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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09313	The letters patents of the presbyterie vvith the plea and fruits of the prelacie. Manifested out of the scriptures, fathers, ecclesiasticall histories, Papists, and sundrie other authors. By Iames Peregrin.	[Peregin, James].; Partridge, James, attributed name. aut	1632 (1632)	STC 19622B.5; ESTC S103890	43,655	62

did leaue the care to the Bishop and ambition a wittie passion which doth insinuate it selfe in shew of vertue caused it to be readily embraced But the principall cause of the change was the ceasing of the persecutions For then the Bishops did erect as it were a tribunall which was much frequented because as temporall commodities so suits did increase The iudgment though distering from the former in forme to determine all by the opinion of the church was yet of the same sinceritie Which Constantine obseruing made a law that there should lie no appeale from the sentences of Bishops and if in a cause depending before a secular tribunall either of the parties shall demand Episcopall iudgment the cause shal be remitted to him Here the tribunall of the Bishop began to be a common pleading place The Emperour Valence enlarging it in the yeere 365. gaue the Bishops the care ouer all the prizes of vindible things Which troubled Austin and other good Bishops Afterwards some Bishops beginning to abuse the power giuen them by Constantine that law was 70. yeeres after reuoked by Arcadius and an ordination made that they should iudge causes of religion and not ciuill except both parties did consent and declared that they should not be thought to haue a court Which law beeing not much obserued in Rome in regard of the greate power of the Bishop Valentinian being then in the citie an 452. did renew it and made it to be put in execution But a litle after part of the power taken away was restored by the following Princes So that Iustinian established vnto them a court and audience the causes of Religion Ecclesiasticall faults of the clergie diuers voluntarie surisdictions ouer the laietie By these degrees they got domination The Empire being diuided and kingdoms erected Idem pag. 332. the Bishops for the most part were made councellors of the Prince which by mixture of spirituall and temporall charges caused their iurisdiction to increase exceedingly Before 200. yeeres were past they pretended absolutely all iudicature criminall and ciuill ouer the Clergie and in some things ouer the laietie After the yeere 1050. All the causes of the Clergie beeing appropriated to the Bishops and verie many of the laiesie vnder the title of spiritualitie and almost all the rest vnder the name of a mixed iudicature and placing themselues aboue the secular Magistrates vpon pretence of iustice denied they came to say that the Bishop had that power to iudge not by graunt or conniuence of Princes or by the will of the people or by custome but that it was essentiall to the Episcopall dignitie and giuen it by Christ And though the lawes of the Emperours remaine in the Codes of Theodosius and Iustinian in the capitulars of Charles the greate and Lewis the debonaire and others of later Princes which all shew when by whome this power was graunted and all Histories Ecclesiasticall and prophane agree in the same yet so notorious a truth hath bene ouercome by a contrary affirmation only without any proofe Pag. 334. In the councell of Trent a defect was considered that the charitie of the superiours was turned into domination and that thence grew appeale vpon appeale Iohannes Groperus who assisted there as a diuine and a lawier spake honourably of appeales said that while the heare of faith remained in the breasts of Christians Appeales were not heard of But charitie in the Iudges waxing cold and place being giuen to passion they entred into the church for the same reasons which brought them into the secular courts that is for the ease of the oppressed And as the first iudicatures belonged not to the bishop only but to him with the councell of his Preists so the Appeale was not diuolued to one man but vnto another congregation But the Bishops taking away the Synods did institute courts and officers like the seculars Neither did the mischiefe stop there but passed to greater abuses then in the secular court Which he shewes in that Appeale was made from Appeale till it came to the Pope and somtime by a leap to him without more a doe Iohn Baptista Castellus vvas made to salue vp these soares by a cunning oration Pag. 335. and 336. in the next congregation And so to restore Synodall iudicatures was reiected almost by all because it did diminish the Episcopall was too popular For proceeding against the persons of the Bishops no man desiring to facilitate the iudicature against himselfe the restoring of it to parochiall Synods vnto which it did formerly belong was not spoken of English Bishops in like wisdome suppresse all bookes Preachers that speake of the right of Elders or of such Synods and the like things that neither theu nor their owne vsurpations may be knowne By all vvhich vvee may see that it is a vveake defence for the authoritie of Bishops against the Eldership to alleadge the grant of Emperours Kings or as Bellarmin doth the Acts of any councell much lesse that of Trent Gods ordinance vvord should euer be of more force esteeme vvith true Christians then any of this kinde vvhatsoeuer By these affirmations of this impartiall Author vvhome they can not call a Brovvnist or a Puritan vvee may see that they in the church of England vvho vnderstand this clause Tell the church as if it vvere meant tell the Bishops or their Officials doe not only vvilfully vnderstand it as Christ neuer meant it of such as he neuer ordained but euen contrarie to the interpretation vnderstanding and practise of the primitiue church till the time of Cyprian that is for 250. yeers after Christ VVhich shevves the Gouernment of Diocessan Bishops their Officials Chancellors Courts and proceedings to be popish nouell intollerable such as make the ordinance of God of none effect take things vpon them vvhich belong not to them If a man dvvelling in the Isle of Ieresey in the Isle of vvight or in Surrey find himselfe much vvronged molested by a neighbour vvould Tell the church should he run to the Bishop of the Diocesse or to his Chancelour at VVinchester and not rather to the flock and the Elders thereof vvhereof he and the offendour are members vvhich flock should haue the povver the church of Corinth had It is remarkeable that vvhen Christ vvould reproue the seuen churches for certaine corruptions crept into them he doth not say vvrite and send it to the chiefe officers of the church to the Archbishops bishops or their officials Chancelours c. For there vvere no such officers then but vvrite and send it vnto the seuen churches Reu. 1.11 that is to the vvhole flock in Ephesus so to that in Smyrna and so in all the rest So it is still added Let him that hath an eare chap. 2.7 heare vvhat the Spirit saith to the churches Euerie man that vvas a member of the church must heare it and take care to redresse it Indeed

THE LETTERS PATENTS OF THE PRESBYTERIE VVith THE PLEA AND FRVITS OF THE PRELACIE Manifested out of the Scriptures Fathers Ecclesiasticall Histories Papists and sundrie other Authors By Iames Peregrin LVK. 16.14.15 All these things also heard the Pharises vvho vvere coueteous and they derided him And he said vnto them ye are they vvhich iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hearts for that vvhich is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Printed MDCXXXII To the sacred honour of the Lord God Creator of all things and Iudge of all men ALmightie and euerlasting God vvho hast set thy king vpon thy holy hill of Sion giuen him a kingdom that all nations and languages should serue him a kingdom that shall haue no ende giue vs vvee beseech thee to knovv vvhat it is to haue him for the Christ the only King and Lavvgiuer of his church the Anointing that thou hast giuen vs and to see that vvee haue no neede that any man teach vs but as the same anointing teacheth vs of all things by himselfe and by his Apostles and Prophets O teach vs at last to abide in him as he hath taught vs that vvhen he shall appeare vvee may not be ashamed before him at his comming Thou only O Lord canst best iudge vvhat are the things that truly belong to his kingdom and gouerument vvhat subordinate officers thou hast giuen to guide thy church and vvho are Intruders and vsurpers vvho serue aright to maintaine thy Truth and gouernment and vvho to obscure and oppresse the same vvho serue thy kingdom in a right vvay vvho only pretend it not seruing thee the Lord but theire owne bellies To vvhome then but to thee O dreadfull God should I thy poore seruant dedicate these his vveake labours For thou o Lord God best knowest the work that thou hast vvrought in thine thou art best able to trie and teach others to trie the Spirits vvhether they be of God or noe thou searehest the heart the reines the end and scoape of euery mans vndertakings vvho are led by thy Spirit into all Truth and vvho are only lifted vp in an opinion thereof vvho finding thy guidance in some things presume that thou teachest them all vvhich they beleeue or to vvhich they are conformable and doe not rather thinke it better to beleeue all that thou teachest to be conformed to that and be reformed by it vvho haue thy Truth in respect of the persons authoritie and benefits of men and vvho in respect of thee alone the only fountaine of Truth Thou o God the righteous Iudge seest vvhether I haue collected these proofes obseruations for the cause of Christ alone or for sinister respects thou best knovvest thy ovvne Truth and art best able to defend it and all them that seeke it Princes are men such as trust to much to theire iudgment and protection do oft finde themselues revvarded accordingly Thou hast the hearts of kings and all other men in thy hand thou canst turne them to see and acknovvledge thy truth Thou only that makest light to shine out of darknes canst shine in theire hearts to giue them true knovvledge and obedience Other Patrons can a litle countenance a booke vvith their greate names favours but thou o Kings of kings hast a name aboue all names thou only canst persvvade Iapheth to dvvell in the tents of Shem. Thou only canst informe and assure the heart in thy ovvne Truth VVho is able to hinder the light thereof vvhen thou vvilt haue it knovvne acknovvledged O therefore be mercifull vnto vs cause the light of thy countenance to shine vpon vs that thy vvay may be knovvne vpon earth thy sauing health vnto all nations that they may see the things that belong vnto their peace least haueing them hid from theire eies they groape at noone day straine at a gnat swallow a Camel Thou art the greate God that vvilt take account of euerie mans vvorkes and bring euerie secret vvorke and counseil vnto light It is thy grace and protection that I stand in neede of O be vvith me and forsake me not but shevv thy might in my vveakenes This g●ace vvhat else thou knovvest needefull for me the Reader or any of thy afflicted people grant vnto vs all for Iesus Christ his sake the Sonne of thy loue to vvhome vvith thee and thy holy Spirit three persons and one God be ascribed as due is all honour might maiestie and dominion novv and for euer To the Christian Reader IF a man Christian Reader liuing in Rome Spaine or any other kingdom where the truth is in any point oppressed should to conuince and conuert his nation be desirous to set out a booke on that subiect he would easely conceiue that by making himselfe publick he should nothing benefit the cause he might fall and perish in the inquisition before three men could come to reade it and that therefore it were better to liue obscurely and get it secretly printed and dispersed who could for this either blame him or vnder nice pretences reiect his proofes fairely deducted out of Gods word So if I considering that I haue liued an obscure life a● smale and of no reputation that in this case to make my self publick would doe no good but rather raise against me many mightie and vndeserued ennemies get my labour in Christs cause the sooner suppressed haue therfore tooke a like priuate course to the ende that Gods Truth might finde the more vnpreuentible passage thinke not that it will excuse any man to say of me he is a libeller or as the Pharises did of our Lord and Sauiour As for this fellow vvee knovv not vvhence he is Ioh. 9.29.33 But if God by so weake a meanes as I am open thine eyes in a point of any consequence say rather of the poore seruant as the man borne blinde of the Lord and maister If this man vvere not of God he could doe nothing Let me not be reckoned an * Gal. 4.16 enemie for manifesting Gods truth but remember that herein thou shewest thy * 1. Ioh. 5.3 loue to God if his doctrine his commandements be not grieuous vnto thee For his sake therefore reade this smale treatises and hereby thou maiest see a reason why many learned ministers do not or will not know or regard the truth in this point why the most in England are so vnwilling to know any thing thereof seast it should hinder them from subscribing and hauing of a good liuing or cause them to be put to silence if they should either preach write or speake against the gouernment of the Bishops If I haue proued that it makes greatly to the saluation of the Church and the preseruing of the faith it selfe in that puritie and simpliciue wherein it was left vnto vs by the Apostles and Prophets that the Truth of God be well knowne and manifested in this point remember it is thy duty

he bids him vvrite to the Angel that is to the Pastor of the church of Ephesus and so of the rest because the Pastor as the principall man and a President in the congregation should propound and make it knovvne to the rest he being one vvhome it did a litle more concerne then the rest as he vvas Shepheard of the flock so one that should looke to such faults yet all the Elders of euerie church vvere also to looke to it as those that had share in the gouernment and things vvere determined by voices of all men members of the church The Epistles vvere vvritten to them all as appeares also by that to the church of Smyrna the deuill shall cast some of you into prison Vers 10.22 23. I vvill giue vnto euerie one of you according to his vvorks And vnto you I say the rest of them of Thiatira as many as haue not this learning c. VVhen he saith of some churches that they had kept his name and not denied the faith c. and of others that they had left their first loue or had them vvhich held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans of Balaam or the vvoman lezabel It is sensles to thinke that only the Angel of each church is commended or taxed The reproofes and incitements to repentance are not to him alone but to the church Paul speaking to the church of the Colossians Col. 4.17 saith Say to Archippus Take heede to the ministrie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it He vvrit his Epistles vvherein their are directions for gouernment to the churches He vvilleth the church at Rome Rom. 16.17 to marke them vvhich cause diuisions and offences contrarie to the doctrine they had learned and to auoyde them In that greate busines Act. 15. the brethren vvere at the discussing of it the decrees vvent out in all their names It seemed good to the Apostles Act 15.22.23 and Elders vvith the vvhole church Letters vvere vvritten after this manner The Apostles and Elders and brethren vnto the brethren c. And in that it is said Vers 12. All the multitude kept silence and heard Barnabas c. All this shevves they had libertie to speake in due time if they had seene cause Act. 6.5 The saying pleased the multitude This shevves their consent and that they had voices For as Paul informed by the house of Cloe that there vvere diuisions among them 1. Cor. 2. conuinced them as an Apostle vvith vvords vvhich are the vvord of God so vvhen by them or by such others he vvas informed of the incestious Corinthian he conuinced them yet he referred the censure to the church Chap. 5.4 and vvould not doe the thing himselfe though as an Apostle he vvas a generall officer in all churches He vvisheth them to excommunicate him and after vvhen he had repented * 2. Cor. 2.7 to forgiue him It is true that the Keies of binding and loosing in this kinde vvere principallie giuen to the Pastors but ye see they did not excommunicate and restore vvithout the consent of the church And yet it is not meant hereby that this parochiall Gouernment should be ouerloaden vvith businesses much lesse vvith friuilous contentions For some things may be ended by the arbitration of tvvo or three neighbours and many causes are fitter for the common lavves and those courts vvhere the Kings Chancellour and other Iudges sit but only that such matters should be in the churches povver as are fit that the church should take care of them and iudge them So that this doth not ouerthrovv the authoritie of Christian Magistrates and their courts Neither can this be a cause of confusion making that vvhich is all mens busines to be no mans so that therevpon carelesnes should arise or pride and contention For vvee see that after this manner many things haue beene vvell discussed and determined in the high court of Parliament vvhere all things passe by voices as likevvise in ciuill corporations and common counsailes In vvhich things are best and most vncorruptlie carried vvhen men may speake their mindes freelie and are not oueravved by such greate ones as are the Bishops that haue povver to sit on their skirts that displease them For in this case men should thinke of that Mat. 23.8 One is your master euen Christ ye are brethren Doe ye not know that the saints shall iudge the vvorld 1. Cor. 3.6 chap. 2.15 He that is spirituall discerneth all things And thinke vvee then that they may not as vvell be fit Iudges of manners novv as they vvere in the Apostles time and the age next after them If it vvere once in vse men vvould soone be vvell enabled to the vvorke Besides the proofes out of Cyprian aboue mentioned Tertull. Apol. c. 39. lib. 3. contra a pist Parment Tertullian makes the officers to be only Presidents in the assemblie Hierom ad Demet. affirmes that the church it selfe hath right in excommunication as the Elders haue in other church censures Augustin thinks that it helpes much to the shaming of the partie that he be excommunicate by the vvhole church Zvvinglius Artie 8. explanat speaking of the contention vvhich hath bene vvhat a church is acknovvledges no other churches but 1. the companie of sure and firme beleeuers dispersed through the vvhole vvorld called the Catholick church And 2 seuerall congregations vvhich conueniently meete together in some one place c. of these he affirmes Christ to speake Mat. 18. Tell the church Peter Martyr in his common places Pant. 4. chap. 5. Sect. 9 making the church a Monarchie in respect of Christ an Aristocracie in respect of the Elders addeth also that because in the church there are matters of greate vveight and importance referred vnto the people as excommunication absolution choosing Ministers and the like it hath also a consideration of popular gouernment and vpon 1. Cor. 5.4 The Apostle as greate as he vvas vvould not excommunicate alone but did take counsaile vvith the church that the thing might be done by common authority VVhich notvvithstanding both Romish English bishops dare doe The Apostle indeede goes before the rest vvhich is the duty of the ancients of the church that the more ignorant multitude by their ●uffrages goeing before may be directed iudging Lib 1. de regno Christi cap. 9. Bucer affirmes that Paul accuses the Corinthians for that the vvhole church had not excommunicated the incestious persons Bastingius Loc. 4. quest 85. of his Catechisme speaking of the difference betvveene the tvvo keies that of preaching and the other of discipline placeth it in this that the former vvhich is of the preaching of the Gospel is committed to the ministers the other because it pertaines to the discipline of excommunication is permitted to the vvhole church I omit that vvhich Mr. Foxe Mr Cartvvright and other English men had said to this purpose because it vvould be too long for