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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05555	The answer of John Bastvvick, Doctor of Phisicke, to the information of Sir Iohn Bancks Knight, Atturney universall In which there is a sufficient demonstration, that the prelats are invaders of the Kings prerogative royall, contemners and despisers of holy Scripture, advancers of poperie, superstition, idolatry and phophanesse: also that they abuse the Kings authoritie ...	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.; England and Wales. Attorney-General.	1637 (1637)	STC 1568; ESTC R212826	58,859	30

God of the whole world can not bee understood when notwithstanding David sayth they give light and understanding to the simple and that by reading and meditating in the law testimonies of the Lord he grew wiser then his Teachers and Paul that Timothy knew the Scriptures from his youth 2● Tim. chap. 3. vers 13. and notvvithstanding all this dare the Prelats affirme that the meaning of this Scripture cannot be knovvne vvithout the interpretation of the Fathers We have great cause to praise and blesse God that hath so graciously afforded us better Masters to be taught by It is good ever therefore to listen unto them Let us heare novv then vvhat the Prophets Christ and his Apostles have taught us concerning ●his vvaighty matter and of so great consequence let us follovv their example and instruction vvhich lead us into all truth and not listen to the contemners of holy Scripture They send those that are studious of the vvayes to heaven to the lavv and to the testimonyes Esai 8. to Moses the Prophets and the Scriptures not to the traditions of the Elders and custome of antiquity And they that bring an other doctrine are not to be listened unto neither may vve bid them God Speed The Word of the Lord is the vva● light and Lanthorne to our Feet vvhich send forth sufficiently the beames of truth and shines so clearly of it self as it may be both knovvne proved expounded and unfolden by its ovvne brightnesse T●ey do as it vvere lend luster unto the Sun from a smoaking snuffe that from the mist of the Fathers vvould bring light unto ●he Scriptures God is the Author of the Scriptures vvho is the originall and fountayne of all light in vvhom there is no darknes For the Prophesie came not in old time by the vvill of man but holy men of God spake as they vvere moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. chap. 1. vers 21. we have also a more sure vvord of Prophesy sayth the same Apostle vvhereunto you doe vvell that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place vers 19. So that the Scriptures vvere of purpose penned by holy men inspired by God him●elfe for a direction light to the Saints to be guided by and so they are termed by the holy Ghost So that as Peter sayd unto Christ in the sixt of Iohn vvhen he asked his tvvelve Disciples if they also would goe away To whom shall wee goe sayth he thou hast the Words of eternall life Even so we may truly say whither shall wee goe for light and direction to get to heaven but to the holy Scriptures for they have the Words of eternall life in them and this ●ayth Christ and his Apostles and yet notwithstanding all this excellent light that shineth in the Scripture the Prelats averre they are but blind guides and preferre humane darknes before the splendor of these sacred Oracles the Scrip●ures and say without the interpretation of the Fathers ●hey can not be knowne which is unsupportable blasphemy and as much as to tell the everliving God and truth it selfe hee lyes It is most veritable that they see not the light of the Scripture the eyes of whose minds are blinded neither doe they see the light of the Sun whose eyes are plucked out If our Gospell be hid sayth Saint Paul it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds that is in infidels least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should shine upon them 2 Cor. chap. 4. vers 3 4● every one knoweth the voice of that man with whom he is acquaynted as soone as the sound of it commeth to his eares and shall we not know the voice of God so clearly and perspicuously speaking unto us in the Scriptures Those that are taught of God know it ●he true worshippers of him know and understand it those that have any familiar commerce with heaven and in heavenly things But wordly men and those that are given to the love of the same are carelesse of heaven and happines they understand not the Divine language nor heavenly voice Canany heare the voice of God and not assent unto it without the aide and autority of the Fathers what a contumely is this to holy Scripture Shall God have lesse autority credit among men then the Fathers Shall vve not beleeve God speaking unto us and shall we beleeve the Fathers Shall we not give credit to Gods word and shall wee beleeve men Let the dishonor of so great a contumacy against God be farre from Christian obedience Truly the Fathers being conscious of their owne imbecillity and vveaknesse● never thought themselves worthy of so great dignity as to suppose that any honour came unto the Scriptures from their interpretations and expositions who in their writings frequently exhort their Readers not to listen what they say but what the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles speake in them and no farther to receive their autority and doctrine then it is grounded upon the holy Scriptures expressions to this purpose the Defendent saith he could accumulate infinite out of the Fathers which for brevity he omitteth fearing to be over tedious though it be a matter of greatest importance Such was the modesty of ●he Fathers fearing to be vvise above that vvhich vvas vvritten ever making the holy Scripture the rule and measure to be guided by And in this moderation the Fathers imitated Christ the Prophets and Apostles vvho ever fetch the proofe testimony of their doctrine from the Scriptures not as novv the Prelats doe preposterously bringing autority to the Scriptures from the interpretation of the Fathers according to their ovvne sense To the Lavv and to the Prophets sayth Esay 8. vers 20. vvhosoever speaketh not according to that hath no light in him And Iosua that great Commander is inioyned by God to order and governe himselfe and the people and the whole Common wealth according to the rule of the Scripture Iosua 1. ver 7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayst observe to doe according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayst prosper whither soever thou goest This Booke of the Law shall not goe out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good suc●●sse And in the 23 chapter vers 6. he sayth Be yee therefore very couragious to keepe and to doe all that is written in the Booke of the Law of Moses that you turne not asides therefrom to the right hand nor to the left And Christ himselfe our great Master sayth Ioh. 5. vers 38. Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have

THE ANSWER OF JOHN BASTVVICK Doctor of Phisicke To the Information of Sir IOHN BANCKS Knight Atturney universall IN WHICH There is a sufficient Demonstration That the Prelats are Invaders of the Kings Prerogative Royall Contemners and Despisers of holy Scripture Advancers of Poperie Superstition Idolatry and Prophanesse ALSO That they abuse the Kings Authoritie to the oppression of his loyallest Subjects and therein exercise great crueltie tyrannie and injustice and in the execution of these impious performances they shew neither wit honestie nor temperance NOR That they are either Servants of GOD or of the KING as they are not indeed but of the Devill being enemies of God and the King and of every living thing that is good All which the sayd Doctor Bastwick is ready to maintaine before King and Counsell against them all with the hazard of otherwise being exposed to extremest miserie Printed in the yeare 1637. To the Kings most Excellent Majestie Most Sacred Majestie THE comfort of all poore Subjects under any Kingdom and Empire hath ever be●n this That in all oppressions calamities they had a Caesar to appeale to● who in the place of God did defend the poore from the tyranny of the mighty deliver them from the cruelty of the more potent after hee had heard their just Defence and Answer for themselves this is the onely glory of a Monarchy and of regal Government which favour liberty was never yet denyed under Pagan Emperors to poore Christians and the which your Highnesse hath never yet refused to grant to any in your Kingdomes which hath emboldened mee a loyall though poore Subject in this great extremity to flye unto your Highnes who hath been most cruelly and unjustly dealt with by the Prelates for mayntayning your Prerogative Royall and at this time suffers their mercylesse oppression being denyed that which hath not been hitherto refused to those that have been reputed delinquents against sacred Mast. and to have abused the reverend Iudges of the Kingdome which was the enjoying of the society of their wifes and friends for their reliefe and comfort and that they might put in their answer under their owne hands names when they could have no counsel and yet these are now denyed unto your poore Subjects by the Prelats Wherefore he amongst the rest doth humbly appeals unto your Mast. beseeching your gracious Highnes to heare his just defence and answer especially it tending so much for the advancement of the honour of God the honour dignity of your most excellent Mast. the good of the whole Kingdome it making so much allso for the discovering of the cruelty tyranny unjustice of the Prelats over your loyallest Subjects in abusing your Mast autority their impiety also against God their disloyaltie also against your sacred Mast. with the vvrong they have likevvise done to your royall Father of famous memory All vvhich if hee shall not bee able to prove against them he vvill vvillingly undergoe vvhat punishment any authoritie shall lay upon him Therefore he most humbly beseecheth your Mast. that you vvould please to receive his ansvver to vvhom he hath made it● vvhom chiefly it concerneth And hee shall ever acknovvledge your Princely favour in it and shall ever pray for your Mast. happy raigne and long life● vvith the affluence of all divine benediction upon your Royall Person Crovvne Dignitie your illustrious Posteritie and ever remaine Your most truely obedient Subject JOHN BASTWICK The severall Answ●● OF Iohn Bastwick Doctor of Physick 〈…〉 ents to the Information of Sir Iohn Ba 〈…〉 his Majesties Atturney Generall THe ●aid Defendent saving reserving to himselfe now and at all times hereafter all advantages and benefits of exceptions to the incertaintie and insufficientie and other imperfection of the said Information For answer thereunto so far forth as concerns the sayd defendent he saith he doth with all thankfullnes acknowledge his Majesties great care zeale at all times for the mayntenance and defence of the true Christian faith and religion the service of Almighty God love charity and concord among his Subjects withall that his people● all loyall Subjects have great cause dayly to praise God for the happy government they have had under him and for that they may for futurity promise unto themselves under his Royalty and Principality especially when he hath so graciously made knowne his pious intentions for the good● and Wellfare of Church and State in that his Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects of the causes which made him dissolve the last Parlament published by his Highnesses speciall command in the which Declaration pag. 21. his Mast. thus speaks For wee call God to record before whom we stand That it is and alwayes hath been our hearts desire to be found worthy of that Title which we account the most glorious in all our Crowne Defender of the faith Neither shall we ever give way to the autorizing of any thing whereby innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserve that unity of doctrine discipline established in the time of Queen Eliz● whereby the Church of England hath stood fl●rished ever since c. These words ●olemne protestation of our most pious King cannot but stirre up the hearts loves and affections of all his true and loyall Subjects both incessantly to pray for his happy life raigne preservation and also to the utmost of their powers to yeeld all subjection obedience yea their lives and liberties for the honour of his Crowne Dignity in the number of the vvhich Subjects the said defendent professeth himself to be being willing and ready at all times and upon all occasions not onely to lose his liberty livelyhood estate but millions of lives if he had them in defence of his Empire and prerogative royall and doth againe againe acknowledge and that with all thankfullnes his renowned Highnesses zeale care for the maintenance of the true religion love charity and concord amongst his Subjects and beseech the King of Kings and Lord of Lords long to continue him among us and to put into his royall heart to remove all those Scandals in Church State which have been● such hinderances of the propagation of the Christian faith and true religion established in his Mast. Kingdoms of the which he is defender in his dominions and the right instruction of the people in the same who alone are most of the Prelats in generall the Arch Prelats in speciall being so farre from seeking the right and due instruction of the people in the true Christian faith religion as the information vvould inferre as they spend their vvhole endeavours to take avvay all the possibility and meanes of instruction vvhich is the preaching of the vvord that is onely able to save our soules and vvithout vvhich no man can beleeve or come to life eternall as thousand pl●ces in sacred Writ vvitn●s and among other that

the Statuts at the Barr they notwitstanding affirmed that they had not their Autority and jurisdiction from the King but that Iesus Christ made them Bishops and bestowed their Autority upon them and that they were jure Divino and that they were before Christian Kings held the Crovvnes of Kings upon their heads for no Bishop no King and all this in a publick Court of judicature and in a most crouded assembly So that it seemeth the King is beholding to them and not they to his Majest And if this bee not to invade the Prerogative and to be enimyes of it and to be ungratefull unto his Highnes the Defendent knovveth not what it is to bee enimies of the prerogative The Lavves say it and therefore if the Defendent hath erred the Lavves have brought him into this error Neither did the Prelats ovvne Words at the Bart onely declare their disloyalty to the King and their independency on him but this very information vvhich comes from the Prelats in the name of the Attorney Generall sufficiently demonstrates it For in it the Defendent is accused as guilty of a great crime for vvriting against the Hierarchy and prefer●ing a Presbyterian pa●ity before the Sacred Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons What the Defendent hath Writ the occasion of it concerning the Presby●e●y the honorable Court hath been informed in part and vvithall if so vvriting be libello●s and the Defendent have erred in it the Holy Scripture is also libellous which vvere impiety to thinke and hath been the cause of it from vvhich he varied nothing at all in that discourse further the Defendent resolveth to live and die in that error concerning the parity of Ministers and Presbyters vvhich he is ready to prove and make good against all the host of Prelats Doctors Proctors Commissaries Officials and Surrogats this day living But the thing that the Defendent desireth the honorable Court to take notice of is the contumacy of the Prelats for they call their Hierarchy and the Orders of their Bishops Priests and Deacons Sac●ed which if it bee graunted and so bee indeed then the Prelats are from God and not from the King of whom they have no depence For speaking of the King wee say His sacred Majestie because God himselfe hath appointed Him over us for by mee saith GOD Kings raigne and all Authority is from God and Kings are called Gods so that Kings are sacred Persons But that Hierarchy should be sacred and that there should be a holy Principality of Pastors and Ministers the prime and forman of which should have the Keyes of Heaven Earth and Hell and that hee should dispose of Kingdomes and Empires and make the greatest Potentates and Rulers his Subjects and Vassals and should have his domineering servants under him in all Common-wealths and Princes Courts to pry into their royall proceedings to their revenues riches and treasuries to know their powers their allyes and confederates and be Counsellors of their most secret admission should have an autority and jurisdiction independent over their Subjects and Lawes and Canons of their owne making to rule by and by them to persecute and undoe them at pleasure in the number of which are Cardinals Patriarchs Prime-mates Metropolitans Arch●Bishops Bishops Deanes and innumerable such like vermin a member of which monstrous body our Hyrarchy is the Defendent saith this is not knowne in Sacred Writ nor never came from God but rather from the Pope and the Devill Diabolus cacavitillos Yea the Word of God is absolutely against it And that our Arch-Bishops Prime-mates and Metropolitans are members of that body let not onely our Martyrs writings and speeches Henry Stubbridge his exhortatory Epistle but even Masons Booke be looked into concerning the Succession of Bishops and it will be ●ound That hee derives their pedigree from Rome and so doth P●cklington in his Booke Sunday no Sabbath wherein hee saith● That our Prelats are lineally descended from Saint Peters Chaire at Rome they being therefore a branch of that Synagogue and standing by the same autority the Pope pretends to stand which is as they all chal●●nge jure divino they are enemies to the King and ●●vaders of his prerogative and so they are justly g●ilty of all those crimes they accuse the Pope of and as great enemies of God as hee is all which the Defendent hath sufficiently proved in his Apo●ogy For they challenge their Autoritie jure divino and say That Iesus Chr●●t made them Bishops and the holy Ghost consecrated them and that they we●e before Kings and held the Crownes of Kings upon their heads and the Pope sayes no more They call also their Hierarchy Sacred the Pope doth no more and for the erecting of this sacred Hierarchie Emperors Kings must be thrust down and made vassals of and all Kingdomes that are under their jurisdiction made slaves to it and all those stinking slavelings that depend upon it as the whole Christian world by woefull experiēce daily findeth But this same tearme of Sacred Hierarchie and sacred orders of Prelats ought here a little to be discussed That which is sacred is from God But the Hierarchie is not from God Ergo it is not sacred For the minor it is evident● That vvhich God hath peremptorily forbid to his Ministers and Servants and is an enemie to that is not of God and by his institution but hee hath forbid Lord●y dominion to all the Ministers of the Gospell saying The Princes of the Gentiles beare rule over them but it shall not be so among you you shall not Lord it over your Brethren Ergo th● Hierarchie is not of God but of the Devill that is the cause of all disorder and ignorance For God forbad his Apostles and in them all Ministers to be Lords over one an other and set his owne example before them of service and commanded them to immitate him and to bee humble and meeke and told them plainly That the office of Principalitie and Dominion belonged unto Kings and Princes and that their imployments consisted in their obedience to Kings in praying for them that they might live in all godly peace under them and that they should diligent●y feed the flock of Iesus Christ committed to their charge in season and out of season as they love him and will answere it at his last appearing● and this was all the businesse that Christs Ministers Servants vvere to be taken up in they were not to be intangled with the things and affaires of this life nor to bee incombred with worldly matters they have speciall commands and presidents to the contrary and their charge and dutie assigned unto them from which station they must not goe which is onely to feed the flocke with all care and diligence vvith the sincere milke of the Word to preach unto them day and night and to goe before them in godly and holy example and to neglect th●s and to be taken up vvith domination and

according to Gods command must svveare in right●ousnes in judgment and in truth Novv by this damnable oath ex officio he can doe none of all this For he knovveth not vvhat to svveare to and by that oath he makes that evill vvhich is good many times and that good vvhich is evill vvhich is great unrighteousnes and untruth he is also to accuse himselfe and his brethren to the utter undoing of them all vvhich is horrible injustice and vvant of vvisdom judgment Besides an oath by Gods ovvne appointment is to bee ●he end of all controversy It is the last thing in a controversy and the conclusion of it vvhere this end is not in an oath it is not to svveare according to Gods ovvne appoyntment but sinfully Now the oath ex officio is not such an oath for that is the beginning of all molestation and strife mischief vvicked debate and the cause of infinit brabbles and needles vexations to ●hemselves and others and therefore ought to be de●ested and abominated Further no man is to take the name of God in vaine novv in the oath ex officio every man takes the name of God in vaine For they vvil never beleeve him though he svveare by the day and by the night vvhatsoever he svveareth or sayth in his ovvne defence and justification let it be never so true as dayly experience can testifie but onely make it a trap and a snare farther to intangle and involve him therefore it being an oath against the Lavv of God of charity love nature it is to be detested as the devill and so the Defendent for his part doth abhorre it as he doth the devill and all his vvorks and as he doth all the other cu●sed and abominable proceedings of the Prelats vvho spend the vvhole patrimony of their vvit to molest the deare servants of God and the Kings best and loyallest Subjects By all vvhich unrighteous dealing they manifest themselves to bee the enimies of God and the King and as such the Defendent vvrites against them and so he yet vvill for the many reasons above alledged esteeme of them by vvhat names or titles soever they be called or whatsoever place of dignity they are in and in this mind the Defendent will persever till they have acknovvledged their contumacy to God and the King and repented of the same And thus much the Defendent had to say in his owne defence concerning the things hee was charged with in his Apology and with al desireth of this honourable assembly that the o●her matters that the informers say are of divers natures in it may be specified For it is an easy thing to pick here and there a word out of best books to doe a man a mischeife all men know Spiders will gather poison where Bees find hony and he knoweth very vvell he hath many malignant enimies and therefore desireth the favour of the honorable Court for his better defence And now he comes to the second booke called the Letany occasioned by the Bishops cruelty for they threatning him not onely to starve him out of his opinion but also vvith the pillory the losse of his eares the one at Colchester the other at London vvith the slitting of his nostrills branding of him in the forehead and he allso hearing that this decree vvas gone out before September last divulged and spread abroad by the Prelats favourits as all the Country vvill testify it put him upon his devotions and made him vvrite a Letany vvherein he prayeth for deliverance from them But vvhether that vvhich is annexed to the information be the same he knovveth not for the informers say that that is a prophane Letany As for the Letany the defendent made it was a good godly Letany and in that ridentem dicere verum Quid vetat And concerning the Christening hee doth confesse he did invite CANTERBURY AND LONDON IN HIS WIVES NAME AND THE WHORE OF BABYLON TO BE WITNESS●S Which he vvas constrayned to by reason of the penury of his freinds for the Prelats had driven avvay all his acquayntance so that every body vvas affrayd of them nor no man durst intertayne his poore vvife nor give her houseroome though she vvas then great vvith child and in much misery as the vvhole Country vvill justifie and in this distresse and calamity he did it vvi●hall he thought he did the Prelats a great deale of honour that he the Defendent should vouchsafe to have such men as they were to his Christening that he did joine so honorable a Gossip as the Matrone of Rome with them whom they so much honoured adored and pleaded for in this De●endents cause as Christs true Church and Spouse and their best beloved Mistris presuming that he could no way disparage them by joyning this Spirituall Mother with these Spirituall Fathers and in this the Defendent thinks he did very much grace them inviting such a Catholicke companie to the baptising of his child who he hopeth will live and die a true Christian Catholick And wonders that the Prelates should be so peevish as to misinterpret his ●eale to them all especiallie when he did give them their titles most magnificently as FATHER WIL●IAM OF CANTERBVRIE HIS HOLINESSE AND WILLIAM LONDON MAGNIFICVS RECTOR OF THE TREASVRIE Neither did hee see any reason why he should detract from Canterburie his titles for as he is Pope of Canterburie he is holy and for the title of Pope it was given antientlie to all or most Bishops and in speciall to his predecessor Anselmus that rebell as all Histories doe relate and the title of Grace is but the title of a Cardinall Besides that title is now revived if fame be not a liar which is a good plea in their Courts and false copies from both th● universities bee not dispersed and spred abroad For the Vniversity of Cambridge in their letters greet him with Sanctissim● Pater most holy Father the title of the Pope which onely belongeth to the first person of the glorious Trinity God blessed for ever and from Oxford they give him the stile of Sanctitatis his Holynesse and Edmund Reeve in his exposition of the Catechisme in the Common-Prayer Booke gives the title of Holinesse of times to the Bishops cals them Holy Fathers by their owne allowance and approbation Now he is a Father of the Church and that of Canterbury and he is VVilliam and he is Holy at leastwise vvould bee so reputed and vvould deeme it a Scandalum magnatum to be stiled prophane or unholy Ergo Father VVilliam of Canterburie his Holynesse and the Defendent is resolved never to detract any thing from his Holinesse but shall daily pra● that hee may grow and evermore increase in Holinesse And for the Prelate of London he should be feeding of Christs flocke in the Pulpit and he is at the receipt of custome telling of mony like Matthew the Publican before his calling to the Apostleship the love of vvhich is the roote of all evill and hath got himselfe no small honour by it vvhich the Defendent vvould not in the least diminish and therefore beeing 〈◊〉 skilfull H●rald nor acquainted vvith the titles of Honour they usually stile men in that place he vvas constrained to make use of a little of his Roman Rhetoricke and called him Magnificus Restor of the Treasury a fi●ting honorable title as he conceived vvhich he doth not nor ever shall repute a Scandall nor repent of that invitation And for any other passages that are in the Letany that he made he the Defendent is most assured if the honorable Court heard it all not by peeces and scrips vvhich hee most humbly desireth they vvould vvell perceive the Defendent had good reason for vvhat he hath both done and vvrit For this Honorable Court vvould then vvell perceive that the Defendent never medled vvith any of them nor in the least thing impeached their dignities till they by their delinquency against God and the King did manifestly demonstrate they were fallen from Grace and then as they had proclaimed themselves enimies of God and the King he did set himselfe against their proceedings and vvill continue in so doing though it bee through all misery to the last gasp of breath and vvill continually say LET THE KING LIVE FOR EVER AND THE ENIMYES OF THE KING PERISH and dying he will devoutly pray from plague pestilence famin from Bishops● Priests and Deacons good Lord deliver us Ever meaning from usurping Popish Bishops Priests Deacons and such as challenge their standing and Auto●itle jure Divino and not from the King as our Prela●● do And as to all other the residue of the offences and misdemeanors complayned of in the sayd information examinable in this honorable Court this Defendent saith that he is not guiltie of them or any of them in maner and forme as by the said information is supposed All vvhich matters this Defendent is ready to averte and prove as this honorable Court shall a vvard And humblie prayeth to be dismissed out of the same vvith his costs and charges against the Prelats by vexation in this his former suite in the High Commission most vvrongfullie susteyned FINIS