MR. HOOKER'S ANSWER TO THE SUPPLICATION THAT MR. TRAVERS MADE TO THE COUNCIL. TO MY LORD OF CANTERBURY HIS GRACE. My duty in my most humble wise remembered. May it please your Grace to understand, that whereas there hath been a late controversy raised in the Temple, and pursued by Mr. Travers, upon conceit taken at some words by me uttered, with a most simple and harmless meaning. In the heat of which pursuit, after three public invectives, silence being enjoined him by authority, he hath hereupon, for defence of his proceedings, both presented the right honourable lords, and others of her majesty's privy council, with a writing; and also caused or suffered the same to be copied out, and spread through the hands of so many, that well nigh all sorts of men have it in their bosoms. The matters wherewith I am therein charged, being of such quality as they are, and myself being better known to your Grace than to any other of their honours besides, I have chosen to offer to your Grace's hand a plain declaration of my innocence in all those things wherewith I am so hardly and so heavily charged; lest, if I still remain silent, that, which I do for quietness' sake, be taken as an argument, that I lack what to speak truly and justly in mine own defence. 2. First, because Mr. Travers thinketh it an expedient to breed an opinion in men's minds, that the root of all inconvenient events which are now sprung out, is the surly and unpeaceable disposition of the man with whom he hath to do; therefore, the first in the rank of accusations laid against me, is " my inconformity, which have so little inclined to so many, and so earnest exhortations and conferences, as myself (he saith) can witness, to have been spent upon me, for my better fashioning unto good correspondence and agreement." 3. Indeed, when at the first, by means of special well-willers, without any suit of mine, as they very well know (although I do not think it had been a mortal sin, in a reasonable sort, to have shewed a moderate desire that way), yet when by their endeavour without instigation of mine, some reverend and honourable, favourably affecting me, had procured her majesty's grant of the place; at the very point of my entering thereinto, the evening before I was first to preach, he came, and two other gentlemen joined with him the effect of his conference then was, That he thought it his duty to advise me, not to enter with a strong hand, but to change my purpose of preaching there the next day, and to stay till he had given notice of me to the congregation, that so their allowance might seal my calling. The effect of my answer was, That, as in a place where such order is, I would not break; so here, where it never was, I might not, of my own head, take upon me to begin it but liking very well the motion of the opinion which I had of his good meaning who made it, requested him not to mislike my answer, though it were not correspondent to his mind. 4. When this had so displeased some, that whatsoever was afterward done or spoken by me, it offended their taste, angry informations were daily sent out, intelligence given far and wide, what a dangerous enemy was crept in; the worst that jealousy could imagine was spoken and written to so many, that at the length some knowing me well, and perceiving how injurious the reports were, which grew daily more and more unto my discredit, wrought means to bring Mr. Travers and me to a second conference. Wherein, when a common friend unto us both, had quietly requested him to utter those things, wherewith he found himself any way grieved; he first renewed the memory of my entering into this charge, by virtue only of a human creature (for so the want of that formality* of popular allowance was then censured), and unto this was annexed a catalogue, partly of causeless surmises, *A mere formality it had been to me in that place; where, as no man had ever used it before me, so it could neither further me if I did use it, nor hinder me if I did not. as, That I had conspired against him, and that I sought superiority over him; and partly of faults which to note, I should have thought it a greater offence than to commit, if I did account them faults, and had heard them so curiously observed in any other than myself, they are such silly things, as, "praying in the entrance of my sermon only, and not in the end, naming bishops in my prayer, kneeling when I pray, and kneeling when I receive the communion," with such-like, which I would be as loath to recite, as I was sorry to hear them objected, if the rehearsal thereof were not by him thus wrested from me. These are the conferences wherewith I have been wooed to entertain peace and good agreement. 5. As for the vehement exhortations he speaketh of, I would gladly know some reason wherefore he thought them needful to be used. Was there any thing found in my speeches or dealings that gave them occasion, who are studious of peace, to think that I disposed myself with some unquiet kind of proceedings? Surely, the special providence of God I do now see it was, that the first words I spake in this place, should make the first thing whereof I am accused, to appear not only untrue, but improbable, to as many as then heard me with indifferent ears; and do, I doubt not, in their consciences clear me of this suspicion. Howbeit, I grant this were nothing, if it might be shewed, that my deeds following were not suitable to my words. If I had spoken of peace at the first, and afterward sought to molest and grieve him, by crossing him in his function, by storming, if my pleasure were not asked and my will obeyed in the least occurrences, by carping needlessly sometimes at the manner of his teaching, sometimes at this, sometimes at that point of his doctrine: I might then with some likelihood have been blamed, as one disdaining a peaceable hand when it had been offered. But if I be able (as I am) to prove that myself hath now a full year together, borne the continuance of such dealings, not only without any manner of resistance, but also without any such complaint, as might let or hinder him in his course, I see no cause in the world why of this I should be accused, unless it be, lest I should accuse, which I meant not. If therefore I have given him occasion to use conferences and exhortations to peace, if when they were bestowed upon me I have despised them, it will not be hard to shew some one word or deed wherewith I have gone about to work disturbance: one is not much, 1 require but one. Only, I require if any thing be shewed, it may be proved, and not objected only as this is, That I have joined to such as have always opposed to any good order in his church, and made themselves to be thought indisposed to the present estate and proceedings. The words have reference, as it seemeth, unto some such things as being attempted before my coming to the temple, went not so effectually (perhaps) forward, as he that devised them would have wished. An order, as I learn, there was tendered, that communicants should neither kneel, as in most places of the realm; nor sit, as in this place the custom is; but walk to the one side of the table, and there standing till they had received, pass afterward away round about by the other. Which being on a sudden begun to be practised in the church, some sat wondering what it should mean, others deliberating what to do: till such time as at length by name one of them being called openly thereunto, requested that they might do as they had been accustomed, which was granted; and as Mr. Travers had ministered this way to the rest, so a curate was sent to minister to them after their way. Which unprosperous beginning of a thing (saving only for the inconvenience of needless alterations otherwise harmless) did so disgrace that order, in their conceit who had to allow or disallow it, that it took no place. For neither could they ever induce themselves to think it good, and it so much offended Mr. Travers, who supposed it to be the best, that he, since that time, although contented to receive it as they do, at the hands of others, yet hath not thought it meet they should ever receive out of his, which would not admit that order of receiving it, and therefore in my time hath been always present not to minister, but only to be ministered unto. 6. Another order there was likewise devised, but an order of much more weight and importance. This soil, in respect of certain immunities and other specialties belonging unto it, seemed likely to bear that which in other places of the realm of England doth not take. For which cause, request was made to her majesty's privy council, that whereas it is provided by a statute there should be collectors and sidemen in churches, which thing, or somewhat correspondent unto it, this place did greatly want; it would please their honours to motion such a matter to the ancients of the temple. And according to their honourable manner of helping forward all motions so grounded, they wrote their letters, as I am informed, to that effect. Whereupon, although these houses never had use of such collectors and sidemen as are appointed in other places, yet they both erected a box and received men's devotions for the poor, appointing the treasurer of both houses to take care for bestowing it where need was; and grant ing farther, that if any could be entreated (as in the end some where) to undertake the labour of observing men's slackness in Divine duties, they should be allowed, their complaints heard at all times, and the faults they complained of, if Mr. Alvey's private admonition did not serve, then by some other means to be redressed; but according to the old received orders of both houses. Whereby the substance of their honours' letters was indeed fully satisfied. Yet because Mr. Travers intended not this, but as it seemed, another thing; therefore, notwithstanding the orders which have been taken, and for any thing I know, do stand still in as much force in this church now as at any time heretofore, he complaineth much of the good orders which he doth mean have been withstood. Now it were hard, if as many as did any ways oppose unto these and the like orders, in his persuasion good, do thereby make themselves dislikers of the present state and proceeding. If they, whom he aimeth at, have any other ways made themselves to be thought such, it is likely he doth know wherein, and will, I hope, disclose wherein it appertaineth, both the persons whom he thinketh, and the causes why he thinketh them so ill-affected. But whatsoever the men be, do their faults make me faulty? They do, if I join myself with them. I beseech him therefore to declare wherein I have joined with them. Other joining than this with any man here, I cannot imagine: it may be I have talked, or walked, or eaten, or interchangeably used the duties of common humanity, with some such as he is hardly persuaded of. For I know no law of God or man, by force whereof they should be as heathens and publicans unto me, that are not gracious in the eyes of another man, perhaps without cause, or if with cause, yet such cause as he is privy unto, and not I. Could he, or any reasonable man think it as a charitable course in me, to observe them that shew by external courtesies a favourable inclination towards him, and if I spy out any one amongst them of whom I think not well, hereupon to draw such an accusation as this against him, and to offer it where he hath given up his against me: which notwithstanding I will acknowledge to be just and reasonable, if he or any man living shall shew, that I use as much as the bare familiar company but of one, who by word or deed hath ever given me cause to suspect or conjecture him such as here they are termed, with whom complaint is made that I joined myself. This being spoken therefore, and written without all possibility of proof, doth not Mr. Travers give me over great cause to stand in some fear lest he make too little conscience how |