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As for so much as concerneth Mr. Cartwright, I answer you, sine excandescentia, (which is your term,) that, quo possum candore reditus ejus erit mihi gratus: eique optime cupio et opto. But as for the reading of a public lecture in Cambridge, I can promise nothing of my self. For therein I know no power that I have. I know very well it is my duty to further all good learning and quietness in that university; that undecent contentions be excluded from thence.

The rest of your pamphlet or letter (worse I will not name it) containeth divers ejaculations against me. As one, that if I were so void of knowledge or godliness, as your words make me, I should be ashamed to live in the place where I do. But most of all, I might be reputed a pagan, without sense or knowledge of my God. But what I am indeed, God onely knoweth first, and secondarily my self: who am, as you may be, for your self, partial. And therefore, except it may please God to direct good men to think better of me than you do, I shall not be in danger of any vain-glory. If I shall flatly deny your pronuntiations of me, and say they are not true, or that you do erre, yet I may be licensed so to say: I pray you, do not by recrimi nation charge me, and say, that I justify my self. Indeed to the contrary of your hard speeches, through God's goodness, I do affirm, that I have not to my knowledge conceived or held obstinata consilia. I say also, by the goodness of the same my good God, through good erudition in my young years, I have beheld the gospel, or evangely of Christ, that Son of God, not eminus per multos jam annos, as you write; but in very deed with such inward feeling of God's mercy by Jesus Christ, reveled to me in his gospel, and confirmed to me by his sacraments, as I trust I may say with the church, Pater noster, sanctificetur nomen tuum. And though I am made of worldly elements, as other 40 creatures are; and thereby, while I live in this tabernacle, subject to sin and infirmityes; so as I may not glory of any perfection, wherein others think themselves to excel their brethren: yet I will confidently use St. Paul's speech, Now

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erubesco evangelium, [i. e. I am not ashamed of the gospel.] BOOK And why? Virtus enim Dei est in salutem omni credenti, [i. e. For it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth.]

And as you pronounce hardly of me in taxing my religion; so surely, yielding to you the use of your calumniation, or uncharitable reprehension, to procede of just cause, which I utterly deny to you, and all your bolsterers, if any you have in your licentious liberty of writing what you list, I might bear with the rest, when you write tanquam e sublimi speculatorio, [i. e. as from a high watch-tower,] that, non magni facis, sive te commendem, sive vituperem ; sive tuis rebus et fortunis consulam, sive me habeas tibi pertinaciter offensum; [i. e. that you do not much care whether I commend or dispraise you, whether I have a regard for your good and benefit, or whether I am greatly offended with you or no.] Indeed you may esteem me less than thus, if I be so far off the knowledge of the gospel as you make me. And yet if I were in some great fault, except you will add your fault to mine, you are taught by St. Paul thus, Si præoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, vos qui spirituales estis, institutite hujusmodi hominem in spiritu lenitatis; considerantes vosipsos; [i. e. If a man be overtaken in some fault, yee which are spiritual, instruct such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering your selves.] But if you will change this maner of authority to enter into judgment of your brother's faith and religion, I must say to you as St. Paul said to the Corinthians, Qui me judicat Deus est; [i. e. He that judgeth me is God.] And as in the Epistle to the Romans, Tu autem quis qui judicas servum alterius? aut in qua re spernis fratrem tuum? [i. e. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? or wherein dost thou despise thy brother?]

And yet by this my writing, you may not gather, that I may mislike brotherly erudition, or reprehension. For I thank God, I can well say, Iniquitatem meam annuntiabo, et cogitabo diu, pro peccato meo, [i. e. I will declare my iniquity, and be sorry for my sin,] as the Psalmist teacheth

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And I cannot forget that which is often repeated out of St. John's Epistle, Si dixerimus, quia peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, &c. [i. e. If we shall say we have not sin, we deceive our selves, &c.] And so surely in your office, professing, preaching, or reading, I esteem you, as having authority. And therein St. Paul doth teach you in his Epistle ad Thessalonicenses, Rogamus autem vos, fratres, inquietos corripite, pusillanimos consolamini, infirmos suscipite, patientes estote erga omnes; [i. e. Rebuke the unquiet, comfort the feeble-minded, receive the weak, be patient towards all.] In which fatherly sentence, having four xãλa or commata, there is but one that maketh you a master corrector: and that is, inquietos corripite. The other three move you to favourable compassion and instruction.

And now to end, lest you may think me too copious in citing of scripture to you, I may remember you somewhat of my years, or of mine old service in the common weal. And then I trust hereafter, until I be very obstinate, as partly you note me, you will also remember St. Paul to Timothy, Seniorem ne increpaveris, sed obsecra, ut patrem; juvenes, ut fratres, &c. [i. e. Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father, the younger as brethren, &c.] And so wishing to my self that which you judge that I do lack; and to your self all that which you seem to have. And what you have, for the charity I bear you, I heartily wish you more, than by your behaviour you seem to have. And both of us to require of God, qui est napồwyvάotys, [i. e. who is the knower of hearts,] to plant in our hearts true fear of him, and to transplant out of our hearts all seeds or roots of vain-glory; directing you in all your contemplations and teachings, and me in my cares and public labours, to the glory of his Son Jesus Christ. Apr. 3, 1572. Yours to be taught, but not to be condemned,

Non alta sapientes, sed humiliter

consentientes, Rom. 12.

W.B.

Number XXI.

Mr. Edward Dering, the puritan, to the lord Burghley: justifying of a former letter, wherein he had made some 41 severe reflections upon that nobleman.

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Burghlien.

GRATIA, misericordia, pax. Multi sunt anni (Burleie MSS. colendissime Domine) ex quo tam adversa valetudine utor, penes me. ut non raro putaverim mihi fere imminere ultimum hujus lucis diem. Nuper vero sic mihi sunt fractæ, aut potius excussæ vires, ut multos dies viderim, in quibus non admodum mihi persuaserim me ad vesperam usque victurum. In hac sorte et conditione meorum temporum, si ego vel consecter glorias, vel captem populares auras, equidem nihil video, quid ad hanc incredibilem insaniam possem adjicere. Sed melius voluit Dominus mihi esse consultum, quam ut una cum valetudine rationem etiam amitterem. Imo fecit me sæpenumero et morbo et morte superiorem; dum mihi subiit illorum annorum, in quibus positis mortalitatis exuviis, æternis perfruemur triumphi honoribus, et assequemur cum omnibus sanctis Dei, τὶ τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ βάθος καὶ

os. Hæc mihi tum contemplatio et consideratio ita fuit dulcissima, dum omnibus defungerer pietatis officiis, ut quam plurimos adducerem in fælicem hujus gaudii socie

tatem.

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quo consilio tui sæpius non meminissem, qui tenes hanc et sustines administrationem imperii, nunquam mihi ipsi fuisset meum tam solidum gaudium. Hinc fiebat, quod in omnibus meis literis et negotiis, quæ tecum semper habuerim, sedulo illud caverim, ne mercenariis præconiis, vel ad meum quæstum, vel ad tuum damnum abuterer. Hæc illa fuit scribendi licentia, quam ita criminaris: qua tamen adhuc fuimus neutri deteriores. Habes (ornatissime Domine) causam verissimam sanctæ libertatis nostræ, quam summa cum injuria maluisti dicere libidinem et licentiam: superest, ut de ipsis literis respondeam aliquid.

Primum, quod ex eis conjicias mihi tuam pietatem videri tam exiguam, rogo atque obsecro, si ita vis, ut mihi denuo liceat meas literas aspicere, siquid est in illis tam indignum

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BOOK et honore tuo, et meo munere, nihil faciam libentius, quàm ut tantam temeritatem, vel carcere luam, vel meo chirographo puniam. Criminaris aliquid de obstinatis consiliis, talia fateor dicebam esse Satanæ, quæ franget aliquando Deus Israel. Tuis cogitationibus et curis labem illam aspergere, scelus est atrocius quàm ut meum agnoscam. Quod dixi te multos jam annos evangelium eminus aspicere, nunc fere diligere: non eo negavi tua, præ cæteris, studia, ad propagationem evangelii fuisse semper paratissima. Scio ego (nisi admodum fallor) quid istic feceris, et quantam sustinueris dimicationem. Verùm cave, putes te hic fecisse quicquam, sic ut debeas facere. Pone ante oculos labores tuos, vigilias, curas, ærumnas, angores animi. Cui tandem rei dicasti ista tam multa, tam gravia? An aut honoribus accumulandis? aut augendis opibus? O! magno partan, et comparatam miseriam! Ita est, mi Domine, ita, si æter num negaveris: sed nullam faciam injuriam tuis studiis, ne minimi quidem temporis.

Evangelio propagando dicasti ista? Evangelio, inquam, quod ipse jam didicisti virtutem esse Dei, quæ te et cominus et intus illustravit, κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Sic tandem perfundat amore suo, ut illud posthac eminus non aspicias modo, sed et spiritu ferveas, sic ut serio eum imiteris, quem amas, apostolum; et clames ex animo, quicquid est ubique sceptrorum et opum, ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα εἶναι, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω.

Ac tu, quin istud agis (honoratissime Cecili) ac tibi fide præmunias suavissimam olim profectionem, quæ labentes annos, et noctium dierumque vicissitudine nimis ingratos, æternis commutabit tabernaculis; in quibus οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι νύξ, καὶ χρείαν οὐκ ἔχουσι λύχνου, καὶ φωτὸς ἡλίου, ὅτι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς φωτίζει αὐτοὺς, καὶ βασιλεύσουσιν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Οὗτοι οἱ dóyoi miotoì xai åλntivoí. Quid, nisi ergo hic accusem nostrorum hominum xenoτoλoyías, qui dum suæ serviunt libidini, 42 plausu plusquam scenico umbras insequuntur et imagines, ! Thess. ii. susque deque habentes religionem, pietatem, fidem.

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Quanto ille melius et uberius, ή παράκλησις ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐκ