Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	king_n	say_a	2,970	5	7.0430	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

of the Kingdome of Heaven by name are committed those are more vvorthy honorable then those tha● have not that Priviledge But for the Presbyters they have the Priviledge of the Keys granted unto them by name Ergo the Presbyters are more honorable then Bishops For the major no good Christian vvill or rationall man can deny it And for the minor he that readeth the last of Iames shall finde it manifestly enough confirmed and proved By all vvhich Arguments the Defendent did sufficiently beat dovvne the Bishop of Romes autority and by the very light of reason overthew it For if that every Presbyter be by the word of God as good a man as the Bishop of Rome if not better and vvithall if the Presbyters neither can nor may usurp autority over their fellovv brethren much lesse may they doe it over Kings and Emperors and by consequence and necessity of reson it follovve●h that the Bishop of Rome hath no cause to arrogate such autority to himselfe over the vvhole Church as he doth and therefore that his rule Government is a meere usurpation and an abominable tyranny over the vvhole Church of God and ought of all men to be defyed abominated and abhorred vvith all his complices as impious and blasphemous against God●●njuriou● to Kings Princes and nocent to all the faithfull members of Iesus Christ. The recapitulation of all the vvh●ch Arguments this Defendent thought fit to make knovvne to this honourable Court that their illustricityes might in every respect see his innocency vvho first exemted all Bishops that acknovvledge their autorityes from Kings and Emperors out of the number of those against vvhich he disputed and secondly never by name fought against any other but Romish Bishops and vvi●h their ovvne arguments vvounded them● And therefore he could not but take it unkindly that when in this combat they should have helped him against the common enimie they defending him fell upon the poore Defendent to his perdition saying that he meant ●hem and that he vvas erronious and factious in his opinions Novv if the Defendent hath erred in the discussing of these truthes the Scripture that Word of Life hath brought him to it vvhich vvere blasphemie to thinke and therefore vvhen they adjudged his booke to be burnt they might as vvell have burnt th● Scripture also yea all antiquitie and the gravest and learnedest of auncient Fathers vvhose testimonies also hee hath made publick for the greater vindication of the truth against error and cruelty But that the integritie of the defendent may yet more clearlie appeare he most humbly entreateth this Illustrious Tribunall to heare hovv the busines vvas carried against him at his Araignment before the Prelats Barre at Lambeth and hovv submissively he demeaned himself there and hovv superciliously they carried themselves towards the Defendent on the contrary side When it came to his part to speake for himselfe the Advocat having formerly denied to plead his case any farther then about the vvitnesses testimonie vvhich he also did very jejunely beeing an Advocate of such excellent parts of learning and eloquence as he vvas and also at the Bar ●enouncing i● saying That the Defendent should plead himselfe which vvhen it vvas put upon him he then first related vnto the Assemblie the Theame of the booke vvhich vvas the mayntenance of the Kings prerogative royall Then he told them the occasion of his vvriting of it that he vvas provoked thereunto by a Pontifician vvho often had dared him into the list of dispute● which a● last he could not deny as he vvas a Christian and as he vvas a Subiect for by the Word of God he told them and by the Law of the Land and his speciall oath he vvas bound unto it vvhich Oath he also read at large in open Court the vvhich also all the Bishops of England and all the Iudges of the Kingdome had taken and vvere equally bound vvith him to observe Then before he entred into the combat vvith the adversarie he shevved vvhat caution he used that being to vvrite against the Bishop of Rome Italian Bishops it vvas onely as they arrogate their au●oritie over their Brethren and the Church of God yea over Kings and Emperors jure divino against such Bishops onely hee affirmed he did dispute read the vvords of exception formerly cited at the Barre as for such Bishops as acknovvledge their jurisdiction povver and autority from Kings and Emperors he sayd he ha● no controversy against them as he there againe and againe declared himself in the number of vvhich he the Defendent sayd ours were for all the Bishops of England and in his Majst Dominions had and received or at leastvvise ought so to doe their autoritie jurisdiction over their brethren from him For proofe of vvhich he cited read publickly the Statuts and Acts of Parlament as follow First that of the first of Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie vvherein the Oath of Allegiance vvas ratifyed In the which Statute there are these words That all jurisdiction all Superiorities and all Privileges and Preminencies spirituall and temporall are annexed to the Imperiall Crovvne vvhich by Oath he being bound to mayntayn●● could doe no lesse being provoked by an adversary of regal dignity He read also the Statute vvhich was inacted in the 37. of Henrry the eight vvhich is that Archb and Bish. and all other Ecclesiasticall persons have no other Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction but that vvhich they received and had by the King from the King and under his Royall Majest He read also the Statute made in the first of King Edward the sixt in these vvords That all jurisdiction and Autori●ie Spirituall and Temporall is derived and doth come frō the Kings Majest as supreme Head in the Churches and Kingdomes of England and Ireland and that by the Clergy of both the Kingdomes it ought no otherwise to be held or esteemed of and that all Ecclesiasticall Courts vvithin the sayd Kingdomes ought to be held and kept by no other povver and autoritie eyther domesticall or forrain then that vvhich comes from his most excellent Majestie And that vvhosoever did not acknovvledge and venerate this autoritie that the same men are ipso facto in a praemunire under the Kings high displeasure and indignation as the vvords of the Statute run and the mouth of the lavv speaks and then vvith some reason● also vvhich the Defendent produced besides the Word of God hee shevved That no Romish Bishops had autoritie over their fellovv brethren nor could jure divino challenge it much lesse over Kings and Emperors and therefore so long as the defendent had the Word of God the Lavves of the Kingdome and reason it self on his side he told them he thought himself reasonably secure from all danger in that place And then applying his speech unto the right honorable and noble Lord the Earle of Dorset then present the Defendent tolde his honour that he could not but vvonder that hee should stand

the proceedings of the Prelats against himself and their dealings tovvards others of their brethren the theame of vvhich booke he the Defendent desireth the honorable Court● to take a briefe relation of at this time that they may the better be informed of the falsitie of the information And first for the principall theame and matter of the booke it is the State of the questions in his Flagello Pontificis for vvhich he suffered vvith the summe of the Arguments he produced for the confirmation of the trueth The questio●s arising betvveen the Babylonian and the defendent concerning the autoritie of the Pope were these The first whether Christ did constitute Peter sole Monarch of the Catholick Church The second vvhether the Pope of Rome if hee bee a Bishop as hee is a Bishop hath Autoritie jurisdiction over Kings Emperors Thirdlie vvhether Popish Bishops be true Bishops or no and of the discussing of these questios the defendent saith his adversarie vvas the sole cause In the handling of the which the Defenden● f●rther affirmeth that he used all the caution that vvas possible as he supposed for man to use prefacing in his booke that being to dispute about the Autority of the Bishop of Rome he desired candidly to be understood of all men● for while he disputed of Episcopall autoritie he medled nor contended not against such Bishops as ackovvledge their autoritie jurisdiction from Kings and Emperors into vvhose hands the government of States Kingdomes● and Commonvvealths is by God committed For if the Popes themselves vvould acknovvledge their immense and unlimited autoritie from Kings and Emperors he the defendent there said if they commanded nothing contrarie to the vvill and Word of God that he for his part out of the reverence duty ● loyaltie to his Prince vvould obey it The Words in the Original are these Verum de Episcoporum autoritate locutus à bonis bene intelligi cupio Non enim litis litem moveo quatenus ab Imperatoribus Regibus Principibus Terre quorum interest salutem civium tueri potestatem ●us Imperium in socios totumque Dei gregem adepti sunt Nam si Romani Episcopi imm●nsam illam nullis limitibus circumscriptam autoritatem indulgentia Principum acceptam ferrent voluntati Episcopali nihil voluntati divinae inimicum jubenti obtemperandum putem ob reverentiam Principi si volenti debitam c. So that the defendent having thus playnlie set downe his minde before knowing that all the jurisdiction that the Bishops in England now exercise over others is ●rom the King he thought himself not onely secure from danger but expected fav●ur at least from the Bishops their helping hand especially when the opposing the Popes Autority in England is a thing that the King and State have ever so well allowed of And that this honorable Court may yet be f●rther informed of the speciall cause for which the Prelats are so displeased with the defendent it was for the truely and narrowlie disputing and discussing of the second question to wit whether the Pope of Rome if he be a Bishop as he is a Bishop have Autoritie jurisdiction not onelie over his fellow breth●en but over Kings and Emperors which the Defendent there denyed for many warrantable Arguments The summe of which he desireth here to relate unto this honorable Court for his just and necessarie defence justification For by the ve●ie light of nature and unanswerable reason it is evident and manifest that where there is an equalitie and pari●ie amongst men there the one doth not exceed the other in power or Dominion Paris enim in Parem non esse imperium inter Naturae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Novv Divine constitution hath made Bishops and Presbyters or Elders a like and equall vvhich that it might the better appeare the Defendent propounded there tvvo things to be proved The first vvas That Bishops and Presbyters vvere by the Word of God one and the same Secondlie That Presbyters had equall Autoritie of Government● Ordination Excommunication vvith Bishops vvherein onely consists their preeminency Autoritie above their brethren vvhich things being proved it vvill necessarilie follovv That the Pope of Rome as he is Bishop doth no vvay exceed other Bishops and Presbyters they being in all things a like and equall unto him much lesse hath any Autoritie and povver over Kings and Emperours And for the proofe of the first position the vvords Presbyter Bishop do sufficientlie evince i● vvhich in holy Scripture though diverse in sound signifie one and the same thing as not to cite the vvords themselves vvhich would be large The Apostle Paul to Titus in the first chapter doth sufficientlie shew vvhere the words Bishop Presbyter are confounded And likevvise in the first Epistle of Peter and the fift Chapter there Presbyter and Bishop signifie one and the same thing And the Epistl● to the Philippians the first Chapter and the ●irst verse do●h apparentlie demonstrate it● and diverse other places might be produced dilucidating the same thing But the 20● of the Acts puts all out of controversie where Presbyter and Bishop signifie one the same thing● for office● honour and function so that the identity of their office● is signifyed by those tvvo expressions Neither is there a confusion of their names with a difference still of their functions administrations as some vvould cavill for in these places vvhere Presbyters are called Bishops the disputation is not about the title but about the office signified and specified by the title For vvhen S. Paul exhorts the Presbyters to have an eye to their duty charge he useth this reason that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops● And the trueth of ●his is so evident that the Rhemists themselves as learned men as any Bishops in England and as able to mayntayne an error are forced ingen●ouslie to confesse it saying in expresse vvords in their No●es upon the 28. vers of that Chapter That in the Apostles times there vvas no difference betvveen Presbyter and Bishop● so that for the first position it is not onely by the Word of God clearlie evident but by the very confession of the adversaries of the trueth granted as a thing without controversy Novv for proofe of the second position that Presbyters as vvell as the Bishop of Rome have the povver and right of Government Ordination and Excommunication by vvhich in these times Bishops onely exceed Presbyters the defendent vvill here brieflie demonstrat it referring those of this honorable Court that have a desire to search into the full trueth of it to his booke And for proofe that the Government vvas committed unto them and that they exercised the same it is most perspicuous out of the first of Timothie 5. vvhere the Apostle sayth The Presbyters that rule vvell are vvorthie of double honour especially those that labour in Word and Doctrine By this testimonie it is evident that they

in the 26● of the Acts vvhere Christ saith unto Paul Rise stand up on thy feet For I have appeared unto thee for this purpos●● to make thee a minister witnes both of the things which thou hast seene and of those things in which I will appeare unto thee delivering th●e from the people and from the Gentiles● unto whom now I send thee to open their eie● and to turn● them from darknes unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenes of Sinnes inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith which is in● m●e And Paul vvas not disobedient to this heavenly vision but preached unto all men that they should repent● turne to God and doe vvorks meet for repentance And this vvas and is the onely vvay God hath appointed to save our soules by for Faith cometh only by hea●ing● this preaching vvas all that Paul did● I came not to baptise sayth hee but to preach the Gospell so that preaching is the effect of all the ordinances And in another place he saith Woe be me● If I preach not the Gospell And in the sixt of the Acts the Apostles told the Church● That it was not reason that they should leave the vvord of God serve Tables and ●herefore they resolved continually to give themselves to prayer to the ministery of ●he Word● And in the 4. of the Ac 〈…〉 the Rulers commanded Peter and 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 nor teach in the name of ●esus Th 〈…〉 vered 〈◊〉 un●o them Whe●her it be right in 〈…〉 of God to hearken unto y●u more then unto 〈…〉 ge yee for vve cannot but speake the things 〈…〉 e have heard He●e vve see the vvhole office 〈…〉 the Apostles vvas to preach the Gospell● 〈…〉 the vvorke ta●ke and duty of Ministers to 〈…〉 same vvord of life And Paul set hi● 〈…〉 re them for his sedulity in preach 〈…〉 mands them to follovv him in that● 〈…〉 y and Titus and all Ministers in them to 〈…〉 stant in season and out of season in preaching the vvord they that neglect that duty are no Ministers of Christ nor of the Gospell Yea the Bishops themselves and all their Priests as they call them as vve may see in the booke of Ordinations solemnly promise before God the Church that ●hey vvill be diligent in the preaching of the Worde of God and publishing of the Gospell And for the better stirring of them up to that Duty and Office they reade the 20. Chapter of the Acts concerning the charge that vvas given the Elders and Bishops of Ephesus for their diligent preaching of the Gospell And in most of all their prayers before their Sermons they beseech God to blesse the tvvo fountaynes of all learning in this Kingdom that he vvould send out streames for the vvatering of ●he garden of the Church and that he vvould preserve those fountaynes pure and incorrupt Novv all men knovv hovv Paul planted and Apollos vvatered the garden of the Church and that vvas by preaching as is manifest in the 1. of the Cor. Notvvithstanding all this Viz. the charge that is layd upon them by God himself that they should preach the vvord diligently as they love him notvvithstanding allso the promise that the Bishops and their Priests have made of their particular care in preaching vvhich is onely able to save our soules notvvithstanding the curse that is layd upon them if they do not preach notvvithstanding they pray that the tvvo ●ountaines may send out streames for the vvatering of the garden of the Church Notvvithstanding all the premisses the Defendent saith That the Prelats neither preach themselves nor vvill let others preach but silence allmost vvhole Diocesses together and have extinguished very many of the chiefe burning lights amongst us and doe dayly suspend ●he remnant of the most laborious painfull Ministers through England and Wales and have deprived the people of all Soules comfort and spirituall solace vvithout vvhich a mans life is miserable to the infinit dishono●r of God hinderance of the Christian faith and the good institution of the people yea and to the trouble of the vvhole Church and State and therefore the Prelats are the onely hinderers of the instruction of the people in their Christian faith and the saving of their soules and by consequence the enimyes of the Church and Kingdome for from these Priests is iniquity gone out through the vvhole Kingdome and of the truth of that the Defendent novv saith● all the Realme can vvitnes and the Prelates practices prove vvho make voyd the commandements of God by their vaine traditions and trample his holy divine precepts under their feet and stop the course of the everlasting Gospell and therefore the enemies of Christs Kingdome and the salvation of their Brethren Novv vvhereas in the Information it is sayd● That the tontriving publishing divulging s●lling venting and dispersing of defamatory and libellous Books● pamphlets and infamous Libells and Letters are pernicious wicked things in themselves and of dangerous consequence to his Mast. service and the publik weale of this Realme directly contrary to wholesome Lawes and Statutes The Defendent for his part doth absolutly in all things thinke the same But vvhereas the Informers vvould make the Defendent M. Burton● M. Prin guilty of such things and to have envyed maligned his Mast. happy government and the good discipline of the Church and that they have made a confederation among themselves out of some schismaticall factious humors and have from time to time causlesly indeavored as much as in them lyeth to vilify defame his Mast. Excellent government the proceedings of the Courts Spiritual and within the Kingdome especially the Court of High Commission for Ecclesiastical causes that the said Confederats have within these seven yeares last past raised layd diverse false scandalous imputations upon the proceedings of all the Courts in generall especially of the sayd High Commission and chiefly upon the Archbishoppes Bishops prime Iudges thereof who doe equally administer justice therein by acquitting the innocent and correcting the nocent according to their demerit proceeding therein with great temper moderation and by their wicked courses and by telling divulging of false lyes news and tales have attempted to move and stirre the people to disobedience and discontent against his Mast. government for the effecting of the said wicked designes purposes the said Iohn Bastwick having been heretofore about the 10. or 12. of February in the tenth yeare of his Mast. raigne justly censured by the said High Commission Court for writing speaking words tending to the maintaining upholding of schisme and division in his Mast. Church of England opposition against the laudable orders ceremonies of the Church as by the said Sentence amongst other things more at large appeareth Thereupon vvithin these three yeares last past he

the said Iohn Bastvvick● by the advice confede●acy● combination abetment helpe and assistance of the sayd Henry Burton and Mr. Prin c. hath unlavvfully contrived framed and vvri● vvithout licence printed divers epistles prefaces additions other passages annexed and inserted thereunto and all vvritten by him the sayd Iohn Bastvvick or by his advice and approbation in vvhich book he hath causlesly boldly enveighed against the Oath ex officio other the antient formes and proceedings of the sayd High Commission Court c. against the Hierarchy of the Church preferring a Presbyterian parity before the sacred and setled Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons and in the sayd book hath falsly and scandalously defamed the vvitnesses produced against him falsly allso and maliciously taxed the High Commission Court it self and the Iudges therein in generall and some of them particularly personally vvith cruelty injustice vvith vvant of vvisdome temperance and that they are persvvaders of his Mast. though in vaine to bloud●hed and are upholders of idolatry superstition prophanesse and therein farther most malicio●sly falsly affirmeth That the Archbishop the Lord Treasurer and the Bishop of Ely three of the most vvorthy and learned Prelats of the Kingdome that they are disgracers and contemnets of the holy Scriptures and falsly traduceth them for Traytors and invaders of his Mast. prerogative And in the sayd booke are contayned divers other unlavvfull scandalous libellous passages vvhich beeing many and of various natures is annexed unto the information as a part thereof to vvhich he referreth himselfe To all vvhich large accusation the Defendent for ansvver saith That vvhereas these things of so foule nature consequence are layd upon him Mr. Burton and Mr. Prin That the informers begin their accusation with a calumny As for the defendents ovvne partscular he affirmeth and that truely That for reverend and learned Mr. Henry Burton and Mr. Prin he hath never knovvne them othervvise then to be loyall Subjects unto his Mast. and such as in all peaceable vvayes and honest endeavours have sought vvished earnestly laboured for the promotion of the true Christian faith and religion and such no other maner of men he the defendent hath ever knovvne them and such he verily believeth they are and therefore as they feare God honour the King he is and hath been and ever vvill be by the grace of God an a better vvith them and if that in so doing and practising it be counted either faction confederation or combination he vvill live and dye in it But notvvithstanding of the resolution and purpose of the defendent he further for satisfaction to the information sayth that hovvsoever the forenamed Master Burton and Mr. Prin and himself have been of long acqueyntance yet their familiar●●y hath been ever very little they having not by the 4. or 5. yeares together neither seen nor heard one of an other and for these three yeares last past the defendent sayth that he hath not seen the face of Mr. Prin nor been ever vvith Mr. Burton above tvvice or thrice as he remembreth much lesse bene privy or acquaynted the one vvhat the others either proceedings or intentions vvere and therefore for ever doth disa●ow● any help counsell advice in the making or publishing of any thing that ever he hath done but vvhatsoever he hath vvrit it vvas accomplished before that they knevv of it And for the other men specifyed in the information the defendent knovves them not● neither by face nor name and this he is ready to depose And so much may suffice in generall to have spoke of this matter But novv more especially vvhereas he the defendent is accused of long continuance to have envyed maligned his Mast. happy governmen● and the good discipline of the Church● Hee the defendent protesteth in the presence of God● and before the vvorld that it is a most false accusation and that there is never a Subject in his Mast. dominions a more honourer of the government of his Imperiall Mast. one that desireth more the good discipline of the Church and is able to produce the testimonies of all the places he ha●h lived in in this Kingdome both from Magistrats Ministers for the honesty and integri●y of his life and conversation and that in all respects he hath so demeaned himself as that he hath not onely been free from vice● faction schisme but from the suspition of all vvhich testimonies he hath ready to shevv to this honorable Court the vvhich he exhibited to ●he High Commission Court at that time they studyed most to defame him all this both towne and contrey can testify as also of the infatigable diligence in his particular calling How that he neglected no opportunity to doe the indigentes● men good how that being unwearyed in his imployments he wen● through the heat of Summer the cold of Winter rose earlie went to bed late exposing himself at all times to any danger whatsoever of plague and pestilence and all to doe the meanest of the Kings Subjects good never taking penny of poore nor never of servant never suffering the most neglected creature of nature to perish for want of care or looking to but made them all an object of his pity and of his art giving them out of his poore competency both for their food Physick neither can any man say that ever he asked the richest a farthing for any paynes he tooke day or night for their preservation or that he ever murmured at the smallest content thy gave him if the Prel●●s had let him follow his calling this defendent had continued in this diligent course of life till the day of his death Bu● they picking a quarrell with him for writing in defence of the Kings prerogative Royall against the Pope● saying● that while hee writ against the Pope he meant them put him upon s●ch imployments as he indeed thinks will be very little pleasing to the Prelats all●hough he is most cenfident that in them he hath and shall doe the King and Church good service and so he knoweth it will appeare when he is dead and gone But because this book● is now layd unto the Defendents charge as tending to th● mayntenance and upholding of schisme and division i● his Mast. Church of England opposition against th● laudable Orders and Ce●emonyes of the sayd Church● howsoever there be no such thing in the sayd Flag●ll● ye● this Defendent desireth to give a reason unto this honorable Court for the writing publishing not onely o● that booke but of all other his writings since And first concerning the booke for which he was censured He saith that he was provoked thereunto by a Popish Iesuiticall Doctor of Physick who continually dared him into the field of Dispute and set downe his owne theames about which he w●●ld contend which were concerning the Popes Supremacy and the sacrifice of the Masse And it

beene forced to recite because it makes very much for the justification of what hee writ in his Apology and that hee had good ground greatly to blame the Prelates aswell for these as for many other of their proceedings as afterwards this honorable Court shall well perceive And now that the Defendent may come to the things that he is charged with in the Information as to have accused the Bishops of in his Apology which by the informers is termed a Libell though it contayneth nothing but a true Narration of the passages of the High-Commission Court which he never spake nor writ against but onely against the abuses of the Iudges in it who have turned that Court which was of purpose appoynted by the State for the suppressing of Heresy● Popery and vice● to the beating downe of the Religion established by Autority and the promotion and advancement of superstition and the molestation and undoing of the Kings faithfullest Subjects and the deare servants of God as daylie experience teacheth us and the whole Kingdome can witnes In the writing of which booke he the Defendent thinketh himself so far from being a delinquent as he conceiveth he hath done good service to King Church and State having in it vindicated and mayntayned regall Autoritie against the tyranny of the Pope discovered also the Prelats lawlesse usurpations with their ungratitude to the King and cruelties again●● their brethten mayntayned the ho●our likewise of the Lawes of the Land and the dignity of sacred Writ both which they slight and make nothing of and by inn●merable testimonyes of learned men proved the assertion for which he is thus traduced and envyed to be neither novell nor hereticall but according to both the Divine Scriptures and all Antient trueth the vetustest Bishops and by the whole clergy of England in King Henry the eights day●s as all the learned and ingenuous do well perceive and know both at home and abroad So that if ●he Informers with the Prelats will make this Booke a libell then let them make holy Scripture the Lawes of the Kingdome and all the antient record● of learned Bishops libells also for the Defendent in ●hat ha●h sayd nothing concerning the Pre●bytery which is not agreeable to them all And for ●he matters in spec●all he is charged wi●h in the information Viz. That he hath causlesly enveighed against the oath ex officio and other antient formes of proceedings in that Court and against the sacred Hierarchy orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons preferring a Presbyte●ian parity before it And ●●at he hath falsly and scandalously defamed the witnesses produced against him falsly maliciously taxed the High Commission Court it self and the Iudges therein in generall and some of them particularly and pe●sonally with cruel●y and injustice with want of wisdome and temperance and that they are perswaders of his Majest to bloudshed and are upholders of idolatry superstition Popery and Prophanesse and further most maliciously and falsly affirmeth that Canterbury London and Ely are disgracers and contemners of holy Scriptures and falsly traduceth them and the rest of the Bishops for traytors and invaders of his Majest Prerogative and that in the sayd booke there are contayned diverse other unlawfull and scandalous passages against the established government and se●led discipline of the Church of England the Bishops and Clergy and their proceedings which being many and of various na●ure is delivered into his Majest● Court of Starchamber To all which things that he is here charged with the Defendent will answer with what brevi●y● and the best Method he can doubteth nothing but whatsoever he hath writ in his Apology against the Prelats their proceeding shall be made evidently appeare to this Court to be most true And to begin with the things layd to his charge in the last place that hee accuseth the Bishops to be disgracers and contemners of holy Scripture to be invaders of his Majest prerogative upholders of idolatry Poperie superstition and prophanesse All which is most true for so they are as he hath sufficientlie proved against them in that booke and doth here also add that they have greatly dishonoured the King their Master and King Iames his Father of perpetuall memory● all which he will briefly declare and demonstrat to this noble Court And that they are contemners disgracers of holy Scripture what can be more manifest when they say that the Scriptures are the refuge of all Schismaticks and Hereticks as much as if they should say ●he good Lawes and Statuts of a Kingdome and the Kings Edicts and Proclamations are the cause of all disorder and wickednes withall what is it to be contemners and disgracers of the holy Scriptures if this be not to say That they can neither be knowen to bee the Word of God nor distinguished from the Apocrypha and Prophane Authors nor be understood and the meaning of them attayned unto for their obscurity but by the Fathers If this be not to contemne sacred writ then all Or●hodox writers both in ours all reformed Churches and King Iames himself have accused the Church of Rome most falsly whom they prove blasphemous against God and disgracers of the Holy Scriptures for the same assertions as all their learned wri●ings witnes wi●h innumerable Arguments in them for proofe of the same The Defendent desireth to know what it is to prophane and contemne holy Scripture of th●s be not to slight and vily●● the autority of it and to proferre humane authority before it which the Bishops did blasphemously saying that they cou●d not be knowne to be the Word of God without the help of the Fathers when every page and leafe of those sacred monuments breath a divine Spirit and they are called the lively oracles Act. 7. vers 38. as if the Scripture had lost his ancient luster ●ife and Divinity by its antiquity were inferior to al● other things bo●h Naturall and Artificiall When notwi●h standing there is such a Maiesty and Splendor in the Scripture as it dazleth the eyes of all those that looke into it with hi● transcendent and heavenly clarity and brightnes the eyes of whose minds the God of this world hath not blinded yea vnder the very law wh●n there was a vayle before the eyes of men so that they could not so clearly see into them as now Christians may yet then such dignity and excellency was discerned in them that at the first reading of them men cryed out the voice of God and not of man tore their garments for very anguish and feare of the threats in them and never were so ungratious and impious to say How shall wee know these books to be the Word of God For the holy Scriptures had ever such an innate and Domesticall light beauty goodnes in them and caryed such testimony and witnes within thems●lves ever able to declare themselves Divine and holy● to be the very word of the everliving God that they needed