A fresh suit against human ceremonies in God's worship. Or a triplication unto. D.…A fresh suit against human ceremonies in God's vvorship. Or a triplication unto. D.…

those things which God would have to be destroyed, are hereby builded again by us; the whole face of the Church is defiled and disgraced: there is a foul sin committed against honest and good laws forbidding the putting on of strange & outlandish garments: and so the whole Church is dishonoured, Besides the public peace of the Church, yea of many churches is troubled: one Bishop is set against another, the consciences of the godly are troubled, and the minds of good men are offended, Gods spirit is made sad in them, and this apple of contention is cast, as it were, upon the table of the Gods.

those things which God would have to be destroyed, are hereby builded againe by us; the whole face of the Church is defiled and disgraced: there is a foule sinne committed against honest and good lawes forbidding the putting on of strange & outlandish garments: and so the whole Church is dishonoured, Besides the publicke peace of the Church, yea of many churches is troubled: one Bishop is set against another, the consciences of the godly are troubled, and the minds of good men are offended, Gods spirit is made sad in them, and this apple of contention is cast, as it were, upon the table of the Gods.

Now seeing the matter stands thus, most gracious Queen, not only I, but all my fellow-ministers, and all the godly prostrate before you, entreat your Majesty, and for Jesus Christs sake, whom we are persuaded you love from your heart, we humbly beseech your Majesty not to embrace that counsel aforesaid, neither to give ear to such counsellors. For these counsels (most godly Queen) are not for the good of that your church and kingdom, nor for the honour of your Majesty, seeing they neither serve to the increase of godliness, nor to the retaining of the honesty of the Church, neither to the preservation of public peace, but rather very greatly weaken all these good things,¹ which your Princely Majesty ought chiefly to stand for. Let your Majesty rather bend all your thoughts, authority and power hereunto, that first and above all you may have Bishops, who be truly godly, and well exercised in the holy Scriptures, as by the blessing of God you have very many, and that ⟨p. 62⟩you make much of, and give ear to them. Secondly, that you be careful that with all diligence they may discharge their office, watching over the flock, teach sound doctrine, confute heresies, drive away Wolves, keep every man in his own calling, and exhort and stir up every man to lead a life beseeming a Christian. The Elders also and Deacons, are to be admonished, that every one be diligent in his own office, and if need be, they are to be compelled by your gracious Majesties authority, that neither the former by their sleeping and winking at the misdemeanours of the flock, suffer the reins to be loosed to all licentiousness, and to the lusts of the flesh; neither that the later, by reason of their immoderate care for their own private businesses, neglect the poor people of the Church, and omit such other things as belong to their office. For these three sorts of men be the very sinews of the Church, upon whom the salvation or destruction of the Church doth chiefly depend.

Now seeing the matter stands thus, most gracious Queene, not onely I, but all my fellow-ministers, and all the godly prostrate before you, intreat your Majesty, and for Iesus Christs sake, whom we are perswaded you love from your heart, we humbly beseech your Majesty not to embrace that counsell aforesayd, neither to give eare to such counsellors. For these counsells (most godly Queene) are not for the good of that your church and kingdome, nor for the honor of your Majesty, seing they neither serve to the increase of godlinesse, nor to the retaining of the honesty of the Church, neither to the preservation of publick peace, but rather very greatly weaken all these good things,¹ which your Princely Majesty ought chiefly to stand for. Let your Majesty rather bend all your thoughts, authority and power hereunto, that first and above all you may have Bishops, who be truly godly, and well exercised in the holy Scriptures, as by the blessing of God you have very many, and that ⟨p. 62⟩you make much of, and give eare to them. Secondly, that you be carefull that with all diligence they may discarge their office, watching over the flock, teach sound doctrine, confute heresies, drive away Wolves, keepe every man in his owne calling, and exhort and stirre up every man to lead a life beseeming a Christian. The Elders also and Deacons, are to be admonished, that every one be diligent in his owne office, and if need be, they are to be compelled by your gracious Majesties authority, that neither the former by their sleeping and winking at the misdemeanors of the flock, suffer the reines to be loosed to all licentiousnes, and to the lusts of the flesh; neither that the later, by reason of their immoderate care for their owne private businesses, neglect the poore people of the Church, and omit such other things as belong to their office. For these three sorts of men be the very sinewes of the Church, upon whom the salvation or destruction of the Church doth chiefly depend.

1. 1In making 3 sorts o• officers afterwards Bishops, Seniors, or Elders and Deacons, he m•st take the word Bishop in the scri•tu•• […], as […].In making 3 sorts o• officers afterwards Bishops, Seniors, or Elders and Deacons, hee m•st take the word Bi•hop in the scri•tu•• 〈…〉, as 〈…〉.

Furthermore, your gracious Majesty ought to use great care and diligence, that the Universities, and in them good and godly teachers, be well looked to, cherished, liberally maintained and preserved, for these are as the mothers, and nurses of the Churches, in which and by which those are to be fashioned, borne, brought up and adorned, who being fit, may be called from time to time to rule and govern the Churches. Last of all, such things as cannot be corrected and amended by the word and discipline of the Church, as it is necessary, that according to Gods word they be cut off and taken away by the sword of the Magistrate, ⟨p. 65⟩so your gracious Majesty is to take care of them: as adulteries, blasphemies, and other capital crimes of that sort. For God hath given the Magistrate the sword for this end, that ungodly seducers, filthy knaves, and unquiet men being restrained, the rest may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. This is the matter (most gracious Queen) whereon you are to spend your thoughts, hereabout are your counsels to be occupied, here is all your strength to be showed, namely, that (to end in a word) we all denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, may live soberly, justly, and godlily in this present world. For this is the true and fairest garment of all other. For which every man ought to take care, to wit, that having put off the old man with his works, we put on the new man, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, neither are there any other true ornaments which become Christian Bishops, besides those which the Apostle hath laid down in his writings to Tim. and Tit. A Bishop must be unreprovable, the husband of one wife, watching, sober, modest, harborous, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, nor given to filthy lucre, but gentle, no fighter, not covetous, one that can rule his house honestly, having children under obedience in all honesty, not froward, not angry, righteous, holy, &c. For garments and ornaments of Aaron's high Priest, were types of these true ornaments; those were the shadows, these be the body. Wherefore let those be gone, and let these abide still. And then at length shall we have the whole Church, and so the Bishops rightly and truly apparelled.

Furthermore, your gracious Majesty ought to use great care and diligence, that the Vniversities, and in them good and godly teachers, be well looked to, cherished, liberally maintained and preserved, for these are as the mothers, and nurses of the Churches, in which and by which those are to be fashioned, borne, brought up and adorned, who being fit, may be called from time to time to rule and governe the Churches. Last of all, such things as cannot be corrected and amended by the word and discipline of the Church, as it is necessary, that according to Gods word they be cut off and taken away by the sword of the Magistrate,

FINIS.