Work for a Cooper, Response 1 – Statement 3
Reverend Martin.
Alas poore reverend T. G. Be not afraid. Heere be none but friends man. I hope thou art a good fellow, and a true subiect, yea but I defend the Bishops of the church of England saith he▪ then indeed I marvell not though thy conscience accuse thee, and thou art sure to be as wellfavouredly, thwacked for thy labour, as ever thou wast in thy life. Thy conscience J say, must needs make thee feare in defending them. For they are petty Popes, and petty Antichrists as I have proved; because they are Pastor of pastors, &c. thou hast not answered my reasons, and therefore swadled thou shalt bee for thy paines, and yet if thou wilt yeeld I will spare thee. Thou canst not be a good and sound subiect and defend the hierarchy of Lord Bishops to bee lawfull, as I will shew anone. Concerning Sir Paul, I have him not all in my writings. And therefore the reader must know, that there is a Canterbury tricke once to patch up an accusation with a lye or two.
Sir Peter was the oversight of the Printer, who omitted this Marginall note, viz. He was not Saint Peter which had a lawfull superiour authority over the vniversall body of the Church. And therefore the Priest wherof Deane Iohu speaketh was sir Peter,
And good reverend T. C. I pray thee tell me, what kin was Saint Mary Oueries, to Mary the Virgin. In my booke learning, the one was some Popish Trull, and the other the blessed Virgin. But will you have all those, who are Saints indeed, called Saints? Why then why doe you not call saint Abraham, saint Sara, saint Ieremie. If Iohn of Canterbury should marry, tell me good T. C. dost thou not thinke that he would not make choice of a godly woman. I hope a would, and T. C. though you are learned, yet you goe beyond your books if you said the contrary, being a godly woman, then shee were a Saint, and so by your rule, her name being Mary, you would have her called Saint Mary Canterbury. But I promise thee; did his grace what he could, I would call her sir Mary Canterbury as long as he professed himselfe to be a Priest, and this I might doe lawfully. For he being sir Iohn, why should not his wife be sir Mary, and why not sir Mary Overies, as well as sir Mary Canterbury? I hope Iohn of Canterbury whom I know, (though I know no great good in him) to be as honest a man as M. Overies was, whom I did not know. Neither is there any reason why you T. C. should hold M. Overies and his Mary, because they are within the Diocesse of Winchester to bee more honest then M. Canterbury and his wife. Nay there is more reasons, why M. Canterburie and his wife dwelling at Lambehith, should be thought the honester of the two, then Overies and his wife, because they dwell O the bankes side. But good Tom tubtrimmer, tell me what you meane by the chiefe of the Clergie in the Church of England? Iohn Canterburie I am sure Why good T. C. this speech is either blasphemous, or traitorous, or by your owne confession an evident proofe, that Iohn of Canterburie is Lord over his brethren. He that is chiefe of the clergie, is chiefe of Gods heritage, and that is Iesus Christ onelyonly, and so to make the Pope of Canterbury chiefe of Gods heritage, in this sense is blasphemons, if you meane by clergie, as Deane Iohn doth page 443 of his booke, both the people and Ministers of the Church of England, in this sense his Majestie is chiefe of the clergie in the Church of England, and so your speech is trait…rous. Lastly, if by clergie you mean the ministers of the Church of England; none in this sense can be chiefe of the Clergie, but a petty Pope. For our Saviour Christ flatly forbiddeth any to be chiefe of the clergie in this sense, Luke 22. 26. And none ever claimed this vntounto himselfe but a petty Pope. Therefore T. C. you are either by your own speech a blasphemer or a traitor, or else Iohn of Cant. is a petty Pope. Here is good spooneme…t for a Cooper. Take heed of writing against Martin, if you love your ease.
Reverend T. C. page 2. Epistle.
But I feare them not, while I goe about to maintaine the dignity of Priests.
Reverend Martin.
Well fare a good heart yet, stand to thy tackling, and get the high commission to send abroad the Pursivants, and I warrant thee thou wile doe something; Alas good Priests, that their dignity is like to fall to the ground, it is pitty they should be so, they are such notable Pulpit men. There is a neighbour of ours, an honest Priest, who was sometimes (simple as he now stands) a vice in a play for want of a better, his name is Gliberie of Hawstead in Essex, hee goes much to the Pulpit. On a time I thinke it was the last May, he went vp with a full resolution, to doe his businesse with great commendations. But see the fortune of it; A boy in the Church, hearing either the Summer Lord with his May game, or Robin Hood with his Morice daunce going by the Church, out goees the boye. Good Glibery, though he were in the pulpit, yet had a mind to his old companions abroad (a company of merry grigs you must thinke them to be, as merry as a vice on a stage) seeing the boy going out, finished his matter presently with Iohn of Londons Amen, saying ha, ye faith boy, are they there, then ha with thee, and so came downe and among them he goes. Were it not then pitty, that the dignity of such a Priest should decay. And I would gentle T. C. that you would take the paines to write a treatise against the boy with the red cap, which put this Glibery out of his matter at another time. For Glibery being in the pulpit so fastened his eyes vponupon a boy with a red …ap, that he was cleane dasht out of countenance, in somuch that no note could be hard from him at that, time, but this: Take away red cap there, take away red cap there: it had beene better that he had never beene borne, he hath marred such a Sermon this day, as it is wonderfull to think… The King and the Counsell might well have heard it for a good Sermon, and so came down. An admonition to the people of England, to take heed of boyes with red caps, which make them set light by the dignity of there Priests, would doe good in this time, brother T. C. you know well.
Reverend T. C,
The cause why we are so spighted, is because we doe… may hereby ceiveth …. is a Bishop. endeavour to maintain the lawes which his Majestie and the whole state of the Realme have allowed, and doe not admit a new platforme of government, devised I know not by whom.