the Popish offices of Preists and Deacons were reteyned and that the offices of Christs kingdome were not restored And it is by vertue of the Popish offices of the Preisthood and Deaconrie that the whole worship of God is performed or rather polluted and prophaned in all the Assemblies of this Land for the proofe whereof I call not onelie her Majestie her lawes and this high Court of Parliament to witnes but also the cheifest mainteiners of the parish-Assemblies namely the forwardest Preachers of the Land who in times past confessed whatsoever they do now that the offices of Christ were not planted and therefore laboured to her Majestie and the Parlement to have them established in the parish assemblies In regard of her Majesties lawes the case is cleere that the State then being led by the sight of our fathers in king Edwards daies accounted the popish Church to be the Church of Christ though corrupt popish offices of Bishops Preistes and Deacons to be the offices of the Church of Christ and therfore retained them for so we find it set downe in the booke of ordering Bishops and Preistes made in King Edwardes time and established by her Majestes Lawes as the ground rule whence and according to the which all the Ministeriall offices of the parish meetings yea of the whole Land must be squared The book saith That it is evident to all men diligentlie reading the holie Scripture and the auncient authors In the Preface that from the Apostles time there have bene these orders of Ministers in the Church of Christ Bishops Preistes Deacons And therfore saith the booke to the intent that these orders should be stil continued reverentlie used esteemedin the Church of England it is requisite that no man not being at that present Bishop Preist or Deacon should execute any of them except he be tried examined admitted according to this booke Again no man in this Land can take a spirituall living either Parsonage Vicarage Curatship but by vertue of this Preisthood Deaconrie or a Popish licence equivalent unto this Preisthood so that if a Preacher be beneficed the same day that he denieth his licence his Preisthood his Deaconrie is he also deprived ipso facto if it please his Ordinarie and another may presentlie conveigh himselfe into his living if it were worth millions of gold Nay whosoever he be that wil cast of these Popish orders he is but a meere lay or private man and so not capable of anie office in anie of the assemblies of this land for so her Majesties lawes to wit the foresaid book doth conclude that these offices were evermore had in that reverend estimation that no man by his owne private authoritie might presume to execute any of them and consequentlie that all men should be called to the order of the Preisthood Deaconrie Prelacie according as this book doth allow He that is made a Minister in som reformed Church beyond the Seas is not capable of the Cure of a parish assemblie in this land except he shall receive a Deaconrie a Preisthood after the order of our land and yet he that receiveth orders in Rome is correspondent and answerable unto the pattern of our Deaconrie and Preisthood and so capable to buy sel that is to execute any publike function They are knowen cases that he who received his Preisthood or Deaconry in King Henrie the 8 his dayes is a Preist a Deacon under King Edward Queene Marie Queene Elisabeth by vertue of the same orders and he preacheth if he can preach being licensed therunto in King Henrie King Edward Queen Marie Queen Elisabeth their daies by vertue of the same Preisthood for the office is the same as both the booke and everie man for the most part doth account it He that hath received but primam tonsuram in King Henrie the VIII or Queen Maries daies being the first stepp of this abhominable order may by lawe performe those things under her Majestie which no lay man as they call him must presume to take in hand This case being cleer apparant if it be now demaunded why wee will not heare the truth taught by the preachers of the land why we wil not receive the Sacramentes at their hands we answere that this we refuse to do because we must not submit or consciences our soules and bodies being the temples of the holy Ghost to be wrought upō to be sat in unto any power in religion save only unto the power which is derived from our head Iesus Christ We answer that our head and Maister having all power dwelling in him hath this peculiar interest in vs being his members that he onely must sit in our Consciences by his ordinances This interest of his he will not communicate with any creature and therefore wee dare not though we should suffer a thousand deathes to transferre the same unto anie save unto himselfe alone and to joine with the popish assemblies of the Land If the preachers do seeke I ESVS CHRIST and his honour by their preaching they wil begin first with a lawful calling and office they wil derive their power from him by vertue of the offices that he ordeined in his word When they shall do this walk according to the doctrine which is according unto godlines wee will be the most willing to joine with them the most glad to hear them and to cōmunicate with them everie way to reverence them as the Ministers of Iesus Christ In the meane time let them not wonder that we hold this for undoubted truth namely That whosoever he be that sitteth in the temple of God that is worketh upon the consciences of men by vertue of an Antichristian power office and calling he is an Antichristian Minister whatsoever truth he bringeth with him The trueth which such Ministers do teach is but the bait whereby Satan in his mysticall delusion powerfull subtilties hideth the false power by meanes whereof hee in his ordinances ruleth over those that otherwise would yeeld him no subjection none obedience When he cannot utter his ordinances by falsehood he is glad to make them awaie by meanes of the truth And he ruleth in the consciences of men not onely by false doctrine but also by his false power and ordinances His kingdome of darknes consisteth not onelie in the lies and false doctrine and worship which he hath coined but also in the false and Antichristian ordinances which he hath invented for the ruling of his Idolatrous denne And therefore the children and Saintes of God avoyd both the one and the other We owe him none obedience in either of them and farre be it even farre be it I say that we should sinne so treacherouslie against our Lord Maister and so greivouslie against our owne soules to be subject unto Satan in either of them seing by the most precious bloud of Christ Iesus and by the power of his crosse and resurrection we have bene
THE HISTORIE of Corah Dathan and Abiram c. Numb 16. Chap. Applied to the Prelacy Ministerie and Church-assemblies of England By Mr Iohn Penry a Martyr of Iesus Christ. Numb 16.26 And Moses spake vnto the Congregation saying Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs least ye perish in all their sinnes Rev. 18.4 And I heard another voyce from heaven say Go out of Babylon my people that ye be not partakers in her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues Imprinted in the yeare 1609. The Publisher to the Reader THere comming to my hands Christian reader the copie of this treatise following wherof many copies have passed abroad in writing I thought good weying well the matter vndertaken the partie by whom it was written to publish the same to the further view of the world And chiefly for the good of my country which all true subiects are bound by all good meanes to seek and advance The subiect of this book or matter undertaken is A declaration of th' estate of the Church and Ministery of Engl. compared with Corah Dathan Abiram their Tents and conspiracie against Moses and Aaron Num. 16. chap. Which therefore all in whom the true fear of God is ought carefully to look vnto and examine For we should trie all things and keep that which is good And they who never examine the things charged to be evil and out of order in that Church must needs be ignorant whether their estate therin be good or evill But if they coÌ„sider that ignorance will not excuse them it behooveth all to take knowledge whom I hartely wish to lay aside all partialitie and with indifferent mindes to weigh things well trying them by the rule of Gods word that whatsoever therby is required of them they may resolve to do it although it turne to the losse of all worldly pleasures and preferments knowing that we have here but a short time and our God hath reserved for vs a more induring substance and richer inheritance in the kingdome of heaven if in obedience we submit vnto him and in faith and pacience do wayt vpon him Touching the authour Mr Iohn Penry by name he was a godly man learned zealous of a most ChristiaÌ„ cariage courage as he * In his Apologie saith of himself borne and bred in the mountaines of Wales And wel known it is that with all godly care labour he endeavoured to have the Gospell preached and planted among his poore countrymen whose case he greatly pittied had compassion of in that they wanted the meanes of salvation among them After all this God vsing him as a further instrument for the more clear manifestation of the truth he was hardly intreated imprisoned condemned and executed so suffred Martyrdome for the name of Christ. Being adiudged at the Kings bench by Sir Iohn Popham Knight Lord cheif Iustice of England and the rest of the Iudges there assembled the 25. of the 5. month called May and executed at Thomas a Waterings by London the 29. of the same month in the year of our Lord 1593. And here let the Reader observe that he was not executed the next day after the iudgement as it was expected nor the second nor third day after but when men least looked for the same then was he brought forth being at dynner as I have heard by a warrant vnder the hands of the * Iohn Whitgift Archbishop of CaÌ„terbury of Sir Iohn Puckering Knight Lord Keeper of the great seale and Sir Iohn Popham aforesaid being then Lord chief Iustice of England and the matter being caried after a close manner was sodeinly conveyed to the place of execution where he was as hastily bereaved of his life and not suffred though he desired it to make declaration of his faith towards God or of his allegiance to her Maiestie Which mâ—ner of dealing I thought good to note here by the way that it might be knowen and esteemed of all according as it deserveth Furthermore concerning this treatise whether he had finished the whol or was taken intercepted when he had thus far proceeded in it or what he would further have done about it I know not Wherfore if others have more of it they shall do wel to impart it to the world as I have done this which came to my hands In the mean time I wish all to make good vse of this part now printed they vnto whose hands it shal come to enterteyn it as a poore Orphane who is left as it were Fatherles by the authours vntimely death procured by the Prelates who as vncleane spirits like frogges croaking about Kings Courts do stir vp the Magistrates Rulers of the earth Rev. 16.13.14 to make warre against Gods Saintes Whereas these should rather hearken to that which God speaketh vnto them in his word saying Be wise now therefore ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce in trembling Kisse the sonne least he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne Blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2.10.11.12 THE HISTORIE OF CORAH c. Numb 16. chap. Applied to the Church-assemblies of England IT is certayne and apparant that this age cannot in any wise brook to have the truth manifested spoken in the same except it be by peece meales So that if ever it were said to the Seers See not to the prophets prophesie not unto us right things Isa 30.10 but speak flatteries prophesie errors depart out of the way go aside out of the path cause the holy one of Jsraell to ceasse fom vs the very same is now sayd and stood vnto in these miserable dayes nay those that would be reconed our leaders our eyes our guides are nowe become the men of Anathoth and say plainelie Jer. 11.21 prophesie not in the name of the Lord that thou dy not by our hands All estates and sorts of men high and low have reasons why to reiect the truth why to condemne it why to tread it vnder foot and to persecute the same It is not pleasant it is odious it is offensive it is hard knotty uncivil proud hauty and what not It is not pleasant because it draweth men into incouveniences it reproveth them to their faces discovereth their evil walking it in dangereth those that professe the same it carrieth but a mean trayn after it It is odious and offensive for the same causes It is vncivil proud and haughtie because it wil correct and reform all it wil alter states it regardeth not the years learning credite wisdome and estimation of those that stand against it but goeth about to bring all under foot and to make them all to stoop unto it or els threatneth to break theÌ„ like a potters vessel it wil not be silent at their commaundement but contrary wise enforceth them
entring in at the doore Wee detest their Anabaptistrie But to answer the word abused by them Paul was an Apostle and had his office thereunto before ever he saw the Corinthians yea he had his office from Iesus Christ before ever he preached This office of his he proveth unto us by the written word although he was in no wise to receive the same his office from the Church Now if the Corinthians or any other whom he had called unto the obedience of the Gospell should by the instigation of the false Apostles call his office into question under the pretense that they knew not whether he spake true in affirming that Christ with his own mouth appointed him thereunto because he was not able to produce any witnesses of this Commission given as the rest of the Apostles were Paul answereth this that they were an evident seale of his office and as touching any calling from men he was not to receive it They were I say the seale of his Apostleship For he was made conspicuous amongst them by signes by wonders by doing of miracles They were by his Ministerie indued with the giftes of healing of miracles of prophecie of strange tongues and in these things inferiours unto no Church So that although they would not beleeve his testimonie of him selfe the witnesse which Luke in the written word giveth of him yet these most excellent rare supernaturall giftes wherewith he had furnished them were a sufficient seale unto their consciences that he was the great Apostle of Iesus Christ. Other witnesses of his office was he to bring none besides his owne testimony warranted by the written word the great power of the Spirit accompanying his Ministerie in a powerfull sort For a calling unto this office of his by the Church was he to receive none Now are the Ministers of our Parishes Apostles When saw they Iesus Christ then when spake he with them what miracle can they work what strange tongues which they studied not can they spake whom have they healed whom have they indued with these rare giftes why take they the polluted calling of the Preisthood or Deaconry from men If they be not Apostles they must not onely shew us their gifts but also what office they have in the Church to execute the same Thinke they to refuse and cast of the calling and order of God in his Church by bragging of their operations If they think themselves bound to take an office of the Church as their Preisthood sheweth they do why will they not have us to turne over the booke of their genealogie that we may see whether they be of that line of Aaron or of the house of Corah Whereas they bragge of calling and opening the eies of any I would learn whereto they have called them to be Christians to the Church of Christ they will not I hope say that the people were unchristianed Panims that the Parishes were no Churches before they came among them Whence then have they called the people out of the tentes of Corah out of the kingdom of Antichrist why both they their people continue their still And yf they say they have taught them many truethes which they knew not so may the Papist-preachers say too And if they have furnished them with any of the giftes of the Spirit they do thereby but deck and adorne a strumpet in steed of the true spouse of Christ with the Iewel◠of the spouse And therefore if they wrought any knowledge in their people let that be manifested by bringing them out of these Conspiring Tentes and presenting them before the dore of the true tabernacle of Iesus Christ As to themselves if they wil be the Ministers of righteousnes let them not fly the light but prove their office out of the written word For are they disciples and wil they be greater then their Maister Are they servantes and wil they be greater then their Lord Shal we yeeld unto them that lawlesse unwrittn prerogative which our head and Maister would not claime at our handes nay which we durst not yeeld unto him that is shall we receive them having no warrant of the scripture no Cōmission from God to come unto us They preach they say and they administer the Sacraments be it so But we demaund of them by what power they do these thinges If by a power that is by vertue of an Office comming from heaven let them shew it as our Lord and maister Christ Iesus did If by a power cōming from men or from the bottomlesse pit our Saviour Christ telleth us nay even the book of Ordination her Majesties Lawes tell us that they are theeves and robbers and they come unto us in the name and by the power of another God whome we know not will not acknowledge And the Lord by his Prophet sayth unto us with amighty voice I have not sent these Prophets yet they ranne I have not spoken unto them and yet they Prophecie They preach the trueth they say and administer the sacraments Be it so but have they taken the honour unto themselves or hath it ben given unto them by him who onely hath power to say This day or at such a time have I given thee honour holy office of the Ministerie in my Church If they can name us the time shew us the office we wil beleeve them we will embrace them otherwise we say unto them that no man taketh this honour unto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron that is no man taking it can have it for many would take it steal it c. if so they might come by the same This folly this presumption this collusion should not be heard of in Israel They preach and baptise they say We demand who sent them who said Go unto them If Iesus Christ let them shewe their commission from him that he hath said unto them as he did to the Apostles Go ye therfore c. If Antichrist by vertue of an office in his body hath said vnto them Go ye therfore c. they have power in deed to preach and to administer the Sacraments unto such as confesse themselves to be under that head But for our selves we refuse him and all his power his members his Officers If Antichrist saith vnto any All power over the assemblies of this Land is committed unto me and because many of the people would withdraw themselves from my jurisdiction if they had not the trueth taught vnto them Goe ye therefore preach that by meanes of your preaching they may remaine within my Tentes Shall we receive such Preachers God forbid And yet such are all the preachers of this Land Shall Antichrist say Goe shall we say Come vnto them Shall they derive their power from another head then from Christ Iesus shall we be in subjecttion vnto them They say that they are the Ministers of Iesus Christ but we demand by whose will by whose