Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	king_n	power_n	supremacy_n	2,252	5	10.5244	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75749	A remonstrance, against presbitery. Exhibited by divers of the nobilitie, gentrie, ministers and inhabitants of the county palatine. of Chester with the motives of that remonstrance. Together with a short survey of the Presbyterian discipline. Shewing the inconveniences of it; and the inconsistency thereof with the constitution of this state, being in its principles destructive to the laws and liberties of the people. With a briefe review of the institution, succession, iurisdiction of the ancient and venerable order of bishops. Found to bee instituted by the Apostles, continued ever since, grounded on the lawes of God, and most agreeable to the law of the land. / By Sir Thomas Aston baronet.	Aston, Thomas, Sir, 1600-1645.	1641 (1641)	Wing A4078; Thomason E163_1; Thomason E163_2; ESTC R212696	75,691	128

ferocemque Tyrannum coli voluerit non alia ratione nisi quia regnum obtinebat Calvin Institut l. 4. cap. 20. Art 27. we see what obedience the Lord will have given to this wicked and fierce Tyrant for no other reason but because he was a King With whose counsell his successor Beza * Beza Epist 24. 2d peregri Eccl. in Anglia fratres well agrees Illud solis precibus patientiâ sanari potest The Triacle against this venome is Prayer not Vengeance We must be subject for Conscience sake q Rom. 13.5 Hence it is deduc'd and incorporated into an Article of our Religion r Article 37. That the Kings Majestie hath the chiefe Government of all estates Ecclesiasticall and Civill in all causes within his Dominions Which is not the sole position of our Church But with this agree all the Reformed Churches ſ Helverian Art 16. Bazil Art 7. Bohem. Art 16. Belg. Art 36. August Art 16. Saxon. Art 23. And more particularly the French Church whose Article of Religion is t Moulins Buckler of Faith Art 40. fo 535. Wee must not onely endure and suffer Superiors to Governe but also wee must honour and obey them with all reverence holding them for Gods Lieutenants and Officers whom he hath appoynted to exercise a Lawfull and an Holy charge we must obey their Lawes and Statutes pay all Tributes and Imposts bear the yoke of Subjection with a good and free will although they be Infidels Therefore we detest those that would reject Superioritie and establish community of goods and overthrow all course of Justice But yet perhaps the policy of States have found this Supreame power prejudiciall to the good of Common-wealths and the Lawes of God must give way to the Lawes of Nations since Salus populi Suprema Lex Gregor Tholosan Syntag jurum l. 47. ca. 17. N. 1. But experience tells us the Romans were quickly wearie of their change of Government from a King to a Senate and in nine yeares reduc't it to a Dictator finding by experience that commands depending upon divers votes beget distraction and Ruine And Historie informes us that the Spartan State wherein The King the Nobilitie and the people had their just proportions of power administration of Iustice and obedience subsisted above eight hundred yeares in a happy and flourishing Condition whereas Athens being a popular State scarce stood out an age The nearest degree of government to a Monarchy being ever longest lived and most glorious most safe for the people as was seen in Rome when the Commons to suppresse the power of the Nobilitie in the Consulls created the Tribunes of the people who sharing in government would share in honours and fortunes too which occasioned the Agrarian Law Titus Livius That no Citizen should have above five hundred Acres of Land and that the people should share equally in all Conquests This bred the quarrell of Sylla and Marius continued in Caesar and Pompey and ended in the ruine of Rome From these observations Tacitus drawes this conclusion Vnius Imperii corpus Tacitus Annalls 1. unius animo regendum videtur It is necessarie the body of one Empire should bee governed by one head which must not bee barely a Titular head a shadow of power without the weight of it for Lawes well made availe little unlesse they be entrusted to a hand that hath power to exact execution of them Nor doe I observe that these principles of Divinity or Policie doe essentially differ but rather seeme to bee ●he same with the fundamentalls of the Lawes of this Kingdome For sayes Bracton the learned Historian in the Genealogie of our Lawes Bracton fol. 107. u Rex ad hoc creatus est electus ut justitiam faciat universis quia si non esset qui justitiam faceret pax de facili possit exterminari supervacuum esset leges condere justitiam nisi esset qui leges tueretur Potentiâ verò omnes sibi subditos debet praecellere parem autem habere non debet nec multo fortius superiorem maximè in justitia exhibenda ut dicatur veré de eo magnus Dominus noster magna virtus ejus To this end was a King created and chosen that he might doe Iustice to all men because if there were not one to administer Justice peace would soone be rooted out and it were vaine to enact Lawes or talke of Iustice if there were not one to defend the Lawes Who must be one not subordinate to inferiour powers but sayes hee Hee ought to excell all his subjects in power And hee must have no equall much lesse a superiour chiefely in administring Iustice That it may truely bee said of him Great is our Lord our King great is his vertue And hence is it that such Princely jurisdiction superiorities and authority over Ecclesiasticall Causes and persons is annexed to the Imperiall Crown for ever by our Statute Lawes * 1 Eliz. 1. And that in the oath of Supremacie w Oath of Supremacie 1 Eliz. 1. we not onely acknowledge the King to bee the supreame Governour in all Ecclesiasticall things or Causes but are sworne That to our power we shall assist and defend all Iurisdictions Priviledges Preheminences and Authorities united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne In this Scala Regia this Gradation of Royall Monarchy we can finde nothing incongruous to the faith or liberty of a true Protestant But wee see our selves bound by Oath to acknowledge and support that Regall Government our Statutes have establish'd our Lawes approved Historie represents most happy policy recommends as safest to which all protestant Churches confesse due allegeance All Primitive times yielded full obedience To whose Throne Christ himselfe yields Tribute To whose power he commands submission and reverence To whose jurisdiction is committed the designation of Bishops and Judges whose persons God will have sacred whose Actions unquestionable whose succession he himselfe determines whose Kingdomes hee disposes and whose Election is the All-Makers sole prerogative Now whether these Crownes and Scepters shall be held Jure Divino or not I take not on me to determine but I may be bold to deliver Du-Moulins owne words x Moulins Buckler of Faith fol. 560. Whosoever buildeth the authority of Kings upon mens institutions and not upon the Ordinance of God cutteth off three parts of their authoritie and bereaveth them of that which assureth their Lives and their Crowns more than the guards of their bodies or puissant armie which put terrour into subjects hearts instead of framing them to obedience Then the fidelity of subjects will be firme and sure when it shall be incorporated into piety and esteemed to be a part of Religion and of the service which men owe to God SECT 10. Presbyterie inconsistent with Monarchy IN the government of the State as now it stands there being then so much Harmonie though it may sometimes bee out of Tune

us see how they deale with one of their owne one Bluet being excommunicated writes to the Brethren that he might be restored to the Church from which hee had beene long kept out m Bishop Bancroft fol. 117. Woe is me saith hee that J am cast out of your presence this day And if this woe and shame did but touch the body it were tollerable for then at the day of death I should end my miserie and no more heare the words of reproach But woe is me that there is a partition wall between heaven and my Conscience If my offence may not be passed by without further confession even before God and his Church in London will I lye downe and lick the dust at your feet See here you eager advocates for the advancing of this holy Discipline the pretious fruits you are like to reape by it Such as these will teach you perfect humility They have learnt of Rehoboams Counsellors n 2 Chron. 10.10 To make their little finger thicker than the Bishops loynes Their punishments perhaps wrung the purse but those will grate the soule And if wee should well examine upon what easie occasions this fearefull sentence flyes out we should much more feare it Suckliffe 132. At Geneva two Ministers were deposed and banish'd for speaking against usurie Iohn Morelli for saying the words Tell the Church were not alone appropriate to the Consistorie and is frequently used upon everie private Grudge Whereas no man ought to bee excommunicate but where the Law saith hee should be condemned If Law bee King and will a Tyrant sure all that will preserve Law and will love libertie unwillingly submit their necks to the Tyrannicall yoak of such Discipline SECT 15. The forme of Discipline they prescribe is confessed to be a yoak YEt oh say many here is so excellent a forme of Government the Parochiall Presbyter can runne into no extravagance but hee is accomptable to the Presbyterie or Classitall meeting which consists of particular Kirks in such a Circuit o Report of Church Government And what 's the businesse there Not to suppresse but to exercise the power of Iurisdiction By the Ordinances of Geneva they first imprison after banish him that will not stand to the Ordinances of the Consistories Order Art 91. Ordination suspension Deprivation but principally all persons of whatsoever quality disobedient to their Ministers and Elders are with great Authoritie censured So here we must learne obedience to the wills of men not of Lawes Yet these Classes againe are responsall to the Provinciall Synods And they perhaps may regulate the rigour of the Presbyters But doe not the Pastors of New England tell us A modest Advertisement of Church Government fol. 10. That no Pastors by Gods word have authoritie over others for that every Minister hath his power both of Order and Iurisdiction immediately from Christ Iesus and therefore to him onely is responsible for the Doctrine hee teaches the Discipline hee exercises and the Censures that hee inflicts Therfore say they for any number of Ministers in a Synod to take to themselves Authoritie over others who are equall in Dignitie is to set up a Humane Authoritie that Christ never instituted and to exercise a Tyrannie and Poperie of the Presbyterie as bad nay worse than Bishops Yet there is a higher appeale to the Nationall Assembly and there the Records of Synods are perused Acts and Constitutions for all Kirkes are agreed upon with common consent And will they obey these Constitutions Some confesse that in the Assembly of the Apostles certaine observances were imposed on the Churches p Acts 15.28 But this Act of the Apostles say they is no president or patterne for succeeding ages for the Apostles were inspired with the Holy Ghost and when any Assembly can infallibly assure them they are inspired with the Holy Ghost then they will obey q Christ on his throne fol. 57. But though they will admit no Law or Superiour over themselves yet here perhaps the Laitie may receive reliefe against the rigor of their Censures for one tels us r Report of the Government of the Church by a Presbytery All Appellations Petitions Grievances and Complaints are examined and determined by this supream highest Kirk Iudicatorie what redresse we may expect hence we are informed immediately before they are responsible onely to Iesus Christ And the same reporter plainly tells us The perpetuall Kirks are not governed by the intrinsecall power of any one or many set over them as in the Monarchicall Government of Prelates but they are ruled and judged by themselves If so wee had need have a strong faith in their Integrities for if we admit a possibility of doing wrong in them we leave very little probabilitie of receiving right for first they are accomptable onely to Christ Next they are both judges and parties Those that give false judgement in the Classes are judges in the Synods in the Nationall assemblies and from them is no appeale to any Prince in the world for they sit in Christs Throne And this is utterly destructive to the peoples libertie Now in this whole Gradation of Church government by Presbyteries Classes Synods and Nationall Assemblies What 's become of our old superintendent power of Parliaments wee have all this while beene perswaded That Episcopacy is inconsistent with this State as exercising some power not warranted by our Lawes we are strongly excited by some Disciplinarians to root them out for attempting to put in execution some Constitutions not ratified by Parliament Yet now we must learne That the Parliament cannot hinder these Disciplinarians to make Lawes Ecclesiasticall seeing Ecclesiasticall Government is independant That generall Assemblies may recall Acts ratified in Parliament which being annulled In their Synods they disannull all Lawes they conceive repugnant to their Discipline Suckliffe fol. 131. the Civill ratification falls ex Consequenti And though our Lawes make voyd all Canons or Constitutions repugnant to the Kings prerogative or the Lawes and Customes of the Kingdome which preserve our liberties yet we must now know that no power nor libertie ought to be permitted to any State Degree or Authority whatsoever they be to live without the yoake of Discipline Å¿ Knox his exhortation pag. 91. 92. Et tali jugo libertatem induimus And is all our long labour'd liberty become a yoke A yoke unavoydable a yoke unsupportable Truely if this be so we may truely write Sic vos non vobis sertis Aratra Boves We have spun a faire thread That Kings the nursing Fathers and Queens the nursing Mothers of Syon t Isaiah 49.23 the supreame Governours of the Church Princes the heads of their Fathers houses u Numb 7.2 Princes of the Tribes whose office is to rule in judgement Nobles that conferre blessing upon that land where their sonnes inherite the Crowne w Isaiah 32.1 Gentrie the flowers of this garden of Europe fenc'd

that every member of the Church hath power to examine the manner of administring the Sacraments To restraine this liberty with them is the Yoake of ●ondage Christs Throne As also to enjoyne a decent forme of outward reverence to accompany the inward devotion of the heart in humbling the body as well as the soule at the reception of the pledge of our salvation in standing up in the profession of our Faith in the Creed or in celebrating the obsequies of such as dye in the Lord Revel 14.15 with thanks for their deliverance and with prayers for the surviving faithfull with the like though the Maxime be unanswerable Non servatur unitas in credendo nisi eadem adsit in colendo And though againe it be unquestioned by all Ancient uncontroverted by most of the late Writers and concluded in one of our Articles l Article 20. That the Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies with which agree all the Reformed Churches m Rog. book of Art 100. Ne una Contradicente And that great light of Germany Melancthon holds them inseparable from the Church judging it a wicked thing n Melanct. par 2. fol. 22. Jmpium quoque est sentire omnes Ceremonias institut as esse ab impijs pontificibus fuerunt nonnulli prudentes sancti viri qui senserunt vulgi ita supinos demissos animos ut nunquam sint dignitatem amplitudinem religionis animadversuri nisi aliqua externa oculis exposita specie remorati detenti c. Habes autem praeclarum locum de Ceremoniarum usu Josuae 22. Ne vestri pueri c. Pro pueris infirmis istiusmodi sunt instituti ritus Ibidem to thinke that all Ceremonies were instituted by bad Bishops recommending to us an excellent place of the use of Ceremonies in Joshua That it may be a witnesse betweene us and you and our Generations after us That your Children may not say to our Children in time to come yee have no part in the Lord For children and the weake were such Ceremonies instituted And although we are required by the Holy Ghost To submit to every Ordinance for the Lords sake 1 Peter 2.13 whether it bee to the King as supreame or to Governours Yet these men teach us new Doctrine that such Ordinances as these though becomming Christian humility and piety derived from Antiquity imposed by Authority and obedience commanded by Holy precept are an o Christ on his Throne fol. 24. fol. 25.27 Syons Plea fol. 91. evacuation of Christs death and so an Apostacy from Christ and suit not with the libertie of the Gospell wherewith Christ hath made them free p Christs Throne fo 25. In which extravagancies such men runne into all the desperate Schismes that formerly rent the Church In their contempt of our Service Rites and Ceremonies being Brownists q Brownists write to have a Lyturgie or form of prayer is to have another Gospell Barrow refut pag. 244. In their false pretended libertie Familists r The Familists say they are a free people in Bondage to no creature H. N. Sperland c. 3. Sec. 6. C. 40. Sec. 7. In their neglect of due calling disdain of learning Anabaptists fanatici homines ſ Olim fanatici homines ut sibi applauderent in sua inscitia iactabant Davidis exemplo spernendas esse omnes Literas Sicut hodie Anabaptistae non alio praetextu se pro spiritualibus venditant nisi quod omnis Scientiae sunt expertes Calvin Comment on the Psalm f. 330. Ps 71.14 Brain-sick men in times past would take example from David to despise all learning as now our Anabaptists who onely hold themselves inspired with gifts because they are ignorant of all Literature These obey none of their pretended Patrons Beza sayes t Consequitur eum abuti Christianae libertatis beneficio qui vel suis Magistratibus vel praepositis suis sponte non paret in Domino Beza Epist ad peregrinarum Ecclesiarum fratres in Anglia he abuses Christian Liberty who submits not freely to the Magistrate And Melancthon holds u Melanct. in 13. Rom. 'T is a mortall sinne to violate the Edicts of the Magistrate w Quod neque contra fidem neque bonos more 's injungitur indifferenter esse habendum pro eorum inter quos vivitur Societate servandum est Augustin Epist 118. ad Ianuarium Cap. 2. St. Austin gives these men good Counsell x That which is neither against Faith nor good Manners is to bee held indifferent and observed for their society with whom you live Zanchie is a little sharper with them x Damnandi sunt Anabaptistae alii qui a veris Christi Ecclesiis se subdueunt Zanchy Tomes fo 692. These Anabaptists saies he and others that withdraw themselves from the Communion of the Church either for the pretended vices of the Minister or other excuses are to bee cut off from the Church But if none of these incline them to the peace of the Church Their pretended great Master Calvin a Calvin Epistola Dom. Protector Epistol fol. 88. hath a sharper Rod for such State-troublers Amplissime Domine audio esse Deo seditionum genera quae adversus regem ac regni statum caput extulerunt Alii enim Cerebrosi quidem videlicet sub Evangelii Nomine passim invectam vellent Alii verò in superstitionibus Antichristi ita obduruerunt ut earum revulsionem ferre non possint Ac merentur quidem tum hi tum illi gladio ultore coerceri quem tibi tradidit Dominus Cum non in regem tantum insurgunt sed in Deum ipsum qui Regem in Regiasede constituit te protectorem instituit tum personae tum etiam Regiae Majestatis SECT 8. They must be free from Civill Miseries BUt all this tends yet but to free their Consciences over which say they No man b Christ on his throne fol. 60. on earth hath power in matters of Religion If so 't were more tollerable But this large Conscience will have the body as free as the minde They must hold their Conventicles intimated by that their meeting c Petition Note 20. View of Prelaticall Church and divers others together to pray for the King and Queen without punishment or false Calumniation This is a gap to let out Law and take in liberty Thus may they infuse what Doctrine contrive what stratagems accumulate what multitudes they please not onely without punishment but without enquirie of the Lawes Nor is this all Freedome of their Consciences and persons is not enough but they must have their purses and estates as free too They tell us they have Civill miseries as well as Ecclesiasticall such as a Their Petition note 11. The payment of Tithes to Parsons or Impropriators which whether due Jure Divino I dispute not but by Civill Common and Statute Law wee know they are The

Let us examine this new found Discipline how consistent with a Protestant Monarchy least by admitting it ex improviso we may shoulder Regem ex solio Religionem ex solo A King out of his Throne and Religion out of the Land 'T is a faire species of piety to cry out for Reformation and too many I feare for this shadow are ready to let goe the substance Never was Gods Church so pure but shee had her spots it will be perfect charitie to wipe them out but it argues none to make them greater In stead of Reforming some so deface deforme her that one would scarce thinke there were Christians in it when for the most part the greatest slanderer proves the greatest Hypocrite If the Intention were unitie the way to preserve it 1 Epphes 4. is by meeknesse of spirit in the band of peace but those that expect any from some of these Disciplinarians delude themselves If wee may believe their owne writings however wee may hope Reformation might qualifie them we shall finde they have no such designe Some tell us plainly the Episcopall Government must not be moderated nor reserved Answ to Lond. petition fol. 33. If the Hierarchy be not removed our desolations are like to be the astonishment of all Nat●●ns Syons plea. fol 5. 160. Christ on his Throne fol 47. Jer. 4.11.12 Syons plea. 196. Syons plea. 185. but presently and wholly taken away The Bishops must be utterly extirpated no lesse than the Romans rooted out the very name of Tarquins for the tyranny they had exercised A wind to fanne or cleanse will not serve the turne but it must bee a full mightie wind to root up and carry away the very foundation of their being It is not lopping nor pruning nor shaving nor paring the nailes of this evill that will serve turne unlesse yee pluck up these stumps of Dagon by the very roots their nayles will grow ranker than ever they did Except this strange fire be removed the Lord must make the consuming fire of his wrath breake out upon us If it live ● 187. the Common-wealth must dye Nay some of them goe so farre as to professe The Church-Ministerie and worship in England are all Antichristian * 8. Propositions printed by an unknowne Author Protest against the Hierarchy as an Antichristian Tyranny Lord Bishops no Bishops 86. from which all Gods people are in dutie and conscience bound to separate themselves by these obloquies seeking as they confesse to stirre up a holy hatred of the Prelates * Syons plea. 196. Epistle to the Reader even to dash their Brains against the stones By such clamours cherishing in the vulgar a discontented Humour which is the common source of Schisme and Heresie thereby the better to broach their new invented Discipline built upon no other Basis but the peoples dislike of Poperie as If the onely rule to draw out the line of our Religion by were to take the direct opposite in all things to that of the Church of Rome * That Religion most pure which hath least conformity with Rome Christ on his throne 23. when we know that such as travell absolutely East and West from one another if they live to it shall meet in the same line they parted whereas parallells continued to any extent doe never interfare The first quarrels of the greatest breaches in the Church have for the most part bin in points of discipline And for all the noise some of these men make of dissention enmity in rites and ceremonies which are but shadows we shall find that in the most essentiall parts of Discipline which concerne the sway of Church and State the subjection of Prince and people to the tyranny of their Discipline they doe not onely shake hands again with Poperie but with the strictest of them the Jesuites clearely sever themselves from the Tenets of the Protestant Church Jesuits Declarat motuum cap. 20. Quodlibets p. 142. both sides laying this for a fundamentall both agree for the utter abrogation of all Episcopall jurisdiction Contrary to the 36. Article of our Religion The Church so subdued see how they sway the Civill State wherein it will bee observed whether the Luke-warme Protestant as they call us or such zealous separatists be likest to give fire to that Popish powder which would blow up in fumum all Kingly Supremacy or Magisteriall Superioritie over the Independent Hierarchie God sayes Thou shalt make him King whom I shall chuse and this rule we admit for Law Some that pretend to be presbyterians tell us x Gilby lib. de Obedientia pag. 25. 105. Populo jus est ut imperium cui velit deferat Buchan de jure Regni pag. 61. In regnis hominum potestas regis est à populo quia populus facit Regem Bellarm. de Concil l●b 2. cap. 19. Kings Princes and Governours have their authoritie of the people and upon occasion they may take it away againe as men may revoke their Proxies and Letters of Atturney The Jesuites come not much short of this for say they In the kingdome of men the power of the King is from the people because the people makes the King To a bad prince God hath said I will rend the kingdome from thee and every true protestant expects the performance not taking the staffe out of Gods hands who sayes y Deuteron 32.35 Romans 12.19 To mee belongeth vengeance and I will repay One of these sayes Goodman pag. 144 145. Evill Princes ought to bee deposed and inferiour Magistrates ought chiefly to doe it With this Bellarmine agrees * Bellarmin lib. 3. de Pont. cap. 7. Talis consensu omnium potest imò debet privari suo dominio Such by the consent of all may nay ought to be deprived and if this was not done in old time it was for want of strength to doe it Salomon sayes Who shall say unto a King What doest thou Goodman tels us Obedience pag 111. Bancroft 36. Judges ought to summon Princes before them for their crimes and to proceed against them as all other offenders Here I find they have outgone the Jesuit David thought no man could stretch forth his hand against the Lords anoynted and be guiltlesse Yet this Disciplinarian sayes Goodman pag. 185. When Magistrates cease to doe their duties God giveth the sword into the peoples hands Nay Obedience pag. 110. a private man having some speciall inward motion may kill a Tyrant In this the Jesuite is too slow paced too hee thinks fit to give him a publike triall first z Tyrannicè gubernans justè acquisito Domino non potest spoliari sine publico judicio Emanuel Sa. Marry sentence given then any man may be the executioner Suarez is more moderate a Si Papa Regem deponit ab illis tantum poterit expelli vel interfici quibus ipse id commiserit Suarez lib 6. cont Iacob Regem cap. 4.

unchangeable in all times ages and places by any the sons of men Which positions stand poynt blanck against the Articles of our Religion against the power of our Lawes By the twentieth Article we professe positively h Rogers fol 98. That the Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies fol. 211. By the 37. Article we declare That the Kings Majesty hath chief power in his Dominions that it is a prerogative given to all godly princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Civill sword the stubborne and evill doers Hereupon we lay the foundation of that Oath of supremacy ratified by our Lawes And such superiority i Statute Anno 1 Eliz. cap. 1. in the visitation of the Ecclesiasticall state reformation order and correction of the same and of all manner of errours heresies Schismes abuses offences contempts and enormities whatsoever is by the authority of Parliament united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of the Realme 25 Id. 8. And our Laws restrain the Clergie from making any Constitutions or Lawes without the Kings consent in opposition whereof saies one of them Admonition to the Parliament 2. No civil Magistrate hath such authoritie as that with out his consent it should not be lawfull for Ecclesiastical persons to make any Church order or Ceremony Which Rules if we shall make the touchstone of such new Doctrines we shall finde them upon nearer tearmes of reconciliation with the papist than the protestant The papist sayes Answ to the execut of Iustice d. 3. p. 56. The Emperor of the whole world if he take upon him to prescribe Lawes of Religion to the Bishops and Priests he shall be damned assuredly except he repent The making of Ecclesiastical Constitutions and Ceremonies belongeth unto the Ministers of the Church l T. C. Reply 1. p. 153. Admonition to the Parliament and Ecclesiasticall Governours unto the Elders who are to consult admonish correct and order all things pertaining to the Congregation Nor want they some false glosses of Scripture to varnish over this pretended Iurisdiction above Lawes but they plead obedience to the commands of disobedience which they inferre from that of St. Paul to the Galatians m Galatians 5.1 Standfast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath set you free Which though it bee plainly evident in the Text it selfe that by this freedome the Apostle intended freedome from the Law of Circumcision in the next verse saying I Paul say unto you n Galatians 5.2.3 4 5. that if you bee circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing for every man that is circumcised is a debtor to the whole Law and that Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are fallen from Grace For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse by faith Yet hence doe they ground their strong plea for exemption from all Authority as if it were an evidence of their faith to shake off the yoke of all Law From such another place in the Revelations by leaving out part of the verse To you I say as many as have not this Doctrine o Revel 2.24 and which have not knowne the depths of Sathan and taking onely the latter part Verse 25. I will put upon you none other burthen but that which you have already hold fast till I come They doe extort a construction fit to bee delivered in no other words but their owne who say this is p Sions plo 283. A most pregnant place against subjecting of our selves to any power or religious practice how specious and spangled with depth of devillish learning soever it be Having thus pleaded priviledge over some crie out mainly against Law and authority sayes one of them Impietie is suffered to beare sway against the Majestie of God q Supplication p. 59. Ibid. pag. 24. and that by Law and Authoritie And that such Lawes are retained in force as justle and overthrow the Royall prerogative of the Sonne of God But perhaps this exclamation is onely against such Lawes as support the prelates the enemies of presbyterie No they must have no Lawes to limit them r Epistle before the Demonstration B. 4. Bancroft fol. 55. As great indignitie is offered unto Iesus Christ sayes one in committing his Church to the government of the Common Law as can be by meane hirelings unto a King in committing his beloved Spouse unto the direction of the Mistresse of the Stewes and enforcing her to live after the lawes of a Brothell-house SECT 13. The inordinate violence of the Presbyterians FRom these principles doe such lawlesse Disciplinarians prosecute their designe with such spirit that nor King Nobles Magistrates Lawes nor any thing must stand in their way Å¿ Sions plea fol. 340. Aut hoc aut nihil is their Ensigne They who hinder discipline say they bring the State at length to an extremely desperate point Fol. 244. None but enemies to Christ are enemies to this government And as against enemies they proceed indeed t Sions plea fol. 240. Strike neither at great nor small but at these troublers of Israel smite that Hazael in the fifth rib yea if father or mother stand in the way away with them downe with the colours of the Dragon Fol. 200. advance the standard of Christ Not the white flag of truce but the red flag of destruction whose embleme was never by any Father till now writ in such bloudy characters u The title page to Sions plea And Christ on his Throne Those mine enemies which would not that I should reigne over them bring hither and slay them before me This till advanced by the new Standard-bea-bearer was never writ in the banner of that Lamb of peace these were none of those trophies I read of in the glorious throne in the Revelation When w Revel 5.6 in the middest of the throne and of the foure Beasts and in the middest of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had beene slaine not like a destroyer To whom the foure Beasts Verse 8. and foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lamb Verse 9. And sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud It was to this Sacrifice Verse 11. not Sacrificer That the many Angels about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders to the number of ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands cryed with a lowd voyce Verse 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slaine Nor were any of that scarlet liverie in his retinue x Revel 7.9 For loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues stood