the bounds of the Roman Empire the governours framed the government according to the forme of the Empire and made degrees in the Church like to degrees in the common-wale They intended not to set up the Antichrist but being led partly with carnall wisedome partly with ambition and vainglory wittingly and willingly did that which brought in the Antichrist and so the mysterie of iniquity which began to work in the Apostles time wrought on still till Antichrist come to his full strength and perfect age While they were framing degrees according to the fashion of the Romane Empire first Bishops then Metropolitanes then Primates then the foure great Patriarches they were but forming the second beast according to the image of the first beast and the Bishop of Rome one of the foure Patriarches became the head Neither was the Bishop and Metropolitan so great in power before the Antichrist come to his perfect age as they were after and have been ever since even to this day They hatched him and he hath rewarded them with greater authority and power But giving and not granting the Diocesan Bishops to bee of divine or Apostolicall institution we will in this chapter onely let you see the Archbishops unlawful superiority over them Persons having lesser ample administration having eyther iudiciall administration or administration not iudiciall eyther constitute by law or introduced without law constitute by law as the administration of the ordinarie Iudges They doe execute it under the Prince either in their owne name or the name of others In their owne name as Bishops so called either with addition as Archbishops or simply Bishops Archbishops being in England two Canterburie and York are considered eyther in respect of their peculiar Diocies in all respects as other Bishops or in respect of the whole province according to the place which they hold eyther in the ecclesiasticall state or the civill In the ecclesiasticall estate eyther according to the place which they hold cōmon to both the Archbishops or that which is peculiar to Canterburie According to the place which is common they are to be considered eyther as in their ordination or as after their ordination In the ordination it selfe it is to be considered that if they the Archbishops haue not been heretofore Bishops they must be consecrated by some Bishops If they haue been Bishops then their election onely is cōfirmed by some Bishops Metropolitanes were chosen confirmed and consecrated of old not by some but by the whole Synode of the comprovinciall Bishops But the English Bishop have no Provinciall Synods to any such purpose They have neither the Discipline prescribed in Gods word nor the Discipline of the old Bishops and Metropolitanes but the Discipline and policie which was in use in the time of greatest darknesse under the Antichrist Here also wee see a signe that they make the Bishop and their Priest of a different order For a Priest when he is made a Bishop must receive a new consecration But a Bishop when hee is made an Archibishop is not consecrated of new howbeit hee bee in degree of power and jurisdiction above other Bishops After ordination they are to be considered either as Metropolitanes or as Archbishops or as Primates or as lesser Patriarches The English Metropolitanes have onely Bishops under them yet sayth Mucket they enjoy the titles and discharge the functions of Archbishops and Primates also Metopolitans at the first were not called Archbishops as I have sayd but the Patriarches greater and lesser onely to whom appellation was made from the Metropolitane But when Metropolitanes began to receive appellations then this proud stile descended to them also as we will see incontinent that as Bishops they received appellations They will extoll the wisedome of the ancients in framing degrees in the Church and yet they themselves confound these degrees and offices and make one man to bee a Metropolitan an Archbishop and a Patriarch Many degrees were made to the Pope to climm up to his throne that beeing done then was there confusion againe We have this confusion then out of Babylon As Metropolitanes 1. in confirming the elections of the Bishops of his Province 2. in consecrating these Bishops together with other two Bishops By the auncient Canons it was ordained that all the Bishops of the Province should assemble to the election confirmation and consecration of the Bishop also and the Metropolitan was present with the rest as one of the number and moderator onely of the convention and the action was common The Bishop of Spalato confesseth that by divine law one Bishop hath no greater right to consecrate another Bishop then another hath By their own book of orders it is not needfull that the Archbishop consecrate a Bishop but an inferiour Bishop may do it for him yet a Bishop may not suffer a minister to ordaine or say handes one a minister for him How can they then bee so shamelesse as to say that Archbishops bee of divine institution if another may consecrate a bishop as well as hee whether it bee with his consent or without it Abbots who have been but simple Priests have of old ordained bishops without either commission or consent of Archbishops as Beda restifieth Of the forme and rites of their consecration wee shall entreat in the next Chapter This that they call consecration of Bishops was not known to the purer Church The ministers chose one of their number to bee a perpetuall moderator of the common actions and called him Bishop as at Alexandria where he was first hatche◠and made at the first but onely perpetuall president and this was all 3. In convocating Provinciall Synods according to the Kings rescript 4. in moderating Synods and giving the last voyce Their Provincial Synods are not like the provincial Synods which wee wont to have For ours were but Synods of Shires 4 5 or 6 classicall Presbyteries assembling together twice in the yeare But their Provinciall Synode is a Synod of the Bishops of one Province All the Diocies of the Archbishop and of his suffragane or comprovinciall Bishops which are under him make but one province And seeing they have onely two Archbishops they can have but onely two Provinciall Synods The Metropolitane convocateth the Provincial Synod upon the Princes letter which happeneth very rarely If the Prince direct his letter to any Bishop as sometime hee hath done what need is there of a Metropolitan For they say we cannot have Synods unlesse we have Metropolitanes to convocate them and this is a chiefe part of his function If so be why doth he not exerce his function without a particular letter of the Prince as well as the Bishop doth in convocating his Diocesan Synod If that be a part of his ordinary power to him as this to the other why doth it depend on the Princes letter and how dare a common Bishop take upon him notwithstanding of the Princes letter that which of office apperteineth to the
of Shires from Synodes to Nationall Assemblies they must step up a Popish ladder by Archdeacons Officials Bishops Deane of Arches Archbishops saving that at the top of the ladder they finde the Prince for the Pope to whom they must not appeale nor yet to any greater Councels of many reformed or unreformed Churches or to an oecumenicall Councell whatsoever they talke of Generall Councels Now the causes convoyed by these subordinate appellations are all Ecclesiasticall causes agitated in the Ecclesiasticall Courts Of which causes wee are to treat in the third chapter These which belong to Canons or Ecclesiasticall lawes concerne either the making of them or the administration and execution of them or the relaxation of them As for the making of them 1. in that the Prince may make new lawes anent ceremonies and rites with advice either of his Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall or of the Metropolitan 2 Synod provinciall or nationall may not be convocated without the Princes writ direct to the Metropolitan 3. Nothing may be treated or determined in the Synode till the Prince first be made privie and give assent 4. Nothing shall have the force of a law till the Royal assent of the Prince be given to those things which the Synod shall think good to decree Beza in his 8. Epistle to Grindal Bishop of London confesseth that he trembleth and shaketh at the first of these heads And in very deed it may turne upside down the whole government of the Church and outward forme of Gods worship overthrow the one and deface the other Did not the Bishops affirme at the examination of Barow that the Queen might establish what Church government it pleased her Highnes Because they dare not affirm that Princes may change any thing that is unchangeable by divine law therefore they make many unchangeable things both in government and externall ceremonies in Gods worship to bee changeable that they make a change at their pleasure and may bring in all that ever was hatched by the Antichrist a Popish Church government significant rites and symbolicall toyes and ceremonies For what may a corrupt Prince and a corrupt Metropolitan or some few corrupt commissioners not challenge for changeable Nay even rites of order and comelines and lawes of things indifferent for a religious use should be considered by the lawfull and ordinary assemblies of the Church how they agree with the generall rules prescribed in the word how they will edifie the Church how God shall be glorified Christian charitie entertained order and comelines preserved For we must not consider things indifferent onely in â—heir generall kinde but in their particular and circumstantiall use which if we permit to Princes they may abuse indiffereÌ„t things to the great hurt of the Church Synods ought not to be convocate without the Princes privitie or the warrant of the law in generall but if the Prince be wilful in denying his assent and the Church be in extreame danger ready to be overwhelmed or greatly disturbed with heresies schismes divisions enormities we may use the benefit of the law and if the law of man be wanting yet the Church should not cease from doing her dutie and exercising that power which is granted her by Christ who hath also promised his presence when but two or three are convened in his name Salus Ecclesiae suprema lex esto The power of Christian Princes in the Church is cumulative to aid her to execute her power freely not privative to deprive and spoile her of any power Christ hath granted to her And by the same reason the Church may entreate determine and strengthen her decrees and constitutions with Ecclesiasticall censures and punishments notwithstanding the Prince will not assent approve ratifie the Canons of the Church nor confirme them by his lawes and fortifie them with temporal punishments Prudence I confesse is required in the Church to weigh the case of necessity when to put this â—er power in practise As for the administration and execution of lawes in that the Prince may 1. visit the Ecclesiasticall state and their persons 2. reforme redresse and correct them and whatsoever sort of heresies schismes errours abuses offences contempts and enormities of any whomsoever 3. to assigne nominate and authorize when and as often as it is his pleasure such persons being naturall borne subjects as he shall think meet 1. to exercise and execute all manner of jurisdictions privileges and preeminences in any wise touching or concerning any spirituall or Ecclesiastical jurisdiction 2 to visit 3 to reforme correct and amend all such excesses or defects whatsoever which by any maner of Ecclesiasticall power authority or jurisdiction might been have been reformed ordered corrected amended or restrained The Princes power in visiting reforming and correcting abuses enormities errours heresies c. may be seen as in a liuely picture in the high commission to be not onely a temporall power but also a spirituall to inflict Ecclesiasticall censures punishments For the Prince could not communicate this power to his Delegate Commissioners except he claimed it to himselfe as Principall For none can transferre that to others which he hath not himselfe It must follow therefore that the Princes power is Ecclesiastical not onely in respect of the object and matter whereupon it worketh as heresies errours abuses c. but also formally in respect of the manner to wit by inflicting Ecclesiasticall censures and punishments unlesse we will affiâ—me that suspension deposition excommunication are not Ecclesiastical but civill punishments and censures which were absurd We shall entreat of the power of the high commission in the next chapter severally by it selfe As for the relaxation of the Canons or lawes in that 1. first for ever when as they are altogether abrogated by the Prince 2. for a time onely as when hee granteth remission of any crime or transgression of the Canons for times by gone and to come when both infamie is abolished and the transgressor is restored to his former state 4. When the grace of the Canon is granted for time to come to any certaine person upon speciall occasion the cause being tried which grace they call dispensation which is for the most part done when the faculties of this kinde granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury upon whom this office doth lye by statute are confirmed with the great seale of England or when if he without just cause refuseth the Chancellour of England granteth them primarily according to the statute made thereanent If the Prince may abrogate the canons of the Church without consent of the church in vain were the Canons of the Church made Or that the Church may not abrogate any canon when they finde it proveth inconvenient is as great an inconvenience In vaine likewise are canons strengthened and guarded with censures and punishments and the black markes of infamie set upon heynous crimeswith the legall effects thereof if the Prince may abolish the crime as simoniacall paction or any the like
deputie The Archbishop may with the Princes consent without a Synod depose a bishop sayth Whitgift If bishops bee such vassals to Archbishops what slaves thinke yee poore ministers be As Primates or lesser Patriarches 1. of right as to admit appellations from inferiour judgements immediately 2. of the prescription of time to haue the custody of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction during the vacancie of any Episcopall See within his owne province York is stiled Primate of England and Canterburie Primate of all England There is a fine composition of an old plea. what they may not doe as Metropolitanes they may doe as Archbishops and what they may not doe as Archbishops yet they may doe as little Patriarches As little Patriarches they may receaue appellations immediatlie So where one may not make a leap from the Archdeacon or his Officiall to the Archbishop and passe by the Bishop Yet he may leap over him to that same man as he is Patriarch And as for custody of spirituall jurisdiction during the vacancie of the Episcopall See that was the right of Deane and Chapter According to the place peculiar to the Archbishop oâ— Canterburie 1. every Bishop of his province confirmed by him must exhibite to him a Chaplaine till he provide him some sufficient benefice 2. As Primat of all England he may grant letters of tuition whereby the appellant may prosecuâ—e his appellation without molestation offered to him in the meane time The Bishops have their Chaplaines as Princes and Noblemen have more for pompe and glory then for any necessitie or utility For they will bee inferiour in nothing to the great Nobles that concerneth pride of life Noblemen for pride will not joyne themselves with the parish where they are members to worship God joyntly with them as members of one politicall body but must have their servile and flattering Chaplaines at home yet they spoile many parishes to entertaine their beneficed and non-resident Chaplaines Will the Bishops be behinde them in this Nay they will bee as noble in this trespasse as the noblest and the Archbishop will lead the ring Take this unclaime of appellations from him his letters of tuition are deere of a doyt According to the place which they hold in the civill estate either as common to both or as peculiar to any one of them Common to both either by the common Municipall law or by the grant of Princes By the common Municipall law either in things Ecclesiasticall or in things civill In things Ecclesiasticall in which they have this prerogative to receive and register the probate of wills and to grant to the partie succeeding the administration of the goods of the person dying intestate having at the time of their death Boâ—a Notabilia in divers Diocies or jurisdictions of their Province The Archbishop hath a Court which is called the Prerogative Court in which the Commissarie sitteth upon inheritances fallen either by intestate or by will and testament By the 92. Canon of the Constitutions made Anno 1603. All Chauncellours Commissaries or Officials or any other exercising Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction whatsover are commanded to charge with an oath all persons called or voluntarily appearing before them for the probate of â—ny will or the administration of any goods whether they know or moved by any speciall inducement do firmly beleeve that the partie deceased whose testament goods depend now in question had at the time of his or her death any goods or good debts in any other Diocie or Diocies or peculiar jurisdiction within that province then in that wherein the sayd partie died amounting to the value of five pounds And if the sayd person shall upon his oath affirme That hee knoweth or firmly beleeveth that the sayd partie deceased had goods or good debts in any other Diocie or Diocies or peculiar jurisdiction within the sayd province to the value aforesayd and particularly specifie and declare the same then shall hee presently dismisse him not presuming to intermedle with the probate of the sayd will or to grant administration of the goods of the partie so dying intestatâ— and shall openly and plainly declare and professe that the sayd cause belongeth to the prerogative of the Archbishop of that Province willing and admonishing the partie to prove the sayd will or require administration of the sâ—yd goâ—s in the court of the sayd prerogative and to exhibit before him the sayd iudge the probat or administration under the sâ—â—l of the prerogative within 40 dayes next following In theâ—◠〈◊〉 Canon the Rate of Bona Notbilia liable to the prerogative Court is defiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 amounting to the value of five pound at least 〈◊〉 and deâ—laring that who so hath not good in then to the sayd summe or value shall not 〈…〉 to have Bona Notabilia unlesse in any Diocie by composition or custome Bonâ— Natabilia bee rated at a greater summe Here the Archbishop hath a Court for testamentary matters which are meere civill and belongeth no wayes to a spirituall Court which may and ought to be heard and determined in Courts temporall In civill things is 1. to have the title of Clemencie which in English we call Grace 2. to have praecedencie before all the Peeres of the kingdome This title and stile of Grace is not granted to any inferiour to a Duke so that they have a â—tile aboue Marquises Earles and Vicounts They mock at Christs words Luke 22. 25. when they say that Christ forbad his Disciples onely to be called bountifull or benefactors but not to bee called gracious Lords For Christ forbidding his Disciples to beare civill rule and temporall domination forbad them the stiles which were attributed unto or usurped by civill Princes and magistrates to set forth their pompe and power and for example he alledgeth that stile which was given to some of the kings of Aegypt by one stile meaning all other of the like kinde For as he forbad them not onely to be like the Kings of Aegypt but generally like the kings of the nations so the titles of all secular Princes and Rulers that rule Nations and kingdomes are forbidden Farther there is greater pompe in the stile of Grace then of benefactor and lesse truth for there are none so gracelesse unclement and cruell scoutges in the hands either of Popes or Princes to scourge the Church of Christ. These base fellowes must also haue place before the greatest Nobles in the land and the chiefe seat in publick conventions and parliaments Canterbury must have place before the chiefest officers of the kingdome Yorke before all except the Chauncellour like the ambitious sonnes of Zebedee seeking to sit the one at the right the other at the left hand of Christ in his kingdom which they dreamed should be a glorious worldly Monarchy They have also traines of men to attend upon them greater then many Noble men and some to beare up their taile which no Noble man hath Fie The Doctours of the civill law attend in their
commission In England if a man stand wilfully fourty daies together excommunicate and be accordingly certified by the Bishop into the Chancerie that then he is to be committed to prison by vertue of a Writ directed to the Shriefe as it is sayd in the Apologie of certaine proceedings in courts Ecclesiasticall And in a wrâ—â— de excommunicato capiendo it is sayd quod potestas regia sacrosanctae Ecclesiae in querelis suis deessâ— non debet The ordinarie lawfull courts Ecclesiasticall farre more then should be aided and assisted by the secular power and not molested or stopped The truth is that this high commission is erected to suppresse the libertie of the Kirk to maintain the usurped power and tyrannous domination of our perfidious Prelates over Synods generall Provinciall Presbyteries sessions to effectuate the intended conformity which they know they will never get done in Synods and Presbyteries unlesse the terrour of this high commission were standing above their heads And therfore when they urge conformity they haue their recourse to this weapon or in Synods and Presbyteries men are terrified with the feare of it This is their strong castell out of which they command and hold in slavery bondage the whole citie Here the Bonifacian Prelats stoutly draw the two swords fine consine suspend deprive imprison c. But the couragious souldier fighting the Lords battell will not bee borne downe with any such outrages and terrours Now as they receive appellations from inferiour courts no appellation can bee made from these three or our five suppose their injustice and tyranny cry never so loud I wonder if the heart of any faithfull Patriot let be conscientious professour can digest this These three Commissioners may appoynt inferiour Commissioners from whom also as subdelegates they may receive appellation I will add out of the record of the grievances of the house of Commons these considerations First out of the statute that the said act is found to be inconvenient and of dangerous extent in divers respects for that it inableth the making of such a commission as well to any one subiect borne as to more Item for that by the sayd Statute the King and his successors may howsoever your Maiestie hath beene pleased out of your gracious disposition otherwise to order make and direct such commission into all the Countries and Diocesses yea into every parish of England and therby all causes may be taken from ordinary jurisdiction of Bishops Chancellers and Arch-deacons and Lay-men solely be inabled to excommunicate and exercise all other spirituall censures For that limit touching causes subiect to this commission being onely with these words viz. such as perteine to spirituall or ecclesiasticall jurisdiction it is very hard to know what matters or offences are included in that number And the rather because it is unknown what ancient Canons or lawes spirituall are in force and what not from whence ariseth great uncertainty and occasion of contention Out of the commission grounded upon the statute That the commisson giveth authoritie to inforce men called into question to enter into recognisance not onely for appearance from time to time but also for performance of whatsoever shall be by the Commissioners ordered And also that it giveth power to enjoyn parties defendant or accused to pay such fees to ministers of the Court as by the Commissioners shall be thought fit As for the execution of the commission it is found grievous these wayes among other 1. For that lay men are by the commissioners punished for speaking otherwise then in iudiciall places and courtes of the simonie and other misdemeanours of spirituall men though the thing spoken be true and the speech tending to the inducing of some condigne punishment 2. In that these commissioners usually appoynt and allot to women discontented at and unwilling to live with their husbands such portions allowances for present maintenance as to them shall seem fit to the great encouragement of wives to be disobedient and contemptuous against their husbands 3 In that their pursevants or other ministers imployed in the apprehension of suspected offenders in any things spirituall and in the searching for any supposed scandalous bookes use to breake open mens houses closets and deskes rifling all corners and secretâ— custodies as in cases of high treason or suspition therof Their commission is grounded upon a statute and act of Parliament howbeit it agreeth not with the statute Wee have not so much as a shew of a statute for commission of jurisdiction in causes Ecclesiasticall and yet our usurping Prelates tyrannize over loyall subjects faithfull Patriots conscientious professours deserted by these who will be counted fathers of the Common wealth left open and naked to their violent rage without any protection of the law as if they were but the vile off scourings of the land Will not the estate in Parliament redresse this proud usurpation Shall the house of Commons in their Parliament bee grieved not onely at the exorbitant power of this high commission but also at the statute it selfe and shall our nobles and inferiour estates not be grieved at our usurped commission Or will they suffer the like statute and make the countrey mourn and groane for it the next day as our neighbours have done Can Princes or estates give power of spirituall censures either to lay or spiritual men Or may they lawfully put the temporall sword in the hand of Pastors Or may spirituall men as they call them accept it If neither can be done how can the estates erect ratifie or suffer such a commission What is this but the Spanish inquisition Set me up this throne Satan shall set up Papistry or any other religion whatsoever in short processe of time For they sit at the rudder and may turn religion as it pleaseth them and when they see fit occasions and themselves to have able power CHAP. 3. Of the dignitie and power of Archbishops in England THis proud name of Archbishop is not to be found in all the Scripture It was not attributed to any common Metropolitans at the first but to the renowâ—ed and mightie Giants the Patriarches of Constantinople Antioch Alexandria and Rome who were mounted farre above Metropolitanes when the time was neere that the Antichrist should be mounted on horsebacke But after that he was mounted then Metropolitanes that they might keepe some proportion with their head were lifted up to a degree of power above other Bishops invested into an office that the book of God the Apostolical Church never knew to consecrate Bishops to convocate Synods to receive appellations froÌ„ the courts of inferior Bishops to visit the Diocies of other Bishops within the Privince A Diocesan Bishop that is a Bishop over many flockes and Pastors of one Diocie was unknown to the Apostles far more a Bishop of Bishops a provincial Bishop an Archbishop having iurisdiction and power over the comprovinciall Bishops The Church being for the most part within
iurisdiction power is united and anexed to the crown from whence it is derived as from a source unto them and by law they are bound to make their proces and writings in the kings name and not in their own names and that their seals should be graved with the Kings armes as I have already declared in the first chapter It is true that they make processes in their owne name and use their own seals but herein they transgresse the formes prescribed by lawTheir manner of holding in Capite in chiefe of the king their Episcopall power and jurisdiction is not changed for all that want of formalitie as before I have cleared out of Bishop Farrars answer Sir Edward Cooke in the 5. booke of his Reports doth prove That the Function and Iurisdiction of Bishops and Archbishops in England is by and from the Kings of England and concludeth that though the proceedings and progresse of the Ecclesiasticall Courts run in the Bishops name yet both their courts and lawes whereby they proceed are the Kings as M. Sheerwood in his Reply to Downam doth report So then all the acts of their Episcopall jurisdiction are performed by authoritie derived from the King If ye will call that authoritie civill then actions of a spirituall nature are performed by a civill authoritie which is absurd But seeing this is impossible that civill authoritie can be elevated to so high a nature it must follow that it is truely spirituall power which is united to and derived from the possessor of the Crown I meane in the estimation of men and judgement of the Law howbeit in it selfe and by Gods Law it cannot be done It followeth therefore that all the Iurisdiction properly spirituall which the English Prelates doe exercise as Prelates is unlawfull how soever they have the warrant of mens Lawes It is but onely to save their own credite that they have set Downam Bilson and other their friends on worke to plead that Bishops are above Pastors jure divino by divine Institution which they are not able to prove Next is to be considered their sole authoritie which is censured by Sir Francis Bacon now Chancellour of England after this manner There be two circumstances in the administration of Bishops wherein I confesse I could never be satisfied The one the sole exercise of their authoritie The other the deputation of their authoritie For the first the Bishop giveth orders alone excommunicateth alone judgeth alone This seemeth to bee a thing almost without exemple in government and therefore not unlikely to have crept in in the degenerate and corrupt times We see that the greatest Kings and Monarches have their councell There is no temporal Court in any land of the higher sort where the authoritie doth rest in one person The Kings bench common pleas and the Exchequer are benches of a certain number of judges The Chauncellour of England â—ath the assistance of 12 masters of the Chauncerie The master of the Words hath 4 Councell of the court so hath the Chauncellour of the Dutchy In the Exchequer chamber the Lord Treasurer is ioyned with the Chauncellour and the Barons The Masters of Requests are ever more then one The justices of Assize are two The Lord President in the Marches and in the North have Councell of divers The Starre Chamber is an Assembly of the Kings privie Councell aspersed with Lords spirituall and temporall So as in all the Courts the principal person hath ever either colleagues or assessours The like is to be found in other well governed kingdomes abroad where the jurisdiction is yet more distributed as in the Courts of Parliament of France and in other places No man will deny but the acts that passe by the Bishops iurisdiction are of as great importance as those that posse by the civill Courts For mens soules are more pretious then their bodies and so are their good names Bishope have their infirmities and have no exception from that generall malediction against all men living Vae soli nam si ceciderit c. Nay we see that the first warrant in spirituall causes is directed to a number Dic Ecclesiae which is not so in temporall matters And wee see that in generall causes of Church government there are as well assemblies of all the Clergie in councels as of the Estates in Parliament whence theâ— should this sole exercise of jurisdiction come Surely I doe suppose and I doe thinke upon good ground that ab initio non fuit ita and that the Deanes and Chapters were councells about the Seas and Chaires of Bishops at the first and were unto them a Presbyterie or Consistorie and medled not onely with the disposing of their revenues and endowments but much more in jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall But that is probable that the Dean and Chapter stucke close to the Bishop in matters of profit and the worlds and would not loose their hold But in matters of jurisdiction which they accounted but trouble and attendance they suffred the Bishops to encroch and usurpe and so the one continueth and the other is lost And we see that the Bishop of Rome fas est ab hoste doceri and no question in that Church the first institutions were excellent performeth all Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction as in Consistorie And whereof consisteth this his Consistorie but of the parish priests of Rome which terme themselves Cardinals a Cardinibus mundi because the Bishop pretendeth to bee universall over the whole world And hereof againe we see divers shadowes yet remain in as much as the Deane and Chapter pro forma chooseth the Bishop which is the highest poynt of iurisâ—iction And that the Bishop when hee giveth orders if there be any ministers casually present calleth them to ioyne with him in imposition of hands and some other particulars And therefore that seemeth to me a thing reasonable and religious and according to the first institution that Bishops in the greatest causes and those which require a spirituall discerning namely the ordaining suspending or depriving Ministers in excommunication being restored to the true and proper use as shall be afterward touched in sentencing the validitie of marriage and legitimations in judging causes criminous as Simonie incest blasphemie and the like should not proceed sole and unassisted which point as I understand is a reformation that may be planted sine strepitu without any perturbation at all and that is a mater which will give strength to the Bishops countenance to the inferiour degrees of Prelates or Ministers and the better issue or proceeding in those causes that shall passe And as I wish thiâ— strength given to your Bishops in Councell so that is not unworthy your Majestiesâ— royall consideration whether you shall not thinke fit to give strength to the generall councell of your Clergie the convocation house which was then restreyned when the state of the Clergie was thought a suspected part of thâ— Kingdome in regard of their late homage to the Bishop of Rome
of guiltynes For it is a personall duety which the scripture requireth of the officebearers of the Church At the first Bishops were placed in little townes aswell as in great cities and were not so thin sowne as since that avarice and ambition have made them to dispise obscure places and to strive who should have the largest Diocies Nay even in England the Diocies of old were not so large as now The Bishoprick of York hath devoured many smaller bishopricks next adjacent as Camden reporteth in his Brittannia The Bishoprick of Lincolne hath likewise devovred many bishopricks which were in the time of the Saxons and howbeit it hath been greatly impaired yet there are 1247. parish churches in that Diocie at this day as is related by Camden These generalls being premitted I will be the briefer in the particulars Bishops considered simply as Bishops of which in England there are 24. whose estate is to be considered eitâ—er in the common-wealth or in the Church In the common-wealth in that they have the title of Lords in respect of their Baronie annexed to the Bishoprick 2. to have precedence before other Barons in the convention of thâ—ee thre Estates or in other meetings They tell us that Elias and Elizeus 1. King 18. 2. King 2 were called Lords and if the propheâ—s were of old so stiled why may not they also By this reason all prophets and pastors should be so honoured But the tuth is that the name of Lord was given by the wife to her husband Gen. 18. 12. and to any man of honest account howbeit to mean men as to Philip. Ioh. 12. 21. to Gardiners Ioh. 20. 15. and was more common among the orientalls then Sir is with us Elias and Elizeus were not Barons and for their Bâ—ronies stiled Lords aboue the common sort But that stile is with us attributed onely to Lords of dignitie to Noblemen and other officers of State As for Bishops you may see that they are so stiled in respect that they are Barons howbeit D. Downam doth aledge that they are so stiled in regard of their spirituall office and jurisdiction The first respect is forbidden Luk. 22. 25. as wee have sayd before The second respect is as unlawfull for there are no Lords in the Church but one Christ who is Lord and King Their ambitious and arrogant precedencie in taking place before great Barons is another part of their pompe Their statelinesse and pompe is set forth also in their glorious palaces sumptuous buildings Their chambers doe shine with guilt their walles are hanged with cloth of Auris their cupboards are laden with plate their tables and diets are furnished with multitude and diversitie of dishes their dayly dinners are feasts They have 30. 40. 60. or moe every one of them of men waiting on them some before some behind whereof three parts of them set a part the carying of a dish unto the table have no honest or profitable calling to accupie themselves in two houres in the day to the filling of the Church and common wealth also with all kinde of disorders as Mr. Cartwright an eyewitnesse doth testifie Many Churches lye desolate for want of sufficient provisioes whose impropriations are appropried to bishops to maintaine their pompe and statelines and bestowed upon keeping great horses caroches and trains of men I need not to insist in this poynt it is so sensible to any man who hath but common sence In the Church by reason of their calling or of their function In their externall calling to the Bishopricke some things respect the Prince some things respect other Bishops The Prince before election may 1. nominate 2. grant facultie to choose After the election finished 1. yeeldeth his Royall assent 2. directeth his mandate to the Arch-bishop to confirme him and other two to consecrate 3. exacteth the oath of homage from the new bishop 4. Restoreth to him the possessions of the Bishoprick Such things as respect other Bishops respect either the Archbishop or him and others the Archbishop as him who is to confirme the election Him and two others as who are to consecrate him according to the direction of the book of orders When the bishops Sea is destitute the Deane and Chapter make intimation to the King of their want of a Bishop and humble supplication for licence to choose another The King by letters patents under his great seale granteth them licence and with the letters patents sendeth a missive commending the person who is to be chosen some man who hath waited long on the Court and promised to some courtier an annuitie out of his Bishopricke during life or some other gift After this election which is made after the Papisticall manner by Deane and Chapter and a superficiall manner or pro forma as Sir Francis Bacon now Lord Chaunlour sayd the Deane and Chapter do intimate their feigned processe of election to the King againe praying the King to yeeld his Royall assent to the Lord elected The King directeth his letter patents for warant to the Archbishop or some other whom hee shall appoynt to confirme and consecrate my Lord elect The consecration being finished and the bishop having done homage and sworne fealtie the Kings writ is directed out of the Chancerie to the Escheator to restore to him the temporalities of the Bishopricke And the Bishop may procure another writ out of the Chauncerie directed to his tenants commanding them to take him for their Lord. This order of proceeding is thus described by the authour of the Assertion for true Church policie Here are many imaginarie formes and mockage rather then sound dealing The libertie of election of Pastors if Diocesan bishops were true Pastors is taken from the Church and the Church deluded with a May-game Now as for his consecration howbeit the Scripture doth not teach us two distinct forms of ordination one called consecration proper to a Lord Bishop the other by the generall name of ordination peculiar to a minister yet wee will let you see the Rites of their consecration how all are taken out of the Popes Pontificall as may be gathered by conferring the book of Orders with the said Pontificall A table is prepared for the Masse-book and the pontifical so is here a table furnished with the service book and the book of orders There two bishops are present to assist the Consecrator ordained to have on the Rochet if not the Roâ—cheâ— a surplâ—ce Here all the Bishops that be present at the consicration of Bishâ—ps should wearâ— coapes and surplices having pastorall staves in their hands They retaine the surplice seldome the coape but they never use their pastorall staves sayth the Author of the petition to the Queen And yet they have a staffe to beat out a painfull minister out of the Church if he take not on a surplice But in the abridgement of the ministers of Lincolne it is sayd that in the former edition of the book of ordination which