extremo quam extremum medio and Lysimachus Nicanor doth tell you not these to whom he speakes that whilst you refute the â—ittle you nourish the worst of Papists in your owne bosomes See your selfe in him and take these gleanings further you plead the same independancie with Rome from the civill power except it bee more easie for a State to tamper with one Bishop in Christendome than with one in each Parish You maintaine the excommunication of Princes which is denied by many of her followers and that too so much the more dangerous in you as you are ready to pretend a charter a demise of temporalities in ordine ad spiritualia not from the Pope but by a revelation from heaven with the clause Deus transfert imperia you may and it please you remember of Johannes Lerdensis Rex Israel who was hurried by such a trick as this from the Shuttle to the Scepter Yea in the matter of Episcopacie you joyne hands with the Beast you and his Holinesse must have all Bishops except him and your selves to be in the best sense but of humane institution see the hot Bickerings about this plea if your reading goeth beyond a six-penny ware in the third Convocation of the Councell of Trent Vnhappy Bishops grownd betwixt two factions as betwixt two milstones there the Pope of Rome here the Pope of the Parish upbraiding them equally as usurpers I could tell you further your Ethusiasmes and their traditions are from the same Mint-house you from a tumour of presumption they of authority alike ready to belie the holy Spirit and the blessed Fathers But having brought you to Tyber I leave you both as twins no difference but in age to sucke the Wolfe your common nurse and proceed to your for the Sections if no more schismaticall discourse Here I must luctare cum larva grapple with non-entities doubts and negatives as if the old Sceptike Philosophers were revived in you or as if Sixins Empericus had founded your sect Tell me in good earnest why is there nothing positive in you but all your reformations consist of denialls you are perhaps afraid by having any thing common with others to be thought of the Church universall which you have now thrust out of your Creed and given her a bill of divorce or else it is that your Christian liberty can heare of no restraint even in the fundamentals Your objections though like Ixions cloud airy and by your owne fancie and supposition I passe them by as the onely orthodox part in you and shall strictly tie my selfe to your answers lest I seeme rather to have a cause then found a party In your first and second you make your posture and take your ayme in the third you let in the thrust against the Church of England but with no lesse mistake nor better successe than when Dou Quixot one who for a head-piece might have beene moderator to your dyet justed against the wind-mill in stead of the inchanted castle At the first view by the multiplying glasse of your purity you can discry foure of the beasts heads and informe us that the Liturgie discipline government and ceremonies of the Church of England are popish Suppose now it were so is not your curse who discovereth your mothers nakednesse double to his who did not cover his fathers But I have mistaken you your anabaptization doth priviledge you to be none of her sons What a cursed Shimei is this to lay this heaviest imputation upon the most glorious Church in the world I should tell you if you had either patience or judgement for instruction the Church of England since the reformation hath beene onely she who hath seriously entred the lists with the enemy keeped them in hot blood and scarce granted a breathing time to her opposites who if not to award her blowes had not daign'd to blunt a pen against your sect. Did not Cranmer Ridley Latimer and numbers more of religious and learned martyrs seale their departure from the Church of Rome by their dearest blood and must your sacrilegious hands throw their sacred dust in the ayre by perswading us that they dyed popish not as members only but in some kind authors of that Church that publique service wee now enjoy How may this incourage the Romanists when by our pretended selves not onely our best champions but our very Church is made theirs How shall they triumph over us and our unnecessary debates they fight closely within doores when we bawle in the streets telling us we cannot agree amongst our selves untill wee returne ad Petram unde excisi sumus What you say in defence of this your generall position wee shall see in each particular only I cannot passe your Imposition of the Liturgie Hinc illae lachrymae any thing that is by order and authority is burthensome you idolize onely the calves of your owne making that is of your crazed imagination But how shall this humor of yours suit with the unity of a Church can many shreads of cloth make a garment and doe not you remember that Christs coat was without a seame Nay for that you care not you will be very loth to plead right in Christs Testament My peace I leave you for a needlesse feare to be polluted with the antichristianisme of Ecclesiasticall courts These who are in Civill or Ecclesiasticall power may from thence learne what a narrow circle you confine them within nor should they take this ill when some of you the Antinomians doe pretend immunity from the morall Law the Law of God himselfe perhaps they dreame of a Patentee by the Gospell and tell us with Pharabo in the pride and hardnesse of their hearts Who is the Lord that we should obey him But I hasten to your next Then you labour with tooth and naile to untie the obligement of the Chaos and tell us first That the Law for reformation never intended to allow or set up Popery in England nor I hope to deface Christianity What the intention of the Law hath been and how understood hitherto whether shall we believe the Law it selfe the articles the canons the rubrickes the service of the Church the statutes of Parliament the joynt consent and practice of all good men and learned Writers these without a seeming difference give approbation to the present Liturgie and government of the Church or you who is filius terrae a Mushrume a sonne of yesterdayes your selfe conceit deserves my pity not my refutation and having by your pulse found out your fever pardon me if I refuse to take such a verdict upon your trust untill you be restored to your wits neither then must you expect to be ballanced with so many contrary pregnant testimonies Your second is yet of a higher reach All humane lawes contrary to Gods Word are invalid and voyd ipso facto and all must be such to the which your infallibility is not pleased to give approbation Tel me I pray you whether should the
reverend Cobler or inspired Button maker did the same give me leave to remember you here of the late schisme of your congregation at Rotterd 〈◊〉 they upon debate were divided in two bodies each of them was the supreame Church of God upon earth and each of them gave commission to an honest Weaver to excommunicate the other this cannot but please you well though your discipline cannot because there is neither reason nor order in it I thinke it strange that you who deny all outward calling except that from the people should think the Curates None of the Ministers of Christ in that they derive their ministery from the Antichristian Hierarchy if no orders be necessary sure a mistake of orders cannot be much prejudiciall Hence let the world judge how both these malâ—cious factions spend their fury upon the Church of England the papists object that shee hath for feited her ordination you that she hath one but the papists they tell us we are noe Church because we want a Priesthoood you because we have one They will here of none but a Monarchicall subjection you doe establish a democracy in the Church or an anarchy rather they complain of perjury because we refuse to maintain their orders as if who amongst them had sworne canonicall obedience to a heriticall Bishop were obliged to be a heretike you of the want of purity because we doe not renounce all continuation and orders of the Church In spight of you both she shall still maintaine a visible succession in the miâ—istery from the very Apostles times may not the Church of Rome though in her old age more faulty give baptisme and may not this warrant the derivation of our orders from her first and better times but I crave you mercy Sir this argument doâ—h not concerne you who not after the Church of Rome only but also in the Church of England doe rebaptize You frame here an objection to your self concerning the antiquity of Arch-Bishops Dioâ—esan Bishops this you adde to distinguish them from these of the late edition for parishes and how doe you answer it First you tell us they were not knowne by the primitive Fathers but this is as grosse as to say the primitive fathers did not know themselves whom we undoubtedly know by a morall beliefe to have beene Bishops as we doe that the Saxons did here succeed the Britaines scarce a leafe in the Councels Fathers and Church histories that doth not speake this for us Secondly you tell us that government was corrupt even from the well-head but since I have proved to you that this was Christ the Apostles you will venture upon I hope you will mend your expression and retire Thirdly you will have this government aâ— limbe of papacy and I dare boldly-say it there is nothing more destructive of it for to maintaine that every Bishop is de jure divinâ— as you in the same place grant that the present bishops of England do is 〈◊〉 only to deny all dependence from Rome but to give her her deaths wound by lopping of the prerogative whereby she subsists for by vertue of this 〈…〉 come to her dispensations from her exemptions of 〈◊〉 and religious houses the maine pillers which if the bishops of Europe by man-seeming there office to be de jure divino would challeng as an usurpation her borrowed fathers might perhaps returne home to the first own 〈◊〉 You say the Pope and the Bishops of England hold their authority by the 〈…〉 â—amely from Christ so I hope duth the meanest 〈◊〉 sweeper amongst you his calling to preach to expound scriâ—pture to give the Sacraments and yet will be oftended if you think him or his argument popish though the Pope of Rome doe the very same here like your selfe that is a very compound of absurdity and boldnesse you mention Doctor Hall and his learned paines out upon thee for a fool and a babler The workes of that reverend pâ—infull and judicious bishop shall be entertained by the posterity with appâ—obation and thankfulnesse when the better times shal â—isse thee and thy associatâ— out of the Church the quintessence of you al do come short to the meanest croatchet of his learning judgement integrity eloquence nor shall these your calumnies be ought els to him but stigâ—ata Laudis cicatrices to testifie his conscience and resolution who had the courage to set his face against you the Amalakites when others turned the backe For 〈◊〉 his very citation refutes you you say he failes in that he cannot prove Romes succession from Peter and yet you have said his assertion is that he proved Saint Gregoryes succession from Peter But I forgive you you knew not before now 〈…〉 it that Gregoriâ— was bishop of Rome Now what if I should teach you that we in the Church of England perhaps have neither Christianity nor sacred orders from Rome sâ—re the first we had not for by the observation of Easter according to the tradition of the Easterne Church To let the tale of Simon Zelotes and Ioseph of Aramatheâ— passe it is most probable this Kingdome had the blessing of the Gospell from the Disciples of Iohn if after the Saxon devastation we were restored by Rome in some parts of the Iland the Northerns at the same time were converted to the faith by bishop Aydanus from Scotland as Beda mentions Lib. 3. Cap. 3. But this discourse is not for you who in the preceeding page hath prophainly called the Ministry it selfe a peâ—ce of Popery whether from Rome or not is all one to you such is your superlative hatred against all order Give me leave here to slip out of the way and meet with a friend of yours the Author of The petition for Bishops examined this man tells us our Arch-Bishops and Bishops were substituted to the places of the Arâ—hflamins Flamins of the heathens this is a now conceit that bishops are not from the new but old Rome not Antichristian but heathenish Here for all the grace you bragg of you may learne of nature that not the least shew of religion except this mad one of yours can subsist without 〈◊〉 cement this harmony the subordination in its office-betrers But will he have the Bishops heathenish 〈…〉 joy the roomes designed for the residence of the Flamins and are we not all Papists yea Pagans because such did once inhabit this kingdome Now I smel out the reason why you perswade so vehemently the pulling downe of Churches it is because of some inherent wickednesse in the place He saies further that the first foure or five hundred years there was Bishops in Scotland but that as he cites Ioannes Maior communi MonachoruÌ„ regebantur Concilio but their histories are there for it that Amphibalus was Bishop in the Isle of Man An. 237. and for some 100 of yeares after the Monkes were not so much as reckoned among the clergy much lesse had they dominion over them In the close of
deniall of all authority that the apostolicall office it self in its proper reciprocal acts was nothing els but the Episcopall I see you startle chang your complexion as it is now a dayes exercised in the church of England whether the ordination of that function was Ioh. 21. 15. or 20. 22. or as others more probable by these words as my Father sent me so send I you in the same place and at the same time were Bishops ordained These are the Apostles successors in asse et ex solido in all things that ever was assentative to their office as to call the Disciples and elders of the Church not theirs who come with swordâ— and pistols to maintaine the truth together Act. 12. 2. 20. 17. v. or divine Prosbytors Act. 14. 25. to give direction for Church censures 1 Corinth 5. 5. to make lawes and canons Ecclesiasticall 1 Cor. 11. 2. to require observation of the same 1 Cor. 16. 1. Now the gifts of immediate calling universall commission infallibility longâ—â—â— and miracles were 〈◊〉 in the Apostles nor officiall but personally only extraordinary and for the imployments of the time neither indeed can that be called apostolicall which is not proper to and convertible with the Apostles but all these extraordinary inducements were in others besides them and in the Eâ—angelists in Philip the Deacon or in the Disciples though not all of them in every one of these 〈…〉 essentiall to that office in constituendo but the Acts of Ordination and Iurisdiction these the Apostles as Apostles once had and these by the same right of Institution transmitted by the succession of many ages to the present Bishops 〈◊〉 you angry at this stant Lumina flamma and it may be it may doe your good if you shall happen to empty your stomack of some loathsome humors at the view of this position nor have you a possible way for all your windings to get about it unlesse you either maintaine that the office of the Apostles in its very 〈◊〉 was extraordinary and then no office 〈◊〉 an inducement a gift and nothing usefull for our times which your Schismes as many of them as you are of men will not suffer us to beleeve or that each of you and not the Bishops onely are the 〈◊〉 of the Apostles and then would we gladly see you give Imposition of hands as they did and pronounce the sentence of Excommunication without the consent or assistance of your lay-brethren and inspired-parishoners but you divide the coat seemlesse before betwixt you You have better right I thinke to the extraordinary gifts as that of immediate calling when you dispise the Orders of the Church tel us the Imposition of hands was the ceremony of a miracle if you can presume upon your abilities and obtaine the hummings of a factious congregation you have your calling and are sent by God that of universall commission when the reformation of all Kingdomâ—s is alike to you 〈◊〉 parishes must confine the single gifts of others but a whole nationall Church not your double qualifications that of infalâ—ibility when you obtrude your sense of Scripture the Fathers are but dull tapers to your bright stars they more of kinn to the Antichrist than you if you thinke you have found a text for it they good men must be Heretikes no more disprite you cannot erre that of miracles was never more believed by the popish ridiculous Legends than by you Iohannes de Vordg fained something that deserved the name of a wonder but your Rabbies to the laughter of the hearers content themselves with each common accident this they will have to fall out by the strength of their prayers either for the confusion of the reprobate as they call them or the furtherance of the good cause nor are they satisfied to give which every Christian must and should the determination of all successes to Almightie God but they in a presumptuous holines will be upon his sacred counsels prey into his secrets and boldly designe a particular end for his divine providence in every thing Only the gift of tongues I cannot tell how to fix upon you and withall not polute you with which God knowes you are not guilty of the language 〈…〉 You see now I have not troubled 〈◊〉 conscience with Timothy and Titus and theâ—e shall be still Bishops to me while you prove the circular and monethly changes I have derived the originall of Episcopacy from the Apostles Office not their authority Doubt not therefore if Bishops be 〈…〉 unlesse you doubt if the Apostles were so or because of your love of parity you thinke them of that same order with the seaventy Disciples deny if you dare that the institution of our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ were divine and I give you the bucklers as to neg antibus principia Thus have I flourished with you it were a shame to bestow a blow in earnest upon such a poor smatterer as your selfe I have ever thought it the best refutation of you and of your cause to lay your foolish impertinences open to the eye of the world then I am assured onlie these who love to have their braines suspected would give you the least approbation You finde in the administration of the Episcopacy office the perfect image of the papall beast from horne to hoose but stay and take it home to yourselfe who aâ—e the only beasts I know amongst men if irrationality and passion can argue want of Iudgement and turbulency in affections your plurality of marriages the old licence oâ— the Germane Anabaptists your love Feasts your night meâ—tings can abundantly witnesse this your absurd simpliciâ—y and ignorance in this and other your libels give testimony of that it is not altogether a mistake of religion but aliquod naturae vitium a hypocondriacie a fault in your braine that causeth your ravings hence I incline to thinke this humor of yours may be epedemicall because of some 〈◊〉 this to be as physio logists transformed as the life quoad actâ— secundum a man in a beast But I have mistaken you all this time you mâ—ane the papal beast the Antichristianisme I pray you if his definition can fit you who sit in the house of God and opposethâ—l Magistrates that are called Gods only in this you differ that Gods house is mistaken for your owne nor shall we want an individuality it is no lesse in the unity of your covenants and oaths of secrecie than in the successive race of the Bishops of Rome You are pleased to call the ministers a dumbe preisthood a mockery what disgrace is this to the Church to these that have baptisme from her or doe expect salvation in her You have indeed named them bald-pateâ— with those ungracious children but take your seat for it in the first Psalme and there stay for your punishment Doctors with us and Priests doe pronounce the sentence of excommunication and with no more indecency we thinke than if some