you into a better course as of the professed enemies of your state These accusations I knowe are grieuous to be laid to the charge of these Counsellors who through Europe haue the name to be furtherers of Gods glory the saluation of mens soules But they are such as if I prooue them not most true let my blood wipe away the slaunder which I haue vndutifully raysed vpon the rulers of my people Here the worde of God is to be approched vnto out of the which we are to learne what true worship and seruice they can yeeld vnto God what hope of saluation they can haue who neuer enjoyed the word preached Concerning the true worship of God we are to knowe that the worde who alone is to instruct vs therein maketh two sorts thereof The true worship or God twofold The one inward and the other outward The inwarde worship is the worship of the spirit when the heart and the soule is by Gods spirit so directed that in trueth and sinceritie it yeeldeth to the Lord the worship whiche he requireth according vnto his word Of this worship our Sauiour Christ speaketh vnto the woman of Samariah Iohn 4.23 24. The houre commeth sayth he and alreadie is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and trueth for the father requireth euē such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth the inwarde worship Without this inward worship it is vnpossible to be saued and without it no seruice can be acceptable vnto God But although this inwarde worship be the fountaine whence the outward that is in trueth doth flowe and proceed yet is the inward no otherwise ordinarily wrought in men then by meanes of the outward So that euen as the outward is neuer truly acceptable vnto God but when it proceedeth from the inwarde euen so is the inward ordinarily found in none saue onely in those wherein it hath bin begotten by the ministerie of the outward But this inwarde worship in spirit and trueth is not in the power of man to giue or to take away at his pleasure but the Lorde must and doth worke it when where he pleaseth yet neuer ordinarily but by meanes of the outward The true outwarde worship of God then the outwarde worship is that alone whereby as by the ordinarie instrument or meanes the Lord hath appointed to beget nourish increase and continue the inwarde worship of the soule and the spirit by the which the Lord is to be serued in spirit and trueth This outward worship is such by the ordinance of God as men may be truly saide either to hinder or to promote the same and by the hindring or promoting hereof they may be judged to hinder or promote both the saluation of themselues and others and also the inward worship of the spirit either in themselues or in others And by the affection that men beare herevnto the Lord doth trie their loue and also their hatred towardes him his glory This worship although it be outward yet is it of that nature as they who are partakers hereof may according vnto the word expect for the presence of Gods spirite whensoeuer they approch vnto the Lord therby Otherwise if it hath not this promise of the spirite annexed vnto it it is but a rudiment of the world or of the flesh therefore cannot be any thing for the furthering of men in the worship of God This outwarde worship or this outward meanes to serue God truely and sincerely consisteth of two partes or ordinances according vnto the twofolde end for the which the Lord hath appointed the said outward worship of his The first part hereof is that ordinance whereby the Lord hath appointed not only to beget fayth in men or to engraffe them into Christ but being engraffed to builde and aedifie them forwarde as liuely stones of that holy temple whereof Christ Iesus is both the head the foundation This ordinance of God appointed both to beget to aedifie faith is onely the word preached The second ordinance wherein the outwarde worship of God consisteth is contained in those exercises of religion which the Lord ordained onely for aedification and were neuer appointed to begett fayth By aedification I meane whatsoeuer concerneth our furthering in the worke of our saluation begun in vs through faith by the worde preached Vnto this second part we are to refer publike prayers singing of Psalmes reading of the scriptures receiuing of the sacraments and administring of the Church censures Many thinges are ordained to aedifie which were neuer appointed to beget sayth 1. cor 14.17 ephef 4.29 c. All which are effectuall to aedification but not to the begetting of faith For that is onely wrought by the word preached without which also publike prayers singing of psalmes c are so frustrated of the end vz. the aedification for the whiche the Lorde hath ordained them as they cannot possibly aedifie any aright saue onely these who haue learned the right vse of them by the preaching of the word in whose hearts faith which is the ground-worke wherevpon the whole building of gods seruice must be planted hath bin begotten by the same word ordinarily And these holy ordinances of god to wit prayers receiuing of the Sacraments are so farre from aedifying these people who haue not bene instructed in the right vse of them by the worde preached that vnto such they are nothing els but a sealed booke and proceeding from such they are nothing els but pollution in the Lordes sight For no seruice can be acceptable vnto god but that which proceedeth frō fayth For without faith it is vnpossible to please God Now then according vnto that which hitherto hath bene spoken let your Hb. weye what seruice your people throughout all hir Majesties dominions for the most part can yeald vnto the Lord and how they stand in the hope of saiuation and consequently how carefull you haue bene of the glory of god and the saluation of his Church Your people you will say euery where haue had these 31. yeares the vse of publike prayers singing of Psalmes reading of the Scriptures in their owne tongue they haue further enjoyed the sacraments of baptim the Lords supper Be it so but what is all this Can these thinges going alone without the word preached be any thing effectuall to that worship in spirit and trueth which is the onely seruice that the Lord regardeth and without which all exercises of true religion are but swines-blood before his Majestie Or can they bee anye thing forcible to worke the saluation of your people Questionlesse you see that they cannot For they are ordained of god not to lay the foandation of the spirituall worshipp but as meanes to aedifie and build vpon the foundation being laid They are ordained you see also not to go alone but to accompany the word without the which
they are fruitles and to no purpose Nay though it were possible that without the word they could worke some aedification in men yet notwithstanding they were neuer appointed to beget men into the hope of aeternall life For regenerate flesh and blood they cannot because they were onely appointed to edifie those whome the word should beget So that men may all their life time enjoy these exercises of true religion and yet be far from the outward meanes whereby the Lord requireth himselfe to be worshipped in spirit and trueth and whereby the saluation of their soules should be wrought And though your Honours shewe youre selues neuer so greate fauourers of reading the worde publike prayers c. which in themselues are acceptable to God but among our people for the most part abominablie profaned yet because you maintain those to outcountenance the preaching of the worde and to be polluted by such men as ought not to deal with the holy things of the Lord You are no otherwise accounted of in his sight then the professed enemies of that pure worship in spirit and trueth wherein alone he delighteth the maintainers of the profanation of his seruice and aduersaries vnto the saluation of his Churche And what other account I beseeche you can he make of you which dare presume to platte him out the perfection of his seruice and appoint him a way to saue his people according vnto your owne pleasure He hath set down in his word that without faith it is vnpossible to please him and so that without faith it is vnpossible for men to worship him in spirit and trueth and come to aeternall life In this point I hope you will not gainesay his Majestie He goeth farther and manifesteth the ordinarie meanes to beget fayth and saluation to be onely the word preached And therefore requireth the forwardnes of all those that would not be guiltie of neglecting his honour to promote the saide preaching of his worde Herein you oppose your selues vnto him reply againe that he must needs prouide himselfe of newe ordinances or els he can neither in this life be worshipped in trueth of your people nor glorified with their saluation in the life to come For vnlesse reading of the worde publike prayers the profanation of his sacramentes by the polluted fingers of most ignorantmen can worke all that he requireth he can haue no meanes in the most congregations within the dominions of England to be purely worshipped and to gaine himself a name by the sauing of the distressed souls of men And you are so resolute with the Lord in this point that you proclaime all them to bee enemies vnto your state whosoeuer dare open their mouthes in his cause against your vnaduised resolutions So that whatsoeuer fauour your Honors pretend vnto some part of the true outward seruice of his Majestie yet inasmuch as you lende your whole force to maintaine and keepe in the Church the reading idol ministerie which you may know wel inough can neither beget faith nor any true aedification in your people and by whome the Lorde accounteth himselfe his ordinances to be profaned the very trueth is this that you stand at this day guiltie in his sight of the defects ruines and profanations of his worship and also of the vtter vndoing of many a thousand soule within England And I do not see what you can alledge for your defence except you will joyne with that notable seducer of your people D. VVhitgift the Arch. of Cant. and affirme eyther that saluation may be wrought in your people by hearing the word read or that reading is preaching But alas these figge leaues are so far from standing you in any stead when the Lorde shall enter into areckoning with our land for the small care that our gouernours haue had in furthering his seruice that his wrath will be kindled against our state almost for nothing more then because that both these errors of this wicked deceiuer haue beene vncondemned therein and also as a token I thinke of our hatred vnto the Lord and his gospell such a detected enemie vnto the gospell as he is hath bene promoted vnto one of the highest roomes at the counsell table to the ende as the maintaining of his proceedings do witnesse that he might be a scourge vnto Gods Church within hir Majesties dominions Well he saith that men may be saued by hearing the word read as by the ordinarie meanes If it be not so wo be to him that euer he was borne whose practises these 20. yeeres almost haue tended to no other ende then to maintaine this damnable error of his For if men cānot be saued by reading where shall he stande which hath brought vpon himselfe the guiltines of so many soules by silencing so many faythful preachers and planting readers in their stead And therefore I doe not so much blame him for framing his corrupt judgement according vnto the rule of his vngodly practises For if his practise were contrarie vnto the light of his knowledge then hath he a more fearfull account to make who hath quenched the light of his vnderstanding to the ende he might with lesse remorse raue against the Majestie of God But his blindnes cannot make others inexcusable that willingly follow after such a leader therefore let vs see what the word saith vnto this assertion The Apostle Paul affirmeth 1. Cor. 1.24 Reading not the ordinarie meanes to saluation that seeing the world by wisdome knew not god in the wisdome of god it pleased god by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue as many as beleeue Will you then haue a salnation that is by fayth whiche you must haue or none at all Surely the Apostle tels you that it pleaseth the Lorde to worke this no otherwise in the hearts of men then by preaching which vnto the worldly wise men is but foolishnes but vnto vs that are saued it is the wisedome of god and the power of god Euen as thē we can expect no saluation but that which is apprehended by faith so can we not hope to haue this sauing fayth wrought in vs by any other meanes then by preaching For the Apostle setteth downe in expresse wordes that as many as beleeue Rom. 10.14 are saued by the means of preaching Againe how shall they call vpon him saith the same Apostle in another place in whome they haue not belecued How shal they belieue in him of whom they haue not heard Howe shall they heare without a preacher Beholde then if we will so heare as wee may beleeue the Apostle telleth vs that this must be the hearing not of a reader but of a preacher If then this seducing prelate cannot make good a saluation which is to be obtained without fayth as heauen and earth knowe he cannot or if beleuing to saluation be conuaied vnto mens souls by no other hearing then by the hearing of a preacher as the Apostle telleth then also it followeth to the shame
A TREATISE WHEREIN IS MANIFESTLIE PROVED THAT REFORMATION AND THOSE that sincerely fauor the same are vnjustly charged to be enemies vnto hir Maiestie and the state WRITTEN BOTH FOR THE clearing of those that stande in that cause and the stopping of the sclaunderous mouthes of all the enemies thereof ZEPHANIAH 3.18.19 After a certaine time wil I gather the afflicted that were of thee and them that beare the reproch for it behold at that time will I bruise al that afflict thee and I will saue her that halteth and gather hir that was cast out and I wil get them praise in al the land of their shame At that time wil I bring you again and then wil I gather you for I wil giue you a name and a praise amōg al the people of the earth when I turn back your captivity before your eyes saith the Lord. 1590. To all those that sincerelie loue the Lorde Iesus and seeke the 〈◊〉 estate of his kingdoms and namelie in the brethren throughout Englande VVales Ireland IOHN 〈…〉 knowledge 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 with al other 〈…〉 THE Cluds of England beloued in the Lorde to wit Peace and prosperity haue now of a long time to be 〈◊〉 all estates among vs for the most part that in stead of our thankfulnesse vnto God for his great vndeserued blessings they haue caused our land to bring forth most strange effects vnto the dishonour of the Lords name the hinderance of his truth the lykelie ruine of his Church and the generall griefe and discouragement of all his children VVe knowe wel enough what kyndnesse the Lord hath generallie shewed vnto our kingdome at such time as we little deserued the same and what thankfulnesse wee haue repayed him again our practise doth evidentlie testifie It is not yet manie yeares aboue 30. since we were matched yea King Philips mariage and ouermatched with strangers readie daye and night to haue the same crueltie shevved vpon vs whiche that proude and bloodie nation the Spainyard doth now the second tyme purpose to execute But our God deliuered vs from that imminent bondage The blessing is to be remembred especiallie seeing the kindenes was then shewed vnto our state when not onelye the whole kingdome being moste shamefullie fallen from God to the worship of deuils was ouergrowne with the weeds of Idolatrous poperie and superstition but euen those plantes graffed among vs by the diuels owne hande were so highly accounted off that rather thē they should not haue their ful growth in England they were watered with the blood of the saints of God Behold here O England thy deliueraunce from bondage in the day wherein thou didst deserue captitutie and looke for an heauier yoke if thou continuest to be vnthankful But what do I speake of this outward libertie seeing the other freedome of the soule bestowed vpon vs at the same instant doth vtterlie obscure this blessing and make it seeme nothing in comparison The Lord therefore that al the glorie of his kindnes towardes a rebellious nation might indeede be his owne and that he might justly require the fruit of thankfulnesse at our handes together with the government of hir right excellent Majestie brought vnto vs the inestimable treasure of his Gospell which to this day he hath continued contrarie vnto our deserts Howe this gospell was at that time and nowe is receaued among vs it shal be partlie declared afterward Since the enjoying thereof how vnthankfullie soeuer our state hath entertayned the same it is well knowen that in regarde of outwarde peace and prosperitie this land hath bene in our dayes the miracle of al the kingdomes in the earth For the Lord hath from heauen commanded the blessing of outward plentie to be with vs in al that we haue set our handes vnto Deu. 28.11.12 and as for our peace it hath beene such as other nations haue bene glad to borrow the same from vs which also we haue bene able to lend vnto them And although the Lord to testify his wrath against the abuse of his blessings hath somtimes chastened vs with some taste of famine and threatned diuers times to take awaye our peace yet whensoeuer wee haue had but one deare yeare in all our quarters hee fullie recompensed the dearth thereof with the vnexpected abundance and plentie of the next And if you look vnto our enemies that haue risen vp either at home or abroad to disturbe our quietnes they may bee trulie saide to come against vs one waye and to haue fallen before vs seauen So that if within the circuite of heauen you woulde see a kingdome wonderfullie blessed with outward peace and prosperity Englād must be the pattern thereof And I woulde to God that this were the onelie president that England doth afforde vnto vs and our posterities But alas it is far other wise For as the Lords blessings haue bene multiplied vpon vs so hath our vnthankfulnesse augmented it sense out of measure Consider the state of religiō at this day see what a grateful cuntrie Englande hath bene vnto hir God The Lord by the mouthes of his seruantes and by his fore-named blessings hath these 31. yeares besought and earnestly intreated yea wooed as it were al estates among vs to looke vnto their owne soules to day wrile it is called to day and to lay a sure hold vpon him while he may be found by a thorow receiuing of the Gospel together with the ministers thereof and by shewing kindenes vnto his desolate house But what hath England answered Surelie with an impudent fore-head The hath said I wil not come neere the holie one Englands reformation And as for the building of his house I will not so much as lift vp a finger towardes that work nay I wil continue the desolations thereof And if anie man speaketh a worde in the behalfe of this house or bewaileth the miserie of it I wil accounte him an enemye to my state As for the gospel and the ministeries of it I haue already receaued al the Gospels and al the ministeries that I meane to receaue I haue receaued a reading Gospel and a reading ministery a pompous Gospel and a pompous ministery a Gospel and a ministery that strentheneth the hands of the wicked in his iniquity a gospel and a ministery that will stoupe vnto me and bee at my beek either to speake or to be mute when I shal thinke good Briefly I haue receaued a gospel a ministerie that wil neuer trouble my conscience with the sight of my sinns which is al the gospels and al the ministeries that I meane to receaue I wil make a sure hand that the Lords house it I can chuse shal bee no otherwayes aedified than by the handes of suche men as bring vnto me the foresaid gospel and the foresaid ministery Loe heere Englands thankfulnes beloued foral the mercies and kindnes whiche hir God hath vouchsaued vnto hir And tell me in thy conscience whether thou
goodnes of that cause wherein you suffer Heb. 12.28.29 but onelye by the assistance of his spirite who requireth a great care in all his children to please him in reverence and feare for even our God is a consuming fire Concerning such of you as the Lord hath not tryed with any afflictioÌ„ for this cause I beseech you be not ashamed of the chaine of your brethren mourne with those that lament for the cause of God VVhen they are imprisoned think your selues to be in bondes And I do especially and aboue al thinges beseech those that fauor the reformation to labour more and more in the reforming of themselues and such as be long vnto them VVe know that considering the season it is now time to rest from sleep Rom. 13.12 For now is our salvation neerer than when we firste beleved It might haue bene something tollerable in times past for a sincere professor to haue an ignorant an vntaughte and a vnreformed family but in this cleare light Phil. 1.27 1. cor 13.5.13 Zeph. 1.8 Ephes 5.11 Col. 1.6 and in a profession of so great sincerity to continew in these sinnes is altogether vnbeseeming the gospel of Christ Long haire great ruffes laying out of wemens haire and strange attyre is a participating with the vnfruitful works of darknesse and a token that the gospel hath not beene faithfully receaued And therefore let it be no longer tolle rated among the reformed professours of England Vow and performe with the holye man Dauid Psal 111.12 that you wil sing mercy and judgement walke in the vprightnes of your harts in the midst of your families Iob. 22.22.23 and if you wil make peace indeede with the Lord follow the counsel of the holye ghost in removing iniquitye far not only from yourselues but also from your tabernacles hou ses Shew what reformation can do in a whole kingdome by the practise thereof in your owne persons and families And that wil be the best argument both to confute the aduersary and to draw the indifferent to lyke the cause And as the Lord shal giue vnto any of you accesse either vnto hir Maiesty or any of their Honors so be careful to promote this truth VVe haue al of vs we must confes be ne so carelesse and secure in these points and therefore it is that by the juste judgement of God our Bishops are at this day so insolent against the truth And vnles we labour more strongly to haue these Cananits rooted out we may write vpon it that they wil be prickes in our eyes Nomb. 33.55.56 thornes in our sides stil vexe vs as they do at this day VVhere I say that professors should labour strongly to haue our hierarchy and contemptible Idoles rooted out of our Church my meaning is not that any priuate strength should so much as lift vp a hand muche lesse vse any violence against these caterpillers but I meane that we should more vehemeÌ„tly labour with the Lord by prayers and by the reforming ourselues our families and deale earnestly with hir Maiesty their Honors that our cause may be aequally heard My meaning in the former point I thought needful to expresse because I know what sclanders would otherwise be raised against me to the hurt of the cause by those that are enemies therevnto whose madnes I doubte not will shortlye appeare vnto all men And I trust in the Lord that he wil one day giue hir Maiesty a descerning ey to judge aright between them and vs and then shal it appeare whether we or they do seek the peace and quietnes of hir kingdome In the meane time we wil content our selues with the eye of our God Yet one thing I would wish to be considered of by hir right excellent Maiesty namely whether it be not an inconvenient season when our fortaine enemies are at the dores publikly to traduce hir beste and most trusty snbiects as enemies to hir state For if the Spainyard shal heare that besids the popish faction the fore-wardest professors of the gospel in Englande are but her Maiesties half frendes Mark the issue what wil not the hope of a threfold discorde in our state moue him to attempt I doe therefore feare that many of the forwardest enemies of reformation are not the backwardest friends that the King of Spaine hath in England at this day But least the enemy should deceaue himself with a golden dreame I am to make it knowen vnto al Spaniards and Spanish practisers that we are such enemies vnto Queene Elizabeth The enmity which the favorers of reformation beare vnto hir Maiesty and the state as we do not onely pray day and nighte for the state of hir Kingdome and hir person but also wee are readye to stande in the defence of hir royal person and right to the losse not onely of our goods and blood but even of our lyues and that against men and Angels even al creatures without exception Thus much my good brethren I may boldly set down in the name of you al because I know by what spirit you are guided And as for your sakes nexte vnto the defence of the truth I haue taken this labour in hand So I do with the Apostle humbly entreat the Lord Rom. 15.31 that my service herein may be acceptable vnto the Saints throughout England VVales Ireland whome together with my self and al the Lords elect I commit vnto his hand who is able to reserue vs vnto the day of redemption TO THE READER ¶ M.D. Anno 12. or 13 Elizab. Haddon deliuered in Parliament a Latine book concerning church discipline written in the dayes of king Ed. 6. by M. Cranmer Sir Iohn Cheek knight c. This book was committed by the house to be translated vnto the said M. Hadon M. George Bromely M. Norton c. If thou canst good reader help me or any other that labour in the cause vnto the said book I hope though I never saw it that in so doing thou shalt doe good service vnto the Lord and his Church REFORMATION NO enemie to her Maiestie and the State ALthough it be most true that our Saviour Christ Iesus doth vouchesafe vnto nations and kingdomes All Kingdomes are bound to fram a theâ—â— stâ—tes according to the doctrine of the gospell Match 10.34 Luk. 12.51 52 the fruition vse of his holy worde and gospell vpon no other condition theÌ„ that all men of all degrees and callings as well high as low wil be content to haue their states altered and changed at the pleasure appointment and determination of his wil worde yet notwithstanding it is as true that the said word and gospel of his bringeth nothing with it that can possible be an enemie to anye state eyther priuate or publike whatsoever The which point I take to be so cleare and manifest that no state-men can deny it saue only those who haue made a leagne
content eyther to be condemned or acquited by the judgment thereof vpon whose judgement also they dare not but professe themselues to relie First then we holde it intollerable that the holy ministerie of the worde and Sacraments and the charge of soules The desire of remoouing the dumb ministerie no vndutifull attempt should in our Church be committed vnto such men as are no more able to teach vs what belongeth to the pure worshipp of god then can many a childe of sixe yeres old And we would know whether by the worde we may be accounted for this position to bee enemies eyther vnto our most deare prince or vnto our most louing cuntry What doth it determine in this matter are wee thereby acquited or condemned for this our assertion Surely acquited And that by the voyce of the Sonne of God himselfe who openly declareth that the miserie of that people is vnspeakably pitifull where the * Math. 15.14 Iuk 6.69 blinde leadeth the blinde who also by his owne * Matth. 9.36 mark 6.34 example hath taught vs what compassion we ought to haue of our brethren that are scattered as sheep without a sheepheard hauing none to leade them nor feede them in the way of aeternall life And therefore is so far from disliking this care of ours towardes the saluation of our brethren cuntrimen that he hath enjoyned vs when we see our brethren thicke and threefold to fall into the ditch of blindnes and ignorance and so into the pit of aeternall wo destruction * Matth. 9.34 to pray vnto the Lord that he would raise vp meet guides who may leade his people in the true and vpright waye that leadeth vnto life Before we go any farther behold here how the case standeth betweene vs and our aduersaries and judge vprightly Our Sauiour Christe IESVS teacheth vs to be mooued with pitie and compassion when we see the blinde lead the blinde and our owne fleshe perishe for want of the true knowledge of God We see this lamentable sight in our land euery where we may heare the blood of ignorant soules crie day and night in the eares of the Lorde for juste vengeaunce to bee powred vpon their blind leaders and such as maintaine them What shall we do in this case shall we not be touched with any remorse at all Farre be it but we should We are therefore mooued therewith and as christian duetie bindeth vs we doe endevor both by our prayers vnto the Lorde and by our petitions and suits vnto our Majestrates and euerye other way that become Christians to haue these murtherers remooued and to haue those placed in their roomes who bring with them faithfully execute this great and high cōmission wherof the Apostle speaketh in the person of al true ministers Now then are we Embassadors for Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 as though God did beseeche you through vs we pray you in Christes stead that you be reconciled vnto God But what say the aduersaries vnto vs for the performing of so necessarie a duetie Verely their censure is that in so doing we are enemies vnto the state We reply vpon them againe that the word of God doth cleare vs of their vnjust accusation which doth not so much light vpon vs as vppon the worde and docttine of the sonne of God For they that condemne the disciples of sedition for practizing that whiche their master enjoyned them must needs passe sentence against the master as a teacher of seditious doctrine And therefore we are so far from being moued with the vnaequall dealing that we wish them whosoeuer they be to giue eare vnto the inditement which the Psalmiste frameth against them in these wordes psal 15.19.20 You haue giuen your mouthes to euill and with your tongs you forge deceit You sit and speake against your brethren and you haue slaundered the sonnes of your mother psal 54 5. You haue encouraged your selues in a wicked purpose and common together howe to lay snares priuily and say who shall see You haue taken craftie counsell against the people of the Lord and consulted against his secrete ones psal 83.3 And because they must needs confesse themselues guiltie of this accusation in euery point therefore we doe also aduise them by true and speedie repentaunce to betake them vnto the Lorde least as it is in the Psalme He teare them in pieces and there be none that can deliuer them psal 50.12 And we entreat them that are in authoritie to weigh the state of the people of this land with the worde of God and then we doubt not but they shall see the motion of remoouing the dumbe ministery out of our Church and the planting of careful teachers to be the best piece of seruice one of them that euer was attempted vnder their gouernment If to redresse the wantes of the pure worshipp of God and to remooue the condemnation both of the bodies the soules of men be thought a seruice worthie to be vndertaken For alas by meanes of the false and loytering guides which haue kept out the true and painfull watche-men the seruice of God hath nowe for the space of 31. yeares continued at that miserable stay in our kingdom that in the most congregarions not of miserable Wales and Ireland onely but euen of England it self The lamentab'e state of religion in England we want not some necessary member but euen all the vitall partes as the heart lyfeblood yea and soule of true religion namely the word preached euen the very seed without which men can neyther be begotten vnto nor nourished in the hope of aeternall blisse and happines Again by reason of this desolation of our Churche the most of our people within all our prouinces wandering as blinde men in the darke know no means eyther how to yeeld the Lorde any part of his true worshipp or howe they shall be saued in the day of wrath Here your Hh. of hir Majesties priuie counsell who professe your selues aduersaries vnto reformation and therefore vpholders of our ignorant ministerie are cited before the tribunall seate of God and required in his name to consider the injurie that you offer vnto his Majestie both in the maintenance of these blinde guides also in your proceedings herein for both which you are sure one day to be called to a reckoning First by maintayning these idoles you countenance and mayntaine the ruines defectes and profanation of Gods true seruice together with the damnation of mens soules Secondly your proceedings in the maintenance of the blooddie cause is suche as vnder the profession of true religion I thinke the like hath bin seldome seene For you thinke it a small matter for you thus to bereaue the Lorde of his true honor to lend your authoritie might and power vnto Sathan to vphold ignorance and blindnes vnles also as a testimonie of your perseuerance in this damnable way you do account of them that seek to bring
and confusion of all erroneous deceiuers that he cannot justifie a saluation wrought in mens heartes by any other ordinarie meanes then by the word preached But he will here object that the Lorde may if it please him worke faith in mens hearts without preaching That is as if he shoulde say that the Lord is so powerfull as when man wil not instruct by meanes he can teach his elect without meanes Who euer denied this Or what is this to prooue his wicked assertion The question is not what the Lorde can doe especially where meanes is not to be found For in such cases we do not vse to tye the omnipotent power of the Lorde within the bounds no not of his own ordinances but the point in controuersie is what that way and ordinarie meanes is whereby the Lorde hath decreed to worke a sauing faith in the heartes of his people whether that ordinarie meanes be the word preached or the word read The spirit of God you see teacheth vs that that ordinarie way and means is preaching The Archb. of Cant. teacheth it to be reading Nowe whether of the two shall hir Majesties people beleeue Surely let the Lord be true let shame confusiō couer the faces of all his encmies namely of this wicked prelate who is not affraid in expresse termes to giue the lye vnto the Majesty of God For the which madnes of his how greate soeueuer hee may be in our kingdome I am sure that the sentence without his vnfained repentaunce is long since decreed against him that he * Math. 5.19 shal be the least in the kingdome of heauen And if God had not blinded his right eye as a token of a farther judgement which is like to fall vpon him he might haue sene long since that the Apostle Peter attributeth the worke of mens regeneration or new birth and so faith and saluation vnto the word preached and not read For so he writeth 1. Pet. 1.23.25 Being borneagaine saith the Apostle not of mortall but of immortall seed by the worde of God which lyueth and endureth for euer and this is the worde saith he which is preached among you But what can he see who hath voluntarily so blinded himselfe and laboreth to wrapp others in the same darknes as he will make men beleeue that he is of judgement that the meaning of the Apostle in saying How can they beleeue without a preacher is as if hee sayd how can they beleeue without a reader For what els doth he affirme then this in holding reading to be preaching For he that auoucheth reading to be preaching cannot denie readers (a) Reading engendreth fayth sayeth he pag. 570. yea and sometimes prevavleth more than preaching pag. 574. to be prechers And here is al the light which the Lorde hath lefte in that darke vnderstanding of his which is justly made bruitishe inasmuch as it hath blinded it selfe to the end as I said he might with the lesse compunction or gnawing of his conscience fight against God But let him and all his maintainers know from me that he who spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them vnto chaines of darknes to be kept vnto the damnation of the great day is able to make this bruitish man an example vnto all those that hereafter shall tread in his vngodly steps especiall seeing in these things which naturally he might know he as lude sayth hath corrupted himselfe For if there had bene no scripture to haue instructed him yet very natural reason might haue taught him that reading and preaching are of that diuers nature that in common reason the one of them cannot be the other For I pray you who is so simple but knoweth by the light of nature that the preching that carieth saluation with it which he affirmeth to be reding is another maner of work thē can be lerned by the industrie of man in a moneths labor And yet behold such is the preaching which this mā hath framed vnto vs in his writings wherby the Church of England should be saued that an vnlettered man comming from the plough might in one moneths studie be made an able preacher and so an able minister of the doctrine of saluation For if reading be preaching as he sayth yea and such a preaching as is able to beget men to saluation which also he affirmeth then also doth it folow both that an able reader is an able preacher and also that anye man enjoying the benefite of his senses may in one moneth be made an able minister of that great and admirable worke of mens soules The conceit wherof is such an indignitie vnto the Majestie of God and to the misteries of true religion as a greater cannot be offered And is this al the thanks that we in England giue vnto the Lord for the fruition of his gospell Or is this all the commendation that true religion hath deserued at our hands to be made faire baser then any of the common crafts of the world Well the Lord seeth this vile injurie offred vnto his gospell and the ministerie thereof and in his time will recompence it Concerning this absurde and sencelesse errour I will saye no more at this time But first that if the father hereof to wit the Archb. of Cant had liued in some of the former ages that imbraced the truth he had bene commended vnto posteritie as a detestable forger of errors amōgst the nomber of these pernicious hereticks that haue endeuoured to obscure the light of the trueth Secondly that it maketh the ministers prayer for the spirit of vtterance and his care in his studie to be altogether needles superfluous matters And so this man hath found out suche a methodicall kinde of preaching as the spirit of God neuer thought off The Apostle Paul desireth the brethrē to pray for him that vtterance might be giuen vnto him to the end he might bold ly open his mouth to publish the secrets of the gospell he further chargeth Timothie to take heed vnto learning and to continue therein for in so doing hee shoulde both saue himselfe and those that heard him But this godlesse man that indeede hee might shewe himselfe not vnlike that sonne of perdition of whose bodie and kingdome by vertue of his Antichristian prelacie he is also a limbe and a member presumeth to enter into the Lords chaire and to create newe ordinances for ministers to bee guided by in publishing the mysteries of the gospell But though he be like to continue as he is vz. a deceiuer that waxeth worse and worse 2. Tim. 3.14 deceiuing and being deceiued as the holy ghost sayth yet it concerneth your Hh. to turne ouer a new leafe Seing your consciences must needes tell you that if you followe his damnable errors you are also to feare lest you be pertakers of the judgements that are likely to be fastened vpon him and al those that delight to hide
the truth in vngodlines And seeing the seruice of the Lord together with the saluation of mens soules is by meanes of this dumb ministerie at such a miserable stay among vs as hath bene set downe it wil be your duties to take these things more to hearte then as yet you haue done and to seeke the redresse of them For our owne parts the defectes of Gods religion being thus lamentable in our land and the souls of our brethren with pitifull cries requiring our aid and assistance we cannot in conscience denie them the remedie that we are able to minister namely the painting out of their miserie and the meanes howe to be deliuered therefrom And assuredly if we should holde our peace and winke at these calamities the stones in the streate woulde rise vp in judgement against vs. Wherefore also your Hh. may accuse vs to be dangerous subjects as well because we are not without christian affections as for that you see vs mooued with pitie at the ruines of Gods house and the likely damnation of our cuntrimen For such is the opperation of Gods spirite in his children that they are altogether voyd of the assuraunce of aeternall life yea without God in the world whosoeuer are not mooued with griefe and sorow whē they see either the seruice of their God or the saluation of those with whom they liue not to be regarded Vnles then you of hir Majesties counsell woulde goe about to quenche the motions of Gods spirite in the heartes of hir Majesties people you cannot charge them with any euill practize against the state for laboring the rooting out of this dumb and ignorant ministerie whereby as you see the Lordes seruice is most wretchedly profaned the saluation of his Churche most cruelly hindered and withstood Nay as your Hh. would shew your selues to haue anye sparke of Gods spirite in your hearts so you must be carefull to joyne with vs in this worke wherein indeede you ought to be our foreleaders For otherwise neuer deceue your own hearts there is not a man of you that can possibly be saued Weye the speech my Ll. for it concernes you as much as the price of your soules is worth I say then No saluation vnto them that are not carefull of the Lords pure worship the saluation of their brethren that the enmitie which in this point wee bear vnto the state of England is such as vnles you that are of hir Majesties priuie Counsell joyne with vs in the same you cannot possiblie see the face of Christ to your comforts The reason hereof is that there is no saluation vnto that soule wherein Christ Iesus doth not remaine and dwell by his spirit as the Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes 2. Cor. 13.5 Prooue your selues saith he whether you are in the fayth examin your selues know you not that Iesus christ is in you except you be reprobates Eyther then a reprobate heart or an heart possessing Christ Iesus Now my Ll. I appeale vnto your consciences whether you thinke that Christe can possiblie dwell in those heartes who are not both grieued at the damnation of their brethren and the miserable deformities of the seruice of God among thē are with all readie euery way that lieth in them to preuent the one and to set forwarde the other What can Christ be there where there is not a desire a readines to labour that the glorie of God may shine vpon earth by the sauing of perishing soules the setting vp of the sincere honor of the Lorde Your consciences I am sure must needs beare witnesse to the contrarye For to denie this were nothing els but to make the spirite of Christe in his children to be pitiles of the wofull estate of suche soules as for anye thing they knowe were ordayned to life and carelesse in seeking the glorye of God in his pure worshippe What is the conclusion then surely that youre Hh. must either manifest yourselues to be of their number for whome the blacknes and terror of the greate daye is prepared or els you must joyne with the rest of the saintes of God within hir Majesties dominions not onely in mourning for the wantes of true religion among our people and the misery that ensueth thereof but also in labouring moste earnestly to finde speedie meanes for the curing of so deadlye a wounde You see then howe the case standeth betweene the Lord nay between your felues and your owne soules The day will come when all those whose sinnes are not forgeuen and iniquities couered by Christ Iesus shall drinke of the deadly wyne of Gods wrath And you see that Christ wil be a couering vnto none saue onely vnto those in whome he dwelleth by his spirit and more-ouer that his spirit cannot be in them who are not mooued with the dishonor of his name the destruction of men The Lord warneth you of these things and requyreth of you that although for the loue of his Majestie and the mercies both outward and inward which hee hath doth offer to heape vpon you you cannot bee mooued to regard his ruinous Church and wofull people yet that you would be styrred forewarde here-vnto by the care which you are to haue of your own soules It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hand of the liuing God Vengeance is his and hee will recompence it Wherefore as you woulde not drynke of the dreggs of that bitter cup of his indignation declare vnto the world by the speedy remouing of this dumb ministery and apoynting faithfull teachers in their stead that the Lorde hath not in this age placed ouer England a coūsell of men that are carelesse of his glorie cruell towardes the people committed vnto their charge and consequenthe a counsel of men that are without God in the world fed with honor and promotion against the day of slaughter Men that are so far from respecting the honour of their God and the aeternall salvation of men that they are altogether without naturall affection towards the good of their owne soules For assuredly my Ll. whatsoeuer good opiniō you may haue of your selues and yourowne proceedings the Lorde and his Churche both in this age and also among posterity cā make no other reckoning of you than of those that liued without the true God in this worlde as long as you shall bee found vpholders of the ignorance which raygneth amōg your people Where-vpon also you shall one day by experience finde it to be true that because the sauing spirite of God neuer came neere your harts to worke a sorrow and a mourning therein for the spirituall aniserie of your brethren counuiemen you made no other vse of your being heere vpon earth thē to prouide for your selues an exceeding measure of plagues and torments that may endure vpon you for euer and euer You see it cannot bee otherwise for to be without compassion towardes the miserable dispersion of poore sheep that wander
woord to answere according vnto truth so especiallie will they be dumb Math. 25.26 If they haue no talents they are Idols and no Ministers when the right vse of their talents if they haue anie are requyred at their handes And let all non residents and especiallye these tyrannous atheists or Prelates I meane vnderstād that if they will needs be rulers ouer gods houshold they are bund to giue the Lords familie their meate in due season yea Mat. 24.48.49 and to continue in feeding of them vntill the comming of their maister that when he commeth hee may finde them so doing Otherwise if lyke euill seruants they shall still continue to say in their hartes that their mayster doth deferre his comming and still continue to smyte their fellow seruants much more to pyne starue them their maister will come in a day when they looke not for him in an houre when they are not aware off and because in that daye hee findeth them not so doing as the holy Ghost speaketh that is because lyke faithfull servants hee findeth them not distributing vnto their fellowes their meate in due season hee will cut them off and giue them their parte with hypocrits where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth And this will be their reward As for you my Ll. who winke at all the abhominations of these tyrannous murtherers and shewe not your selues mooued with the dishonor wherewith they staine true religion the misery which they haue brought vpon our Church the Lord bee mercifull vnto you For I see no way for you but as you allow the wicked course of these mē so you shall be partakers of their heauie damnation And as you cannot washe your handes from any of the bloode that is spilte in our Churche because your eyes haue seene it and eyther shewe no dislyke thereof or maintaine the same so of all other the murthers committed vpon the soules of men within England you are most guilty of this whereof the non-resident is the butcher because a great parte of this cruelty is cōmitted in our Church by your meanes Chaplainships for this is the sinne wherevnto you giue a cōmission and vnlesse ye delyuered the sword into the hands of these bloody tyrants their slaughter would not be so in vse among vs. For wheras many could not otherwise be qualified as they cal it to haue moe benefices than one you know that to be Chaplayne vnto a noble man or to the most of our Counsellors if not vnto all giveth a full libertie vnto this cruell and vnnaturall slaughter Insomuch as you bring this bloode vnto your houses and are not onely accessaries there-vnto but principall offenders therein Whatsoeuer then your Hh. will do in other points of the reformation of our Church it is plain that you can no longer suffer your places to be a couerture vnto this sinne in your godlesse Chaplaines except you would haue the Lorde and his Church to beare witnes against you that you haue conspired against the blood of your countrimen and people And as your Hh. are bound in the sight of God to washe your hands from the maintenance of this sinne in your fore named seruantes that in a good conscience you may testifie before the Lorde and say Deut. 21.7 Our hands haue not spilt this blood where of our Chaplaines are guilty neither haue our eyis seene it So also are you bounde to detest both the same all other the impieties that raygne in our Church by meanes of these wicked Prelates and their gouernment Whose very callings are so directly against the word of God that possiblie they cannot stand in the Church of Christ without the intollerable oppression therof and the impeaching of whatsoeuer liberty almost the Lorde hath lefte vnto the same in his worde And when I consider the great iniury that is offered vnto the Lorde and his Church by meanes of this wicked Hierarchie and whatsoeuer dependeth therevpon I cannot but thinke it a strange matter that the oppugning of so intollerable a corruption should bee hardlye thought off much lesse accounted vnsufferable in a Christian state For these corruptions of Ll. Archbishops Bishops Commissaries Archdeacons Chancelors c. were altogether vnknowen in the Church of God vntill the kingdome of Christ fell in the ages by past to decay and Sathan in the ruines thereof began to laye the foundation of that monarchie of his wherein Antichriste at this daye doth beare rule That these thinges maye bee the better vnderstood and that it may be made knowē whether the offices of Archb. Bb. with the reste of that stampe belong vnto and had their beginning from the kingdome of Christe or els sprang vp when Sathan began to lift his hand for the erecting of Antichrists throne and so appertaine vnto his gouernment we are to consider what is meant by the kingdome of Christ in the decay whereof we affirmed these offices of Archb. and Bb. to haue had their original beginning By the kingdom of Christ then generallie taken we vnderstād that regiment and superioritie which the Lord Iesus hath aboue all principalities that are either in heauen or in earth not simplie as hee is the second person in trinitie God aboue all blessed for euermore but as he is the sonne manifested in the flesh Christ god and man and so the head of his Church In respect of this regiment of his the worde of God speaketh of his kingdome 2. maner of wayes first it maketh the same to be everlasting secondlie it considereth of it as it is temporarie and to remaine for a tyme. In the former respect it cannot possible any wayes decay Of this aeternall kingdome of his the Angell Gabriell spake vnto the holye Virgine Marie after this sort Luke 1.31.32 Thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe and beare a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus Hee shall be great shal be called the sonne of the most high the Lord God shal giue vnto him the thron of his father Dauid and hee shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall be none ende Concerning the latter regarde of his kingdome the holy Apostle Paule writeth in these wordes 1. Cor. 25.24 Then shal be the end when he hath deliuered the kingdome vnto God euen the Father when he hath put down all rule and authority and power for he must raigne vntill he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete Where the Apostle speaketh of the kingdome of Christ as it is temporarie and to continue only vnto the day of judgement no longer Nowe this temporarie regiment of his is also of 2. seuerall considerations For the worde speaketh of our sauiour Christ and his gouernmēt either as he hath all power in heauen and earth cōmitted vnto him Mat. 28.19 Reuel 19.16 17.14 ◠5 and so he is called the Lorde of Lords the king of kings the prince of
liuetennant and messenger in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures and especiallie of men and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie to keepe them in that outward obedience which he requireth at their handes Now the minister is the Lordes messenger in an other regarde viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men if they * 2. Thes 1.9 beleeue and obeye his gospell Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord to be the Redeemer of mankinde in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof so confound thedecree of the gouernmeÌ„t of the creatures with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will confound these two callings together And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God is more excellent than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures by so much the more detestable and odious doe they manifest themselues who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made betweene God man do either vtterly reiect their ministery because they think it to base and gainlesse a calling or els as a farther couÌ„tenance vnto the most glorious vocation vnder the funne doe adde the ciuill magistracie there-vnto Whereby they shewe themselues indeede to haue made a shamefull apostacie from the doctrine and practise of our sauiour Christ and his Apostles The weapons of whose warfare were not carnall 2. Cor. 10.4.5 that is not such as wherwith men by an arme of fleshe as by civil authority improsonmeÌ„t c. brin g their matters to passe but mighty in God to cast downe holdes casting down the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thoght vnto the obedience of Christ Heere are the onely weapons that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles vsed and the onely weapons that are graunted vnto ministers to ouerthrow the gayn-sayer And as for the civill punishment of the obstinat they must commit that vnto the magistrate who beareth not the sworde in vaine Rom. 13.3.4 For it is he and not the minister of the word whome the Lord hath appointed to take reuenge of him that doth euill Now compare the dealings and practises of our bishops and what weapons they vse to encounter with those that stand against them and you shall perceaue that they haue not onelie abused the force of that sword which violentlie and wrong fullye their predecessors wrested out of the maiestrats hand to keep the church in bondage but also that this confusion of the magistracie ministerie in one person though the furtherance of the truth were intended therby cannot staÌ„d together with the sinceritie of the gospell the purity whereof also they haue corrupted in the tyrannous superioritie whiche they vsurpe both ouer their fellow Ministers and also ouer the reste of the churche with no lesse breache of the ordinaunce of God than the impeaching of the libertie of the church For the first point to wit of the superiority which they as ministers claime ouer the church messeÌ„gers of Christ it is intollerable tyrannous directly against a plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testameÌ„t by our Sauiour Christ himself The place is commonlie knowen and hath beene cited for this purpose I thinke by all those that ever dealte in this cause Luk. 2.24 â— And there arose also a strife among them that is among the disciples saieth the text which of them might seeme to bee the greatest but hee said vnto them the kinges of the nations raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious lords but ye shal not be so In which place wee see the spirite of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself to haue plainly forbiddeÌ„ al his ministers either to haue any superiority dominion ouer the church their brethreÌ„ to rule any wise as Lords princes do or yet to be so called Where also three especiall monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expresly inhibited forbidden First they wil be ministers of the gospell and yet be greater then their brethren rule ouer the church Secondly they will be ministers of the gospell and yet beare rule lyke lords Thridlie they wil bee ministers of the gospell and yet called lordes Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauior christ You shal not be so That is you my disciples shal be so farre from having any superiority one ouer an other after my departure and so far from bearing rule as civill Magistrates Princes and Lordes doe that you shall not bee so called by any names or tytles that do carry with them the honor and the preheminence due vnto princes and lordes They that beare rule ouer the nations saieth our Sauiour are called * Fuergetai a title wherewith the kings of Egipt were honor'd gracious lords but ye shall not be so Heere we see plainely that hee forbiddeth his disciples to beare the name whereunto preheminence is joined which may further appeare if wee consider that in forbidding them to kurieuein that is to rule lyke lords he forbiddeth them also to be kurious viz. lordes as farre as that name kurios is a title of worldly honor preheminence and gouernment no farther And no farther I say because the word kurios in the greeke tongue as also the word * Compare the 1. Sanâ—â— 15. 2 Kin. 5.25 with 2. king 6.12 adhon in the hebrew and dominus in latine signifieth a maister or Sir as well as a Lord which is proued Iohn 12.21 20.5 where Philip the apostle our Sauiour Christ supposed by Maric to be the gardiner are called kurici sirs or maisters In which sence it is not forbidden vnto ministers to be called kurioi Which I adde to stoppe theynlearned and foolish cavils of our aduersaries who go about to proue it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue which alwayes are names of worldly honor and promotioÌ„ in our common speach as it were for them to haue the former greek hebrue latine names attributed vnto them Whiche by the places before quoted to any man of vnderstanding in the tongues appeareth to bee a cavill vnworthie the aunswere And that our Sauiour Christe forbidding his ministers to kurieuein viz to rule lyke lordes forbiddeth them also to be called Lords it is most cleare in that otherwayes he should open a wide dore vnto the ambition and pryde of proude and ambitious men For it is a farre greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right haue the dignitye of a lorde to desire the name and title thereof than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed So that in forbidding his disciples to kurieuein beare rule as the lords of
the nations doe he forbiddeth them also to bee called and tearmed by their titles I know what hath beene obiected by the Archb. vnto these thinges and will againe bee said if it be not prevented namely that our Sauior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bearing of rule in the former place not just vpright and lawfull government Where I beseech your Hh. to lend me your attention you shall see the intollerable boldnes of this man in peruerting the truth who is not ashamed whēsoeuer it may be for his behoofe to teach points of doctrine meere directly against the words mind of the Lord Iesus I demand then of him whether our Sauiour Christ did not in the place afore cited so aunswere his disciples in the pointe whereof they doubted as hee did fullie resolue them He dares not deny it I am sure For in pointes that are needfull to be knowen reuealed our Sauiour being demāded one thing doeth not frame his answere vnto that whereof no question is made and so leaue his church vnsarisfied What was the question then Was it whether any of them should rule lyke a tyrant was it whether any of them should gape after promotion no such thing For they knew well enough that it was very gainlesse for them to demaund of our sauiour which of them should be a tyrant which of them should abuse his lawfull superioritie or whiche of them should be an ambitious prelate they knewe well enough that he would allow no such dominiō and preheminence Besides the apostles we may well think were not so blinde as to demand any such question of their maister Nowe then they demanding no such thing at his handes to what end should he tell them that they should not be tyrannous rulers They made no question of any suche matter therefore a resolution of that which they called not into controuersye was nothing to the purpose but left them as doubtful as they were before Wherefore wee are to conclude that as the question was concerning lawfull preheminence bearing of rule his negatiue answere being frained vnto their question denieth vnto them not only a tyrannous and an ambitious prelacie wherof they made no question but euen that dominion preheminence which of it self is lawfull in thē who by the ordinance of God are capable of it to wit in the civill magistrate And whereas the Apostles dreaming of a worldly kingdom might alledge for themselues that their demand was not altogether without ground because they contended for no other superioritie then was allowed off in the rulers of worldlie kingdomes our maister Christ answereth that obiection and telleth them that although it bee lawfull for ciuill gouernours to beare rule ouer their fellow officers and collegues that is ouer ciuill magistrates and althoughe it bee lawfull for them to beare lordlie rule and authoritie and to haue highe stiles and titles yet among you that are Ministers of the Gospell it shall not bee so saieth he And to perswade them herevnto Luk. 22.27.28 he bringeth in his owne example who came to serue and not to beare rule in the ministery of the new testament Making it also knowne vnto them and to all his true ministers that although they were according vnto his example to serue and not to exercise dominion all the time of their being vpon earth in publishing the gospell Verse 29.30 yet there was a kingdome prepared for them wherein they should haue an especiall preheminence But as for anie dominion here vpon earth if they would be his true disciples they were to look for none but to be as he was and to take the Ministerye vpon them on the same condition that hee did viz. to serue and not to beare rule therein Of all these things then wee doe conclude that this threefold corruption of our Archb. and Bb. First in vsurping vpon the government of the civill magistrate secondlie in claming vnto themselues those highe names and titles which belong vnto worldly honors and promotions lastly in the lordlie preheminence and superioritie which they vsurpe ouer the whole body of the Church within their diocese in generall and ouer their fellow ministers in particular is altogether a matter to be detested of all true christians as abhominable and odious in the presence of the Lorde And seeing our head Christ Iesus granteth vnto his body this libertle that al the members thereof should be servants and not lordes therein as he himself did serue not beare rule in the kingdome of the gospell and hath giuen all true ministers this priuiledge that none of them shoulde rule ouer the other it muste needs be that this lordlyke gouernment which our bishops arrogate vnto themselues ouer the church of God and the Ministers of it cannot in it selfe though it were never abused but bee preiudiciall vnto the liberties of the church and the ministers thereof Therefore my Ll. maintaine the Hierarchy of Bb. as long as you will you vpholde thereby nothing els but the tyranny and bondage of the church together with a chiefe and an especiall portion of the kingdome of Antichrist For as this pestilent Hierarchy hath bene proued not to appertain vnto the kingdome of Christ so your Hh. are to know that the same belongeth vnto no other body then vnto that regiment whereof the sonne of perdition is the head For vnto the kingdome of Christ as you see it doth not belong to the kingdome of the world that is vnto the civill magistracie it cannot appertaine for it would bee accounted an ecclesiasticall constitution and not any civill regiment To Mahometisme or to any other heathnish Idolatry it cannot belong because it is onely retained among those that pretend the name of Christ and are eyther the true churche in deede or at the leaste doe wrongfully retaine the name of the true churche Now vnto the true church it doeth not belong as we haue already proued because it is a government cōsisting of those offices which the head neuer ordained to be in the bodie and consisteth of suche members as would beare rule and not serue in the ministerie of the Gospel We must then place them in deede where of right they ought to be that is in the false sinagogue which vniustly arrogateth vnto it selfe the name of the true churche of God and that is in the kingdome of Antichriste the Pope Whose kingdome must begin in the church of god and not among the heathen as it was expresly fore tolde by the apostle Paule 2. Thes 2.5 Sathan therefore being to lay the foundation of this antichristiā kingdome within the churche and temple of God that hee might with more colour afterwardes pretend the name of the churche began by little and little to poison the ministers of the gospell with worldlye promotion and superiority and so from small beginnings brought the Hierarchye vnto that height of pryde wherein wee see it at this day not only in his own
meanes thereof by the preaching of the word the administration of the sacramentes c. shall cease the government of Christ also as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For after that day hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth but he which is the Lamb Lonke Reu. 7.17 21.22.23 â—2 5. being in the middest of the throne of God shall immediatlie governe vs by himself and bring vs to the liuelie fountaines of waters Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this latter sence for that government of the Church ordained vnder the new testament wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite guide and governe his Church is such as no part thereof must be administred by any offices or officers saue onely by those whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked who go about to attempt the contrarie For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ viz. the Church which is not a * Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12.8.14.27.28 member thereof and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect but absolute and compleat of all hir members otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house and far more vnperfecte than Moses is saide to bee Heb. 3.3.6 the contrarie wherof is testified of him in the word the enterprise is intollerable thatanie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect wherevnto that which is added being impertineÌ„t must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie Because our Sauiour who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment making insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome bodie those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ Nowe according vnto these grounds Archb. aâ—d â—b doe not belong vnto the kingdome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast You see if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ that they wer ordained members thereof in the written worde will of God Heere then we will not be the judges let our aduersaries speake theÌ„ selues whether their offices be apointed in the new testameÌ„t or not for therin must they be mencioned if they belong vnto the kingdome of Christ and are the members of his bodie What wil their answere be in this point Surelie they muste confes that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it there is not a word spoken of Ll. Archb. and Bb. So that whensoeuer or by whomesoeuer they had their originall they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word Because he hath ordained no members of his bodie and no offices of his Kingdome since the written worde of the newe testament was penned Whervpon we must needs conclude that they belong not vnto his kingdome Naye wee go further and say that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word that their verie names much more their offices are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church as shall presentlie appeare As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great that they the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church cannot stand together Concerning the puritie of the Gospell their callings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes and infringe the libertie of the church by as many Firste they will bee Ministers and civill magistrates too that is they wil bee ministers of the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the world all at once Whereby they declare vnto vs that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their * Mat. 10.24.25 Iohn 18.36 maister was who affirmed his kingdome not to be of this worlde that is that he was not manifested in the flesh to intermedle with the execution of civill functions but to be ruler of a kingdome that consisteth in an other manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe Whose example in this point all his true ministers muste needes followe vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister vnto whome being heere vpon earth though he were the lord of all his creatures it had bene vnlawfull to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king Iohn 6.15 he withdrew himself out of the way because that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing but in the worke of mans redemption and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things he had not contained himself within the limites of that calling wherevnto he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinance is a thing vnlawful in itself but that the Lord hath so apointed that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gospell cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and execution By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracie ministerie though proceeding both of them from the Lord do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords liuetennant and messenger in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures and especiallie of men and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie to keepe them in that outward obedience which he requjreth at their handes Now the minister is the Lordes messenger in an other regarde viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men if they * 2. Thes 1.9 beleeue and obeye his gospell Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord to be the Redeemer of mankinde in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof so confound the decree of the gouernmeÌ„t of the creatures with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will confound these two callings together And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God is more excellent than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures by so much the more detestable and odious doe they manifest themselues who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made
betweene God man do either vtterly reiect their ministery because they think it to base and gainlesse a calling or els as a farther couÌ„tenance vnto the most glorious vocation vnder the sunne d ee adde the ciuill magistracie there-vnto Whereby they shewe themselues indeede to haue made a shamefull apostacie from the doctrine and practise of our sauiour Christ and his Apostles The weapons of whose warfare were not carnall 2. Cor. 10.4.5 that is not such as wherwith men by an arme of fleshe as by civil authority improsonmeÌ„t c. bring their matters to passe but mighty in God to cast downe holdes casting down the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thoght vnto the obedience of Christ Heere are the onely weapons that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles vsed and the onely weapons that are graunted vnto ministers to ouerthrow the gayn-sayer And as for the civill punishment of the obstinat they must commit that vnto the magistrate who beareth not the sworde in vaine Rom. 13.3.4 For it is he and not the minister of the word whome the Lord hath appointed to take reuenge of him that doth euill Now compare the dealings and practises of our bishops and what weapons they vse to encounter with those that stand against them and you shall perceaue that they haue not onelie abused the force of that sword which violentlie and wrongfullye their predecessors wrested out of the maiestrats hand to keep the church in bondage but also that this confusion of the magistracie ministerie in one person though the furtherance of the truth were intended therby cannot staÌ„d together with the sinceritie of the gospell the purity whereof also they haue corrupted in the tyrannous superioritie whiche they vsurpe both ouer their fellow Ministers and also ouer the reste of the churche with no lesse breache of the ordinaunce of God than the impeaching of the libertie of the church For the first point to wit of the superiority which they as ministers claime ouer the church messeÌ„gers of Christ it is intollerable tyrannous directly againsta plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testameÌ„t by our Sauiour Christ himself The place is commonlie knowen and hath beene cited for this purpose I thinke by all those that ever dealte in this cause Luk. 2â— 24 â— And there arose also a strife among them that is among the disciples saieth the text which of them might seeme to bee the greatest but hee said vnto them the kinges of the nations raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious lords but ye shal not be so In which place wee see the spirite of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself to haue plainly forbiddeÌ„ al his ministers either to haue any superiority dominion ouer the church their brethreÌ„ to rule any wise as Lords princes do or yet to be so called Where also three especiall monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expresly inhibited forbidden First they wil be ministers of the gospell and yet be greater then their brethren rule ouer the church Secondly they will be ministers of the gospell and yet beare rule lyke lords Thridlie they wil bee ministers of the gospell and yet called lordes Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauiourchrist You shal not be so That is you my disciples shal be so farre from having any superiority one ouer an other after my departure and so far from bearing rule as civill Magistrates Princes and Lordes doe that you shall not bee so called by any names or tytles that do carry with them the honor and the preheminence due vnto princes and lordes They that beare rule ouer the nations saieth our Sauiour are called Fuergetai a title wherewith the kings of Egâ—pt were honor'd gracious lords but ye shall not be so Heere we see plainely that hee forbiddeth his disciples to beare the name whereunto preheminence is joined which may further appeare if wee consider that in forbidding them to kurieuein that is to rule lyke lords he forbiddeth them also to be kurious viz. lordes as farre as that name kurios is a title of worldly honor preheminence and gouernment no farther And no farther I say because the word kurios in the greeke tongue as also the word Compare the 1. Saâ— 1 15. â— Kiâ— â— 25 wâ—â—h 2. king 6 1â— adhon in the hebrew and dominus in latine signifieth a maister or Sir as well as a Lord which is proued John 12.21 20.5 where Philip the apostle our Sauiour Christ supposed by Marie to be the gardiner are called kurici sirs or maisters In which sence it is not forbidden vnto ministers to be called kurioi Which I adde to stoppe the vnlearned and foolish cavils of our aduersaries who go about to proue it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue which alwayes are names of worldly honor and promotioÌ„ in our common speach as it were for them to haue the former greek hebrue latine names attributed vnto them Whiche by the places before quoted to any man of vnderstanding in the tongues appeareth to bee a cavill vnworthie the aunswere And that our Sauiour Christe forbidding his ministers to kurieuein viz to rule lyke lordes forbiddeth them also to be called Lords it is most cleare in that otherwayes he should open a wide dore vnto the ambition and pryde of proude and ambitious men For it is a farre greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right haue the dignitye of a lorde to desire the name and title thereof than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed So that in forbidding his disciples to kurieuein beare rule as the lords of the nations doe he forbiddeth them also to bee called and tearmed by their titles I know what hath beene obiected by the Archb. vnto these thinges and will againe bee said if it be not prevented namely that our Sauior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bearing of rule in the former place not just vpright and lawfull government Where I beseech your Hh to lend me your attention you shall see the intollerable boldnes of this man in peruerting the truth who is not ashamed wheÌ„soeuer it may be for his behoofe to teach points of doctrine meere directly against the words mind of the Lord Iesus I demand then of him whether our Sauiour Christ did not in the place afore cited so aunswere his disciples in the pointe whereof they doubted as hee did fullie resolue them He dares not deny it I am sure For in pointes that are needfull to be knowen reuealed our Sauiour being demaÌ„ded one thing doeth not frame his answere vnto that whereof no question is made and so leaue his church vnsatisfied What was the question then Was it
whether any of them should rule lyke a tyrant was it whether any of them should gape after promotion no such thing For they knew well enough that it was very gainlesse for them to demaund of our sauiour which of them should be a tyrant which of them should abuse his lawfull superioritie or whiche of them should be an ambitious prelate they knewe well enough that he would allow no such dominiō and preheminence Besides the apostles we may well think were not so blinde as to demand any such question of their maister Nowe then they demanding no such thing at his handes to what end should he tell them that they should not be tyrannous rulers They made no question of any suche matter therefore a resolution of that which they called not into controuersye was nothing to the purpose but left them as doubtful as they were before Wherefore wee are to conclude that as the question was concerning lawfull preheminence bearing of rule his negatiue answere being frained vnto their question denieth vnto them not only a tyrannous and an ambitious prelacie wherof they made no question but euen that dominion preheminence which of it self is lawfull in thē who by the ordinance of God are capable of it to wit in the civill magistrate And whereas the Apostles dreaming of a worldly kingdom might alledge for themselues that their demand was not altogether without ground because they contended for no other superioritie then was allowed off in the rulers of worldlie kingdomes our maister Christ answereth that obiection and telleth them that although it bee lawfull for ciuill gouernours to beare rule ouer their fellow officers and collegues that is ouer ciuill magistrates and althoughe it bee lawfull for them to beare lordlie rule and authoritie and to haue highe stiles and titles yet among you that are Ministers of the Gospell it shall not bee so saieth he And to perswade them herevnto Luk. 22.27.28 he bringeth in his owne example who came to serue and not to beare rule in the ministery of the new testament Making it also knowne vnto them and to all his true ministers that although they were according vnto his example to serue and not to exercise dominion all the time of their being vpon earth in publishing the gospell Verse 29.30 yet there was a kingdome prepared for them wherein they should haue an especiall preheminence But as for anie dominion here vpon earth if they would be his true disciples they were to look for none but to be as he was and to take the Ministerye vpon them on the same condition that hee did viz. to serue and not to beare rule therein Of all these things then wee doe conclude that this threefold corruption of our Archb. and Bb. First in vsurping vpon the government of the civill magistrate secondlie in claiming vnto themselues those highe names and titles which belong vnto worldly honors and promotions lastly in the lordlie preheminence and superioritie which they vsurpe ouer the whole body of the Church within their diocese in generall and ouer their fellow ministers in particular is altogether a matter to be detested of all true christians as abhominable and odious in the presence of the Lorde And seeing our head Christ Iesus granteth vnto his body this libertle that al the members thereof should be servants and not lordes therein as he himself did serue not beare rule in the kingdome of the gospell and hath giuen all true ministers this priuiledge that none of them shoulde rule ouer the other it muste needs be that this lordlyke gouernment which our bishops arrogate vnto themselues ouer the church of God and the Ministers of it cannot in it selfe though it were never abused but bee preiudiciall vnto the liberties of the church and the ministers thereof Therefore my Ll. maintaine the Hierarchy of Bb. as long as you will you vpholde thereby nothing els but the tyranny and bondage of the church together with a chiefe and an especiall portion of the kingdome of Antichrist For as this pestilent Hierarchy hath bene proued not to appertain vnto the kingdome of Christ so your Hh. are to know that the same belongeth vnto no other body then vnto that regiment whereof the sonne of perdition is the head For vnto the kingdome of Christ as you see it doth not belong to the kingdome of the world that is vnto the civill magistracie it cannot appertaine for it would bee accounted an ecclesiasticall constitution and not any civill regiment To Mahometisme or to any other heathnish Idolatry it cannot belong because it is onely retained among those that pretend the name of Christ and are eyther the true churche in deede or at the leaste doe wrongfully retaine the name of the true churche Now vnto the true church it doeth not belong as we haue already proued because it is a government cōsisting of those offices which the head neuer ordained to be in the bodie and consisteth of suche members as would beare rule and not serue in the ministerie of the Gospel We must then place them in deede where of right they ought to be that is in the false sinagogue which vniustly arrogateth vnto it selfe the name of the true churche of God and that is in the kingdome of Antichriste the Pope Whose kingdome must begin in the church of god and not among the heathen as it was expresly fore tolde by the apostle Paule 2. Thes 2.5 Sathan therefore being to lay the foundation of this antichristiā kingdome within the churche and temple of God that hee might with more colour afterwardes pretend the name of the churche began by little and little to poison the ministers of the gospell with worldlye promotion and superiority and so from small beginnings brought the Hierarchye vnto that height of pryde wherein wee see it at this day not only in his own kingdom where he ruleth by his vicar the Pope but euē among vs in the persons of our wicked Prelates And although Sathan was enforced to watche a long time for his opportunity ere he could bring the ministers of the gospell vnto lordship dominion About the year 320. for vnto the time of Pope Silvester Rome it self was without any lordship at al yet notwithstanding he was driuen to work that in the Church before ever he could aduance the mā of sin vnto the chaire of iniquity So that by means of this superioritye and worldlye dominion of the ministers of the word he began at the first to make the waye for the in bringing of the my sterie of iniquitie which as the holy ghost testifieth 2. Thes 2.7 began to manifest it self in the age of the apostles And going on forwarde by degrees he so strengthened these plants of his owne graffing that he made thē to bee the instrnmentes by the strength and power whereof he convaied the whole bodie whereof they were the members head and al into the temple of God For in