(Anon.) Wilcox & Field
1572
TO THE GODLY READERS, GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD, ETC.
Two treatises yee have heere ensuing (beloved in Christ) which yee must read without parcialitie or blinde affection. For otherwise you shal neither see their meaning: nor refraine youre selves from rashly condemning of them withoute juste cause. For certaine men there are of great countenance, which wyll not lightly like of them, bicause they principally concerne their persons and unjuste dealings: whose credite is great, and whose friendes are manye, we meane the Lordly Lordes, Archbishopps, Bishoppes. Suffraganes, Deanes, Doctors, Archdeacons, Chauncelors, and tile rest of that proude generation, whose kingdome must downe, holde they never so hard; bicause their tyrannous Lordshippe can no; stande b wyth Christes kingdome. And it is the speciall mischiefe of oure Englishe churche, and the cheefe cause of backewardnesse, and of all breache and dissention. For they whose authoritie is forbidden by Christ, will have their stroke without theyr fellowe servauntes, yea, thoughe ungratiously, cruelly and Popelike they take upon them to beate them, and that for their owne childishe Articles, being for the moste parte, against the manifest truthe of God: First, by experience their rigoure hathe too plainely appeared ever since their wicked raigne, and specially for the space of these five or sixe yeares last past together. Of the enormities, which with suche rigoure they maintaine, these treatises do in part make mention, justly craving redresse therof. But the matters do require a larger discourse. Only the authors of these, thoughte it their partes to admonishe you at this time, of those inconveniences which men seme not to thincke upon, and which without reformation, can not but increase further dissention: the one parte being proude, pontificall and tyrannous: and the woorde of God for the other parte expresse and manifest, as if it pleased the state to examine the matters, it would be evident. And would to God, that free conference in these matters mighte bee had. For how so ever learned and many they seeme to be, they shoulde and may in this realme finde inowe, to matche them and shame them to, if they hold on as they have begonne. And out of this realme, they have all the best reformed churches thorowoute Christendome againste them. But in a few wordes to saye what we meane. Either must we have right ministerie of God, & a right government of his church, according to the scriptures sette up (bothe whiche we lacke) or else there can be no right religion, nor yet for contempt therof can Gods plagues be from us any while differred. And therfore thoughe they lincke in togither, and slaunderously charge poore men (whom they have made poore) with grevous faults, calling them Puritanes, worse than the Donatistes, exasperating and setting on, suche as be in authoritie against them: having hitherto miserably handled them, with revilings, deprivations, imprisonmentes, banishmentes, and suche like extremities, yet is these poore mennes cause never the worse: nor these chalengers the better: nor god his hande the further of, to lincke in with his against them: nor you (christian brethren) must never the rather without examination condemne them. But thankefully take this tast which God by these treatises offereth you, and weigh them by the woorde of God, and doe your indevoure every one in his calling to promote his cause. And lette us all with more earnest prayer then we are wonte, earnestly commende it to God his blessing, and namely, that it will please him by his spirite, to lighten the heart of oure moste gracious soveraigne, and the rest in authoritie, to the benefite of his small flocke, and the overthrowe of their proude ennemies, that godlinesse may by them proceede in peace, & God his glory thorowe Jesus Christe, be throughly advaunced. Which we call God to witnesse, is oure only laboure and sute. And so presently we leave you: heartily beseeching God to graunt it. Amen.