that the Children of Israel came up out the Land of Aegypt unto this day consider of it take advise and speake that same may be said of this Oath There was never such a deed done or seen since we came out of spirituall Aegypt Consider of it take advise and speake what shall be done to these Innovators It 's against the King and his Prerogative Royall who by the Statutes and Customes of this Kingdome hath power to appoint any of his naturall Subjects to exercise all manner of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction under him as appeareth by Stat. 1. Elizab. cap 1. and Stat. 25. Hen. 8 cap. 19. and 37. Hen. 8. cap. 17. but this Oath spoyles his Majesty of all such power investing onely Arch-bishops Bishops Deanes c. with Ecclesiasticall power and so takes from his Majesty what his Predecessor Henry the had who gave a Commission to Lord Croâ—â—â—d to 〈◊〉 cise under him all Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall as you may 〈◊〉 in Mr. Fox his Martyrologie Volume 2. pa. 1000. Printed An. 1597. It 's against the Oath of Supremacy in taking of which we acknowledge the Kings Majesty to be Supreme Governour of the Church in all Causes and over all persons Ecclesiasticall as well as Civil and the King by Law having power to alter Church Government and to delegate whom he pleaseth of his Subjects to exercise Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction as appeares by what is foresaid and still is in practise in the High Comission in which are alwayes the Lords of his Majesties Privy 〈…〉 If the Oath be once lawfully taken what new power can discharge it in such a case they may aswell Unchristian me as unsweare me How can any honest sworne Subject take this New Oath without manifest danger and great suspition of perâ—ary for having sworne before for the King in case he alter the Government by vertue of this Oath I have sworne against the King set up Oath against Oath myselfe against my Soveraigne and that which is yet worse must not repent of it For I am sworne from ever consenting to what his Majesty hath done And is that all No I must dissent and become a Schismatick and Seperatist for ever Neither is that all but I must take up Armes twice a year at least and Preach for the Hierarchie and their present Government against my Soveraigne and that he hath charged This I am bound to by vertue of the 〈◊〉 Canon and if not by the Oath of Canonicall obedience And in case a Minister refuse or neglect this it's Suspension by his 〈◊〉 and if it be done who knows but it may câ—st Hangâ—â— tuum for resisting Supreme Authority Againe this Oath is a plot to sweare in the conceit of Episâ—â—pacie to be jure divino of late they have step'd off from their ancient foundation thinking to weaknesse either to depend vpon humane Laws or Princes favours and have published to the whole world that their standing is by divine right and therfore 〈…〉 Now this Oath will hinder the alteration of the Church Government to a better For being once sworn to Melius non mutabis pejus Christs Kingdome must be kept out Antichristian Offices government rules and wayes of proceeding be established in the Church and that by an Oath If the Book of Common Prayer would better the Discipline and doe much wish therefore to have publique Penance restored this Oath contradicts it and tells us that we have all the Discipline is needfull to Salvation and that the Government by right ought to stand aâ— now it stands But there are great grievances dreadfull disorders and horrible corruptions in the Discipline and Government of the Church as now it stands and men should rather sweare to indeavour their utmost to get them removed in this approaching Parliament then give consent to have them unalterd one day longer as Iesu-worship Altar-worship kneeling at Sacrament promiscuous receivers subscription Oaths ex Officio Canonicall obedience reading of Apocrypha Books abuse of Excommunication the exorbitant power of Bishop interdicting whole Churches perverting equity in all their Courts changing times and seasons for Marriage at their pleasure hindring Preaching and praying where they list imposing new and unlawfull things upon the Ministry illegally outing them from their livings c. The proceeding yet in many things by the Popes Canon Law the taking away the power of the keyes from the Pastors of particular Congregations and setting up Chancellors over them and their flocks putting into Laymens hands for a Chancellor is no other the power of Excommunication Lay-Elders are much cryed out of and condemn'd by us in the Scottish and Forraigne Churches and yet we set and hold them up at home with both hands The Bishop delegates his power to the Chancellour and so the sentence of Excommunication is devolv'd upon a meere Lay-man which dealing with Presbyterians we say is incompatible to a Lay-man and what is this but to destroy with the hand what we bind with the tongue Neither is that shift avayleable to say it 's some grave Minister that must pronounce the sentence because he is but os Canceliarij the mouth of the Chancellour to pronounce what he decrees who can stoppe it if not pronounc'd call it out of the Ministers hand and must give the Aâ—solution if pronounced and so the whole power lyes still in the Chancellors hand If these things therefore and diverse other were altered we should not abjure them but thinke our selves bound by right and Conscience to intertaine them Againe this Oath appeares further to be unlawfull First because it doth insuare our Consciences and takes away the liberty of them binding us not so much as to consent unto any alteration although it should be in the judgement of all farre better then what we have Secondly it doth make us vassals and bondslaves to the Prelary we must be their sworn Subjects and tye our selvs by Oath to uphold their tottering Kingdome And if the Prelacie have its pedegree from Rome as some of themselves 〈◊〉 me what is this Oath but a policie to setch in our shoulders so support Antichrist and his Government what is it but the plain marke of the Beast which some make to be an Oath and others a submitting to his power and acknowledging of him to be Lord Meâ—d in Comment. 〈◊〉 Here is both an Oath and an absolute 〈◊〉 unto the 〈◊〉 and acknowledging of them to be 〈◊〉 By this Oath free 〈◊〉 become 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 contrary to the Petitâ—on of Right 30. 〈◊〉 3. It is an 〈◊〉 and perpetuating of humane and 〈…〉 for the whole Hierarchie mention'd in the Oath from Arch-bishops to the end of the c. are sufficiently known to be moore Ecclesiasticall Constitutions and subject to such coruptions from time to time as may necessitate an altertâ—ion Are there not such â—oule corruptions now amongst them as erâ— mightily to the Parliament for alteration and without redresse will sinke the whole Kingdome What safety or 〈◊〉 then
the Doctrines of thy Grace and Gospel with the preaching thereof all preaching on thy Dayes in the afternoons and all true Catechising mainly cryed down and that all thy painfull and godly Ministers are persecuted suspended deprived cast out of all and can have no remedy either by course of Law which is stopped or by the King himselfe to wâ—om they complaine and that the Prelates of late more especially usurped a false Title to their false Government Ecclesiasticall by claiming their Prelaticall Jurisdiction from thine own divine Authority So as we cannot be any longer ignoranâ— except we will be wilfully blind that the Doctrine of the Church of England established in Queene Elizabeths dayes hath now suffered not onely an Innovation but an utter eversion and extirpation of the very foundations thereof And this Innovation this eversion being now finally concluded on in a Synod confirmed by the King and injoyned to be Sworne unto by all those aforesaid and besides all this the King himselfe professing that he hath diligently with great contentment and comfort read and considered of all the said Canons Orders Ordinances and Constitutions of the late Synod aforesaid and that he finds the same such as he is perswaded wil be very profitable to the whole Church and Kingdome And thereupon doth propound publish and straightly injoyne by his Authority and Letters Patents the same to be diligently observed executed and equally kept of all his Subjects within this Realme Now ô Lord all these things weighed and layd together Solemne and Sacred Protestations against Innovations on the one side and a mighty flood of Innovations on the other side which by Royall Authority have made a terrible universall invasion and irruption both into thy Spirituall Kingdome and this Temporal threatning speedily to sweep all away at once what shall we thinke Or what shall we say Wouldst thou have us still to dreame or imagine that here are no Innovations at all brought in either of Doctrine or Ecclesiasticall Government and all because the King hath so frequently so solemnly before Gâ—d and Angels and Men protested to the contrary Or that the Innovations concluded in this Synod are therfore no Innovations because ratified and confirmed by the Kings Letters Patents and by all the strength of Royall Authority and because commended by the King to be such as he is perswaded wil be very profitable to the whole Church and Kingdome Or may we not rather thinke or rather most certainly beleeve that for the iniquities of the Land oppression in the State persecutions of thy Ministers effusion of innocent blood of thy Servants open Profanation of thy Sabbaths and that by publicke dispensation yea in a word a contemptuous trampling of all Laws divine and humane underfeet nay yet moreâ— more especially as the orginall source and cause of all the rest a damnable Apostacie from the Gospel joyned with a desperate League with Rome too palpable to be seen so as Antichrists Religion is imbraced instead of thy True word and Gospell for this for these crying sins is it not lawfull for us to thinke at least yea to beleeve that thou in thy just judgement restrained and withheld from us the benigne influence of the Kings heart and hast so farre for a time at least for our humiliation given him up to be Seduced by the Prelates and their Romish faction and to be guided and led by their Councels as refusing to hearken to any true Information of his most loving and loyall Subjects whereof we have had of late lamentable experience he will rather hazard all his Kingdomes then either displease them or disobey their Councels But yet ô Lord seeing thy judgements are unsearchable and thy wayes past finding out we will not take upon us to judge in so deep a matter onely thou hast sayd you shall know them by their fruits But Lord the King saith He doth these things by his Prerogative Royall and Supreme Authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall Holy and Righteous Lord hast thou given to any mortall Creature to any Kings on Earth any such Prerogative Royall any such Supreme Authority over thy Church as to alter Religion at his pleasure or to confirme the alteration of the true Religion for others pleasure to make voyd by Edicts or Declarations the Saving Doctrines of thy word thy holy Commandements thine eternall Law or to sit in thy Throne over the Soules and Consciences of thy People captivating and oppressing them under the burthens of humane inventions and Superstitious Ceremonies Nay hast thou not expresly * forbidden thy People to subject their necks under any such yoake as being a denyall of thee our King and of our Redemption by thy precious blood Such usurpations therfore of man we doe ô onely Soveraigne of our soules even before Angels and men utterly renounce ‡ O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy Name And Lord be thou our Judge between us and our oppressors in this thing and give thy People holy courage and zeale to use all lawfull meanes for the upholding of this thy Sole Royall Soveraignty over our poor Soules and Consciences against all Antichristian usurpations to the contrary And last of all whereas our King saith that he hath called and given free leave to this Synod to treat and agree upon certaine other Canons necessary for the advancement of Gods Glory the edifying of his holy Church and the due reverence of his blessed Mysteries and Sacraments which words are taken out of the Act for Conformity in Queen Elizabeths Raigne If it shall clearly appeare by this our Complaint following that the things concluded in the said Synod be neither for the advancement of Gods glory nor the edifying of his Church nor the due reverence of Christs holy Mysteries and Sâ—â—raments but quite contrary then how the Kings Authority extends to the confirmation of those things therein so concluded do thou ô Lord Judge In the next place we present our Complaint before thee ô Lord touching the most materiall Canons concluded by the â—â—id Synod and confirmed by the King The first is Concerning the Regall power 〈…〉 〈…〉 or absolute as all Tyrannicall States as that of the Turke seeing the Kingdome of England is â—empered seasoned and conditioned with good Laws which are the ordinary rules of good and just Government of the Subject the due execution whereof in the administration of the Kingdome is an essentiall part of the Kingly â—ffice which cannot be seperated one from the other To this purpose King Iames in 〈…〉 * Speecâ—es in Parliament expresly distinguisheth between an absolute Monarchie not bounded with Laws but depending onely on the will of the Prince and the King of England who saith he doth by 〈…〉 that by Oath â—nter upon the Kingdome to of their Estates let him but call a Parliament and yeeld to the redressing of their heavy grievances and he shall find us
his People most ready to yeeld him all manner of necessary due Support yea abundant more then necessary Yet Neverthelesse Subjects have not onely possession of c. Againe what assurance of true and just right title and property to and in all their goods and estates can this their Canon as it were by Canon-Law make unto the Subjects of England when all then practises both in the Ecclesiasticall and Civill Government are such such the courses of their Courts whether Ecclesiasticall or mixt as consisting of Ecclesiasticall and Civil Judges together but still where the Ecclesiasticall beare the maine Sway even there where they be fewest in number such their usurped illegall extravagant power such terrible Precedents filed up in their Courts which stand for Laws and ruled Cases for all that come after and the like as no Subject in the Kingdome can secure himselfe that any one thing or all that he possesseth are his owne For the best and surest Tenure by which every free-borne Subject holds the right and propriety of his goods is the Law of the Land But let the Subject be brought into one of their Ecclâ—siasticall Courts as aforesaid whether into their High-Commission or other Courts where the Arch-prelates sit party Iudges and be his cause never so just never so innocent never so cleare as against which no Law of the Land doth lye yet first of all in those Courts he cannot have any benefit of the Law at all and consequently where those Ecclesiasticall Judges set their Fangs they will teare a man out of all his estâ—â—e yea out of his Skin and pull his flesh from his back and breake him and his all in pieces So as at those Boards where these harpies sit against whomsoever complaints are served in being such especially as wheâ— the Ecclâ—siasticall teeth against them how quickly shall they and their whole estates be swallowed up as it were at one morsell And to the end that the Civil State may be subservient to the Ecclesiasticke these Ecclesiasticks have their care in every bâ—â—te and their finger in every pye where any thing may be pluckt from the Subject by hocke or by crooke that so as their Ecclesiastick Government is Tyrannicall so they may advance the Civil to hold correspondence with it So as now the whole Government taken together is reduced to certaine Tallâ—s even as all Religion is served up upon a Court-Cuâ—bord at the end of the Chanâ—cel wherof anone And as is noted before which least it be forgotten we mention againe whatever Conclusions or Orders are made at those Tables or Boards â—e they never so foule and shamefull they are fixed and filed up for perpetuall Laws in all such cases for time to come yea and when they please where they want a Precedent for some extraordinary feat to be done they can with a wet finger make a new Law for it Hereof if we take but a few instances it will easily appeare what truth there is in the words of this Canon which seem to give to the Subject what ever right and title and true property of estate doth or can belong unto them For first we have late Precedents to shew that no Freeman of London after he hath served his yeares and set up his Trade can be sure long to injoy the Liberty of his Trade but either he is forbidden longer to use it or is forced at length with the rest of his trade to purchase it as a Monopolie at a deare rate which they and all the Kingdome pay for Witnesse the Sope-businesse Againe no Doctor and practitioner in Physicke is sure to hold his Profession whereby he and his should live when once he comes into the High Commission Witnesse Dr. Bastwicks case Item no Minister is sure to hold his free-hold his Benefice which is by Law his freehold if once he be quarrelled in the High Commission yea or in other inferiour Ecclesiasticall Courts Witnesse manifold Precedents in the Land Item none can be sure that his goods are his owne when all and more then all are taken from 〈…〉 Witnesse Mr Henry Buâ—ton one of the foresaid three Item none can be sure of his right and title propriety and interest which the Divine Law and Sacred Ordinance of God hath given a man in his own Wife but that one of these Boards shall 〈…〉 him as by vertue thereof being confined to perpetuall 〈◊〉 prison his Wife shal be perpetually seperated from him so as if she shall dare to hazzard her life in a farâ—e â—ourney by Sea which She would doe to have but a sight oâ— her Husbands face she must be sent Prisoner backe againe Witnesse the case both of Dr Bastwâ—cke and Mr Burton aforesaid Many more instances might be brought But these Summed up together let any English Subject now resolve what assurance oâ—true and just â—ight title and property to and in all their goods and estates or in any of the particular instances forespecified this false and wicked Canon can give him Let him be but brought before one of these Boards and he shal be stript of all They will pretend this and that I wot not what heâ—nous crime 〈…〉 as they did against those three aforesaid when they could not prove any such thing And Mr Burtons Case in particular being a Minister was so cleare his defensive Answere being orderly admitted in Court and before the day of 〈◊〉 by the Courts order expanged by two of the Judges oâ— that Court as Impertinent and Scandalous as they could object nothing against him at the Censure but proceed against him Pro Confessâ— all his fault being his refusaâ—l to answere 〈◊〉 Interrogatories which if he had done he had betrayed his Cause and layd both it and himselfe open to the just lash of the Court by assenting to the condemnation of his innocent Cause before it was heard Which one Example well weighed what Cause so innocent so just can look to escape Scot free But thus we see ö Lord and thou better seest what truth these Canonists have in them whose words pretend all right to the Subject and whose deeds doe practise the bringing of all mens soules bodies and estates under the yoake of an universall Tyranny To proceed For the third the setting up of an independent coactive power Papall or popular which undermines they say the Royall Office and cunningly overthrows the sacred ordinance of Godthis being meant of the State of Religion if it be Papall it is altogether unlawfull as being Antichristian but being according to thy word every Christian State is bound to 〈◊〉 it up and maintaine it and no Christian King ought to hinder or oppose it But as for all Pre 〈…〉 it is meerly Papall and Antichristian though not in the first degree the Pope usurping an universall power over all the Churches in the world yet in a second Every Prelate in his Diocese exercising a Papall power and so doth cunningly undermine the Royall Office and overthrew Gods
's the Synodâ— vain hope or rather hypocriticall dissimulation For they know it to be most true and the Papists have reason so to hope as some of their own Authors in their late English pamphlets have jeaâ—â—ngly writ of Englands backâ—â—tiding to Popery as of a thing whereof England is grown now adayes very ambitious And for the feare and jealousie which they say the weake have hereof have not the wisest men in the Kingâ—â—â—â—e the like feare and jealousie and that upon just causes and grounds And suppose the weake onely were offended with such things why did not the wise and Sacred 〈◊〉 rather remove the Scandall then slappe them in the mouth with the Fox tayle of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canon or smoke out their cryes with the charge 〈…〉 †The strong as saith the Apostle ought to beare with the 〈◊〉 of the weake and not to please themselves But the Synod tells us That the standing of the Communion-Table 〈◊〉 way under the East window of every Chancel or Chappell i◠〈◊〉 its 〈◊〉 nature indifferent neither commanded nor condemned by the word of God either expresly or by immediate deduction and therfore that no Religion is to be placed therein or sâ—ruple to be made thereon First if it be a thing indifferent why doe they trouble me Consciences of their weakâ— brethren with it who hold it to be a thing Scandalous This is against the Apostles Rule even the rule of Charity tending to the destruction of mens soules Secondly if a thing indifferent why are they so eagre for it when it may as well be forborne and especially at this time when both the Kingdomes and the wisest men therein are so troubled with it the â—eace disturbed the State distracted and the Kingdomes hazarded Thirdly if it be indifferent why doe they not so leave it Why doe they alter the nature of it turning the indifferencie into a necessity as they doe with all their other Ceremonies which they professe to be in their own nature indifferent yet turne them out of their nature and make them necessary and so intolerable burthens to mens Consciences Yea why doe they force all Ministers to take a Solemne Oath that they approve these things as necessary to be observed But neither is this they so urge a thing in its own nature indifferent namely whether the Communion-Table stand Sideway under the East window of every Chancel For first it is a Communion Table and therefore to stand in the midst where all may sit about it as about a Table and thus it is rightly and properly a Communion-Table it is not a Communion-Cubbord or a Communion dresser to stand Side-way to the wall That 's no Communion Table And consequently such a standing Sideway to the wall of every Chancel is by immediate deduction condemned in the word of God For the word of God calls and commends and commands this by the name of the Lords Table and so it commands withall the proper use of it as of the Table of the Lord but the standing of this Table Sideway to the wall takes away not onely the nature and indeed the name of a Table but also the proper use of the Lords Table where every one of his family is to sit about it As David saith †Thy Children like olive plants round about thy tableâ— For such is the right and proper use of a Table And therefore as the Scripture commands and commends unto us the Lords Table with the right use thereof as is sutable to the nature of it So by necessary consequence and immediate deduction the Scripture condemnes any such posture or placing therof as alteeâ— both the nature and use of the Lords Table So as it is not a thiâ—g indifferent whether the Table stand sideway to the wall for it ought not so to stand seeing it is a perverting of the nature and use of the Table of the Lord and so a perverting of the Lords Ordinance Againe not indifferent for all Chancels alike for in many vast Churches the People cannot heare when their Priest sayes or sings his Second Service at his new Altar as he is injoyned unlesse the Ordinary be more mercifull to the Congregation were it a mercy to communicate with Superstitious worship and Service Againe the word of God * expresly condemnes in his people the â—mitation of the heathen in their Idolatry or Superstition or to doe after their manner So as such guises are not things indifferent Now for the standing of the Communion Table sideway to the East wall is to place it like to Popish Altars which are Altars of Idolatry like to those of the heathen and so is a faire inducement by degrees of their Idolatrous Sacrifice too for all the faire pretences the Synod makes to the contrary And doth not the Synod confesse that at the time of Reformation of this Church from that grosse Superstition of Popery it was carefully provided that all meanes should be used to root out of the minds of the people both the inclination thereunto and memory thereof especially of the Idolatry committed in the Masse for which cause all Popish Altars were demolished Then we aske thy Synod why they are here so zealous in seting up the Communion Table sideway to the East wall after the manner of Popish Altars Seeing before they pretend such care and zeale for the suppressing of the growth of Popery and for the bringing of Papists to the English Church Where when they come and presently see a thing set up sideway at the East end of the Chancel just like their high-Altar and seeing withall the people or Priest lowly lowting unto it or devoutly bowing before it or toward it are they not hereby straight put in mind of their old Romish Idolatry enough to make them presently to turne Papists againe Where is then the carefull provision of this Synod that all meanes be used to root out of the minds of such both the inclination and memory of the Idolatry of the Masse for which cause our ancient Reformers caused all Romish Altars to be demolished times in the place where the Altars formerly stood but in time of of 〈◊〉 in the midst of the Church or Chancel And yet the â—â—uâ—ction did not necessarily tye the Table to stand at all other times saving at the Communion at the end of the Chancel but for most conveniencie according to the discretion of the Minister and Gardians And certainly the good Queens intent never was are could be that that standing so at other times should be a precedent for aftertimes to introduce Altars againe there to have a fixed station and so to become a stumbling blocke to Protestants and a laughing stock to Papists causing the one to feare Innovations and the other to hope our backesliding into Popish Superstation And that the Table hath stood so ever since unremoved in the Royall Chappels there is not the same reason of a Chappel and of a Church a Chappel wanting converâ—ent