Part 3

Trust me therein thou hast spoke wiser then thou art aware of, for if a man should imagine of fruite by the rottennesse, of garmentes by the moath frets, of wine by the sowrnesse, I warrant him for euer being good costerd-monger, broker, or vintner whiles he liues. Therefore we must not measure of _Martin_ as he is allied to _Elderton_, or tongd like _Will Tong_, as he was attired like an Ape on yᵉ stage, or sits writing of Pāphlets, in some spare out-house, but as is _Mar-Prelat_ of England as he surpasseth King and collier, in crying, So ho ho, brother _Bridges_. Wo ho ho, _Iohn_ a London. Ha ha he, Doctor _Copecotes_. Doe this and I warrant you, for sauoring of the fleshe, though you take the oportunity of the spirite, with euery sister in Christ. Beholde the state of the low Countryes, since your Plaintife Pistler, will needs make the comparison, suppose _Martin_ to be the map of _Belgia dilacerata_, whose chiefe prouinces as they are wholye possessed with Spaniards, so thinke his hart and soule enhabited with spiet, they Romists in the matter of Religion, and he a Papist in supremacies contradiction, her inward partes possessed with Anabaptists, and Lutherans, and his more priuate opinions polluted with the dregs of them both, her farthest borders of Holland and Zeland, peopled God wot with a small number of vnperfite Protestants, and the furthest and fewest of his thoughts, taken vppe with some odde true points of Religion. How now Father _Martin_, haue not I hit your meaning patte in this comparison. Say, wil you haue any more such interpretations, if you say _Amen_ to it. Ile also reconcile your allegoricall induction of France, to the present constitutiō of your frowardnes: but that shal not neede, since the misery of the one is the mirrour of the other, and the Reader must suppose that _Martin_ would neare haue compared himselfe to Flaunders nor France, but as they reflect by allusion the distraction of his factions faith. Howe euer you take him at the worst, yet is his welchnes perswaded, that the Lord hath some speciell purpose, by preuentinge of his presse, to try who they be that are hipocrites, and what they be yᵗ are innocent: And not vnlike too, for hauing interrupted the trafique of honestye, so long as thou hast with thy coūterfet knauery, tis more the hie time thy vnder-hād treachery, were broght to the touchstone of authority. You think we know not how pretily your Printers were shrouded vnder the name of salt-peter-men, so that who but _Hodgkins_, _Tomlins_ and _Sims_, at the vndermining of a house, and vndoing of poore men, by diggyng vp their floars, and breaking down their wals. No, no, we neuer heard how orderly they pretended the printing of Accidences, when my L. of _Darbies_ men came to see what they were a doing, what though they damned themselues about the deniall of the deede, is periury such a matter amongst puritans. Tush they account it no sin as long as it is in the way of protestation, being in the mind of a good old fellow in Cambridge, who sitting in S. _Iohns_ as Senior at the fellowes election, was reprehended by some of his betters, for that hee gaue his voice with a dunce like himself, contrary to oath, statue and conscience: why quoth hee, I neither respect oath, statue, nor conscience, but only the glory of God. Men are by men and may erre, yea goodman _Spe._ himselfe in Paules church-yard, although he saith he hath no sinne, what maruaile is it then, though some corruption cleaue vnto our aged Gentleman by his owne confession. Learne of me to iudge charitably, and thinke that nature tooke a scouring purgation, when she voided all her imperfections in the birth of one _Martin_: which if it be so, hee is not to be blamed, since as _Arist._ sayes, _vitia naturæ nō sunt reprehendenda_. Gibe on, gibe on, and see if your father _Mar-martin_ will beare you out in it or no, you thinke the good sweet-faced prelate, _Masse Martin_, hath neuer broke sword in ruffians hal, yes that he hath more then one or two, if the truth were known, and fought for his wench as brauely as the best of them all, therefore take heede how you come in his way, least hee belabour you with his crabtree stile for your lustines, and teache you howe to looke into a _Martins_ neaste againe while you live. Alas you are but young, and neuer knewe what his Bumfeging ment, for if you did, you woulde thinke fiue hundreth fistes about your eares, were more then Phisicke in a frosty morning. Write or fight which you will, our champion is for you at all weapones, whether you choose the worde or the sworde, neither comes amisse to him, he neuer took his domesticall dissention in hand to leaue it soone. All England must bee vp together by the eares, before his penne rest in peace, nor shall his rebellious mutinies, which he shrouds vnder the age of _Martinisme_, haue any _intermedium_, till religions prosperity and our Christian libertye, mis-termed of him by the last yeare of Lambethisme, doe perishe from amongst vs, and depart to our enemies: then shall you see, what seditious buildinges will arise on the vnfortunate foundations of his folly, and what contentious increase will come from the schoole of contempt.

_If they will needes ouerthrowe mee let them goe in hand with the exploite &c._