D. Sarauia. 1. Of the diuerse degrees of the ministers of the gospell. 2. Of the honor vvhich is due vnto the priestes and prelates of the church. 3. Of sacrilege, and the punishment thereof. The particular contents of the afore saide Treatises to be seene in the next pages.

TO THE MOST RE∣uerend father in Christ, John by the pro∣uidence of God Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of al England, and Metrapolitane. To the renovvmed and most honored Heroicke, Sir Christopher Hat∣ton, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, and high Chauncellour of England. As also to the noble and right ho∣norable, Sir William Cecill, Baron of Burghley, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, and high Treasurer of England, of her Maiesties most Honorable priuy Counsell, my very good Lordes, true felicity.

THe auncient receiued custome of de∣dicating books to men of name and authority, is growne and grounded vppon many reasons great & waigh∣ty, all which it shalbe needelesse for me to reuise in this place: But for my part, there are chiefly three cau∣ses mouing me to consecrat this my small trauell to you the most Honorable, and honored of me (my good Lordes.) First, that thereby I might testifye vnto you the duety and deuotion of a loyall and gratefull minde towards you, that find my selfe seuerally and singu∣larly bound vnto you all and euery one of you. For first, one of you (vppon my repaire into England) disdained not to entertaine me a stranger with no straunge countenance, and straunge courtesie: The other also dained to accept me (vnworthy) into his owne family: And the other of his es∣peciall fauour brought to passe, that by her Maiesties pri∣uiledge and preferment, I might be made of a forreiner a freeman, of an alien a Cittizen. And seeing I haue recei∣ued

all these fauours without any deede or desert of mine, (God thou knowest mine vnworthines) I were but too in∣grate and vnkinde, if I should bury in darke and deepe si∣lence your so rare and religious demerites. But whereas I haue no other thing to render or repay vnto your Honors, but a mine of thanks, and a thankfull minde, that mind wil I alwaies beare, and that duety in minde, so that I will not cease to worship the sacred memory of your religious loue towardes me.

Another cause is, the very nature of the argumente I vndertake, the which I could not well prosecute, without some particular mention of the Church of England. In the which, seeing I haue now my part and portion of a pastoral prouince (and praised be the Lord, my lotte is fallen vnto me in a faire ground) might I not seeme vnmindfull of my good & neglecting my duty, if when I vndertake the cause of those Churches which are alien and outlandish, I should ouerslip the state of mine own Church now gremiall to me and mere English? But when mine hearts desire and praier to God is, that I may some waies benefite my countrey∣men, if I forget thee O Ierusalem? And yet if I should for∣get my duety herein, the meere alliance and relation of the matters them selues, is such and so great, as that by ordi∣nary course of necessary consequence I must be inforced, to inferre and praefer the mention thereof in my bookes. But because I am but new made of Flemish, sterling, that is, of Outlandish, English, it may be happely, that they which are home-bred, will thinke I deale not wel with them, to deale with them, and that I meddle too farre, when I come so neare. For which cause I thought it necessarye for mee, to commend and commit my selfe vnto your Honorable patrocinie, that this stranger book might freely passe vnder your safe conduct. Neither shall it grieue me much, though it be vniustly cast by most voices, if it may iustly passe your accoumpt: neither shall it hurt me much, though the in∣raged multitude in disordered throngs cast stones at mee, only if your Honors vouchsafe to giue me the white stone.

But the last cause is, for that I am in some doubt, how this discourse will be taken of them, for whose sakes especi∣ally it was vndertaken. For it is to be feared, that they are so far from turning stones vnto bread, that they will make stones of bread, and that which I haue done to relieue their weakenes, they will account as deuised to vndermine their estate, and so take that with the left hand, which I proffer with the right. And in deede what other thing shoulde I looke for at their hands, who (in lieu of my well deseruing towards them) haue sought heretofore, rather to cast me off with disgrace, then to giue me vp with reward? How de∣sirous I haue alwaies beene of publique peace, and howe zealous ouer them that layd snares for my life, I dare ap∣peale vnto God and men: and yet for my good will what great reward haue I receiued at their handes, but sharp re∣uenge, or what better meede for my paines, then bitter ma∣lice?

But no reason I should take this kinde of cruelty vnkind∣ly, seeing it is so common a case, and commonly incident to me, with many my betters. And therefore far be it from me, that the iniuries of a few (though no fewe iniuries) should so far preuaile with me, that I should therefore lesse regard the better health of the whole Church. Should I be for priuate wronges so far inraged beyond all sence, and besides my selfe, as to study to bee reuenged vppon many good men, being offended but of a few bad fellowes.

After I was last called frō hence by the Belgike Churches, I conuersed among them in diuers places ten whole yeares together: in what time I found by aduised experience, that there were two thinges of great moment greatly missed in those Churches, the which I could not then without grief, and cannot now without sin conceale, namely, That the mi∣nistery of the Gospell receiued of them by publike authority, is not adorned by them with due honor: And againe, That wealth and worshippe in the order of the ministery, is thought a needlesse thing to aduaunce the estimation thereof in a ciuill society. (Men that we are) misconceauing is the cause of all this. For now a

daies (for sooth) no Church is thought reformed, vnlesse First all Church dignities, be either thrust out at the Church porch, or thrust downe to the belfry, and then all the Church goods, be ei∣ther put in the great bagge, or giuen to the greedy baggage. The which errour if it doe proceed (as it will if it be not nipt in the head) it will one day reuele, not only vpon the church, but also vppon the whole state a greater misery, then can easely be driuen into euery common mans head. To the which this also may be added, that there are many of opi∣nion (and they are of many opinions) That the abolishing of Bishops is not the least part of reformation, and That their autho∣rity in the Church is crept in, not of any diuine institution of Gods word, but (that which not any Church before this time did euer auouch) of the onely errour and ambition of mans wit. Our elders & all auncient diuines (for the preuenting of Scisme, and conuenting the head-strong and giddy headed rashnes of many) helde the prudent moderation of one (in one Cit∣ty or prouince) to be ordained from aboue. And they knew very well, that albeit the quirke of speaking (for so they speak) be found in many, yet the art of gouerning, and the rule of well ruling, is knowen but of a few.

How great a stay a godly and prudent Bishop may bee, to any troubled or distressed State, auncient histories doe plainly teach, & present experience might make vs learne. Doe you not knowe (I know you are not ignorant) howe that many times, many things betide in a christian com∣mon wealth, which require the aduise of Ecclesiastical Pre∣lates? As also where the Gospell is publiquely authorised, that there are many thinges requisite for the Church, which cannot be effected with out the ciuill Magistrate? And how then, are not they in a peeuish and a peruerse errour, which either exclude the Magistrate from causes Ecclesia∣sticke, or sequester the Minister from affaires politike? (sil∣ly men that they are) as if either the Christian Magistrate were no part of the Church, or the sacred Minister not Cit∣tizen of the same common wealth? And yet neither the Magistrate (if he be Christian) is to neglect the safety of the

Church, nor the Minister (if he be godly) not to regard the safegard of the state. But these two (the Magistrate and the Minister) so long as they shalbe distracted into partes, and as it were diuorsed in state the one from the other, and shall not take sweete counsell together like friends, or not communicate in consent for their common benefite, they cannot but conceiue diuers and doubtfull surmises, fonde yea, and some times false opinions of each others gouerne∣ment. The Magistrate that keepeth fresh in memory the new broken yoke of the Popes tiranny, feareth least by any meanes he should fall againe into the like, though vnlike. And therfore is iealous ouer the counsels and conuenticles of the Cleargy, & suspecteth alwaies some snare to be laid in them to entangle his liberty. Of the other side, the Pa∣stors (so many as are, or will bee accoumpted faithfull in their Ministery) cānot but be careful for the welfare of their flocke, and therefore seeke by all meanes to benefite the Church, and to shun those things which may preiudice the same: who when they see diuers kindes of people to pre∣uaile in the Common-wealth, and they some of them open professed enemies to the Church, some but suspicious and suspected fauorites, few faithfull and vnfeined friendes; no woonder though they dare hardly commit their cause and their credites, them selues and their safeties, to such Gouer∣nours. Besides, they being ignorant of the common coun∣sels, how should they bee good interpreters of such thinges as are done in the Common-wealth? neither can such coun∣sels be well communicated to the common people, and yet reason would they should, seeing they are common.

If the States in the Low-countries (brought to lowe e∣state) had their learned and reuerend Bishoppes, in that e∣stimation they ought to be, in euerie well ordered state, no doubt with their vigilancye and moderation, they might more easily haue remedied their present miseries. I did com∣plaine (not without cause,) to see the Church goods pilde and pilferd, and learned Pastors set to their stipēds: Of the which, some in deed do liue & releeue their families (though

porely God knowes) and some againe for the moity of their stipēds, & the multitude of their familiars, are by no means able to keepe open shop windowes. I speake not, (or neede not) of them which are denied their wages, or serue (like our soldiers) for cheese flemish, if that they can get it. But by this meanes, when as (to the griefe of al good men) I did see the most sacred studie of Diuinity to languishe, that young wits were affraid of it, and old heads a weary of it, Churches without Pastors, Schooles wanting professors: I lamented with my selfe, and sorrowed for these mischiefes, and those wee might easily coniect, would issue out of these as out of Pandoraes box. Neither did I sorrowe for these thinges to my selfe alone: I acquainted my griefs, where I was acquain∣ted. But because in those intempestuous times, I could not safelie either speake, or write my minde, without suspect of contention, couetousnes, or ambition, I conteined my selfe discontēt, expecting a fitter opportunity. In the mean while, I could haue wished that this argument might haue bin vn∣dertaken of some other, and of some other profession: And that doubtlesse might haue bene performed of such an one with so much the more ease and lesse enuie, by howe muche the matter did lesse concerne himselfe. But seeing no man offered himselfe to this seruice, (and the seruice honorable) after manye delaies, I ouercame my selfe at last, and in the zeale of my dutie, haue vndergon that burthen, which Atlas himselfe can not sustaine alone: and therefore in the consci∣ence of mine owne weaknes, I come loaden to your Honors with mine ouer-burden, and laye downe the same in three little bookes vnder your names (thrise reuerend and renow∣ned.) And this also haue I done with the greater confidence, and the lesse conflict, for that both the trueth of the cause it selfe, wil bear me vp, that I slip not, and also your honorable fauours (as I hope) wil beare me out, if I slip not.

And now, if it shall please God to put them in some bet∣ter mind, whome these things do chiefly concerne, so that these may be commended of them, and they amended by these, I verely shall reioyce in them, but they shall be behol∣ding

vnto you. But if these thinges displease them, and they finde themselues offended with my liberty, I shal find others (I doubt not) as amorous of the present truth, as they are of their priuate humor, and as far in loue with reuerend an∣tiquitie, as they are in liking with insolent noueltie; vnto whom I perswade my selfe (though they should fore-speake the contrarie,) this my labour shall not bee altogeather vn∣welcome. Wherefore for your Honors I will pray, and im∣portune the most great and Almighty, that he would vouch∣safe to giue you life, euen a long life, for the benefite of the Church, and the aduancement of the kingdome of Christ.

London 4. Kal. Aprill. Anno Dom. 1590.

Your Honors most bounden Hadrian Sarauia