. . . which now lyes waste there, more plenty wilbe lefte to suche as remaine behinde.

3: For the 3: if it be a personall instance, it may best receive answere from such as it concerns, but as it may be extended to the estate of our Churche and Common wealth let the grones and fears of Godes people giue a silent answer: If our condition be good, why doe his Embassadours, turne their messages into complaintes and threatninges? why doe they so constantly denounce wrathe and iudgment against vs? why doe they pray so muche for healinge if we be not sicke? why doe their soules wepe in secret? and will not be comforted, if there be yet hope that our hurt may be healed? One Calfe set vp in Israel removed the tabernacle out of the host,2 and for 2 God forsooke them for ever.3 One Achan troubled all the people, let not vs trust to the Temple of the Lord, yea many faithfull ministers and good people: Israel had suche priveledges when her destruction was at hande, Elias and Elisha and aboue 400: good prophettes4 and 7000 good protes­122tantes5 in Ahabs tyme, (I suppose the best dayes before could not shewe the like): had not Jerusalem Jeremy and his Contemporaries: yet she came downe wonderfully because she half a line blank what though the princes and great ones of the earthe would not believe that an enemy could enter into her gates, shall not the iniquity of the prophett and Priestes and the Lam. 4: 12, 13, 17. crye of innocent blood make all her confidence vaine? if it be thus with vs, where then is the happinesse we should rest in? if we imytayte Sodom in her pride and intemperance, if Laodicea in her lukewarmnesse, if Ephesus Sardis etc. in the sins for which their Candlesticke was removed, if the turks and other heathen in their abominations, yea if the Sinagogue of Antichrist in her superstition, where is yet the good should content vs? but it may be it is to be found in the civill state; what means then the bleating of so many oppressed with wronge, that drink wormwood, for righteousnesse? why doe so many seely sheep that seeke shelter at the iudgment seates returne without their fleeces? why meet we so many wandering ghostes in shape of men, so many spectacles of misery in all our streetes, our houses full of victuals, and our entryes of hunger-starved Christians? our shoppes full of riche wares, and vnder our stalles lye our own fleshe in nakednesse. Si haec bona omnia, ignorare adhuc placet.

For the Abiennes Albigenses etc.: yet you will grant that it had been better suche had fled, for they may yet belonge to God, at least some of them, dothe not the history of the Churche give vs many examples of the like, who have been renewed by repentance? and for the posteryty bothe of good and badde, they were in the Covenant, and a holy seed, and so suche as the Churche might have had good hope of, if they might have been brought vp vnder the menes, yet we ascribe no suche vertue to the soile, therefore that Conclusion might have been spared.

For the Corruption in trade, I see it is not denyed, if it were, I would desire him to instance one (being fitt imployment for an ingenuous minde) wherein a man may looke for recompence sutable to his expence of tyme and industrye, except falshood be admitted to equall the ballance: And for that course of husbandry which Jacob and the patriarchs vsed, it was honourable and vsefull in those tymes and Countryes, but not in ours, they had their lande for nothinge, if we should imploye our children in that waye now, their worke would soon eate vp their stocks, and for your supposition of what redresse might be had in these thinges by the magistrate, it dothe not conclude that it shalbe, nor tye vs to expect what you give vs no grounde to hope for. we confesse indeed that the multitude of people is the glorye of 123a kinge, and to maintain these and imploye them to the more profit doth not diminish but increase his glorye. those which goe over remaine still his subiectes, they may multiply as fast there as heere, by their labour, more food and other provisions for life shalbe raysed abroad, and yet no whitt the lesse at home: so that it is likly the nayls shalbe somewhat shortened, and yet the flesh remaine wholl.

If6 the fifte. you will have vs follow you, as you goe, we must yeild you the Question: you should first have proved that the foundation was erronious, otherwise you conclude nothing, we saye, and maintaine by sufficient reasons, that the plantation is a lawfull and good worke: but seeinge your 2d argument implyes a denyall, hic pes ligatur, and to omitt all the former, I will insist vpon this one Argument. A lande ouerburdened with people, may ease it self, by sending a parte into some other Countryes which lye wast and not replenished: but suche is the condition of our lande ergo: etc: the proposition I prove thus, God at first did not replenish the earthe with men, but gave them a general Commission Gen: 1: 28. encrease and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it: the endes are naturall and double, that man may enioye the fruit of the earth, and God may have his due glory from the Creature, which is imperfect while it lyes waste, the Assertion I thus prove (though I never heard it denyed) many of our people perish for want of sustenance and imployment, many others live miserably and not to the honor of so bountifull a housekeeper as the lord of heaven and earth is, through the scarcity of the fruites of the earth, the whole lande of the kingdom as it is reconed is scarce sufficient to give imployment to one half of the people: all our townes complain of the burden of poore people and strive by all menes to ridde any such as they have, and to keepe of such as would come to them, masters are forced by authority to entertaine servantes parentes to maintain their children, more strife there is and expence between parishes to get ridde of some of their poore, then would suffice to maintaine them many yeares, and to fill vp this cloud of testimonyes, (quamquam animus meminisse horret) I must tell you, that our deare mother findes her famyly so overcharged, as she hathe been forced to denye harbour to her owne children, witnesse the statute against Cottages and inmates,7 so that whither it be of necessity or by inevitable 124accident, this is our condition, and no remedy appeares, so the assumption is proved and the argument standes good, as for those allusions resemblinge Davides longinge for a draught of water8 to this action, the thinges are so vnlike, as neede no answere, your similitudes must have more legges if you will have them stande vpright or prove any thinge.

Amonge all other difficultyes, the provision for your poore will prove a laberinth, because to preserve life in the weaker you must draw blood from the stronger yet you shall finde often thus, that gentle speeches, and a small releife from your owne hande, will prevaile muche with bothe partyes: and if thinges growe to an extremity as I feare they will soone, it will prove a savinge bargain, if popular tumultes should arise, which God forbide, remember the issue of the commotion of the pesantes in Germany.9 those base people were soone punished or subdued, but then were the riche men of the Countrye called to a reconinge, which cost many of them their lives and estates, wherof some did but looke on, and durst not relieve them, and others relieved them against their willes, givinge a parte to save the rest: and so founde the proverbe true facile invenies etc: but these thinges are to highe for my conceipt, though not vnfitt for your consideration. I have been over teadious, and bolde vpon your gentlenesse, but my hearte is still full either of matter or affection, and I could vent it freely, for Literae non erubescunt.