BOOK 1. MSS. pen. me. [Number XIX.] Field and Wilcox, from Newgate, to the lord treasurer; for their liberty: cast into prison for a book of reformation, written by them, presented to the parliament. INSIGNIS benevolentia, qua omnes pios complecteris, Burghlian. (honoratissime vir,) nos jam in carcere miserè devinctos, ad scribendum summa cum fiducia, et libertatis nostræ potiundæ, et veritatis propagandæ, impulit. Scimus nos, quàm variis hominum iniquorum dictis apud proceres jactari causam nostram, quamvis justam, maledictis eorum scindi, et veritatem Dei (quod omnium maxime horrendum est) male apud multos audire. Ac veritas, cum non quærit angulos, pro seipsa loquatur, et innocentiam nostram, et causæ æquitatem tibi commendet, obsecramus assidue, obtestamur submisse, et rogamus enixe. Scripsimus nuper quidem librum justum horrendorum abusuum reformationem postulantem, iis animis, ut religio sincera, a papisticis superstitionibus immunis, a totius regni calatis comitiis (regia majestate id approbante) redderetur. Nihil tentavimus per nosmetipsos vel corrigere, vel immutare, sed omnia ad judicia eorum, prout tanta res postularet, retulimus. Hinc inde sperantes, ut pacem ecclesiarum, et reconciliationem fratrum, jamdiu de hisce (proh! dolor) nimis infeliciter litigantium, restituendam. Hac enim hierarchia ecclesiastica a verbo divino haud consentiente, ecclesiæ unitatem vidimus scindi, turbas quotidie inter pios excitari, et pacem illam suavissimam (quæ inter fratres, unam eandemque religionem profitentes, esset arctissima) pessundari: ut interim taceamus bonarum literarum contemptum, sincerioris religionis corruptionem, ministerii depravationem, et vitiorum incrementum, et alia hujuscemodi. Itaque ad scribendum, et causæ æquitate, et spe horum omnium emendationis allecti, accingimur. De abusibus illis a nobis nominatim taxatis, (cum omnes exteræ ecclesiæ purioris reformationis, et eruditione clarorum virorum scripta unanimiter, et prædicant, et agnoscunt teterrimos esse,) non est quod nunc dicamus, nisi ut te (illustrissime vir) quàm humillime supplicemus, ut in reformatione promo- BOOK venda, quantus, quantus es, incumbas. Interim de nobis quæsumus, ut suspicionem omnem si-39 nistram, siquam conceperis, deponas: et potius de libertate nostra sic cogitas, ut tua ope et industria, regia majestas, erga omnes benefica, fiat etiam erga nos benevola. Quorum animus, fides, obedientia, et erga illius majestatem observantia summa, non solummodo voce nostra, sæpe sit publice omnibus testata, verum etiam privatim fidelibus multis satis explorata. Itaque moveat te in nostrum bonum et commodum, causæ nostræ æquitas, miseriarum nostrarum turba, uxorum et liberorum inedia, amicorum petitio humillima, et omnium fidelissimorum incredibilis dolor, et queremonia, nostra denique in regiam majestatem, in te, et in omnem magistra tum pia et propensa observantia. Sic speramus fore, ut in pristinam libertatem, quæ jam summo jure, nostro malo eripitur, restituetur. Deus Opt. Max. finem imponat his rixis, det regno pacem, paci regina Elizabetha. Ut diu pie et feliciter vivat, hic et in æternum. Amen. E nova porta, Sio Septembris, 1572. Tui honoris studiosissimi, I. Jo, Fieldus, Tho. Wilcocks. Number XX. The lord treasurer Burghley to Mr. Dering: who had excited him to restore Mr. Cartwright; and accused him somewhat rudely of his want of religion. Burghlian penes me. MR. DERING, since I received from you, in a piece of MSS. paper, a biting letter, pretended (as by the beginning of a few of your lines appeareth) for Mr. Cartwright, whose name you reiterate, for that you will me not to be in heat at the memory of his name; I have been in doubt, whether I should, either for wasting of my time, or for nourishing of your humour, make you any answer by letter: but I have yielded, as you see. BOOK I. As for so much as concerneth Mr. Cartwright, I answer you, sine excandescentia, (which is your term,) that, quo possum candore reditus ejus erit mihi gratus: eique optime cupio et opto. But as for the reading of a public lecture in Cambridge, I can promise nothing of my self. For therein I know no power that I have. I know very well it is my duty to further all good learning and quietness in that university; that undecent contentions be excluded from thence. The rest of your pamphlet or letter (worse I will not name it) containeth divers ejaculations against me. As one, that if I were so void of knowledge or godliness, as your words make me, I should be ashamed to live in the place where I do. But most of all, I might be reputed a pagan, without sense or knowledge of my God. But what I am indeed, God onely knoweth first, and secondarily my self: who am, as you may be, for your self, partial. And therefore, except it may please God to direct good men to think better of me than you do, I shall not be in danger of any vain-glory. If I shall flatly deny your pronuntiations of me, and say they are not true, or that you do erre, yet I may be licensed so to say: I pray you, do not by recrimination charge me, and say, that I justify my self. Indeed to the contrary of your hard speeches, through God's goodness, I do affirm, that I have not to my knowledge conceived or held obstinata consilia. I say also, by the goodness of the same my good God, through good erudition in my young years, I have beheld the gospel, or evangely of Christ, that Son of God, not eminus per multos jam annos, as you write; but in very deed with such inward feeling of God's mercy by Jesus Christ, reveled to me in his gospel, and confirmed to me by his sacraments, as I trust I may say with the church, Pater noster, sanctificetur nomen tuum. And though I am made of worldly elements, as other 40 creatures are; and thereby, while I live in this tabernacle, subject to sin and infirmityes; so as I may not glory of any perfection, wherein others think themselves to excel their brethren: yet I will confidently use St. Paul's speech, Non I. erubesco evangelium, [i. e. I am not ashamed of the gospel.] BOOK And why? Virtus enim Dei est in salutem omni credenti, [i. e. For it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth.] And as you pronounce hardly of me in taxing my religion; so surely, yielding to you the use of your calumniation, or uncharitable reprehension, to procede of just cause, which I utterly deny to you, and all your bolsterers, if any you have in your licentious liberty of writing what you list, I might bear with the rest, when you write tanquam e sublimi speculatorio, [i. e. as from a high watch-tower,] that, non magni facis, sive te commendem, sive vituperem ; sive tuis rebus et fortunis consulam, sive me habeas tibi pertinaciter offensum; [i. e. that you do not much care whether I commend or dispraise you, whether I have a regard for your good and benefit, or whether I am greatly offended with you or no.] Indeed you may esteem me less than thus, if I be so far off the knowledge of the gospel as you make me. And yet if I were in some great fault, except you will add your fault to mine, you are taught by St. Paul thus, Si præoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, vos qui spirituales estis, institutite hujusmodi hominem in spiritu lenitatis; considerantes vosipsos; [i. e. If a man be overtaken in some fault, yee which are spiritual, instruct such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering your selves.] But if you will change this maner of authority to enter into judgment of your brother's faith and religion, I must say to you as St. Paul said to the Corinthians, Qui me judicat Deus est; [i. e. He that judgeth me is God.] And as in the Epistle to the Romans, Tu autem quis qui judicas servum alterius? aut in qua re spernis fratrem tuum? [i. e. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? or wherein dost thou despise thy brother?] And yet by this my writing, you may not gather, that I may mislike brotherly erudition, or reprehension. For I thank God, I can well say, Iniquitatem meam annuntiabo, et cogitabo diu, pro peccato meo, [i. e. I will declare my iniquity, and be sorry for my sin,] as the Psalmist teacheth I. BOOK me. And I cannot forget that which is often repeated out of St. John's Epistle, Si dixerimus, quia peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, &c. [i. e. If we shall say we have not sin, we deceive our selves, &c.] And so surely in your office, professing, preaching, or reading, I esteem you, as having authority. And therein St. Paul doth teach you in his Epistle ad Thessalonicenses, Rogamus autem vos, fratres, inquietos corripite, pusillanimos consolamini, infirmos suscipite, patientes estote erga omnes; [i.e. Rebuke the unquiet, comfort the feeble-minded, receive the weak, be patient towards all.] In which fatherly sentence, having four xãλa or commata, there is but one that maketh you a master corrector: and that is, inquietos corripite. The other three move you to favourable compassion and instruction. And now to end, lest you may think me too copious in citing of scripture to you, I may remember you somewhat of my years, or of mine old service in the common weal. And then I trust hereafter, until I be very obstinate, as partly you note me, you will also remember St. Paul to Timothy, Seniorem ne increpaveris, sed obsecra, ut patrem; juvenes, ut fratres, &c. [i. e. Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father, the younger as brethren, &c.] And so wishing to my self that which you judge that I do lack; and to your self all that which you seem to have. And what you have, for the charity I bear you, I heartily wish you more, than by your behaviour you seem to have. And both of us to require of God, qui est xapdioyváσTYS, [i. e. who is the knower of hearts,] to plant in our hearts true fear of him, and to transplant out of our hearts all seeds or roots of vain-glory; directing you in all your contemplations and teachings, and me in my cares and public labours, to the glory of his Son Jesus Christ. Apr. 3, 1572. Yours to be taught, but not to be condemned, Non alta sapientes, sed humiliter W. B. |