SEing that nothing in thys mortall lyfe is more diligently to bee soughte for, and carefully to bee, looked vnto (a 1.1) than the restitution of true religion and reformation of Gods Churche: it shall bee your partes (dearely beloued) in this present Parliamente assembled, as muche as in you lyeth to promote the same, and to employe your whole laboure and studie, not onely in abandoning all Popishe remnauntes bothe in ceremonies and regimente, but also in bringing in and placing in Gods Churche those thinges onely, whiche the Lorde him selfe (b 1.2) in hys worde commandeth. Bicause it is not mought to take paynes in taking away euill, (c 1.3) but also to be occupied in placing good in the steade thereof. Nowe bicause many men see not all thinges, and the (d 1.4) worlde in thys respecte is maruellously blinded, it hathe beene thoughte good to profer to your godly consyderations a true platforme of a Churche reformed, to the ende that it beeing layde before your eyes, to beholde the greate vnlykenesse betweene it and thys our Englishe Churche: you maye learne, eyther with perfecte (e 1.5) hatred to deteste the one, and with singular loue to embrace, and carefull endeuour to plante the other: or else to be with∣out excuse before (f 1.6) the maiestie of our God, who (for the discharge of our conscience, & manife∣station of his truthe) hathe by vs reuealed vnto you at this presente, the sinceritie and simpli∣citie of his Gospel. Not that you should either (g 1.7) wilfully withstand, or vngraciously tread (h 1.8) the same vnder yourfeete, for God doth not disclose his wil to any such ende, but that you should yet nowe at the length with all your mayne and mighte, endeuour that Christe (whose (i 1.9) easie yoke and light burthen we haue of long tyme cast of from vs) might rule and reigne in hys Churche by the scepter of his worde onely.
I Will not answere wordes, but matter, nor bare affir∣mations or negations, but reasons: and therefore in as fewe words as I can, I will comprehende many lines.
But before I enter into their reasons, I thinke it not amisse to examine that assertion which is the chiefe and* 1.10 principall grounde (so farre as I can gather) of their booke, that is, that those things only are to be placed in the church, which the Lord himselfe in his worde commaundeth. As though they shoulde saye, nothing is to be tollerated in the Churche of Christ, touching either doctrine, order, ceremonies, discipline, or gouernment, except it be ex∣pressed in the word of God. And therfore the most of their argumēts in this booke be taken ab authoritate negatiuè, whiche by the rules of Logike proue nothing at all.