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A55668 Prelacie is miserie, or, The suppressing of prelaticall goverment [sic] and establishing of provintiall, and nationall Sinods, is a hopefull meanes to make a flourishing church, and happie kingdome 1641 (1641) Wing P3211; ESTC R21720 4,495 12

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holy Sabboth Idolaters Adulterers and the like such as these not so much as once called to any accompt for these things no the puritanicall Priests as they call them they are the men they would roote out that so their kingdome of darkenesse might florish But the Lord saith by the Prophet Hosea O ye Priests heare this saith the Lord and harken yea house of Israel and give yeeare O house of the King for Judgement is towards you because you have beene a snare on Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor Hosea 5.1 and such shares have the Prelates laide for the people of God In his 119. Booke these are they saith Saint Austin who with severall burthens doe so oppresse our Religion which God of his mercy would have to be free under few and manifest Sacraments of Divine Service in so much that the state of the Iewes is more tollerable for their burdens were under the law of God but these burthens are under the devises and presumptions of men Object You will say it may bee how shall the Church then be governed shall the Church be without goverment Answ No the Church of God hath a governour Jesus Christ the head of the Church and under Christ wee have our gratious King who is governour of all persons and causes both Ecclesiasticall and sivill next under Christ within these his Dominions Object But what meanes may then be used for the discoverie of Heresies and the rooting out of Idolatrie out of the Church shall every Minister teach freely any thing whatsoever entreth into his fancy and shall their be no Church goverment from the Clargie at all Answ There is better meanes then to have it governed by Prelates and that according both to the Primative Churchs and also to the best approved late reformed Churches I. For every slocke there may bee chosen a Presbiter as the truth is the office of a Bishop is no more this Presbiter or Bishop set over only one perticular flocke being chosen with an unamimous consent of the people after proofe being made of him and hee placed there takes to himselfe the charge of the cure of those soules and any Heresie prophannesse or Idolatry or any such like evills which he seeth to offer to creepe into the Church hee may roote it out and suppresse it and not be feared by any one perticular Prelate ruling Lordly over him but sincerely to serve the Lord Christ II. Least some corruption should bee in the Presbitor so that these evills are passed by and are not reformed there may be a Provintiall Synod to reforme what the Presbitor either could not or would not unto which Synod may every Presbiter give an accompt conserning all matters committed to his chare and that there they may be further treated on and examined amongst them altogether III. There may bee a Nationall Synod also kept at severall times as shall bee thought meete for the publicke unitie of the Church and for the reforming of those evills and enconveniences which the Presbiter or Provintiall Synod shall escape Let any man now consider if it bee not more happie for the Church to have Sinods then to be ruled by Prelates and what happinesse may come by the one and what evill by the other Many are the abuses in the Prelates goverment 1. They would seclude the Nobles the Gentry and both the Houses of Parliament from having any right to meddle in Church matters 2. They Lordly exalt themselves above other Ministers contrary to the command of Christ and the Doctrine of the Apostles 3. Their Decrees tend to their owne ends and not to Gods Glory 4. They have corrupted Courts 5. They neglect their Studies and Preaching to follow matters of State 6. They labour to compell men to sweare rash and unlawfull oathes 7. They live in the pompe and glory of the world 8. They labour to bring in Popish Seremonies into the Church 9. They make a gaine of such things as even by their usurped Hierarchy they ought not to take money for with many other abuses too tedious to recon up in so short a volume all which might by Synods be prevented there being no Lordly Bishops save onely the Presbitors themselves being all equall Calvin saith On Epist to Titus Jn his instin that a Priest a and Bishop are all one as saith Saint Hierom. Churches were before governed by common Councells of Elders afterwards the care was committed to one man appointed by men so that the Bishops are above the Priests rather by custome then by the truth of the Lords disposing and they ought to governe the Church saith he in common together this is the true and ancient custome of the Primative Church and the chusing of a Bishop was no waies entended at the first for any Lordly Hier archy as the Prelates now use it whose pompe is growne to so great an height An example of their pride wee have in that Pope who set the Painter at worke in his gallery to draw the pictures of Peter and Paul who having painted their faces blushing red the Pope comming in to see his worke and asking him if Peter and Paul had such red faces because hee had so painted them no quoth he but if they were here now and did behold what a glorious rich and magnificent successor they have they would blush as red as now you see these Pictures doe and his holinesse was very well pleased with the Painters conceit to see himselfe a brave man● man then ever poore Peter and Paul were whose successor he boasts himselfe to be for what else but a sweet fable doth the Pope make of the Gospel as himselfe said and surely wee cannot thinke that Prelates who are the limbes of this great beasts are of another spirit then Athiesticall such as the head himselfe is of and which he hath derived to his members FINIS
PRELACIE IS MISERIE OR THE SVPPRESSING OF PRELATICALL GOVERMENT and establishing of Provintiall and nationall Sinods is a hopefull meanes to make a flourishing Church and happie Kingdome Imprinted for a good intent After Chrismas before Lent 1641. PRELACIE IS MISERIE PRelaticall Goverment is the Churches Ruine and Misery The Argument The Argument THat Goverment whereby Herisies Prophanines Idolatry and Superstitions hath great opprotunitie to creepe into the Church ● is the Ruine and Misery of any Church Nation or Kingdome But Prelaticall Goververment gives great opportunity for Herisies Prophannesse Idolatry and superstition to creepe into the Church Conclusion therefore Prelaticall goverment is the Churches Ruine and Misery First to prove that that Goverment whereby herisies prophanennesse Idolatrie superstition hath great opportunity to creepe into the Church is the Ruine and Misery of the Church Nation or Kingdome The Prophet Isay saith The Ancient and Honorable man he is the head and the Prophet that teacheth lies hee is the taile for the leaders of the people cause them to erre and they that are led by them are devoured Jsay 9.15 16. And Solomon saith that Iustice exalteth a Nation but sinne is a shame to to the people Prov. 14.34 And the Prophet Hosea saith Heare the word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the Lord hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the land because there is no Truth nor Mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land by swearing and lying c. Hosea 1.2 Therefore saith the Lord shalt thou fall in the day and the Prophet shall fall with thee in the night and I will destroy thee verse 5. Therefore saith Constantine writing to the Nicomedians if saith he Theodorus in his first book Chap. 19 there bee any Bishop which is inflamed to continue Herisies his presumption shall presently be corrected Secondly to prove that Prelaticall goverment gives so great an opportunity for Herisies Prophannesse Idolaty and Superstitions to creepe into Church I lay downe these two grounds First in regard of the Prelates themselves Secondly in regard of the Church 1. In regard of themselves whose calling is but an usurpation and such as is no waies warrantable nor lawfull but contrary both to the lawes of God the patterne of the Apostles the Primative Churches and also the custome of our latter reformed Churches It is an unbecomming thing for a Minister to be lifted up into places of worldly Honours and dignities whose office it is in all humility to Preach the Gospel of Christ and to set the Kingdome of Heaven as a marke before him and not like those Lordly Bishops who whine after Lordships and Earldomes and Kingdomes here on earth which our Saviour Iesus Christ forbiddeth marke Saint Paul setts forth the true approved Ministers of God not to bee such as lift themselves up as Lords but such as like the faithfull servants and Ministers of Christ are faithfull Preachers and disposers of his holy word 1 Cor. 4.1.2 And let our Lordly Bishops pleade for Episcopacie as much as they will S. Gregory saith plainey In his 4. 38 chap. that hee who shall have a guard of Priests to attend upon him is Antichrist 2. In regard of the Church our Lordly Bishops being so willing to bee taken from their calling of teaching instructing of their flocks upon whose charge the cure of their soules doth lie which made Saint Paul to call to minde that woe which lieth on those Ministers who forbeare to Preach the Gospel no he will not forbeare to Preach in regard of that necessity which is layd upon them no looking and labouring for the things which are seene but for the things which are not seene 2 Cor. 14.18 What can wee expect then but that our Prelates will bee ready to entertaine any Heresie prophannesse idolatrie or superstition so they be established in their usurped Seas or addeth profit to their estates and Earledomes of whom Cornelius Brit●o●o saith In the Chap. of Trident. would God saith he they would not goe wholly with generall consent from religion to superstition from Faith to Infidility from God to perjury for they all sought their owne and not for the things which pertaine to Iesus Christ The Reason which Prelaticall Reason or Lordly goverment of the Bishops is the ruine and misery of the Church is plaine because by their goverment Heresies Prophannesse Idolaty and Superstition hath great meanes and opportunity to creepe into the Church and that I shall make plaine to be true as may appeare by the woefull experience of the Churches under them I. If the Bishop himselfe of any Diocesse bee infected with any Heresie Prophannesse Idolatry or Superstition to binde the consciences of men to mens traditions to give liberty to prophane the holy Sabboth bee given to bowings and superstitious seremonies to have Alters and Images in the Church c. What shall we think will bee his dealing with those Churches within his Diocesse The holy people of the Lord see these things and are grieved to see them but they know not what course to take to reforme them 1. If they complaine at the Visitation they doe but like birds runne among limetwigges and in stead of reforming the Church hamper themselves into troubles 2. Secondly if they complaine to the Minister of the Parish either hee is one that will bee ready to defend it or if hee be an honest Minister that would gladly see these things reformed yet he dares not speake for feare of suspention or if he doe complaine he is silenced if not suspended Ipse facto yea it may be and loose his eares for his labour too 3. If they complaine to the Magestrate hee dares not meddle with it to goe about any reformation because hee will say it belongs to the Church Oh what a misery is this for any Church to be under such goverment where shee is constrained thus to bewaile her woefull miserie and cannot be reformed II. Those Ministers who are under any Bishops Diocesse have their mouthes so stopped by their Lordly Prelate that they dare not reprove any Heresie Idolaty or wickednesse which the Bishop doth either practise in himselfe or favour in others III. If any Heresie bee in the Church any Drunkard Horemonger or Papist that can but get into the Bishops favour either by bribes or friends or any other way then may such prophane persons still abide and goe on from time to time in their filthinesse without controulement and thus the corrupting of one Lordly Prelate is the misery of all the other Churches under him Can not not onely Lordly Bishops amongst the Iewes and in Germany Cullen Mense with many others but also those of our owne Nation bee a testimony herein under whose tirannicall Hierarchical goverment many faithful painefull Ministers have beene silenced and punished and some imprisoned some suspended others dyed in Prison others having their members taken from them c. But Drunkards Hereticks prophaners of Gods