Contrariwise, our Church, or rather the corruption of our Church, by avoiding this Scylla, have fallen into Charybdis, by avoiding one extremity, have fallen into the other, by taking too much dignity & authority from our Ministry, & by laying too much poverty, contempt, and baseness upon it. It were a work worth the labour of the wisest heads, to put down the true mean betwixt both extremes, & worth the labour of our Noble King, to take order that that mean be kept, without rising to the right hand, or falling to the left. ⟨image 5⟩This short Treatise may hap to give some light & directions therein, or at least may encourage & stir up their harts in whose hands it is to do it: Under your worthy names would I have it see the world, not so much for that I am bound to you both in many private and particular respects, (though that be much) as for that I know you both to be of so right and reformed a judgement in this case, as you would have none Ministers but of sufficient gifts, and unblameable lives, nor those Ministers put to their pensions, or uncertain salaries, but to have certain & sufficient maintenance proportionable to their charge, and beseeming the honour of a christian Church: God continue you still in that mind, and make many more of the same with you, so should we have as flourishing a Church as any Christendom hath seen. Go forward in that, & other your religious resolutions, it is the true way to honour both here and in a better world: stand firmly for the truth, and boldly against the popish enemies thereof, as hitherto you have done: Religion had never more cause to thank you, and all that do so then now it hath, for her enemies ⟨image 6⟩were never so insolent since they were our enemies: but if you and others hold on, as in your several places you have well begun, and others take the like course, there is hope their insolencies will be easily (if timely) repressed, and themselves nearest the fall, when they imagine they are in the full. The Lord bless and assist you in your painful places, and make you on earth Instruments of his glory, to the good of his Church, so shall you be vessels of glory in the kingdom of Heaven: And thus commending this little treatise to your reading, and my self to your favour, I take leave, and will ever rest
Contrariwise, our Church, or rather the corruption of our Church, by auoyding this Scilla, haue falne into Charibdis, by auoyding one extremitie, haue falne into the other, by taking too much dignity & authority frō our Ministerie, & by laying too much pouerty, contempt, and basenes vppon it. It were a worke worth the labour of the wisest heads, to put downe the true meane betwixt both extreames, & vvorth the labour of our Noble King, to take order that that meane be kept, without rising to the right hand, or falling to the left. ⟨image 5⟩This short Treatise may hap to giue som light & directions therein, or at least may encourage & stir vp their harts in vvhose hands it is to doe it: Vnder your woorthy names would I haue it see the world, not so much for that I am bound to you both in many priuate and particuler respects, (though that be much) as for that I know you both to be of so right and reformed a iudgement in this case, as you would haue none Ministers but of sufficient gifts, and vnblameable liues, nor those Ministers put to their pensions, or vncertaine salaries, but to haue certaine & sufficient maintenance proportionable to theyr charge, and beseeming the honour of a christian Church: God continue you still in that minde, and make many more of the same with you, so should we haue as florishing a Church as any Christendome hath seene. Goe forward in that, & other your religious resolutions, it is the true way to honour both heere and in a better world: stand firmly for the truth, and boldly against the popish enemies thereof, as hetherto you haue done: Religion had neuer more cause to thanke you, and all that doe so then now it hath, for her enemies ⟨image 6⟩were neuer so insolent since they were our enemies: but if you and others holde on, as in your seuerall places you haue wel begun, and others take the like course, there is hope their insolencies will bee easilie (if timely) repressed, and themselues neerest the fall, when they imagine they are in the full. The Lorde blesse and assist you in your painfull places, and make you on earth Instruments of his glorie, to the good of his Church, so shall you be vessels of glory in the kingdome of Heauen: And thus commending this little treatise to your reading, and my selfe to your fauour, I take leaue, and will euer rest