To the PARLAMENT.

Hat which I knew to be the part of a good Magiftrate, aiming at true liberty through the right information of religious and civil life, and that which I faw, and was partaker of, your Vows and folemne Cov'nants, Parlament of England, your actions also manifeftly tending to exalt the truth, and to depreffe the tyranny of error, and ill cuftome, with more conftancy and prowelle then ever yet any, fince that Parlament which put the first Scepter of this Kingdom into his hand whom God and extraordinary vertue made thir Monarch, were the causes that mov'd me, one elfe not placing much in the eminence of a dedication, to prefent your high notice with a Difcourfe, confcious to it felf of nothing more then of diligence, and firm affection to the publick good. And that ye took it fo as wife and impartial men, obtaining fo great power and dignitie, are wont to accept, in matters both doubtfull and important, what they think offer'd them well meant, and from a rational ability, I had no leffe then to perfwade me. And on that perfwafion am return'd, as to a famous and free Port, my felf also bound by more then a maritime Law, to expofe as freely what fraughtage I conceave to bring of no trifles. For although it be generally known, how and by whom ye have been inftigated to a hard cenfure of that former book entitl'd, The Doctrine, and Difcipline of Divorce, an opinion held by fome of the best among reformed Writers without Scandal or confutement, though now thought new and

dangerous by fome of our fevere Gnoftics, whofe little reading, and leffe meditating holds ever with hardest obftinacy that which it took up with eafieft credulity, I do not find yet that ought, for the furious incitements which have been us'd, hath iffu'd by your appointment, that might give the leaft interruption or disrepute either to the Author, or to the Book. Which he who will be better advis'd then to call your neglect, or connivence at a thing imagin'd so perilous, can attribute it to nothing more justly, then to the deep and quiet streame of your direct and calme deliberations; that gave not way either to the fervent rafhneffe, or the immaterial gravity of those who ceas'd not to exafperate without caufe. For which uprightneffe and incorrupt refufall of what ye were incens'd to, Lords and Commons, (though it were don to justice, not to me, and was a peculiar demonftration how farre your waies are different from the rash vulgar) befides thofe allegiances of oath and duty, which are my public debt to your public labours, I have yet a ftore of gratitude laid up, which cannot be exhaufted; and fuch thanks perhaps they may live to be, as fhall more then whisper to the next ages. Yet that the Author may be known to ground himself upon his own innocence, and the merit of his caufe, not upon the favour of a diverfion, or a delay to any just cenfure, but wishes rather he might fee thofe his detracters at any fair meeting, as learned debatements are privileg'd with a due freedome under equall Moderators, I shall here briefly fingle one of them (because he hath oblig'd me to it) who I perfwade me having fcarfe read the book, nor knowing him who writ it, or at least faining the latter, hath not forborn to fcandalize him, unconferr'd with, unadmonisht, undealt with by any Paftorly or brotherly convincement, in the most open and invective manner, and at the most bitter opportunity that drift or fet defigne could have invented. And this, when as the Canon Law, though commonly most favouring the boldneffe

of their Priefts, punishes the naming or traducing of any perfon in the Pulpit, was by him made no fcruple. If I fhall therfore take licence by the right of nature, and that liberty wherin I was born, to defend my felf publicly against a printed Calumny, and do willingly appeal to thofe fudges to whom I am accus'd, it can be no immoderate, or unallowable courfe of feeking fo just and needfull reparations. Which I had don long fince, had not thefe employments, which are now vifible, deferr'd me. It was preacht before ye, Lords and Commons, in Auguft laft upon a special day of humiliation, that there was a wicked Book abroad, and ye were taxt of fin that it was yet uncenfur'd, the book deserving to be burnt, and impudence alfo was charg'd upon the Author, who durft fet his name to it, and dedicate it to your felves. First, Lords and Commons, I pray to that God, before whom ye then were proftrate, fo to forgive ye thofe omiffions and trefpaffes, which ye defire most should find forgivness, as I fhall foon fhew to the world how eafily ye abfolve your felves of that which this man calls your fin, and is indeed your wifdome, and your Nobleneffe, whereof to this day ye have don well not to repent. He terms it a wicked book, and why but for allowing other caufes of Divorce, then Chrift and his Apostles mention; and with the fame cenfure condemns of wickedneffe not onely Martin Bucer that elect Inftrument of Reformation, highly honour'd and had in reverence by Edward the fixth, and his whole Parlament, whom alfo I had publight in English by a good providence, about a week before this calumnious digreffion was preach'd; fo that if he knew not Bucer then, as he ought to have known, he might at least have known him fome months after, ere the Sermon came in print, wherein notwithstanding he perfifts in his former fentence, and condemnes again of wickedneffe, either ignorantly or wilfully, not onely Martin Bucer, and all the choifeft and holiest of our

it to a fufficiencie; what they requir'd, was that the Scriptures there alleg'd, might be difcufs'd more fully. To their defires, thus much furder hath been labour'd in the Scriptures. Another fort also who wanted more autorities, and citations, have not been here unthought of. If all this attain not to fatisfie them, as I am confident that none of those our great controverfies at this day, hath had a more demonftrative explaining, I must confefle to admire what it is, for doubtlesse it is not reafon now adayes that fatisfies, or fuborns the common credence of men, to yeeld fo eafily, and grow fo vehement in matters much more difputable, and farre leffe conducing to the daily good and peace of life. Some whose neceffary fhifts have long enur'd them to cloak the defects of their unftudied yeers, and hatred now to learn, under the appearance of a grave folidity, which eftimation they have gain'd among weak perceivers, find the eafe of fighting what they cannot refute, and are determin'd, as I hear, to hold it not worth the answering. In which number I must be forc'd to reck'n that Doctor, who in a late equivocating Treatife plaufibly fet afloat against the Dippers, diving the while himself with a more deep prelatical malignance against the prefent ftate, and Church-government, mentions with ignominy the Tractate of Divorce; yet answers nothing, but inftead thereof (for which I do not commend his marshalling) fets Mofes also among the crew of his Anabaptifts; as one who to a holy Nation, the Common-wealth of Ifrael, gave Laws breaking the bonds of mariage to inordinate luft. These are no mean furges of blafphemy, not onely dipping Mofes the divine Law-giver, but dafbing with a high hand against the justice and purity of God himself; as thefe enfuing Scriptures plainly and freely handl'd fhall verifie to the launcing of that old apoftemated error. Him therefore I leave now to his repentance.

Others, which is their courtefie, confeffe that wit

and parts may do much to make that feem true which is not (as was objected to Socrates by them who could not refift his efficacy, that he ever made the worfe caufe Jeem the better) and thus thinking themselves discharg'd of the difficulty, love not to wade furder into the fear of a convincement. Thefe will be their excufes to decline the full examining of this ferious point. So much the more I preffe it and repeat it, Lords and Commons, that ye beware while time is, ere this grand fecret, and onely art of ignorance affecting tyrany, grow powerfull and rule among us. For if found argument and reafon fhall be thus put off, either by an undervaluing filence, or the maifterly cenfure of a rayling word or two in the Pulpit, or by rejecting the force of truth, as the meer cunning of eloquence, and Sophiftry, what can be the end of this, but that all good learning and knowledge will fuddenly decay: Ignorance, and illiterate prefumption, which is yet but our difeafe, will turn at length into our very conftitution, and prove the hectic evill of this age: worse to be fear'd, if it get once to reign over us, then any fift Monarchy. If this fhall be the course, that what was wont to be a chief commendation, and the ground of other mens confidence in an Author, his diligence, his learning, his elocution whether by right,

by ill meaning granted him, fhall be turn'd now to a difadvantage and fufpicion against him, that what he writes though unconfuted, must therefore be miftrusted, therfore not receiv'd for the industry, the exactnesse, the labour in it, confefs'd to be more then ordnary; as if wifdome had now forfak'n the thirstie and laborious inquirer to dwell against her nature with the arrogant and fhallow babler, to what purpose all those pains and that continual fearching requir'd of us by Solomon to the attainment of understanding; why are men bred up with fuch care and expence to a life of perpetual ftudies, why do your felves with fuch endeavour feek to wipe off the imputation of intending to difcourage the pro