any before they were heard I was not their Judge alone nor will I be at This time Onely that it may appeare I attended their pleading as it becomes any in a Court of Justice I will give the world an account what Those men say for themselves and so I shall leave them to be judged by wise men First they conceive there be some Ordinances which are proper onely to the Church and Church-Officers belonging onely to Church Assemblies such as is the Administration of Sacraments the Conferring of Orders and all of this nature These they thinke Sacred such as may not be touched by any but Church-Officers and of These they say let Vzzaâ— take heede how hee touch the Arke though it shake But there are other Ordinances they say of a Middle nature as they are exercised in a Church Assembly by Church-Officers They may truly be called Church-Ordinances yet are such as may be used Out of Church Assemblies and therefore probably by Other thâ—n Church-Officers As Praying Reading the Scripture Catechising Exhortation and the like which as they conceive are not confined to the Church onely or Church-Officers 1. Because Heathens and Publicans may be admitted nay ought to be invited to These Ordinances And it seemes no Mortall sinne for a Lay-man in China to call together a company of Heathens and preach to them the Christian Religion yet here is no True Church till a Congregation will Embrace This Doctrine and joyne in serving God 2. They conceive Our State by publike authority hath and doth allow so much as This. For they see Clerkes even in publike Assemblies Read Psalmes Prayers and oft some parts of Scripture Deacons preach yea and Baptize and helpe to administer the Lords Supper and yet no man takes them for complete Ministers yea of old and perhaps now also by Law they are not at all Clergy men 3. Former Preachers have taught them that every Master of a Family may and must read pray Catechise and the like in his owne Family if he have none there that can doe it better than himselfe Therefore These seeme rather to come under the Notion of Private Duties rather than Publike Church-Ordinances though sometime they be performed in Churches yet other times they may be performed out of Churches and by Those that are not publike Church Officers Therefore These poore men through their weaknesse thinke such Ordinances Free to be performed by any Christian whether of the Clergy or Laity And their Zeale makes them conceive If God give gifts of Understanding Memory Judgement Utterance and an Earnest Desire to doe good with These lest they wrap up their Talent in a Napkin They have the Maine to wit an inward Call to performe these duties in their owne Families or else where if They have an outward Call too For they solemnly professe they hold it not fit to presse or intrude themselves on any Congregation But if any will come of themselves either to their owne Families or send for them and desire to heare them among some Good men they take this for a Call an Outward Call to performe Those duties to that Congregation For they thinke the wayes of Gods Spirit are free and not tied to a University man so that having an Inward call they conceive the desire of any One Congregation is Outward call sufficient though the Bishop call not Yea some Exercises in Gods worship They thinke there be which are warranted from the Gift that enables and not from the Call that invites so that a man whom God hath enabled with Parts and Gifts might use them though no man Living call him And this also is the Judgement of many Learned men as of That Ingenuous Worthy Learned man Master Thorndick of late Touching on That of the Corinths So long then as they Encroach not on Ordinances appropriate to Church-Officers they thinke they sinne not in performing other duties where there are none that can or will performe them better They have learned Latine Enough to say Bonum quo Communius eo melius They have read of Moses wishing all the Lords People were Prophets and that God would poure out his Spirit on them all Yea they have heard that God promised to poure out his Spirit upon all Flesh all Beleevers as well Lay as Clergie so that Young men should see Visions and Old men dreame Dreames and though This were begunne to be accomplished Even in Our Saviours time yet They perhaps through ignorance Expect it should be yet still more and more accomplished every day till Knowledge Cover the Earth as Waters fill the Sea even till there be no more neede that any man should teach his neighbour for all men shall know the Lord and They poore men Expect a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein there shall neede no more Temples of stone but all Good men shall be Prophets Priests and Kings In the meane time they say Waters must flow out of the bellies of all that beleeve till at length the Great Waters of the Sanctuary flow forth without measure Yea they are much encouraged from the Practise of the Church in the Acts where all the members Every beleever being scattered by persecution went about Preaching If it be Objected that This was an Extraordinary Case at the first beginning of the Church and in time of Persecution c. They Answer that they conceive almost as Extraordinary a Case in This Land at This Time Where the Church is so much unsetled and hath beene so much persecuted In some places they see no Ministers scarce any in some whole Shires as in Cumberland Westmorland Northumberland and especially in Wales Where the Church is even yet scarce ne vix so much as well begunne to be planted or the Gospel Preached In Other places where there is some shew of a Church some Ordinances some Ministers Yet even here they thinke the Church calleth for many more Ministers at least for much more and much better preaching then it yet hath Specially since the late Cruell Tyranny of some Lording Prelates hath almost quite put downe Ordinances silenced Good Ministers and forbidden Preaching Having so detained the Truth and smothered it by unrighteousnesse that there is scarce left the Face of a True Church They conceive This an extraordinary Time an extraordinary Case and Call for all that are Enabled by God with Parts and Gifts fit for such Exercises And they conceive 30. or 40. or an 100. Good men of any one or more Congregations to be as Fit Judges of their parts and abilities every way as One Lord Bishop and his Ignorant perhaps Drunken Chaplaine who make scruple of admitting any to Orders but Bowers and Cringers sincks of Superstition Yet when they please they can poze in an Alehouse and lay hands well quickned with angels on Tapsters Coblers Butchers and many such that are so farre from the smell of a Colledge that they never saw an Abcee or Primer to purpose much lesse
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE A DISCOVRSE OPENING THE NATVRE OF THAT EPISCOPACIE WHICH IS EXERCISED IN ENGLAND Wherein With all Humility are represented some Considerations tending to the much-desired Peace and long expected Reformation of This our Mother Church By the Right Honourable ROBERT LORD BROOKE LONDON Printed by R. C for Samuel Cartwright and are to be sold at the signe of the Hand and Bible in Ducke-Lane 1641. TO THE MOST NOBLE LORDS WITH THE HONORABLE KNIGHTS CITIZENS AND BURGESSES Now assembled in PARLIAMENT IN Epistles Dedicatory sometimes men render an account to the world by what Principles they were Led to such a worke Sometimes they maintaine and strengthen what they have done by New Arguments Sometimes ad captandam Benevolentiam they present their whole Designe in a briefe Epitomy that so they may invite the Reader But I shall doe None of These The first I need not For if the Ten Kings must hate the Whore Eate her flesh and Burne her with her fire Will not every good Christian offer himselfe a ready Servant to This Worke a Willing Souldier under this Standard The Second I cannot without questioning my owne Diligence or which is worse my Readers Gentlenesse Either of which every Writer carefully shunneth The third I will not left I be injurious to my selfe For Humane Nature is ever Novorum avida and the Soule of vast comprehension the Booke therefore would seeme but Crambe bis cocta to All that read the Epistle and but create a nausea to Those that had already gathered all by viewing the Breviate If it be the Glory of a King's Daughter to be clothed in Needle-worke surely This poore Birth will need more then Fig-leaves to make it Beautifull When it is Cloathed with its Best Robes It will not be worthy to appeare in so Great a Presence How much lesse then when presented only in a bare and naked Sceleton The Worke then of These Lines is to lay prostrate at Your Feet most Noble Lords and Gentlemen the Retirements of Your Humble Servant in the Last Recesse If you shall aske mee how I dare take the boldnesse to interrupt Your more serious Thoughts with These Things of Little Worth All I shall plead for my selfe is but This the bow must be sometimes unbent and if then This Pamphlet may be called for it is all I aspire to For Your Protection and Your Patronage not Your Trouble is My Request Of which being no whit Doubtfull with all Humility commending This to Your Noble Favour Your selves and Counsels to the Almighty I crave leâ—ve for ever to remaine Your most obliged and devoted Servant ROBERT BROOKE The CONTENTS of the Sections and Chapters in the following Discourse SECT I. CHAP. I. THe Subject Stated Not a Bishops Name but Office Opposed nor Office in generall but Such Such a Bishop repugâ—nt to State-Policie Antiquity Scripture The Method proâ—unded for the first Section containing Arguments drawne â—â—om State-Policie fol. 1. Chap. II. Of Our Bishops Birth how unsuitable to his Office how Hurtfull to Himselfe and Others How incongruous â— State-Policie 3 III. A Bishops Breeding not fit for his Calling against Rules of Policie Some Objections answered 5 IV. Of Our Bishops Election whether suitable to State-Policie Of his Office Principles or Maximes by which hee governeth and Practice according to Those Principles 11 V. Of the Nature of Indifference what it is and in what iâ— hâ—th place whether in Re or onely in Appearance to our Understandings 19 VI. Where the Power of Indifferent Things seemes to be fixed whether in the Church or not or if in the Church How farre Of the Churches Deciding Commanding Power Of Doubts and how we must deport our selves under Doubts 30 VII Of the Consequents to a Bishops Office His Relations Vpward and Dependances Of his Vote in Parliament Relations Downward How repugnant to State Policie 35 VIII What Good our Bishops can do to the State is examined whether they have beene or can be friends to Monarchy or Civill Government 42 IX How suitable such Episcopacie can be to Monarchy is farther considered Whether the Best forme of Church Government be Monarchicall Whether other Formes may not well stand with Civill Monarchy How Church and State Goverment differ and agree 48 X. Who it is that opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God Who is properly a Papist and what is Popery Why the Pope is most properly Antichrist How such Episcopacy differs or agrees with Popery 53 SECTION II. Considereth how Consonant such Episcopacy is either to sound Antiquity or Scripture Chap. I. Some Antiquities produced by a late most Learned and Reverend Patron of Episcopacie are discussed 65 II. Our Bishops Election Delegation c. Examined by Antiquity 69 III. Of Ordination whether proper onely to Bishops or equally committed to all Presbyters discussed by Ancient Authorities 72 IV. Of the Name and Office of a Bishop in Scripture How little or how much the Scripture makes for or against Bishops Diverse Texts are discussed 75 V. What forme of Church Government seemes most consonant to Scripture Whether Monarchicall Aristocraticall or Democraticall 81 VI. Of the consequemts that may possibly follow the change of Church Government Of the great danger of Schismes Sects and Heresies Of One new Sect to come in the Last Dayes Whether Bishops can keepe the Church from Schismes Sects c. What is or who are the Cause of most Schismes among us 86 VII The danger of Schismes and Sects more fully discuss'd the Nature and Danger of Anabaptisme Separatisme and Unlicensed Preaching The conclusion with an affectionate desire of peace and union 98 ERRATA PAge 4. line 24. Affection for Affectation p. 19. l. 2. Indifferent for indifference p. 26. l. 35. at one any time for at any one time p. 5. l. â—0 Ioy for Ivy. p. 56. l. 11. may be the more for may be more p. 88. l. 2. of all Civill c. for of all Civill c. p. 94. l. 32. Orders for Orders from Rome p. 98. l. 7. dele now A DISCOVRSE OPENING THE NATVRE OF THAT EPISCOPACY WHICH IS EXERCISED IN ENGLAND Wherein with all humility are represented some Considerations tending to the much-desired Peace and long expected Reformation of this our Mother Church CHAP. I. IAyme not at Words but Things not loving to fight with Shadowes It is not the Looke much lesse the Name of a Bishop that I feare or quarrell with it is his Nature his Office that displeaseth me Nor yet his Nature or Office in Generall but Such and so cloathed or rather veyled with such and such adjuncts For to me the Word Bishop-signifies either one that is to Preach Administer the Sacraments Exhort Reprove Convince Excommunicate c. not only in some one distinct Congregation his owne Parish but in many severall Congregations crowded up together in one strange and for long unknowne word a Diocesse Or one who hath to all this added not onely the
I should exceedingly rejoyce if by the Spirit of Meekenesse men of that Learning and abilities which many of them are might bee reduced to That which I from my Soule conceive to bee truth and am perswaded will be so acknowledged by Themselves one day If these then be their Tenets as I suppose they will confesse them to be Is there any thing more Vnreasonable more Vnbrotherly more savouring of Selfe than These Positions Vnreasonable For allow the Church hath all power in Indifferents which I dare not yet yeeld who hath made the Church a Iudge beyond appeale what is Indifferent Is not this to bring necessary and indifferent things all under one notion If the Church shall judge indifferent things to be necessary and necessary to be indifferent which would to me be a sad story But you will say if the Church bee not the Judge of what is Indifferent who may be That Judge I tell you asking of questions is no answering of difficulties But secondly because I love to deale plainely I will tell you who shall be Judge In expounding of Scripture the Scripture but in finding out what is indifferent Recta Ratio must be Judge But who shall tell us what is Recta Ratio I answere Recta Ratio Will any man if the Church shall judge That to be indifferent which is not say it is indifferent or that my conscience is bound in this case Ex. grat I doe confesse the houre when the Congregation shall meete is indifferent if the Church will appoint hereupon Eleven of the Clock at night and Five in the morning in this Latitude under which we are I hope no man will say but that it is ill done of the Church and that neither my conscience nor my outward man is bound further in This than to a passive obedience certainely all force upon me in this case would be sinne in them But they will say this is a thing in its selfe Vnreasonable and so commeth not into the nature of indifferent thing But the Church having such power as is claimed who may dispute it But secondly this action must be considered either in the universall nature of it or else as it is presently to bee put in practise If you value and ballance it in this last sense nothing is indifferent no substantiall nor circumstantiall Being For we being bound to doe That which hic nunc is best That which is so with the circumstances will be our guide and the Church will have can have no power against This. But if you consider things in the universall nature not cloathed with these and these circumstances then it seemeth to have some Indifferency and then if ever it is in the Churches power and yet even then the Church can goe no further than what will be according to Reason For for a Church to say I will because I will is most Papall Tyrannicall and altogether displeasing to Christ but of This more in another place Thus their Tenets seeme to me very Vnreasonable They will doe more than Adam did He gave Names to Things according to their Natures they will give Natures according to their owne fancies Secondly very Vnbrotherly in that they make themselves the Church excluding all others in which act according to their Tenets they exclude all others from Salvation for they say in an ordinary way there is no Salvation out of the Church and They in this admit none into the Church but themselves Moses was upon a mistake reproved by the Jewes in that he made himselfe a Iudge though in that decision he released a Jew Truely I know not by what authority these Bishops stile themselves the representative Church for they must doe it either Iure humano or Divino By the last we doe not yeeld That is the Question in hand by the first they cannot for where doe the people either implicitely or explicitely elect them and resigne up their power to them Is it in their Convocation that they obtaine this priviledge That by the Lawes of this Land is not at all obligatory till confirmed by Parliament Secondly the people choose not These Convocation men but the Clergie and so they cannot represent the whole Church Thirdly the Clergie have no free election for the Bishop will appoint whom they must choose and this too Sub poena anathematis The Angells for the whole Ministery of the Church in the Revelation seeme to receive some particular honour from the Spirit yet not the power of a Representative Body but Quo jure humano aut Diuino Twenty sixe men shall challenge to themselves as proper That which is not so much as by a figurative right given to those Angels I know not And is not this Vnbrotherly to intrude my selfe and exclude all others from Their Right But lastly it savoureth very much of Selfe For certainely he that will out-doe the Pope is growne to a pretty height of pride Now in the Papacy it is a dispute whether the Pope alone or the whole Colledge of Cardinalls or a Generall Councell or the People or All These or Some of These with their joynt forces may stile themselves the Church But Our men without dispute like the Lyon in the Fable challenge All of whom the Poet is verified Aetas Patrum pejor avo tulit progeniem nequiorem And yet whoever takes up Errour at the Second hand will have an ill bargaine though he buy it cheape hee will be no gainer Error being like the Ierusalem-Artichoake plant it where you will it over-runnes the ground and choakes the Heart Thus having with the chaines of Indifferency bound up the Peoples Liberty they deale no better with their Prince Onely Polyphemus-like they leave Vlysses for the last For when the People are devoured Kings cannot escape But because Kings are of more prying Spirits they steale in upon them with Sugared Baites such as That of Theirs No Bishop No King But of This more anon I might instance in many other of their Maximes which I conceive very prejudiciall both to Church and State Policy But I will rather view their Practise according to These Principles of Indifferency In this I shall be very short not meaning to upbraide them with many monstrous miscarriages of late the rather because I am confident that God his Majeâ—tic and The Parliament will not permit them longer to transgresse in This height Onely I cannot but intreat you to observe how by Their Injunctions founded on Those Maximes They have imposed as necessary many things that are but Indifferent some things that are Vnlawfull First many Things but Indifferent they have injoyned as necessary Some to Ministers as Cassockes Gownes Tippets Hoods Caps Canonicall Coats Blackes and many other Some to People as Sitting with their hats off Standing up at Gloria Patri the Gospell and other parts of service Weighty matters indeed for Grave Learned Holy Reverend Divines to spend their time and thoughts upon I might perhaps goe a little higher
twenty severall times in the New Testament And you shall find the Apostles honouring This Name so much that one of them stiles himselfe an Elder but none calls himselfe a Bishop Indeed Iudas is so called Who as it were Prophetically behaved himselfe so that his Arch-Bishoprick was given to another I doubt not but the Spirit fore-saw this Word would bee quickly mounted high enough so that it brands Iudas first with This stile Of much more â—ajesty is the Word Presbyter which signifies Senior Under the Law Youth was bound to pay Tribute to Gray haires and Senatus of old was so stiled à Senioribus Whereas Episcopus signifies nothing but an Overseer And such indeed Bishops have beene for many yeares Perhaps the Name of Bishop is sometimes though rarely used that the wilfully blinde might stumble But the Name Presbyter very frequent that Those who love Truth and Light might still see such a Glympse that might Enlighten them in the midst of Egyptian darknesse from which I doubt not but God will deliver all Christendom in due time I can finde as little also for the Office of a Bishop as for his Name in Scripture yea much lesse I can finde our Saviour rebuking his Disciples striving for precedency saying Hee that will bee first shall bee last I can finde St. Peter saying Lord it not over the flock of Christ And St. Iohn branding Diotrephes with seeking the Preheminence But where shall wee finde the usurped Office of our Bishops in all the Scripture Can they finde it by a multiplying glasse where ever they see the Name of Bishop though but in a Postscript of St. Pauls Epistles Whither I see many of them fly for their owne Name I must confesse I have found some Praescripts of Davids Psalmes and other Texts to bee now part of Scripture but never yet found any Postscript of such Authority I dare not therefore give it unto These Which first were never that I could learn received by the Church for Authentick Scripture nor ever fully joyned to the Scripture but by some distinctive note till our Bishops times Yea some Antient Copies have them not at all as one very old Greek Copy in Oxford Library if I be not mis-informed Againe These Postscripts have many Improbabilities and some repugnancies as many Learned men observe As That of the first to Timothy From Laodicea the cheifest City of Phrygia Pacatiana Which sure was never so subscribed by St. Paul who would not have spoken of a First Epistle when as yet there was no Second nor appearance of any Againe the Epithet Pacatiana came from Pacatianus a Roman Deputy 300. yeares after St. Paul wrote The Epistle to Titus is thus subscribed or rather superscribed To Titus ordained the first Bishop of Creet from Nicapolis of Macedonia but it should have beene added Whither St. Paul meant to come after the Epistle but was not there at his writing as appeares very probably from the third of the same Epistle verse 12. But what meanes that Phrase Bishop of the Church in Creet was there but one Church in all Creet This sounds not like the Scripture stile which alwayes expresseth Nationall Congregations by Churches in the Plurall But it may very well be Titus was Bishop or Pastor but of one Church in Creet so that wee shall not need to contend about This. Our Adversaries themselves yeeld there cannot bee much urged from these Subscriptions Baronius Serrarius and the Rhemists will ingenuously confesse so much and Bishop Whitgift also against Mr. Cartwright â—he Postscripts failing where will they shew either Name or Office of a Bishop as now it is used I know their strong Fort Tit. 1.5 For this cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in Order the things that are Wanting and Ordain Elders in every City c. Here they think the Power of a Bishop is set forth at large But what if so Will they bee content to bee limited to This Power if so wee shall the sooner agree I think no man ever thought Good Titus had a Commission heere to draw the Civill Sword or so much as to strike with his Church Keyes Let us a little examine This Commission Which seemâ— but a Briefe of a large Patent which Saint Paul had given him before If we first examine the Date of This Commission wee shall finde it before any Church Government was setled and so an Extraordinary Case not fit perhaps not lawfull to be produced as a constant president Extraordinary Cases of Necessity breake through the Ceremoniall yea Morall Law too The Shew Bread may refresh fainting David Cain and Abel may marry their owne sisters to propagate the World Samuel may be a Priest though not of Aarons House as was shewed before And why then may not an Extraordinary way be taken in the first setling of Church Government where there is yet none setled Any man might now in the conversion of the Americans or Chinois give direction how to admit Members elect Pastors exercise the keyes c. This Titus did and no more But secondly in what manner his Commission was I know not and nothing can be proved from hence till that be agreed upon It is as probable he did it but instructivè exhortativè and not imperativè Timothy received his gift by imposition of Presbyteriall hands If an extraordinary gift was conveyed in an ordinary way Why might not an ordinary calling and affaires of an ordinary nature be managed by an extraordinary man be carried forth in an extraordinary way The contrary is not proved and so This must till then be Ineffectuall to them But thirdly and lastly I beseech you consider by what power he did it by the power of an Evangelist There are two sorts of them 1. Who write 2. Who proclaime the Gospell in an extraordinary way as coadjuters and messengers to the Apostles in this great worke Of this last sort certainly he was A Bishop he was not for our adversaries doe all agree that it is the duty of a Bishop curae sue incumbere to watch over his charge now this he did not for if Creet was his Charge which in no way neither by Scripture nor Antiquity is proved he did not attend it for we finde him continually journeying up and downe he leaveth Creet and commeth to Ephesus from thence he is sent to Corâ—nth after that into Macedonia from Macedonia he is returned to the Corinthians Neither is it to be found in History that he ever returned to Creet Thus if I mistake not the Text is lesse advantageous than the Postscript Some thinke to finde Episcopacy established in that example of Saint Iohn writing to the Angels of the seven Churches But this is Argumentum longè petitum Because Paul endorseth the Letter of a Corporation or an Assembly to the most eminent man in the Congregation Therefore He shall have sole Jurisdiction therefore the Maior shall have sole power without the Aldermen est par ratio
say they when men with unhallowed hands will touch the Arke and with unsanctified eyes pry into these mysteries and so These men making the Scripture a Rule in appearance do in truth Monopolize all to themselves This is just and flat Popery In the last place The Manner which God hath prescribed is that every thing be done in decencie and in order with what singlenesse and plainnesse may be without any addition of mens inventions The Pope carrieth on his Jurisdiction with pompe and much outward glory They have coÌ„missions Injunctions Charters Seales Secretaries Clarkes and 1000 other inventions to grind the face of the poore Episcopacie hath its Courts Summons Clarkes Seales with other Ceremonies of the like nature Christs rule is that Ministers of equall ranke shall all have equall power Apostles indeed were above Evangelists and Evangelists above Pastors and Teachers but one Apostle was not above another nor one Pastor did not superintend another The Pope hath Priest Bishop Archbishop Primate Patriarch Cardinall Pope and Episcopacie hath Ministers now called Priests Deacons Bishops Archbishops Primates c. The Scripture commandeth Preaching in season and out of season but with the Pope and our Bishops All preaching is now out of Season I am sure out of fashion in themselves and cryed downe in others for with them Ignorance is the mother of Devotion The Scripture alloweth but two Sacraments the Pope addeth five and our Bishops are ambiguous Two onely they say are generally Necessary to salvation which may clearly intimate that there are More than Two though perhaps not absolutely Necessary to Salvation or though necesary yet not Generally necessary to all men in all times states and conditions whatsoever and so much the Papists yeeld of Their five Sacraments nay of fixe of their seven For onely Baptisme they say is absolutely and generally necessary to salvation the Eucharist even with them is not Necessary to Infants much lesse Matrimony Orders Confirmation Penance Vâ—ction In what do our Bishops then differ from Papists in This How do they differ in Baptisme Both Pope and Bishops hold it necessary absolutely necessary to salvation Yea the most Moderate of Both maintaine a generall Baptismall Grace Equally confer'd to all partakers of that Sacrament Indeed Our Bishops doe not openly use Salt and Spittle but yet they retaine the Crosse perhaps much worse and beginne to Claime spirituall alliances as the Papists doe In the Lords Supper the Pope makes rather than findes an Hostia an Altar a Priest and This Priest must offer for the sinnes of the Quick and Dead Our Bishops must have Priests Altars a Sacrifice Corporals and what not that Papists have to say nothing of their Times and Gestures which sure the Scripture never so determined much lesse excluded any that could not yeeld to such and such circumstances which none ever thought could be more than Indifferent In all Ordinances the Scripture now speakes of no other Holinesse then That which is Spirituall Rationall the Holinesse of the whole man The Pope hath found out new Holinesse which he puts on Places Times Vestments Bels Tapers Water Wafers Copes Basons Pots and Cups with other Vtensles And doe not our Bishops so also What meanes such rigid pressing of Holy dayes Bare heads in Churches Holy Surplices What meane they else by their Holy Chalices Holy Knives Holy Patents Holy Vtensles all which may be so sanctified by a devout Priest tâ—at they may become profitable to the Soules of those that use them How then doe our Bishops differ from Papists in administring Sacraments Manner of all Ordinances And is there any Greater Difference in Admission of Members and Excommunication This last being the last and Greatest Censure of the Church by both Bishops and Pope is made not onely most Common as the humour moves them but also most Ridiculous being the usuall appendix of one groat short in our Reckonings with our Lord Bishops Register Proctor or Apparitor I would not be mistaken here I bring not in These Things of Doctrine or Discipline as if by agreeing in One or Many of These I might convince Bishops and Papists or the Pope were all one The maine thing I drive at in all this is the Originall fountaine from whence All These spring and all the bankes that keepe in These Rivulets That vertue and power which moves and actuates all these in their proper Channels And This is Papall For what ever the Pope doth of his owne head by his owne Power Dictating to his Vassals as Head of the Church This is truly Papall and such is the Power by which They usurpe so much over mens persons and consciences in injoyning and pressing such or such Doctrine or Discipline So that a Bishops wearing a Surplice Cope Miter using the Crosse Bowing to the Altar and many such Things though they may be Errors yet All These or One of these makes him not a Pope a Popeling or properly Antichristian But Receiving These from the Popes Dictates doing them because he commands acknowledging his power in commanding This makes a Papist and Commanding them Pressing them on Others in such Despoticall power makes a true Pope a Reall Antichrist Nor may Our Bishops Evade by This which I easily see will be answered that though indeed they doe these things and command these Things yet they neither doe them from the Popes Command nor Command them in the Popes Power Though I should grant This which yet many wise men will not grant for Our Bishops first Power came from the Pope and of late also We have found letters advice commands Dictates from the Pope to some of our Bishops and that in Matters of greatest Consequence both for Church and State But grant all They say yet they may be Antichristian and so such in Re as the Pope is though not literally Romanists Except they doe or command in the Power of Rome This I shall be bold to affirme and maintaine till I see better Reason that He whoever he be that Commands the least title of Doctrine or discipline meerely Ex imperio Voluntatis in his owne Power and Authority without Licence or Warrant from Scripture or Right Reason where the Scripture hath beene silent though the Thing he so commands should happen to be good in it selfe Yet He in his so Commanding is not onely Tyrannicall but Antichristian properly Antichristian Encroaching on the Royall Office of Christ which is truly High Treason against God and most properly Antichristianisme I care not whether we call him a Pope Papist Romanist or any other name I call him Antichrist and if you will call Antichrist by the name of Pope I call such an Imperious Commander among us though he have no shadow of Dependance on Rome or Romish Pope an English Pope I meane an English Antichrist I neede not spend much time in shewing by what meanes Either the Pope or Our Bishops beganne and continued to be so Antichristian Du Plessis and Others have sav'd