A letter sent to an honourable gentleman in way of satisfaction concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops and the rest of the clergie of this kingdome.
         Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
      
       
         This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A45301 of text R14131 in the  English Short Title Catalog (Wing H392). Textual changes  and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more  computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life.  The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with  MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish.  This text has not been fully proofread 
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         EarlyPrint Project
         Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO
         2017
         A45301
         Wing H392
         ESTC R14131
         12717914
         ocm 12717914
         66259
         
           
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         Early English books online.
      
       
         (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45301)
         Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 66259)
         Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 253:E158, no 9)
      
       
         
           
             A letter sent to an honourable gentleman in way of satisfaction concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops and the rest of the clergie of this kingdome.
             Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
             E. I.
          
           [2], 5 p.
           
             s.n.],
             [London? :
             1641.
          
           
             Signed: E. I.
             By E. I., i.e. Joseph Hall. Cf. BM.
             Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.
          
        
      
    
     
       
         eng
      
       
         
           Bishops -- England -- 17th century.
           Clergy -- England -- 17th century.
           Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649.
        
      
    
       A45301  R14131  (Wing H392).  civilwar no A letter sent to an honourable gentleman, in way of satisfaction, concerning some slanderous reports lately raised against the bishops, and Hall, Joseph 1641    1069 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 B  The  rate of 9 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 
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           A
           LETTER
           SENT
           TO
           AN
           HONOURABLE
           GENTLEMAN
           ,
           IN
           WAY
           OF
           SATISFACTION
           ,
           CONCERNING
           Some
           slanderous
           reports
           lately
           raised
           against
           the
           BISHOPS
           ,
           and
           the
           rest
           of
           the
           CLERGIE
           of
           this
           KINGDOME
           .
        
         
           Printed
           in
           the
           yeare
           ,
           1641.
           
        
      
    
     
       
       
       
         
           To
           my
           noble
           friend
           Sir
           VV.
           
           VV.
           KNIGHT
           .
        
         
           
             Much
             honoured
             Sir
             ,
          
        
         
           SO
           soon
           as
           (
           to
           my
           great
           griefe
           and
           astonishment
           )
           I
           received
           notice
           from
           you
           of
           the
           strange
           rumour
           generally
           scattered
           abroad
           ,
           of
           a
           thousand
           horse
           or
           more
           ,
           that
           should
           be
           provided
           by
           the
           Clergy
           ,
           and
           especially
           by
           the
           Bishops
           of
           this
           Kingdome
           ,
           for
           some
           dangerous
           ,
           but
           secret
           exploit
           ;
           I
           acquainted
           some
           eminent
           persons
           of
           that
           profession
           with
           the
           newes
           :
           Who
           at
           the
           first
           seemed
           to
           entertaine
           it
           with
           a
           smiling
           kind
           of
           neglect
           ,
           as
           the
           fained
           device
           of
           a
           thing
           impossible
           to
           finde
           beliefe
           :
           but
           when
           I
           told
           them
           ,
           it
           was
           not
           onely
           seriously
           divulged
           ,
           but
           also
           credited
           by
           many
           ,
           who
           seemed
           not
           in-judicious
           ,
           they
           began
           to
           be
           strucken
           with
           much
           horrour
           ,
           and
           amazement
           ;
           and
           to
           lament
           the
           condition
           of
           themselves
           ,
           and
           the
           times
           ;
           and
           to
           impute
           the
           first
           invention
           
           of
           this
           crime
           ,
           to
           the
           malice
           of
           some
           ill
           affected
           persons
           ,
           who
           meant
           ,
           by
           this
           meanes
           ,
           to
           stir
           up
           the
           envy
           ,
           and
           unjust
           hatred
           of
           good
           people
           against
           their
           persons
           ,
           and
           calling
           .
           Good
           Lord
           ,
           said
           they
           ,
           were
           wee
           not
           loaden
           enough
           before
           with
           the
           weight
           of
           more
           then
           our
           own
           enormities
           ,
           but
           we
           must
           be
           crushed
           with
           the
           heavier
           pressures
           of
           imaginary
           mischiefes
           ?
           Alas
           ,
           what
           have
           we
           done
           thus
           to
           irritate
           ,
           and
           enrage
           the
           world
           against
           us
           ?
           What
           can
           it
           bee
           that
           makes
           us
           guilty
           of
           this
           fury
           ?
           How
           many
           of
           us
           are
           there
           ,
           that
           have
           not
           yet
           been
           taxed
           with
           any
           crime
           but
           our
           Rochet
           ?
           yet
           wee
           suffer
           no
           lesse
           ,
           then
           if
           it
           were
           an
           offence
           to
           be
           innocent
           .
           After
           they
           had
           a
           little
           breathed
           out
           their
           sorrow
           ,
           they
           recollected
           themselves
           ,
           and
           began
           to
           thinke
           what
           they
           might
           doe
           to
           give
           the
           world
           some
           kinde
           of
           satisfaction
           ,
           in
           this
           odious
           aspersion
           that
           is
           cast
           upon
           them
           :
           at
           last
           they
           resolved
           that
           however
           they
           doubted
           not
           but
           time
           would
           fully
           manifest
           their
           integrity
           ,
           yet
           ,
           that
           in
           the
           mean
           while
           it
           was
           not
           fit
           that
           their
           silence
           should
           make
           them
           accessary
           to
           their
           owne
           causelesse
           infamy
           ;
           and
           therefore
           they
           earnestly
           desired
           me
           to
           take
           ,
           and
           give
           notice
           to
           your
           worthy
           selfe
           ,
           and
           all
           other
           ingenuous
           persons
           ,
           of
           their
           serious
           and
           solemne
           
           Protestation
           ,
           before
           God
           and
           the
           world
           ,
           of
           their
           cleare
           and
           perfect
           innocence
           in
           this
           behalfe
           .
           They
           doe
           therefore
           call
           the
           God
           of
           heaven
           to
           witnesse
           ,
           that
           they
           are
           so
           far
           from
           having
           any
           hand
           in
           any
           businesse
           of
           this
           kinde
           ,
           that
           they
           never
           heard
           or
           received
           the
           least
           intimation
           of
           any
           attempt
           ,
           word
           ,
           purpose
           ,
           or
           thought
           tending
           this
           way
           ;
           neither
           can
           yet
           imagine
           what
           the
           meaning
           of
           any
           such
           combination
           ,
           or
           enterprise
           might
           be
           :
           as
           those
           who
           have
           desired
           ,
           in
           all
           their
           attendance
           on
           these
           publick
           services
           ,
           to
           approve
           their
           fidelity
           ,
           to
           God
           ,
           their
           King
           ,
           and
           Country
           .
           In
           the
           conscience
           wherof
           ,
           they
           bade
           me
           to
           challenge
           all
           those
           secret
           whisperers
           ,
           who
           have
           thus
           gone
           about
           to
           poyson
           their
           good
           names
           in
           the
           opinion
           of
           all
           loyall
           and
           true-hearted
           Subjects
           ,
           to
           notifie
           and
           bring
           forth
           speedily
           the
           grounds
           of
           those
           accusations
           ;
           and
           to
           fix
           them
           upon
           such
           persons
           ,
           as
           they
           dare
           charge
           for
           guilty
           ;
           that
           the
           truth
           of
           these
           criminations
           may
           so
           appeare
           to
           all
           the
           world
           ,
           as
           that
           either
           themselves
           may
           receive
           shame
           ,
           or
           the
           offenders
           ,
           judgement
           .
        
         
           And
           withall
           they
           doe
           most
           humbly
           beseech
           the
           most
           honourable
           Lords
           ,
           and
           Commons
           of
           this
           present
           Parliament
           ,
           that
           they
           will
           be
           pleased
           ,
           
           with
           all
           possible
           speed
           ,
           to
           search
           this
           matter
           to
           the
           bottom
           ;
           &
           to
           follow
           this
           foule
           slander
           home
           to
           the
           first
           rise
           ;
           that
           if
           any
           of
           them
           be
           found
           ,
           in
           the
           least
           measure
           ,
           guilty
           of
           this
           crime
           ,
           pretended
           against
           King
           ,
           or
           State
           ,
           hee
           may
           forthwith
           suffer
           condigne
           punishment
           to
           the
           utmost
           ;
           wherein
           they
           profess
           that
           their
           hands
           shal
           be
           the
           first
           upon
           him
           ,
           as
           the
           unworthy
           and
           perfidious
           violater
           of
           their
           sacred
           Order
           :
           And
           ,
           if
           this
           report
           shall
           bee
           found
           (
           as
           they
           are
           confident
           )
           utterly
           groundlesse
           ,
           and
           meerly
           slanderous
           ,
           they
           beseech
           that
           highest
           Court
           of
           Justice
           ,
           for
           Gods
           sake
           ,
           and
           for
           the
           Churches
           sake
           ,
           that
           they
           will
           bee
           tenderly
           sensible
           of
           this
           abominable
           injury
           ,
           that
           is
           herein
           done
           to
           their
           holy
           profession
           ;
           and
           take
           some
           speedy
           course
           for
           the
           publicke
           vindicating
           of
           their
           innocence
           to
           all
           the
           world
           .
        
         
           And
           ,
           lastly
           ,
           they
           doe
           earnestly
           beseech
           ,
           and
           in
           the
           name
           of
           God
           ,
           adjure
           ,
           all
           Christian
           people
           ,
           to
           beware
           ,
           how
           they
           give
           light
           credit
           to
           those
           slanderous
           suggestions
           ,
           that
           are
           ,
           in
           these
           deplored
           times
           ,
           most
           untruly
           raised
           ,
           and
           cast
           abroad
           by
           uncharitable
           ,
           and
           malevolent
           men
           ,
           against
           those
           ,
           whom
           God
           hath
           set
           over
           them
           ;
           and
           who
           desire
           ,
           in
           all
           good
           conscience
           ,
           to
           bee
           approved
           to
           God
           ,
           
           and
           men
           ;
           and
           that
           they
           will
           forbeare
           to
           hurt
           their
           owne
           soules
           in
           wronging
           the
           innocent
           .
        
         
           Thu●
           Noble
           Sir
           ,
           I
           have
           been
           bold
           to
           give
           you
           an
           account
           of
           the
           entertainment
           of
           your
           ill
           news
           ;
           not
           doubting
           of
           either
           your
           charitable
           beliefe
           of
           the
           truth
           of
           this
           unfained
           Protestation
           ,
           or
           of
           your
           just
           forwardnesse
           for
           the
           satisfying
           of
           others
           ;
           In
           which
           confidence
           ,
           I
           take
           leave
           ;
           not
           without
           my
           humble
           and
           fervent
           prayers
           to
           the
           God
           of
           peace
           ,
           that
           he
           would
           be
           pleased
           to
           temper
           all
           hearts
           ,
           and
           to
           compose
           them
           so
           to
           an
           happy
           unity
           and
           concord
           ,
           that
           we
           may
           at
           the
           last
           returne
           to
           our
           homes
           with
           joy
           ,
           and
           with
           the
           comfortable
           expectation
           of
           no
           lesse
           blessed
           times
           then
           we
           have
           lived
           to
           see
           .
        
         
           
             Your
             much
             devoted
             friend
             ,
             
               E.
               I.