A Caveat for Parsons Howlet, Part 1 – Part 3
Richard Liuely minister in Market Deeping and first preacher in the publique fast at …, to Iohn Howlets acculation, answereth as followeth.
IT is not without great cause, that Saint Paule in his first Epistle to Timoth. cap. 5. 19. setteth down this rule, and leaueth the same as a … order in the Churche, that againste an Elder no accusation should be admitted, but vnderunder the testimony of two or three witnesses: he did well consider, that the minister being stained, his doctrine is in hazard, and the gospell thereby like to receiue some wounde. Therefore he woulde not that the minister without true proofe should be condemned, but rather iudicially called, and heard to aunswere for himselfe, Again, as nothing more hindereth or plucketh down the kingdome of Satan, and setteth vp the kingdom of Christ, then the worde and Gospel, and the comfortable preaching thereof: So there is … vvherein he is more diligente, then to accuse and slaunder, to deface and depraue the Preachers of the worde, as the readiest meane to hinder the credite and course of the Gospell, to retaine the wicked in their …, and so to holde the worlde (as it were) in his clawes. That this hath bene the practise of Satan from time to time, not onelyonly by his ovvne vncleane mouth, but other conuenient instrumentes for that, to forge accusations and slaunders, to carrye and recarrye misreportes, especially agaynst the ministers, experience of all ages, and examples in Scriptures doe plentifully recorde, He moued Corah, Dathan, and Abyram, to accuse and slaunder Moses and Aaron in the open face of the congregation, he procured the Priests and false Prophetes to accuse Ieremy, and Amaziah to accuse Amos, he … the Scribes and Pharises to slaunder Christe himselfe, hee stirred vp the eloquent Orator … to accuse Paule. So it is a … of the Gospell till this day, to be subiect to captious enimies, and the preachers thereof to the persecution of … lous tongues, vvhichwhich no doubt vvere able to discourage vsus from oure duties, and vvounde vsus to the very heartes: if vve had not that good shield left vsus, Mat. 5. Blessed are you, when men shall speake all manner of … sayings against ….
Now Sir, if you bee founde in the rable of these accusers, and youre accusations, though in manye vvoordes, yet most of them vntrue, then vvith what Spirite you vvere led in penning these things, your conscience will tell you, euen with the Spirit of him vvho as a liar, from the beginning, and the father of the same thing. And all men may easily coniecture that malice in your heart exiled trueth from youre tongue, and bashfulnesse from your countenaunce. For if to report a lye to a meaner person, hath bene euermore counted shame and dishonesty; Then so malepertly to insinuate suche manifest vntruethes into the eares of a prince, yea of so wise, godly, and vertuous a Prince, because you vvould do the greater hurte, I doubte not but it shall purchase to your selfe perpetuall discredit and ….
You lay to our charge the odious crime of disobedience, and contempt of lawes and magistrates, and this you seeme to proue, partly by our actes as violent rushing vp into the pulpit being forbidden, partly, by certeine propositions of doctrine published at the generall fast in Stamford as you are informed by a minister there present.
Now hovv greatly your minister that gratified you with these … did therein abuse you, and consequently you abuse others, you shal soone perceiue. First, concerning the note of disobedience, I say, that the … of Stamforde, vvho … the … person in that towne, vvith the other …, by one assent and consent, and by earnest suite requested mee to … that good worke, my …, which is my L. Byshop of …, by his letters … date the … day of August did nominate, and by speciall name appoint me to that …, to occupy the place that day: Therefore, … by the alderman and his brethren requested, and by the Byshop appoynted, and neuer after had, nor heard of any restraint or countermaund, nor any … tending to that purpose, what trueth can be in your assertion, that I would not obey? my charge lieth not in that place and therefore no cause why I shoulde intrude my selfe against authority.
Concerning youre foure propositions of Doctrine inferred as it seemeth altogether from the Prophete Ionas, hath not so muche as any face of trueth, seeing my text vvas in the prophesy of Esay. Vppon these Articles as false …, you grounde a moste vvicked conclusion, that vvee vvoulde hauehave no ruler nor gouernour at all. Notvvithstanding I doubte not to approue my loyalty to my Prince, and my good affection tovvardes magistrates vvell ynough, hovvsoeuer you dare so maliciously … port it.
In that place, and not long time before, I proued,In a Sermon vponupon … seuē teenth of Nouember, Anno 1579. that neyther City nor Kingdome, nor Socictye of men vvas able to endure, but by the benefite of good and vvholsome Lawes, and that Lavves were nothing vvorth, … there should be Magistrates to execute the same, for Lex …, … autem est lex …. The lavve is a dumbe Magistrate, but the Magistrate is a speakinge lavve.
I declared openly that by them vve enioye our landes, liuings, goods, and possessions in safety: that by them our controuersies are decyded, & the vveakest, vvhichwhich els vvere like to go to the vvalles, by this meanes godly defended. And therefore the sunne in his brightnes not more needefull for the increase of the fruites of the earth, nor meate and drinke for the sustentation of this our nature, then the vse of good and godly magistrates in eueryevery cōmon vvelth. As occasion then required, I styrred vp the peoples heartes to thankfulnes to God, for the happie and peaceable gouernment of this Realme. All vvhichwhich may argue hovv farre I am, from suche Anabaptisticall opinion of vvishing no ruler or gouernour at al.
At that instant time of the generall Fast, I made prayer my selfe, and exhorted the people to pray asvvell for her Highnes, as her most honorable Counsell, and all other the Nobilitie of this Realme, all Iudges, Iustices, and ciuill Magistrates, and by special vvords for her Maiesties preseruation, agaynst all trayterous practises eyther of domesticall or forreyne enemies, for the multiplying of her dayes and yeres, in abundance of peace and godly lyfe, & for the continuance of her and the Gospell, if it vvere his good vvill and pleasure, euen to the days of Methushelah. And can any man thinke that in the turning of a hande, out of one fountayne should flowe svveete vvater and sovvre also. first to shevv honest and hartie affection to Magistrates, and immediatly to breath out hatred and contempt of Magistrates, to make a diuorse betvveene my vvords and my heart, to vvishe there should be no ruler or gouernour at all?
No it is you and your sect of stisnecked Papistes, that pinch at Magistrates, vvhile you exempt your selues from … obedience, you knovve vvho ground them selues vponupon that saying of the Psalme, … meos, Touche not mine annoynted, doe vvrest this and suche like places, & retche them as Shomakers do their lether, to serue your purpose for the Popes shauelings. A learned father confuting your vanitie, sayth, you might aswell make aLatimer in Serm. habit. syllogisme of Quem terra pontus, to proue of nothing something.Stamford.
VVhere you are pressed, vvith the authoritie of S. Paule, Rom. 13. Let eueryevery soule submit himself to the authoritie of the higher powers, you knovve vvho shift of the matter vvith this glose, Onnis anima secularis, non item …, EueryEvery secular soule, and not eueryevery spirituall soule. But Chrysostome confuteth your saying, Omnis anima … Propheta, siue Apostolus, siue …, Every soule whether he be Prophet, or whether he … an Apostle, or Euangelist. But this is beside my purpose. And therefore to returne to your propositions, albeit by charitable instruction they might be mitigated, from that rigour that you vvould enforce vponupon them, yet to do not onelyonly that vvhichwhich is iust, but to do the same iustly, faythfully & truely, I say I neuer spake them, yea as surely as the Redeemer of the vvorld liueth, and I my selfe hope to be partaker of that redemption: so surely I neuer vttered thē. How far they vvere from my vvords, the vvhole company then present can testifie, how far from my hart, God himselfe doth know. And albeit my nay ought to be as good as your yea, & my flat deniall in mine owne defence, in good reason ought to counteruayle and preuaile with your bare and naked affirmation, yet to put the matter out of all doubte, I hauehave craued the … of such as did heare me, not of the simple, rude or ignoraunt, but of the better, the more learned sort, and such as be of good credite and calling in the common vvealth, as followeth.
WE the alderman & comburgesses of Stamford knowing the premises whiche the saide Richard Liuely hath alledged to acquite himself of the abouesaid slaunder of disobedience, to be most true, hauehave thought good to ratifie the same by the subscription of our names as hereafter followeth.
Comburgesses.
Iohn VVimbleby Alderman
VVillam Lacy Gent.
Iohn Houghton Gent.
Reinold Harrison.
Richard Euely.
The true report of Iohn Hanson Bacheler of diuinity, and preacher in Stamford, concerning the … of Richarde Liuely, and Robert Iohnson, at the generall fast in Stamford. 14. Sept. Anno. 1580.
I Iohn Hanson with great … writing and gathering the … of the … sermons, and hauing examined & … the same with eight propositions of Iohn … promised, wherevvith … charged the … parties, do find no such …, … vvordes, but …, that they are … therevvith, and this I am ready, if neede be to verify by othe.
By me Iohn Hanson.
The faithfull information of Robert Crosdale preacher, concerning the abouesayd sermons of M. Richard Liuely, and M. Roberte Iohnson, at the generall fast in Stamforde. 14. Sept. Anno. 1580.
I Robert Crosdale, gathering the notes of the sayd Sermons, and conferring the same vvith the propositions vvhichwhich are layde to their charge, doe stedfastly and truely affirme they hauehave great iniurye to be so vvrongfully accused, and to this I am ready to be sworn, if I shall be thereto ordinarily required.
By me Robert Crosdale