to the Church John Huss are publick and common Almes when Kings and Princes Knights and Citizens c. give to the Church or to the Priest for his Stipend they give it to the Church of God and to the party as a perpetual Alme that they should attend upon the Ministry otherwise Almes should not be a work of mercy hereupon saith he it appears that Tenths in Gospel times are pure Almes given to the Church for the use of the poor And hereupon holy men have said that Tenths are tribute of needy souls as St. Augustin Augustâ—n in a Sermon of the restoring of Tythes saith The giving of Tythes my dear Brethren are the tributes of poor souls therefore pay your tribute unto the poor for whatsoever doth remain more then a competent living and decent clothing it is not to be reserved for riot but is to be laid in the heavenly Treasury by giving it in Alms unto the poor for whatsoever is given to us more than we have need of it is not given us for our selves but to be bestowed upon others by our hands and if we do not give it we invade another mans possession Augustin Also in another place Augustin saith Forasmuch as every man as doth any work of mercy ought diligently to have respect to the ability of them that he bestoweth his Almes upon lest that by nourishing Loyterers he be made partaker of their offences and in 23. quest 7. Augustin saith If we possess any thing privately more than what may reasonably suffice us it is not ours but the goods of the poor whose Stewards we are except we challenge to our selves a property by some damnable usurpation The gloss upon this part of the question saith That Prelates are but only Stewards of the Church goods and not Lords thereof Hierome oâ— Prague Hierome of Prague affirmed before the Councel of Constance that the Patrimony of the Church was given for three uses First for the use of the Poor Secondly for Hospitality Thirdly for repairing of Churches and not to be spent upon Harlots great Banquetting or Feasting of those that need it not nor keeping great Horses and Doggs nor for gorgeous Apparrel and other things unbeseeming Christians Richard Wimbleton Richard Wimbleton in a Sermon at Pauls Cross in the reign of King Hen. 4. upon these words Give an accout of thy Stewardship He said Every Prelate and Priest shall give an account how they entred into the sheep-fold and how they have ruled the Flock whether for outward hire or love as a Father or as a Wolf that eateth the Sheep whom hast thou turned from his wicked life c. hast thou taught the Law of God or the Laws of men how hast thou disposed of the goods of the poor they shall saith he hear grievous complaints of Fatherless Children that Prelates and Priests have lived of their Almes and have not done away their Sins they are not ashamed to waste in the house of Pride and Lechery and keep to themselves wickedly and cursedly that which should be the livelihood of the poor they live not like Priests but like Beasts they are cloathed like Knights they ride like Princes and all they thus spend is the goods of the poor This and much more the like did he declare in that Sermon William Swinde William Swinderby a Martyr under King Richard the 2d had this Article objected against him that he held that all Priests are of like power in all things notwithstanding that some of them in the world are of greater and higher honour degree and preheminence but that is mans appointment and not of God and as concerning the Wealth Possessions and Lordships of Prelates he thus affirmed before the Bishops that convened and examined him he said That it was lawful and needful for Secular Lords by way of Charity and power given to them of God for the default of Prelates and cursed Curates that openly misuse the goods of the Church that be poor mens goods the which poor men Lords been holden to maintain and defend to take away and withdraw from such Curates poor mens goods which Curates wrongfully holden in help of the poor and their own wilful offerings he means their free-will offerings and their bodily Almes deeds and give them to such as duly serve God in the Church and been needy in up-bearing of the charge that Prelates should do and do it not And as anenst taking away of Temporalities I say that it is lawful for Kings Princes Dukes and Lords of the world to take away from Popes Cardinals Bishops and Prelates possessions in the Church their Temporalities and their Almes that they have given them upon condition that they should serve God the better when they verily sene that their giving and their taking been contrary to the Law of God to Christs living and his Apostles and namely in that they take upon them that should be next followers of Christ and his Apostles in poorness and meekness to be secular Lords against the teaching of Christ and St. Peter Luke 22.25.26 and 1 Pet. 5.3 And namely when such Temporalities makes them the more proud both in heart and in Array then they shoulden been else and more in strife and debate against Peace and Charrty and in evil ensample to the world to be occupied in worldly business which draws them from the service of God and edifying of Christs Church c. then he thought upon such misdemeanors to take away their Temporalities c. Anselme Anselme also saith that Presbyters are above and were before Bishops and are of Divine Institution but so are not Lord Bishops and saith That Presbyters did first elect and institute Bishops and ordeyn them to their office and not Bishops ordeyn Presbyters as they do now So Anselme Bishop of Canterbury on 1 Tim. 4.14 Canon of Africk Also the Canon of Africk in the year 990. Sect. 17. saith There is no difference between a Priest and a Bishop but that the Bishops were constituted by men to confer orders A general consent that Ministers and Bishops are of equal power this equality of power in Priests and Bishops according to divine institution hath been also maintained by John Wickliffe and the one and twenty Bishops and eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors mentioned above in King Hen. the 8th his reign who did all declare that there was no preheminence of power order or jurisdiction between the Apostles themselves or between Bishops themselves but that Ministers or Bishops are all equal in power authority and jurisdiction and that there is now any difference it is a device of men by the permission of Princes and Civil powers the same also is maintained by Cyprian St. Hierom Ocham John Lambert Martyr John Bradford William Alley Bishop of Exeter Alexander Nowell Dean of Pauls Pilkington Bishop of Durham and innumerable Writers more hold Ministers and Bishops of equal power by divine Institution Henry Stalbridge Mr. Henry Stalbridge whom
the Commons for as their standing in the Church is not of God so their Excommunication is not of God John Claydon Richard Turming John Claydon and Richard Turming both Martyrs they did both affirm that the chief cause of the Persecution of Christians was the Prelates unlawfull keeping of temporalities and other superfluous goods which they are afraid to be deprived of for they know that they cannot hold them if the truth should take place and were publickly manifested by what unlawful means they hold their Temporalities and Tythes their Courts and Offices and the unlawfulness of their Dignities and Jurisdictions and the like Eneas Silvius Eneas Silvius who wrote the Book of the Council Basil he writing to Jasper Sthlick the Emperours Chancellor in his 54th Epistle saith That the way to remedy Schisme and make peace in the Church is for Kings and Princes to unite together and and conclude of Peace and this way neither Pope nor Council could withstand Unity may be concluded whether Pope or Council will or not and so Kings and Princes in their own Dominions may take the Temporalities and Tythes and so put in order things that are amiss whether Pope or Council will or not neither saith he do I see any of the Clergie so confident to death which will suffer Martyrdome neither for King or Pope for all we do lightly hold that Religion which our Princes hold if they would worship Idols we would do the same and not only deny the Pope but God also if the Secular power straines us thereunto for Charity waxeth cold and all Faith is gone however let us seek for peace and whether it come by a Council or a Synagogue or a Conventicle call it what you will I care not so we have peace Cardinal Aralatensis And Cardinal Aralatensis in the same Council of Basil said That all Bishops ought to understand that they come to have greater power then Priests only by custome and not by dispensation of the truth of God and that they ought to rule the Church together for a Priest is the very same that a Bishop is by divine Institution for there is such a concordance saith he between a Bishop and a Priest that Paul to Titus calleth Bishops Priests and Christ saith Blessed are the Poor in Spirit neither was there any rich Bishop in the Primitive Church neither did the antient Church reject Dionysius Bishop of Millan nor Eusebius Bishop of Vercellus Hillarie Bishop of Pictauia although they were never so poor but if we will grant the truth the poor are more apt to give right Judgement then the rich because riches causeth fear lest they should be taken from them and others poverty causeth liberty for the poor fear no Tyranny as rich men do who are given over to all kind of Vanity Idleness and sloath and will rather deny Christ than lose their riches whom not love to the Flock but love to Revenues makes them Bishops And farther to shew that Bishops will not own the truth against opposition for fear to lose their riches the same Eneas Silvius in his thirty eighth Epistle to Cardinal Julian saith those Cardinals which so magnified the Authority of the Church as though they were ready to spend their lives for the same and now at the sight of one Letter from their King wherein no death was threatned but only loss of their Temporalities and for fear of that they slipt away from the Council of Basil c. and in the same Epistle he said derideingly That they had rather lose their faith than lose their flock and preferment c. Hierome St. Hierome upon these words Vnsavory Salt saith That it is no easie thing to stand in the place of Peter and Paul and to keep the Chaire of them that reign with Christ This Unsavory Salt saith he is foolish and unprofitable Prelates unsavory in their places good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden down of Swine that is saith he of wicked Spirits which have dominion over wicked Prelates as their Flock and Herd Mr. Tindal Mr. Tindal in his book of the wicked Mamon page 45. saith seek the word of God in all things and without the word of God do nothing though it appear never so glorious for what soever is done without the word of God that count to be Idolatrous but by the word of God Prelates have no right to Temporalities Christ saith he took away the violence and power of the Law to make us free and set us at liberty from Ceremonies and other impositions which do consist in places persons garments meats and dayes c. so as their use should be to all men free and indifferent so that if the Pope would make all observations of Geremonies as Lent Fasts Holy-dayes Confession Masses Matins Reliques and all the rest free and indifferent he should not be Antichrist but the commanding them in the name of Christ he corrupteth the Church and suppresseth the Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin therefore by that means he advanceth Sin and becometh Antichrist and upon this account we have many inferior Antichrists under the Pope who to their power seek to establish the same Ceremonies c. and so become Antichrists Jacobus Selestadiensis In a Letter of Jacobus Selestadiensis to Maximilian and Emperor he said The goods of the Church as it is alleadged by the Fathers are the Vowes of the Faithful and Patrimonie of the poor for the faithful through the fervency of their faith and love of Christ have enriched the Church with their own goods that the poor might be refreshed and Captives redeemed wherefore such as have the administration of these goods ought diligently to be looked upon that they do not convert them to their own proper use and neglect them in whom Christ is fed and cloathed Prosper also saith That holy men did not challenge the Church goods as their own but as given to the poor to be divided to all them that have nothing neither ought they to give any thing to those that have of their own enough for that is but to cast things away Ex Illyrico Illyrico Reynold Peacok John Brothwick Reynold Peacock Bishop of Chichester said That the riches of Bishops are the good of the poor and that spiritual persons by the law of God ought not to have temporal possessions and that personal tythes is not due by Gods law that the Universal Church of Rome may erre in matters of faith and that it is not necessary to Salvation to believe what General Councils ordain and determine these points and other to this purpose he confessed he held and taught the space of twenty years and after the Bishop of Canterbury and other Bishops set themselves against him he was imprisoned during his life Also Sir John Brothwick Martyr in Scotland in the year 1540. said and did affirm that all temporal Possessions and Jurisdiction ought to be taken from the Prelates The
assembly of the Tigurines at Zurick affirmed to the Synod of Lucerna that what now doth maintain the Monasteries and houses of Canons was first given to the poor and needy whereas now one hath so much as might serve a great many wherefore it seemed to them not inconvenient that those goods should again be converted to the use of the poor for it is well agreeing to the will and service of God said they that the poor should be succoured but this cannot be expected from any Synod nor Council who possess these goods it must either be done by the King Lords or Commons or it will never be done while the Prelates may be Judges in their own cause In the Council of Basil there was one at the choosing of a new Pope which seems to be Eneas Silvius or Cardinal Aralatensis who said he had often in his judgement consented to their opinion which said it was evident that the temporal Dominion should be divided from the Clergie or Ecclesiastical state for I do think said he that the Priests thereby would be made more apt to the Divine Ministry Cornelius Bish of Rome About the year 255. Cornelius Bishop of Rome and Martyr under the Tyranny of Dicius the Emperour this Cornelius in his Epistle to Fabius alleadged also in Eusebius lib. 6. cap. 43. Cornelius speaking of his Church of Rome how that there ought to be but one Bishop in the same he maketh mention of 46. Priests seven Deacons and seven Sub-deacons and 42. Acoluthes and of Widdows and other poor afflicted persons to the number of fifteen hundred and above found and nourished in the same Church by the merciful providence of God out of the Church goods and almes given to that purpose and yet all that time the Church was not endowed with Temporalities nor Tythes and yet the Bishop being a faithful Steward of such almes and oblations as was offered there was 102. Church Officers and above 15 hundred poor relieved out of the Church goods This is a president sufficient to shew how Church goods was bestowed in the Primitive Church and this plainly proves all Prelates in this later age to be Sacrilegious persons by robbing the poor of their right and converting it to their own use S. Laurence In the eighth persecution of the Primitive church under the Emperour Valerianus when the Tyrant demanded of St. Laurence the Treasure of the Church Laurence stretching out his armes over the poor said these are the pretious treasure of the Church these are the treasure indeed in whom the faith of Christ reigneth in whom Jesus Christ hath his Mansion places and what ye do to the least of these ye do to me said Christ William Thorpe William Thorpe in the reign of Hen. 4. maintained before the Bishop of Canterbury that Cisteriensis saith that Gregory the tenth a thousand years after Christ was the first under the Gospel that ordained and commanded by a Law that Tythes should be given to the Priests but Paul exhorteth all men to follow him as he followed Christ and that was in patience and poverty to preach the Gospel and to labour with his own hands that he might not be chargeable to others and though Christ hath ordeyned that those that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel but we saith Paul that covet to be faithful followers of Christ use not that power he would not make the word of God chargeable and though Tythes were given to the Levites during the Levitical Priesthood yet under the Gospel neither Christ nor his Apostles took Tythes nor commanded the people to pay Tythes but to give almes and other good works of mercy for Christ being come he changed the Priesthood from the tribe of Levi to the Tribe of Judah to which Tribe never Tythes was paid for as there was a change of the Priesthood so there was a change of the Laws and the Law of paying tythes ceased when the Ceremonial service of the Tabernacle and Temple ceased for which service tythes were given so that tythes are not now to be given by any right of the Levitical and there is no new gospel law for paying of Tythes And Sir saith he ye wot well that Priests and Levites who received tythes were not so perfect as Christ and his Apostles who received no tythes but preached the Gospel and lived by pure almes of the people and the Disciple is not above his Lord it is sufficient that the Disciple be as his Lord. To which the Arch-Bishop was not able to answer but broke out into cursing and bid Gods curse and his fall on him for his so teaching And Sir saith he there is a Doctor I think it is St. Hierom that saith St. Hierome those Priests that challenge tythes now under the new law of the Gospel they say in effect that Christ is not become man nor that he hath yet suffered death for mans love he means for love to man nor abolished the Levitical law wherefore this Doctor saith seeing tythes was the hire of the Levites in the old law for bearing about the Tabernacle slaying fleying of Beasts c. for keeping of the Temple and sounding the Trumpets before the Host of the Battle c. which law is now abolished those Priests that now challenge and take tythes deny Christ to be come in the flesh and those that stick to the rights of the Law Paul saith Christ shall profit them nothing Gal. 5.2 and as this Dr. saith they take tythes wrongfully for whatsoever dignity any Priest is in if he do not follow Christ and his Apostles in true preaching in poverty and other heavenly virtues though such be named Priests they are not Priests but only in name for the work of a very Priest in such a one is wanting this sence saith he is approved by Austine Gregorie Chrysostome and Lincolne Thorps Testament There is a writing in the Acts and Mon. of the Church p. 499. which is called Thorps Testament but might better be called his complaint against the vicious Clergie in which he saith that either God the Father hath deceived all mankind by the living and teaching of Jesus Christ and his Apostles in poverty-meekness and humility c. or else Popes Cardinals Archbishops and Bishops with all the contagious flock of Priesthood c. are deceived which live so contrary to Christ and his Apostles increasing damnably in sin in pride and are obstinate Symoniack and so are hereticks defiled adulterers as their works shew for instead of following Christ and his Apostles in poverty and preaching the Prelates and Priesthood challenge and occupie unlawfully temporal Lordship and possessions and for temporal favour and advantage they sell benefices to unworthy and unable persons and sell sins for advantage suffering men and women to live from year to year in scandalous vices and they contemn the meekness and poverty of Christ to take their livelihood of the free will offering of the
a famous Canonist concludeth that a Doctor allowed may be disallowed again yea rather saith Bartol a famous Civilian he may be degraded as a Souldier Bartol and as a Clerk for those things saith he which I have spoken in degrading of a Souldier the same is to be verified touching the degrading of Doctors and Clerks Herenius Modestimus Hereneus Modestimus said that a Senator was not therefore a Senator because his name only was in the Table or Regester where the names of Senators was written unless he also were made a Senator according to Law and the gloss upon that Law verifieth the same to be an argument against those who are not rightly placed in the Churches and it is manifest that none of our Bishops nor Prelates accord to their titles and jurisdictions are rightly placed in the Churches of Christ because they are not of the institution of Christ as themselves do confess both Protestants and Papists and also not having the Seal of divine approbation upon them they are not rightly placed in Churches nor are not lawful Ministers of Jesus Christ according to his holy institution in truth but only in name but in real truth they are the Ministers of Antechrist the Pope for their titles and jurisdictions is of the Popes Hierarchical institutions they cannot deny it and therefore it is a work of mercy to their souls to unlord them and being them into the right way to imitate Christ and his Apostles by taking the temporallties and tythes from them as once an Emperour said and did That which we unadvisedly have done we will advisedly revolve and undo And Prelates to excuse their tyrany pretend decency in imposing their unnecessary Ceremonies upon the People but let it be considered whether the people who are turned unto God and endeavour to observe the rules of Christ rather than the rules of men or the Prelates who have forsaken the rules of Christ as appears above all along to imbrace and follow the rules and devices of Men let wise men judge which of these walk most undecently and let Bishops consider and examine themselves whether there robbing the Poor and murthering of Souls by granting dispensations to none residence and in giving pluralities be not an undecent walking can any but those whose Consciences are seared count these and Covetousness Pride hypocrisie ambition hatred mallice and revenge decent and comely in themselves and the endeavouring to observe the rules of Christ to be uncomely and undecent in others if Bishops and Prelates would first reform themselves and take the beam out of their own eyes or if the King and Nobles would compel them to a reformation according to the word of God then what the people were required to do that is decent and comly according to the word of God they would readily obey provided as Paul saith they cast not a snare upon them but for that which is comly 1 Cor. 7.35 But now our Bishops take as much upon them as the Pope viz. to make nothing something and to make the rules and institutions of Christ which is something nothing in respect of their own traditions and Canons and to make nothing somthing that is to make their own Canons and traditions c. which are nothing in comparison of the word of God to set them above the word of God and punisheth the transgressors thereof with sorer punishments than the transgressors of the word of God and thus they make their nothing something and Christs something nothing And thus they make sin to be no sin and no sin to be sin by their unjust Laws and their disobedience to the Laws and institutions of Iesus Christ may not God justly complain as once he did of Israel they have defiled the Land by their own way and by their doings their way is before me as the uncleanness of a removed Woman Ezek. 36.17 and chap 22.13 I have smitten my hand at thy dishmest gain which thou hast made there is a conspiracy of her Prophets like roaring Lyons ravening the Prey they have devoured Souls they have taken the Treasure and pretious things can our Prelates think that God will not thus charge them who have taken the treasure of the Church from those who are the true Church indeed and from Widows fatherless and other poor that should be releived with that treasure it follows her Priests have violated my Law as you see in this page above they have prophaned mine holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have shewed difference between the unclean and the clean except it be in countenancing the prophane and unclean and discountenancing the holy and the clean see the 25. and 26. vers Mr. Tindall Mr. Tindall an English Man and a Martyr in Flanders petitioned to King Hen. 8. to have compassion on his Subjects that the Realm should not utterly perish through the wicked counsel of his pestilent Prelates for saith he the cause of false Preachers is the cause that the people have not love to the truth being kept ignorant of the truth through their neglect in not preaching the truth Mr. Hookers Episcopus Divinus Mr. Hooker in the second part of his Survey of Church disciplin page 23. he saith Episcopus is threefold Divinus Humanus Satanicus First a Bishop by divine Institution is such an Officer as Christ hath set in his Church whose Office is set forth and discovered in the word of God and such are Pastors and Doctors and Teachers Tit. â— 7. and 1 Tim. 5.17 Episcopus and Presbyter is one thing in Scripture sence Episcopus Humanus Secondly Episcopus Humanus is a president or moderator chosen by consent of Ministers meeting and consulting about the affairs of their Churches in their common consociations to whom it appertaineth to moderate the actions of the assembly to propound things to be agitated to gather voices to pronounce the Sentence which passeth by common approbation and he had no more but his equal suffrage with the rest and when the action was ended he was but in equal honour with the rest and it may be in less respect in regard of years or gifts and yet to leave this constantly upon one man it is perillous and might be an inlet to worse inconveniences than at first could have been suspected Episcopus Satanicus Thirdly Episcopus Satanicus is such an Episcopus which the enemy Satan acting the Pride and suiting the Soveraignity of the Spirits of men hath by a misterous way successively and secretly brought into the Church that so he might Midwife Antechrist into the world this being the next step to that man of sin and he becomes Princepe Episcopus who by his Insolencie hath arrogated and assumed and at last confirmed even a Monarchicall power unto himself and however the Pope who is Universal Bishop is the man of sin yet the Bishop especially when he is ascended to his Arch Bishops Chair is the same but only considered in
Prelates in the 23 question and 7. If we possess any thing privately but that which doth suffice us it is not ours but the goods of the Poor whose stewards we are except we challenge to our selves a property by some damnable usurpation the glâ—ss upon that part of the question saith that Prelates are but only Stewards of the Church goods and not Lords thereof â—mbrose And St. Ambrose upon Luke 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship c. hereby saith he We learn that Prelates are not Lords but Steward or Bailliffs of others mens substance â—ierom And St. Hierom in an Epistle quest 16. and 2. chap. Quisquid saith whatsoever the Clergy hath it is the goods of the Poor and writing unto Nepolianus he saith how can they be of the Clergy who are commanded to contemn and despise their own substance for to take away from a Friend it is theft but to deceive the Church and take away that which should be given to the Poor it is sacralidge â—arnard And St. Barnard upon these words Simon Peter said unto Jesus c. Truly said he the goods of the Church are the patrimony of the Poor whatsoever thing the Ministers Stewards thereof not Lords or Possessors thereof do take unto themselves more then sufficient for a competent living the same is taken away from the Poor by a sacralidgious cruelty â—usebeus Eusebeus in his Treatise upon the pilgrimage of St. Hierom saith If thou dost possessed garment or any other thing more then extream necessity doth require and dost not help the needy thou art a Thief and a Robber wherefore dearly beloved Children let us be Stewards of temporallities and not possessors thereof And Isidor in his Treatise de summo bono ch 24. Let the Bishop know that he is the Servant of the people and not Lords over them aâ— also in the 5. book oâ— Decraeâ—als extra â—e donationibus sub athoâ—itate Alixandrii Tartii Episcopi Paritienses he saith We believe that it is noâ— unknown unto your Brotherhood that a Bishop and every other Prelate is buâ— Stewards of the Church goods and not Lords thereof both Lands and Tythes saith he are pure Alms which after the necessity of the Clergy is satisfied noâ— according to their pride and covetousness but in comely â—cent manner ofteâ— the example of Christ and his Apostles the rest bâ—longeâ—â—o the Poor and thosâ— that withhold it from them they are Thieves Robbers 〈◊〉 Sacralidgious persons saith he William Wroughton Thus it is manifest by what is already said besides what is said here after that Kings and Princes and Lords Temporall by taking the temporallities c. from the Prelates and disposing of them for the use anâ— benefit of the true Church the believing m mbers of Christ and the poor and the benefit and safety of the Kingdom the uses for which they werâ— first given they will in so doing be so far from committing sacraledge that they will do a work pleasing and acceptable both to God and all good men to their everlasting honour by putting a stop to the pride wantoâ— and luxurious riotous lives of some which is occasioned by the uperfluity of worldly wealth and riches which they wrongfully possess and detain from the right owners thereof having forsaken the right way and followed the way of Baalim who loved the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.15 By with holding good from them to whom it is due Pro. 3.27 and as William Wroughton writ to King Henry the eight so long as ye maintain Antichâ—ist the Popes Knights that is Bishops in such inordinate riches you shall never saith he banish that monstrous beasâ— the Pope out of England When we say that such and such Lands were given to the Church wâ— cannot imagine that they were given to such a building of lime and stone and timber nor to such a parish and so to him that should usurp authority of Rule and Government there from age to age whether he be good oâ— bad holy or prophane for such are not to be accounted the Church noâ— so much as particular members of the true Church which is the mâ—stâ—caâ— body of Christ except they believe and all that do believe truly withouâ— hypocrisie rich and poor they are interested in the Church Lands and Goods all the poor in general are objects of Charity to do good unto all but especially to such as are of the huoshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 In the time of the Law when Tythes was paid by a divine institution unto the Levites for their service in the Tabernacle and Temple because â—hey had no inheritance of temporal Land among their Brethren yet even â—hen the strangers fatherless and widdows had an interest in the Tythes â—s you may see in Deut. 14.28 29. and Chap. 26.12 13 and since that service ceased for which tythes were paid there is no new institution in â—he Gospel for the payment of tythes and yet our Prelates and Priests as â—hey will be called will have both temporal Lands and tythes and keep â—ll to themselves neither widdows nor fatherless have any thing and â—herefore it can be no sacralidge but a work of Charity for Kings and Princes and Lords Temporal to take the temporallities from them for â—he benefit of the Kingdom and tythes also or at least to cause them to â—llow some part thereof unto the poor The with holding of tythes c. From such to whom they are due as to â—he beleiving Church the poor the Fatherless and widdows God calls â—t a Robbing of him in tythes and offerings Mal. 3.8 9. For Christ saith â—hatsoever good or evil is done to one of the least of those little ones that beâ—ieve on him it is taken as done to himself Mat. 25.40 and 45. yea even â—hose of the Clergy who are not true believers they have no right nor tiâ—le from God to the Church goods and God will charge them as having â—he spoil of the poor in their Houses Isaiah 3.14 Suppose the Prelates should plead for themselves that temporallities â—nd tythes have been setled upon them by many Acts of Parliament to â—hat it may be answered that no Act of Parliament on Earth can make â—oid the Law of God inacted in Heaven viz. That when tythes were â—aid by a divine institution yet the Stranger Fatherless and Widdows â—ad by divine appointment a right and interest in them how then dare â—y now receive tythes not by divine but by humain institution and yet â—ye no part thereof unto the poor the Stranger Fatherless nor Widdow â—e may rationably imagine that it was because of the hardness of the â—arts of Prelates and Priests in keeping that to themselves which belongâ—d to the poor which caused that Noble King Carrolous Magnus to have it â—ecreed in a counsel that in wealthy places two parts of the Church â—ods should be given to the poor and the third part to the Clergy and 〈◊〉 poorer places that there should be an
equal division between the poor â—d the Clergy and if by the covetous unsatiable desires of the Prelates â—d Clergy they have gotten the Church Lands and tythes setled upon them by many Acts of Parliament yet another Parliament upon better information and better consideration of the Kingdoms necessity and daily charge and the necessity of the poor and the unlawful spending of the Church goods by them which have no right unto them but spend them quite contrary to the intent and meaning of the Donors why may not the King Princes and Lords temporal take again into their hands the Church goods which was given by their Predecessors from them which so sacreligiously abuse and usurp them and imploy them for the benefit of the Church and Kingdom and the relief of the poor If the King commit a power into any mans hand and find that he or they do abuse that power he may not only lawfully but he ought to take that power from them again the whole Popish Clergy of Bishops Prelates Abbots Priors and Monks in England had once their priviledges and temporalities setled upon them by act of Parliament and yet the King and Councel seeing the inconvenience thereof by another Parliament took those priviledges temporallities and tithes from them and so may this or another Parliament do by our Prelates for the benefit of the Church and Kingdom and the relief of the poor For Bishops and Prelates are useless in the Church of Christ because they are none of those Church Officers which Christ gave to the Church at his assention Ephe. 5.11 he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God their is aâ—ed in 1 Co. 12.28 helps that is Deacons to minister to the poor and goverments that is ruling Elders now ruling Elders are inferior to teaching Elders as Paul saith 1 Ti. 5.17 Let the Elders that rule well bâ— counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine they who labour in the word and doctrine they especially are worthy of double honour rather then the ruling Elders in Pauls judgement and he had the Spirit of God to teach him now if Christ who is the alone Law-giver to his Church saw these Church Officers sufficient for these four ends for which he ordained them as first for the perfecting of thâ— the Saints 2ly For the work of the ministry 3ly For the edifying oâ— the Church which is the body of Christ 4ly For the time till we alâ— come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Then all other pretended Church Officers are superfluous and useless besides St. Paul saith that he shuned not to declare unto the Church the whole counsell of God and that he kept nothing back that was profitable for the Church but taught them publickly and from House to House Acts. 20.20.27 And yet in all his Epistles he hath not made mention of any Lord Primot or Metropolitant or Prelate or the like as any of Christs Church officers or of their dignities or jurisdictions as being profitable to the Church but only those Church Officers mentioned above in Eph. 4.11.12 and 1 Cor. 12.28 Therefore all other are strange Creatures which neither Christ nor Paul nor the Scriptures of the New Testament makes any mention off unless those that Paul speaks of verse 29. that after his departure grievous Wolves would enter not sparing the Flock yea the Papists themselves say that there is but three sacred orders in the Church all the rest by their own confession is of human devising Again as Bishops and Prelates are useless in the Church so also they are usurpers of the Kings royal prerogatives in making out their prossess sitations suspentions sensors and excommunications and the liâ—e in their own names and by making Printing and publishing in their own Names New Visitation Oaths Articles Injunctions Cannons Rites and Ceremonies and inforcing them upon Ministers Scoolmasters Church-Wardens and others and have excommunicated suspended Silenced fined imprisoned and persecuted his Majesties faithful Subjects for not submitting to their usurped power as though they were Kings and Governours both of Church and State contrary to several Statutes and to Magna Charta and the Petition of right as Mr. Prinne saith in his Book of the Exorbitances Treasons Seditions and Conspirecies of Bishops c. Your Majesties most humble and obedient Subject and Servant E. K. The General and Vnanimous consent of Antient and Modern Writers against Prelates and Priests their possessing of Temporalities and Tythes HIstories do relate that when Bishops began to be possessed of Temporal Lands then an Angel was heard to cry in the Aâ—re Woe VVoe VVoe This day is Poyson begun to come into the Church and so it proved for many striving for Lordship and Dominion and could not prevail turned Hereticks in malice to be revenged on them that were preferred before them as Donatus who because Cecilianus was preferred before him to the Bishoprick of Carthage Donatus turned Heretick from whom his followers took the name of Donatists and he accused Cecilianus and all the Bishops that Ordeyned him to be Traditories This VVoe and Poyson of Prelates possessing of Temporalities hath made the Possessors thereof in all Ages to maligne and hate even unto death all sorts and degrees of men that have spoken against their worldly gain and profits and admonisheth them to follow the Example of Christ and his Apostles and the Priests of the Levitical Law who had no Possessions of Temporal Lands Yea the Prelates have manifestly declared their malice against such even after death as the Council of Constance who condemned John Wickliffe and his 45. Articles and by a Decree caused his bones to be digged up and burnt one and forty yeas after he was dead which Condemnation the University of Prague would not receive but defended them by Arguments from Scripture and Reason which was about the year 1418. I shall mention two or three of the Articles and some few of the Universities Arguments in defence of them The ARTICLES Item Kings Princes and Lords Temporal may at their own will and pleasure take away the temporal goods from the Clergy if they do offend and therein continue Item It is against the Scripture that Ecclesiastical Ministers should have any temporal Possessions Item That Tenths are pure Alms and that the Parishio ner may for the offence of their Ministers deteyn and keep them back and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasure c. That Kings and Lords Temporal may take Temporalities from Prelates the Universitie proves thus Kings in the Old-Testament took temporal goods from the Clergy c. Therefore Kings of the New Testament may do the like 1
any note or spot of suspition noised of him but in his Answering Reading Preaching and Determining he behaved himself laudably and as a stout and valiant Champion of the Faith vanquishing by the force of the Scriptures all such who by their wilful beggery blasphemed and slandered Christs Religion neither was this said Doctor Convict of any Heresie God forbid that our Prelates should have condemned a man of such honesty for a Heretick who amongst all the rest of the Vniversity had written in Logick Philosophy Divinity Morality and the Speculative Art without Peer the knowledge of which all and singular things we do desire to testify and deliver forth to the intent that the Fame and Renown of this said Doctor may be the more evident and had in reputation amongst them unto whose hands these present Letters testimonial shall come Here is to be seen that this Vniversity of Oxford did also maintain the truth of Doctor John Wickliffe's Articles That Kings Princes and Lords Temporal may lawfully take away Temporalities and Tythes from the Clergy In witness whereof we have caused our Letters Testimonial to be Sealed with our common Seal Dated at Oxford in our Congregation-House the 5th day of October in the Year 1406. Edmond King of England King Edmond of England about the Year 940. made a Law that every man should pay Tythes for Churches Fees and Almes Fees Thus here you see that Tythes were then given as well for the relief of the Poor as the Church He made a Law also that every Bishop should of his own proper charge see that Churches were repaired Bishop of Canterbury About the same time the Bishop of Canterbury in a Letter to the Prelates and Clergy said If it were or could be so that all the Riches of the World were laid before me so that I were Emperour and had all things universally under my subjection all these things would I gladly give and offer my self willingly for the health of Souls And thus he exhorted the Clergy to their duty lest the Lord should say of them The Shepherds fed themselves but did not feed my flock they have raigned but not by me they have made themselves Princes of my flock and I knew it not that is he knew it not so as to approve of their doings But where is there a Prelate now that hath such a zeal for the good of Souls King Edgar King Edgar in an Oration to the Clergy about the year 959. What negligence saith he is in Gods Service I will speak with sorrow they be Riotous in Banquetring in Chambring and Drunkenness And now saith he the Clerks houses are thought to be Stewes of Harlots Thus the Goods of Kings and Alms of Princes is mispent have our Fathers spent their Treasurie for this purpose Have the Kings liberalities in giving Lands and Possessions been for this intent that Clerks Harlots should be deck'd with the same And for riotous feasts Hauks and Hounds and other Toyes to consume it Soldiers cry out the people grudge but ye regard not c. King Hen. 2d Among other antient Laws of England in the reign of King Henry the second this was one That if any Clergy man did hold any Lay Fee in his hands he should therefore do the Kings service that belonged thereunto as upon Juries Assises of Lands and Judgements and that no Lands should be given to the Church nor to any House of Religion without the Kings License And that the Peter-pence which was used to be gathered for the Pope should be paied to the King and that all the Possessions Goods and Chattels of such as favoured the Pope or Thomas a Becket to be Seized and Confiscate to the King And that all such of the Clergy as were absent from their Charge out of the Realm and had Rents and Profits in the Land and did not repair home in three months their Rents and Goods to return to the King c. If it were lawful for the King then in the time of Popery to seize upon the Rents Profits and Possessions of the Pope Cardinal and others it is much more lawful now for our King and Nobles to cize upon such Goodss aâ—d Possessions as were given by Papists in the time of Popery and are now wrongfully possessed and abusively used by others King Edward 3. In a Parliament holden the twentieth year of the raign of King Edward the third It was propounded that all Alien Monks should depart England whose Livings the King took into his hands It was also concluded by the Parliament That the Livings of all others Strangers and Cardinals during their lives the profits should be brought into the Kings hand The Commons also denyed to pay any payments to Cardinals in France c. besides the King took order by two of his Clergy viz. John Stocks and John Norton to take into their hands all the Temporalities of all the Deanaries Prebends Dignities and Benefices being then vacant in England and to answer the profits thereof unto the King King William Rufus King William Rufus took certain Lands and Possessions from Canterbury and disposed of them to secular uses King Henry 4. In the eighth year of the raign of King Henry the fourth it was petitioned to the Parliament That the King might enjoy halfe the profits of every Parsons Benefice who was not resident thereon But in the eleventh year of his raign the Commons put up a Bill unto the King to take the Temporal Lands from the Clegie mens hands or Possessions in which Bill it was declared that the Temporalities disorderly wasted by men of the Clergy might suffice to find to the King with maintenance 15. Earles 1500. Knights 6200. Esquires and 100. Almes houses To every Earl 3000. Mark a year to every Knight 100. Mark and four plough lands and to every Esquire 40 Mark a year and two plough lands and to every Almes house 100. Mark a year which lands is now no doubt worth double if not treble to what they were then For I have credibly informed by a Yorkshire Esquire That when his Majestie was restored to the Crown one Bishoprick that is the Bishoprick of Durham If it had been set upon the rack rent it was worth above fifty thousand pounds a year This story above you may read in Mr Fox his Acts and monuments of the Church in the story of King Hen. 4. King Henry 8. It is there also to be seen in the History of King Hen. 8. That the King did injoyn every Vicar Clerk or Benefic'd man that had one hundred pounds a year that he should find a Scholar at the University and he that had two hundred pounds a year should find two Scholars at the University Also in his raign it was complained of by the Commons against the Prelates and Clergie for their cruel proceeding Ex Officio And for the remedy it was enacted That whosoever did or speak any thing against either their usurped power or their Laws
Decrees or Constitutions which is not grounded upon the Holy Scripture they should therefore stand in no danger nor be impeached King Richard 2. King Richard the second propounded to John Wickliffe Whether the Kingdom of England might lawfully detain the Treasure of the Kingdome from the Pope He demanded the Church goods under pain of Censure Mr. Wickliffe setting a part the Common Laws of England and the Civiâ— Law It rests saith he to prove the affirmitive part by the Principles of Chists Law thus Every natural body hath power given of God to resist against the contrary and to preserve it self in due estate inasmuch as Bodies without life are indued with such a kind of power as hardness to resist those things that would break it and coldness to withstand heat that would dissolve it forasmuch then as the Kingdom of England after the manner of phrase of Scripture ought to be one Body of which the King is head and the Commonalty are the members thereof It seemeth the same Kingdom head and members hath such power given to them of God and so much the more apparent by how much the same body is more precious unto God adorned with virtue and knowledge for so much then as there is no power given of God unto any Creature for any end or purpose but that he may lawfully use the same to that end and purpose It followeth That our Kingdom may lawfully keep back and detain their Treasure of Temporalities and Tythes c. for the defence of it self in what case soever necessity doth require the same Secondly the same is proved by the Law of the Gospel for the Pope cannot challenge the Treasure of this Kingdom no more can the Prelates challenge Temporalities or Tythes but under the title of Almes and consequently under the pretence of works of mercy according to the rule of Charity But in the case aforesaid the title of Alms ought utterly to cease ergo the right title of challenging the Treasure of this Kingdom ought to cease also in the presupposed necessity and the Prelates and Clergie challenging Temporalities and Tythes ought to cease also by the same reason Forasmuch as all Charity hath its beginning of it self it were no work of Charity but of meer madness to send away the Treasure of the Realm unto other Nations whereby the Realm it self may fall into ruine under the pretence of such a Charity and is it not as much madness to suffer so many idle Drones to usurp the Kingdomes the Churches and the Poors goods of temporalities and tythes to spend on Coaches and Horses Hawks Dogs and Hounds I will not say Whores Taverns Cards and Dice Why should not such unfaithful Stewards give an account of their Stewardship It appears also saith he by this That Christ the Head of the Church whom all Prelates and Priests ought to follow he lived by the Alms of devout women as in Luke 8.2 3. he hungred and thirsted was a stranger and sustained many other miseries not only in his members but also in his own body He was poor that ye through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Wherefore in the first endowing of the Church with Alms whatsoever he were of the Clergy that had any temporal possessions he had the same by way of Almes as several Writings and Chronicles do witness For saith he the Temporal Lords have power to take away their Alms when they see their Alms abused to riot and excess by some and others who are interested therein suffer penury and want by the Prelates and Clergy their unfaithfulness in their Stewardships Carolus Magnus Carolus Magnus that famous French King had decreed in a Council that only the Canonical Books of Scripture should be read in Churches and commanded the Bishops that they should not suffer any other to be read nor Preach themselves any thing that did not agree with the word of God And besides he ordered the goods given to the Church to be disposed of so That in wealthy places two parts of the Church goods should be given to the poor and the third part to the Clergy and that in poorer places there should be an equal division between the poor and the Clergy The good Lord if it be his good will and pleasure put it into the hearts of all Christian Kings and Princes to do the like Isidor Mr. Fox saith that Isidor hath these words Let Temporal Kings know that they must give an account to God for the Church which they have at the hands of God to govern and if so then it lies as a duty incumbent upon them so that to free themselves from the guilt of other mens sins there is an absolute necessity That seeing the Church goods are abused and not disposed of as they ought to be as it is proved above Therefore Kings and Nobles may not only lawfully but are bound in duty to God to take care to have such abuses reformed Charles the sixth Charles the sixth the French King made a Law That the fruits and rents of Benefices and other Pensions and Bishops goods that departed from their charges should be brought in to the Kings use King Philip About the year 1303. King Philip of France summoned a Parliament where all the Bishops were required within eight dayes after notice given to appear or else all their Temporal goods should be seized into the Kings hand By this it appears That upon their disobedience the King might take their Temporalities from them if he so pleased In which Parliament it was declared by Sir Will. Negareta Sir VVilliam Negareta in behalf of the King That for his Oaths sake that he made for defence of the Church and because the King was the Patron of the Church Therefore he was bound not only to defend the Church observe this well he was bound not only to defend the Church but to call in the goods of the Church which was wasted by the Pope and Prelates means And four years after the Lord Peter de Cugneriis in a Parliament Lord Peter de Cugneriis exhibited 65 Articles in the Kings behalf against the Bishops and Prelates of France and the misdemeanours of them and their Officers and Courts Mr. Fox Such goods as were given to the Church by our Ancestors saith Mr. Fox was neither so given nor so taken as to serve the private use of Church men but to serve the publick use of the poor and needy as is to be seen by the Canonical Institution of the Emperour Lodovicus Pius set forth in the year 830. in these words Lodovicus Pius The goods of the Church be the Vows and bequests of the faithful to ransom such as be in captivity or prison and the Patrimony to succour them with Hospitality that be needy c. Whereas now the Hospitality that is used is to feast such as need not such as are able to feast the Prelates again and the poor and needy if they get any
all vanity all passionate and wilful aberration from reason and from all Hypocrisie and self-love And in another place he saith Whatsoever thou dost affect whatsoever thou dost project so do so project all as one who for ought thou knowest may at this present depart out of this Life And as for Death If there be any Gods it is not grievous thing to leave the Society of Men the Gods will do thee no hurt and if there be no Gods to take care of the world why should I desire to live in a world void of Gods and all divine Providence Again saith he do nothing contrary to the Community nor without due examination nor with reluctancie Let thy God that is in thee rule over thee and find by thee that he hath to do with a man a sociable man a Roman one that hath ordered his life as expecting nothing but the Trumpet sounding a Retreat out out of this life with all readiness Again saith he without relation unto God thou shalt never perform aright any thing humane nor any thing divine without some respect to things humane Marcus Aurelius Antonius If any body saith he shall reprove me and make it uppear unto me that in any action or opinion of mine I do erre I will gladly retract for it is the Truth that I seek after by which I am sure never any man was hurt and as sure that he is hurt that continues in any error of ignorance whatsoever one thing there is and that only that is worth our while in this world and ought by us much to be esteemed and that is according to Righteousness meekly and and lovingly to converse with false and unrighteous men Thy life is almost at an end so live henceforth as indifferent to the world and all worldly objects let them behold and see a man that is a man indeed living according to the true nature of a man and if they cannot bear with me let them kill me for better it were to dye then to live as they would have me for all worldly things are but as the smoke that vanisheth away or indeed meer nothing Thus much of Marcus Aurelius Antonius his Christian-like experssions Mr. Frith Paulinus and his Deacon Mr. John Frith a Martyr in his answer to the Preface of Mr. Moor's Book page 116. saith That before the Church was endowed with honours there was none would be a Bishop but such as had a love and zeale to the Flock that he could be content to shed his blood for them for in the Primitive Church the first thirty Bishops of Rome there was twenty of them or more that suffered Martyrdome but in Constantines time and since that they enjoyed peace and the Church was endowed with temporal possessions They saith Mr. Frith that were worst both in learning and in their lives laboured most for such places for such as were virtuous would not entangle themselves with the vain Pride of this world Amonius cut of his own Eare rather then be a Bishop It is recorded in Hystories of Paulinus the first Bishop of York and James his Deacon that they were so void of care for worldly things and so free from Coveteousness that they refused possessions being proffered unto them Also about the year 383. Ammonius a holy Monk being at Rome he was so little taken with their great Pomp and outward shew of Holyness that beeing solicited to take a Bishoprick he fled out secretly and cut off his own Eare that he might by wanting a member have a Canonical Impediment not to be a Bishop This Ammonius came forth of the Desart of Mount Nitria Aidanus gave his horse to a Beggar About the year 638. Oswald King of Northumberland sent into Scotland for a Bishop named Adanus a Learned and pious man and about the year 646. Oswie brother and successor of Oswald because the Bishop should go no longer on foot as he was accustomed to do the King gave him a Horse bridle saddle and trappings But not long after the Bishop riding abroad and meeting a poor man who craved the Bishops charity and he having nothing else to give lighted off his horse and gave him to the Beggar and went again on foot himself as he was accustomed to do These examples do inform us what manner of persons Bishops were in those dayes the first 600 years after Christ in poverty and humility imitating Christ and his Apostles but Bishops in these latter dayes do rather imitate Lucifer for Pride Achan and Gehazi for Covetousness and Balaam who loved the wages of iniquity more like than followers of Christ and his Apostles in Patience Poverty and Humility By their fruits you may know them saith our Saviour Mr. Elmer Mr. Elmer in his Harbor for faithful Subjects Come off you Bishops saith he away with your superfluities yield up your Thousands be content with hundreds as they are in other Reformed Churches where there be as great Learned men as you are Let your portion be Priest-like and not Prince-like and let the Queen have the rest of your Temporalities to maintain Warrs and build Schools that every Parish may have a preaching Minister which will never be except your Lands be bestowed upon many which now doth but feed and fat one When the lame man asked an Almes as Peter and John went into the Temple Peter answered Silver and Gold have I none and Paul was so far from having a Lordship that the labour of his own hands ministred to his necessity If the Apostles of Christ had no temporal possessions why should our Prelates have so great Erasmus Of the unfaithfulness of Prelates Erasmus in Epist. Apologetica maketh mention of a Noble man who purposed to see Jerusalem before his death wherefore he left his wife and family his Lands and Lordships in trust with an Archbishop to take care of them but it so happened the Nobleman died in his journey whereof when the Archbishop knew he seized into his hands all the Noble mans Lordships Castles and Possessions and not therewith content he laid siege to a Fort into which the Widow was fled for refuge where she with her child was slain which story was not so long before Erasmus's time but that there were Nephews of that Noble man alive to testifie the truth And thus have the Prelates done as touching their Temporalities they have been intrusted with them as Stewards for the Church of Believers for those only that believe are the Church and for the poor and they have converted or rather perverted all to their own use and to their abuse of all the temporal possessions Jasper Bruschio Jasper Bruschio in Chronologia Monasteriorum Germany maketh mention of a Monastery of Cisterian Monks in the borders of Suevia about the year 1130. which Monastery was endowed with large possessions and great priviledges by the Founders upon this Condition that they should receive with free Hospitality any strangers either horse or foot
of Christ that the sheep of Christ do know but the voice of Strangers which the sheep of Christ know not and therefore they flee from them besides to require the Servants of Christ to swear their Canonical obedience to such things it is not the voice of Christ but the voice of Strangers to require the same and those that follow them cannot thereby prove themselves to be the sheep of Christ but rather the contrary for the sheep of Christ do flee from Strangers Polecronicon It is recorded by Polecronicon lib. 5. chap. 10. that about the year 610. John Patriach of Alexandria he was so merciful to the Poor and Needy that he counted them his Masters and himself their Servant and Steward Patriarch of Alexandria in distributing the Church goods unto them he was woont twice a week to sit at his door all the day long to take up matters and make Peace and Unity where there was variances nnd waiting all one day and no body came he lamented that all that day he had done no good Pope Gregory his order to divide Church goods in 4 parts About the year 600. Austin the Monk Bishop of Canterbury sent to Pope Gregory to know how the Gifts and Oblations given to the Church ought to be divided unto which Gregory answered That the manner of the Sea Apostolical was to warn and charge all such as were Ordeyned Bishops that of all their Stipends or what was given to the Church to divide it into four parts one part to the Bishop for Hospitality another to the Clergy and another to the Poor and the fourth part for the repairing of Churches You must saith Gregory observe this Institution which was practised by the first Fathers of the Primitive Church among whom there was not one that counted any thing his own of all that he did possess But can there be one Bishop now found in all the world that doth so but what once they get possession of they make all their own right or wrong by this primitive Institution as Gregory saiâ—h it appears that our Prelates have broken the Condition for which goods were given to the Church and therefore our King and Nobles may justly take them again Cutbert Bishop of Canterbury Also about the year 747. Cutbert Bishop of Canterbury ordered that once a year every Bishop should visit all the Parishes in his Dioces and that Priests should not have the disposing of Secular matters and that Alms should not be neglected though at that time they were Apostatised from the primitive Principles there still remaining some tinctures and smatterings of the primitive Institution concerning the Alms of the poor out of the Church goods that it was not altogether neglected and forgotten as it is now For now as Peter Blesensis Arch-Deacon of Bath said in his Treatise dedicated to the Bishop of Worcester of the Institution of a Bishop about the year 1160. That certain Bishops abusive ly call the Liberalitie and Alms of Kings c. bestowed on them Baronyes and Royalties and themselves Barons it being an action of most shameful servitude the Lord may justly say of them They have reigned but not by me Hos 8.4 but thou must know thou hast taken upon thee the Office of a Shepherd and not of a Barron Let another dispatch thy temporal affairs for the mind consecrated to divine service ought to be free from worldly imployment All the care of Prelates is to increase their Rents but the voice of Christ to Bishops is If thou love me feed my sheep not if thou love me till thy Land nor increase thy Rents and build high houses no thou art set over the Souls of men and not over their Bodies as a Baron or Temporal Lord therefore thou myst not make thy self a Lord over them but a Servant Angelo Cararo Angelo Cararo speaking to the Pope and Prelates saith it is but reasonable that Princes should imploy their Authority to make them leave that base and vile Avarice that is among them which is displeasing to the whole world but unless they go about it roundly in express terms laying aside all Civility it will be difficult to bring it about he saith that the affairs of the Chamber of Rome is such a Gulfe that it swallows up all one hath and whence nothing can be redeemed no more than out of Hell This Angelo Cararo was a Venetian and had been at Rome his Book was printed 5 or 6 years agoe Richard Arch-Bishop of Canterbury about the year 1231. complained to the Pope That Benefic'd men within Orders had many Benefices joyned with Cure of Souls and that they also took example of Bishops and did intermedle with secular matters It may seem strange that in time of Popery complaint should be made to the Pope against the Clergy for holding Plurality of Benefices and now men can swallow them down without straining at such Camels without check of conscience yea in some places a Bishoprick is not thought sufficient without a Commendum of some Parsonage of five or six hundred pounds a year joyned to it and thus the goods of the Church and poor are wasted Simon Fish In a Book Intituled The supplication of Beggars written by Simon Fish and presented to King Hen. 8. therein it was declared that Purgatory is a thing invented by the Covetous Clergy only to translate the Lands and Temporal Estates of Kings Princes Lords Knights Esquires c into their own hands for praying for them to deliver their souls out of Purgatory for what man is there in the world that is once deluded to believe that there is a Purgatory and to believe that the Masses and Prayers of the Prelates and Clergy can deliver them out of that burning fire but that when he is dying and can hold his Estate no longer that will not give one half or a great part thereof unto these Merchants of mens souls rather than lye burning in these tormenting flames for some thousands of yeares after death as the Prelates make them to believe they must and by this way of Delusion the Prelates have gotten the best Lordships into their hands to the value of well nigh half the Kingdome Why then should not the King Princes and Lords c. take again that which is their own which their Predecessors have been so cheated out of and the conditions failing for which they were given And besides their Doctrine of Justification by works made others to give Lands for the relief of the poor thinking thereby to be Justified which Lands were delivered into the Bishops and Prelates hands in trust as stewards for the poor supposing they would be faithful stewards in distributing thereof the which Lands the Prelates have converted to their own use and pretend a title thereunto but it is an usurped title But what remedy is there to relieve us your poor blind sick lame and diseased Beads-men to make more Hospitals Nay truly the more the worse for the fat of
the whole Foundation hangeth on the Prelates and Clergies beards for divers of your Predecessors and Nobles have given Lands to have a certain sum of Money given yearly to the poor whereof for the antiquity of the time the conditions are forgotten so that they give not one penny they likewise gave them to have certain Masses said for them daily whereof they say never a one If the Abbots of Westminster should sing every day as many Masses as they are bound to do by the Founders a thousand Monks were too few Wherefore if your Grace will build a sure Hospital never to fail to relieve your poor Beads-men then take from them all these things this with much more to this purpose was in that Supplication Pope Innocent Pope Innocent 4th required that all Beneficed men in England which were resident should pay to the Pope a third part of their goods or Profits and Non-residents the one half for three years together And it is most certain that our King and Nobles within his Majesties Dominions have a thousand times more right to receive these profits than either Pope or Prelate for Popes and Prelates are Usurpers their Predecessors having possessed themselves thereof by deceitful Delusion therefore our King and Nobles may justly require their own Temporalities again which their Predecessors were so deluded of the Prelates having been such unfaithful Stewards it is but just that the King Princes and Lords do require them to give account of their Stewardship that they may be no longer Stewards The testimony of 21 Bishops 8 Arch-deacons and 17 Doctors In the Year 1537. or thereabout Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and Edmond Bishop of York and to the number of one and twenty Bishops and eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors of Divinity and of the Common and Civil Law they did all assert and sign with their hands to King Hen. the 8th the which was ratified by the Statute of the 32. of Hen. 8. That there is not in the New Testament any mention made of the Calling Jurisdiction Lordliness or secular employment of Lord Bishops But the New Testament speaks only of Deacons and of Ministers alias Priests or Bishops and of these two only that is Priests or Ministers and Deacons the Scripture makes express mention And that Christ did never institute any distinction or difference or preheminence of power order or Jurisdiction among the Apostles themselves but that they were all equal in power authority and jurisdiction and that there hath been any difference since it is by the invention of men and not by the institution of Jesus Christ and therefore no Bishop by the Law of God may take upon him any Jurisdiction in secular Courts for God did constitute Kings to defend the Faith of Christ and true Religion and to cause Bishops or Ministers to execute their Pastoral office truly and faithfully or for neglect thereof to put others in their room and place and not to suffer the Clergy to meddle in secular affairs for the Kingdom of Christ is a spiritual and not a carnal Kingdom as Christ said No man can serve two masters so I say No man can faithfully discharge his Ministerial office in Christs Kingdom which is his Church if he be entangled in secular affairs in the worldly Kingdom You cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 6.27 Mr Elmer Mr. Elmer in his Harborow for faithful Subjects Printed at Strasburg writes thus on the 12 of Luke Who made me a Judge c. As if Christ should say It belongs not to my office to determine in matters of policy but to the Civil Magistrate And if it did not belong to Christ how dare Prelates take it upon them to do it for if it had been within the compass of Christs Function he could not in conscience have refused it to set them at one which were at strife if he might do it and would not he lacked Charity and did not his duty which were blasphemy to say of Christ and if it belonged not to him neither did it belong to his Apostles nor their successors Had he not as large a Commission as he gave His Kingdome is not of this world therefore Bishops by his example cannot give themselves so large a scope in temporal matters therefore by their fruits you may know them whether they have their Commission from Christ or I had like to have said from Antichrist for saith he if these two offices Ecclesiastical and Civil be jumbled together in one Function there can be no quiet nor well-ordered Commonwealth Richard Armacanus Richard Armacanus about the year 1350. in de questionibus Armenorum book 11. chap. 1. saith that neither the Dominion nor Ministry of temporal things belongeth to Ecclesiastical Dignity but rather diminisheth it for Christ prohibited the Apostles of temporal Dominion saying It shall not be so among you And again Possess neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses nor scrip for your journey nor two coats neither shooes nor staves Math. 10.9 10. If thou wilt be perfect go sell all that thou hast and give to the poor He saith in chap. 2. that the states and degree of Patriarch Primate Archbishop Bishop c. were invented by men and not instituted by Christ nor his Apostles and that no Prelate of the Church how great soever hath any greater degree of the power of order than a simple Priest But how do Prelates observe Christs rule who commanded that they should possess neither gold nor silver and as if they would strive to do as contrary as they can devise they possess thousands of gold and silver coaches and horses and what not Is it not high time therefore for Kings and Nobles to take these temporalities from them which they thus abuse as if they would set Christ at defiance and bid him command what he will they will do what they will do not their actions tend to this end the good Lord direct the King Princes and Lords c. that by connivance they partake not with the Prelates in these sins lest they which God forbid should partake with them in their punishments Cyprian Cyprian in his fourth Book Epist 4. saith Our Lord Christ observed the will of his Father but we speaking of Prelates observe not the will of the Lord as appears above having all our minds set upon Lucre and Possessions given to pride full of Emulation and Dissention void of Simplicity and faithful dealing renouncing the world only in word but nothing in Deed every one pleasing himself and displeasing all others John Huss John Huss in the Council of Constance did affirm that the Clergie ought to have no temporal possessions and that Temporal Lords may justly without any offence take them away from the Clergy and that Kings and Nobles ought to compel the Clergy to observe and keep the Law and Rules of Christ He also saith that Tythes and Oblations given to the Church are publick and common Alms and that the Clergy
living wickedly ought to be reproved by the Laity by taking away their Tythes and other Temporal Profits from them and give them to others c. Mr. Tindal Mr. Tindall in his Book of Obedience of a Christian page 114 115. saith That the Sword is put into the Kings hand to execute vengeance upon all evil dooers But now saith he the Bishops minister the Temporal Sword and the Office of Preaching they lay aside and will neither preach themselves nor suffer others that would to preach but slay them with the temporal sword and as none saith he can preach Christ except they preach against Antichrist and as none can heal a disease unless he begin at the root so canst thou not preach against any mischief except thou begin at the Bishops And in page 124. he saith Those that are sworn to be true to the Pope Cardinals and Bishops it is as if they should swear to be false to Christ to the King and to the Realm for such Prelates that will revenge themselves of men for speaking the truth and for every trifle they are not fit to preach the patience of Christ Henry Stalbridge To the same purpose writeth Henry Stalbridge in his Exhortative Epistle to his dear Countreymen of England he saith that what blood hath been shed between Emperor and Emperor Kingdom and Kingdom Constantinople Almain England France Italy and Spain who seeth not that the pride of bloody Bishops is the ground and original foundation of all Controversies Schismes Variances and Wars between Realm and Realm see the fift and sixth part of the Homily of Whitsunday And to confirm the truth of this consider whether the carriage and practice of Prelates and their Doctrines such as Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Glocester who in one Sermon at White-Hall before his Majesty delivered five points of flat Popery and did follow many Popish practises And at another time in the year 1636. he said that the Church of Rome and our Church are both as one for we said he and he said not much amiss have both the same Hierarchy and Government the same Liturgie Holy-dayes Fasts Ceremonies Sacraments c. so as those who affirm that Papists are damned do but through the sides of the Church of Rome give a deadly blow to the Church of England and deny that we are saved with more the like And also Bishop Laud's silencing and suspending of Ministers and sending a new book of Common Prayer differing from ours into Scotland consider whether these and the like were not the cause of our late unhappy Warrs in England Bernard Bernard as touching Bishops having Conusance in their Courts of Tythes c. writes thus For Tythes Testaments Administrations Servitude Legitimations and such like saith he to Pope Eugenius you went beyond your bounds when you restrained them to your Courts and without Caesar made Laws for things that did belong to Caesar for the Goods Lands Livings Estates of Lay-men and Clerks also are Caesars Charge and not yours nor the Prelates My Kingdom saith Christ is not of this world If then the Pope Prelates and Priests will be the servants of Christ saith Ambrose they must not challenge any worldly Kingdom Ambrose the servant is not above his Master and if the Master deny it the servant may not affirm it and usurp it Souldiers of Christ must not entangle themselves with the affairs of this world much less to make themselves Lords and Judges of earthly matters William Ocham William Ocham a famous Schoolman writ a book about the year 1330. which was printed in London in which he saith that Clergie men are liable to pay tribute unto Princes and that Princes may take away their Lands and Possessions when they abuse them to Luxury Pomp and other private uses and they may imploy them for the defence and peace of the Realm And after he adds That all the Revenue of Clergie men but that which is sufficient to provide them Food and Rayment with which they ought to be content as Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 Having Food and Rayment let us be therewith content and the rest ought to be spent in pious uses and in feeding the poor which if they be not employed in this sort Kings ought to take care of them to set some to see it done William Prynne In the second part of Mr. William Prynne's book of the Antipathy of the English Lord Prelates both the Regal Monarchy and Civil Unity page 311 he saith that the endowing of the Prelates with great temporel Revenues was the very bane and poyson of Religion and one principal cause of Bishops Rebellions Treasons and Exorbitances he had fore-mentioned and therefore they may both with good Conscience and reason be subtracted from them and put to better uses and they like other Ministers be confined to one competent living with Cure there constantly to reside and instruct the People like Bishops in the Primitive Church for so long as our Lordly Prelates continue there will not only be a possibility but a probability of bringing in Popery and the Pope again amongst us since their Lordly Hierarchy is supported by Popish Doctrine Canons Ceremonies Liturgie Godfry Goodman Holy dayes c. as Godfry Goodman Bishop of Glocester said a little above which they are ingaged to maintain to preserve their tottering Thrones from ruine John Salisbury John Salisbury our Country man flourished about the year of Christ 1140. de nugis Curialium lib. 8. cap. 17 23. writ thus of the pride and sedition of the Bishops Thou maist admire to see the various Houshold stuff and Riches as they say of Craesus amonst them that preach poor Christ they live of the Gospel without preaching the Gospel and it is well if they live only so as they do not also riot they so gape after gain that they contem the things of Jesus Christ and are neither worthy the honour nor name either of Pastor or Hireling they do that which makes them to be feared of all and to be beloved of none they preach Peace yet make Division they make a shew and counterfeit Humility that they may challenge Pride in fulness they dispute of Fasting and what they build up with words they pull down with deeds the works they do bear witness of them you may know them by their Fruits they do not only contend but fight for a Bishoprick the Antients were dragged against their wills to a Bishoprick but went willingly to Martyrdome they feared the chief Chains worse then a Prison or Cross Ex Catal. Illyr There is a Story that about the year 1228. at Paris in a Synode or Convocation of the Clergie one that was appointed to preach was much troubled in his minde what to say the Devil came unto him and asked him why he was so careful what to Preach say thus quoth the Devil the Princes of Hell salute you O ye Princes of the Church and gladly give you thanks because that through your
default and negligence all Souls go to Hell and the Preacher added that he was inforced by the Command of God to declare the same yea and a certain token was given him for a sign whereby the Synode might evidently see that he did not lye Ex Catall Illyr fol. 546. Alexander Fabricius Alexander Fabricius a Popish English Writer about the year 1420. in his Destructorium Vitiorum part 6. cap. 79. saith Who are more horribly inthralled to the Devils servitude than those who are constituted in the sublimity of Honour Ecclesiastical men who ought to be the light of the world yet where is more abundant darkness of vices Where more abundant gaping after earthly things than in modern Prelaetâ— who are fatted in both powers as well Temporal or Spiritual Where is greater Pomp in all appendicles yea and that so much that having left the poverty of the Primitive Church they are now rather to be termed Princes of Provinces than Postors of Souls thus he and much more to this purpose Lucifers Letter to the Prelates Mr. Fox in Acts and Monuments makes mention of a Device or Letter fained under the name of Lucifer Prince of Darkness written to the persecuting Prelates of England which Mr. Fox transcribed out of the Regester of the Bishop of Hereford written as some think by William Swinderby I will only mention some few expressions to our purpose Lucifer Prince of Darkness c. To all our Children of Pride and Companions of our Kingdom and especially to our Princes of the Church of this later age and time c. send greeting to all that obey our Commandments and the Laws of Satan already enacted Know ye that in time past certain Vicegerents of Christ following his steps c. in a beggerly life converted in a manner all the world from the yoke of our tyranny to the great derision and contempt of our Prison House and Kingdom but we seeking remedy for time to come instead of those Apostles we have caused you to be their Successors which be Prelates of the Church by our great might and subtilty as Christ said of you they have reigned but not by me once I promised him all the Kingdomes of the world c. but he would not but to you who are fallen from grace co serve us in the earth is that my promise fulfilled therefore fill your selves full and be contrary to those Fathers in your life and conditions and exalt your selves above all other men and neither give to God nor Caesar that which is theirs but exercise you the power of both Swords fight our quarrel entangle your selves in worldly matters and climbe up from the miserable state of Poverty to the highest seat of Honour and Princely places of Dignity by Wiles and Subtilty Flattery Lying and Perjury Treason Deceit and Symony and what our Infernal Furies may devise and after you are advanced thither where you would be then either by Violence Raving or by Ambition subtilly pilfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false Titles possess those goods which should be for the sustentation of the poor members of Christ whom from our first fall we have hated and consume these goods as your selves list with Whores Strumpets and Bauds c. with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes far otherwise than those beggerly Priests in the Primitive Church for I would have you to build Palaces fare like Princes to eat the daintiest Ma t s and drink the pleasantest Wines and hoard up Treasure and not be like Peter and Paul who said Silver and Gold have I none Ye fight for us according to your wayes O acceptable Society or Fellowship promised to us when Christ called you the Synagogue of Satan we love you for your deserts which contemn the Laws of Symon Peter and embrace the Laws of Symon Magus Ye regard Money and have no regard to Souls ye have made the House of God a Den of Thieves ye make Laws and keep not the same ye justifie the wicked for reward and take away the just mans desert from him and thus the Sovereignty of our Empire by you hath been reformed and our intollerable loss restored We would also you should do our Commendation to our entirely beloved Daughters Pride Deceit Wrath Avarice Belly-chear and Leachery especially to Lady Symony who hath made you men and given you suck on her own breasts and therefore in no wise shall call her Simon And if any man preach or teach otherwise than you will have him oppress ye him violently with Excommunications and Censures heaped one upon another and let him be condemned as an Heretick or Schismatick and kept in Prison till he die for an example to all such as confess Christ And thus do your endeavour that you may deserve to have the place which we have provided for you Fare ye well Given at the Center of the Earth in that dark place where all the Rabblement of Devils were present Lord Cobham The noble Martyr Sr. John Oldcastle Lord Cobham professed that the Will of God is That Priests being secluded from all worldlyness should conform themselves to the Example of Christ and his Apostles that is in Poverty and teaching the Scriptures purely and giving good example to others more than any other sort of people where saith he to the Prelates do ye find in Gods Law that you should sit in Judgement of any Christian man but in Annas and Caiphas that sate thus of Christ and upon his Apostles afrer his Ascension of whom only have ye taken it to judge Christs members as ye do since the Venome of Judas was shed into the Church and by Venome saith he I mean your Possessions and Lordships for then an Angel cryed in the Aire Wo Wo Wo this day is Venome shed into the Church as your own Churches mention before that time all the Bishops of Rome in a manner were Martyrs c. but since Popes and Bishops one hath cursed and poysoned slain and done much mischief to another Christ was meek and merciful but they are proud and tyrannical Christ was poor but they are rich c. Arnulphus In the second Tome of the general Councels mention is made of a Book called Opus tripartium which Sabellicus and Platina thought to be written by Arnulphus In which Book he complaineth of the great number of Holy dayes in which Whores and naughty women said That they vantage more in one of those dayes than in fifty dayes besides He complained also of the inconsiderate promotion of evil Prelates and the wantonness and laciviousness of their Servants and excess in Aparrel Also of Prelates mispending the Church goods in superfluity and upon their Kinsfolks and other worse wayes c. Hostiensis Hostiensis saith in his third book Idecime That if Priests do not minister of their Spiritualities to the people the people ought to take away the Almes of their Tythes from them and John Huss said That Tythes and Oblations given
I have mentioned once before in his Exhortative Epistle printed at Basil saith I say yet once again and that in the zeal of the Lord as he is my Judge I wish if his gracious pleasure so were that first the Kings Majesty and so all those to whom God hath given power and authority on Earth may throughly see and perceive how that not only the bloudy Bear and Wolf of Rome but also the most part of other Bishops and stout sturdy Canons of Cathedral Churches with other petty Prowlers and prestigious Priests of Baal in all Realms of Christendom especially in England doe roar abroad like Lyons fret like angry Bears and bite like cruel Wolves clustring together like swarmes of Adders in a Dunghil or most wily subtile Serpents to uphold preserve their Interest Paul admonished us of them that after his departing grievous Wolves should enter not sparing the flock Acts 20.29 These spiritual man-hunters are the very offspring of Cain Children of Caiaphas and Successors of Simon Magus as their Doctrine and Living declare Most cruel enemies have they been in all ages to the Verity of God and most fierce Persecutors of Christ and his Church Marvel not ye Bishops and Prelates saith he though I thus in the zeal of Elias and Phineas stomach against your sturdy stubborness for never was any tyranny ministred upon Christs mistical members but by your procurement never did Christ send such bloudy Apostles and two horned Warriers but the Devils Vicar-Antichrist sent them who is the deadly destroyer of faithful Beleivers c. and so he goes on I reckon it therfore saith he high time for all Christian Princes which pretend to receive the Gospel of Salvation and to live in peace and tranquillity for ever to cast the Bishops out of Privy Councels and utterly to seclude you from all administrations till such time as they find you no longer Wolves but faithful Feeders no Destroyers but gentle Teachers for consider your beginning never came you in with your Miters Robes and Rings c. it the door as did the poor Apostles but by the window unrequired like Robbers Thieves and Man-quellers with Symon Magus Marcion and Menander never was your proud pontifical power of our heavenly Fathers planting and therefore must be rooted up Matt. 15.13 If any thing under Heaven hath need of Reformation let them that minde any Godlyness think this to be one for if these be not spiritual Spiritual Thieves Soul-murtherers Hereticks Schismaticks Church-robbers Rebels and Traitors to God and man where are any to be looked for in the world for nothing can they do but work daily mischief as well may they be spared in the Common wealth saith he as Kites Crows Buzzards Polcats Rats Weasles Otters Wolves and Foxes bodily Fleas or flesh Flies or other devouring noysome Vermin for so long as they sit in the Parliament-house the Gospel shall be kept under and Christ persecuted in his faithful members take me not here saith he that I condemn any Bishop or Priest that is godly doing those Offices the Scripture commandeth as preaching the Gospel and providing for the poor c. but against bloudy Butchers that murther Gods people and make havock of Christs Congregation to maintain Jewish Ceremonies and Paganish Superstition in the Christian Church these are not Bishops but Sheep-biters Tyrants Tormentors and the Devils slaughter men but such as in poverty preach the Gospel provide for the poor rebuke the wicked world of Pride Idolatry Hypocrisie they are not only worthy of a competent living but worthy of double honour but from the inordinate excess of Riches Bishops and Prelates ought of all men to be sequestred considering that the wicked nature of Mamon is alwaies to corrupt yea the very Elect of God were not more merciful saith he Thus as you have heared by these Testimonies above Lord Bishops standing in the Church with their Dignities and Jurisdictions is not of Gods institution but by men yet God suffers such kind of Adversaries in the Church saith Mr. Fox in Acts and Monuments page 1440. who under the name of the Church maintain a worldly State and Kingdom and because they cannot uphold their cause by Scripture the holy word of God they bear it out with outfacing railing and slandering making Princes and People believe that all are Scismaticks Rebels and what not and subverters of the Common wealth who soever that dare although it be by plain Scripture to speak against their doings As it is written of the Emperour that when he had burned Rome six dayes and seven nights he made Proclamation that the innocent Christians had set the City on fire to stir up the people against them whereby he caused them to be burned and destroyed as Rebels and Traitors See Suetonius in Nerone Melancton Melancton in an Epistle to King Hen. 8. saith That long and horrible darkness hath been in the Church of Christ that mens traditions not only have been a yoak to good mens Consciences but also which is worse they have been reputed for Gods holy Service to the great dishonour of God and hindrance of his true worship and the Keyes were abused to the maintenance of usurped tyranny and Ceremonies mens inventions and it is not light offence to set up new kinds of worshiping and serving God such presumption God doth horribly detest the manner of his worship is known in his word only and he will not hale Religion to be invented by mens devise for so the Alcaron and all Religion in all Nations might be approved and allowed of Therefore saith the Wise man In all thy wayes acknowledge God and lean not unto thine own understanding Prov. 3.5 6. God hath commanded us to hear Christ Acts 3.22 and not to hear the invention of subtile politick heads which frame Religion for their own Lucre and advantage we ought not to dissemble in Gods matters but use them as the Scripture speaketh for no service nor worship pertaining to God ought to be set up by mans device and Bishops will never cease to rage against the Church of Christ without mercy or pity for them the Devil useth as Instruments and Ministers of his malice and fury against Christ in his members Luther Luther in his answer to the Popes Bull saith That any Fool Ass or Blockhead may condemn a man of Error by saying I like it not I deny it I will not have it so without any reason from Scripture Is not thy whorish face ashamed to dare to set the trifling vanities of your own bare words of the Canons and Institutions of your own inventions against the Thunderbolts of Gods Word if such reasoning were sufficient to condemn men without Scripture why may we not turn Turks Hereticks Jews or Atheists as well as Papists Steven Gardiner Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester in his Book de vera Obedientia saith Though it be granted that Peter had the preferment of the first name or place in the Order of the
Apostles which yet I would deny him yet it followeth not saith he that with this primacy he had also a Kingdom given him and though the Lord bid him confirm his Brethren yet was he not bid to exercise an Empire over his Brethren for so they should not be his Brethren but his Subjects Richard Feurus Richard Feurus a Martyr about the year 1554. in the Province of Dolphine in his disputing against his Adversaries he affirmed That the word of God ought to be our Rule and that nothing is left to Doctors or Councils to be devised without the word of God and that all things necessary either for government of the Church off or the Salvation of man are expressed and prescribed in the word of God for Paul saith That he durst not utter any thing but what the Lord had wrought in him and shewed unto him Rom. 15.18 John willeth us to receive no man unless he bring the same Doctrine that we have received from Christ and his Apostles Let him be accursed Christs Sheep hear his voice and know his voice but they know not the voice of a Stranger and all manner of worship and service that is not prescribed in the word of God is the voice of Strangers Hence it will follow that such Strangers that both command and practice such Ceremonial service of God as is not prescribed in the Word of God in the New Testament Kings and Princes c. may lawfully take away their Temporalities and Tythes and dispose of them to better uses as hath been said above Richard Lovingham in the reign of King Hen. 4. gathered out of a Book of John Purvey that the Temporalities of the Clergie in England at that time in the hands of such as did no duty for it belonging their office to do besides other Temporalities he said That the King Lords and Commons might without any other Charge but these Temporalities maintain fifteen Garrisons with fifteen thousand Souldiers having sufficient Lands and Revenues to live upon and also maintain fifteen thousand Priests and Clerks and fifteen Colledges more and an hundred Hospitals and every house an hundred Marks a year and bring in besides above twenty thousand Pounds a year into the Kings Coffers He said also that the Kings and Lords ought to banish the Pope and his Factors out of their Lands and all Bishops and their Factors that say it appertaineth not to Kings and secular Lords but to them and their Officials to punish Adultery and Fornication they do fall into manifest Treason against the King and Heresie against the Scripture and that it doth appertain to the King to have the ordering of Priests and Bishops as Solomon and Jehosaphat and others had saith Mr. Fox Acts and Monuments pag 502. Now if the temporalities at that time would have done so much in England what will the temporalities and tythes of three Kingdoms do now that Lands are at so high a rate to what they then were Augustin Huldrick Bishop of Ausburg in an Epistle to Pope Nicholas the first about the year 867 said that good correction proceeding from the lesser to the greater is not to be refused nor disdained when he that is corrected is found to strive against the truth to please men and he mentions Augustin writing to Boniface that the disputations of all men be they never so Catholick or approved persons yet ought not to be received instead of Canonical Scripture Gregory so that we may saith he disprove or refuse any thing that is in their writings contrary to truth to which he adds a saying of St. Gregory What shall become of the Sheep when the Pastors themselves become Wolves Panarmetanus Mr. Rogers in his Answer to the Bishop of Winchester said that all the Laws of men might not nor could not rule the word of God but that all things should be discussed and judged thereby and obedience given thereunto and that no Christian mans Conscience could be satisfied without Laws that agree not with Gods word and he quotes Panarmetanus which said That unto a simple lay man that brings the word of God with him there ought more credit to be given than to a whole Council and to what they concluded without or beside the word of God Walter Mill. Walter Mill a Martyr in Scotland said that these which we call Bishops do not the work of Bishops nor the Office of Bishops as Paul biddeth Timothy but live after their own sensuality and pleasure and take no care of the Flock nor yet regard the word of God to do thereafter but desire to be called Lords c. And Luther saith that neither Pope nor Prelate can make Articles of Faith nor Laws of good works and manners and that we may withstand their doings and Judg upon their Decrees by the word of God though their Decrees be approved by a General Council Doctor Molius Doctor Johannes Molius sometime a gray Fryer disputed three days together at Rome against Bishops and Cardinals by Pope Paul the third his appointment of Original Sin of Justification by Faith and of Free-will and Purgatory and they all not being able to refell his Arguments at last they answered him That what he affirmed was truth nevertheless it was not meet for that present time for that it could not be taught nor published without detriment to the Apostolick See wherefore he should refrain from preaching the Epistles of St. Paul and return to Bononie and there profess Philosophy By this it appears That Popes and Prelates Act against their Conscience and will not suffer the truth to take place least they should lose their honor and wealth for here they confess that what Doctor Molius said was truth but they might not suffer it at that time no nor never since to be taught their reason was it would be detriment to the Apostolick See but what detriment the truth received and the soul of men by hiding the truth from them these Prelates cared not for they silenced him from preaching the truth to profess Philosophy And thus Prelates in this age Silence Ministrs from preaching the truth lest they should come to dishonour thereby and lose their sweet Morsells for if all Christian Kings Princes and Nobles were rightly informed in the truths of the Gospel and of the unlawfulness of Popes Bishops and Prelates of their standing in the Church with their titles dignities and jurisdictions which Papists themselves have confessed is but from men and not from God why then should Kings and Princes by suffering them in such ways become guilty of their Sins but rather rouse up themselves and take from them that which is not theirs but by usurpation that is the temporalities and tithes which they unjustly possess as is shewed above Neither need they fear the Popes nor Bishops Excommunications for they have no more Authority from God to Excommunicate for such things than the poorest Shepherd or Swineherd hath that keeps Sheep or Swine upon
peoples pure alms thus by their fruit you may know them whether they be the followers of Christ or of Antichrist wherefore all Emperors Kings Lords Ladies and common people of every degree and state that know these things and will not withstand these enemies and traytors of Christ and of his Church ye strive saith he for Antichrist against our Lord Jesus Christ and shall bear the indignation of God Almighty without end if in time it be not prevented by repentance and amendment Walter Brute Wal. Brute before John B. of Hereford in K. Rich 2d's reign affirmed that under the Gospel tythes are alms he denied not but under the old law tythes were given to the Levites for their service in the Tabernacle and in the Temple but that service of the Levites ceasing at the coming of Christ who put an end to that Ceremonial law how can tyths now be demanded or received for that service which is ceased they may aswell demand the first fruits which was paid in the old law as well as tythes but if they claim tythes by force of the Levitical law then by the same law Prelates and Priests are prohibited to have any temporalities among their brethren no more then the Priests and Levites had then when they received tythes Christ gave no new Commandment of tything any thing when his Apostles said we have left all and followed thee what shall we have Christ did not say that he would give them temporalities and tythes and worldly dominion no that he forbad them it shall not be so among you Mat. 20.25 26. but upon their obedience to his commands he promised to give them an everlasting Kingdom they that will have tythes by virtue of the Levitical law they are bound to keep that law and by the works of the law no man can be justified Hierome Hierom writing to Nepotianus saith how can they be of the Clergie who pretend to be so who are commanded to contemn despise their own substance yet take the substance of others to take away from a friend is theft to deceive the Church take away that which should be given to the poor it is sacriledge so that by this testimony all Bps. Prelates Priests that hold temporalities tythes c. that belongs to the Church to the poor they are sacrilegions Mersiliu Also Mersilius of Padua taught that Bps. Priests should not enjoy temporal estates that the corrupt manners of the people did spring from the wickedness of Prelates Priests by their evil example Nicholas Herford Philip Ripingdon Robert Rigge Nich. Herford Phil. Ripingdon and John Ashton being altogether brought before Wil. Bishop of Cant. in K. Rich. 2d reign did all affirm and say that it is against the holy Scripture for Ecclesiastical persons to have temporal possessions and that temporal Lords may at their pleasure take away temporal goods from Church men offending and that tythes are pure Alms and that Parishioners may for the offence of their Curates detain the same and bestow them on others at their pleasure And Rob. Rigge Vice Chancel of Oxford was displaced for holding of these truths with these men the Popish Prelates did so rage Pope Alexander and 310. Bishops In a Council at Rome in the year 1179. it was decreed by Pope Alex. and 310 Bishops that none of the Clergy within orders should meale with any temporal business and that Priests should have but one benefice and that the Bishops should be charged to maintain such Priests as they did ordain untill they were promoted to some benefice but how these decrees as to the Clergies not medling with temporalities and maintaining such as the Bishops ordain untill they be promoted is manifest to the world for Popes and Bishops will do and undo at their pleasure for temporal profits D. Hall George Cassander Bishop Hall not many years ago in his book pag. 835. saith that George Cassander a learned Papist was set on work by two Emperors viz. Ferdinand and Maximillian to compose the quarrels of the Church and in his 56. p. he saith that the principal cause of the destruction of the Church is to be laid upon those who being puffed up with a vain insolent conceit of their Ecclesiastical power do proudly and scornfully contemn and reject them which rightly and moderately admonish their reformation wherefore my Opinion is saith he that the Church can never hope for any firm peace unless those which are in Ecclesiastical government will be content to remit somthing of their too much rigour and yield somthing for the peace of the Church and correct abuses according to the rule of divine Scripture from which they have swerved and if abuses be corrected according according to the rule then must their temporalities and tythes be taken from them and their Lordly titles and Jurisdictions and they made like other men By what is said above and proved by many Authors of Prelates worldly mindedness and their usurped dominion of temporalities and tythes which they rob and steal from the poor and needy by breaking the conditions for which temporalities and tyths were given and have falsified the trust reposed in them so that now there is no hope that they will yield any thing for truths sake to be reformed according to the Scriptures except Kings and Princes Lords and Commons as Angello Cararo the Venetian Embassador said of the Court of Rome unless they go about it roundly in express terms laying aside all Civility saith he it will be difficult to bring it about they are so setled upon their Lees But their is one text of Scripture which I think doth clear this point of the Lawfulness for Kings and Princes to take again their possessions from Bishops Prelates and Priests which all the forenamed Authors plead for for it doth not only Justifie the King and Princes in taking the temporalities from Prelates c. but it is a precept and law of God that ought to be obeyed and put in execution that the Kings inheritance be not imbezled and given away from succeeding Kings Ez. 46.16 17. Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 46 16.17 If the Prince give a gift unto any of his sons the Inheritance thereof shall be his sons it shall be their Inheritance by a possession by an inheritance but if he give a gift of his Inheritance to one of his servants then it shall be his to the year of liberty or Jubile which was so named of the long sound of the Trumpet and Joyful shout because servants that were sold was then at liberty and joyful to the poor because their land that was sold or mortgaged was then at liberty and they returned to their possessions The year of Jubile or liberty was every fifty years but many fifty years are expired and still the usurping Prelates hold the temporalities both from the King c. and from the poor who should be relieved out of the profits of those
temporalities but Prelates have been unfaithful Stewards and therefore it is high time to compell them to deliver up their Stewardship that they may be no longer Stewards for the Priests as they call themselves and desire to be called ought to have no temporal possessions or inheritance for their service as Eze. 44.28 I am their Inheritance ye shall give them no possession in Israel I am their possession yea even the Primate himself as he expecteth to be called who thinks himself to be Successor to Aaron cannot by Aarons example possess any temporalities as in Num. 18.20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron then shalt have no inheritance in their land neither shalt thou have any part amongst them I am thy part and thine inheritance among the Children of Israel and Josh 13.33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance If Prelates consciences were not seared as with an hot iron how could they pretend any right to Temporal possessions either by example of the Levitical Priesthood unto whom you see Temporal possessions was prohibited neither by the example of Jesus Christ nor his Apostles if it were not as Cardinal Aralatensis said in the Council of Basil that Prelates value their Temporalities above their Spiritualities Therefore if you observe the rule of Christ by their Fruits you may know them and their Fruits in that way hath been the occasion to bring in and to uphold and maintain Antichrist the Pope in his Throne for if it were not for his great Temporal possessions he could not domineer over Emperors Kings and Princes as he hath done and whilst Prelates possess their Temporalities they do uphold him in his Throne for both of them are one upheld by the other if once the one fall the other will shortly follow Angelo Cararo Whosoever saith Angelo Cararo beholds the surpassing state and magnificence of the Church and Court of Rome above other Kings and Princes cannot but wonder that she upon so slender a foundation and so far from the intention of her Founders should raise her self to so proud a height as to turn those benefits she hath received against and to the prejudice of them that gave her those possessions for the Canonists other Emissaries of that Court study nothing more than how to strengthen and extend their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and abase and demolish the power of Secular Princes if they can possible A Book of the Image of a Bishop In a Book called The Image of a Christian Bishop and of a Counterfeit Bishop set out in the year 1539. he speaks of some that he calls shadows of Bishops that have raised themselves to dominion and Lordship against both God and man against reason common sence and judgement after the nature of Tyrants which rule only by the wrath and indignation of God for Prelates saith he if they be not good and virtuous to promote the word of God unfeignedly with all their hearts they are Wolves and cruel murtherers of Souls much like as if Satan should have a Mitre on his head and Rings on his fingers and should sit in a Chair to rule the people for Bâ—shops that do not preach the pure word of God they are as much to be eschewed as the Devil himself And whereas Bishops exercise their tyranny over men under pretence of Conformity to keep men from sedition and strife he saith the word of God doth not stir up to sedition and strife but the stubborn obstinate disobedience of Bishops themselves against the truth and their rage against the word of God is the cause of sedition for whosoever receives the word of God that man raises not up sedition albeit he no longer fears such vain Buggs nor worship such Episcopal Puppets for since he knows the word of God he doth not fear nor reverence their vain humane Innovations and Traditions But wilt thou that I tell thee at one word that they are they are Wolves Tyrants Traytors Man-quellers monsters of the World burthens of the Earth the Apostles of Antichrist to corrupt and destroy the Gospel And therefore it is the part and duty of all Christian men with the word of God to destroy and pluck up by the roots them and their Kingdom which our heavenly Father hath not planted who by their Tyranny destroy the Gospel Institutions of Christ to establish their own Institutions so that if there be any Christianity in our minds and breasts we ought saith he to speak unto the King for a Reformation Thus he and much more to this purpose See Mr. Prynns Book of the execrable Treasons Conspiracies and Rebellions of Prelates pag. 389 390 394. William Wroughton William Wroughton in his rescuing of the Roman Fox dedicated to King Hen. 8. We have saith he put down some of the Orders of the World there remains yet two viz. the pompous Bishops and the dependants thereon and the gray Fryers which if they were put down also as well as the other I reckon that there would not be any Kingdom wherein Christ would more reign than in England and there he proves at large the Prelates Canon Law to be the Popes Law and that so long as the Bishops maintain it in England they maintain the Pope in his Soveraignty and Legislative power in England Thus and more to the same purpose Roderick Morce To the very same purpose Roderick Morce in his Complaint to the Parliament the 37 of Hen. 8. writes thus The whole Body of the pestiferous Canon Law according to which Judgement is given through the Realm so that we are still in Egyptian bondage to the Popes Law And so long as ye walk in those wicked Laws of Antichrist the Pope and maintain his Knights the Bishops in such inordinate riches and unlawfull Authority so long ye shall never banish that monstrous beast the Pope out of England yea and it shall be a means saith he in process of time to bring us into bondage to the Pope again and that knows our forked Caps full well meaning Mitres Wherefore if you will banish the Pope you must fell down to the ground these rotten posts the Bishops c. And in another place he said that one Bishop one Dean or Colledge or House of Canons hath ever done more mischief than ten other Religious Houses The King saith he hath done well in weeding the Garden of England but yet he hath left the fowlest stinking weeds standing the pompous Bishops Canons of Colledges and Deans c. But now saith he I will speak no more against the particular Pope seeing every Bishop now is a Pope Martin Bucer Martin Bucer professors of Divinity in Cambridge writ to King Edward the sixth that the reformation of the Church could never be expected from the Bishops and said that the wealth of Princes which ought to be bestowed upon faithful Ministers upon Schools and upon the Poor the Prelates sacraligiously spend it in ryot and
Princely pomp John Hooper And Mr. John Hooper both Bishop and Martyr and great opposer of Ceremonies episcopal rochits and vestments in which he would not be Consecrated he said that Magistrates that suffered the abuse of Church goods by the Prelates be culpable of the fault for if the fourth part of the Bishoprick remained to the Bishops it were sufficient and the third part to School-masters and the rest to the Poor and to Souldiers Petrus Blesenses Petrus Blesenses Arch-Deacon of Bath writ to the Bishop of Bangor thus the Title of Poverty is glorious with Christ and that which became Christ ought not to misbesem you St. Peter said Gold and Silver have I none Acts. 3.6 Yea famous Augustine Bishop of Hippo made no will because the Poor servant of Christ had nothing to bequeth it becomes not you to go sumptiously in Ornaments nor in Pride with great Horses and multitude of attendance but to cut off all occasions and Foot-steps of such a Conversation and in another place he saith the voice of Christ is not till thy Land nor build high Houses nor increase thy Rents but feed my Sheep Thomas Walsingam Thomas Walsingam In hyst Angl. Page 205. Said that Popes Cardinals Bishops and other Priests may not rule like temporal Lords nor bear any civil Office without mortal sin and that is a sin to endow them with temporal possessions and that no Prelates ought to have Prisons to punish or restrain offenders nor ought they to purchase large temporal possessions or riches c. A nameless Author A nameless Author in his supplycation to King Hen. 8 saith of Bishops that the only infection and Pestilent poison of Bishops is their great Lord-ships and Dominions with their yearly revenue with superfluity of goods which justly belongs to the Poor and so long as Bishops do possess them so long will they waste them to maintain their pride and so long as they continue in pride they shall not receive the holy-Ghost which would teach them to speak the truth but there is no room in a proud rebellious heart for the holy-Ghost to dwel in wherefore you being our dread Soveraign Lord and King whom God hath set to govern and to redress enormities and abuses you are bound in justice and equity and God requires it from you to take away from Bishops and Prelates and other spiritual Persons such superfluity of temporal possessions and riches which they abuse and other seculars cures and worldly offices which is the cause of much sin in them William Tindall William Tindall in another place of his book of the obedience of a Christian Page 181. writing of the falshood and jugling of the Pope and Prelates he saith they have put out the light of Gods truth and set up their own traditions and lyes and robbed the world of lands and goods of peace and Unity and of all temporal Authority c. and that as Christs Kingdom is not of this world even so the officers of Christs Kingdom may have no temporal dominion or jurisdiction nor exercise any temporal authority for Christ commanded his Apostles that they should not exercise any worldly authority saying it shall not be so among you Mat. 20.25 26. And when he sent them out to preach he commanded them that they should not provide neither Gold nor Silver nor brass in their purses c. for the workman is worthy of his meat Math. 10. And Paul commanded that if any would not work neither should they eat 2 Thes 3.10 Why then should non residents and others have such large possessions that work very little or not at all except it be works of darkness their wages should be proportionable to their work and the overplus should be to the King and the publick use of the Common wealth for Clement Clement the successor of Peter Bishop of Rome and successor of Peter saith of Prelates if thou be occupyed in worldly cares thou shalt both deceive thy self and them that hear thee for so thou canst not fully distribute those things which pertain unto salvation Mr. Mead. Mr. Mead in his book of the Apostacy of the latter times saith as in Deut. 7.6 the Lord chose Israel to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the people of the world And Amos. 3.2 you only have I known of all the families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities the more light of truth God reveals to any people if they walk not suitable thereunto the more there sin is increased The Lord was head and husband to the Church of Israel but when Israel forsook the Lord and followed their own inventions God cast them off and chose another Spouse namely the Church of the Gentiles And the first Churches of the Gentiles as the seven Churches of Asia and others for falling from their first love as the Church of Ephesus and the Church of Smyrna that said they were Jews as our Prelates say they are the successors of the Apostles and were the Synagogue of Satan and the Church of Pergamos who held the doctrine of Baalim who loved the wages of unrighteousness as our Prelates do in their unlawful holding of temporalities and it were well if we were free from the fornication of Thyatyra and lukewarmness of Laodecea I fear that in the general we are like the Church of Sardice that we have a name to live and are dead now God for their sins hath cast off all these Churches and chosen himself another Spouse in these northern Nations c. But if we continue in the same and other sins we cannot assure our selves of any long continuance of the Gospel except God put it into the hearts of our King and Nobles to endeavour a thorow Reformation especially in the Bishops and Prelates and other of the Clergy and their reformation will be a leading way to reform the rest Volusianus In the Epistle of Volusianus to Pope Nicholas for Priests marriage he saith the great Shepherd and Prince of the Apostles doth declare how all Pastors ought to intreat the flock of Christ in love and to remove all tyrannical Lordship from Bishops for that they ought not to be Lords but fathers over their flock and not imperiously to command them as exercising Stately Authority and power over them but gently to admonish and beseech them in zeal and piety according to the strength of every person after the Lord and not after their own will and ambition to see forth their power and jurisdiction whereas they should be ensamples to the flock first doing that themselves which they command others to do but some and that many saith he are inflamed with affection not of Charity but of covetousness greediness ambition who covet to be their Masters and more to rule over them than to profit them they oppress the weak by force and violence of their authority and compel them to their obedience pretending a zeal for God but like Uzzah
so long enjoyed their usurped temporallities and tythes â—â—timer In Ezek. 44.24 It is said in controversies the Priest shall stand in judgement and they should judge it according to my judgement saith God but the Bishop of Glocester had written a book and for his own and other Prelates advantage he had changed the meaning of the Text from judging according to Gods judgement declared in the word of God to this they shall judge as the Priest shall decide the matter therefore Latimer reproved him saying what gelding of Scripture is this what clipping of Gods coyn nay my Lord the Clergy must not rule according to their own wills I would there were more faithful dealing with Gods word and not leave out a part and snatch a part here and there c. If Prelates may thus interpret Scripture they may easily maintain their usurped hierarchy what not that they have a mind to maintain â—rmacaâ—us â—ilus Richard Armacanus saith that to speak and seek to procure any high place in the Church it is a point of pride and ambition and Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica saith that the Pope himself hath no dignity above other Bishops but by humain Laws and institutions given by Councels and Emperors â—nselm and Anselm saith that Presbiters are above Bishops and were before Bishops and did elect them and Cardinal Aralatensis and several others more saith that Priests or Presbiters are of equal power and authority with bishops â—ralatenâ— so that all their Lordly Titles dignities and jurisdictions their temporallities and tythes are all humain devices and not of any Gospel institution for Christ hath forbidden their Lordliness saying it shall not be so among you Mat. 20.26 â—â—hn â—erson John Gerson declares that the neglect to observe an antient Canon viz. that bishops should have poor apparel lodging and dyet and should not strive for transitory things but to imitate the Apostles also he saith their making of laws such as they have no authority from God to make and their enjoyning men by censures and excommunications to observe their Laws their Courts with the oath ex officio and many other things the like which is the cause of division which he saith will never be appeased until the heads spiritual be reformed Episcopacy when it first crept into the Church was not so inconsistant with the Gospel rule as now it is for the bishops that are now are other kind of Creatures than those were as the records of antiquity do shew that at the first original of them they were chosen by the people and Ministers who were to live under their inspection and Government yea even the Popes themselves in antient times were chosen by the people and Priests and after confirmed by the Emperour and were not chosen by Cardinalls and Curtesans as they are now neither had they then either temporalities or tyths but now they intrude themselves with a high hand over the Church and people of God and makes themselves Lords over Gods heritage which the word of God forbids 1. Pet. 5.3 And yet all this the giving both the Pope and Bishops and other Prelates temporalities and tyths is but an Antechristian humain invention and not of divine institution neither do the Bishops now observe the antient Canons in their ordinations as Distinct 70. T. ordinationis which saith Distinst 29. quando Distinct 70. T. ordinationis Let not the Bishop presume to ordain any without the Councel of the Clergie and testimony of the people and again Distinct 70 T. ordinationis see that solemnly at convenient time in the presence of many standers by you make ordination and especially Distinct 64. T. Si forte which saith he shall be no Priest henceforth who neither Clergy nor people of his own City hath elected so that if the Clergy or people of any other place elect and not the Clergy and people of the City or place where he is to serve by this Canon he is no Priest And by Acts 1. verse 23. dist 64. Si forte to the 20 and Acts 6.3 to 7. compared with this Canon there is are thrust upon the people without their electing of them and therefore have no right to officiate unto nor to rule such a people Extravag de institu cap ex frequentibus Extravag de prescript c. 51. diligent et cum omne ex de qualit penâ—ls 50 destinct For a Sole possession is not sufficient in Eclestical benefices unless there concur a Canonical institution Extravag de institu Cap ex frequentibus a Sole possession maketh not one a Senator or Captain but a lawful election a prescription doth not profit in case it be grounded upon an evil consequence and therefore Sithence men so ordained be unjust possessors their deceit and collusion ought not to support them Extravag de prescript T. 51. dilligenti c. cum omne In these Laws in another place it is provided that both the promoter and the promoted as well the abetters as the deed doers are to sustain equal punishment there is a Law that as well the man unworthily promoting as the man unworthily promoted shall be deposed ex de qualit c. ponuis again it is decreed that if they shall henceforth presume to ordeyn any that are unskilful and ignorant that both the ordeyners and the ordeyned be subject to grievous punishment upon which decree and the word ordination the gloss flatly concludeth that the Law evermore is that whosoever promoteth an unworthy man deserveth to be deposed Well then upon this account that neither the Bishop himself not being elected nor ordeyned in the presence of those over whom he doth rule nor those whom he doth ordain and send forth they both ought to be deposed both by the Scriptures decrees and extravag above named so that if there were no other ground or reason but this only it were sufficient to depose them and to take away their temporalities and tyths from them Cod offic prefec orient lib. 3. For the Emperour Justinian commanded Signos judicis according to what is said above if thine excelencie find any judges for their negligence or any other like defect to be unprofitable thou mayst remove them from their Administrations and place others in their stead Cod offic prefec orient lib. 3. And saith the said Emperour in another place in bello c. A Souldier in time of warr that doth any thing forbidden by his Captain or doth not keep his Generals Commandment is to be punished with death though his enterprize take good success and shall then a pretended Minister that forsaketh his standing to walk according to the rules and institutions of Christ and weareth only the Ensign of Antechrist the proclaimed enemy of Christ his Lord and Master Mauger the law of his Lord and Master and Mauger the Laws of men above specified and other the like and shall he enjoy Life and Lands Panormetane and Livings and tyths and all Panormetane
his minority as the Child of sin or the man of sin in his Childhood for laying aside the rankness of those extravagancies of the Popes temporal power or that power in temporalities it will appear that the Arch Bishops power in spiritualibus is of the same kind for he assumes a peerless power unto himself that look what the King is to his Counsell which he takes unto himself for consultation but the final determination and resolution lyes in his own bosome Downam even so the Bishop is to his Inferior Clergie he will hear them speak when he pleaseth to give them allowance Bilson but it is in his own brest to cast the ballance which wayes seems best to himself so say Downam Bilson and Saravia Saravia It is incredible that Christ should appoint such an high Officer in the Church as the Lord Bishop or Diocosan Bishop or Lord Primate or Lord Metropolitan to bear such an high handover the Church and people of God and yet never give them any name in all the new Testament whereby they should be known and distinguished from other Church Officers which Christ at his Assention gave for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4.11 12 13. Hence it is clear that they are no Gospel Creatures nor their Authority and Jurisdictions were never instituted by Christ nor his Apostles for Paul saith Acts 20.20 that he kept back nothing that was profitable for the Church but taught them both publickly and from house to house and shunned not to declare unto them all the Counsel of God verse 27. And yet Paul hath not in all his Epistles named one of these Officers nor their offices God himself in the time of the Law prescribed all the Circumstances and Ceremonies Officers and Offices that was to be used in his worship and service and left not any thing to the will and devising neither of Moses nor Aaron nor any other God hath given Christ to be head to the Church Eph. 1.22 he is the head of all Principallity and power Col. 2.10 So that Christ is Soveraign and Supream the Sole and only Lawgiver to the Church which is his Mistical body to give Laws unto his Church both for the outward polity and inward purity of the same in the duties of his worship and service And I think it doth argue a very unworthy If not blasphemous carriage towards Christ for any man or men Inconsiderately to intrude upon Christs prerogative to alter or change to add or diminish from Christ the Lawgivers institutions either for matter or manner for Circumstances or Ceremonies Officers or Offices other than Christ gave at his Assention for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4 11 12 13. For so to do is to condemn Christ of ignorance or of negligence as if he knew not or cared not for ordering the affairs of his own house which God hath intrusted him with but should leave it to sinful men who presume to command things that Christ hath not prescribed to be done under the name of indifferency but I conceive that things indifferent ought to be left to mens free choice to be done or not to be done but when those things which they call indifferent are imposed by Mulcts and penalties it changeth the nature of the thing and makes that which before was indifferent to be of absolute necessi y the which thing for any man or men to do viz to impose and command in the duties of Gods worship that which Christ hath not commanded it is to exalt themselves above Christ to impose and give Laws to the Church which Christ hath not given Mr. Perkins Mr. Perkins saith in his first Volum Page 676. That if God be either represented or worshiped in at or before an Image he is presently transformed into an Idol and in Hab. 2.18 He saith that Images which also in the same verse he calleth dumb Idols they are teachers of lyes because assoon as God is represented in an Image he is deprived of his glory and changed into a bodily visible Circumscribed and finite Majesty for so when the Children of Israel intended to worship God in the Golden Calf they proclaimed to morrow is a holyday unto the Lord. Exod. 32. And yet the Psalmist saith in so doing they changed or turned the glory of God into the Similitude of a beast that eateth Grass Psal 106.20 Humain devised worship is Idolatrous Worship Now if to represent or worship God in at or before an Image be an Idolatrous worship because God hath not any where in his word appointed nor required such a kind of worship doth it not hence follow upon the same ground and reason that to worship God by the traditions and devices and inventions of men in a way that Christ nor his Apostles never instituted nor appointed and this kind of worship also to be celebrated by Officers in the Church which neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever institute or appoint unto such Office but they are also of mens devising as Lord Primate Lord Metropolitan Lord Arch-B shop Lord-Bishops Deans Sub-Deans Dean and Chapter Arch-Deacons Sub-Deacons Chancellors Vice-Chancellors Chanter Sub-Chanter Prebends resident and non resident Canons resident and non resident Vicars-Corrals Vicars Choristers Curates and a rabble of the like the Spawn of Antechrist and is not this as Idollatrous to worship God by such usurping Officers in a way of their own devising as to worship God in at or before an Image let wise impartial men judge for Mr. Perkins saith Page 696 That the worship of God which is devised and taken up by men it is in deed and effect Idolatry because it is a worship that God doth abhor and detest who will precisely be worshiped according to his own word and institution without any addition detraction or change and it is so much the more Idolatrous because the Officers that do the service have not their Authority from God but from men as themselves have confessed Bishops and Prelates are the abominatie of desolation In 2 Cor. 44. Satan is called the God of this world because men obey his suggestions rather than Gods word and in this respect also Antechrist the Pope is called God because he more strictly enjoyneth men to obey his own traditions then the very word of God saith Mr. Perkins Page 681. And in this respect also our Bishops and Prelates make themselves Gods because they presume to prescribe a form of worship to God which God hath not prescribed nor appointed and so they set themselves in Gods stead to order the affairs of Gods house as God for none but God himself can prescribe the matter and manner of Gods worship and yet our Bishops and Prelates do alter and change do add and diminish in the duties of Gods worship both for matter and manner of worship and so make themselves Gods and do a so more
that it be performed according to his own institutions without alteration or adding or diminishing after the devises of men and shews us what need there is in reforming the Church to make the word of God our Rule Hence it will follow that those that decline and forsake the means appointed us of God for our edification and salvation to imbrace other means prescribed by men or to mix them with the institutions of Christ how specious soever they seem to be in our eyes and carnally flattering to be of more strength and efficacy to attain the end yet they cannot because they want the seal of divine approbation upon them they will fail as it is said of King Ahaz in his distress he sent for Tilgath Philazer King of Assyria for to help him and he came unto him but distressed him and helped him not 2 Chron. 28.20.21 For unto the wicked God said what hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my word behind thee Psal 50.16.17 If thou wilt not be reformed to observe the Law of Christ thou hast no right nor authority from Christ to preach his Law nor to take his covenant in thy mouth Holingshead Hollingshead in his History of Scotland pag. 183. saith that the superfluous possessions of the Church as they are now used are not only occasions to evil Prelates to live in most insolent pomp and corrupt life but is as a Nâ—t to draw Gold and Silver out of the Realm The Nobles of Bohemia in the councel of Basil propounded 20. Articles against the Prelates of which there was four which they said they would maintain until death and one of those four was that the Pope the Prelates and Clergy from the highest to the lowest their temporal possessions and riches ought to be taken from them and that they ought to be made poor as the Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ was who had no possessions in this world neither worldly power for the Clergy are but Administrators or Stewards of the Temporallities of the Church for the use of the poor and what Temporallities the Clergy hath that doth not belong to the poor they have gotten by false indirect ways either by promising that their prayers and masses should deliver the Souls of those that gave such Lands out of purgatory which they never could nor never can do and therefore the condition failing the Lands ought to return into the hands and possession of the King and Nobles who are the successors of them that gave them or else some of those Lands were gotten by cursings and excommunications as Pope Gregory the ninth excommunicated Frederick the Emperour until he gave one hundred and twenty thousand ounces of Gold for his absolution in Mr. Prynns book of the rebellion conspiracies treasons and seditions of Bishops between page 293. and 298 you may read that the Bishops of Landusse from time to time excommunicated 7 or 8. Kings and 12 other of the Gentry and some gave 2. some 3. or 4. or 5. peices of Land to the Bishops for their absolutions and this was one way how bishops and Prelates come by their Temporallities and therefore the King and Lords c. may justly take their unjust gotten lands from them and make them more conformable to Christ and his Apostles Arch bishop of St. Andrews his Recantation And to shew the unlawfulness both of bishops Temporallities and jurisdictions some of the bishops when they were in their right wits recanted as Patrick Adamson Arch-bishop of St. Andrews in Scotland made his Recantation in the Synod of Fife April the 8. 1591. in these words following I confess with a sincere mind without colour or fraud that I have formerly erred in this that I thought the Goverment of the Church to be like the Regiment of Terrene Kingdoms expresly against the precept of Christ our Lord and that the monarchy whereby the Church is governed did not rest in the person of Christ our Saviour alone as it doth in truth but likewise in the Ministers who yet are nothing else but vassals and Clerks under Christ and equal among themselves and lastly I confess that the office of a bishop as now it is used and claimed is destitute from all authority from Gods word and founded only upon the politick device of men out of which the primacy of the Pope or Ante-christ is sprung and it is deservedly to be condemned c. bishop of Dunkel his recantation In like manner Alexander Lindsay bishop of Dunkell in the year 1639. did also make his recantation at St. Andrews the 24 of January as he had formerly done at Glascow the 21 of November where he did freely submit himself and lay down saith he my pretended office of Episcopacy as pretended bishop of Dunkell and declare the said office of Episcopacy as it hath been used in the kirk of Scotland to be adjured by the confession of faith therefore wit ye me to have demitted quite claim c. the foresaid pretended office of Episcopacy of Dunkel with the whole title stile name and dignity thereof power of ordination jurisdiction voice in Parliament and all usurpation of the same in time to come and do faithfully promise and by these presents bind and oblige me never to exercise nor use the said pretended office nor any other power ecclesiastical belonging usurped or claimed to belong to the same pretended office which I acknowledge ought to be abjured and removed and the whole premisses I heartily acknowledge as I will answer to God in testimony hereof I have subscribed these presents with my hand c The bishop of Orkneys recantation Bishop of Orkneys recantation To all and sundry whom it may concern to whose knowledge these presents shall come especially to the reverent and honourable members of the future assembly to be holden at Edenburgh the 12 day of August 1639. I Mr. George Gryame sometime pretended Bishop of Orkneys being sorry and grieved at my heart that I should ever for my worldly respect imbrace the order of Episcopacy the same having no warrant from the word of God and being such an order as hath had sencibly many fearful and evil consequencies depending on it in many parts of Christendom and particularly within the Kirk of Scotland as by doleful and deplorable experience this day is manifest to have disclaimed like as I do by the tenor hereof altogether disclaim and abjure all Episcopal power and jurisdiction with the whole corruptions thereof c. promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that I shall never while I live directly or indirectly exercise any such power within the Kirk neither yet shall I ever approve or allow the same not so much as in my private or publick discourse c. and shall Concur to the uttermost of my power sincerely and faithfully in advancing the work of Reformation within this Land
to the glory of God the peace of the Country and the comfort and contentment of all good Christians as God shall be my help In testimony of which premises I have subscribed these presents with my hand before these witnesses c. Now to conclude John Huss a Martyr at constance he prophesied that the light of the Gospel should break out a hundred years after his death which was fulfilled in Luther whom God stirred up a hundred years after there is another Antient Prophesie which some think was by John Huss also which Prophesie is That the Church cannot be reduced to its former dignity and reformed untill all things be made new the former dignity of the Church is to have the same Officers for quality that Christ and his Apostles instituted and to have Episcopacy and all the rabble depending thereon plants which our heavenly Father hath not planted rooted up for so long as they stand the Church cannot be reduced to its former dignity neither in doctrine nor discipline because these Church Officers as they are esteemed are not of God but usurpers and other the like in the Roman Church who are not of Gods but of humain institution they mix their humain devices with the Laws and institutions of Christ and so defile and polute the Ordinances of Christ much like unto those Nations which Sholmanezer King of Assyria placed in the Cities of Samaria every Nation made Gods of their own and yet it is said of them that they feared the Lord and served their own Gods 2 Kings 17.29 33. Just so the Pope and Prelates make Gods of their own or devise a way of their own to worship God by which is all one for a devised worship of men which Christ hath nor appointed may justly in Scripture fence be said to be an Idol worship and so they may be said to fear the Lord and serve or worship their own Gods or Idols a worship of their own making for did ever Heathen dote more upon their Idols than Popes and Prelates dotes on their own devised way of worship ye shall saith Moses from God walk after the Lord your God and keep his Commandments and obey his voice and that Prophet or dreames of dreams shall be put to death that speaks to â—houâ—◠〈◊〉 out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in Deut. 13.4 5. What then shall be done to those dreaming drones that not only speak but make Laws and command Gods people to turn out of the way that Christ hath appointed them to walk in to have them to walk in the Ceremoniall wayes and appointments of men This doth imply as much as to say go and serve other Gods serve him with a worship which he hath not appointed for to be compelled by Laws and penalties to leave the Commandments of Christ to follow the Commandments of men is no other than to serve other Gods the Lord saith that such an one if it be a Brother a Son or a Daughter or a Wife thine eye shall not pity neither shalt thou spare nor conceale but thou shalt kill him thou shalt stone him with stones that he dye because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God ver 8.10 The Lord threatened by the Prophet Zeph. that he would cut off Man and beast and the stumbling block with the wicked and them that worship and that swear by the Lord and that swear by Malcham Zeph. 1.3.5 To swear by the Lord in truth in judgement and in righteosness as Jer. 4.2 Being Lawfully called to swear it is one part of Gods worship but to swear by Malcham or other things is Idolatrous for so the thing that is sworn by is made an Idol and set in Gods stead and honour given unto it as to be the searcher of the heart and to witness that what is sworn is truth and so it is in other parts of Gods worship if we keep not close to Gods word but devise a way of worship which Christ hath not prescribed it is Idolatrous as well as to swear by Malcham it is the stumbling block of the wicked for diminish ought from his word which also is to be understood of his worship for it is not found in the Scripture that Christ hath given power to any man or men to add or diminish to any part of his worship from his institutions either in the old Testament or the New to swear by Malcham c. The thing that is sworn and affirmed may be true and yet the oath is sinful and Idolatrous because it is not Gods way that he hath instituted that oaths should be given and taken God saith of the Rebellious and wicked Jews though they swear the Lord liveth surely they swear falsly why so because their swearing was vain and customary and not in such a way as God had appointed oaths to be taken and therefore he reckon'd it a false oath though the thing they swore was true The Lord doth live and so men may devise a way to worship God and snatch here and there a sentence or two of Scripture and mangle it in pieces and then patch it together to make up a form to please themselves and it may be some others and though the words for the matter of them are words of truth yet this also is sinful as to swear by Malcham or as the wicked Jews to swear the Lord liveth Because Christ hath not any where instituted such a way of worship to jumble a many texts fetcht here and there together to make a form of worship though the words themselves be good yet they were not ordained for such an end nor we have neither precept nor example from Christ nor his Apostles so to use them but from Antechrist the Pope such example may be taken by them that please Conjurers Witches and Charmers use or rather abuse good words for they often times mutter over the Creed and our Lords Prayer and several texts of Scripture to work their feats but God hath not trusted us with the Scriptures for such ends especially not that those who can please themselves with such a form should impose the same upon all others by penalties of imprisonment or banishment or the like as hath been done to some And therefore it is impossible that ever there can be any right reformation or that the Church can be reduced to its primitive purity and dignity so long as the Bishops and Prelates bears such a sway both in the Church and Common wealth until God put it into the hearts and minds of Kings Princes and Lordâ— c. and to take away the temporalities and tyths from Bishops Prelates and Clergie which they have so long usurpingly and unjustly detained from the King and Nobles and not performed the conditions for which their predecessors gave them and sacraligiously kept to their own use what was given for the use of the Poor and so reduce them first to live after