the Church there is nothing but sores and blisters yea the griefe is euen deadly at the heart They must needes be not onely traytors to God and his word but also enemies vnto her Maiestie and the land that defend the established gouernement of the Church to be lawfull CHAP. V. Some of their vndutifull and consistorian speeches concerning her Maiesty c. THe Bishoppes haue long deceaued and seduced her Maiestie and her people Doo you thinke our Church gouernement to bee good and lawfull because her Maiesty and the state who maintaine the reformed religion alloweth the same why the Lord doth not allow it In effect that her Maiesty and state in maintaining the established gouernement and reiecting theirs doo mayme and deforme the body of Christ and so doo bid God to battell against them Ministers ought not to obey the Prince when he prescribeth ceremonies and a fashion of apparell By the same authority that the Queene commandeth the apparell now appointed to the Ministers she may commaund any piece of Popery so she name it pollicie Achaz of pollicie brought such an altar into Ierusalem as he did see at Damascus where he had ouercome the Idolaters and their Idols But cursed was his policie and so are all they that retaine any thing of their old Idolatrie he addeth for example the candlestickes vppon the Queenes altar kneeling at the communion c. Of necessitie all Christian magistrates are bound to receiue this gouernement by Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons and to abolish all other Church gouernement Either her Maiestie knoweth not what they desire being abused by the Bishops or else shee is negligent of her dutie and vnthankefull to God Her Maiestie is cunninglie resembled to Ieroboam Ahab Iehoram Ahaz Gedeon Nadab Saule Iehu Asa and Iehosaphat in those points whereby they offended God and she is threatned by their examples in that hauing begon so well she doth not proceede to set vp Christes gouernment throughly A question being asked as the register reporteth by the Bishop of London Anno. 1567. vz. haue we not a godly Prince speake is shee euill There are three answers made by three seuerall men The first what a question is that the fruites do shew The second No. But the seruants of God are persecuted vnder her The thirde Why this question the Prophet answereth in the Psalmes how can they haue vnder standing that worke iniquitie spoiling my people and that extoll vanitie To this obiection that it is Dotanisme to challenge such authoritie ouer Princes meaning the authority which the Eldership challengeth answere is made vz It is flatterie to suffer Princes to do what they list To this position That princes should bee excepted from Ecclesiasticall Discipline and namely from excommunication they answere thus That excommunication should not be exercised against Princes I vtterlie mislike To affirme that It is but a meere mockerie of the Lord and to offer himselfe meaning the now L. Archbishop of Canterbury as a bawd to al maner of sinnes in Princes To insinuate that others being subiect to this correction onelie Princes should be exempted I feare commeth from a worse cause then from simple error CHAP. VI. Some of their rayling speaches against the high court of Parliament and all others generally that do maintaine the present gouernment of the Church of England FOr not admitting the platforme set downe in the first admonition c. Anno. 14. of her Maiestie and suffering the parties that offered it to be punished Thus they write The state sheweth it selfe not vpright alledge the Parliament what it will al honest men shall finde lacke of equitie all good consciences shall condemne that Court. It shalbe easier for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement then for such a Court. There is no other thing to be looked for then some speedie vengeance to light vpon the whole land prouide aswell as the politicke Machiauels of England thinke they can though God do his worst Likewise of the Parliament the 29. of her Maiestie for their tollerating the Bishops c. in stead of their newe gouernment it is said That they shalbe in danger of the terrible masse of Gods wrath both in this life and in the life to come and that if they did not then abrogate the gouernment by Bishops well they might hope for the fauor and intertainement of Moses that is the curse of the law but the fauour and louing countenance of Iesus Christ they should not see nor euer enioy Againe of the same Parliament it is likewise af firmed that if the reformation desired were not graunted they should betray God betray the truth and betray the whole kingdome They should declare themselues to be an assembly wherein the Lordes cause could not be heard an assembly wherein the felicity of miserable men could not be respected an assembly that wittingly called for the iudgements of God vpon the whole land an assembly wherein trueth religion and pietie could beare no sway There shalbe not be a man of their seede that shall prosper be a Parliament-man or beare rule in England any more Furthermore a prophesie is passed but from that spirit I trust that tooke vpon him to be spiritus mendax in ore prophetarum that if they preuailed not in the said Parliament according to their supplication then the Nauie of the Spaniards should come againe and fight against this land and waste it with fire and sworde that God shal send a terror into the harts of our valiantest and stoutest men that one enemie shall chase a thousand of vs that although we had smit the whole hoast so as there remayned none but wounded men amongst them yet shal euerie man rise vp in his tent and ouerrunne this land Lastly this they write generally of al that do withstād their desires Those kingdomes and states who defend anie Church gouernement saue this of Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons are in danger of vtter destruction None euer defended this Hierarchy of Bishops to be lawfull but Papistes and such as were infected with Popish errors No man can open his mouth against Presbiteries but with a shamelesse face and seared conscience The enemies hereof after the manner of the wicked mentioned in Iob do say vnto the almighty depart from vs because we desire not the knowledge of thy waies yea and in their practise they say who is the almighty that we should serue him This shallbe the portion of as many as to the end oppose themselues against the cause of reformation now laboured for the heauen shall declare his wickednesse and the earth shall rise vp against him the encrease of his house shall goe away it shall flow away in the day of his wrath his eyes shal see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the Almighty They are no better to bee thought of then
renouncing their obedience vnto her protested that whosoeuer should take her part should be punished as Traytors when so euer God should put the sword of Iustice into their hands Within a while after they consulted with their Ministers especially M. Wilcocke and M. Knox for the deposing of the Queene Regent from her gouernment who assuring the rest that it was lawfull for them so to doo processe was made sentence was giuen and shee was depriued from all her regiment by a formall acte which is set downe in the same storie penned by Knox and in some part printed after in England Not long after this the Queene Regent dyeth And then they had a Parliament by the consent of the french King and their Queene his wife In that Parliament held Anno 1560. they refourmed Religion and set out a Confession of the Christian faith but the said King and Queene denied to confirme or to ratifie the actes thereof when they were mooued thereunto Which thing said the confederates vpon intelligence giuen them we little regarded or yet doo regarde for all that we did was rather to shew our duetifull obedience then to begge of them any strength to our Religion And whereas it was obiected that it coulde not bee a lawfull Parliament where there was neither Scepter Crowne nor Sworde borne they made light of it saying that those were rather but pompeous and glorious vaine ceremonies then anie substantiall points of necessitie required to a lawfull Parliament I might proceed much further in the ripping vp of these and such like practises for reformation of Religion But because some peraduenture will labour to excuse these manner of proceedings and to colour the same with some pretence of zeale and great desire they had to bee deliuered from Popish Idolatry and Superstition I haue rather thought it conuenient to let you vnderstande howe farre they are from making any such pretences in their owne behalf and with what new Diuinity-positions M. Knox and M. Buchanan haue amplified the Geneua resolution before mentioned to the iustification not only of all their said attempts and actions but of many other of the like nature which since those times haue beene there also practised CHAP. IIII. How the Geneuian Doctrine or principle for Reformation hath beene amplified by certaine pretended Reformers in Scotland REformation of Religion doth belonge to more then the Clergie and the King Noble men ought to reforme Religion if the King will not Reformation of Religion belongeth to the Comminaltie The Comminaltie concurring with the Nobilitie may compell the Bishops to cease from their tirrannie The Comminaltie by their power may bridle the cruell beasts the Priests The Comminaltie may lawfullie require of their King to haue true Preachers and if he be negligent they iustlie may themselues prouide them maintaine them defende them against all that doo persecute them and may detaine the profits of the Church liuings from the other sort God hath appointed the Nobilitie to bridle the inordinate appetites of Princes and in so doing they cannot be accused as resisters of authoritie It is their dutie to represse the rage and insolencie of Princes The Nobilitie and Comminaltie ought to reforme Religion and in that case may remoue from honours and may punish such as God hath cōdemned Deu. 12. he meaneth Idolaters c. of what estate condition or honour soeuer The punishment of such crimes as touch the Maiestie of God doth not appertaine to Kinges and chiefe rulers onelie but also to the whole bodie of the people and to euerie member of the same as occasion vocation and abilitie shall serue to reuenge the iniurie done against God The people are bound by oath to God to reuenge to the vtmost of their power the iniurie done against his Maiestie The cruell murthering of the Archbishoppe of Saint Androwes in his bed-chamber 1545. by three priuate gentlemen because as they told him he had beene and so remained an obstinate enemie to the Gospel is sought to be iustified lately in print to bee a godly acte incouragement is giuen for others in the like case to commit the like outrage Princes for iust causes may be deposed It is not birthright onely nor propinquity of bloud that maketh a King lawfullie to raigne aboue a people professing Christ Iesus If Princes be tyrants against God and his truth their subiects are freed from their oaths of obedience Populus rege est praestantior melior the people are better then the King and of greater authoritie Populo ius est vt imperium cui velit deferat the people haue right to bestow the Crowne at their pleasure Penes populum est vt leges ferat sunt reges veluti tabulariorum custodes The making of lawes doth belong to the people and Kings are but as the Masters of the Rolles The people haue the same power ouer the King that the King hath ouer any one person It were good that rewardes were appointed by the people for such as should kill tyrants as commonly there is for those qui lupos aut vrsos occiderunt aut catulos eorum deprehenderunt that haue killed either wolues or beares or taken their whelpes The people may arraigne their Prince The Ministers may excommunicate him He that by excommunication is cast into hell is not worthy to enioy any life vpon earth And wheras there are sufficient and sound obiections made by such as haue truely reprooued these dangerous assertions Behold I pray you their answers worthy to be known and remembred to the euerlasting discredit of the authors framers and partakers with them CHAP. V. The obiections against the doctrine reported of in the former chapter with the Consistorian answers vnto them Obiection CVstome is against such dealing with Princes Answere There is nothing more daungerous to bee followed publica via then custome Ob. We must obey Kings be they good or bad Ans. It is blasphemie to say so Ob. Ieremie commaunded obedience to Nabuchodonozer Ans. The example is but singular Ob. God placeth tyrants sometimes for the punishment of his people Ans. So doth he priuate men sometimes to kill them Ob. The Iewes dealt not so with their Kings Ans. Their Kinges were not first elected by the people and therefore they might not but ours haue nothing but from the people Ob. Shew an example out of the Scriptures that subiects may vse their gouernours in this sort Ans. The argument is not good it cannot bee shewed in the Scriptures therefore it is vnlawfull Possum apud multas nationes plurimas saluberrimas recensere leges quarum in sacris litteris nullum est exemplum I can shewe sundrie good and wholesome lawes in diuers countries of the which lawes there is no example in the Scriptures Ob. Saint Paul doth commaund vs to pray for Princes 1. Tim. 2.
we here may vnderstand your minde we will I trust as we can further it M. Allen liketh well of the matter CHAP. III. A forme or booke of Discipline is drawen and a resolution is agreed vpon how far they might proceede for the practise of it without breaking the peace of our Church WHilest the brethren in the Countrey were comming thus fast on forward as you haue heard in the ende of the former Chapter you must not thinke that the Rabbies in London were in the mean time idle Hitherto it should seeme that in all their former proceedings they had relied chiefly vpon the first admonition and Cartwrights booke as hauing had no particular and seuerall platforme that was generally allowed of amongst them for the Church of England But now at the length about the yeare 1583. the forme of Discipline which is lately come to light was compiled and thereupon an assembly or Councell being helde as I thinke at London or at Cambridge certaine decrees were made concerning the establishing and the practise thereof In which decrees mention is made of a collection concluded vpon for the Scottish Ministers fugitiues here in England 1583. which sheweth the time when they were made order is likewise taken for the putting in vse of the Synodicall Discipline which also prooueth the age of that booke The decrees themselues are extant to bee seene vnder Maister Wights hande a man of that brotherhood But it may not be omitted that you must thinke how the godly brethren in all these and such other their zealous courses had neuer any meaning to disturbe the present state established And thereupon forsooth in this conspiracy or councell mentioned like good and quiet spirited men they had an especiall care that the peace of the Church might not be broken by any order or decree of theirs So as then the question amongst them was seeing the Discipline must needs vp how farre they might proceede in the establishing and practise of it keeping notwithstanding the peace of the Church established already by her Maiesty And it was ouerruled accordingly as it followeth in the decrees themselues faithfully translated worde for word out of their owne Latin coppy The title thereof vz. These be the thinges that doo seeme may well stande with the peace of the Church The Decrees Let no man though he be an Vniuersity man offer himself to the Ministery nor let any man take vpon him an vncertaine and vague Ministery though it be offered vnto him But such as bee called to the Ministery by some certaine Church let them impart it vnto that Classis or conference wherof themselues are or else vnto some greater Church assembly and if such shall be found fit by them then let them bee commended by their letters vnto the Bishop that they may bee ordayned Ministers by him Those ceremonies in the Booke of common prayer which being taken from Popery are in controuersie doo seeme that they ought to bee omitted and giuen ouer if it may bee done without danger of being put from the Ministery But if there be any imminent danger to be depriued then this matter must bee communicated with the Classis in which that Church is that by the iudgement thereof it may be determined what ought to be done If subscription to the articles of Religion and to the booke of common Prayer shall be againe vrged it is thought that the booke of articles may be subscribed vnto according to the statute 13. Eliz. that is vnto such of them onely as containe the summe of Christian faith and doctrine of the Sacraments But for many waighty causes neither the rest of the articles in that booke nor the booke of common prayer may be allowed no though a man should be depriued of his Ministery for it It seemeth that Churchwardens and Collectors for the poore might thus be turned into Elders and into Deacons When they are to be chosen let the Church haue warning fifteene dayes before of the time of election and of the ordinance of the Realme but especially of Christs ordinance touching appointing of watchmen and ouerseers in his Church who are to foresee that none offence or scandall doo arise in the Church and if any shall happen that by them it may be duely abolished And touching Deacons of both sorts vz. men and women the Church shall be monished what is required by the Apostle and that they are not to choose men of custome and of course or for their riches but for their faith zeale and integrity and that the Church is to pray in the meane time to be so directed that they make choise of men that be meete Let the names of such as are so chosen be published the next Lords day and after that their dueties to the Church and the Churches towards them shall be declared then let them be receiued vnto the Ministery to which they are chosen with the generall prayers of the whole Church The Brethren are to be requested to ordaine a distribution of all Churches according to these rules in that behalfe that are set downe in the Sinodicall Discipline touching Classicall Prouinciall Comitiall or of Commencements and assemblies for the whole kingdome The Classes are to be required to kepe acts of memorable matters which they shall see deliuered to the Comitiall assembly that frō thence they may be broght by the prouincial assembly Also they are to deale earnestly with patrones to present fit men whensoeuer any Church is fallen voide in that Classis The Comitiall assemblies are to bee monished to make collections for reliefe of the poore and of schollers but especially for reliefe of such Ministers here as are put out for not subscribing to the Articles tendred by the Bishoppes also for reliefe of Scottish Ministers and others and for other profitable and necessary vses All the prouinciall Synodes must continually afore hand foresee in due time to appoint the keeping of their next prouinciall Synodes and for the sending of chosen persons with certaine instructions vnto the Nationall Synode to be holden whensoeuer the Parliament for the kingdome shall be called and at some certaine set time euere yeare Hitherto the Decrees of this graue Councell whereby it seemeth to me that when they resolued they might proceede thus farre and keepe notwithstanding the peace of the Church of England established they opposed in that resolution the worde peace to warre as though they should haue agreed how far they might runne on in this race without vrging of their followers to force armes For otherwise how could any sober men so much as once haue imagined that they might in this sort ouerthrow in effect the present gouernement and establish their owne deuises and yet neuer breake the peace of the Church But I will not presse this point It is more agreeable to my purpose to pursue the chase CHAP. IIII. About the yeare 1583. they fell againe to the practise of their Discipline and of a Consistorian question TO
of euery man for his gaine and Paule a preacher of the worde of God sustayning the place and persons of the Consistoriall brethren Where by the way see againe the account they make of all that do maintaine the present state of the Church they are but ambitious worldlings Papistes liuers by vnlawfull trades and men pleasers But themselues are Apostles In this Dialogue Paule is set forth as a man desirous vppon the Innekeepers motion to heare some good newes from Scotland who meeting with the Bishop hee vseth him according to the Consistorian humor that is most proudly most spitefully and most slaunderously He condemneth both the calling of Bishops as Antichristian and censureth al their proceedings as wicked Popish vnlawfull and cruell He affirmeth that all the good that hath beene done for the present flourishing estate of the Gospell in England hath beene brought to passe by those men whom the Bishops despise and by that course which they were euer ennemies vnto He saith that very many of all degrees are fully perswaded in the matters of reformation and that he is perswaded this will come of it vz. that he shall see the gouernement of the Church by the rules of their discipline set vp before it be long The Bishop is supposed to haue beene sent out of England into Scotland for the suppressing of the Presbiteries there and so is made vpon his returne homewarde to be the reporter of the Scottish affaires and withall to signifie his great feare least he and the rest of the Bishops in England should bee serued shortly as the Bishops had lately beene in Scotland namely at Edenburgh and Sainct Andrewes c. Ah saith the pretended Bishop my hoste The Puritanes in Scotland haue got-vp their discipline and vtterly ouerthrown all the soueraignty of Bishops by which they preuailed so mightily that we feared our fal in England shortlie to ensue Whereupon I was sent together with this my frend Tertullus who came out of Fraunce into England to goe and seeke the subuersion of their great assemblies and the rest of their iurisdiction wherein I preuailed a while but now it is worse then euer it was And it came so to passe because the whole land cried for Discipline againe and the Noble men so stifly did stand to it and lastly the Ministers that came home from England dealt so boldly with the king that I was vtterly cast out without all hope euer to doe any good there againe and now I make homeward in hast least I loose all there also Here you haue the brethrens approbation of the aforsaide attempt in Scotland whereby it is apparaunt that if they shal be able to bring the people to such a kind of clamor and the nobility to such a manner of stifnes they can be wel content for their partes to haue her maiestie vsed as the Scottish king was for it is according to their Geneua Diuinity Tertullus the Papist he is made the Bishops only Councellour in the whole course of the gouernment of our Church by whose aduise the author of the Dialogue saith that the Bishops do beare with the Popish recusants and that so many waies are sought to suppresse the Puritanes This Tertullus together with the Host and the Vsurer do relate to the Bishop those occurrents in Englande which had fallen out and hapned in his absence And vppon the occasion of this question asked by the Bishop vz. haue not the Bishops yet suppressed the Puritans neither with countenance nor by authority Tertullus maketh this aunswere Suppressed no my Lord a friend of mine writte vnto me that one of their preachers saide in the Pulpit he was perswaded that there were a 100000. of them in England and that the number of them increased dayly in euery place of all estates degrees Is it not time for the Magistrates to looke about them They do take it in scorne to bee thought so weake as that they could bee suppressed Bee it they flatter themselues therein yet their desire is apparant that if they be suffered and shall euer be able they will bring it to that passe And if this be not a necessary consequent of the premisses my iudgement faileth me But to proceede CHAP. II. Of their doctrine for making a reformation themselues and how the people must be thrust into that action ABout foure yeares since it should seeme that some of the brethren were of opinion that they had dealt long inough in the practise of their Discipline after such a secret manner and that then they were bound in dutie to proceede to the publike exercise of it notwithstanding any daunger that might therby ensue For thus one of them writeth Our zeale to Gods glorie our loue to his Church the due planting of the same in this horheaded age should be so warme and stirring in vs as not to care what aduenture we giue and what censures we abide c. The Iesuites Seminaries their diabolicall boldnes will couer our faces with shame c. And after also in the same letter We cānot be discharged of great disloyalty to our cōming Christ except we proceed with practise and so to further the Lords cause by suffering forasmuch as that dutifull suffering for so honorable a matter is as sure a signe of subiection as obeying the time so vrging that bounden duetie It is verily more then time to Register the names of the fittest and hottest brethren round about our seuerall dwellings whereby to put Maister Snecanus godly counsell in execution vz. Si quis obijciat c. If any man obiect that the setting vp and the lawfull practise of the discipline in the Church is hindred by the ciuill magistrate let the magistrate bee freely and modestlie admonished of his duety If he esteeme to be accounted either a godly or a Christian magistrate without doubt hee will admitte wholesome counsailes But if he do not yet let him bee more exactlie instructed that he may serue God in feare and bend his authority to the defence of the church and of Gods glory Marry if by this way there happen no good successe then let the ministers of the Church execute their office according to the appointment of Christ. For they must rather obay God then men In this last point we haue dolefully failed which now or neuer standeth vs in hand to prosecute with all celerity without lingring and staying so long for Parliaments This aduise of Paines was thought by the brethren as I gesse to be somewhat too rash For of likelihoode they could not finde at that time so sufficient a number of such hotte brethren as might serue their turne Whereupon as I suppose out commeth the decrees of the Warwick-shire Classes that for the increasing of the said number euery minister as occasion serued should teach the Discipline vnto the people as wel as the other partes of the Gospel And for the moderating of Paines too hastie aduise it was thus