might if they would and yet scorne and reject them as follie and matters of reproach and worthy correction persecution it is a plaine treading vnder foote the Sonne of God who hath * Reu. 1.1.11.19 and Ioh. 16.13 reuealed the Father in theese things and counting the blood of the couenant an vnholy thing wherewith the new Testament was sanctified confirmed or dedicated as the first covenant was with the blood of beasts yea this is to doe despite vnto the Spirit of grace which first shewes vs Gods grace in ordaining these things and after in promises of restoring them And indeede seeing it is manifest Act. 14. chap. 20.28 1. Pet. 5.2 Tit. 1.9 that the Apostles ordained Elders in euery Church that theire office was to feede the flock ouer which the Holy Ghost made them Bishops that they were to take the oversight thereof by sound Doctrine to convince the gainsayers reproue correct and instruct in righteousnes and if this would not serue after the first and second admonition to excommunicate in and with the consent of the congregation who can denie but that all this is of the substance of religion necessarie to the salvation of the people and proper to euery Prosbyter Euery man will be readie to confesse that it is better there be a Pilot a Maister and a Maisters mate in euery ship to watch ouer the same and all that is in it as the Lord in Wisdom ordained Elders to be Bishops in euery Church or congregation to watch over it and all the Soules therin leaving them in his Testament a card and rules to steere and saile by the word of God beeing theire Rudder then that there should be but one in a whole fleete one Bishop in a diocesse and all the rest but shadowes or lesser wheeles to be led and moved by him as it came to passe by the wisdom and encroachments of men wherby Bishops neither leaving the brethren nor yet the presbyters any voice in censures or part in the government doe themselves bring in the inventions and evils Christ would keepe out get dominion over mens faith and by theire power and traditions make the word of none effect in divers perticulars A thing which is expresly forbidden in the new Testament My brethren be not many Maisters knowing that wee shall receive the greater condemnation Iam. 3.1 that is because in the causes and controversies of hereticks Psal 100. Schismatiks and other delinquents it is saide of the word Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies He shall judge amonge the nations the Presbyters and members of the church doe but rule and judge by him as steeres men by the Rudder judges and jurots by the law not by theire owne inventions or pretended authority And therfore our saviour who was against all such dominion in the church saith to his Disciples Mat. 20.25 Chap. 123.8 The Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them But ye shall not not be so Be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Maister even Christ and all ye are brethren Therfore when there is cause of accusing or censuring any he doth not say Tell the Bishops but Tell the church And accordingly in the times of the Apostles Chap. 18.17 and longe after as the epistles of Cyprian do manifest they were judged by the word in an assemblie of presbyters and brethren as the incestuous Corinthian which shewes us that neither one man nor the presbiters alone were judges in such cases but the church which by the Scriptures either cleered or censured any person accused as by the word of God he appeared either guiltie or not guiltie for so doth the word judge among the nations And therfore seeing God hath so ordained and it was in the primitive church so practised it is not a thing indifferent as some thinke whether Presbyters or diocessan Bishops hold the government but in effect a matter of salvation espetially to every church and by consequence to every Soule in it as the well or ill guiding of a ship concerneth the salvation of every passenger embarqued in it For though in a tempest some are saved without good Pilots and some in the shipwrack by a board yet others are not without skilfull sea men and soe in the church but for the most part not without helpes in government God hath in nothing given this to one in a diocesse and his officials but to the presbyters of every church elected according to his ordinance For though the provision of Bishops and Pastors have beene somtime in the hands of the Clergie and people somtimes in the hands of K ngs and Patrons then in the hands of Popes and then againe in the hands of Kings and patrons as now in England yâ—t as many have proved for the first seaven or eight hundred yeares after Christ the people in most places did choose them according to the practise of the primative church and the power given them in the new Testament For so saith Cyprian The people have principallie the power either to choose such priests as are worthy or to refuse such as are vnworthy Cypri 1. Epist 4. Act. 14.23 Beza Annot in Act. 14. Tit. 1. And so saith Luke They ordained them Elders in every church by election Where saith Beza the force of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be noted that wee may know that Paul and Barnabas caried nothing by private will nor exercised any tyranie in the church nor lastly did any such thing as at this day the Romish harlot or her pages doe whome they call ordinaries And by this place saith he must that be vnderstood I left thee in Creete to ordaine them Elders in everie citie as I had appointed thee that is by election as the Apostles left it to the church and people there assembled to choose one in the place of Iudas Beza Annot in Act. 1. And they appointed two Nothing saith Beza is here caried privately by Peter as by one endued with a more excellent dignitie but publickly and by the suffrages of the whole church So as he sheweth were the seaven Deacons chosen and so is that to be vnderstood Lay hands sodainly on no man that is to make him a presbyter amd so give him a part in this charge of the Eldership till he be tried the church or people have chosen him and praier be made for him as at the election of Mathias and the seaven Deacons It is ill for the Soules of Kings Bishops and patrons and indeede worse for the church that any one of these have the choice or confirmation of Pastors helpers Elders which are lawfull callings or of diocessan Bishops Deanes prebends and others which are vnlawfull For this makes divines flatter all such Princes Patrons and Prelates or theire favourites and so is cause of exceeding greate corruption and hipocrisie in church and common wealth For by this meanes Princes Prelates and theire favourites though they
word the Papists talke of and ye see they doe but talke of it For they confesse theese things were introduced from ancient customes and creepingly by the silence of the people who were vrged to conformitie by the flattering and menacing clergie and loth to be counted Schismatikes Refractarie Puritans they gained the strength of Law some sooner some later but all in a like manner as beeing the inventions of ambition will worship superstition and tyranie to which God gaue them over because like the Angels they kept not theire first Estate Rom. 1.20 they did not like to retaine God in theire knowledge they did not abide in the truth nor in theese cases received the love thereof but as the flattering defenders of the English hierarchie and traditions they scorned and mocked all that opposed them and sought puritie in Religion as fooles Schismatikes and hypocrits that strained as they say at gnats and made schismes aboute trifles this mocking was that which gaue all manner of corruption strength and in crease as it doth in England Where he is reckoned a wise able divine that knows how to scoffe such men out Gal. 5.9 as Papists did A litle leauen leaveneth the whole lumpe They thus corrupted were given ouer to beleeue lies This aversion from the creators word was a conversion to the word of creatures to the decrees of men in Synods and councels Ier. 2 13. It was a forsaking of the Lord the fountaine of liveing waters and hewing them out broken cisterns that can hold no water And because they did not take the marke of God to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints and seeke to get the victorie over the Beast and his Image and marke as all Christians should God gaue them over to take the marke of the Beast to worship him and his Image and to drinke of the golden cup which the greate whore holdeth full of abhominations Reu. 17. and filthinesse of her fornication Such honour offices dominion power worship ceremonies and Religion as God never ordained But what cared they so they could but by theire flatterie and false glosses get the consent and helpe of Princes and make them beleeve this was to defend the Church which either as they did or omitted God would prosper or punish them For thus they made Emperours Kings take pleasure to assist them and so as the Prophet saith Hos 7.3 They make the King glad with theire wickednesse and the Princes with theire lies And so indeede did the false Prophets in Ieremies time and likewise in the time of Ahab and other Kings And therfore the Angel seeing the greate wickednesse of the whore of Babylon in theese things and the destruction that was ready to fall on her for them saith Reu. 18.2.3 Babylon the greate is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of deuls and the hold of euerie foule Spirit and a cage of everie vncleane and hatefull bird for all nations haue drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication viz. to which God in his wrath gaue her and them over And the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her enforcing her Lawes and errours on thâ—ire subjects and the Marchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies that is which she had neede of for the maintaining of the pompe of her Prelates ceremonies and Tempels The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearles ver 12 and fine linnen and purple and silke odours and frankencense c. Now observe this committing of fornication with her is of two sorts 1. When Kings and States give theire power and strength to the Beast and Church of Rome fighting his battailes and enforcing her Lawes customs and errours on theire people 2. When they commit some of the same evils or the like though not all as she doth Kings commit fornication with her who doe it in som things though not in all Yea though they doe them not in obedience to her or to please or serve her Henrie 8. denied the Popes supremacie yea was at difference with the Church of Rome in som things yet still committed fornication with her in other things by houlding and maintaining divers other of the Romish Lawes errours and customes Any man holdeth the Doctrine of Balaam that layeth a stumbling block before the people though it be not the verie same kinde of stumbling block which Balaam taught but som other To be guiltie of Ierobams sinne was not alwayes to set vp calves but he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam who by any other invention or presumption made Israel to sinne Som follow the way of Kaine Iude 11. some perish in the gainsaying of Corah and some are cast away by the deceitfulnes of Balams wages though not in the same particulars nor in the same manner but in a like So do some Kings commit fornication with Babylon who maintaine any of her presumptions or any like them The Greeke Churches from the yeare 607. that the Pope had obtained to be called vniversall Bishop haue seperated from the Church of Rome denying not onely the supremacie but euen worshipping of Images and som other Romish errours Yet in retaining the hierarchie of diocessan Provinciall and Patriarchall Bishops the masse divers other Romish customs errours and ceremonies both before the yeare 607. and since they haue committed fornication with her While in theese things theire feare toward God is also taught by the traditions and precepts of men they haue cause to feare Christ will not finde them to be of his Ierusalem but of Babylon the greate not of his true Church but of the Synagogue of Sathan For he reckoneth all to be of the one or the other The second councell of Nice taught and commaunded worshipping of Images And then the Greek Emperour with his mother Irene and many Greekes committed fornication in that particular with Babylon M. Moulin observeth how absurd and weake the reasons of thar councell were Buckler of the faith in preface Yet if Kings and councels once maintaine such errours how weake and foolish soever theire reasons be many are soone ready to follow and flatter theire pernicious wayes So likewise in matter of the Lords day or any other commaundement of God if they giue allowance to Prophane or breake it you doe in vaine tell theire flatterers of Gods Law they will stop your mouth or crie you downe with vrging the Lawes of men the Kings injunctions or the like shifts the common refuges of the most superstitious and Prophane men How absurdly doe such in theire much magnified common prayer say Lord haue mercie vpon us and encline our hearts to keepe this Law when they thus allow and defend the breach of it It is a verie poore honour to maintaine a power and Prerogative in such cases against the Lord and his ordinances and Servants Kings doe at last
offer to him that overcommeth and that questionles as well by war as spirituall weapons He that is called faithfull and true Chap. 19. doth in righteousnesse judge and make war against her that sitteth on many waters and so doe these that fight his battails To them that voyce crieth Reward her as she hath rewarded you and double vnto her double according vnto her works In the cup c. For she saith in her heart I sit as a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be vtterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord who judgeth her Notwithstanding that she seemeth daily to strengthen her selfe by plots devises and friends by Iesuiticall and Spanish practises yet fall she must Many thinke this cannot yet be because England doth not yet set against her as if God could not fulfill his worke without the ayde of lukewarme helpers Ioh. 18. and newters Christ saith Euerie one that is of the truth heareth my voyce Therefore if English Prelates and others that beare sway there doe not heare it in theese things they haue cause to doubt that they are not in all things of the truth nor quite come out of Babylon I wonder how they can evince vnto themselves that they are not of Babylon the greate nor pertake of her sinnes who haue no more zeale against her Marvaile not that they doe not desire to have swords drawen against her who scarce endure that the sword of the Spirit should be vnsheathed against Babylon much lesse against those tenets of theire owne which are Romish and Antichristian The ministers of the french and dutch churches though they be not wholly excercised in points controverted which were no wisdom seeing there are many other points of faith and salvation wherein the people are also to be built vp and fortified yet they scarce make a Sermon but in somthing or other they confute poperie and establish the people in the truth as God requireth If English Prelates have not made this course to be in a sort forbidden yet men say that by discountenancing of such preaching they have at least put it out of fashion as foolish and vnproffitable while in the meane they are contented and desirous that men should preach and contend for the authority of theire hierarchie traditions and ceremonies if not for Arminian tenets A thinge that pleaseth papists who looke for fruite of them knowing them to be popish yea many are so foolish as to love and praise this kinde of preaching and to loath the confutation of it as God complained of the Iewes Ier. 5.31 The prophets prophecie falsly and the Priests beare rule by theire meanes and my people love to have it soe and what will ye doe in the end thereof That is when destruction comes on you for it It is strange that men will not see that this theire preaching and contending for humane inventions and errours is to offer strange fire and the entrance way to all corruption as it was in the Church of Rome whose superstition errours crept in by degrees by degrees did eate out true Religion It will be saide it hath not yet donne so in England both the citie and countrie haue many zealous Christians yea many that are conformable I answer true yet they are verie few in respect of the rest and such as beare the Sway who count zeale against poperie puritanisme and are ready to say with them in the Gospell Ioh. 7.48 Act. 28.20 Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharises run this course but this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed Because they walke not after the high Priests the Bishops For as concerning this sect wee know it is every where spoken against And howsoever these called puritans whether they be conformable or peaceable reformists are such as will be religious whether the Bishops like it or noe as som Iewes would be Disciples for all the high Priests Elders and Pharises therefore this is no thanks to Bishops no fruite of theire government who like better of civill and ceremonious men such as pretend love of common prayer though they haue neither knowledge true loue of the word nor affection to defend religion against Papists and theire practises and like hypocrites doe but pretend a love to prayer For in those prayers they say that in knowledge of him standeth our eternall life Graunt vs in this world knowledge of thy truth And yet are enemies to this knowledge and the meanes of it preaching hearing conference and reading of some good bookes They pray for increase of grace to heare meekely his word receive it with pure affection and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Yet theire life and actions shew that they are so far from loveing these things that they mock and persecute all those that doe as knaves and hypocrites Yet in some cases as God saith of such men Isa 58. they seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnes and forsooke not the ordinance of theire God they aske of me the ordinance of justice they take delight in approching to God They fast and like the Bishops looke God should regard them for it But though men be never so religious in observing some of Gods ordinances if they despise or neglect the rest or any of them Deut. 15.21 chap. 17.1 the Lord hateth that Religion as a lame sacrifice Theire hands were full of blood and in other things they had transgressed the Lawes changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant Isa 1.11.12.13.14.15 therefore he saith to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me I am full of the burnt offerings Bring no more vaine oblations incense is abhomination vnto me New Moones Sabbaths and appointed feasts my soule hateth And when ye make many prayers J will not heare He counteth all this but complement all religion and would not heare them in these things though he had commanded them who would not heare him in others Like the Prelates who say well that in baptisme wee promise to forsake the world and all the pompe and vanitie thereof Yet can not be perswaded by Gods word to cast theire crownes theire offices and the pompe and vanitie of them at the feete of Christ though it be proved that they are not of God but of men of the world Romish and doe much mischiefe but insteade of confuting they persecute such as pleade Christs cause in proveing these things terryfying all men of that profession more then any other with theire power in the high commission as the Papists doe Protestants with the iniquisition striveing to make them hatefull to Princes and yet keepe theire proofes from theire eyes as if they were worse then the tenets of Papists and Arminians which are not so straitly prohibited nor so narrowly looked vnto B. 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doe what they list in religion shall be sure to be flattered in it as the popes were as soone as ever they grew greate and to have any power over the Clergie and this indeede made them attempt what they list and carrie or obtaine it while verie few durst call it incroaching or corruption such was and such is the fruite of this power in the church and therfore God would neither commit the election or confirmation of his ministers nor the government to one in a diocesse but to the presbyters and members of every church as abovesaide Men will not see these things but if wee tell them these all doe contrarie to the decrees of Christ to stop our mouthes with those Iewes and others of the baser sort they say These all doe contrarie to the decrees of Cesar Act. 17.5.7 saying that there is another King in these cases namely Christ making a verie heinous matter of it that wee are so bold as to affirme it But it were to be wished that they would so give vnto Cesar the things that are Cesars as not to take from God the things that are Gods to give them to Cesar These are things that have been manifested to be Gods Why then will they perswade Kings that they doe God service and shew love to his church his Ierusalem while they strengthen the Prelates that vsurpe these offices suppresse the verie name of the presbiterie and make Princes beleeve that as they doe more or lesse vphold theire hierarchie so God will more or lesse blesse them theirs Wherein they reason like Baronius Baron in an 452 who speaking of the law of Valentinian abovementioned which curtailed the power of Bishops saith That the making of it incensed the wrath of God and caused Attila with the Hunnes to come downe upon the Empire When that was rather because he left them so much power as he did and did not rather reduce them to that order and power wherein the Apostles left them taking away all that which made the word of God in divers particulars of none effect or is contrarie to his ordinances though it had been given them by Emperours or Synods They should have all knowne that it is the King eternall and immortall who is only wise 1. Tim. 1.17 Isa 30.22 Pro. 8. mark that word onelie wise especially in Spirituall things The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our lawgiver the Lord is our King Christ beeing the wisdom of God saith By me Kings raigne and Princes decree justice that is when what they can they governe according to Gods revealed wisdom Much more then in matters of religion they are not set in the throne to doe and require the doeing of theire owne will but Gods as David acknowledged and therefore saide Give thy judgments ô God thy judgments not mens not mine to the King and thy righteousnes to the Kings Sonne Psa 70.1 2. Chron. 29.23 2 Sam. 22.51 1 Chro. 29 11.12 So it is saide Solomon sate on the throne of the Lord insteade of David his father who is saide to be Gods King Every king therefore should acknowledge God King of his kingdom as David of his Thine o Lord is the greatnes the power the glorie the victorie and the majestie for all that is in the heaven in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom o Lord thou art exalted as head above all that is theÌ„ above Kings who beeing set on the throne of the 〈◊〉 that is to see his word his lawes Statutes observed to se◠〈…〉 the righteousnes thereof for then doe they bring theire glorie honour to the new Ierusalem Hos 2.19 then is he maried to them and theire pepole Ãn righteousnes in judgment in loveing kindnes in mercies as he promiseth that is when Kings make priests and people live and doe according to the order which he appointeth them in his word as both Hezechiah and David himselfe did when he saw Vzza slaine for breaking that order He sits on the throne of the Lord that gives his power strength to God and to his ordinances as the Kings which are the hornes of the Beast gave theire power and strength vnto the Beast to enforce his lawes rites and errours on theire people which was a war against the lambe But at last as is graciously promised The lambe shall overcome them Rev. 17. For he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings If therefore they will be saide to sit on his throne they must doe the like for Christ against Antichrist and all enemies of his truth seeing God hath set his King vpon his holy hill of Sion to rule all nations in matters of religion and therefore addeth Be wise now therefore o ye Kings Psa 2. Let it not be saide your subjects dwell where Sathan hath his throne for Antichrist or any other David knew the true wisdom when he saide 2. Sam. 22.22 J have kept the waies of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God for all his judgments were before me c. And when in an assemblie of all his Princes Captaines 1. Chro. 28 1.8.9 and 〈…〉 to them Keepe and seeke for all the com◠〈…〉 â—th Solomon and 〈…〉 thâ—e but if 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—re did God 〈…〉 â—e a King among his Sonnes He wâ—s a King indeeâ—â—or God seeing he thus raigned psa 47.3 and in this â—ense had ever such sayiâ—gs in his mouth God is the King of all the Earth The shields of the eartâ— belong unto God For the Lord is a greate God and a greaâ— King above all Gods The holy one of Israel is our King The prelates and theire adherents say there must be order in the church diocessan Bishops to be over others Objection question and reje◠〈…〉 â—ers God hath not appoin◠〈…〉 therefore Kings and councels 〈…〉 I answer this is to say 〈◊〉 God hath not had a sufficient 〈…〉 â—rch and to accuse his Testament of insufficiencie as if th◠〈…〉 â—d not as well provided for his church in this case as in others when yet for these ends he ordained Elders to be Bishops 〈◊〉 every congregation Now all his ordinances are perfect His worke is perfect Deut 32.4 for all his waies are judgment He is God and changeth not therefore to say that this was only for the times of the Apostles and as the church increased and those times changed the wisdom of men might provide better is a greate presumption yet such hath beene the wisdom of the flesh Act. 15.18 and of the world to thinke so But knowne vnto God are all his works from the begining of the world Men cannot in time better them If the Eldership had not beene sufficient he would either never have ordained it to be so soone abolished or have foretold and given authority to his church to ordaine diocessans This he did not but for bad to adde