AS I most kindly thanke you, for the ma­ny favours, you shewed me in my prospe­rity, so I do heartily, for your well wishes towards mee in this my captivity: and as I do cordially thanke you for both, so I do likewise promise all reciprocall endeavour in all Offices of love in way of remuneration: and so much the more your humanity deserves it, be­cause you condole not onely my present desolation, but study to prevent further fury in my adversaries, which will tend to my greater ruine as you say, if they have any just, or but seeming ground for it: and therefore you have freindly I thanke you adver­tised mee of some danger you feare will come upon mee, if my Letany should be published, in regard of some expressions in it, as that I seeme to vilifie the Service of the Church established in the Kingdome by Parlament, and that I call the Prelate of Canterbury VVilliam the Dragon, and his brrther of Yorke, the abby lub­ber of the North; now they being privy Councellors, such speeches will be adjudged scandalous as you suppose, and therefore that I shall be censured for Scandalum Magnatum. And withall you thinke it is a revillng those in authority, which the Angel would not doe to the very Devill. And this is the summe of what you have to object against my Letany. To all which although I haue formerly answered in my let­ters to others, yet because I know not whether you may ever see them, I thought fit in breife to reply as followeth.

And first whereas you seeme to intimate by your words, that I should either totally suppresse the printing of my LETANY, or els take out those words: I conceive neither of both by any sound reason ought to be done: for that the LETANY is printed, the Prelats are the cause of it: and of the writing of it: for would they have let mee fol­lowed my owne imployments, I should never have troubled my thoughts about them: for I most in­genuously confesse unto you, that nothing more greeves mee, the that I am constrained to make those men a subject of my discourse, that at other times I would scorne to make an object of my cogita­tions: but they I say, having by their unhuman and unchristian proceedings deprived mee of liberty, and all lively hood, and by this meanes ruined mee and all mine, and to all this threatned farther calamity and misery unto mee, as the slitting of my nose, the branding mee in the fore­head, & the cutting of my eares, all which things being dayly related unto mee by others, I must confesse it, put me upon my devotions, and was the onely cause of my Letany; and had not their thundering words come unto mee, I should never have done any thing in English: but that my country men, might see something into the Prelats well meaning to­wards the Church and State, and withall might be stirred up to a diligent, endeavour to prevent the mischeif, as they feare God, and honour their King and lowe their religion and country, I writ that treatise, and sent it to my good Angel, but hearing withall, that some evill Angells were abroad, and had misinter­preted it, and the Prelats threatned me yet more cruelly for that: then I resolved to make that pu­blick which otherwise should have been for my owne use, and the benefit of some few frends onely: and this is one of the causes of the printing of it, and all my other superadditionall articles against them: For at the making of it, I had never thought to have lived a day: the plague on every side envi­roning mee about, and many poore people coming up to my chamber for cure with soares running on them: all the Physicians being gone out of towne: and therefore my danger being so great, and all possibility of esca­ping of it, being also taken away, I tooke my self then to my Letany, and that it seemeth was not well taken by M. Preists & Prelats; neither could they conceale their venome, and evill intents, but must for the greater terror of others divulge them, and they as I said coming frequently to my intelligence, for feare withall, that they should adulterate my true copy, I therefore writ over another with my owne hand which I got to be copyed out, and so let some of my freinds see it, and such also as had been many yeares in the High Commission Court, and that knew very well I slandered them in nothing I said: onely out of their good affection towards mee, they feared, and that very much, that the Prelats would proceed to the extremest and rigerousest punish­ment that by law could be inflicted upon mee. For their Kingdome was first by bloud begun and established, [Page 2]and by bloud hath hitherto been continued, and by bloud onely shall be perpetuated, but for my bloud and life I stand not for that, so that the truth may be knowne, and their wickednes, plots, and cruelty be discovered, and truely next unto the especiall providence of God, which all­wayes bringeth good out of evill, I may thank the Prelats for the honour of this good worke (cost it mee what it will) for they onely were the cause both of the beginning and publishing of it: for if they had not breathed out threats against mee, pre­saging their bloudthirstinesse, I should never have studied to dive so far into this businesse; in the which through Gods blessing I have made so good progresse, as I hope all those that either, feare God or their King, or love their countries, through the whole Christian world, with all the Christian Kings, Princes and Emperors, and all free States will manifestly see, not onely the little need of the Prelats Government in their Kingdomes and Countries, but the great mischeife and da­mage they bring to all Common-Wealths and Nations where they dwell. And to say no more but the verity, there is as little need of them, and their jurisdictions in Kingdoms for the well administring of them, as is in our Christian and holy profession of the Service-booke, which yet never either begot grace or the feare or love of God, or increased any gift of God in any; and is well knowne to the whole corporation of those that call upon the name of God in sincerity, that it doth not onely hinder goodnes, but doth hurt, and that abundantly, & indeed were there no other just cause of casting of it out, but that it doth no good, this I say were enough to remove it: but especially when it is a cause of much evill every way, it ought to stirre up authority to looke into it: for very reason tea­cheth us, that which is no way usefull nor needfull for the salvation of men of that there can be no true need: now of the Service booke there is no need nor necessity, for if there had been God would him­selfe have appointed one, and all Christian Churches would have had that, that had been needfull to their salvation: and therefore, when God hath neither appointed certain prayers to be daily read, nor other Christian Churches which are daily saved, never had any: and when no man dare conclude that any man was ever excluded from heaven that never heard any Divine service, it seemeth a strange thing to mee, that such a peece of service in our Church should be authorized that was taken out of the Masse booke; and of the which all the learned in reformed Chur­ches where I have lived, wonder that such a learned Prince as King Iames was, would ever admit it in his dominions; for they all had seene it, it being translated into French, and this I was often an eare witnes of that the profoundest men said, if so be they had a purpose to turne againe to Babylon, from which they were commanded to come out, they would for a speedy way bring in the English service and discipline; and then farewell immediatly all true religion and the intire service of God, and by this meanes they should give so great and strong a weapen into their adversaries hands, as they should never be able to make good their proceeding, and withall should in a little time breed such a deale of ignorance in the people, as they would be easily se­duced. For whereas many of them, had not time through their many occasions in the whole weeke to reade the Scriptures, if they should also on the Lords day be taken up in reading of prayers gathe­red and collected out of Popish Pamphlets, this would bee an absolute meanes to extinguish that little knowledge they had already, and bring in blindnes in stead of it. And with all the correspon­dency that was between them in rites, Ceremonies, and Service, would kindle a greater love in the Pa­pists to their superstitious worship, and in the Pro­testant it would also upon the least occasion beget some desire to returne unto their old errors: and therefore they protested as they tendered the ho­nour of God, the salvation of the people, and the ad­vancement of learning, they could never admit of our service amongst them: of all which they pro­fessed they thought it an enimy, and they add far­ther, that if they had ever beleeved that such formes of prayer had been for the advancement of the Go­spell, and the glory of God, and the edification of the people, they had thousands in their Church that could make formes of prayer, and never be behol­ding to the Masse-booke for them.

And I can truely say thus much, I neuer yet met a Minister in France, were hee in neuer so meane a place, but he was a diligenr preacher, and able to instruct any flock, withall he was of so good litera­ture, as I never saw yet Bishop, or any high Priest in England to be compared to him for that, which I speake to the eternall honour of that people, that giue vnto their Ministers such singular breeding, and haue such care in their elections that they be able and sufficient men, and euery way so accomplished for life & doctrine, as they cannot neither by feare, fauour or preferment be brought from their inte­grity, nor by all persecutions, warres, bloudy massa­cres be in the least daunted or deterred from their holy profession. And of this Christianimity is this people and many more, and of this sound learning, where they neuer had a Letany or seruice book: or either in gouernment, discipline, or ceremonyes, were like vnto the Papists, all which haue been euer dangerous if not fatall to all true religion: for when Christians began to bring in Iewish and heathenish ceremonies, rites, and customes, and their inuenti­ons, they then began to pervert true Religion and corrupt the sound doctrine of our glorious and holy profession. And King Iames himself though for some ends, he was willing for a time to retayne the ceremonyes, yet he professed in the conference at Hampton Court, that if he did dwell among the [Page 3]heathens & Papists that then there was great dan­ger in symbolizing with thē in any such things, for it would much animate them in their superstition, by which they might be hindred rather then furthe­red in religion: but in regard that they had no Pa­pists among them which might be hurt by them, he was the more willing to conniue at them, but had he liued vntill now, and seene what mischeif both ceremonyes and service haue done amongst vs, or did but King Charles see, or were but truly informed of the ignorance that is amongst the people both in regard of their duty towards God and his royall Maiestie, of the backsliding to Popery and supersti­tion, which hath ever protested against, he would take some speedy course for the remouing of all the occasions of it which is nothing els bur the seruice booke and ceremonyes, with their corrupt discipline & Gouerners, & as by his autority & the autority of his royall Predecessors they were established, so when the inconueniences of all such constitutions are by dayly experience seene, which was euer suf­ficient cause to abrogat lawes, and dismisse Officers, they may well be remoued with the great good to the whole Church and state and to his excellencyes immortall honour and the perpetuation of his Crowne and dignity. And thus much at this time shall suffice to haue spoken concerning the seruice book and the tackling belonging to that businesse, be­cause I haue formerly spoken of it.

And now I am come to your master and capitall exception, where you thinke that they will heauily censure mee for calling the Prelat of Canterbury William the Dragon and the Bishop of yorke the abby lubber of the North. Which you coniecture will be esteemed scandalum magnatum and will cause a seuere punishment from autority, and which they haue al­so cruelly threatned vnto mee for the same words, and therefore you would haue them omitted. But before I come to the distinct answer to that you now suggest, I thinke it fit to say something for a proeme concerning this scandalum magnatum, and the orginall of it you very well know, that Kings haue euer been called and esteemed Gods vpon earth, and they indeed went before their people shining in ver­tues and goodnes, of which they were composed, & so farre they were from any commaculation of vice, that people were not to thinke euill of the King in their bedchamber, or to say what dost thou? by all which is sufficiently inferred, what excellency is in Princes and mighty potentates aboue other men. And as Kings had the supreme and first degree of dignity both for place and vertue: so next vnto them, had the true Nobility and great Heroes their station, whose first rise to honours was their wis­dome and true seruice vnto their Prince and good they did to their country, according to that of the heathen, fundamentum nobilitatis vir­tus est. So that the true and antient Nobility were such as next vnto their Kings and Princes were for all excellent endowments so sin­gularly qualified, as they were not capable of any aspersion, and if any had been so black mouthed as to haue layd any blemish vpon their reputation, the euill alwaies returned vnto themselues, neither was their honour impeached by it, but rather il­lustrated, for the whole world was well acquainted with their goodnesse. so that their traducers, were branded for calumniators amongst the people, which was punishment enough and eternall shame vnto them. And so sarre were those truly heroi­call Spirits from making any lawes about such a thing that they neuer thought so poorely of them­selues, as that any could speake the least thing to their infamy by which they could wound their re­putations and vertuous life, And the same good­nesse yet dwelleth in all the ancient Nobility and such as are truely illustrious and magnates, so that they are like their Kings and Masters whose digni­ty no blast of a foule mouth can contaminate among the really vertuous and heroicall: and so conscious they are to themselues, of their excellent integri­ty, that they will not so much as sully their thoughts with what any clamorous tongue saith, much lesse their estimation among the prudent, as to make them suppose that they are moued with railings which hurt them no more then the dogs barking a­gainst the Moone. Notwithstanding since those antient and truely honoured Nobility, there haue sprung vp a new generation of Lords, who fearing the calumnies of the vulgar, as new Lords are a meanes of sounding new lawes, haue obtained so much of prudent Princes and Kings who were wil­ling to yeild vnto their weakenes that such lawes should be enacted, but with no intent that the vi­ces of such men should be smothered, or that those should be punished, that were detectors and mani­festers of them, but onely for both terror and pu­nishment if they had vnworthily defamed their noble families out of their priuat malitious and ran­courous minds; neither doth the eminency of place in any subiect warrant him securely, to doe any thing against the honour of his King and Master, or the molestation of his Kingdome and subiects, or is the meanest subiect to be punished for doing his duty in this kind, for the dignities conferred vpom them in such proximity vnto the King, is so much the greater tye vnto them for the due hounouring of their Prince, and seeing that next vnto him, whose place it is to protect his people they should add their helping hands in seeking the safety and well­fare of them, and be indeed mediators betweene the King and the poore people, if they had fayled by frailty in their duty and loyalty to his Highnes. Now I say when all those that are dignifyed with honours, do neither truly honour the King as they should, and are so farre from making a sweet har­mony [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4]between the King and his people, as they con­tinually rather put into his royall heart sinister opi­nions against his best subjects, and traduce their best endeavours, & pervert their words to contrary mea­nings, and make their poore brother a prey for a word, as the Prophet I say speaketh, and do not onely move the King against them, but do in their owne persons, and by the authority that they have given them, tyrannically abuse the subject to their utter ruine and undoing, all such I say are so farre from having any priviledge by the Law, as they themselves are delinquents in a high degree of contumacy by such demeanour, and are fallen from their dignity. Neither do I conceive that any King or people can take it ill at the meanest subjects hand for discove­ring any such mens practices, when I say, they are so prejudiciall to the State. In the number of which men, to say nothing neither of the obscurity of their parentage, the meanesse and the poverty of their breeding, the beginning of their order, and whose image they are, the usurpation of their places, being by them the sworne rebells of Chris [...], and the cursed enimies of his Kingdome, as I have in diverse books sufficiently shewed, I say to speake at this time of none of all these but onely of their present proceeding towards the King their Master, to­wards the Church and Common-wealth in generall, and all the poore people, and my self in speciall, you will quickly perceive that the Prelats are justly to be reputed among the worst of men, and not amongst the Nobles, for ought I know they and they onely are the cause of all the calamities in Church and State, which will manifestly appeare if wee looke ei­ther upon the King or true Nobles, such as love God, the King, their Country and Religion. And for the Kings most excellent Majesties owne person, to speake but that equity and justice require, what were ever any precedent Kings in this or any other King­dome renowned for, that is not in him, if you respect either vertues morall or theologicall, which are the onely honour of Princes, I say name any thing for piety, wisdome, learning, prowesse, temperance, cle­mency, goodnes, bounty, affability, kindnes, or what­soever els was in any other, do you not see it in him radically, nay doth he not seeme to be composed of goodnes? so that never was there any nation more happy in a King, then this our Nation is in ours. Againe to reflect our eye upon the whole secular Nobility either antient or moderne, I say to speake of them in the generall, if you accost them, and by any occasion have to deale with them, you shall find them so excellently inclined, and so favouring all vertue and goodnes, and of such sweet humanity and kindnes, and such honourers and favourers of learning and true vertue, as they are exemplar to all other Nations; so that for King and Nobility no Nation or Kingdome can compare with ours, and yet nothwithstanding all this, there is not in the world any Country that the subjects for the univer­sality of them, groane under more pressures, and are more tyrannically abused then amongst us, if you respect either, bodies, soules or goods, having no cer­taine liberty for a day of either, as woefull and la­mentable experience hourely teacheth us. All which proceeds not either from the King who is goodnes it self, and knoweth not how to doe evill, or from the Lords or Peeres of the Kingdom, who are like their King and Master, and fabricated of hu­manity; from whence then I pray you proceed all the greivances of the poore people, but from the Prelats? who make a prey of the subject upon every triviall occasion, and suggest into his royall eare both in publick and private strange relations concerning them, as though they were the most disloyall people unto his grace in the world, when I can upon my owne knowledge affirme that never King was more happy in a loyall and obedient people then the King is in them, never detrecting obedience to the losse of life liberty and estates, but as they were borne under obedience, desire to live and dye in that condition, and are ever most willing to spend their best blouds for his honour, crowne and dignity, or in the cause of any of his allies, which is well knowen to the whole Christian world. And yet notwithstanding all this, their condition is most greivous, whether yea respect soule or body, liberty or meanes, they being every where deprived by the Prelats of their faithfull and true honorable Pastors and diligent teachers, by which the keys of heaven are taken from them, and idle drones and Epicures put in their places, who neither feed the people themselves with the bread of life, nor will let others doe it, or suffer them to provide for their owne soules good, but if they goe into any other parish to heare the word when they have none at home, then they hoyst them up into the high Commission, and there ruine and undoe them, or if the people for feare are deter­red from hearing of sermons, and seeking to be ac­quainted with the word of God, and if there chance a two or three neighbours to meet together for to conferre about holy things, or in every thing observe not all their vaine and needles, yea too too chargable and burdensome Ceremonies, any of these things are matter enough to procure perdition and destruc­tion unto them of body, soule and goods, as daily ex­perience teacheth us. Neither can any secular man, Magistrat or Officer, be he Iustice of peace, Mayor, Bayly, or Constable, Iury-man, or witnes, or any other doe his office and duty in putting in execution the Kings Lawes, either for the honour of the King or his Religion against a delinquent Preist, or against any of their impious Officers, or write or witnesse the truth against them or the common enimy, but they are immediatly hoisted up in their Courts, and the King hath forthwith strange informations gi­ven against them, as if they were notorious delin­quents against King, Church, and State, so that they [Page 5]are not onely deserted of all help from his Majestie and Nobles, and the Lawes of his Kingdome, but made a prey to the mercilesse fury of their enimies, and the Prelats being their enimies and parties, wit­nesse, Iury and Iudge in their owne cause, sit and give sentence against them. And whereas Christ would be no Iudge nor divider, they howsoever they pre­tend to be his successors, judge the poore people most cruelly, and divide not onely their inheritance, but give away their whole estates, and commit their soules to the Devill, and commit their bodies to eternall prisons to the utter undoing of them, their poore wives and children, and that upon every triviall occasion, and many times against all Lawes of God and nature, and captivate the poore people, and keepe them in a greater slavery both for soule and body, then ever Pharao did. And whereas Christ came to heale & cure, and spilt his owne pre­cious bloud for the redemption of others, and no sooner was Malchus his eare cut off, but hee put it on againe, they spill the blood of the people, and cut off their eares at pleasure, yea with ignorance and cruelty murder them, soules and bodies, of all which no subject can be ignorant, that knoweth any thing, and I by woefull experience have found it; so that for my particular, I may truely say that, in respect of our gracious King and his clemency, I had rather live with bread and water under his regiment, then in all plenty under any Prince in the world, yet in respect of the Prelats tyranny who abuse the autho­rity committed into their hands, I had rather live under the grand senior, in the meanest condition then where they domineer, with all plenty, for by their cruell proceedings & cursed inhumanity, they so imbitter our lives, and make us so odious both in Court and Countrey, and such a prey to every pro­phane Preist, that our lives are not onely irksome unto us, but our being and living a very burden, so that death is most welcome, for by that and that onely we are set at liberty. And I dare presume, that of what I now say, ten thousand thousands will wit­nes with mee of the truth of it: For it is the Prelats that have onely enslaved us against all the Lawes of God and the Land, and have made us hatefull to all men, and a spectacle of men and Angels, and yet they perswade his royall Majestie, that they are his most loyall and faithfullest subjects, and all those they ac­cuse for Puritans the pest and plague of his King­dome, and seek with Human the extirpation of them all. and by all manner of oppressions make thousands of them fly the land, and others that have no abilities to support them in strange Countries to eate the bread of affliction, and live here with wounded con­sciences, when they put upon them such burdens of Popish Ceremonies, and force them upon payne of severe punishment to the observation of so many su­perstitious performances, which by their knowledge and in their consciences, they are taught ever to ab­horre, and by this meanes the people are made mise­rable every kind of way. And all this intolerable bon­dage procedeth onely from the Prelats who many times arme themselves with his Majesties authority pretending to his Highnes, that they onely injoyne those things for order, when there is no such matter. And while they doe all this annoy to the kings sub­jects, can they challenge the name of Mag [...]es, and be counted among the truely noble Peeres of the Kingdome, especially, when in their open Courts they renounce his authority, and challenge their owne preeminency and dignity [...], and pu­nish his subjects for writing against Antichrist and the Church of Rome, which King Iames calls Baby­lon and Spirituall Egypt and Sodome, to the infinit dishonour of King Iames of famous [...], and the now King their Master? by all which procee­dings they have made themselves guilty of great contumacy against God and the King, and ipso facto are all in a Premunire. by which they are fallen from all honour and dignity: and are at the Kings mercy as delinquents, and such as for my part, so long as they continue in that condition, I never intend to honour. Neither have I cause for my owne particu­lar to think any otherwise of them, then of n [...]cent members of Church and State, both by the warrant of King Iames himself, and for their carriage to­wards mee and the Kings best subjects: for when I was in the high Commission Court, how superci­liously the Prelats carried themselves towards mee all the standers by can tell: and when the advocats saw the violence of his deportment towards mee, and earnestly perswaded mee to an humble sub­mission, for otherwise they told mee he would ut­terly undoe mee which indeed so fell out. I then replying that I was not conscious to my self of any delinquency either against God or the King, or that deserved convention before any Court of Iudicature in the world, and for my part I resolved to dye rather then by basenesse of submission to make my self an offender. Vpon which they demanded of mee if I would contend with their Lords grace, I then a­gaine answered, that I contended with no man, but for the truth of God, and the honour of the King, my Country and Religion, and in that contention I would live & dye. Whereupon one of the cheifest Advocats in v court told me, that y ^e Prelat would kill me with his breath, which I conses was such a diabolicall expression, and a speech of such arrogancy, as never I thinke before was heard of: and therefore upon that, I called him ever after VVilliam the Dragon, for the Dragon onely killeth men with his breath as Historians do relate, and as the Apocalips witnesseth, and had I not been a Physitian, and had an Antidote against it, what do you thinke would have become of mee, when his breath is poyson? I must inge­nuously confesse it, I thinke it is not safe that such a breath should come nigh the King, & who knowes but that he was the cause of this last yeares plague [Page 6]that killed so many, and that hee infected the ayre. And for the Prelat of York, he would have had mee knocked downe with club law, for maintaining the Kings prerogative royall against Papall usurpation, and said in open Court that hee was not beholding to the King for his Bishoprick, for Iesus Christ made him a Bishop, and the Holy Ghost consecrated him, when notwithstanding he never performed the of­fice of a Bishop and true Pastor of Iesus Christ, but hath ever been a meere drone, and a hinderer of all preaching and teaching by all which he may well deserve censure from the King and State, as being in a Premunire, and the title of an abby lubber. But you say, they are privy Councellors, and that the Angell would not revile the Devill, and therefore I have done amisse in that. To all which I will breifly answer and so conclude, as concerning their digni­ty, so long as they had not by their misdemeanour made themselves delinquents. I never impeached it or hurt their renowne in the least, but they falling from grace & becoming contumacious against God and the King, and noysome to all his poore subjects, in this condition where now they are, I conceive no honour due unto them, nor they worthy of any dignity, [...] they acknowledge their errors, & crave pardon of God and his most Sacred Majestie. And the truth is, it is great pitty, that there is none of the Nobles that will informe his Highnes of their wic­kednes, by which they have made themselves un­worthy of all honour, much lesse to be of his privy Councell and most secret admission, they are the privy members of the Clergy that stand up against all goodnes and adulterate the whole Church. And what mischeife may not such men doe, who have abandoned all good conscience nay what misery have they not brought all the Kings subjects into? For they when they are most disloyall and pernicious to Church and State: yet make the King beleeve that they are his best subjects, and the support of his Crowne and Dignity, and the onely upholders of Government, & thus they prate also in open Courts: and this hath ever been the language of Antichrist and his limbs, No Pope, no Church, No Pope, no King, but present confusion upon all Nations where his Government is called in question: when as it is well knowne to all those that are not strangers to the Histories of times, that the Bishops of Rome haue made Kings and Emperors their very Vassalls, and have been the bane of many florishing King­domes: and to this day inslave all those Christian Princes, and their subjects where ever I say, they have power and authority, so that the Kings have onely the name, but they command, and their Cardinalls Preists and Prelats, and are attended like Princes, their very meat being stood bare to as to Kings. For they say, Be uncovered my Lords meat is comming up, so that they captivate Princes, and make them­selves Lords, Neither can it be otherwise: for they have the breeding of all those Kings & Princes: and they are resolved to keepe them in a perpetuall igno­rance: for they say that King Henries and King Iames his learning was the overthrow of the church, and so long as Princes and Kings were kept in blind­nes they then held their possessions and honours in all security: but since that they began to looke in­deed into learning, they found it fatall to them, & therefore, they have now decreed amongst them­selves hereafter, that Princes and Nobles which they will have the breeding of, shall be acquainted with nothing but pleasures, or at most with Gram­maticall learning, Nay they shall be perswaded, it is rather a dishonour to a King to know letters, then a dignity, and that it is not fit for them to looke on a booke, it being enough for Kings to have learned men in their Kingdome: and a florishing clergie, neither is it for them to trouble themselves about learning or religion, but to leave it to the reverend Fathers, and to put their authority into their hands, and they will case them of all cares that way, so that they shall in time find a sweet content, for they pro­mise to make them a people subject enough which indeed they doe, for they make them beggers and slaves, and most Kings that they have the tutoring of, either children or tyrants, and all the Nations where they have place but an unhappy people, for they keepe them ignorant, and deprive them of the liberty of their consciences, and take away the right of the subjects from them. For all the Kingdome of Antichrist is a monstrous deformity of Govern­ment, and such as advanceth it self above all that is called God: and tramples upon all states of men, so that it is a wonder to mee that all the Kings and Princes in the world do not joyne together to de­molish that Babell, and to ruine the whore. But I much more admire, that in this Kingdome where there is so much light, & so understanding a Prince, that the Nobles and Gentry with the Commons do not joyne together to petition his Majestie, that we may be eased of this intolerable yoake of these Pre­lats that are now by their frequent usurpations, eni­mies of his royall prerogative, most burdensome to his poore subjects, and if there be not some speedy course taken with them will ruine this florishing Monarchy. All which is so palpable as all men that see any thing in States affaires may easily behold it.

There is one thing, that I cannot but stand asto­nished at, that so many wise men in a Kingdome should not looke into, and perceive the inconve­nience of it, and the wrong it doth to the whole Nation, and that is this. That the breeding of the Kings and Noblemens childeren, and the most il­lustrious Families through the Kingdome, should be put into the hands of Preists; and such men who as they are by nature and education men that never saw farther then a Cloister at Cambridg or Oxford, never knew what Heroicall and Princely vertue was, [Page 7] [...] never came where either breeding religion, or [...]d maners came: the Vniversities themselves [...]ing corrupted by them and, and educated to su­ [...]stition or prophanesse, and contempt of religion. And yet notwithstanding these men I say, should be made the tutors of Kings and Nobles children, who [...]ght to be brought up by learned and truely reli­gious Gentlemen that have been bred up in Princes Courts, and are lovers of learning, piety, and vertue, [...] all which those monkish fellowes are meere stran­ [...]rs, and are as fit to bring up Princes, as a cow is [...] a saddle: for besides their deficiencies both na­ [...]all and morall, they are a very ignorant society for the most part, not knowing well themselves or­dinary literature, so that they are commonly ridi­ [...]lous to other Nation, I must confesse, I thinke [...]his to be one of the principall banes of the Nobi­ [...]ity, and that they know no more in learning and States policy which is their art; and therefore if they will follow a poore mans counsell, I would wish them all, never to let a Preist or a Prelat breed [...]heir children: for all the Prelats and Preists are [...]bs of the beast and his image, and they bring up [...]he Noblemen and Princes in the hatred of true re­ [...]igion, and all them that feare the Lord, and brand [...] with Puritanisme and adapt them onely to super­ [...]itious observations, and make them beleeve that [...]e hath religion enough that can bow at the name [...]f Iesus, or crouch to the Altar, or turne to the East, [...]d doe such other performances, with hearing of a [...]ttle service: and that all those that are not affected [...]ith this superstition, are enimies of Church and [...]ute: and so they make these worthy heroes, but [...]eir executioners and butchers to torment and af­ [...]ict the poore people wheresoever they have power. The truth is, The Prelats are the cursed enimies of [...]he Lord Iesus Christ and his Kingdome, neither is [...] any rayling to call a spade a spade, the Scripture [...]alls their predecessors the Scribes, Pharisies, and High Preists, a generation of vipers, the Sonnes of the Devill, &c. and therefore by the same autho­rity, wee may call them by the same names, for they are their successors and the of-spring of Antichrist, who is the enimy of the Lord Iesus Christ, and by consequent no lawfull authority, but an usurping power, that is, an enimy to all Government appoin­ted by God himself: and therefore they are not with­in the compasse of those Saint Iude speaketh of: being worse then Satan, who when he was there re­buked, let the Angell bury Moses, but the Bishop of Rome will keepe whole Kingdomes from buriall six yeares together, and the Prelats have the same power to doe the same wickednes, yea they are not onely not so obedient to God as the Devill, but they are greater causes of rebellion against God, and ther­fore worse, then the Devill, and ought more to be detested: for the Devill, in tempting to sin and bringing mē to evill, he hath buth a simple suggestion: But the Prelats they have a double power, for they can both suggest evill, and constraine us to doe it, as all Kingdomes & Nations know very well, who groane under the heavy burden of their unsupportable ty­ranny; and therefore I do absolutly conclude, that there is no sinne in saying, the Prelats are the little toes of Antichrist, and in calling, the Pope of Canterbury VVILLIAM the DRAGON, and his Legatus a latere. the Bishop of Yorke, the ABBEY LVBBER OF THE NORTH, for they are enimies all of God and the King, and of all the Saints and Servants of God. And therefore to draw now to a conclusion, I could wish that all the world in our dayly LETANY would pray with mee, from plague, pestilence, and famin, from Bi­shops, Preists, and Deacons, Good Lord deliver us. Fare you well.

Nihil agunt Episcopi, sine typho sacriligae superbia, sine inflata cervice arrogantiae, sine contentione lividae invidiae [...] asancta humilitate, a pace Catholica, a charitate Christiana,

Bishops do nothing without the haughtines of sacrilegious pride, without the swollen necke of arro­ [...]cie, without the contention of wan envy, far from holy humility, from Catholicke peace, from Chri­ [...]ian charity.