as the multitude of offenders authoriseth not an errour: so he shoulde not haue follow­ed a multitude to doe euill, much lesse shoulde hee haue added euil to euil, and done worse then any that went before him: but before the publishing of so waighty a matter after such a maner, hee should without partiality haue examined the truthe of the thing to the bottome: and not otherwise so impotentlye haue suffered him selfe, to haue bene caryed a­way through the apish Imitation of men, perfitly knowne to him to be partially af­fected in this case: yea, and to speake fur­ther, howbeit the most part of the things contained in that slanderous libel, after due trial, had bin founde true, yet charity would rather haue buried, euen, the mul­titude [Page] of sins, then so bitterly haue blown abroad some ouersights, to the reproch of a whole reformed church. What could the veriest Papist of them al haue done more?

But what should be said to a bellie that hath no eares, that poore DEMAS (if he be no woorse) hunting appearandly for promotion to some Prelacie (as the man­ner is) is so incorporate with that compa­nie of climers to preferment (as they call it) and imbracers of this present worlde, that he is as corrupt, & partial in this case, as the proudest of them: so that of one, ye may learne all: Otherwise, if there had bene but a sponke of sincere judgement in him: as worthelie hee might haue suspe­cted that marueilous heape of most hor­rible accusations, to haue bene incredible in a Churche, namely, where so long the truth hath beene sincerely preached and professed: So, he needed not to thinke it a­ny strange or new thing, for crafty miscre­ants, hauiug credit in Court, and church, to finde the meanes many times, to abuse the names of Princes and excellent men: yea, and of God himselfe, as cloakes to couer their diuelish, and naughty deuises. Whereof, let these examples be witnesses, [Page] to wit, of IOAB, IES ABEL, HAMAN, GEHASI, the old Prophet of Bethel, and all the false Prophets, false Apostles, and false teachers that euer spake, or speak the vision of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord: and who ran and runne when the Lord hath not sent them.

And last, touching the printing againe and reprinting of that forged declaration at London, and ioyning it to the chronicle of England, where through some, whome the Lorde hath called Gods, thinking all cock sure, take occasion of vpbraiding the Ministerie of our Countrie when it plea­seth them: As these shall die ignominious­ly like men, except they repent: So, what honour those haue procured thereby to their Country, & what credit to the chro­nicle therof, let them brag of it, when the vprightnes of our cause sufficiently clea­red by this and the like writings, shall iu­stifie it selfe to their faces, and the true storie thereof, that shall remaine registred to all posterities, shall witnesse the honesty and duetifull dealing of our Church in al things, to their shame.

Thus much then being spoken, touch­ing the former of the Chaplains two wit­nesses: [Page] let vs nowe come to the other, his inconstant Countrey-man (as hee descri­beth him,R Browne for as for mee, hee shall bee no woorse, then he himselfe maketh him) the naming of whome, belike, might doe his cause more harme, then his testimony can doe it good, and therefore he contenteth him self, with a very slender description of him: so that not without a note of reproch in the end he sendes him packing in these wordes following. ‘This mans opinion heerein (saith he) I knowe wilbe greately contemned, because I thinke hee hath bin of an other judgement, &c. Howebeit let him finde what fauour at their handes he shall: I must indeede confesse, that if this matter had onely depended vppon his re­port or opinion: I would not at this time haue made mention of him.’ Wherby you see what a wethercock he maketh of him, and howe rediculously he leaueth him, to beg credite where hee may finde it, for he can giue him none. Here I omitt to make mention of the Iar, that is fallen out since betweene our Chapleine, and his subor­ned witnes, for that, that vpon no fair pro­mise of recompense, hee coulde procure newe furniture at his hands, of some more [Page] particular matter against the newe onset, that with long preparation he hath inten­ded against vs: Seeing then, that no mans pen nor tong can more discredite this his second witnes, then he doth him self (part­ly by the wordes aboue rehearsed, & part­ly by the D. words following in his decla­mation, where he flatly again maketh him to be of a changeable humor.) If he drink no better by his meanes, then hee hath brewed, let him blame himself, vnderstan­ding that euil aduise is worst to the adui­ser: I will not speake at this time of the shameles falsehoode that is alleadged out of the testimonye it selfe, which whensoe­uer it shalbe particularly examined, will make the D. repent that euer hee cited such a testimony, & specially, where most impudently it is affirmed, that hee hath knowne the Kinge in greate danger, and feare of his life by their lordly Discipline, the contrary whereof, as it is cleerely kno­wen to al the worthie persons, Ambassa­dors of England, who haue had their long residence here amonge vs, and priuate in­telligence of al our affaires, after an other manner, then euer his wandring witnesse coulde attaine vnto: so is it many wayes [Page] affirmed by the K. himselfe, and daylie experience, God be praised, doth confirm the same.

Both the Chaplaines authors then, be­ing such prettie fellowes, as hath bin de­clared, I trust it be not hard to bee seene, how little credit is to bee giuen to his de­clamation, grounded vppon their railing reports (to leaue the demōstration of the falshood of the matter vttered by them, to the owne time and place.) For he should haue considered, that of how little credit soeuer he was himselfe, yet it behoued his witnesses to be free of infamy, according to the saying, a Proctor may be infamous, but not a witnes. But it seemeth, that ei­ther he was not greatly careful of his own name, who would repose vppon the crac­ked credits of such defamed persons, in so waighty a matter, or els he thought (as GYGES did, by means of his ring) to walke inuisible, as in a cloud, that none could or would espy his nakednes. But good man, he is far deceiued, as by the answere to his seuerall asseuerations (if neede be) more throughly & sensibly he shall vnderstand.

It is easie then to be seene, how far short the Chaplaine hath come in probation of [Page] the alleadged treasonable outlandish pra­ctises, of men of the new gouernment (as scoffingly he calleth the vrgers of Refor­mation) whereof he would seeme to take such feare, that except good order be ta­ken to preuent the like at hoame, thinges will grow to some extremities, pag. of his booke 83. And therefore I trust the Q. M. and her honorable Councell, will see this surmised proposition of danger of outlan­dish practises, by the meanes of Christian Discipline, to be somwhat better proued, before they will feare any danger to insue to their state through the same: yea, and I thinke, if they knew, but euen so much, as heere truly I haue set downe to you (Sir) in this short discourse, touching this mat­ter, as the cause of christian disciplin shuld euen be the better liked of them all, seing it, & the fauorers of it, to be so shamefully belied: So the D. patrons in this case, shuld pride themselues but a little, of that slan­derous declamation, & thinke them and their cause but smally beholden vnto it, what euer hath bene their opinion there­of before.

For let any wise man iudge, if one eg can be more like another, then the D. maner [Page] of reasoning is to that forme: that REHVM SHIMSHAI, & the rest of the mē bejond the riuer, vsed in a letter to K. ART AHSHASH­TE, for hindering the building of Ierusa­lem, EZ. 4. saue only, that the iudgemēt of them beyond the riuer, was found to be in the authentik bokes of the chronicles, ac­cording as was alleadged by them: & our chaplains argumēt leaneth only vpon the counterfeit, & forged chartales of known and confessed infamous persons, & a false Chronical grounded thereupon. Where­fore, if their authentike books of Chroni­cles, did not truly conuince Ierusalem to be a rebellious citie to kings and prouin­ces, of what force should this Chaplaines infamous libel be (I pray you) against the good brethren of England, to proue that they will be rebellious to their Princes, if that christiā disciplin be admitted to haue place within that land? For as Ierusalem was not a rebellious citie to kings & pro­uinces indeed, howbeit the books of their Chronicles did beare so: So the exercisers of christian discipline in Scotland, are not necessarily to be accounted rebellious to the K. for exercising of the same, howbe­it, the bookes of the register of the acts of [Page] Scotland did containe the same. Howe much lesse then, ought false surmised for­geries of known infamous men haue cre­dite in that case?

And if the enuy of the sect of the Naza­rites vrged by prophane TERTVLLVS, is not sufficient to beare downe PAVLE, as a seditious mouer of the people, because he professed, preached, and followed Iesus of Nazaret, whom the Iewes most iniustly & wickedly slewe, as a seditious person, and blasphemer, by the meanes of two sub­borned false witnesses, Why should the good brethren of England, that seeke re­formation, be charged with a mind here­after of sedition, by the meanes of Disci­pline, because the Church of Scotland, in respect of the same Discipline exercised in it, is vniustlie, condemned of sedition, by the hie Priests of our daies, two false wit­nesses being alleaged for that purpose, by their TERTVLLVS at Pauls Crosse? I see no reason why they should. Let not the com­parison be odious, because, I compare not the persons in themselues, but in the cau­ses, which haue their own likenes & agre­ment in some proportion. I haue insisted the more in this matter, bicaus, your cause [Page] and ours, are most neer linked togeather. For the aduersaries would terrifie her M. frō admitting of christian discipline with­in her realm, for fear of like inconuenien­ces to fal out therby to her quiet gouern­mēt, which are falsly alledged to haue fal­lē out by the same, to our K. & state. How be it, it be not good logicke, to charge the good cause of discipline, with any infamy, by reason of the faults of the Ministers & fauourers thereof, yea, euen put case they were sufficiently proued, seeing that is but a sophisme from the person to the cause, (as they say) How much lesse then, ought it to be condemned, when the aduersaries ar not able, do their best, to blot euen the persons, by accusing of whom, they labor to cōdemne the cause. But I perswade my selfe, that all this their paralogizing, and false maner of reasoning shal helpe them, and hurt vs as little in the ende, as the so­phistry of REHVM and his companions be­yond the riuer, helped their cause, & hin­dred the bulding of the Temple: & as the smooth Rhetoricke of TERTVLLVS, pre­uailed not against PAVLE, no more shall their course alwaies preuaile against the good cause in Englande. Wherefore, let [Page] GAI and ZACHARIAS do their parts faith­fully, and without fainting, exhort al men acording to their callings, to further this holy building, not doubting, but God in his time, shall mooue DARIVS fully to au­thorise the building of Ierusalem: howbe­it, through the injury of these daies, men may bee forced to leaue of building for a season: And let PAVL stand stoutly to the defence of his iust cause, saying confident­ly: Neither can they prooue the thinges, whereof now they accuse me. Act. 24. 13. And TERTVLLVS, & his maintainers shall finde themselues disappointed, and PAVL by little, and litle, shal grow to some grea­ter liberty, and his cause shall preuaile in the end.

But nowe let vs come, accordinge to your desire, to the causes why that decla­mation of D. BANCROFTS, so far as concer­ning Scotland, is not answered, wherein howbeit I am not to prejudge the church of Scotland, yet for your further satisfacti­on, I haue thought good to set downe the causes of the delay, so far as euer I coulde learn or perceiue. And first you may be as­sured that it was not for lacke of habilitie in the meanest of a thousand in Scotlande [Page] to haue confuted that calūnious chartale, fraughted with as many lyes almost, as it hath lines,I. W. that it was not answered: how­soeuer it pleaseth som of your grand DD. (very learned men,T. C. ye may be sure, if they be not far deceued) reprochefully to point out some of our wel approoued brethren, and especially one, by the note, of like an vnlearned, yea then, a very vnlerned Scot: Whome yet notwithstanding they neuer hard nor sawe, more then D. BANCROFTE did heare and see the Church of Scotland, and the things wherewith most rashly hee doth charge it: But who is so bold, as they say, as blind bayard. Yet if any ARISTAR­CHVS among them, hath taken occasion of the writing of anye brother here, so to speake, let it bee judged by the learned, what iust cause he had so to do: & I doubt not, but he shalbe found to haue had litle learning, and lesse conscience in so doing, which is spoken, not so much for the Apo­logy of any man at this time: as to note the disdainefull contempt of these hauty persons. For he must be of very rare lear­ning, as not a few can beare me witnes, in whom this sort (for I speake not of all) of the generation of Bishopists will acknow­ledge [Page] any learning to be, if once directlie and seriously, he oppone himselfe to their pride: For as there is nothing, wherin they commonly boast them selues more, then in the beard, & shew of learning: as thogh who forsooth but they onely: So is there no shaft that oftner flieth out of their bag against others, then the boult of lack lear­ning. Howbeit, if it were not for auoiding of vncomly, and vnchristian rendering of reproch, for reproch, it were no hard ma­ter shortly to decipher the profound sci­ence of those two especially, who were chief authors of that reproch, & to let thē vnderstand, of what form & classe among the learned, learned men indeede, did euer esteeme them to bee, notwithstan­ding, all the windye volumes written by them: For Scribimus indocti doctique, &c. Howbeit, yet I deny not so much know­ledge vnto them otherwise, as shall bee a witnes against them, if they vse it not bet­ter, & as might profit the Church in some measure, if they had grace to imploy it to the right end.

But to returne to our purpose, as the answer was not delaied, for lacke of suffi­cient qualified men amongest vs for that, [Page] & for a greater purpose, God be praised, if need be: so it was thought needles, & su­perfluous, here amongst our selues, where the truth of those things alledged in that Pamphlet were so clearly known, as there needed no other confutation of them, then the shamelesse impudencie of them­selues: And as for the answere, in respect of others, it was delaied first, as I take it, for auoiding of vnhappy contention, that is woont to arise vppon suche occasions, wherby it might haue come to passe, that daungerous alteration might haue bene wrought betweene the two Realmes, as a godly and wise man of yours, commen­ding the discretion of our mē in that case, did not conceal, in a letter written to som of good account in our Countrey, not long ago. For the firebrand of selfeloue, and great ardency of men, in defending their owne sayings & doings whatsoeuer, suffereth thē not many times, so much to regard the truth and peace of the church, as their own stincking estimation: where­of, there is too great proofe in manifolde lamentable examples, aswell of antiquity, as of our own daies, both far and neer, to the timely admonition of vs all, if adui­sedly [Page] we consider of the counsaile of gods spirite, saying: ‘The beginning of strife, is as one that openeth the waters,’ therefore or the contention be meddled with, leaue off: Which howbeit more fitly, it may be applied to the aduersaries (in this case) the persuers then to our Church, yet no man I trust, can blame the Ministerie of Scotlande, to regard it greatly, so long as there is any hope that the truth, and their innocencie may be in faftie without their answere: otherwise, they are not ignorant, that, there is no les danger, alwais to keep silence, then neuer, as HILARIE speaketh.

Secondly, the answere was deferred, as I take it, in hope of due redresse to be put to that offence by the Q. M. and her Honourable Counsaile, who our men thought (as they thinke yet) esteemed so of their friendship, that they wold not suf­fer them to lie vnder any opprobrie vn­remooued, so farre as lay in them, neither would suffer them to receiue any iniurie vncorrected, at the hands of any whome they might command: For there are not many years past, since it plesed her M. not without signification of a thankful mind, by her letters, to acknowledge the Mini­sters [Page] of Scotlād by name, to be hir most lo­uing & trusty frends in Christ (as yet God be praised they cōtinue to this day, which is not vnknown to her M. & faithful coun­sellers) in regard whereof, they yet expect the due amendement of that wrong, and that so much the more, as they haue bene put in hope thereof, from thence by writ, purposly written to that effect, from some great personages, who, howbeit nowe they rest from their labours (to the no small forewarning of the present state of Englande, if the matter be well marked) yet our men think, that they shal not lack such fauour in that Counsaile, as shal pro­cure redresse of that iniury in due season, in respect of the good opinion they vn­derstande (and that euen by writ of late) her Majestie and Counsaile, yet retaine of the Ministery of Scotland, & their christi­an friendship toward them, & that estate.

Thirdly and last, a secret bridle of God (who ruleth the actions of men acording to the dispensation of his prouidēce) stai­ed thē from answering, for causes known onely to himselfe, as they so sensiblie in a manner haue perceiued (especially they, who were priuie to the matter) that the [Page] knowledge thereof, may sufficiently satis­fie the minde of any modest man, who wil acknowledge the prouident dispensa­tion of God to be such, as howsoeuer the heart of man purposeth his waye, yet the Lord doth direct his steps.

This much I thought meet (good Sir) to impart vnto you, touching the dange­rous rashnes of D. BANCROFT, in slande­ring our whole Church so vnaduisedly, af­ter such a publicke manner, and that vp­pon the naked reportes, of two such infa­mous witnesses (partlye, by manifest de­monstration of trecherous dealing in one of them, and partly by his owne confessi­on, touching the other) as are not to haue credite against any particular Christian, much les, against a whole Church, a King, and a Realme: As also touching the cau­ses of the deferring of the answere there­vnto, so far as I vnderstand, which things, if they were known to the D. and his com­plices, (but euen as heere rudely they are set downe) they might peraduenture let them haue experience (which is a fooles, though not a foolishe maister) that they haue run to far headlong into these slan­derous and new deuises: and so hearafter [Page] might learne more aduisedly and charita­blie, to deale with their neighbours and brethren, who haue deserued no suche things at their hands: Yea, it is very like, if these same things were read, or summa­rily and shortly reported in her Majesties hearing, either by your selfe, or som other good Christian, who hath credite and fa­uour about her royall person (For alack good princesse, the trew report of things, especially in these & the like maters, com­meth seldome to her eares, a common ca­lamitie of princes, whoe commonly of all others in the world, are most destitute of faithful persons aboute them, trewlie and without flattery to informe them of the truth of matters as they are in deede.) If these things, I say, were truly known to her M. I surely perswade my selfe, that those lordly brethren of DIOTREPHES, who rule or rather tyrannise aboue their brethren with violence & cruelty, should be quick­ly charmed from authorising such rashe libertie of publicke rayling, and defa­ming of a whol neighbour church, which alway hath so well deserued of the pre­sent state of Englande, and their proude hornes should be hastely hamered downe, [Page] that they should not be able hereafter, to thrust with side and shoulder, and push all the weake with their hornes, til they haue scattered them abroad, and to make such hauocke of the Churche, by a disguised persecution, as presently they doe: Yea this much at least, I doubt not shoulde be graunted, that (all bitter inuection and persecuting of the good brethren of Eng­land, that are of the same judgment with vs,A louing chalenge of disputation, surceasing) the controuersie should be decided by the word of God in a law­full assemblie, and brotherlie conference, appointed by the supreme Magistrates to that effect: Otherwise, if this come not to passe (which God forbid) as we must not cease to commend the troubled estate of those our christian brethren, to GOD in our priuate and publicke praiers, so must we not leaue the iust defence of our ho­nest cause of Christian Discipline, which (touching the substance thereof, whiche chiefly is in controuersie) hath no les war­rand to be continued perpetually within the Church, vnder this precept of Christ, feede my sheepe, then hath the preaching of the worde, and ministration of the Sa­craments, and so consequently floweth [Page] no more from the authoritie of the Ciuill Magistrate then they doe, whateuer for­mall professours in worde, but not ad­mitters of the yoake of Christ on their neks indeed, cry out to the contrary. This much (good Sir) I thought good by writ to answere to your letter, after this man­ner, here before set downe, both to satisfie you and others, touching this matter in some measure, which if it shall seeme good to you, ye, either by your selfe, or by some other, may briefly impart vnto her M. Farewell,