sinne or enormitie of the tyme without censure or controlement Nay these men are praysed incited and commended for this as the most faithful and godly which maketh both the sectes as well Reformisâ—es as Poâ—â—ificall yearne praise by this vayne and fight with one accorde for their kingdome against Christes faithful seruaÌ„ts whom they cal Brownistes as against a common enimie yea more bitterly then they doe against anie other enimie heretick or wicked person Onlie here in this tubbe if they can keepe their tongues from speaking against their Lords the Bishops their procedings or against anie publicke â—normitie in the Church or common wealth they maie then ease their stomackes against anie meane person or one Priest against an other and rayle their fill These perticular Congregations haue neither power to reproue their doctrines or to censure their persons be the one neuer so hereticall the other neuer so obstinate and needes then must here be a cleane Church I trowe And now how sincerely and purely these learned Priestes Diuines al the rable of them preach Gods Lawe and Christes Gospel to set downe their seueral defaultes ignoraÌ„ces corruptions and vnfaithfulnes were infinite Let the high opeÌ„ wilful breach of al Gods laws by al degrees suffered and vnreproued declare and witnesse to their faces Let their execrable Idolls and idolatries their abhominable worship innumerable deuises their taking the Lordes name in vayne their common swearing in euerie matter and tryall for euerie cause and triffle yea without anie cause their common open blaspheming and cursing yea transfiging the holy and dreadfull name of God in their anger and miâ—th Their impietie prophannes pride vanitie glottonie excesse idlenes riote playing sporting dauncing c on the Lordes day openly seene suffered vnpunished shew how well they keep and teach the first Table of Gods lawe in the Church of England And for the second let the euil nourture bringing vp of their youth their dissolutenesse irreuerence head strong and incorrigible nature yea their open disobedience contempt of parents and superiours the inordinate walking of all degrees helde within the compasse of no lawes limites callings in the feare and obedience of no person Magistrate Parent Master Let the common quarles frayes foodes tumults blood-shed murder man-slaughter the iarres hatreds contentions debates wrath anger enuying cursing reuiling nicknaming c Let the common and open whoredoms adulteries fornications chambering wantonnes daliance lightnes delicacie and softnes of apparle diet maners to deck prouoke allure their courting intertainement open and secret lust otherwise caled loue most rife as in Sodome Let their open robberies their secret theftes pickings pilferinges their open oppression violence wronge extortion vsurie their vsual deceipt and couen in all bargayning buying selling Let their common customable open and secret lving blaspheming sclandering accusing reproching defaming bringing vp carying and receiuing euil reportes one of an other their false swearing in testimonie their swearing and foreswearing to deceiue euen in euerie triffle And as for couering of wife virgine seruant house land cattle goodes insatiable coueteousnes and greedines heaping and hourding vp treasures contynual purchasing and adding field vnto field yea towne vnto towne till they haue gotten whole countreyes into their possession neuer satiate till their mouth be full of moulde these are the best and only esteemed Christians of the Church of England where coueteousnes is no sinne They that should speake against yt pride intemperance c. should iudge the heart and enter into Gods iudgment seate Let these capital sinnes and transgressions against the lawe of God which are coÌ„mitted without shame or feare either not punished or wrongfully punished murder only excepted which how also yt is wincked at or perdoned I wil not stand vpon let these I say stand vp to the faces of these Priestes Prophets being thus coÌ„monly openly coÌ„mitted in their Church and witnesse how faithfully and sincerely they expounde declare the lawes iudgmentes of God how carefully they watch ouer the soules of men and gouerne the Church that haue not against all or any one of these sinnes any spirituall weapons or ecclesiasticall censure in a readines So that if the Magistrates sworde which yet wanteth an eye to guide it did not represse some sinnes there should be no humane peace as there now is no christian order in their Church And now if I should here stand to diriue the seueral and speciall kindes of sinnes which as riuers are diuided and flowe forth from all these generall heades and as a deluge couer the face of this whole land yt were infinite but what then to diuide those riuers againe into their perticular droppes namely such perticular persons as commit the same yea such and so many perticular tymes as they commit the same who then should nomber them All these sinners and sinnes are in this Church by these Leaches these Prophets healed with the plaister of peace with the bloode and merites of CHRIST though there be neither faith nor repentance they are all good christians Likewise if I should here stand to relate and recite the falshode deceipt and hypocrisie of these Priestes let me here be vnderstoode euen of those best esteamed forewarde learned Preachers commonly called Good men how conningly and craftily they teach the lawe neuer touching or offending their auditorie at leaste the mightie or rich of them be their sinnes neuer so heynous and manifest especially if they will countenance esteeme feaste and heare these Preachers they are in them but infirmities and imperfections be they neuer so deiplie set incurable And againe how sharply they will inveigh against others which thincke not so wel of them especially if they be not of power to doe them hurâ—e nor of will to doe them good howe they wil speake against such sinnes of the second Table as their rich auditorie are not at al or least addict vnto and beate them downe as with thunder from heauen though they suffer as greate in them and their houses beforâ— their face vncontrolled Yea what fine shiftes excuses and veales they will finde out to extenuate excuse or hide the sinnes of these greate rich persons in whose houses all excesse gloâ—onie ryot pride idlenes gaming shalbe but good hospitalitie answearable to their estates honest recreation And this veale of recreation must couer al their heathen sportes within doores and without though it be all the day yea al their life longe though they drawe neuer so many idle beholders or idle assistantes to keepe them companie to followe their dogges hawkes c as their only caling profession Yea go these Esawites their wiues and children neuer so disguisedly in their strange prodigious shapes newe fangled aâ—tires with their infinite deuises curiosities it is but according to their degree sexe age calling with infinite such like Also if I should stand to relate the sondrie shiftes of these Reformist Preachers these sighers for reformation these
wil you pleade for your popish feastes of Christmass Al-Hallowes Candlemass c. For your diuiding and deuising Christs life into a stage-playe celebrating his birth vpoÌ„ one daye his Circumcision vpon an other his Epiphanie as you cal yt vpon an other c yea anie of these vpon one special daye more then an other But where haue you learned to keepe them after your heathen and prophane maner with garnishing your earthlie houses decking your bodies with gaye clothes great cheare in glottonie excesse ryot idle games dicing dauÌ„sing mumming masking wassaling what president can you shew of such worshipping and feasting except it be that holie daye which the Israelites kept before the Calf vnto the Lorde in the wildernes Exod. 32. 5. 6. where haue you thus learned CHRIST Is this to keepe the feaste with the vnleauened breade of sinceritie and truth to crucifie the old man to be planted to the similitude of his death of his resurrection c What caÌ„ you there pleade for your superstitious deuotioÌ„s towards your Ladie keeping a Daye an Eaue a Fast a Feast a cessation from al labours an especial worship to her Annunciation an other to her Purification yeerly in your Church It were good you would consider of these things what you can answeare for certis we poore ignorant Christians can see no other mystery in the matter but that yt is detestable idolatrye eueÌ„ that verie powring out your drinck offringes and burning incense to the Queene of heauen Furder what wil you then say to your celebration of deade Saincts keeping one solemne daye vnto them al at once And againe seuerallie to Iohn Baptist and to the Apostles as they are allotted in their Pageant George also your St. Patron must not be forgotteÌ„ A daye also is kept to the martyre Stephen an other daye to the Innocents with their daye eaue fast feast cessaâ—ion special worship to euerie one perticularlie What warrant can you shew for this out of the Bible The Patriarcks Prophets godly Kings were neuer so celebratedâ— neither haue you anie commandement or president in al the newe Testament thus to celebrate them Paule Peter whilest they were aliue desired to be remembred and prayed for of the Church but neuer required anie such dutie being deade Furder what wil you answeare for your keping a daye cessation c to St. Michael al Angells how wil you excuse your self of most high idolatrie advancing your self in thinges you neuer sawe rashlie puffed vp of your fleshlie minde and not holding the heade depriuing others of their Crowne It wil not then stand to saye you worship the Lorde by these deuises for so said your Fathers in the wildernes To morrow the holy day of the Lorde The Lorde he wilbe worshipped according to his owne wil reuealed to vs in his worde and not by our deuises how holie soeuer they seeme If then God be not worshipped with this kinde of worship their Idolls are or to speake rather as the Prophets and the Apostles doe the deuil is worshipped therbie Leuit. 17. 7. Deâ—t 32. 17. 2 Chronicles 11. 15. 1 Corint 10. 20. And thus your owne conclusioÌ„ which you tooke so heynously falleth apace vpoÌ„ you and you haue not brought one reason to saue or cleare your self As to your doctrines by you verballie alleadged concerning God and his worship the idolatrous Israelites and Iewes in their greatest schisme diepest apostasy could haue alleadged manie true doctrines also But nothing is more sure then this Christ is not a Priest for such sacrifices as his Eather is not pleased with Nether is he a Mediator of anie other TestameÌ„t then his owne As to the Dedication of your Churches vnto deade Sainctes and the caling them by their owne names the first you say was the fault of the Papistes but you in caling them after the same names doe not sinne Was it a fault in your predecessors so to dedicate cal them and shall it be no fault in you so to cal them as they had dedicated left them vnto you But you so cal them only to distinguish them Whie this excuse they also had But they had furder superstition in these places and Sainctes And doe not you nourish the same superstitioÌ„ in the weake and animate the Papistes in their sinnes by ratifying these their doings and calling your Churches by the same names they baptized them in But might we aske you where you thus learned to cal distinguish christian CongregatioÌ„s in the Scriptures your answeare place is readie Luke Acts. 17. caleth a streate in Athens Mars streate and aske vs if he therfore dedicated it to that heathâ— God We answere you that if Luke should so giue the name cal it speaking in his owne person for himself he should sinne commit idolatrie in naming the Creature of God after an Idol as you do in caling the Daâ—es your Churches after the names of such Sainctes Dauid saith he wil not take the names of their Idolls in his lippes But Luke here recordeth the historie of such thinges as came vnto PAVLE in Athens and the vulgar name of the place whether the Athenian Philosophers ledd Paule naming yt after their maner not that himself so caled yt willingly or to giue vs boldnes to do the like but rather to manifest their fault superstitious feare they stoode in of their Idolls as Paule verse 22. sheweth by y e reproofe of their fault teaching vs to auoyde the like And caÌ„ you collect y t because Luke writeth that they of Athens named a streate after Mars they of Alexandria signed a ship vnto Castor Polluâ— that christians may by those places name or cal anie thing in their possession after Idolls or deade Sainctes Is this the best doctrine you can drawe vse you caÌ„ make of this Scripture yet is it the only place of Scripture you haue vsed to approue any part of your publique worship which we had blamed vnto you We wil not stand to vrge the Poperie superstition of some of the Sainctes names of your Churches how some of them are caled after Christs sepulchre others after al the rable of Sainctes both men weomen Sainctes in the POPES Calendare but proceade to the rest of your tromperie AS your Coâ—â—inations Rogations Purifiâ—ations Your Comminations you saye are a part of Canonicall Scripture which is to be read in the Church Partes of Canonicall Scripture indeed they are by you miserably dismembred bownd vp together and wickedly vsed and peruerted to such superstition idolatrie being vsed in the place vpon the daye of popish shrift Or rather as your Portesse saith in the place of the Discipline of the church and of the Penance vsed in the beginning of Lent Thus in the best vse of it by your owne confession yt is an execrable Idoll in that it is brought into your Church and supplieth the place of Christes discipline in his Church
of the Sacraments was perfect and fullie sufficient Yf they so thincke of yt Whether they iudge it lawful for anie mortal men or the whole Church willingly wittingly to alter or add anie thing to or plucke anie thing from the said institution of our Sauiour in the Sacraments Or if they so add Whether our Sauiour doth accept and blesse yt as his owne institution And if God doe not accept or blesse such Sacraments where his institution is thus wilfullie violated and changed Howe such â—dulterate Sacraments may be said the true seales of Gods Couenant especiallie where such a blasphemous horrible popish idolatrous ceremonie is vsed as Mr. Giffard coÌ„fesseth this signe of the crosse to be except yt be better with them then it was with the Papistes Or howe may the faithful in this estate ioyne vnto them And nowe yt would be knowen of Mr. Giffard seing he in his owne iudgment condeÌ„neth these Symbolical Seremonies howe he dare thus presumtuously breake CHRISTES institution in deliuering them after the maner prescribed and ioyne vnto those men that enioyne those ceremonies against such of CHRISTES faithful seruants as reproue them stand and suffer againgst them Is not this most fearefully and presumptuously to tempt God to sinne against his owne coÌ„science It is no excuse vnto him to saye the best reformed Churches doe vse witnesses he meaneth God-fathers and God-mothers in baptisme For his owne conscience knoweth and iudgeth that the best Churches doe erre in so doing Furder Baptisme being publique to be deliuered openlie in th'assemblie when the whole Churche is mett together what neede more witnesses of the matter then the whole Congregation But howe wicked and impious is that lawe of their Church which forbiddeth the Parents to answere and vndertake for the bringing vp their owne children in the true faith and feare of God and driueth them to bring Popish Gossips or sureties who must both vndertake vowe and answere for their childe That he doth forsake the Deuil his workes c. What can be more vaine folish and ridiculous TO the Baptisme by weomen you answeare That it is both coÌ„demned by the cheif Gouernours of your Church and is not practized except it be among the popish superstitious ignoraÌ„t sort First we must oppose the publique lawe of your Church against those your gouernours who we suppose as confidentlie as you speake wil not proue in the plural nomber when the pointe coÌ„meth to scanning Your lawe in 3. places of your Portesse doth not onlie allowe the baptisme by weomeÌ„ but publiquelie iustifie it and maketh a kinde of necessitie of such priuat baptisme Saijng that if the child be in danger they may baptise yt at home without a Minister and that in this case they haue donne wel according to due order concerning the baptisinge of this childe which being borne in original sinne in the wrath of God is nowe by the lauer of regeneration in baptisme receyued into the nomber of the children of God and heires of life euerlasting Wherin besides that they most highlie breake prophane th'institutioÌ„ and ordinances of Christ coÌ„cerning the publique seale of this holie CouenaÌ„t in deliuering yt without a lawful Minister priuatelie in a house rashlie and vnreuerently without due order c they also consequeÌ„tly maintaine teach these popish blasphemous errors therbye That if the childe had dyed vnbaptized yt had bene damned And that baptisme is of necessitie to saluation For ells what needed so great feare haste that they would not staye to bring the childe to the publique Congregation no noâ— so much as for the Minister to baptise yt Or how could there he so great cause and so greate necessitie in the matter as their booke mentioneth if they thought that the saluation of the childe honge not vpon the Baptisme Wherbie is manifestly coÌ„uinced as also by their wordes not secretlie implyed That they hold Baptisme the cause and not the seale of saluation For ells to the infant nowe dying what good could baptisme doe Or which waye could yt be a Laver of regeneration vnto yt or receiue yt into the nomber of Gods children We had thought that the saluation of the childe had onlie honge vpon th'eternal election and predestination of God And that the seale of the Couenant had belonged ynto yt by reason of the Parents faith and is administred not as anie helpe or present benefite to the newe borne infant so much as when yt commeth to ryper age to be a contynual comfort help vnto yt BIsshopping Mr. Giffard saith is litle vsed or vrged in the Church of EnglaÌ„d being loath belike to make anie defence therof Yet it is certaine that the Priest is in his Portesse enioyned to commaund That the children be brought to the Bisshop to be confirmed so soone as they can saye in the vulgare tongue the articles of their faith c. Also in an other place of their said seruice-booke there is an expresse lawe That none shalbe admitted to the holye Communion vntil such time as he can say the Catechisme and be confirmed Howe accorde these lawes to Mr. Giffards saying that yt is litle vsed But what a monstrous matter is this confirmation of their Church where the Baptisme of CHRIST is to be confirmed of a wretched man if he were as he is nothing lesse a seruant of CHRISTE Yea that Christes faithful seruaÌ„ts whom CHRIST hath alredie publiquely baptised receyued and engrafted vnto himselfe should be kept from the comfortable table of the Lorde vntil they haue a popish Bisshop his confirmation Not here to mention the binding of the faith of the whole Church to an Apocrypha Catechisme Yet to make this their confirmation either of greater estimation or more execrable with all men they add in the second cause manie speciall vertues therof Namely that by their imposition of handes and praier such as are so confirmed by them maye receaue strength and defence against all temptations to sinne and the assaultes of the VVorlde and the Deuil Surely if this be true great is the Bisshops faulte to neglect the practise theâ—of but howe great then our sinne to blame and condemne such a wonderfull excellent ordinance But doubtles this is either too good or too bad to be true If al they vpon whom these Bisshops shall laye their haÌ„des praye ouer shal receaue strength and defence against al temptations to sinne and the assaults of the worlde and the deuil then shal al they that receaue this Confirmation be vndoubtedlie saued Yea if anie of them whome the Bisshop shal thus confirme shal receiue this strength and defence c then haue the Bisshops greater power and their prayers more vertue then eueâ— God gâ—ue to anie mortal man yea then euer he gaue to our Sauiour CHRIST himself with whom though Iudas were contynuallie conuersant his most Heauenly doctrines and holie prayers yet the Deuil entred into him and preuayled against him Though Peter were a
al these Parsons stand subiect hauinge sworne their Canonical obedience to their Courtes Cannons commaÌ„dements to their sommance censure controlement for al their actions ministrie conversation to be made Ministers deposed from their ministrie silenced sequestred suspended by them The true christian Pastor as by vertue of his office intangleth not himself neither intermedleth with â—iuile actions and affayres But these parrish Parsons especialie these of the Countrie are busied and almost wholly entangled with renting tithing prowling their Parrishners whether faithfull or vnfaithfull riche or poore Widowes or Oâ—phanes they marrie they burie c by vertue of their office and are â—o all outwarde seeming and iudgment rather Rieues and Bayliffes then Ministers of the Gospel Yea if it be true which some writers of no smale accompt both olde and new haue written of them these parrish Parsons were at the first deuised and brought in to serue the Metropolitanes in the offices of Rieues and Bayliffs to gather vp their rents c. Againe the true christian Pastors office cannot be possessed by anie ciuiâ—e person But the parrish Parsons office may be and often is bestowed vpon Ciâ—ilians Phisâ—â—ons who if they weare the Priestes weedes inioyned It sufficeth Not here meaning or speaking of impropriatioâ—s which haue no office and chardge of anie Ministrie yt being transferred to a Vicare endoâ—ed Moreouer the christian Pastors office caÌ„not be kept or executed by a man absent or by anie other in that Congregation wherof he is chosen then by the elect of that Congregation But the Parrish Parsons office may be kept by a man absent executed by an Attourney or Curaeie Finnaly euerie true christian Pastor is by that his officie a Bishop But no Parrish Parson is by vertue of that his office a Bishop Therfore and for al these reasons abouesayd the parrish Parsons office can in no iuste intendement be held the true christian Pastors office NOwe let vs procede to their entrance this being first a position perpetual That euerie true Minister of the Churche must not onlie be caled to a true office but must haue a true right caling vnto that his office otherwise he is no true Minister but an vsurper an intruder a theife a murderer Euerie true Minister then by the rules of the worde ought to be thus caled Euerie perticular Congregation being a faithfull flocke destitute of some Minister for example of a Pastor ought to make choice of some one faithful christian of whose vertues knowledge iudgment fitnes and conversation according to the rules in that behalf prescribed they haue assured proofe and experience in some christian Congregation or other where he hath liued Such a one the whole Congregation being gathered together in the name of God with fasting prayer for the especial assistance of his holy spirite to be directed to that person whom the Loâ—de hath made meete and appointed vnto them for that high chardge and Ministrie In which Election euerie perticular member of the said Congregation hath his peculiar interest of assent or dissent shewing his reasons of dissent in reuerent maner not disturbing the holie and peaceable order of the Church Whose exceptions and reasons are to be considered of and compared to the rules of the worde if they be founde peremptorie and true As the partie to be of no founde iudgment in the faith of no sufficient knowledge in the scriptures a drunckarde a smiter coveteous one that ruleth not wel his owne house wife children theÌ„ yeildeth the whole Church to their reasons or rather to the word of God But if their exceptions be vnsufficient or vntrue then procedeth and standâ—th their Election and the persons that take them are publicklie reprouâ—d according to their offence This choice thus made accepted and determined the elect is to be publicklie ordayned and receiued in and of the same CongregatioÌ„ wherof and whervnto he is chosen If there be an Eldership in that CongregatioÌ„ by them as the most meete instruments with fasting prayer exhortations c if not then by the help of the Elders of some other faithful Congregation one Churche being to help and assist an other in these affaires But if the defection and apostasie be so generall as there be not anie where anie true Elders to be founde or conveniently to be had yet then hath the Church that hath power and commandemeÌ„t to chuse and to vse Ministers yea that only hath that most high and great spirituall power of our Lorde Iesus Christ vpon earth committed vnto their handes power also to ordaine their Ministers by the most fit members and meanes they haue For the Eldership doth not add more power but more helpe and seruice to the Church in this action Neither doth this action which is but a publishing of that former contract and agreement betwixt the whole Church and these elect the Church giuing the elect receiuing these offices as by the commandement of God with mutuall couenant and vowe each to other in al dueties belonge to the Elders onlie as separate from the Church but to the Elders as the most fit members and instruments of the Churche to doe yt for and in the Churche Otherwise when the true ministrie ceased as in the generall apostasie they could neuer againe be recouered in the Church because they cannot haue this ordination of true christian Elders and so must the ministrie sacraments and ordinances of Christes Testament cease for euer and the true established Churche neuer be seene againe vpon earth Vnlesse with the Papistes they â—il make a personal successioÌ„ of Ministers in some place euer since the Apostles tyme. Or with Mr. Giffard make a true publick ministrie sacrameÌ„ts c in the Church of Rome in the diepest apostasie Which yet of al other is the most absurd PropositioÌ„ that euer I suppose was vttered by anie man or published and allowed by anie Churche contrarie to al the rules of Gods worde and eueÌ„ to it self For how can there be by anie reasonable man immagined or seene publicke apostasie and publick faith in the same estate at one and the same instant Likewise if of necessity the ordinatioÌ„ must always be donne by a christian Presbutrie or Eldership we woulde then knowe of them by what Elders Mr. Luther Mr. Caâ—uine or our Englishe Bishopps in K. EDVVARDES daies were ordayned Other Elders then of the Popish Churche there were not then to be founde Now these are sure groundes that cannot be doubted of The true ministrie of Christ doth not belonge vnto and may execute no ministrie in the false Churche Neither yet hath the execrable ministrie of the false Church anie thing to doe to ordaine the true ministrie of CHRISTES Churche neither is their Ordination auaileable If then the Churche of Rome and the ministrie therof were false and antichristian then cannot the ministrie of these men which was then in that estate giuen and
witnesseth Then it taketh awaie or extinguisheth all those mutuall and contynuall dueties beneuolence loue care labour c betwixt the flocke and the ministerie The flocke therbie not knowing or hauing meanes to doe their duetie vnto their ministerie The Ministers therbie so hindered incombred and with-drawen as they either slack or neglect their dutyes to the flocke By this corrupt custome also sondrie intollerable inconueniences grieuous mischieues doe ensue This setting out land or certaine rates by way of lawe or bargaine in euerie parrish or Congregation to the Minister doth hinder the Church from the choice vse of such other Ministers as Christ in his Testament hath ordained to the gouernement and seruice of his Church the parrish or Congregation neither indevouring to haue more neither indeed suffred to haue more or by this meanes able or willing to keep more This setting out landes tithes c to the Minister by way of lawe doth alwaies presuppose of necessity a true established Church and true Minister in those parrishes vnto the worldes end those landes and tithes being appropriate bounde thervnto and hauing none other owners Which coÌ„firmeth and establisheth those grosse popish errors of a personal and continuall succession of Ministers and local contynuance of a visible Churche Againe when this liuing is thus by lawe giuen to a Priest for terme of his life be he neuer so vnable vnworthie or negligent the parrish is so long bounde vnto him and can by no meanes get rid of him yea be he neuer so bad his faultes errors neuer so fowle they cannot without or vntil their Lord Bishop wil geat rid of him they must mainetaine him and receiue his Ministry whether they wil or no. Furder these annual liuinges by lawe and set stipendes by rate presuppose alwaies one permanent and certaine estate both of the Parrishoners Ministers The one euen euerie person euer to be able to pay so much The other neuer to need more or lesse Yea that alwaies to the worldes end all the Parsons al the Parrishoners of that towne shal neuer need or be able to giue more or lesse whether the Lorde send scarcity of pleÌ„tie dearth or cheapnes sicknes or health losse or aduaÌ„tage childreÌ„ or no chardge c. Againe such vnreasonable inequalitie is vsed in the distribution of these liuinges the Parson of some one litle Hamblet where are not tweÌ„tie houses hauing one hundreth or two hundreth-pounds by yeere to liue on an other of a much greater towne not hauing twentie poundes yea peradventure ten poundes by yeere for that chardge he hath to liue vpon And this for euer without regarde of the needes or laboure of them it being alike to them their successors whosoeuer To conclude the tithes set stipeÌ„des of these Parrish Priestes being of the goods of the prophane most wicked and vngodly euen of al their parrish indifferently yet are more odious vnmeet for anie christian Ministers who are not to stande hierdes to such dogges swine to administer to them the gospel and sacramentes for their goods and hire It was not lawfull for the Priest vnder the lawe to receiue the offring of anie stranger from the faith such might not enter into or offer in the Temple Neither nowe vnder the Gospel maie the vnbelieuing haue anie fellowship with the Church or communicate in or intermeddle with anie actioÌ„s of the Church But this contributioÌ„ is an action of the Church a communion dutie of the Sainctes How execrable theÌ„ is this their sacriledge coueteousnes that thus make marchaÌ„dize of y â— holie thinges of God and let out themselues to hire euen to the prophane for filthie lucre The true Ministers of Christ may not be suspected much lesse openly â—aynted of such peremptorie faultes as these which disable him from all ministrie in the Churche and are euerie-where set downe as vndoubted markes of a false Prophet By al which then as by al other arguments of their antichristian office entraÌ„ce and administration we may still and yet more strongly conclâ—de them not to be the Ministers of Christ. Seing neither the office they execute their entrance vnto their office their administration in their office nor yet their maintenance can be ioyned vnto the Church Ministrie or Gospel of CHRIST THere yet remaine a few base stragling offices of their Church vzt Their Church-wardeÌ„s QuestmeÌ„ Parish Clark These are al lay meÌ„ as they call theÌ„ yet intermeddle they with ecclesiastical affaires their offices perticularly I can neither describe nor yet wel distinguish The Church-wardeÌ„s are as yt seemeth an other kinde of Deacons They gather and keepe the Church stocke and treasurie and also the penalties of such as come not to their diuine seruice and also distribute the same vnto the poore the reparations of the Church c they keep one of the keyes of the towne cheste The Quest-men are liker vnto Elders these I suppose they looke to the order and gouernement of the Church as wel Priest as People That the Priest vse his ministerial vestures vessels and trincketts reade his seruice homelies iniunctions orderlie That the people do not bargaine talke or walcke in the Church and Church yarde during the tyme of diuine seruice They also must looke to the ale-houses that there be no tipling or playing during the said tyme and who be absent from their Parrish Church and present such defaltes at Masse Commissaries Courte accordinglie The Parrish Clarck he is the Priestes Accolâ—â—th to help him to say his Mattens and Euen-songe with his due versicles Respâ—nse to help him at his Sacraments Marriages Church-goings Visitations Dirges Rogations at all assayes He ringeth their bells to and after their seruice their knells and soule-peales he keepeth the Church doore keye he sweepeth and â—rimmeth the Church he nurtureth the boyes and dogges that they be not to lowde at seruice tyme yea he may doe yet manie things more if he haue the Bishops letter as in tyme of neede to christen children and to reade diuine seruice in the absence of the Priest c. To stand to shewe the forgerie seuerall defaultes or dissimilitude of these offices from the Deacon or Elders that God hath appoyneted were tedious and needlesse they hauing neither mention nor vse in Christes Testament and Church Thus now haue we summarily pervsed al this rable of the Ministery of the Church of England and haue not founde anie one of them right or almost in anie one poyncte according to the rules of Christes Testament they are all strangers there they belonge not to Christes bodie his Church neither are they knit as members vnto that heade But out of the smoke of the bottomlesse pit they came when that fallen Starre Antichrist had the key thereof giueÌ„ him to his bodie his kingdome the false Church they haue alwaies belonged alwaies serued to him in his seuerall shapes they haue alwaies bene knit as the members to the heade from him
quite remooued out of the Church and abolished The Prelates that holde yt arbitrable at Princes pleasures according to the variable estate of tymes and Countries holde fast that popish inordinate vsurped power which they haue gotten into their handes and therbie incarcerate silence sequeâ—ter depose al such of the contrarie faction as speake against their power and present gouernment with al possible hostilitie yet al this deadlie debate M r. G. couereth in a worde calling it but a questioÌ„ about the outward forme of discipline As also hideth all the other most heynouse and detestable enormities that arise and flowe from their monstruous antichristian gouernment vnder the same title of outward forme of discipline For both sides he saith doe agree in the matter That CHRIST hath left a power to his Churche to chuse to trye and to ordaine Pastors and Teachers And likewise that he hath giuen the power of admonition suspension excommunicatioÌ„ Onlie here is the difference that th'one side woulde haue this power exercised by Presbiteries of Pastors Teachers Elders as in the Apostles tyme The other hold it the more salf and quiet waye to commit this power to the handes of the Bishop Which side holdeth the truth you shall hereafter knowe M r. Giffardâ— minde when the battell is fought he wil then tell you of which side he wilbe Till then he wil take the Bisshops side against the Brownists tooth nayle and affirme their gouernment to be the holie gouernment of Christ and the defaultes therof not such as make yt to become antichristian or a yoke of bondage as the Brownist with open throte exclaymeth And for the other side wherof he sometyme was they howsoeuer they woulde haue yt remoued yet are far from the Brownistes opinioÌ„ for they for the peace of the Church had rather staÌ„d vnder yt then vnder Christs crosse by witnessing against yt Concerning the opinions of both these sides for the execution of this discipline they speake of wee haue alreadie shewed both sides to erre and fully refuted their seueral opinions by the way in the SECOND PRINCIPAL TRANSGRESSION where we haue declared that th'execution of the ceÌ„sures power of the Church belongeth neither to such a sequestred withdrawen presbiterie Nor yet to anie one maÌ„ but vnto the whole Churchioyntlie c. We haue also in that Second Transgression shewed the forgerie of their idol Suspension and of the popish ExcommunicatioÌ„ of these Bishops And how the Church of England hath no power to excoÌ„municate any person for any sinne or heresie whatsoeuer but only abuse this most high iudgment of God vpon earth to their filthie lucre and pompe excommunicating for nothing but for contempt of their antichristiaÌ„ Courtes Or for not paying their rauenous fees and extortions as also absoluing them for money when they please Whervpon whilest they want this power of excommunication it followeth that admonitions were vayne fruictlesse amongst them wheÌ„ they caÌ„not haue their due power processe and effect sondrie of them also as these Bishops the whole rabble of their false hierarchiâ— and Priestes being incorrigible such as wilbe subiect to no censure neither receiue admonitioÌ„ but be more readie to smite blaspheme such as reproue them Moreouer in y e THIRD PRINCIPAL TRANSGRESSION we haue shewed how their Churches haue no power in themselues to elect or ordaine them any Ministers but are inforced to receiue them from the Patrone the Bishop whether they will or no. Where we haue also set downe the counterfeight and false maner of the ordination and institution of their Ministers or Priestes Whereby euidentlie appeareth what kinde of gouernmeÌ„t this their discipline of the Church of England is So that here remayneth the lesse to be spokeÌ„ of this poyncte the chief matters being alreadie handled Onlie here we wil a litle entreate of this controuersie betwixt these Bishops and Priestes about their forme of Discipline and somwhat generallie of their Courtes in fewe wordes and so put an end to this poyncte THis controuersie M r. G. affirmeth to be about the forme not about y e matter of discipline wherin both sides agree That Christ hath lefte a power to his Church c. Doth not M r. G. deserue high coÌ„mandations that with one logicall distinction can both defend all the Popes hierarchie Courtes Cannons c. and make also these two opposite factions the Bishops Priestes to agree in matter So that now belike al this long bitter hostilitie contention and controuersie amongst them hath bene about no matter And then wil not this rare distinctioÌ„ hide or excuse the blame of either partie Againe saue that we wil haue no strife about inanitie of wordes we alwaise tooke the forme to haue giueÌ„ the beeing to the thing and to haue bene so principal a parte therof as yt might neuer be seuered from the same howsoeuer in vvay of discourse the forme and the matter may for argument sake be distinguished For euen common sense teacheth that no man or creature may be separate from their peculiar and natural forme or shape Neither anie member of them from that forme place and office which God hath giuen appoyncted to that member But al meÌ„ hould yt monstruous to haue a mixte or false shape How much more impossible intollerable were it but to admit anie other forme or to change that forme which God hath giueÌ„ apoincted to anie actioÌ„ of the Church Either that forme which God hath giuen prescribed is no true and right forme Or ells those actions without that true and right forme cannot be said those true actions of the Churche Howe monstruous then is their presumption that dare vndertake to change yea to abrogate those formes rules ordinances that Christ hath prescribed to his Church in his Testament Howe shamelesse and blasphemouse their â—mpudeÌ„cie that dare pronownce this adulterate moÌ„struous discipline of their Church the same in matter and effect with that gouernment Christ hath prescribed Is not this of the one sort to sit in the Temple of God as God to change the ordinances c Is it not in the other with the false Prophet to dawbe and vphold the throne of the Beast If God vnto MOSES prescribed an exact paterne in al thinges that belonged to that Tabernacle euen to the least pinne tape hooke vtilence with the due forme shape measure waight place tyme vâ—e c and left nothing to his wil or discreatioÌ„ but his praise was that he was founde faithful in al the Lordes house and had made and donne all thinges according to the paterne shewed him in the mounetaine If that worde spoken by Angels was made firme and euerie transgression and disobedience receiued iust retributioÌ„ of reward How shal they escape and where shal they stand that neglect yea reiect that heauenlie arch-type and onlie perfect paterne of CHRISTES Testament deliuered by the holie Ghost to the Apostles by the Apostles to the Churches confirmed