I Have heard many Sermons at the Court, yer never did I heare any, wherein I saw not the PURITAN brought up, with one scorne or other, and some no­torious lyes told of them. So that I won­der not that those poore men are thought so evill of, though a most inno­cent and harmelesse people as any lives upon the Earth. For when the place of God it selfe, from whence truth should onely sound, is made a Theater of lying and false accusations, no wonder that the Kings Majesty, and Nobles of the Kingdome, have a prejudicate opinion of them they call Puritans, when they expect nothing but truth and veritable narrations from that place.

In my yonger dayes (that I may in something relate my own condition) I was bred in as great a hatred of Puritans, as any ten­der yeeres were capable of, as it is well known, and thought those men not worthy to live, yet knew not any of them, (our Countrey having then scarce two in it) neither was there a Sermon perhaps in halfe a yeere thereabouts, and that read out of a paper booke, and halfe of it commonly was railing against the Puritans. But when it pleased God that some of those, that spake evillest of them (through surfeting, and excesse had brought themselves to languishing sick­nesse, and after to Death it selfe) I say, when those men, in their greatest extremities, chose rather to trust them, yea and to prefer them, before their own brethren and nerest kins-folks, and bequeath their children and Estate into their hands, & then being also deman­ded [Page]the reason of such trust, and confidence in them, whom they had reputed the worst of men before, and most of all traduced, & hated, they then openly declared themselvs, and their opinion of them, say­ing that they were now dying men, & that it was now time to speak the truth, and that they in their hearts beleeved they were the true servants of the Lord, howsoever despised & contemned in the world and withall they desired that their soules might goe the way that theirs went.

I say, when I saw such a wonderfull change in these men, who were many of them, of knowledge and understanding in all Reli­gions, and some of them travellers and Courtiers, and that now on their death-beds, they should give such an approbation, and so honourable testimony of those men, of whom they had in their pro­sperity spoken so maliciously, I being then of yeares of discreti­on, and better able to discerne and judge of things that differ, began more seriously to consider of that matter, and so much the more studious I was, because I had in some sort, seen the vanity of all pleasures, having indeed bin bred in nothing else. The right way then to find blessednes, was my only aym: which through Gods speciall favour and benediction upon my earnest endevors, dayly reading of the Word and holy Scriptures, private duties, godly society, and frequent hearing of the word, which is onely a­ble to save our soules, J found out, to the praise and honour of his name be it spoken. And J then well perceived, looking into the lives and manners of men, that those that were commonly bran­ded with the name of Puritans, were the happiest, and that if any were eternally blessed, they were such of them as squared their lives in sincerity, according to their profession.

And lest that I might through an overweening conceit of some seeming blessednesse in them, be mistaken; I contented not my selfe with home-comparing of men and domesticall experience, but I re­solved to seeke out still a more excellent way, if there were any; whereupon I went into forraine Nations, and lived amongst all sorts of men, & in the greatest Princes Courts conversing among all ranks and orders of them, and that many years, and amongst all professions, Courtiers, Souldiers, Schollers, Citizens, Marchants, and among all [Page]sects, of factions, and religions, & examining all those in the ballance of judgment, I found none in life and death happy, and truely com­fortable, but those that are branded with the name of Puritans, or at least those that live and dye in their Faith. And for my own par­ticular, to speake now my Conscience, I had rather goe the way of the meanest Puritans, that live and dye according to their professi­on, then of the greatest Prelates that ever lived upon the earth; & this I speak in the presence of God; for of the ones happinesse I am as sure, as the Word of God is sure, & of the others I can promise nothing he living in Rebellion to God all the dayes of his life, and his Repentance not knowne unto me.

And notwithstanding, I say, all this, that these are such an holy peo­ple: yet are they made but the off-scouring of the world, & of all things, and brought upon every Stage, and into the Pulpit, as fittest for ludibry by the Players, Priests, and Prelates, yea and in their Courts it is enough to ruine a mans cause, if his Adversary can but taint him with the name of a Puritan; but most especially are they vilely abused by the Priests and Prelates in their pulpits.

Now I say, if it be lawfull in them, to make playes of honest men, and to faine what they please against them: I pray let it be lawfull in me, in meriment to speak the truth of them, which as near as I can I will not transgresse. If some shall say, they have not so great trains nor so much adoe in their marching; I affirme, that at all times, they goe more like Princes, then humble Ministers of Christ, and the Apo­stles Successors, of whom we never read, they came ever in Coach or on horseback, but when Paul was mounted by authority; or that they had ever a servant to attend them, much lesse such pompe and State: and yet one of them converted more soules in one day, then all the Prelates ever did that ever I read off: neither to speak truly have I heard of any they ever converted, but of many thousands they have confounded. But now to the matter in hand, because one o [...] their abetters said not long since, that they had not such atten­dance as I accuse them of. I say, if they have lesse company one day, they have more an other, and whether they be their own or others Servants, when they are in their company, be they the no­bles themselves, they are all their attendants, and the best of them most heartily glad if by their service they can please them, and we know it usuall that the demonstration of the retinu is always from the greatest, and they are found to be his followers. And I have heard the Pursivants often brag of the greatnesse of their Masters [Page]attendance, and in such ample manner as I think the Kings Majesty hath not commonly greater: and therefore that cannot be deny­ed, which is daily practised, And for their servants insolency I have frequently both seene it and felt it. Now whereas you think, it will not be well taken that I call Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, Anti­christs little toes; and in my LETANY desire deliverance from them, and withall seeme to accuse them of incontinency, all which you think will be censured of unadvisednesse at least, if not thought scandalous and punishable.

To this I answere, first, that By Bishops I understand the Pre­lates, and by Priests their own creatures, a generation unknown in the Church of Christ: and by Deacons the under Priests in this Kingdome, Officers of which the Scripture knoweth nothing likewise. For the Deacons such as the Churches chose, and were allowed by the Apo­stles, they were men of gravity, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, men of wisdome and good government and honesty, and were the treasurers of the faithfull & the Church of God, and distributed the liberality of the Saints amongst the poore indigent and necessitated brethren. Now I know never a Deacon in England either guilty of a­ny of those vertues before specified. or that was ever imployed in that Office, or was thought fit to be trusted, vvith the treasury of the poore, or tooke the least care of them, vvhom ordinarily they trample upon und most reproachfully abuse vvith the name of rascality. So that such Deacons as I pray against are limbs of the Beast, and the inferior order of shavelings and such as ought to be spewed out of the Church as profitable for nothing but increase of wickednesse.

And for Bishops such as God appointed I honour them, and will maintain their dignity to the last drop of my bloud, so far I am from praying against such. Neither did I ever speake unreverently against the Kings Bishops and those that were appointed as an or­der in the State, till they had in their open Court renounced his authority, & run themselves by that, and many other notorious pro­ceedings into a Primunire, & so had made themselves enimies to his Prerogative royall, & delinquents against his Majesty, and under his Highnesses displeasure, as by the [...]tatutes of the Kingdome they are proclamed to be, and by the defenders of their proceedings in their Ecclesiasticall Courts: who in a booke set forth by their common consent, do conclude all these in a Premunire, that challenge their authority Iure devino, as the Pope and Clergie of Rome, which at this time they doe.

And for your better satisfaction, looke in the Apologie for procee­dings in Courts Ecclesiasticall (a booke made by the Prelates own creatures) and in the first Chapter, you shall see all the Prelats by their own witnesse in a Premunire, and delinquents against his Ma­jesty in a high degree of contumacy.

And truly I think there was never such an affront put upon regall Dignity, as on that day I was censured, never such dishonour put upon the Scriptures, by such as would be thought Ministers of the word, and the Bishops and Pastors of Christ: Neither were the Scriptures ever more blasphemously abused, then they were at that time, in their open assembly, I shall briefely therefore tell you that dayes work, of which there are a thousand witnesses, as also impious words against the most sacred word of God and divine O­racles of holy writ, by all which, you will see, I have good reason to call them ANTICHRISTS LITTLE TOES, and to pray a­gainst them; for they are as desperately impious, and equally to bee detested of all such as truly feare the Lord and the King. For if we compare them together, there will no disparity appeare betwene them, they being every way as malicious against the word of God and his deare servants, and as diametrally opposing regality as Anti­christ himselfe, But that all things may the more cleerely be eviden­ced unto you, let me tell you that daies proceedings,

You must take notice, that howsoever, they had fained some triviall Articles against mee, they were all by the generall consent of the Court thought so poore, as they openly averred they would not condemne mee for them, and so much the rather, because those that had sworne to them, were proved to bee my Capitall enimies, and also, in their depositions to have sworn point blanck one against an other, & like evill wiinesses could not agree in swearing: there­fore they condemne me onely for my booke which I writ in de­fence of Christ and his Kingdome, and of the Kings most excellent Majesties prerogative Royall, and supremacy against the Pope and Popish Bishops, provoked thereunto by a Papist; to which duty I was bound both by the law of God and the law of the land, and my speciall oath, all which I alleadged at the bar, and furthermore added that in writing against the Bishop of Rome, I intend no such Bishops as acknowledg their authority from Kings and Emperours, but onely such Bishops that usurp authority over Kings and Emperours, aend their fellow brethren and the Church of God jurc divinos and se I had prefeced in my Booke, which I openly readt here.

And to speake the truth, I looked for favour and assistance in this combat, from the Prelates; never suspecting that they would have bin my enemyes, for this endeavour, especially I having also in that place alledged the Acts & Statutes established by the publick con­sent of the whole Kingdome, in which it was ratified, that the Pre­lates have all their authority and jurisdiction which they now exer­cise, from the King, as immediatly derived from him, and to affirme the contrary, is to be ipso facto an enemy of his Crown & Dignity. And as the Prelates were an order established by the King & State, I was so far from opposing them, that I never impeached their dig­nity in the least thing in all the booke; neither would I ever have medled with them, if they had kept their standing; but they like the evill Angels out of pride, not keeping their 1 station, but openly re­nouncing the Kings authority, and affirming, that Jesus Christ made them Bishops, and that the holy Ghost consecrated them, and that they were Princes and had their thrones, and that before Kings, and all this Iure divino: by all which, they made me their enemy, they being delinquents against the King. And because I had ratified, what soever I had said in my booke by the Word of God; they as they had before renounced the Kings authority, and barbarously reviled me for my paines, most impiously, likewise vilified the holy Scri­pture, saying in their Sessions, that they looked for some great mat­ter in my book, finding me so confident, but more diligently reading of it, they found nothing but Scripture in it, which was the refuge of all Schismaticks and Hereticks: and that the Scripture could not be known to be Scripture, but by the Fathers, nor distinguished from the Apocrypha, but by the Fathers: nor the meaning of the Scri­pture could not be known but by the Fathers: and because the Fa­thers, as they said, were in their interpretation diverse from mee (which notwithstanding is not so) therefore they condemned me.

But I pray, are not all these blasphemous, Popish, and Damnable assertions, could worse have b [...]n forged in the very conclave of hell? Is not this I pray you, to tell the spirit of God to his face he lyes, and to teach another way to heaven then by the Scripture; which Christ the Son of God sende [...]h us to, and all the Prophets and Apo­stles, as to the Instructers of the simple, and able to make the man of God wise to salvation, & perfectly furnished to every good work, and the which the holy Ghost compares to a Guide, & a Lanthorn for direction; and a light to conduct us in this our Pilgrimage & pe­regrination [Page]through the errors of the world, and to keepe our feet in the paths of truth, and with the Prelates this great and glorious light; this Scripture must be so obscure, as it must be inferior to all things that have a power in themselves to declare and demonstrate their own nature, as fire to be fire, gold to be gold light to be light. But the Scripture onely that cannot be known, but by the helpe of others, to be the Word of God, it cannot be the word of God with­out the Fathers, and their Interpretation of them; for the Scriptures themselves they are the onely refuge of Schismaticks, the cause of all errors, and that that commeth confirmed and proved onely from Scripture, is ever to be suspected with the Prelates. O Blasphemy, yea the booke that hath nothing but Scripture, must be adjudged to the fire, and the Author of it given over to the Divell, fined 1000 ls, and cenfured to pay the costs of sute, & be debarred of his practice, only support left for the reliefe of his distressed family, to the utter undoing of him, his poore wife and children, and all this for sooth, because there was nothing but Scripture in it. O horrible Impiety! The truth is, howsoever they seemed to condemn it; because it had nothing but Scripture that was not the occasion, but the very cause was, because I writ against the Pope Father Antichrist, such corre­spondency there is now betweene the Pope and the Prelates, that one cannot write against him, but the Prelates say by and by, that they are meant by it. The Grolls.