The Deprived and Silenced Ministers Arguments, Title page – Preface
A Conſideration of the Depriued and Silenced Miniſters Arguments, for their Reſtitution to the vſe and libertie of their Miniſterie; Exhibited in their late Supplication, vntounto the Honorable States aſſembled in this preſent Parliament.
By Gabriel Powel.
Geneſ. 13.8.
Let there be no ſtrife, I pray thee, betweene thee and me, for we are Bretheren.
AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld, for Thomas Adams. 1606.
To the Right Honorable, the Lords Spirituall and Temporall, the Knights, Cittizens and Burgeſſes of the high Court of Parliament.
WHereas the Solon, or rather the Salomon of this age and Monarchie, our moſt gracious and peereleſſe Soueraigne, hath according vntounto his ſingular wiſdome and ſinceritie of heart, by all good means, laboured the Reformation, as of all his Subiects in generall, which refuſe to ſerue GOD with vsus, in ſuch holy exerciſes of Religion, as are already eſtabliſhed amongſt vsus, ſo eſpecially of ſuch our Brethren in the Miniſterie, as emulating forraine Noveltie, refuſe to conforme themſelues vntounto the ancient approued diſcipline and ceremonies of our Church: whom therefore his Highneſſe ſought the more earneſtlie to reclaime, (as he loued them dearlieſt) by ſome correction of their obſtinacie, by Silence and Deprivation, according to the laudable cuſtome and ſanctions of the Eccleſiaſticall Courts in this behalfe.
Now (Right Reuerend and Honorable) there are which greatly complaine of this moderate Severitie, and both vnfitly and vndutifully terme it by the moſt hatefull and odious names of Oppreſsion and Crueltie; which they do as well in their private talke, in their publike Sermons and writings, as alſo in a late Supplicatorie Pamphlet directed vntounto your graue Wiſdomes, wherin the Auctor is not affraide to perſwade and prouoke your Honourable Court (theſe are his owne words) to intercede with his Maieſtie, that he would compell the Reverend Prelates of this Church, to ſurceaſe their rigorous and cruell dealing, who hauehave ſoberly and temperately carried themſelues in the execution of ſuch Decrees and Sentences vponupon them, as their obſtinate Superſtition had worthily made them ſubiect vntounto. By which boldneſſe he taketh occaſion ſo to complaine and crie out, as if the Goſpell of CHRIST IESVS were baniſhed out of this Kingdome, GODS worſhip prophanely adulterated, and our whole Miniſterie ſtrangely corrupted, to the eternall perdition and deſtruction of many thouſand Soules. Which grieuous complainte, ſeeing it cannot be vnknowne to any that liue within theſe Dominions, to be vtterly vniuſt & vntrue, I can but wonder with what face he could once dare to preſent it to the moſt Reuerend Senate of your moſt Honorable and iudicious Court. For howſoeuer hee might perſwade himſelfe, that ſome preiudicate perſons would affect his cauſe, and embrace his accuſations; yet could he never have the leaſt hope, ſo to abuſe your Wiſdomes, who of your owne knowledge are able to convince him of malepert Sycophancie, and manifeſt vntruth. Notwithſtanding all which, this Auctor fearing no rebuke or ſhame for his vnconſcionable dealing (as ſpeaking from Cimmerian darkeneſſe by concealing his name) is enboldened to offer it even vntounto your Honors, to prouoke you to become suppliants and Su…ters vntounto his excellent Maieſty in behalfe of their cauſe, or elſe (at lēgth) to Determine of it your ſelues, before you diſſolue your meeting.
This Diſcourſe (ſuch as it is) I was commanded (by ſome in auctoritie) to peruſe, & briefly to refute, which I confeſſe at firſt I was very vnwilling to take vponupon me; notwithſtanding, I ſaw the great aduantage I ſhould hauehave of my Bretherē, in the defence and maintenance of a moſt iuſt and holy Quarell. For (beſides that I was exceeding loath to intermedle in theſe domeſticall Controuerſies, and indeed as Abram ſaid vntounto Lot; (Gen. 13.8.) Why ſhould there be ſtrife betweene them and vsus, for we are Brethren?) I ſaw many excellent witts ſit quietly at their ſtudies, being better furniſhed and more able to deale in theſe caſes then my ſelfe, who come ſo farre behinde them in all ſufficiencie for this purpoſſe. And ſpecially, waighing my owne weakneſſe, I iuſtly feared to practiſe this kinde of pleading in ſo high a Court, and before ſuch Iudges, whoſe wiſedomes can ſo eaſily diſcerne any which come before them. But on the other ſide, when I had throughly weighed the equitie of the Cauſe, the quality of my Vocation, the neceſſitie of the Church, and the dutie of obeying the Auctoritie, whereby I hauehave beene enioyned this taske, I preſently reſolued with my ſelfe, to ſtand in the gap and breach betweene our Bretheren and vsus, and according to my poore abilitie, abilitie, to performe a ſeruice ſo iuſt, holy, dutifull and neceſſarie; albeit I knew my Brethrens affections to be ſomewhat vnkinde, and their pens foule and ſhameleſſe. But ſeeing it lieth not in our power to make them modeſt and peaceable, and that we are called to ſerue God and his Church, which we are bound to do in good and euill report, in honour and diſhonour, in wealth & wo, in life and death, I willingly forgiue them any iniurie that may be done vntounto me for this cauſe, and pray our Heauenly Father, that of his infinite merciemercy and louelove in Ieſus Chriſt, he will not impute it vntounto them.
So being ſatiſfied of all ſcruples concerning this matter, and knowing no ſufficient cauſe to the contrary, or other impediment to ſtay my courſe, I hauehave not withdrawne my ſelfe, no not for the eſtimation and reuerence I muſt needs hauehave of the grave iudgement of your Honours, which I ſaw I could not eſcape, but hauehave deemed this Defence to be my moſt bounden dutie to almighty God, to his excellent Maieſtie, to your honourable Court, and to this whole Church & State. Wherefore I hauehave preſumed by your Honourable leaue and fauour, to maintaine againſt this Plaintiffe, to my ſmall power, the glory of God, in the iuſt defence of his Church, and the honour of the reuerend Prelates in their moſt lawfull proceedings, againſt ſuch, as by their ſchiſme and faction, diſturbe the quietneſſe both of our Church and common-weale.
Thus having in all ſubmiſſion and humilitie, rendred ſome reaſon of this my doing vntounto your high and Honorable Court, I come now to ioine iſſue with my Antagoniſt, not doubting but that your Honors, according vntounto your rare Wiſedome and ſpeciall louelove vntounto Iuſtice, as you do in all other Cauſes depending among brethren, ſo in this, will giuegive equall hearing vntounto both parties, and (without partiality and preiudicate affection) will iudge righteous Iudgment, that is, ſimplie & abſolutely according vntounto the trueth.
The Title of the Supplication.
❧ Certaine Arguments to perſwade and prouoke the moſt honorable and high court of Parliament now aſſembled, and alſo all other in any high authority, or in any grace, and credit with them that are in high authority, to promote and aduance the ſincere Miniſtery of the Goſpell; as alſo Zealouſly to ſpeake for the Miniſters thereof now Degraded, Deprived, Silenced, or Admoniſhed, or afterward like to be called into queſtion, for Subſcription, Ceremonies, ſtrict obſervation of the booke of common prayer, or for other conformity.
Them that honor me I will honor: and they that deſpiſe me, ſhall be deſpiſed.
1. Sam. 2.30.
He that is not with me, is againſt me: and he that gathereth not with me, ſcattereth.
Math. 12.…0.
Therefore,
Watch yee: ſtand faſt in the faith; quit you like men, and be ſtrong.
1. Cor. 16.13.