An Epitome, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
A While after came Sir Robert Heath Atturney Generall to examine me, who told me that the King was informed that I would not be examined; I anſwered I had the more wrong, and that the contrary might appeare: I was willing to be examined not only by him, but by the meaneſt of his Majeſties Subjects that ſhould come with lawfull Authority. It was true, I refuſed to be examined by the High Commiſſioners delivering my Reaſons in effect, which formerly I have ſet down: In which Reaſons he ſeemed to acquieſce, proceeding to examine me concerning a book eſpecially; three ſeverall Examinations of me they have verbatim, the more materiall things whereof I will but touch. To his firſt Quere concerning the Book I told him ſalvo meliori judicio, that I had rather cauſe to enquire why I had ſuffered ſo much, and ſo long, without any cauſe knowne, then firſt to put ſuch heavy things upon me, and then to examine the cauſe; for I knew nothing by my ſelf, neither had they, for any thing I knew, any juſt matter of ſuch uſage againſt me. As for the Book I told him, if any man could charge either with Book or any other thing; wherein I had tranſgreſſed I was willing to ſatisfie the Law: In the meane time, I deſired as one yet cleer in Law, to goe upon ſufficient Baile, and ſo to come to my Anſwer: he confeſſed the Anſwer was reaſonable, but in that he told me the King was very deſirous to know the Author, and that not for any evill to him; and if I would diſcover what I knew, it would be acceptable to the King; (or in his very words) the King would take it well: yea if it intrenched upon my ſelfe, I ſhould finde as much favour as I could wiſh. To which I anſwered, if it were a thing ſo pleaſing unto his Majeſtie, and if he would be pleaſed to lay a particular command upon me, I would diſcover what I knew by my ſelfe in that; yea, if I knew guilt by my ſelfe, which indeed I did not. He being well content with this, and in words regreeting my diſtreſſe, he went away and withall making offer, &c. And the next time returned with the Kings particular command (as he ſaid) for in my ſecond Examination it was thus ſet downe: Ʋpon the Kings Majeſties particular command, &c. I acknowledge my ſelfe to be the whole and ſole Author and compoſer of the Book, &c. For this in effect was the ſumme of my ſecond confeſſion concerning my Book. As we were upon diſcourſe, he told me that it was given out that I ſhould deny the Kings ſupremacy; I anſwered, that it was an unjuſt aſperſion, for I was never put to it juridice, ſo I told him in effect ſome paſsages between Sir Henry Martin and my ſelf by way of diſcourſe; and how his anſwer was in effect my tenet, and I deſired in my heart in regard of Loyalty, not to come ſhort of any ſubject: Well ſaid he, you ſhall doe well alſo to expreſſe your ſelfe by me in that particular, that if any ſuch aſperſion be laid upon you, by giving the King ſatisfaction it may be prevented: I told him I was very willing and deſired him to write my expreſſions, which I delivered in theſe words or to this effect: I acknowledge (ex animo) as much dominion and ſoveraignty, to belong unto our King over all his dominions, and therein over all his Subjects and cauſes, as any of the Kings of Judah or Iſrael had over their dominions, and the premiſes therein; ſave onelyonly in thoſe things wherein they were Types of Chriſt, or had a particular warrant. This he told me at his returne, he had ſhewed to the King, and that it gave him not only good content, (for it is all he could deſire) but he ſaid he had not heard that caſe ſo well cleared, but for all this I had no releaſe, neither favour afforded, for being, or well-being, only my Wife permitted to come to me.
The third approach of Mr. Atturney was nerve tranſverſo with a croſſe ſinew, namely, to examine me who were my partners and abettors in the worke, for they conceived I had not done it without the helping hand, of the moſt judicious Divines and Lawyers in the Land. To this demand I replyed, that it was beſides my Covenant, yet being willing to ſatisfie all demands ſo far as I could without prejudice to others, I profeſſed (as I have alſo anſwered to the information) that no living ſoule had any hand in compoſing Page or Line of that Book except my ſelfe: For I told him as I was not ſo ambitious, as to derogate from other men if any thing in it were praiſe-worthy; ſo I was not ſo Prodigall of my ſelfe as to ſuffer by taking other mens workes upon my ſelfe: Then he asked me whether I was moved to it by ſome other, or if it came of my ſelfe, I told him I was moved by ſome well-affected people to frame a draught of their deſires to the Parliament then being, which all the Kings leige people might doe, but they differing for a time upon the Subject matter; at length it was concluded to deſire the removall of the Hierarchy and their Appendices, as the maine root of all our bitterneſſe; and the eſtabliſhing of Chriſts Ordinances in their power and beauty; together with the grounds of theſe our deſires; for reaſon doth convince, and experience teacheth that toto ſublato non officiunt partes, take away the whole, and the parts will doe no hurt. And where diverſe Petitions had been put up for Reformation of divers parts, with little or no ſucceſſe, it were as good without mincing, (by ſhewing the extent of their deſires) to heave at all; as the Proverbe is, cum pulviſculo; yea the Scripture teacheth us, the beſt way to ſweeten waters is to begin at the fountaines*2 Kings ….21. head.
Whereupon I framed thoſe Ten Poſitions▪ ſet downe in the Booke, the proofes whereof being exceedingly deſired, I drew a ſcantling of them; which being by ſerious view peruſed, it had the approbation and hands of many excellent good people; ſo that I may ſafely ſay, I ran not unſent about the buſineſſe. The Atturney urged me to give up the names of thoſe Approvers, with many faire promiſes of liberty, and what not: I anſwered, that in my judgement there was neither Law nor Conſcience for it. For what had the people done, but that which good ſubjects might ſafely doe. Secondly, though there was no danger in the Act, yet the re-vailing of them might endanger them, which I would be loth to doe. Thirdly, as it was done in time of Parliament, when every ſubject might without impeachment unfold a publique grievance ſo if that high Court were in being, and ſhould call them to it, they ſhould either avouch the act; or I would deliver both their names and hands. He replyed, that though I was ſomewhat vers'd in the Law, yet it was not my faculty. I anſwered true, yet I ſtood in need of ſo much as to ſquare my wayes by, and if he being a great Lawyer, could give me any ground for that he required from the Law of God or Man, I would ſatisfie him forthwith, and every man ſhould beare his owne burthen. To this I received no anſwer, but after a pauſe, hee told me that the King would take it ill; for the deniall of ſuch a thing, was an Argument that I loved him not, I replyed; that I would not for a Kingdome give him juſt cauſe of offence, but obedience muſt be ruled; and for my love to his Majeſty let my actions and ſufferings witneſſe to the would; for if I had not loved my Soveraign better then my life, I had not put my life in my hand, in the diſcovery of truths ſo ſtrongly oppoſed; which if they ſhould not prevaile; I might partly conceive what it would coſt me, witneſſe the continuance of my hard uſage: In concluſion he began to bee rough, and to threaten me with the Rod: To which I anſwered, the rod was in Gods hand, and he ſhould doe well to looke to it; for the wrath of man did not accompliſh the righteouſneſſe of God; and for his threatnings, I hoped they ſhould never bring me to be an accuſer of the Brethren. Thus much in effect paſſed between the Atturney Generall and me, where though not totidem verbis, yet I have not wronged him one jot, but how much in this matter he wronged both me and himſelfe, Lord open his eyes to ſee it.