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companions did abuse the king's name, in playing the knaves, to the mighty and intolerable general injury of his Majesty, and all his subjects: So these locusts are crawled out of the bottomless pit, and under the blessed name of God they do play the devil incarnate.

It is to be wondered at, what wondrous pains they take to do wickedly; how their unholy and crooked imaginations have pumped into their impious fancies the false conceptions of some virtuous matter; then are they in extreme pain and travail till they are delivered from the abortive issue of their addle brains: for which (although they have no acceptance from God, nor thanks from good men but rather hatred from all) yet out their stinking stuff must, or the musty verse must break or crack all the hoops, or the devil perhaps may want his due if authority be not reviled against, and along schismatical oration hypocritically stretched out to the rabble of their disobedient and unlicked auditors, who out of their deep ignorance do extol the vapourous matter, with a wire-drawn speech and louting courtesy, bless them for that day's exercise, in inveighing so vehemently and bitterly against all rule and government in Church and State; when indeed his admired mouth better deserved the help of Doctor Executioner, that he might wipe it with a hempen wisp.

Their tongues have been the wedges,' their heads the beetles, and their pens the axes that have split, rent and cloven all our blessed peace, content and happiness which we lately enjoyed: their books have been shot (like Bolts) whereby this kingdom's disgrace is not only overspread over itself; but also our dishonour is scattered over the face of all Christendom; and though they be so ignorant that they cannot dispute with a sexton; yet they will take upon them to displace a bishop and learned divines, and place in their room weavers and wiredrawers.

But the wisdom of these Martinists I will answer, that bishops have been erroneous, negligent, proud, contentious, covetous, uncharitable, ambitious, &c., all which is granted, but it is not granted that all bishops have been so (nor at least so bad as these fellows would make them) as men are men, so men are subject to error and failing if some great men in high and eminent places have done amiss, doth it stand with your witless reasons to quite to overthrow and cast down their callings, functions and necessary offices: some judges perhaps have done corruptly; ergo we will

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"THEIR TONGUES HAVE BEEN Wedges, &c.-"To make your tongue the wedge, and your head the beetle. Nay, if you shoot

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books like fool's bolts."-See Dedication to "PAP WITH A HATCHET; being a reply to Martin Mar-Prelate," (about) 1589.

have no more judges: you may better argue, that many Separatists are malicious or ignorant knaves, and therefore we would have no more Separatists. This were to be as wise, as he that pulled down his house, because there was one old rotten post in it, or that all your tribe should have no easier cure for the tooth-ache, but by knocking out your brains: No, no, my friends (afar off) there is no doubt but if the State were settled (which by your Sectaries have too much disturbed) there are (under God) Parliamental Chirurgeons and Physicians that with his Royal Majesty's most humble, hearty, loyal and all desired assistance and protection, would soon recover this almost gangrened Church and Commonwealth to its former health, and most renowned reputation and dignity.

I would wish these shuttle-heads that desire to rake in the embers of rebellion, to give over blowing the coals too much, lest the sparks fly in their faces, or the ashes choke them: some of them have made such hot work already with tutoring their tutors, that their own lips are burnt: It is well-known that their magnified teachers have three several times in the presence of God taken their oaths, wherein they have vowed all Canonical obedience, and they ought to observe the said oaths, till such time as the wisdom of that power and authority which ordained these oaths do alter or abrogate the same as occa

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sions may require. But though they seemed constantly to swear obedience to those venerable edicts of the church; yet it is found that their humble submission was but dissembling intrusion; and now they are possessed of their pulpits, they take great care that no learned conformable preacher shall come there at any time, for fear that if truth come once to light, then their cake will be dough, and they being once discovered to their auditors' (especially their good dames) may happen to want their pudding, bacon, with other good cheer, besides some other courtesies at conventicles.

Thus, when these extraordinary qualified Theologues are mounted in their thrones, a Popish priest can hardly out-do him in strange postures, as in lifting up the pureness of the whitest whiteness of his eyes; then mark how he displays his arms as if he were swimming; also the terrible assault and battery that the poor cushion endures,' the hawkings, hemmings, hummings, coughings, spittings (with other parenthesis while there is more matter a pumping) besides the terrible thundering voice against our church-liturgy, although they do know that they lie, and that that book was approved of by the learned Calvin and all the reverend fathers of the blessed reformation in King Edward's reign. That five martyred bishops, (namely, Archbishop

See Butler's "Hudibras," Part I, canto i, lines 9—12.

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Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, Bishop Latimer, Bishop Hooper, Bishop Farrar, with many more godly men and glorious Martyrs, (whom the Papists most cruelty burnt and persecuted; yet they all at their very deaths did acknowledge our church liturgy, or common-prayer book, and sealed their faiths with their bloods, by the Papists' tyranny; and is it possible that any should be so shameless as to say that book is Popish now.

The said book was suppressed in Queen Mary's reign because it was not Popish: The said book was not Popish in all the happy reign of Queen Elizabeth, nor was it esteemed either Popish or Romish in all the reign of King James: in both the times of these three mighty princes (of everblessed memory) and till within these three or four years, there hath scarcely been heard of any learned or religious minded Protestant that did ever hold that book to be stuffed with Romish rags of Popery, although some things in it may be amended, and some things quite omitted.

But you have such nice stomachs that nothing will drown with you except it be sauced with disobedience and contention, you being such odd fellows whom learning, wit, sense or reason can by no means satisfy. Whips are for slaves and not swords, and it is fit that such as wisdom cannot satisfy, should have their mouths bunged up with jeers, will nothing agree with your appetites, or

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