Christ by his Apostles did ordaine and appoint to Preach the Gospell and not onely they but also all that were in the primitive Church lawfully called to preach the Gospell were Bishops de jure divino of divine institution How long I pray you did they continue to be de jure divino Min. They continued to be de jure divino till they came to be Antichrists that is adversaries to Christ then they fell from being Bishops de jure divino of divine institution and came to be Bishops de jure Pontificio of the Popes institution who is therefore called Pater Patrum the Father of the Fathers meaning the Bishops therefore to distinguish the Bishops that are de jure Pontificio of the Popes institution from the godly Bishops that were de jure divino of divine institution they commonly called Prelates or Lord Bishops Gent. Why are they called Prelates Min. The word Praelati Prelates commeth of praeferor to preferre therefore they are called Praelati Prelates because they are preferred and doe preferre themselves before and above their brethren and fellow Ministers Gent. Why are they called Lord Bishops Min. They are called Lord Bishops because they doe Lord it over their brethren and over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 and have been the chiefe supplanters and persecuters of the Christian Religion ever since the title of Prelates and Lord Bishops was given unto them In Queene Maries time blooddy Bonner Lord Bishop of London and Gardner Lord Bishop of Winchester were fierce and cruell like Dragons in shedding Christian blood and in supplanting the Christian Religion planted by King Edward the sixt till God in mercy did bring Queen Elizabeth to the Crowne then when in her first Parliament the House was about to establish the true Religion the Lord Bishops that were of the House being nine in number did stand up to cry it downe and to have the Romish Religion continued but thankes be to God they prevailed not When Queene Elizabeth came to the Crowne few or none did study Divinity in the Universities therefore Tradesmen such as were of honest life and conversation were made Ministers to read Service and in stead of Preaching to read Homilies till the Lord Jesus in his good time did thrust forth Labourers into his harvest out of the Universities who did discover the Popish errours wherewith the Service Booke was pestered and the unlawfulnesse of the Romish Ceremonies Then the Lord Bishops who till then were quiet did bestirre themselves to disturbe the peace of the Church and to bring in a cursed division according to the words of our Saviour Christ Luke 12.51 Thinke you that I came to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather division which cursed division hath continued ever since and in every Parliament since that time till now when humble Petitions were made for Reformation the Lord Bishops onely and such as were seduced by them and made to beleeve that the Ceremonies were lawfull and that there was nothing in the Service Booke contrary to Gods Word did bend all their forces against Reformation In the latter end of Queene Elizabeths Reigne when shee began to be sickly and not like to live long then Doctor Bancroft Lord Bishop of London knowing that King Iames was to succeed her and fearing that his Majesty would reforme things amisse in the publick worship and service of God and in the government of the Church did License a Booke written by a Jesuite that he kept in his house wherein it was written that it was in the Popes power as a gift appropriate to Saint Peters chaire to depose the Kings of England and to give authoritie to the people to elect choose and set up another As then so now it is thought that the Archbishop of Canterbury fearing this Parliament hath devised an oath to stirre up so many as he can to resist the Reformation that many doe pray for and hope to see to the glory of God Gent. There was a little Booke written of late and dedicated to the House of Parliament that had most of those things in it that you have spoken of concerning the Service Booke and the Bishops Min. There was so but the Author whereof is much grieved every time that he doth thinke upon it because it was dispersed without his consent and printed false by putting in leaving out of words so as it was not fit to be presented to the House of Parliament Gent. It made mention of Judgements that God hath shewed upon the Church I pray you shew me what those Judgements were Min The most remarkable and fearefull Judgement was shewed on the Parish Church of Withcombe in Devonshire being a very faire Church newly trimmed having a very faire Tower with great and small Pinnacles one of the famousest Towers in the West part of England On the 21. of October 1638. in service time was heard a fearefull Thunder much like the noise or report of great Cannons and a most strange and fearefull darknesse and a strong loathsome smell of brimstone and a fearefull blast that strucke in at the North side of the Tower and tearing through a strong stone wall came into the Church through the highest Window and tooke with it a great part thereof and with a mighty power strucke against the North-side wall of the Church and did batter and shake it very much and went towards the Pulpit and in the way tooke with it the Lime and Sand from the wall and grated the wall and defaced it being newly whited and tore away the side Deske of the Pulpit and coloured the Pulpit blacke and left it moyst as if it had beene newly wiped over with Inke There was also a most fearefull Lightning which did affright the people and scalded them so as the most part of them fell downe some on their knees some on their faces and some one upon another crying The Ministers wife had her Ruffe and linnen next her body burnt off and her body grievously scorched One Mistris Ditford sitting in the Seat with her had her Gown two Wast-coats and her linnen next her body grievously scorched Another woman running out of the Church had her Cloaths set on fire her body scorched and her flesh torne on her backe in grievous manner One Master Hill a Gentleman had his head smit against the wall and dyed the next day Sir Richard Reinolds Warriner had his head cloven his skull rent in three pieces whereof two fell into the next Seat the other fell in the Seat where he sat his braines fell intire and whole into the next Seat behind him his Blood dasht against the wall some of the skin of his head flesh and haire to the quantitie of an handfull was carried into the Chancell and stucke fast upon one of the Posts betweene the Church and the Chancell his Body was left in the Seat as though he had been alive sitting asleepe and leaning upon his elbow resting on the Deske
that they are Idolaters because they kneele and doe not beleeve the reall presence as they doe Gent. Who was the first that brought in kneeling Min. Pope Honorius about the yeare of our Lord 1220. after that the errour of Transubstantiation was hatcht at the Councell of Lateran Gent. I have read in Gods word that the Apostles did not kneele when Christ himselfe delivered the bread unto them I have read also in the booke of Martyrs that the ancient Councells in the Primitive Church did make Canons against kneeling lest it should prove an occasion of Idolatry ought not wee to conforme our selves to our Saviour Christ and his Apostles and to the Christians of the Primitive Church rather then to the Devils Vicar generall the Pope Min. Yes verily for it is grosse hypocrisie in us to make a shew as though we were more godly and zealous then the Apostles and Christians of the Primitive Church Gent. What other errour doe you finde to be in the Service booke Min. The interrupting of the Minister by the Clarke and the whole Congregation is a foule errour and such an errour and confusion as doth much offend God and that therefore many are unwilling to come into the Church till the Service be all read Gent. How doe they interrupt the Minister Min. By rehearsing his words with a lowd voice and by taking words out of his mouth and by mingling their prayers with his The Minister when he prayeth is the mouth of the people speaking to God for them therefore they ought to be silent till he hath done speaking and then to say Amen 1 Cor. 14.16 and not to interrupt him by rehearsing every word after him as in the Confession of sinne when the Minister saith Almightie and most mercifull Father we have erred and strayed out of thy wayes like lost sheepe and in the Letany when he saith O God the Father of heaven have mercy upon us miserable sinners the Minister must stop and be silent till the Clarke and people have with a lowd voice rehearsed every word after him in which time it is impossible for the Minister to keepe idle and by-thoughts from comming into his minde Also when he prayeth for the King saying Lord save the King they interrupt him by mingling their prayer with his saying And mercifully heare us when we call upon thee The Minister being interrupted and put out in praying for the King doth pray for Ministers saying Indue thy Ministers with righteousnesse they doe then also interrupt him by mingling their prayer with his saying And make thy chosen people joyfull Throughout the whole Letany they do interrupt him by mingling their prayers with his They doe also without any warrant from God but from Pope Hormisda interrupt the Minister when he readeth the Psalmes by taking every other verse out of his mouth to reade it for him with a loud hackering and confused noise especially in Countrey Churches where the people cannot reade well The Minister when he readeth or preacheth Gods word is the mouth of God speaking to the people therefore they ought to be silent and to hearken with reverence When they reade the eighteenth nineteenth and twentieth verses of the fiftie Psalme they are likened by some to women scoulding and accusing one another The Clarke and people doe beginne to scould with and to accuse the Minister saying When thou sawest a theefe thou consentedst unto him and hast been partaker with adulterers then the Priest accuseth the Clarke saying Thou hast let thy tongue speake wickednesse and with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit then the Clarke and people doe set upon the Minister againe and doe accuse him saying Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother yea thou hast slaundered thine owne Mothers sonne Gent. I remember that in the Churching of women the Minister is called Priest tell me I pray you is that name a fit name for a Minister and Preacher of the Gospell Min. No verily For we reade in Gods Word of no more orders of Priests but of two the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech Of the order of Aaron were the Leviticall Priests whose office was to offer Sacrifices which together with the Sacrifices was abolished in Christ his death Of the order of Melchisedech was Christ onely and shall remaine Priest for ever A third order of Priests is to be found no where but in the mass-Masse-booke and in our service-Service-booke The name Priest belongeth to every Christian man and woman as well as to the Minister according as it is written Revel. 1.6 that Christ hath made us Kings and Priests unto God the meaning is that Christ hath made all the Elect men and women Priests to offer the Sacrifices of praise and of thankes unto God Gent. What doe you thinke of the Priest and Clarke when they doe Church a woman Min. I will not tell what I thinke but I will tell you what some doe say Gent. What doe they say Min. They say that the Priest is like a witch Gent. Why doe they say that the Priest is like to a witch Min. Because he doth as a witch doth when she saith the Lords Prayer Gent. What doth a witch when shee saith the Lords Prayer Min. She leaves out these words but deliver us from evill and so doth the Priest when hee doth church a woman Gent. Why will not a Witch say these words Min. Because the devill will not let her till shee hath bewitched so many as he would have her For by the evill that is praid against in that petition is meant the devill and the sinne whereunto he tempteth therefore the devill will not have her to say these words because when shee saith them shee prayeth that God will deliver her from him and the witcherie whereto he tempteth her The Priest doth also skip over the conclusion of the Lords Prayer for thine is the Kingdome power and glory and therein also they say that hee is like to a witch when she doth say her Creede for when she saith the second Article And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne shee skips over these words our Lord and so doth the Priest slip over the conclusion of the Lords Prayer Gent. Saint Luke leaves it out therefore the Priest may leave them out Luke 11.4 Min. It followeth not that therefore the Minister may leave them out for Saint Luke did not write any thing of himselfe but what the holy Ghost would have him to write Gent. Why would not the Holy Ghost have him to write them Min. Because it was sufficient that Saint Matthew had writ them Mat. 6.13 Gent. Some doe thinke because Saint Marke and Saint Iohn doe make no mention of the Lords Prayer that therefore the Minister may omit the reading of it and that because the Evangelists and the Apostles did not use to say it as a prayer therefore none neither Minister nor People ought to use it as a prayer Min. The truth is that our Saviour Christ did
in Baptisme but by hearing the Gospell preached 2 Cor. 3.8 Act. 10.44 To make mention of all the Popish errours that are in other prayers and Collects would be too tedious Gent. What doe they say of the Catechisme in the Service booke Min. They say that it is full of Popish errours as first in the Rubrick before the Catechisme it is written that Children baptized have all things necessary to salvation and are undoubtedly saved The truth is that they have no knowledge of sinne nor of the wrath and curse of God due to sinne nor of Christ nor of the Articles of the Christian faith and therefore have neither faith nor repentance without which none can be saved It is true that Infants borne of the Elect are undoubtedly saved by vertue of Gods everlasting covenant of grace so many as are of the number of the Elect I say so many as are of the number of the Elect because many of the Elect that are now Saints in heaven have brought forth children that are Reprobates and damned soules in hell For Adam had Cain as well as Abel and Abraham had Ishmaell as well as Isaac and Isaac had Esau whom God hated as well as Iacob whom God loved Gent. This errour you say is in the Rubrick what errour is in the Catechisme Min. In the Catechisme it is affirmed that Christ hath redeemed all mankinde The truth is that Christ came into the world not to redeem all mankinde but the Elect onely therefore the Evangelist S. Luke setting forth the genealogie of Christ beginneth from Ioseph and ascendeth to Adam and from Adam doth descend to Sheth who was the first of the Elect that was borne after the death of Abell and maketh no mention of Cain nor of any of his posteritie And S. Matthew beginning from Abraham and from Abraham descendeth to Isaac and from Isaac to Iacob and maketh no mention of Ishmaell nor of Esau nor of any that came of them Also our Saviour Christ saith that he gave his life a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 and that his blood was shed for many Mat. 26.28 He doth not say that his blood was shed for all mankinde but for many that is for the Elect onely who are many though but few in comparison of the multitude that are Reprobates It is also affirmed in the Catechisme that we are made the children of God in Baptisme The truth is that whosoever is not a childe of God before he be baptised shall never be a childe of God because all that are the children of God were before the world was made the children of God by vertue of Gods eternall decree of election It also affirmeth that there are two Sacraments generally as necessary to salvation intimating that the Sacraments are necessary to salvation so as if a child die before he be baptised he shall be damned which is the cause that Midwifes doe take upon them to baptize Intimating also that there are more Sacraments then two therefore it is written in the Rubrick before the Communion that every Parishioner shall communicate thrice in the yeare and also receive the Sacraments meaning the five Popish Sacraments For there are none other It affirmeth also that Godfathers and Godmothers doe promise and vow three things first that the Infant shall forsake the devill and all his works the pompes and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinfull lusts of the flesh secondly that he shall beleeve all the Articles of the Christian faith thirdly that he shall keepe Gods holy will and commandements and walke in the same all the dayes of his life which no man is able to doe of himselfe The truth is that the Godfathers and Godmothers doe neither promise nor vow that the Infant shall doe these things Gent. What then doe they Min. They doe nothing but counterfeit the Infants voice as if he were a conjured Ghost within every one of them speaking and saying that he doth all these things Gent. Are there any other things that doe offend and discourage the people from comming into the Church till service be all read Min. Yes Gent. What are they Min. They are the perverting of the meaning of the holy Ghost in many places of the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels by putting in and leaving out of words and also of the meaning of our Saviour Christ in many places of the Revelation Gent. Wherein is the meaning of the holy Ghost perverted by putting in and leaving out of words Min. In the Psalme 106.30 Phineas prayed are put in for Phineas executed judgement Psal. 105. Not obedient are put in for not disobedient Psal. 125. these words The rod of the ungodly commeth not on the lot of the righteous are put in for resteth not on the lot of the righteous In the Epistle on munday in Easter weeke these words Israel remembred are put in for He that is God remembred To make mention of all the places in the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels would be too tedious Gent. You said that the service Booke doth pervert the meaning of Christ in diverse places of the Revelation I pray you shew me some of those places Min. The fourteenth Chapter is appointed to be read on Childermasse day after the Popish manner for an Epistle of purpose to pervert the meaning of Christ Gent. What was the meaning of Christ in that Chapter Min. The meaning of Christ in that chapter was and now is to shew that in time of greatest persecutions when the heathen persecuting Emperours and after them the Popes did rage most against the Christian Religion and professors thereof Christ had his Church though invisible 144000 preserved by him and kept chaste and undefiled with spirituall fornication of Idolatry Gent. How is the meaning of Christ perverted Min. By misapplying that to children slaine by Herod which was written of Christians persecuted and slaine by the Heathen persecuting Emperours and Popes Gent. Why doth the Pope pervert the meaning of Christ by misse-applying that to the children slaine by Herod which was written of Christ and his Church persecuted by the Heathen Emperours and the Popes Min. The Pope and so many of our Lord Bishops as are Popish doe pervert the meaning of Christ by causing that Chapter to be read on Childermasse day of purpose to keepe weake Christians in blindnesse so as they shall not be able to give an answer to the Papists when they shall ask them where their Religion and Church was an hundred yeares agoe before Martin Luthers time Gent. What other meaning had Christ in that Chapter Min. His meaning was to shew that in his good time he would give a free passage and good successe to the preaching of the Gospell as thankes be to his holy Majestie it hath had in many Kingdomes since Martin Luthers time and shall have every day more and more Gent. I am glad to heare this I pray you goe on to shew where the meaning of Christ is perverted Win. On Michaelmasse
day the twelfth Chapter from the seventh verse to the thirteenth is appointed to be read for an Epistle it being no Epistle but a prophecie of a battell fought in heaven betweene Michaell and his Angells and the Dragon and his Angels and of the victory that Michaell and his Angels had over the Dragon and his Angels and of the casting of the Dragon and his Angels out of Heaven Gent. What is meant by Heaven Min. By heaven is meant not the highest heaven but the Church of Christ militant here on earth Gent. What is meant by Michaell and his Angels Min. By Michaell and his Angells are meant Christ and his true followers especially the faithfull Preachers of the Gospell Gent. What is meant by the Dragon and his Angels Min. By the Dragon and his Angels are meant the Devill and the Heathen persecuting Emperours and the Popes Gent. What is meant by the battell Min. By the battell is meant persecutions raised by the Heathen persecuting Emperours and the Popes and popish Princes against the Christian Religion and the professors thereof Gent. What is meant by the victory that Michael and his Angells had over the Dragon and his Angels Min. By the victory is meant the victories that Christ gave to Constantine the Christian Emperour and that he hath doth and daily will give to Christian Princes fighting his battell against Antichrist and his partakers and to the faithfull Preachers against false Teachers Gent. What is meant by the casting of the Dragon and his Angells out of heaven Min. Thereby is meant the utter confusion and overthrow of Antichrist by the spirit of Christs mouth that is by the preaching of the Gospell so as he shall be deprived of all dignitie and shall have no place in heaven that is in the Church of God to domineere any more as thankes be to God the Archbishop of Canterbury is deprived of all dignity and shall never have place againe in heaven I meane in the Church of God to domineere as he hath done Gent. Why is this Prophecy appointed to be read on Michaelmas day Min. It is appointed to be read on Michaelmasse day of purpose to pervert the meaning of our Saviour Christ by misse-applying to Michaell and all Angels in the highest Heaven the victory that Christ hath and daily doth and will every day more and more give to true Christians that doe follow him fighting his battell against Antichrist Gent. I doe heare many finde fault with new orders that the Bishops have made I pray you tell me what those orders are Min. They have made an order that the Communion Table shall be turned to an Altar as Pope Sixtus did to usher in Popery about the yeare of our Lord 264. and that Churchwardens shall present their Minister if he doe not admonish the people to resort to him and open their griefe of conscience that they may receive the benefit of absolution as appeareth by Bishop Wren his Booke of Articles Chap. 4. Art 22. and that no prayer shall be made in the Church for sick persons but according to the order prescribed in the Service Booke Bishop Wren did binde the Churchwardens of his Diocesse by an Oath to present their Minister if he did use any other forme of prayer Gent. What forme of prayer doth the service Booke prescribe for sick persons Min. It prescribeth no forme to be used in the Church Gent. What then Min. The Minister must goe home to their houses and salute them as the Masse-Priest doth saying Peace be in this house and to all that dwell in it and when he is come where the sicke person is he must kneele and reade three or foure lines of the Letany and Lord have mercy upon us and the Lords Prayer till he comes to the last Petition and hath read halfe of it Lead us not into temptation the other halfe but deliver us from evill he must leave as the Masse Priest doth for the Clark to reade and then as soone as the Clark hath read it the Minister must as the Masse-Priest doth skip over the conclusion For thine is the Kingdome power and glory for ever and in stead thereof he and the Clark must read five versicles of a line or halfe a line long and a short prayer and an exhortation and the Creed and then absolve the sick person from all his sinnes in the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and begins the absolution with an untruth saying that Christ hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners that doe truly repent and beleeve in him The truth is that Christ hath not given power to his Church to forgive sinnes and that there is no Church that doth take upon it to forgive sinnes but the Synagogue of Sathan the Church of Rome and so many of the Lord Bishops and of the Clergie of England as are Popish whose errour is grounded upon their misse-taking of the words of our Saviour Christ to Peter I will give thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Gent. What is meant by the kingdome of heaven Min. By the kingdome of heaven is meant the Church of Christ on earth where Christ doth rule and raigne by his word and holy Spirit in the hearts and consciences of the Elect and is commonly called the kingdome of grace Gent. What is meant by the keyes of the kingdome Min. By the keyes of the kingdome are meant the grace and power that Christ gave to Peter and the rest of the Apostles and their successors to preach the Gospell Gent. It is written Luke 11.52 that Christ did reprove the Interpreters of the Law because they did take away the key of knowledge from the people what is meant by the key of knowledge Min. By the key of knowledge is meant the opening and shewing the true sense and meaning of the Scriptures whereby the people are brought to the knowledge of God and of him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ Gent. It is written Mat. 23.13 that the Scribes and Pharisees did shut up the kingdome of heaven against men how did they lock and shut it up Min. They did lock and shut the people out of heaven by their unfaithfulnesse and idlenesse in opening and shewing the true sense and meaning of the Scriptures and by their false expounding and interpreting of the Scriptures Gent. Christ said to Peter Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven What is meant by loosing and binding on earth and in heaven Min. By loosing and binding on earth and in heaven is meant the authoritie and power that Christ gave to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles and to every faithfull Preacher not to forgive sinnes but to declare and pronounce forgivenesse of sinnes to all that by their preaching shall be brought to true faith and repentance and that as verily
as forgivenesse of sinnes is declared and pronounced by preaching to them that doe truly repent and beleeve in Christ so verily doth God of his free mercy forgive them their sinnes for Christ his sake and that as verily as the wrath and judgements of God are threatned to come on them that will not repent and beleeve in Christ so verily the wrath and judgements of God shall come upon them Gent. Goe on I pray you as you have begunne to shew the new orders Min. Another new order is that none at their Table shall talke of the holy Sccriptures nor of divine matters and that Churchwardens shall present such as at their Table shall talke of the holy Scriptures or of divine matters Wren Chap. 4. Art 31. Gent. Out upon t this is a most devillish order God Almighty deliver us from Lord Bishops this order doth make my heart to rise against them Min. It is indeed a most devillish order and sheweth plainly that if some of them might have their wills they would forbid men to read the holy Scriptures at home in their houses as in Churches they forbid the Genealogie of Christ the Booke of Canticles both the Bookes of Kings save the eight first Chapters of the first Booke of Kings and of Chronicles and the Booke of Revelation save some few pieces that are appointed to be read for Epistles after the Popish manner Gent. Why will they not suffer the Genealogie of Christ to be read to the people Min. They have no warrant for it from God but from the Pope who saith that ignorance is the mother of devotion therefore the Genealogy of Christ is forbidden to be read of purpose to keep the people in blindnesse not able to see the truth of God in fulfilling his promise to Abraham and to David that Christ should come of them and of their seede nor to see that Christ came not onely of Abraham and of David who were Jewes but also of Rahab and of Ruth who were Gentiles and that therefore Christ is not a Saviour of the Jewes onely but also of us Gentiles Gent. Why is the Booke of Canticles forbid to be read Min. It is also forbid of purpose to keepe the people in blindnesse not able to see the ardent love and affection of Christ towards them least thereby they should be stirred up to love Christ and to be zealous of his glory and to abhorre the Pope and his Antichristian Religion Gent. Why are the Books of Kings and of Chronicles forbid Min. Because they doe shew that godly Kings did ever love Gods true Prophets and did hearken unto them and were zealous in maintaining the true Religion and in suppressing Idolatry Gein Why is the Booke of Revelation forbid Min. Because it sheweth that Antichrist shall be destroyed and that Rome shall be set on fire and ruinated for ever and that all that doe live and die in the Romish Religion trusting to the Popes pardons and their owne merits shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God and be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Gent. I doe wonder that the godly Bishops who in King Edward the sixt his time did make the Service Booke that they being godly and so zealous of Gods glory as they did lay downe their lives for the truth in Queene Maries dayes that they did so pester the Book with such horrible blasphemies lying fables and popish errours Min. Wee are much bound to praise God for them and to judge charitably of them because they were but newly crept out of the pit of darknesse the Church of Rome and for want of a better were glad to take the Masse-booke for their patterne They were truly zealous of Gods glory according to the measue of knowledge that God did give unto them and did suffer martyrdome in Queene Maries time Gent. Wherefore did they suffer Min. They suffered for denying the Popes supremacy and for denying the bread and wine in the Lords Supper to be the body and blood of Christ Gent. I doe also wonder much more at our Bishops many of them being great learned men that they should suspend imprison and deprive so many godly Ministers for refusing to subscribe to the Service Booke Min. It is a signe that the true feare of God is not in them for if it were they would not dare to doe as they have done Gent. Bishops have beene ever since the Apostles time have they not Min. The name Bâ—shop was a common name given by the Apostles to every Preacher of the Gospell 1 Tim. 1.3 Tit. 1.7 From the Apostles time to the yeare of our Lord 334. there were in Rome which is now the seat of Antichrist thirty-three godly Preachers commonly called Bishops who suffered Martyrdome for the truth under the Heathen Emperours onely one of them did flee and hide himselfe in the Hill Soracte till the time of Constantine the first Christian Emperour and then returned to Rome and was the first Roman Bishop that escaped Martyrdome and had a great living bestowed upon him by Constantine So also had diverse other Bishops whereupon many of them living in wealth did in short time after the death of Constantine grow idle and proud especially one of them on whom Constantine had bestowed great revenues which made him so proud and stout as he did overtop all the other Bishops not onely in Rome but also throughout the whole Empire and did alter chop and change and adde his owne devises to the publick worship and service of God and did make Canons for the establishing and putting of his devises in practice and through the power of Satan by false doctrines signes and lying wonders did seduce the Christian Emperours that succeeded Constantine and drew them to acknowledge him the head of the Church and vicar of Christ which made him so proud and potent as he did subdue and bring under the Emperours and tooke upon him to excommunicate diverse of them and to curse them with bell booke and candle Henricus the Emperour being excommunicated came in submissive manner to be absolved and in the cold winter in frost and snow did waite at the Bishops gate with his wife and childe barefoot and bareleg three dayes and three nights before he could have audience Fredericke the Emperour was made to hold his stirrop and to lie downe on the ground for him to tread on his necke and at length the Bishop of Rome came to be the great red Dragon Rev. 12.3 and with his long taile of false doctrine flattery promises and preferments did draw the third part of the starres of heaven that is so many of the other Bishops as were not sound in heart and did cast them to the earth that is drew them to be earthly minded like himselfe and to give over studying sound divinitie and to joyne with him in studying how to supplant the Christian Religion Gent. From this that you have said I doe gather that they whom