Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A25670
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An anti-remonstrance to the late humble remonstrance to the high court of Parliament
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1641
(1641)
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Wing A3512; ESTC R13045
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7,536
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18
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used besides we see in the election of the Apostle Matthias not onely the Apostles but the whole congregation which was of 120. had vote and voice Good Lord shall one of few Bishops in our dayes vindicate more to themselves then the Apostles themselves did though the least of the Apostles were better gifted and endowed with more power then all the Bishops of the Christian World put together Now adayes the greatest part of the Church is counted no Church and it remaineth that mens soules should be pinned up within three or foure mens Lawne-sleeves But which is most strange those that quarrell so much about Lay-Elders see not or will not see that what they except against the reformed Churches out of England is even practised in England in the offices of Chancellors Commissaries Officials Registers Apparitors such like Grashoppers with that onely difference that these make a sale of holy things and rend in two the seamelesse coate of Christ they often drawing it one way and the Bishops another way But the Lay-Presbyters so much jeered at by the Remonstrancer both live in good amitie with the Pastors and discharge their places gratis I say more it was never heard in France or in the Low Countries that Lay-Elders did vindicate so much to themselves of the power of the Ecclesiasticall keys as the Bishops Chancellors have of late usurped in pronouncing sentence of excommunication and absolution without the knowledge and against the intent of the Bishop It is also a great wounding of the Kings authority to debarre Lay-men from medling in Churches affaires for who is it that doth not know that our dreadfull King is a Layman and that the Christian Magistrate cannot be kept from having a hand in the administration of the Church without implicitely wounding through their side the head of the Christian Magistrate To support more strongly the governement of the Church in England by Bishops hee bringeth the assent and testimonie of Spanhemius a learned Profession in Geneva I expected the testimonie of many more Divines To which I answer that Spanhemius and many more as Moulin Rivet Chamier had likewise in reverend esteeme Episcopacy in the Church of God and therefore had no reason to condemne Episcopacie or to fall out with the pious learned men that were invested with it such are those yet living Morton Davenant Hall Williams Potter and the incomparable Primate of Ireland who do not stretch their power to the extent of their high Jurisdiction as it is established in England which I make no question is avowed by all the orthodoxe Pastors out of England to be a branch of that kingdome of Antichrist that had taken so deepe root in England This man make Spanhemius more insensible then a stone had hee approved the uncharitablenesse and the bitter venim and foule aspersions that were cast upon the reformed French Churches and particularly upon Geneva by those Bishops and others who lately sate at the sterne of the Churches government The Archbishop Laude hath more then once called Calvin a rascall and the Geneuian lay Presbiters a new fangled devise of Calvin leaving to speake how he vilifies with base termes other Reverend French Divines in his Epistle to the King before the opuscula posthuma of Bishop Andrewes hee gives that report of Peter Moulin that hee is Theol gus non indoctus acutus satis A Diuine not vnlearned and reasonable acute Neither doth he spare his owne as Cranmer and Latimer calling them the Zelotes of Queene Maries daies Bishop Mountague in his Apparatus and else where calles the Geneuians by no other name then Jnnovators and traduceth them and their followers such as Scaliger Paraeus and Caluisius as a packe of Shismatickes and bramelesse rascalls The like dealing have they with Bishop Wren Pierce Manwaring Heylin Pocklington Cousin and the like what charitable encertainement judge ye may Genevâs Church finde among such men since one of the best Bishops of England is reported to have given that judgement of their discipline that it is fit onely for tradesmen and beggers In that the charitie of Spanhemius and others reformed Divines beyond the seas is to be commended that they have not reviled againe those that reviled them and following the example of God saying to Abraham hee would not destroy the whole citie for tens sake they have for the inchoate reformation sake in the Church of England and for the respect they beare to a little number of well deserving Bishops and others passed over the invectives and insolences of that great streame of corrupt men that went currant under the name of the English Church as they have heartily pittied their rage so have they forgiven them their uncharitablenesse Other men that have not been so much interessed in our Churches have not dissembled what they thought of our English Episcopall governement The words of Padre Paulo Sarpio venetian in his Epistle to James Leschasserius Counsellor at Paris in the yeare 1609. are wonderfull remarkable and the more because they are a prediction of what came to passe in England J am afraid in the behalfe of the English of that great power of Bishops though under a King J have it in suspicion when they shall meete with a King of that goodnesse as they will thinke it easie to work upon him or shall have an Archbishop of an high spirit the Royall authoritie shall be wounded and Bishops will aspire to an absolute domination Me thinkes I see a horse sadled in England and J guesse that the old rider shall get on his backe But all these things depend on the Divine Providence Next our Remonstrancer exhorteth with more modestie then reason the high Court not to publish the offences and scandalls of the inferiour Cleargie leaving off verie discreetly to speake off the monstruous enormities of which the superiour Cleargy is guilty Good Lord sir you will give leave to a man that hath beene unjustly gagg'd long at the first libertie given to cry out and complaine of the wrong he hath received or if some sinnes of their nature are crying would you have them kept under ashes that they may afterwards breake with fiercer violence or how can the maladie be cured till it be laid open and searcht to the bottome That the body of this Church is very crasie and sicke wee that are the members smart for it To beginne at the head our Remonstrancer saith it is no marvell if among 12 Apostles there bee one Judas but rather may wee expostulate to our great hearts greife that of 12 rulers of the Church there is hardly one that is right and sound And no wonder if an Antichristian Discipline as I proved afore brings up men whose inside doctrine and life is sutable to the outside The greatest part of Deanes Archdeacons and all those that are comprised under the c. of the oath are gone out of the way The fountaines of learning are poysoned with heresies and infected with Popery of late no other Doctrine but Popish Arminian was licensed to see light no bodie durst call the Pope Antichrist or the Romish Church the false Church and the writings of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury of Bishop Mountagu the Sermons of Manwaring the bookes of Heylin Pocklington Cosin and the like are flat Popery And no wonder therefore if they maintaine stiffely that the English Church is not separated from the Roman that they both agree in the fundamentall points of Religion The power of Preaching hath beene of late reduced to outward gestures and bowings towards the East or Altar and the mysterie of inquirie which is the good worke in hand of Heylin had got already to a great progresse These being the great maladies of the Church farre be it from that high and just Court not to heare or to smother the grievances of the Churche and by a cruell kindnesse rather let a man be drowned then to take him by the haires for feare of hurting him FINIS