justice betweene man and man inso muche as they bend al their forces to beceaue Christ Iesus of that right which he hath to the governement of his Church Their Honors The which vngodly and wicked course as they haue held on ever since the beginning of hir Maiesties 〈◊〉 so at this day they haue taken greater boldne and growen more rebellious against the Lord and his cause then ever they were Insomuch as their Honors in token of their thankfulnes to him that hath exalted them dare now charge the cause of reformation to be an enemy vnto our state and such as fauour the same to be vnquiet and factious men disturbers of the common peace and quietnes and sowers of sedition among the subiects This euil dealing of their Honors with the Lords truth and vs that profes the same within England haue enforced me to take some paines in the writing of this treatise The whiche in regard of mine owne weakenesse and the waight of the matter I would haue left most willingly vnto the handling of some that had beene of greater guiftes than my self it the cause being more depelye charged with the former crimes in my person then in any other that I can hear off at this present did not require my weak labours and endeuours for the clearing of the same from so godlesse and vntrue an accusation For the farther vnderstanidng of this particular occasion mouing me to write thou art to vnderstand beloued in the Lord that within these fewe moneths a warrant vnder six counsellors hands hath beene given out from their Honors and sent by publick messengers vnto al such places of the Land as ther was any lykelihood of mine abode The effect whereof was this So Amasiah â—â—ew Amos to be a traytor That if men haue not hitherto knowne so much their Honors whose names were hereunto adioined doe assure them of their owne knowledge that one Iohn Penry is an enemie to the state and if they haue not taken him for such heretofore they should now take knowledge and information thereof from them so henceforth account of him In which regarde they should be so farre from aiding consorting or releuing of him that if they can by anye meanes apprehend or lay hould of him they shal therein do her Maiestie good service The names of their Honors who haue by these letters proclaimed themselues to be of their nomber that shal lend their shoulders to vphold the kingdome of darknes I doe for the reverence whiche I owe vnto hir Maiesties government conceale saue only Iohn Cant. as he writeth himself whome both in respecte of his Antichristian Prelacve ouer Gods Church and for the notable hatred which he hath euer bewrayed towardes the Lord and his truth I thinke one of the dishe norablest creatures vnder he auen and accordingly doe account of him Desiring the Lord if it be his wil to conuert both him and al other the detected enemies of Sion that their soules may be saued or if he hath appointed them to damnation and meaneth not otherwise to be glorified by them speedelye to disburden the earthe of suche reprobate cast-awayes But to returne again vnto our purpose if the accusation wherwith I am vniustly charged in the former warrant reached no farther then my owne person it were my dutye in regarde of the quietnes of our state to put it vp But seing that it doth not touch me at al any further then I haue bene an instrument to promote the cause of Christs governmeÌ„t and wholly striketh at that truth in the defence whereof it pleased the Lord to vse my weake and polluted hands I do make it knowen vnto the worlde Firste that I am accounted an enemye vnto our state for no other suspition and colour but onely because I haue by publicke writing laboured to defend and induce in our churche that vniforme order of church regiment which our Sauiour Christ hath ordained in his word to continue perpetually therein and also haue endeuored to seek the vtter ruine and ouerthrow of that wicked hierarchye of lorde Bishops together with whatsoever corruption dependeth therevpon Nowe that I cannot bee charged of enmitye to our state for any other cause than this which I haue expressed I make it clear in that my bringing vp hauing bene al the dayes of my life at my studies I never as yet delt in any cause more or lesse that any wayes concerneth the civil state and government And as for attempting any thing against hir maiesties person I know the diuel himself dares not be so shameles as to intende any accusation against me in that point The case then being thus manifest and cleare that I am thought an enemye to the state not for intermedling with any civill action but only for seeking the wealthe of Sion I do in the second place make it known by this present treatise that the sincere handling of this cause is so far from being an enemye vnto our state that they do notably detect their impiety against God and their enmity to the kingdom of his sonne Christ Our persecuters are enemies to the state of Christs kingdome whosoever they be that dare presume to burden either the cause or the sincere professors thereof with so palpable and manifest a sclaunder And as for the iniury that heerein they offer vnto hir Maiestye who woulde by these sclaunders enforce hir to lay down hir peaceable scepter and to take vp a bloody sword against hir best subiects our bloud though they never haue power to spill it which they thirst after shal in the day of judgement testify the same to their condemnation except they repent And hir Maiesty if shee giue eare vnto such counsellors is to feare leaste in the Lords just judgement the day maye come vpon hir and hir Lande which in thy mercies Lord remoue far from hir wherein she shal full bitterly lament and bewaile Enemies to hir Maiesty that in time she tooke not greater tryall of our loyaity who now are reckened within the nomber of hir moste dangerous subiects So that the iniury by the former vniust accusatioÌ„ offered vnto Gods cause and vs his people stryketh also at hir Maiessies owne estate And the Lord vouchafe hir an harte to consider thereof before it bee too late For assuredly those that are our enemies for the profession of the truth cannot be hir sure fiends whatsoever they may pretend And because I see that we be fallen into those times wherein Sathan worketh the defacing of the waye of truthe and supporteth his owne kingdome by instrumentes of no meane countenance and also perceaue that base man beginneth to take strength vnto himselfe againste his maker I haue purposely framed my selfe to make it knowne vnto Sathan and his complices that all their might and power in oppugning vs for this cause is spent in vaine For although the cause bee stood vnto by weake and sinful men if respect bee had to that which
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
thinkest that shee hath rendred according vnto the rewarde bestowed vpon hir 2. Chro. 32.25 who in so great a desolation of Gods service hath not once shewed hir self to be moued with any compassion that way And I doe apeale vnto thy conscience whether I haue not trulie set down the affection which all estates among vs generallie considered doe beare vnto the Lords pure worship and seruice In so much as if he shoulde sende some Ieremy to stād in our high wayes inquire whatsort of men he could finde within our land who had in any thankful manner remembred the Lords goodenes by regarding his wast and ruinous sanctuary well hee might meete with some one heere and there as a cluster of grapes after the vintage that in some gratefull sort acknowledged the Lords hand towards vs but as for the general state either of the magistracy of the ministerye or of the common people behelde nothing els but a multitude of conspirators against God against his truth against the building of his house against his Saints and children and consequentlie against the wealth of their owne soules and the publike peace and tranquillity of this whole kingdome Our common people Concerning the common people their profannesse impiety contempt of God and his religion and their hatred vnto his children with al other their wickednes may seeme to deserue some excuse Ier. 5.3.4 because they never as yet had anye meanes to know God aright for the holy ghost may truly say of them They are poore they are foolish for they haue not knowen the way of the Lord nor the judgements of their God And therefore what mervell is it thoughe they have made their faces harder than a stone and refused to returne But these that would be accounted our Prophetes Our supposed Ministery and the ministers of the Sanctuary haue had better meanes to know the wil of their maister and therefore just righteous shal he be whensoeuer he rewardeth them with the fruites of their owne handes if they haue broken the yoak of their obedience and caste from them the bondes of that carefulnes whereby it behoued them to binde themselues that they should not forget the house of their God VVil you then come vnto them and see what they are Alas you can beholde heere no other sight but a multitude of desperate and forlorne Athiests that haue put the euil day far from them and endeuoured to perswade their owne hartes that gods holy ministery and the sauing health of mens soules are matters not to be regarded You shal finde among this crue nothing els but a troup of bloody soule murtherers sacriligious church robbers and suche as haue made them selues fatte with the bloude of mens soules and the vtter ruine of the Church The whole endeuour of which cursed generation ever since the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne hath tended no otherway then to make a sure hand to keepe the church in bondage that being bound in their handes it shoulde not dare for feare of being murthered to seeke for liberty Of these men contained within the nomber of proud and ambitious prelates our Lord Archbishops and Bishops godlesse and murthering Non-residentes profane and ignorant idole shepheards or dumbe doggs I will say no more in this place but this Revel 6.10 Psal 65.2 How long Lord * just true doest thou suffer thine inheritance to bee polluted and layd waste by this vncircumcised generation O * thou that hearest the prayer let the supplications which thy children haue made before thee day and night for the removing of this our plague be at the length effectuall in thine eares and with speed thrust these caterpillers as one man out of our Church and let the memory of them be forgotten in Isean◠for ever Sobeit Lord for thy sonne Christs sake Now if they who woulde bee accounted the ministers of the holye Sanctuary Magistracy are found so vnanswerable both vnto the callings which they would claime vnto them selues and also vnto the Lords kyndnes snewed vnto our Land it were but folly to demaund what thankfulnes our Magistrats and such as deale in the execusion of iustice haue repayed vnto their God For they hauing suffered themselues to bee led by the forenamed blinde guides must needs stumble at that stone which is offensiue vnto their leaders And therefore hande in hande haue our magistracye and ministerye walked in the contempt of true Religion And the one of these hauing vncircumcised eares haue made that the other cannot hearken and vnto both the word of the Lorde in which they haue no delight is made a reproche Insomuch as among those who deale in the cause of justice there are founde wicked persons Ier. 5.26.27 as the prophete saieth even wicked lawyers and judges who seeme to know of no other God but their owne gaine that lay waite for the bloud of Gods saints as hee that setteth snares and mark whether they can heare of any that goe further in the cause of God than the corruption of our state doth permit And if they finde any such they know how to wrest against them a clawse of some statute contrarye not onely to the meaning thereof but even contrary vnto all justice aequity yea common reason it selfe and the very groundes of al good Lawes and statutes So that it is now growne and hath beene of a long time a common practise of these godles men to make of the statutes ordained for the maintenance of Religion and common quietnes a pit wherein to catch the peaceable of the land The common enditementes of the Lords true and faithful ministers for matters of trifles as the omission of the surplise Churching of women Crosse in baptism c. doeth manifestlye witnes the iniquity of these Atheistes VVhereby though as the Prophet also complaineth they are become great waxē rich and growen into fauor with our counsel and such as beare chiefe authority vnder hir Maiesty yet let them be assured they procure vnto their soules swift and heauie damnation without speedye earneste repentance And because our counsaile may be truly said to delight in this iniury and violent oppression of Gods saincts and ministers therfore whensoever the Lord shal come to search for the sinnes of Englād with lights Zeph. 1.12 as Zephaniah sayth he wil surely evisite our counsaile with an heauy plague Because vndoubtedly they are frozē in their dregs perswade their owne hartes that the Lord wil do neither good nor evil in the defence of his messengers and children And then shal they feele what it is to winke at muche more to procure the oppression of the Churche of Christe I wil not in this place charge our counsel with that which followeth in Ieremy Ier. 5.28 vpon the place before aledged namely that they execute no judgement no not the judgement of the Fatherles But this I will say that they cannot possibly deale truly in the matter of
wee are in ourselues I yet let man know that in the strength of our God we are so far from being dismayed with the wisedom countenance or power of whatsoeuer is made of flesh that for mine owne part I cannot sufficiently wonder that any creature dares be so bold as to proclaime war against vs for this cause And therefore whatsoever enemies the Lorde bath raised vp against me a contemptible worme for the maintenāce of his truth be they noble or vnnoble counsellors or inferiour men I am so far from fearing their power that the more I see them rage the greater strength I see reached vnto me by the Lords free mercies to stand to that truth which they raue against And by how much the more I see them banded against the sonne of God by so muche the greater hope do I conceaue that the case wherein I stand shal get the vpper hande over them whether they wil or not I beleeue and therefore I am forced to speak these things In the vttering whereof as I thank my God I haue a feeling of mine own great wants and imperfections so I am not with out some comfortable assurance of his hand with me in this cause to seale whatsoever truth I shal vtter heerin according to his word In respect wherof I do warne and admonish those counsellors with whom and against whome especially I deale in this treatise to repent them of their great insolency whereby they haue bene puffed vp with Senacharib to magnifie and oppose themselues against the cause and people of the Lord of Hostes 2. Chron. 32.19 Zeph. 2.8.9 10. as against the religion and people of some of the gods of the earth Otherwayes they are to feare least the Lord hauing raysed vp many of them out of meane places into the throne of justice meaneth to shew his power and great name by making them examples of his feareful wrath as he did Pharaoh who wrought his owne ouerthrow as the * text expresly noteth Exod. 9.17 by exalting him self against the people of the Lord. For assuredly the Lord wil not forget his churche for ever but at the * appointed time psal 75.3.8.11 he wil break the horne of the wicked and the righteous shal be exalted If men wil wonder that wee being so contemptible in the sight of the world dare yet be so bold as to controle great states and mighty men and to challenge them of iniustice against the sonne of God and his members who wil not stick to bragge with Pilate that they haue power to crucifie Christ Iohn 19.10 and to absolue him they are to vnderstand that we know of no power but from aboue therefore of no power that is able to beare out iniustice and wrong the hilles of the robbers we grant to be high Iob. 5.3 and vnassaileable in the sight of an eye of flesh but we haue learned of the holy man to account the habitation of the wicked to be accursed even when he semeth to be best rooted for we know that the steppes of his strength shal bee restrained Iob. 18.7 and that his owne counsel shal cast him downe And as for our selues we confes that we are but base worms and we would to God that we were lower in our own eyes such as liue not according vnto outward appearance because our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 But yet least me should take occasiō to persecute vs because they know not with whom they deale because they are ignorant whence wee are or whether wee intend seing by our walking they may truly judge vs to be descended of some other race than themselues are and to look for an other dwelling place than any we can enjoy here They are to vnderstand that we are borne not of mortal but of immortal seede 1. Pet. 1.23 by the liuelye worde of God and that we are the servants of that Lord who is not ashamed to be called our God Heb. 11.16 And we are so far from hunting after the wages of vnrighteousnes with them that we freely confes our selues to bee but pilgrimes and straungers vpon earth and therefore travell towardes that heavenly city which our God hath prepared for vs. To be briefe we are the law full successors of those men who through faith quenched the violence of fire Heb. 11.34 36 escaped the edge of the sword Of weake were made strong who were tryed by mockings and scornings yea moreover by bondes and improsonments who were stoned hewen a sunder slaine with the sword wandered vp and down in sheep skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented and yet in al these distresses were more then conquerers through the power of their God VVherrwith also we hope to be assisted whensoever it shal please the Lord to giue our enemies leaue to try our pacience To conclude we are those vnto whom the Lord made this promise Heb. 13 5.6 I wil not fayle thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say the lord is mine helper neither wil I feare what man can do vnto me If then our counsellers and great men wil not provoke this God against their owne soules they are to be exhorted before they deale any farther against the procurers of reformation to betake them vnto their second thoughtes and acknowledge their temeritye in lifting vp their handes against God and those whome hee accounteth of as the apple of his owne eye Zachar. 2. For in fighting against vs they labor very strongly we grant to aggrauat hasten their owne damnation but their purposes are they neuer able to effect To come vnto you beloved for whose strengthening and comforting I haue especially taken paines in this treatise if God hath called any of you to suffer for this cause think it an exceding preferment that he hath vouchsaued you to be partakers of the afflictions of the gospel 2. Tim. 1.8 and in any case be not dismaied at your trobles The cause is proued to be such as for the which you may not onely suffer with a good conscience but such as in the defence wherof you may expect for the affistāce of Gods comforting spirit and such as wherein al christians are bound to suffer when they are thervnto called I haue also shewed it to be that cause which is compassed about with a cloude of wi nesses and made commendable and bewtiful vnto al christians with the blood of the holye Martyrs of Christ The same spirit which assisted them vnto the end wil not leaue you in any of your temptations So that by your prayers you seek vnto the Lord for strength Obedience and be careful to learne obedience by the things which you suffer As we are taught by his example who by sufferings was made vnto vs the author of aeternal salvation Be therfore humbled vnder the hād of your God Heb. 5.8.9 know that you stand neither by your owne strength nor by the
with the diuell a covenant with hell by vertue wherof they stand bound to account the Lord and al his holy wayes to be enemies vnto them and their cursed proceedings For no man can pretend the gospel and word of God to be his enemie but he must needs also confesse that he hath bidden defyance vnto the Lord of heauen earth who accounteth himselfe to be loved and hated of men according vnto the affectiō which they bear vnto his a Luk. 12 26. Iohn 14.23.15 1. Iohn 2.5 word This hatred of God his word because th' aduersaries of reformation in England dare not avowe therefore as a foundation of the whole treatize following I lay downe this ground which they themselues wil not call in question Namely That the reformation whiche at this daye wee endevour to bringe into our Churche is moste vnjustly and wrongfully accounted an enemie vnto our state if it can bee prooved to be a matter approoued off and maintayned by the worde and gospell of IESVS CHRISTE Where I would gladly knowe two thinges of them First whether they judge that which we labour for to be according to to the worde or no They must answere that they cannot so thinke of it for if they did they woulde not stand against vs as they doe Secondly if they thought our cause to be good that is if they thought it to be according vnto Gods word I demaund of them whether notwithstanding the goodnes of our cause they woulde yet thinke vs that labor in the same to be enemies vnto the state or no Wee make no question but they haue a better opinion of vs. For whatsoeuer they saye of the cause they can report no otherwise of the favourers thereof thē of those that haue alwayes shewed themselues most faythfull and trustie towards their prince and cuntrie For although within these 31. yeres there haue bin many seditious and treasonable attempts vndertaken against her Majestie and the state by men of all sortes and degrees yet by the goodnes of God it cannot be shewed that any one hath had a hande in any of these practises and conspiracies who euer opened his mouth for reformation or any wise fauored the same And as for attempting any vndutifull or disloyall action in the promoting of the cause it selfe we haue bene so farre from being guiltye in that point D. Bancroft that one of the most shamelesse most impudent slanderers that are amongst al our aduersaries intending of set purpose to stain the cause and the fauorers of reformation with sedition and treason was enforced to passe by vs and to suffer the venime of his lying and slaunderous tongue to light vpon our brethren in the kingdom of Scotland which he would neuer haue done if with any couler he could haue fastened his slanderous vntruethes vpon vs the professors of his own cuntrie So that if we could discharge our hands of the cause we defend we doubt not but our aduersaries themselues would pronounce vs guiltles of all disloyaltie against our prince and cuntrie Seeing then it is cleare that reformation is therfore accounted an enemie vnto our state because it is supposed to haue no grounde in the worde of God and seeing the fauorers thereof are thought to be turbulent men not for anye thing that in a good matter they haue seditiously attempted but inasmuch as they labor to promote a cause that of it selfe is an enterprise daungerous vnto her Majesties crowne and dignitie we are for the clearing of the one and the other to see whether the endeuors of those who desire to haue the Churche of England otherwise reformed then hither to it hath bene be such as they require nothing in that whol worke but onely that whiche the worde of God commandeth to be put in execution The whiche course if they be founde to take then also doth it follow that neither they nor the cause maintained by them can with any couler be accounted enmity vnto the kingdome wherein they liue And here if I should demaund of the most that condemne both vs the cause wherein we stand what that is which is sought to be reformed in our Church VVhat equall judges our aduersaries are I dare be bolde to say that there is not one amongst ten of them that knoweth whether it be blacke or white that we would haue Wherein they do not onely shewe themselues to weigh the most precious and weightie jewell vnder the sunne with a most vn-eauen hande but also if we beleeue the holy Apostle to claim inheritance in the wages of vnrighteousnes 2. Pet. 2.12 inasmuch as they speake euil of those things which they know not The which course if they stil holde on the same Apostle telleth them the they shall perish through their owne corruption To the ende then it may appeare what that reformation is which we seeke for and which these men do account the enemie of our state it is to be vnderstood What we mean by reformation that by reformation we meane nothing els but the remouing of all those vnlawfull callings which are maintained in our Church and ministerie contrarie vnto the reuealed will and written word of the Lord our God and the restoring thervnto of all such offices and ministeries as the same God vnder the paine of his heauie displeasure requireth to be planted in his church when or whersoeuer hee raiseth fit men for those functions To speake more plainly by reformation we mean first the rooting out of our Church of al dumb and vnpreaching ministers all nonresidents Lord Archbishops and bishops commissaries officials chancellors and all the rest of the wicked offices that depend vpon that vngodly and tyrannous hierarchie of Lord Byshops together with their gouernment and whatsoeuer maim deformitie or want there is in our Church by meanes of them their plaees Secondly by reformation we meane the placing in euerie congregation within England as far as possiblie able men can be provided of preaching pastors and Doctors gouerning elders ministring Deacons with whatsoeuer health comlinesse and good order the Lorde by the faythfull labours of these officers would haue brought into his church And these are the onely matters that we meane by the reformation of our Church The which cause in both the parts therof is made so just and aequall by the word of God that the promoting of it can bee accounted the disturbing of no state that hath not determined with it selfe to maintaine the kingdome of Sathan and his prerogatiue For the word of God maketh it out of controuersie that neyther the expelling of dumb ministers L. Bishops c. out of the Churche nor the inducing of Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons into the same can be burdened with any thing contrarie vnto the welfare of princes and common-wealths vnlesse they wil also charge the Majestie of God with the same accusation And here we appeale from our aduersaries to the word are
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
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
without a guyde is to be voide of Christ Iesus and his fanctifying spirite vnto the want whereof there is joyned no thing els but finall damnation both of body and soule Wherefore good my Ll. suffer the words of exhortation to enter into your soules The Lord is my witnes that I speake not vnto you without the consideration and reuerence due vnto your places It pityeth me to see the case wherein ye stande before the Lord for surely ye cannot as I haue sayd posiblie be saued so long as you hold on your course in consenting vnto ignorance and blindnes There is nothing but judgement merciles vnto those that deferre their turning vnto him Deceaue not your selues theÌ„ for as I shall answere before the Lord in the fearefull day of judgemeÌ„t I haue set before you the way of life the way of death Chuse life therfore that you may liue which you shall neuer doe except you do ridde your hands of the defence of this pestileÌ„t ministery coÌ„secrate theÌ„ to make vp the breaches of Gods sanctuarie Where you see how little beholding ye are vnto those wicked men the are your Chaplains who haue neuer made your estates knowen vnto you You may justly acconut those vngodly flatterers to be the greatest enemies you can haue For they are guiltie of your blood serue you almoste for no other vse than to hasten Gods judgements vpon you But their guilte and punishment shall not delyuer you in the daye of wrath for the soule that sinneth shall dye the death And therefore nowe that the light is made knowen vnto you let it not be your condemnation that * Iohn 3.19 light comming among you yet you loued darkenes more than light Well hetherto it appeareth how wrongfullie the fauorers of reformation are charged with enmitye vnto our state for laboring to haue the dumb ministery rooted out The next bane of our Church are nonre sidents Non-residency whereof all our Ll. Bb. are guilty the which corruption is so great that I do maruel with what face it can be tolerated in a Christian state And therefore I make no question whether the word of God maketh it lawfull for vs to endeuour that no suche vilanie be heard off in Israell anie more Rom. 10.14 The dumb Minister though intollerable hath yet some colour of his sinne because vnder the name of feeding he starueth the poore sheep But the bloodie non-resident hath no cloake to hyde his vilanie for he is so out of measure become impudent in his sinne that he dareth make an open profession of murther This sinne whereof the Papistes themselues haue long ago bene ashamed hath so kindled the wrath of God against our kingdome that I feare he wil be no otherwise pacified towards vs than by sending a sword through our land which may reuenge the blood of innocent soules which these 31. yeares hath benespilt lyke water vpon the earth by meanes of these professed murtherers and that vnder the profession of the gospell Though I preach 1. Cor. 9.16 sayeth the blessed Apostle I haue nothing to reioyse of for necessitie is layd vpoÌ„ me yea and wo is vnto me if I preach not the gospell This is spoken in the person of all true ministers But our non-residents haue dispensed with this necessitie by meanes of their degrees of their Chaplain-shipes and of their faculties And as for the woe denounced against them they haue a distinction at hande wherewith to delude that curse which is that although they caÌ„not be continuallie resident at euery one of their charges yet they are not all the yeare lightlye absent from all of them And although they do not continually preache at neyther yet they are not alwayes idle but at somtymes they doe preache either vpon their owne charges or els abroad where occasion is offered Now in their absence they do not prouide so euill for their people but that contrarye to the expresse will of the Lord * Ezek. 44 1. they place others in their steade to take the ouersight of the Sanctuary And whensoeuer they are absent from all their benefices it is not without some reasonable cause for at all such tymes they attend either in the Courte in the Vniuersitye or are otherwise necessarilie bestowed in their private or publick affaires Looke T.C. admo pag. 28 29 And as for the lybertie that one man should haue manye benefices it is necessary for the encouraging of stadents and the encrease of able men to withstand the common aduersary By all which speches of theirs we see to our grief the words of the holy Apostles to be verified in our wofull tymes viz. Ier. 18.1 Tim. 4.2 That in the Church of God there should be mockers in the last tymes which should walke after their owne vngodly lusts hauing their consciences burned with an hote iron men of corruptminds destitute of the truth 1. Tim. 6.5 which thinke that gayne is godlinesse 2. Thes 3.10 But I maruell what these mockers will answere vnto the holy Ghoste who commandeth that they who labour not 1. Cor. 4.12 must not eare and sheweth that it is required of the ministers of Christ that they be founde faithfull 1. Pet. 5.2 3. And I maruell what they wil aunswere vnto the Apostle Peter by whom they are enjoyned as they would receaue the incorruptible crown of glory wheÌ„ the great sheepheard of the sheep shall appeare to feed the flock of God that dependeth vpon theÌ„ caring for it not by coÌ„straint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a readie mynde not as thoughe they were lordes ouer Gods herrtage but that they may be ensamples to the flock And I do wonder what they will aunswere vnto the diligence which the apostle Paule vsed in teaching the people with whoÌ„ he was conuersant whose example al the ministers of Christ ar bound to follow 1. Thes 2.10 You are witnesses God also saieth the Apostle how holilie and vnblameably we behaued our selues among you that beleeue as you know how that we exhorted you and comforted and besought euerie one of you as a father his children that you would walk worthie of God who hath called you vnto his kingdom glorie Aâ—t 20.18.19 And againe in an other place You knowe saith he from the first day that I came vnto Asia after what manner I haue bene with you at all seasons seruing the Lord with all modestie and with manye teares and temptations which came vnto me by the lying await of the lewes and how that I kept nothing backe that was profitable but haue shewed you and taught you openly and throughout euerie house Well whether these cursed mockers will scorne at these godlye examples and labours of the blessed Apostles or no goe about to answere the matter by their childishe vnlearned distinctions it is not greatlie material Of this I am assured that as vnto al those places they haue not a
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
kingdom where he ruleth by his vicaz the Pope but eueÌ„ 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 A bout the year 320. for vnto the time of Pope Silvester Rome it self was without any lordship atal yet notwithstanding he was driuen to work that in the Church before ever he could aduance the maÌ„ 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 iniquity 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 theÌ„ 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 these wicked offices of Archb. and Ll. Bb. the man of sinne first began to manifest him self Cardinals were brought into the Romish church since it fel cleane away from Christ they are rather the pomp then the strength of that kingdome now he is especially vpheld through no other power but through their meanes by whom also the whole kingdome of Idolatrie and darknes vnder him is especially gouerned For the inwarde parts of that kingdome to wit the pestilent errors whereby he poysoneth the world would easily wyther and decay were it not that they are fostered nourished by these ruling members of Archb. Bb Who although when they were first brought into the church being therein ordained for good purposes as flesh bloud did imagine they were not nor could not be discerned to bee members of the Antichristian kingdome because that mystery was not then made fully visible yet euer since that bodie hath appeared we know them to bee members thereof in such sort as wheresoever they are maintained there the limbs and members of Antichrist are countenanced and vpheld But wee are not to think that Sathan by whome these offices of Archbishops and L. Bishops were firste invented doeth at all tymes and places vse them to the one and selfe same purpose hee knoweth full well that hee cannot alwayes effecte what he would do with them and therefore hee is content vntill conveniencye bee offered to bestowe them as he may But alwayes this is a ground hee hath some seruice for them in all ages At the firste planting of them and long after that hee did not vohold open Idolatry and manifest apostacy from Christ by their meanes hee coulde not doe it the times woulde not suffer him who thoughe otherwayes very corrupt were yet far from that vile dishonour of God Example heereof you may see in Pope Gregory the first of that name Anno â—04 and especially in all his predecessors whose superioritye and dominion hee could not so haue at commandement as he had the prelacy of all those that followed after him vnto this day And yet had he his turnes to bring to passe by their superiority though the most of them were vndoubtedly Gods deare children For he vsed their places as steps and degrees to advance Antichrist into his throne Now in that kingdome of the man of sinne since Rome became the cage of euery vncleane beast and the verye receptacle of Diuels he hath the Hierarchy at his owne commandement to accomplish his owne will by it vnto the full So can hee not haue it in England at this day The time will not suffer it her Maiesty and our state will not beare it and yet notwithstaÌ„ding he worketh by these Antichristian offices very mightely as we see in staying the course of the gospell and the establishing of the kingdome of darknes though not by meanes of anye publick Idolatry yet by the maintenance of ignorance blindnes and by the oppression of the church And 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. Cot. 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 gouernmeÌ„t either as he hath all power in heauen and earth coÌ„mitted vnto him Mat. 28.19 Reuel 19.16 17.14 â— 5 and so he is called the Lorde of Lords the king of kings the prince of the kings of the earth because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths to dispose and rule them at his pleasure euen as he is man or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe by certaine offices and ministeries which hee hath appointed to be in his bodie to wit the Church for the gathering together of his Saints for the worke of his ministerie and the aedification of his bodie Ephes 4.11 In both these regards he is said in the day of judgement to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For whereas now as he is Lord of kingdomes and coÌ„mon vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate otherwayes by his power even in the midest of his enemies he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father Again because in the day of judgement when we are all mett together wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification so the
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
differeÌ„ce shal you finde betwene our Antichristian Prelats now living and those reverend fathers afore-named And that the worlde may see how these our tyrants haue adulterated corrupted religion in Engl. within these 20 yeares especially from the purity wherein it was left vnto vs not only in the writings of our Sauiour Christ his apostles but even in their writings whose steps our Bb. beare the world in hand that they do more neerly follow I meane by the favor assistance of my God to make it knowne ere it belong in a peculiar treatise written for that special purpose To returne vnto your Hh. again you see by this tyme how detestable the offices of L. Archb. and Bb. are in the presence of the Lord God you see that he accounteth a church government exercised by them to be accursed before his Maiesty because they are the members of Antichrists body because they beare rule lyke Lords serue not as ministers in the church Now do you think him his word to be enemies vnto our state because they ar of this judgement I hope you do not How commeth it then to passe that you allow not vs to subscribe vnto that truth which the Lord doth maintaine Is it because our assertions ar dangerous vnto the state that cannot be vnles you account the Lord an enemy therevnto for wee affirme nothing but that which he hath given vs commission to vtter Or is it because wee behaue our selues seditiously in our message that cannot be proued For the men who are most seuerely punished for favoring this cause haue do cary themselues as peaceably dutifully towardes her Matie and the state as any of their quality within the whole kingdom whosoever Ad mit it were otherwise is it reason that you shoulde reiect the cause of God for the faults of men Will you deale vnjustly with the Lord because we deale vndutifully with the state If we be found any wise guilty punish our misdemenor but grant the cause If you yeeld not therevnto what do you els in laying handes vpon vs but manifest your hatred vnto gods truth his people the loue you beare vnto the antichristian hierarchy Either then my Ll. you must needs publish your enimity vnto the Lord his kingdome or you can no longer countenance these murthering Antichristian prelates and their bloody train The case of England is now become lamentable when the state thereof vnder the Gospell is said any wise to consist in these pestilent corruptions which euer since they firste sprang vp in the church of God haue bene vnto this day gainsaied by the most sincere professors therein The government of the church by bishops And it was long after this time ere Bb. were Ll civil magistrates though they began to deale in civill cases in the time of Grego the 1 Bal. scrip Bryt cent 1. cap. 73. began not before the yeare 607. as that reverend learned man M. Bale being a bishop himselfe in King Edwards dapes hath set down his wordes in English ar these From the yeare 607. the Church began to be ruled by the polity and government of Bishops which government was especially deuised and invented by the monks c. The testimony of M. Bale is true For in this age everye particular Church was governed by the Bishop the elders deacons Mag. cent 6. cap. 7. col 591. c. as the authors of the Centuries do witnes And although long cre this time many bare the names of archb Bb. yet was not the churche at their commandement as it is now neither could they abyde this superiority which our Bb. do exercise one ouer an other Anno 674. finod Herfor Mag cen 7. cap 7. col 220. as it appeareth by a synode kept heere in England where this preheminence was vtterly condemned And it is here especially to be obserued that in this age the name of B was coÌ„mon vnto all ministers corruptly called priests of the word and sacraments For Pope Gregory a) Greg. in EvaÌ„ cent mag 6. ca. 7. col 392. invaieth against the priests of his time who for brybes did ordain bishops and he advyseth b) Epist 57. lib 11. looke cent ibid. col 406. Ianuarius to chuse B. where priests were wanting Again c) Mag. cent 7. cap. 7. col 223. Bal scrip Bryt cen 2. cap. 74. Lawrence archb of Cant. anno 615. together with his fellow bishops that is the priests of Brytain saieth Beda wrote vnto the Scots Compare these 2. points of the name superiority of B. with that which D. Bancroft hath written serm pag 100. 97 By these and the lyke places we see the name bishop to haue beene common vnto al the ministers of the worde 300. yeares after the second Nicene Counsell Now that we know the original of these corruptions let vs briefly see how from time to time they haue bene gainsaid in the church First of al the ancient Brytones or Welshmen vnto the yeare 730. did a) Bale can 1. cap. 74 ex Beda altogether detest whatsoever Romish invention Augustine the monk plaÌ„ted among the Saxons and therefore they allowed not this government of bishops About the year 704 Bal. cen 1. c. 76 Whervpon Adelhelmus a learned westsaxon but a favorer of the regiment of Antichriste wrote against them Secondly a synode helde b) Anno 742. Mag. cent 8. cap. 7. col 452. in France vnder Carolomannus ordained that every citie shold haue hir B. And Carolomannus himself found fault c) Anno 752. Mag. cent 8. cap. 7. col 510 with the pope because he sought after worldly dominioÌ„ Not long after his time d) Anno 820 Mag. cent 9. cap 7. col 3 8. Bal. cent 2. cap 15. Claudius Taurinensis an Italian B. wrote againste the primacy of the pope rebuked him for neglecting his owne function In the synod of e) Anno 881. Catal test Illir Macer the civil ecclesiastical callings are so distinguished that one person cannot bee capable of both f) Anno 1070. Illir ibid pag. 247. Valtram B. of Noremberg wrote against the civil jurisdiction of the ministery so did Sigelbert the monk Anselme archb g) Anno 1096 vpon Math. 26 Mag. cent 11. cap. 4 col 197. of Cant. taught that a B. ought no more to intermedle with the civil sword than the king with the ecclesiastical And he decreed in a h) Anno 1106. book of mart pag. 196. synod held at London that no spiritual person should sit in any secular office Wherevpon (i Note M. Foxe demaundeth how Stephen Gardiner could be L. Chancelor of England so we vpon the lyke grouÌ„d wold know how the archb of Cant can be presideÌ„t of the couÌ„sel To omit Otho Frisingensis who k) Anno 1150. Illir cata pag. 430 was of Anselmus minde we wil come to the WaldeÌ„ses Their doctrine was that the l) book of mart pag. 233.235 pope ought not to deale in civil causes and that al ministers were of aequal authoritie The BohemiaÌ„s confession is the confession of the VValden ses Heere then the reader is to vnderstande that we hold nothing in this cause against the Bb. but that which the true visible church of God haue maintained nowe for the space of more then 400. yeares Cal. epist 294.298 and they continue stil of this minde For the Waldenses who yet remaine as it appeareth by their letters to M. Caluine his vnto them haue bene a true visible church these 430 years Let the B. bring but this warrant for their hrerarchy and we will yeeld I am enforced to be short and onely to name not al but the chief of the ages following that oppugned the corruptions of our B. a) About the year 1324. book of mart pag. 377. VVilliaÌ„ Ockam and Marsisâ— Patauinus the greatest lerned men of their time wrote against the civil iurisdiction of the pope In whose time Philip the french king held a parliament wherin b) Anno 1329. The L Peter de Cugni read the disp in the book of mart 358. one of his counsellers proved out of the worde against the Bishops that they ought not to deale in civil causes Iohn Hus was burned at the couÌ„sel of Constance becaus amoÌ„g other points he defended al c) Anno 1415. book of mart pag. 579. ministers to be of aequal authority And Iohn Claydon was burned at London the sometime because hee defended a book wherein Archb. were proved to be the seates of antichrist At the couÌ„sel of Basil the d) Anno 1432. book of mart pag. 669.634 Ambassadours of the Bohem. proved al civil rule to be forbidden the clearpy by the worde M. â—uthers judgement who was borne not many yeares after this counsel is sufficiently knowne Our owne martyrs as M. Tindall M. Barnes M Hooper haue so disliked this government of Bb. as no men more This doctrine of theirs being according vnto the worde they sealed with their blood and is now acknowledged the doctrine of our church The conclusion of al is this that vnles our state-men wil reiect god and his word and allow the spilling of the blood of his holy saints and martyres they cannot pretend vnto bee enemies vnto the state for seeking the ouerthrow of the government of L. Arch and Bb. withal the corruptions annexed the revnto The second art of this book remaineth behinde which shal be publish'd as soone as the Lord wil graunt me opportunitye I haue beene 〈◊〉 forced for some causes to end this more abruptly than I would haue wished If thou fauorest the cause reader thou wilt beare with 〈◊〉 falt if thou art an aduersary therevnto thou will think too much already spoken and so by abrupt silence compared with that which I haue spoken to be no fault at all