which state now will give place to none in their loyaltie and devotion to your Majestie Where it is sayd here that Deane and Chapters were at the first counsellers to Bishops it is to be understood at the first time of erecting Deane or Chapter not at the first setting up a Bishop far lesse at the first forme of Church-government planted by the Apostles For Presbyters were before Bishops and when Bishops were set up at the first they were set up by the Presbyterie and that in the degree of perpetuall Moderatorship and Presidentship onely neither was there a particular choice made of some Presbyters to sit in judgement with this President nor another besides this President Bishop to be Deane of the Presbyterie for that had beene to make a President above a president and some Presbyters Cardinall Presbyters of more esteeme theâ— the rest In the Church of Ierusalem all the Presbyten governed not a selected number D. Field a defender of the hierarchie acknowledgeth this That for a long time there was no more respect had to one Presbyter then to another but all equalâ—y interessed in the government of the Church were indifferently called to the election of the Bishops â—nd his consultations it is most cleare and evidâ—â—t Aâ—â— this he proveth in speciall of the Church of Rome by Cyprian And the first appearance of this difference that not all but Carâ—inall Presâ—yters onely were called to the common consultations in the Church of Rome it selfe that he found is in the time of Gregorius Magnus that is about 600 yeares after Christ yet he leaveth this as uncertaine But certaine it is sayth he that all the Clergiâ— had interest in the choyce election of the Bishop even in Gregories time As if now the whole ministerie and Cleargie of the citie of Lonâ—on should be admitted to the election of the Bishop and not some few Chapiter men onely Yea Bellarmine him selfe sayth Non enim jus divinum definivit ut hi potius quam illi ex clericis eligant For divine 〈◊〉 hath not determined that such and such of the Clergie more then others should choose But afterwords in processe of time sayth D. Field the Cardinâ—lls onely had interest in the election of their Bishop and they and no other were admitted to sit in Coâ—â—cell with the Bispop all other Presbyters being excluded By which meanes the dignitie of these Cardinals was greatly encreased Again Now these Cardinall presbyters were not onely in the Churâ—h of Rome but in other Churches also as Duarenus sheweth So the institution of this difference was so farre from being excellent that it thrust lawfull pastors from the government of their owne particular charges the joynt government of the church and increased the dignitie of Cardinalls These Cardinals were but parish priests and Deacons resident in their parishes and titles So are not our Chapitermen But that assistance and councel in proces of time went out of use also So it is ever dangerous to depart from the right partern and shape formes of government to our selves Alwayes this polititian alledgeth very pertinently to the shame of our bishops and their sole government that the Bishop of Rome performeth all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as in Consistorie We heard how Archbishops were made up with the spoyles of the Synodes So the Bishops were made up with the spoyles of the Presbyteries Would you not thinke it very absurd to see the Moderator sit by himselfe exercise all manner of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction without the Presbyterie Of the Deane and Chapter wee will have occasion to entreat a-againe The third thing to be considered in the English Bishop is the deputation of his authoritie He hath griped greedily and taken in his own hands all the power of the Church and when he hath done that because he is neither able nor willing to discharge this burthen which he taketh on himselfe hee transferreth his charge unto other officers under him He hath taken from the Pastors the pastorall staffe of government which belongeth to every shepheard that is set to keepe Christs sheep and left them nothing but the pastorall pype to preach and minister the sacraments and hath put that pastoral staffe in the hands of strangers who are not the true sheepherds that is in the hands of Chancelours Archdeacons officialls and CoÌ„missariet vicars generall and the rest of that Antichristianâ—able of officers The 4. is their extensiue power For wheras the presbyterie choosed and set up a Bishop and no presbyter was excluded from common consultation and judgement and their meeting behoved to be ordinarie for exercise of ordinarie jurisdiction in the Church wher they governed the bounds of the Bishops jurisdiction could be no larger nor the bounds of the presbyteries jurisdiction that is wher all the presbyters might convene to exerce ordinarie jurisdiction All the presbyters of a shire or countie could not convene ordinarilie and weeklie together to exerce ordinarie ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Neither is any where in the new Testamenâ— a visible Church endowed with power of ecclesiasticall government taken for a whole shire or Countie We reade of the Church of Ephesus Philippi Ierusalem Corinth Thessalonica c. But to call the particular congregations in the countries extended in leâ—gth and breadth about these cities the church of thesâ— cities is absurd and no where to be found Hâ— would be thought to speake ridiculously whâ— would under the name of the church of Saint andros comprehend all the congregations iâ— Mers Lothian and â—ife or under the name of the church of Glasgow all the congregations iâ— Teviotdale Nithsdale clidsdale c. Citiâ— churches and towne churches the scripturâ— knoweth but not countrie churches Fâ—â— when the scripture speaketh of a Province or Countrey it speaketh in the plurall number Churches not Church in the singular Seing then there was no Diocesan Church ther was no Diocesan Presbyterie nor Diocesan Bishop No Church is above another The Church of Corinth had no superioritie over the Church of Cenchrea which was next adiacent And consequently the Presbyterie of one Church hath not superioritie over another Church therefore the Bishop chosen by the by the Presbyterie of one Church hath not power over the Presbyterie of another Church Neyther can he possibly exercise ordinarie iurisdiction in divers Churches and Presbyteries except yee will make him a Pluralist and have him gallop from one to another to keepe the ordinarie meetings which galloping was not kaowen in the Apostles times But Bishops have spred their wings over many cities and townes whole Countries and Shires that they are not able suppose they were willing to execute the power which they claime in their owne persons but must of necessity depute others And whom depute they I pray you Doctours of the civill lawe whom they make Chauncelours Officials Commissaries and other officers of the Canon law Suppose they should depute ecclesiasticall persons onely yet this should not free them
of God howbeit he doth it in effect and so doth the Archbishop For simonie non-residencie pluralitie of benefices readmission after the irregularitie of apostasie observation of superstitious dayes and times not eating of flesh in Lent and forbidden dayes which are here expressed are repugnant to the law of God Therefore he may take the like libereie in usurie perjurie incest mariage within degrees of the Leviticall law and the rest of the cases and causes which were reserved to the Pope of old It is not without reason then that the authours of the Admonition call this Court a filthy quagmire and poysoned plash of all abbominations seeing the filth of all these abominations are washed here and the guiltie person commeth forth after the Archbishops dispensation as white as snow leaving his filth behind in that Court Beside the Prerogative Court the Court of Arches the Court of Audience the Court of Faculties the Archbishop hath yet another Court called the Court of Peculiars which dealeth in certaine Parishes exempt from the Bishops iurisâ—iction in some Diocesse and are peculiarlie belonging to the Archbishop of Canterburie Hee hath also inferiour Courts such as other Bishops have You see then Canterburie is a petie Pope or according to Bancrofts reckoning a vice-pope made up of the old spoyles of comprovinciall Bishops and Synods and also with the new spoyls of the Pope beeing armed beside with the Kings delegate temporall power in the High Commission and so greater in his intensive power then ever he was in time of Poperie And when the union shall be accomplished shal be greater in his extensive power also with his Courts over-ruling our Nation and shall be vice-pope of this little World O if faithfull Patriots would forsee and prevent this The least of their Ceremonies will prepare a way to this mischiefe CHAP. 4. Of the Dignitie and Power of English Bishops IN the former chapâ—er we did onely give not grant superiorite of Bishops over Pastors which being supposed we medled onely with the vnlawfull power and dignitie of Archbishops but the truth is that the superioritie of Bishops over Pastors is unlawfull also By divine Law one Pastor is not superiour in degree above another no more then one Apostle or Euangelist above another Apostle or Euangelist The name of Bishops was not appropriate to any eminent rank of Pastors but was common to all as may be seene Act. 20. Philip. 1. 1. Timoth. 3. Tit. 1. 1. Pet. 5. And that their office was also common may be sene in the same places from whence Hierome in his Epistle to Evagrius doth conclude that a Bishop and Presbyter was all one And in his Commentarie on the Epistle to Titus cap. 1. that communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabaÌ„tur the Churches were governed by the joynt advice of Presbyters Our Opposites say that government was onely private in the inner court the court of Conscience not publicke in the externall court or Consistorie It was so in the time of Poperie when the Priests were excluded from the externall governement of the Church which Bishops did vendicate to themselves and their Courts the poore Priest having no further power then to receive privately auricular confession ponder the weight of secret faults and accordingly to enjoyne pennance But Hierome speaketh not of a severall but of a common councell and joynt care of many assembled together For this private government in the inner Court of conscience was not onely then but continueth to this day wherby every Pastor may deal with the consciences of any of his own flock But Hierome speaketh of a government which was altered after the Apostles times and different from the Episcopall government which followed When the Churches were thus governed in common by joynt advice of Presbyters they had not a perpetuall President or as we use to speake a constant Moderator who had this preeminence during life set over them to moderate the common Meetings but they choosed their Presidents and changed them as they thought fit No Pastor could claime this prioritie of order and direction of the common Meetings as belonging to him of office The Apostles did no where institute this same small difference of Pastors that some during life should be moderators of the rest let be that majoritie of rule and superiority in power which Bishops doe claime The Pastors who were at Alexandria the first we read to have set up a constant Moderator to whom also they did appropriate the name of Bishop This was the beginning of that great mischiefe which followed This was the Cockatrice egge out of the which Antichrist himselfe was hatched For this perpetuall Presidencie and prioritie of order did degenerate in superiority of power and majoritie of rule and the Bishops growing to some grandeur they behoved to have an Archbishop and at last a Pope So that if a Bishop had not beene a Pope had not been and if there had not been a Pope the great Antichrist had not been Boni-gratis supposed to be the author of the Treatise de aetatibus Ecclesiae wondereth that the Popes Monarchie should arise from so small a beginning But the Apostle telleth us that that iniquitie was a Mysterie and that this Mysterie was working under ground even in his time For even the Apostolicall times wanted not a proud Diotrephes loving preeminence A little seed will bring forth a great Tree If the Discipline had not beene corrupted as well as doctrine the great Antichrist could not have risen All the errours and heresies in doctrine and matters of faith which have entered in the Church could not have brought him in unlesse errour and corruption in the government had entred in also for unlesse this had been he could pretend no claime at all to governe and rule I come therefore to our English bishops Let a man travell through Italie where the Pope is or Spaine where the Spanish Inquisition is he shall finde no difference betwixt the power of an Italian Spanish or English bishop The English bishop is the same now for power and greatnesse that hee was an hundred years since in the time of poperie There are foure things chiefly to bee considered in him First the derivation of his power 2. the sole exercise of his authority 3. the deputation of this his authoritie 4. his extensive power As for the first they are not bishops as we have sayd iure divino by divine institution or right nor cannot bee Neither are they Bishops by humane law that is the constitutions of the ancient Church which imprudently and unhappily set up the first bishops erring in taking up right the nature of Church government and the qualities of the Antichrist who was to be revealed but in the full time For they are not of that kinde of Bishops which ruled together with the Presbyterie or Ecclesiasticall Senate but they are bishops by the Municipall law of the land onely in the judgement of the lawes For all their
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
was made there was a binder and a bond but none present or known to bee bound When the offence is committed there is one to be bound but where is the binder And yet in their latest Canons made in the first yeare of the Kings entry they have made excoÌ„munication ipso facto to be the sanction of many of their Canons excoÌ„municating ipso facto all such as shall affirme the forme of their Church service to be corrupt and superstitious the rites or ceremonies established by law to bee wicked Antichristian or superstitious the government of their Church by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons c. to be Antichristian or repugnant to the word or that the forme and maner of making or consecrating their Bishops Priests and Deacons is not lawfull c. So that at this day the better sort both of the ministerie and professours amongst them do stand excommunicate by this Popish guise The next thing to be considered is the sole authoritie of bishops excommunicating by themselves alone or their Deputies Officials Chancellours Archdeacons the ministers and professors in whatsoever Church of their large Diocie When Christ sayd Tell the Church Math. 18. was this the meaning Tell my Lord Bishop or his Chauncellour the Archdeacon or his officiall Can this collective name Church by any shift be drawne to signifie one particular person Canterburies grace himselfe or the great Pope himselfe Is the Pope the universal Church or the Bishop the diocesan Church or his Chauncellour Christ maketh a graâ—ation from one to two at last to many The Apostle reproveth the Corinthians because they had not already excommunicated the incestuous person And do yee not judge them that are Within sayth the Apostle 1. Corinth 5. 12. In the second Epistle chap. 2. v. 10. hee declareth that they haâ— power to forgive and reconcile the same incestuous person And writing to the Thessalonians hee willeth them to note the man who obeyed or harkned not to his Epistle and to have no companie with him that he may be ashamed 2. Thessal 3. 14. Now there was no Bishop at all either at Corinth or Thessalonica as they themselves will grant farâ— lesse an usurping Prelate drawing all the power to himselfe It is one of the weightiest judgements in the Church and therefore not to bee permitted to the pleasure of one man It is not onely the Bishop thaâ— hath this power alone to excommunicate by himselfe or his Deputie but also the Deane Prebendaries and Canons in welnigh all the cathedrall and collegiat churches throughout the Realme having certain Parochiall churches exempted from the Bishop within their exempt and peculiar jurisdidictions by meere Pastorall authoritie for Episcopall authoritie by the lawes of the Church they haue none may exercise all manner of spirituall censures and that as wel by their substitutes as by themselves Nay iâ— hich is more in Cheshire Lancashire Yorksire Richmondshire and other Northern parts there bee many Whole Deanries exempted from the Bishops jurisdiction wherein the Deanes and their substitutes have not onely the prohate of wills and granting of administrations but also the cognisance of Ecclesiasticall crimes with power to use the Ecclesiasticall censures yea this authority of the execution of Ecclesiatsticall censares have those Deanes either long since by some Papall priviledges obtained or else by long use prescribed agâ—inst the Bishops Whereby againe it is clearly convinced that Episcopall excommunication used in the Church of England is not of divine institution but onely by humane tradition for were it of divine right then could the same no more be prescribed or by papall immunitie be possâ—ssâ—d then could these Deanes prescribe power or be infranchised to breach the word or to administer the â—acraments Yee see Cathedrall Deanes Canons and Prebendaries in cathedrall and collegiat churches and some rurall Deanes may use the Ecclesiasticall censures But the Pastoâ—s of the Churches set over their flocks to govern rule with power of the keyes are deprived of the other half of their pastoral charge and the pastorall staffe as I have sayed is taken from thâ—m Thirdly they excommunicate for trifles The last petition which was made the first yeare of the Kings entry reporteth thae thâ—y excomunicate for trifles and twelvepennie matters If a man pay not the fees of their Courts he shall be excommunicate For the Chancellors Officials the Registers the rest of that rable must not want their unreasonable dues They doe not excommunicate in the congregation where the offender dwelleth but in their Courts in forme of a writ in Latine proclaimed in the Bishops or Archbishops name as Barrow reporteth and so also is their absolution The excommunication may perhaps he intimated a long tyme after in the congregation and the people warned to beware of the man who was excommunicate in their Court perhaps for a trifle The Admonition to the Parliament sayth that whereas the excommunicate were never received till they had publickly confessed their offence Now for paying the fees of the Court they shall by Mâ— Officiall or Chauncellour easily be absolved 5 The manner is that if the apparitor cannot persanally cite the person to be summoned he useth leave word at his house If he come not at the day he is forthwith excommunicate as the defender of thâ— last Petition â—oeth report 6. They transfâ—rre this power of excommunication to lay men their Chauncellours and officialls whereof we shall intreate in the owne place The curse Anathema some doe not distinguish from the great excommunication but onely in some solemnities because it is uttered with some externall signes and ceremonies to strike a greater terrour Others do distinguish it and Mucket defineth it to be that censure whereby a pernicious heretick as Gods publick enemie reiected cursed execrate is adjudged and given over unto eternall judgement and damnation This is answerable to that anathema which the Apostle calleth Maranatha or the Talmudists schamatha But such a censure cannot be inflicted unlesse it be revealed to the church that the offender hath sinned against the Holy ghost Besides the censures common to lay men and ecclesiasticall persons already meÌ„tioned there are these two reckoned by Mucket corporall pennance and deniall of buriall in sacred places Corporall pennance is inflicted upon the outward man For to the publick confession of the offence there is some bodily pennance adjoyned and enioyned the offender As for example to stand upon a Lords day bareheaded and barefooted cloathed with a white sheet having a white wand in his hand at the porch of the Kirck and when he entreth into the Kirck to prostrate himself to kisse the ground and then to come to the midst of the church crave forgivenes This manner is descrived by Mack Lindwood in his Provincial reckoneth for corporall pennances thrusting in a Monasterie imprisonment striping and the imprinting of a mark upon the person Many moe â—ere the popish pennances which turned into
Chauncellour are even faine to laugh it out many times when they can keep their countenance no longer Suppose our high commission were never so odious yet the Bishops shall bee sure of such servile varlets Commissaries Officialls and Chauncellours to sit with them for why they shall be their own creatures It is no wonder they be bribers for the Bishops and Archdeacons set in farme their jurisdiction to them Some Chauncellours and officialls pay 20. some 30. some 50. pounds yearly for their place Registers some an hundred some two hundred pounds some more How then is it possible but they should extort in their office and by unreasonable and untollerable exactions make up their hard rents as it is sayd in the Defence of the last petition for reformation Many greivous complaints have been made against Officialls Commissaries and Chauncellours from time to time in Germanie France and other countries which I might produce to make this bondage yet more sensible CHAP. 6. Of Suffraganes Deanes and Cathedrall Churches WE have seen in the former Tables what persons have judiciall administration Now follow Persons having no Iudiciall administration Those are either Ecclesiasticall persons or lay-men Ecclesiasticall persons are the Deacon and the Minister and they have their function either without perpetuall title as Curates or with title The second sort either have a peculiar function beside their common function or have not a peculiar function These who have a peculiar function beside the common either have it through the whole â—â—iocie or but in a part of it Through ane whole Diocie as the titular Bishops who were of old called Chorepisâ—opi that is Rurall Bishops now they are called Suffraganes They are to bee considered either according to the place which they hold in the Common-wealth to wit next unto Barones or according to the place which they have in the Church to wit that they are Bishops both in calling and order but wanting jurisdiction 2. Dedicate Churches 3. confirme children instructed before in the Rudiments of Christian religion and that in a Diocie allotted unto them That which is here sayd of Suffraganes that of old they were called Chorepiscopi is controlled by Mucket himselfe For hee saâ—th that the Rurall Dâ—â—nes are like the old Chorepiscopi Deâ—â—ni 〈…〉 is Ecclesiae Chorepiscopis Aâ—chipresbyteris Regionarijs haud absimiles And so doth Bleynianus also in his introduction into the theorie and practique of benefices At the first where the Gospell was spread through the Countrey townes and villages as it was through Cities so they had Counâ—rey or rurall Bishops as well as Bishops in cities But ambition and pompe in Citie Bishops increasing it was thought a disgrace that such a dignitie should bee obscured with a meane place of residence Therefore it was decreed that it should not bee lawfull to ordaine any Bishop either in villages little forts or small Cities lest the name and authoritie of a Bishop should waxe vile Sathan was advancing this way the great mysterie of iniquitie Because he would make of Bishops young Princes hee went about as is well observed by Mr. Cartwright with robberie of the rest to lift up the head of one otherwise the great pompe which they were striving for could not be maintained At the first the countrey or Rurall Bishop had the same power in his circuit which the Citie Bishop had in the citie and suburbs of it Hierome sayth that the bishop of an obscure citie hath as much authoritie as hee of the most famous citie The Presbyters who were ordained by them their ordination was not made voyd and reversed untill they were throwne downe through the pride and dispite of citie bishops to the order of priesthood which is an argument sufficient that they were in estimation and judgement of the Church bishops of that same sort and kinde that the citie bishops were Beeing spoyled of the greatest part of their power and name also they there called Archipresbyteri at the last Countrey or Rurall Deanes and were made subject not onely to Bishops but also to their Archdeacons No propter subrogationem in locum Chorepiscoporum superbirent Archipresbyteri idem sibi quod antea Chorepiscopi arrogarent si immediate Episcopis supponerentur sayth Bleynianus a Papist This is his conjecture that the Archpresbyters were thrust downe to a degree lower then Archdeacons lest if they had been immediatly subiect to Bishops they might perhaps have claimed the power of the old countrey Bishops to whom in place they succeeded For justly Archpresbyters may claim by their order that which Archdeac cannot do For howbeit they be inferiour to Archdeac in Popish dignitie yet they are greater then Archdeacons in respect of their order Countrey Bishops at their first erection being equall to Citie Bishops were not their Deputies In the later and corrupt ages proud Prelates and loytering Lords addicting themselves to the world seeking ease or intangling themselves with wordly affaires as they commited the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to Chauncellours and Commissaries so that which is most proper to them as they pretend as ordination of Priests and Deacons confirmation of children and dedication of Churches they committed to Suffraganes that they might give themselves to ease and wait upon Councells Parliaments and other civill Courts and reserved nothing belonging to their owne charge that might trouble their ease or draw them from attendance upon Princes Courts and civill employments D. Field alledgeth against these Suffragane Bishops Melchior Canus a papist Such Bishops Melchior Canus entreating of Councells and the persons wherof Councells consist sayth they are so farr from having any place or voyce in councells that they neither have nor ought to have any place in the church at all The Bishops he speaks of he calleth annular Bishops happely for that whereas full Bishops had both staffe and ring expressing their jurisdiction as well as their espousing to the church these had the ring onely That Suffraganes may ordaine Priests and Deacons and confirme in their Church is evident by their latest Canons Now if Bishops may transferre these things which belong to their order to one Suffragane they may transferre it also to moe and consequently to all the Cathedrall and countrey Deanes and restore the countrey Deanes to their old liberties againe It dependeth onely upon some new Canon The Bishop of Spalato sayth Imo si vult Episâ—opus canones non prohiberent potest suos parochos plene Episcopos facere ordinare ut omnes sui or diniâ— actus plâ—ne possint explere simul ac in soli 〈◊〉 cum ipso Ecclesiam gubernare The Bishop may make all his parish priests not onely halfe but full Bishops that they might governe the Church in common with him sayth he if the Canon law were not an impediment The parish priest may curse this Canon law that hâ—ndreth them of that which Gods law alloweth them But that which Divine law hath given