I HAVE receiued of late ( belooued brethren in Christ ) a little booke by one of your companie ; which is intituled , A confession of faith of some English men banished in Belgia , and haue knowne your desire partly by the speach of the same messenger , partly by the preface of the writing . But as concerning my selfe , beloued brethren , whom peraduenture yee haue thought meete to be appealed vnto a part , I verily see not how much I can doe in this cause , or how I can fit your purpose . For I knowe that now long since euery man doth abound in his owne sense ; and that those that are otherwise minded are so farre to be borne with , holding the heade and foundation , till the Lord reueale things further vnto them . I know it is my part not to play the busie body ; but that I should serue the truth and charitie in my standing and measure which the Lord hath bestowed vpon me , in Christian modestie and simplicitie , as farre as my skil and abilitie wil stretch vnto . Certainely when I considered more diligently , I thought nothing more commodious or more safe both for you and for my selfe , publickly in all this matter ; then that we should embrace a holy silence . Yf there be any thing wherein we be offended , let vs commit our cause to the Lord , the author of our faith , and righter of our cause . But because after a sort , you will not suffer mee to be silent , and to condole in secret for the woundes of the Church , which is rent more then inough , by actions thrust forth in publick in this our age ; I will declare faithfully , and with a good conscience before God what I thinke : beseeching him who is author of peace and truthe that he would leade both you and me alike into all trueth according to his promise , & also dispose each of our mindes and affections to interpret brotherly one anothers requestes , answeres , admonitions , and finally all our duties , although ( as it commeth to passe , and is incident to man ) disagreeing from our sense and taste . I obserue therefore that there are three chapters in your little booke , wherein you desire our counsell and iudgement . The first is that heade of doctrine which you professe in your little booke . The second is the fact whereof yee haue accused the English Churches . Lastly the third is , the conclusion which you inferre by comparing that your doctrine with that practise of England ; namely that yee cannot with good conscience entertaine a communion with those Churches , but that yee doe abhorre them with all your heartes . Therefore I will speak briefely of these 3. things , entreating you brotherly to take my answere in good part . I maruell that the point of doctrine , or little booke of your confession , beloued brethren , is sent ouer to me : I maruell that it was sent ouer to all the students of holy Scriptures in all Christian Vniuersities ; for if there be a certaine consent of doctrine as you pretend it , truely I do not see what need there was , that you should set forth a newe confession in this present of holy and auncient doctrine . But if there be a dissention peraduenture in the doctrine , or rather a difference , the same ought not to bee dissembled , if so be that yee thought it necessarie , that your doctrine should be declared . Besides , in that you send to mee ; yea that you send to the publicke viewe of the whole Church . I maruell , brethren , yea I greatly maruell , what your meaning should bee , both in respect of the ende and the fact . For if yee haue set it foorth to that end , that yee might purge your selues , I pray you brethren , wherefore doe yee desire , to purge your selues with so many soules ; who neuer could knowe you as yet to bee accused ; which can neuer take knowledge of the right or wrong of your accusation ; and who are not called vnto it by any lawfull means ; and ( that which is worse ) wherfore would yee haue that done before so many enemies to God and the Church , who thirst after nothing so much as the bloode of the Church of God , and doe reioyce that we vndiscreetly do cause a publishing of these wounds that by these wounds they might spoyle the Church , that pretious bodie of Christ , of the bloode of veritie , and iuyce of charitie . Finally , why doe yee this before so many weake ones , who not yet knowing , that yee are borne ( as I may so say ) are offended , rather with a carcasselike stink of schismes in the Church , before they knowe certainely the bodie whereunto they may cleaue ? Alas brethren , is your purgation so much worth vnto you that therfore the publicke good of the Church should bee brought into so greate danger . A Christian an humble , and godly minde ought to bee otherwise affected , and setting aside the respect of their owne priuate good , instantly so to determine , that the earth should rather swallowe them vp ( as the Poet saith ) and let mee rather bee accursed for my brethren , then that by me , and for my credit sake one of these little ones should be offended and kept from comming to Christ , and abiding in Christ my Sauiour . Verily let what will of my estimation goe to wracke , who am a Christian , let me be trampled vnder all mens feete , so that by my fact , I take nothing from Christ , no not the least thing from his bodie . And that you my brethren , should determine and resolue , to bend all your counsels to this end ; I am as strongly perswaded , as he that is most . But what end haue yee in common ? alas for griefe in this particular case ( pardon if I speake more freely , for yee would haue me to speake ) yee seeme to haue erred : for herein , if I see any thing , the contemplation of your particular cause hath deceiued you , which thing yee your selues without doubt will marke if ye would goe a little from that your particular sense .

I haue shewed that there is some errour in that end . Let vs come to the fact . In the fact yee haue framed a purgation of your selues . That thing is denyed to none , if there shall be a cause , if a measure , if a place , if a time . But wherefore with mee brethren , who doe neither heare these accusations of yours ; neither if I should heare them would I receiue them rashly ? Wherefore in publick ? where yee knowe that it falleth out for the most part , that they who purge themselues , before they be accused , eyther betray themselues , eyther raise such suspicions against themselues as they can not afterward easily wash away . Yee knowe that the publicke voice is neither a iust iudge oftentimes , nor at any time almost a lawfull Iudge ; so greatly doth malice preuaile and beare sway in the publicke . Therefore yee appeale to these Iudges , who can neither iudge , nor take knowledge : finally , they are not onely no Iudges , but not so much as witnesses : so the priuate cause is not furthered , and the publique is many waies hindered . Yee will say then , who shall bee ? What iudges , what witnesses shall wee appeale vnto ? Your owne preface shall answere yee for me . For when ye pronounce that ye haue found a place of rest by the mercy of God in these places ( ye doe acknowledge I thinke your owne words ) ye plainely signifie two things . One , that if ye haue found a place of rest , ye shall doe wisely , if ye doe not stirre , where ye may be in quiet . The other that where you haue a lodging , and a quiet seate that there yee must also be iudged , there you must receiue the iudgement of your doctrine and faith , if ye will haue the same lawfully knowne and approoued . Ye are in a Church furnished with the seruants of God , whose pietie , learning , and brotherly loue to the members of Christ good men doe know . It is an vnlawfull course verily , to omit those among whom yee are and to appeale to another Church , or to the whole publike state , or to me who am a weake member therein , either in part , or in common . This order is godly , iust , lawfull , and tendeth to the peace , and edification , which you ought first , modestly to regard , and to which I being a weake brother , am bounden by brotherly duetie , to all my brethren , that goe astray , and not to be caried headlong , and to rush vpon the knowledge of these things by this meanes offred ; besides all equitie and good order . Till ye shall doe that , I admonish , exhort , pray , and beseech by the most sacred & holy name of Christ , that ye would not appeale to me , neither to any other , neither to the whole Church : for by this preposterous course ( as we may so say ) ye do not disburthen your selues , as ye thinke , of enuy and blame ( if there be any ) but ye doe burthen your owne cause , to which I will bring no preiudice . Let them speake first , with whom yee soiourne , whom yee deny not to be your brethren . But if peraduenture they shall not satisfie you , or yee shall not satisfie them , then let a new course be taken by lawfull order . This no good man will denie , but till this be attempted , it will be vnprofitable to you , and hurtfull to the Church , to take another course . But neither I , nor my Colleagues , nor other wise men , will euer be so impudent as to preuent or take this thing out of the hands of them , to whom the knowledge thereof doth of right appertaine . And so much of the doctrine . I come to the accusation which yee vse , against the Church of England , as yee write in this accusation beloued brethren , I doe louingly entreat you , that yee would not take it in ill part , if I doe admonish yee , of a few things which I thinke , I may of right doe , first , what need is there , that yee should accuse them ? Yee haue giuen place , yee haue ( as wee may so speake ) passed ouer into another Court , wherefore haue yee giuen place ? No body desireth to know , or doth trouble yee . If wrong be done you , in England ( that I may grant it that is done , for it belongeth not to me , to affirme or deny who haue not knowne it ) yet they doe not prosecute this iniury yee being departed from them . What compelleth you to be mooued , and to take vpon you , the burthen of accusation ? Why are yee not quiet being without the daunger of any hurt ? Why doe yee not rather passe ouer the iniury that is past ? Why doe yee not rather beare it ( if there be yet any hope in silence ) then to mooue , that which is in rest ? It is plainely a Christian part , if yee beare it , and a prudent part , if you abstaine from stirring the euill that is well appeased , an impudent thing , if yee doe contrariwise . And to what end I pray you is it ? To the end that you might purge your selues . But here is no man that doth repeate anew , or lay these accusations against you . Wherefore serueth this purgation ? that yee may be euen with them against whom yee complaine . But this is not the part of a Christian . I doe not thinke that this is your meaning . Is it to reforme them ? This indeed is an holy endeuour . But if yee could not doe this , when yee were present , consider what yee may doe when yee are absent . But first of all consider with your selues , by what meanes yee take this way , namely to accuse to me , to other to a publike place in the theatre of the Church , in the circle of the world . Ah beloued brethren , was it euer heard of , that any priuate man ( to say nothing of a great communitie ) was euer amended by this course . Further consider I pray you before whom yee bring these things , I will say of my selfe , to whom alone yee will commit this your little booke ; I know not whether in this your little booke yee appeale to me , as to an intercessor , or examiner , or a Iudge . For if as an intercessor , were it not better that your complaints were kept secret , then layed open ( which tendeth to reproch ) and the Church of Christ , innumerable soules , weake , strangers , to be beaten with the types of your impression . It is most manifest , that they against whom yee deale , will be more prouoked by these grieuous things . If as an examiner , by what right can I doe it ? who haue no lawfull authority from God , from the Church , from the Magistrate , or from both the parties : neither if it should be committed , would I easily accept it ; I am so priuie to my selfe , of my owne insufficiencie : for who am I ? or what am I ? that I should be able , throughly to see euery particular thing , concerning you , and them , which are required to a iust examination . And this the right course of examination doth require , otherwise ( as Seneca wisely faith ) he that iudgeth one party being not heard , albeit he iudgeth that which is right , yet he is vniust . Yee are not a little deceiued in this your iudgement beloued brethren : Yee almost do me an iniury , when ye call me to be a busie body , or think that I wil take vpon me the part of an examiner , or ( that which is more subiect to enuie and farre from duetie ) of a Iudge . And brethren , that which I say of my selfe , thinke that is the answere of other brethren in Churches and Vniuersities . No wise man will easily goe downe the steps , or clime vp to the seate of iudgement . Concerning your faith and doctrine something may be said , if you expound it , and if the thing be done in order . For touching the accusation of your countreymen , and of matters passed to and fro ; no wise man by my consent , wil take vpon him the burthen of iudging . And for Gods sake , consider the euent of this fact . For I pray you whom would it profit if that were done which yee desire ? Certainly neither would it profit you nor them , nor these with whom ye soiourne , nor the Church of God . Contrariwise whom would it not hurt ? This thing would set you more on fire : it would more alienate them whom yee iniuriously traduce to be enstranged from you . For this is not the way of teaching , nor of informing , nor of seeking reconciliation . To rent the good men whose hospitality yee doe commodiously vse , or to diuide them from you , or amongst themselues ( which duetie they haue not deserued of you by their hospitalitie ) will make that impudent man which should vsurpe this authoritie a scorne to ill tongues , while good men would pittie his vaine labour , and your vaine expectation . Lastly ( that I may also adde this , marke brethren , how sincerely and brotherly I deale with you ) albeit you might and would lawfully both of your faith which yee declare and also to giue sentence of the fact of the accusation which yee bend against your Countreymen : Yet yee by this course and maner of dealing haue taken from me that which yee require touching your fact . Ye will maruaile perhaps at that which I say , and yet it is so . For you doe so require my iudgement as you doe also require the iudgement of all Students and Vniuersities in common ; then you doe not desire that I should doe it alone : but if particularly , doe you thinke that any of vs will be so mad , that when the iudgement of so many good men and diligence is desired , some one Palaemon should take vpon him the chiefest parts : and should by him selfe speake of that thing , which is required of so many as learned , yea better learned , and better furnished with pietie , iudgement , and experience , which requireth a serious consultation , an holy communication , and a ripe in offensiue iudgment . But of the third thing what shall I say ? touching the conclusion which you draw from thence , that is , from those premisses , if I shall yet determine any thing on either side , it were vtterly vniust . Wherefore ? I verily brethren suspend my iudgement in this cause euen as God & nature , & reason , and al lawes command me to do . Ye know the causes by these things which ye haue now read , & shal learne besides by other things which God shal minister vnto you ( I hope ) by the spirit of trueth and wisdome . I ought not to iudge with my selfe of matters vnknowne , at least not so euident , neither yet with such forward boldnesse to pronounce among you or others , the matter being not sufficiently manifest to my selfe . God knoweth and iudgeth them which stand or fall , as many as are his seruants . Otherwise I trust yee are not ignorant that there are three things which euen from the verie infancie of the Church , the holy fathers would haue to be distinguished by the word of God , among the people of God ; namely , faith or doctrine , conuersation or manners , and the order of discipline . And all wise men haue taught that with one consent , and deliuered it to posteritie , that where the foundation of the truth of doctrine remaineth , which is the piller of saluation although with most corrupt manners and discipline , there the Church remaineth , & that no man ought rashly to separate himselfe from that Church ( whiles he may tarry in it without shipwracke of faith and conscience ) or take from it the name of a Church , especially seeing euery Church consisteth of Pastors and flockes , which if some Pastors or Prelates trouble , yet it is vnmeete that this name either should be taken away from the other Pastors , which Christ doth witnesse by the doctrine of truth , or from the flocke which Christ hath purchased with his owne bloode , and doth daily sanctifie with the washing of the newe birth by the worde . This ought to be sufficient for you if any thing offend you at home . Now the fatherly & mercifull prouidence of God hath prouided for you elsewhere . Certainely whiles yee inueigh against those Churches , yee shal make that your cause neuer the better , neither more probable with good men : which thing if yee haue not yet considered and conceiued by my aduise and counsell , and by the admonition of those which wish you wel ; experience it selfe at last ( God grant it be not to late , and informe you in good ) will prooue all these things vnto you . For by the trueth of doctrine , holinesse of life , by the worke of faith and patience , and by the dueties of charitie euen towards them of whome yee professe that yee are wronged , yee shall rather approoue your selues and your cause , then by outcryes and publishing of writings , euen as our Sauiour is saide to bring iudgement to victorie not by filling the streetes with shouting and clamours , but by blowing gently into the smoking flax and tender handling the bruised reede : which thinges seeing they be so , I beseech you most louing brethren in Christ by that most holie name of Christ which yee professe , by those bowels of mercie , wherewith Christ hath embraced vs from on high , that yee would thinke of another course , that yee would take another way to edification to saluation to peace . If there be any consent shake not your faith , which is not to be winnowed againe by new reasons . This course is suspitious , but if it must neede be sifted let it suffice you that it be first approoued by those seruants of God among whome yee dwell : this is certainely a lawfull course : Forgiue the former iniuries if any haue beene by Christian charitie to them from whom yee haue receiued the same , & hide them from others by Christian wisdome . There is no feare , that by so doing yee shall suffer violence : God will enlarge your harts by the spirite of charitie most commodiously . Looke to your selues that ouercomming al sharpnesse and al bitternesse of minde yee may be acceptable to Christ and profitable to the Church ; and that the odour of your pietie may be spread in speach , in life , in order to all the godly most sweetely without the stench of enmitie and schisme . Iudge not that yee be not iudged : But abstaine from those heauie conclusions and determinations ( as they call them ) against other men , neither labour either to get Abetters or partakers in that your former iudgement ( which would be saide in you to be a spice of faction in them of impudencie , or else to drawe them to an vnseasonable , vnciuill , inconuenient or dangerous deliuerie of opinions . Pitie your selues I beseech you ( most louing brethren ) and the whole flocke which is gathered among you ; haue pittie of them whome thorough error & infirmitie yee cry out be hurt . Pitie your entertainers among whome it were a most iniurious thing that ye should sowe these tares ; especially being admonished . And it would be a greate indignitie by clamours and writings to brede in them suspicions and sinister opinions , eyther of your selues or of those your aduersaries ( as you count them ) or els of both . Finally pitie the Church of Christ , which verily it is not comely , nor expedient neither in any case tolerable among so many and greeuous wounds which are giuen vnto it to be further galled with this particular wound . So let God almightie loue you and Iesus Christ that most mercifull Lord , and our Sauiour be mercifull vnto you . And if I shall be able to doe any good in the publicke cause and in your cause : assure your selues that I will spare no diligence , no labour , no paines ; that you with vs and all togither may be filled with sanctimony ( without which none shall see God ) with the good things of the Lord in his house , and before his face . And the God of peace which hath raised from the dead our Lord Iesus that great sheepeheard of the sheepe , by the blood of the eternall couenant , make you perfect in euery good worke to doe his will , working in you , that which is acceptable in his sight by Iesus Christ , to whom be glorie for euer and euer , Amen . And I pray you brethren suffer this word of exhortation , which I haue briefely written vnto you . The grace of God be with you all , Amen . From Leyden this Saturday the 9. of Ianuary . 1599.