B07586:14
A Christian letter
A Christian letter, containing a grave and godly admonition to such as make separation from the church assemblies in England and elsewhere. Written in Latin, by that most Reverend and learned man, Master Francis Junius, divinity reader at Leiden in Holland, and translated into English, by R G..A Christian letter, containing a graue and godly admonition to such as make separation from the church assemblies in England and elsewhere. VVritten in Latine, by that most Reuerend and learned man, Master Francis Iunius, diuinitie reader at Leyden in Holland, and translated into English, by R G..
London: printed for Robert Dexter, 1602
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Till ye shall do that, I admonish, exhort, pray, and beseech by the most sacred & holy name of Christ, that ye would not appeal to me, neither to any other, neither to the whole Church: for by this preposterous course (as we may so say) ye do not disburden your selves, as ye think, of envy and ⟨image 6⟩blame (if there be any) but ye do burden your own cause, to which I will bring no prejudice. Let them speak first, with whom ye sojourn, whom ye deny not to be your brethren. But if peradventure they shall not satisfy you, or ye shall not satisfy them, then let a new course be taken by lawful order. This no good man will deny, but till this be attempted, it will be unprofitable to you, and hurtful to the Church, to take another course. But neither I, nor my Colleagues, nor other wise men, will ever be so impudent as to prevent or take this thing out of the hands of them, to whom the knowledge thereof doth of right appertain. And so much of the doctrine. I come to the accusation which ye use, against the Church of England, as ye write in this accusation beloved brethren, I do lovingly entreat you, that ye would not take it in ill part, if I do admonish ye, of a few things which I think, I may of right do, first, what need is there, that ye should accuse them? Ye have given place, ye have (as we may so speak) passed over into another Court, wherefore have ye given place? No body desireth to know, or doth trouble ye. If wrong be done you, in England (that I may grant it that is done, for it belongeth not to me, to affirm or deny who have not known it) yet they do not prosecute this injury ye being departed from them. What compelleth you to be moved, and to take upon you, the burden of accusation? Why are ye not quiet being without the danger of any hurt? Why do ye not rather pass over the injury that is past? Why do ye not rather bear it (if there be yet any hope in silence) then to move, that which is in rest? It is plainly a Christian part, if ye bear it, and a prudent part, if you abstain from stirring the evil that is well appeased, an impudent thing, if ye do contrariwise. And to what end I pray you is it? To the end that you might purge your selves. But here is no man that doth repeat anew, or lay these accusations against you. Wherefore serveth this purgation?
Till ye shall doe that, I admonish, exhort, pray, and beseech by the most sacred & holy name of Christ, that ye would not appeale to me, neither to any other, neither to the whole Church: for by this preposterous course (as we may so say) ye do not disburthen your selues, as ye thinke, of enuy and