us see how they deale with one of their owne one Bluet being excommunicated writes to the Brethren that he might be restored to the Church from which hee had beene long kept out m Bishop Bancroft fol. 117. Woe is me saith hee that J am cast out of your presence this day And if this woe and shame did but touch the body it were tollerable for then at the day of death I should end my miserie and no more heare the words of reproach But woe is me that there is a partition wall between heaven and my Conscience If my offence may not be passed by without further confession even before God and his Church in London will I lye downe and lick the dust at your feet See here you eager advocates for the advancing of this holy Discipline the pretious fruits you are like to reape by it Such as these will teach you perfect humility They have learnt of Rehoboams Counsellors n 2 Chron. 10.10 To make their little finger thicker than the Bishops loynes Their punishments perhaps wrung the purse but those will grate the soule And if wee should well examine upon what easie occasions this fearefull sentence flyes out we should much more feare it Suckliffe 132. At Geneva two Ministers were deposed and banish'd for speaking against usurie Iohn Morelli for saying the words Tell the Church were not alone appropriate to the Consistorie and is frequently used upon everie private Grudge Whereas no man ought to bee excommunicate but where the Law saith hee should be condemned If Law bee King and will a Tyrant sure all that will preserve Law and will love libertie unwillingly submit their necks to the Tyrannicall yoak of such Discipline SECT 15. The forme of Discipline they prescribe is confessed to be a yoak YEt oh say many here is so excellent a forme of Government the Parochiall Presbyter can runne into no extravagance but hee is accomptable to the Presbyterie or Classitall meeting which consists of particular Kirks in such a Circuit o Report of Church Government And what 's the businesse there Not to suppresse but to exercise the power of Iurisdiction By the Ordinances of Geneva they first imprison after banish him that will not stand to the Ordinances of the Consistories Order Art 91. Ordination suspension Deprivation but principally all persons of whatsoever quality disobedient to their Ministers and Elders are with great Authoritie censured So here we must learne obedience to the wills of men not of Lawes Yet these Classes againe are responsall to the Provinciall Synods And they perhaps may regulate the rigour of the Presbyters But doe not the Pastors of New England tell us A modest Advertisement of Church Government fol. 10. That no Pastors by Gods word have authoritie over others for that every Minister hath his power both of Order and Iurisdiction immediately from Christ Iesus and therefore to him onely is responsible for the Doctrine hee teaches the Discipline hee exercises and the Censures that hee inflicts Therfore say they for any number of Ministers in a Synod to take to themselves Authoritie over others who are equall in Dignitie is to set up a Humane Authoritie that Christ never instituted and to exercise a Tyrannie and Poperie of the Presbyterie as bad nay worse than Bishops Yet there is a higher appeale to the Nationall Assembly and there the Records of Synods are perused Acts and Constitutions for all Kirkes are agreed upon with common consent And will they obey these Constitutions Some confesse that in the Assembly of the Apostles certaine observances were imposed on the Churches p Acts 15.28 But this Act of the Apostles say they is no president or patterne for succeeding ages for the Apostles were inspired with the Holy Ghost and when any Assembly can infallibly assure them they are inspired with the Holy Ghost then they will obey q Christ on his throne fol. 57. But though they will admit no Law or Superiour over themselves yet here perhaps the Laitie may receive reliefe against the rigor of their Censures for one tels us r Report of the Government of the Church by a Presbytery All Appellations Petitions Grievances and Complaints are examined and determined by this supream highest Kirk Iudicatorie what redresse we may expect hence we are informed immediately before they are responsible onely to Iesus Christ And the same reporter plainly tells us The perpetuall Kirks are not governed by the intrinsecall power of any one or many set over them as in the Monarchicall Government of Prelates but they are ruled and judged by themselves If so wee had need have a strong faith in their Integrities for if we admit a possibility of doing wrong in them we leave very little probabilitie of receiving right for first they are accomptable onely to Christ Next they are both judges and parties Those that give false judgement in the Classes are judges in the Synods in the Nationall assemblies and from them is no appeale to any Prince in the world for they sit in Christs Throne And this is utterly destructive to the peoples libertie Now in this whole Gradation of Church government by Presbyteries Classes Synods and Nationall Assemblies What 's become of our old superintendent power of Parliaments wee have all this while beene perswaded That Episcopacy is inconsistent with this State as exercising some power not warranted by our Lawes we are strongly excited by some Disciplinarians to root them out for attempting to put in execution some Constitutions not ratified by Parliament Yet now we must learne That the Parliament cannot hinder these Disciplinarians to make Lawes Ecclesiasticall seeing Ecclesiasticall Government is independant That generall Assemblies may recall Acts ratified in Parliament which being annulled In their Synods they disannull all Lawes they conceive repugnant to their Discipline Suckliffe fol. 131. the Civill ratification falls ex Consequenti And though our Lawes make voyd all Canons or Constitutions repugnant to the Kings prerogative or the Lawes and Customes of the Kingdome which preserve our liberties yet we must now know that no power nor libertie ought to be permitted to any State Degree or Authority whatsoever they be to live without the yoake of Discipline Å¿ Knox his exhortation pag. 91. 92. Et tali jugo libertatem induimus And is all our long labour'd liberty become a yoke A yoke unavoydable a yoke unsupportable Truely if this be so we may truely write Sic vos non vobis sertis Aratra Boves We have spun a faire thread That Kings the nursing Fathers and Queens the nursing Mothers of Syon t Isaiah 49.23 the supreame Governours of the Church Princes the heads of their Fathers houses u Numb 7.2 Princes of the Tribes whose office is to rule in judgement Nobles that conferre blessing upon that land where their sonnes inherite the Crowne w Isaiah 32.1 Gentrie the flowers of this garden of Europe fenc'd
by the protection of the Lawes as with a partition Wall against the spoyle of vermine vulgar the Boares of the Forrest that would root up our plants wed and prun'd from inbred Weed and Canker by the skilfull hand of Parlaments should now be all cast into the lump laid common All become yoke-fellowes beare the bonds of such boundlesse Disciplinarians which hold themselves subordinate neither to Emperours Kings Princes Magistrates Lawes Parliaments Presbyteries Synods Assemblies nor any thing they ever meane to reckon with in this world but onely to Iesus Christ their Head Such as these rather appeare to bee of the followers of Jehu the sonne of Nimshi for they drive furiously x 2 Kings 9.20 who walk'd in the wayes of Ieroboam Then of those undefiled Virgins that follow the Lambe whithersoever hee goeth y Revelation 14 4. Wee know that the meek he will guid in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way z Psal 25.9 But such as have bitter envying and strife in their hearts This wisedome descendeth not from above bus is earthly sensuall devillish * Iames 3.17 SECT 16. The vaine excuse that Lay Elders shall moderate them refuted YEt some have a fine veile to blinde the eyes of the willing and certainly none see lesse than the wilfully blind that this is a mixt government we shall have Lay Elders amongst them to moderate the extravagancies of the pastors and we need not feare but they will looke to them Alas how vaine a shadow is this when wee looke upon it but with the light of reason Are we not taught these Elders must bee chosen by the voyce of the people and are not these people taught by the pastors subordinate to them the Elders being but temporary for halfe a yeare or a yâ—are is it probable they shall have that dependance upon one another they shall have that interest in the parish as hee that is perpetuus Dictator Chancellour Arbiter for life in his petty popedome Some men talke of dumbe Dogs and certainly he will be held such that cannot so bestir himselfe in his parish as to have all their votes follow his who hath such absolute power over every mans person family and estate a Hunting of the Fox c Ec. 2. a S. Snecanus de Disciplâ—na Ecclesiae pag. 456. If then by this rule every little parish Church should have seven such Elders at the least and every great Church thirteene and these people at the devotions of their pastor of their Chancellour wee have then instantly no lesse than a hundred thousand Church-governours besides their adherents which admitted wee are sure in danger never to recover a free Parliament againe and in stead of 26. Bishops whose deputation is from whose dependance is upon the King as supreame whose temporall power is wholly derived from limited by the Lawes whose persons are easily responsible to Parliaments for any deviation from the rules of Law wee should thus expose our selves to an irrecoverable subjection to a multitude whose Election is prescribed to Iure Divino immediately from Christ Iesus who are the carvers of their owne Government b View of the Prelaticall Church fol. 41. Their Nationall Assembly to be gathered once in three years to make Canons and to establish Ecclesiasticall Government This independant of Parliaments accomptable to none but Christ Jesus either for Doctrine or Discipline and if in time found to be extravagant from or destructive to all Lawes and Government yet the Parliament shall then have an Hoast to encounter and not a few Delinquents to punish May not their owne words be more properly inverted upon such than on the Bishops c Englands complaint to Iesus Christ against the Caâ—ons Such Presbyteriall Government and Jurisdiction it is meerly papall though not in the first degree the Pope usurping an universall power over all the Churches in the world yet in a second Everie pastor in his Diocesse his parish exercising a papall power and so doth cunningly undermine the Royall Office and overthrow Gods sacred Ordinance who hath given a power and charge to Kings to suppresse all such Ecclesiasticall Tyranny over the soules of his people Yet perhaps it may be sayd though their government bee thus wholly sever'd from the Parliaments and stands a part by it selfe our Lay Elders shall have vote among them in all their Synods and Assemblies who may have a care to ballance the scale 'twixt Church and State But are wee not told Some one Elder of each Parish appoynted by the particular Kirk Sessions and the whole Ministerie of those Churches meet c. Whereto if their Doctors and Teachers bee admitted they are double in number to the Lay-men if equall one Lay Elder inclining to their partie turnes the scale if not yet how incapable in respect of abilities how inactive in respect of Spirit these annuall temporary Officers must needs be in comparison of this powerfull preaching ministerie which hath such absolute authority over the soules of their parishioners every man may foresee with halfe an eye SECT 17. No reformed Church gives any president parallell with ours BUT many of us will not trust or trouble our owne judgement to rifle into the consequences of things but wee cry out how doe other Reformed Churches Gens humana novitatis avida and no Nation more unfortunately more improvidently prone to follow fashions than we And alas whence can we fetch a patterne that the freedome of our State considered would not render us miserable Can the French be any president to us who live under a Monarch of another Religion who will allow them no Sea no Diocesse no meanes for a Bishop whose Bishops will admit no sub-Bishops of another faith under their jurisdiction Therefore what necessitie makes to them Law must we make our choyce Is it the position of their Church to exclude them Shall wee beleeve Moulin himselfe he saies d Moulins Buckler of the faith the 30. Article fol. 3. 45. Our adversaries unjustly accuse us to be enemies of the Episcopall Order for we must be altogether ignorant of Histories if we do not know that all antiquitie speakes honourably of that degree The Geneva Discipline many dote upon not knowing what it is nor how consistent with our State That which makes our common people so greedily embrace this desired change is the frequent preaching and possessing them of an interest in the power of the Keyes if they follow that president they 'le finde themselves deceived Beza tells us e De gradibus Ministerii cap. 11. In Geneva the Elders are chosen yearely not of the baser sort of people but of the order of 25. 60. or 200. men which bee the Counsels of that State Nor was that government of choyse as fittest but of necessity Their Bishop was also their Prince Franciscus Bonivardus sayes 1124. The Bishop fained of Emperour Frederick ut ille solus Genevae principatum obtineret Regali jure who
the edicts of the Magistrate But some of these Disciplinarians positions are that o Subjects doe promise obedience that the Magistrate might help them Goodman pag 190. which if hee doe not they are discharged of obedience Barrow Refut pag 169. And that without the Prince the people may reforme and must not tarrie for the Magistrate But where their owne spirits guide them they may become Judges and Executioners themselves laying it for a principle p That if the Magistrates shall refuse to put Massemongers to death k Goodman p. 77 196. the people in seeing it performed doe shew that zeale of God which was commended in Phinees destroying the adulterers and in the Israelites against the Benjamites But in this they have the excuse of zeale in offence and indignation at sinnes against God and negligence in Magistrates In which case some hold that q Knox Appeal fol. 30. Goodman pag. 185. not Kings and Magistrates onely ought to punish crimes against God but the whole body of the people and every member of the same to his abilitie must revenge the injurie done to God The French Reformed Church r Moulins Buckler of Faith f. 535. 39. Art knew none of this Doctrine who in the thirty ninth Article of their Faith declare plainly That they beleeve that God will have the world governed by Lawes and Policies that there may be some restraint of the disordered desires of the world And as be hath established Kingdomes and Common-wealths whether hereditary or otherwise and all that belongeth to the State of Justice and will be knowne to be Author thereof so hath he put the sword into the Magistrates hands to represse sins committed not onely against the second Table of the Commandements of God but also against the first Though Isay their zeale in revenging injuries done to the Majestie of God transport them to share in the execution of Iustice Yet may be they will submit to the Civill Magistrate in the government of the Church and ordination of Rites and Ceremonies in which by the twentieth and thirty seventh Articles of our Religion Å¿ Rogers Articles f 213. Helvetian Bazill Bohemian Belgique Augustan Saxon. Suevian Confessions the power is committed to those to whom God hath given the superiority to which Doctrine all protestant Churches subscribe as Apostolicall and Orthodoxall Å¿ Rogers Articles f 213. Helvetian Bazill Bohemian Belgique Augustan Saxon. Suevian Confessions But when wee examine how they conforme we shall finde that in direct opposition to us and other Reformed Churches Some of them say that Civill Magistrates have no power to ordaine Ceremonies pertaining to the Church 1 Tho. Cartwright 1. Reply p. 153. 2 Reply 2. part p. 4. as being no Church Officers at all Viretus Dialogue of white Devills One of them holds That if any Magistrates under the Title of authority and power that God hath given them will make the Ministers of the Church subject to them they doe verily set up a new Pope changing onely his Coat and Masque Indeed they will not allow the Magistrate to be pope but such will bee popes themselves and allow him no more power than the pope did Says Cartwright b T.C. 2. 2. 157. 161. The Prince may call a Councell of the Ministerie and appoynt time and place The very same sayes Saunders c Saunders lib. 2. c. 3. the papist might the Emperours doe of old d Cartwr 2. 2. p. 156. Harding p. 317. 312. The Counsels were not called Imperatoria but Episcopalia The Decrees made there may not be said to be done by the Princes Authority therefore the Canons of the Councells were called the Bishops not the Emperours The same sayes Harding the Emperours did not under-write definientes subscripsimus as the Bishops did but Consentientes e T. C. 2. R. p. 161. Saund. de Monarch l. 2. c. 3. Cartwright allows Princes to be present in Counsells to suppresse tumults The same does Harding allow them ad pacem concordiam retinendam ut nullum fieri tumultum permittant Nay the Magistrate is beholding to Mr. Cartwright f T. C. 2. 2. p. 164. 167. Harding pag 217. 314 to allow that hee may be an Assistant and have his voyce in their meetings and gives this reason for it That oftentimes a simple man and as the proverb saith the Gardner hath spoken to good pâ—rpose Mr. Harding yet allowes more to the popish Magistrates He sayes Ambassadors of States have honourable seats in all Councells may sit as assistants may give their advices may exhort the Bishops and subscribe with them But Cartwright will allow them no power there neyther to bee Moderator Determiner nor Iudge Nay they not onely have no power but they must bee subordinate to their Presbyters Magistrates u Ecclesiasticall Discipline p. 185. Lear. Discipl pag. 89. as well as other men must submit themselves and be obedient to the just and lawful Authoritie of the Church that is the Presbyterie And Travers w Travers pag 142. speaking of the power of the Lay Elders sayes It is just that Kings and Magistrates must obey them Neither is this Government changeable by the will or power of the Magistrate but 't is held that of necessity x Martin junior Thesis 22. all Christian Magistrates are bound for to receive this government Which sayes Snecanus If any Magistrate hinder let him be freely admonished of his duty If he doe not then submit let him be more exactly instructed that hee may serve God in feare y Bancroft fol. 134. Marry if this way there happen no good successe then let the Ministers of the Church execute their office without lingring and staying so long for a Parliament Which compulsive power in the Church holds me thinks some analogy with that of the Iesuites a Odoard West in Sarct juris Sect. 6. Ecclesia non solum praecâ—pit dirigit sed coeâ—cet disponit virtute potestatis gubernativae whose opinion is The Church not onely prescribes and directs but restraines and dispones by vertue of her Gubernative power Which positions are a language unknown amongst Protestants Melancthon tels us b Potest as Ecclesiae suum mâ—ndacum babet 〈◊〉 Non iriâ—mpaâ— in aliâ—nuÌ„ officiem non transferat regna mundi Non abroger leges Magistratuum non tollat legitimam obedientiam non impediat Iudicia de ullis civ libus ordinationibus aut contractibus non praescribat leges magist atibus de forma Reipublicae c. Augustan Confession Articulis fidei fol. 46. The Church hath her owne Rules and intrudes not into anothers office disposes no Crownes abrogates not the Lawes of Magistrates extinguishes not lawfull obedience stops not judgement in Civill causes nor prescribes Lawes to Magistrates But these will derive us another authoritie above the Magistrate They tell us a Counterp p. 12. Christ hath translated the Iewes Sanedrim into his Church That
before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes and palmes in their hands which came out of great tribulation and had washed their robes Verse 14. and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. But such as these think their dye is not deepe enough they must yet strike the Basilike veine y Sions plea 262. Gibson threatned King Iames that as Ieroboam he should be rooted out and conclude his race if he maintained Bishops Bancroft fol. 28. Nothing but this say they will cure the pleurisie of our State By which what fountaine of bloud they meane is fitter for the exposition of a Jesuite z Carolus Scriban Erratum valde fuisse in festo Barthol quòd secta non fuerit vena basilica id est quod percitum fuit regi Navarrae principi condensi than the enquiry of a Protestant Onely the torrent of such spirits is observable if not formidable who check at no power Well may the all-reaching arme of a Parliament assist but they hold it cannot stay their course * Sions plea 155. If the Hierarchy be not removed and the Scepter of Christs kingdome namely his owne discipline be advanced there can be no healing of the sore The Parliament may remove all state grievances in repairing wrongs censuring misdemeanours c. All which are to be done Sions plea 156. but the former is not to be left undone As God hath not blest any Parliamentary endevours because as we take it say they they went not this way to work so it is likely he will not be with you now if you go not this way to work Some were a little freer languag'd against the Parliament a Supplicat pag. 25. Bancroft fol. 50. 29. Eliz. That if they did not abrogate the government of Bishops they should betray God the truth and betray the whole kingdome But this is but gentle admonition if faire words will prevaile it is well if not they will doe it perforce b Unlawfulnesse of unlimited Prelacie fol. 12. Though the Parliament be for Bishops sayes one of them yet all the godly and religious will be against them And it is now become the language of the pulpit that if the Parliament will not releeve them c Eaton in his Sermon at Chester yet they shall stick fast together to maintaine their cause which is Christs cause Herein following the counsell of their Predecessâ—urs d Bancroft fol. 169. That if the brethren cannot obtaine their wils by suit nor dispute the multitude and people must work the feat Thus built upon the authoritie of one of their ancient Ring-leaders who tels them e Knox to the Communaltie fol. 49 50. Reformation of Religion belongs to the Communaltie The which carrying some Species of libertie in it they seeke to confirme that popular ambition by cherishing in them an opinion of a right in the power of the keyes as belonging f Eatons positions annexed 9. neither to the Pastour nor Governours but to the whole Congregation and to everie particular member thereof and Christ having committed them to everie one would of everie one demand an accompt A dangerous doctrine if once grounded in vulgar apprehensions These possest with an opinion of an equall interest in the power of the keyes of the Church which they know how to manage will much more plausibly embrace the suggestions of a paritie in the sway of the State as better suting with their capacities It will bee somewhat difficult to possesse the common people A Priest stirred up rebellion in King Richard the seconds rime with this argument that we are all sprung from the Tribe of Levi But the old seditious argument will be obvious to them That wee are all the sons of Adam borne free some of them say the Gospell hath made them free And Law once subverted it will appeare good equitie to such Chancellours to share the earth equally They will plead Scripture for it that wee should all Genesis 3.19 live by the sweat of our browes They will tell us that in Aegypt we were all fellow Brick-makers And it is no noveltie in the stories of this State That such Artificers have levelled the palaces of Nobles and squared out the dimensions of the Gentrie and Law-Givers according to the rule of their reason The emptie name of libertie blowne into vulgar eares hath over-turned many States how much more prevalent and dangerous must it bee when enforced as a religious dutie to disobey authoritie We know Saint Pauls precept is h Romans 13 1 2. Let everie soule be subject to the higher powers they that resist receive damnation And certainly since his time never any age till now brought forth such desperate Anti-Apostles as I may not improperly call them in absolute opposition to the rule of the Apostle i Eatons Position 9. To conjure men in their pulpits as they will answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement not to submit to any authoritie whatsoever And in defiance and contempt of our Lawes still in force which exact the deprivation of everie Ecclesiastique k Stat. 1 Eliz. cap. 2. the confiscation of the goods and chattels and imprisonment during life of every Laick that shall wilfully deprave the Liturgie established by Law in their petition to stile it l Freholders Petition Note 8. The English refined Masse-booke of Common Prayer In their pulpits to preach it m Eatons Position Note 10. sin to be present at reading of a prayer out of a booke by Minister or any other In print to publish that it is absolutely n 8 Propositions in print p. 1. sinful and unlawful to hear any Minister preach in the Church of England and the Assemblies thereof And seeing these are seconded by the frequent and publique venring of scandalous invective and libellous pamphlets full of seditious doctrines implying an absolute abnegation of the Kings supremacie * Volumes of Paraphlets That the Church is independant and must have all her officers and Lawes within her self which is to denie the Ecclesiasticall Law which Sir Ed. Cook says whosoever shall enie he denyeth that the King hath full power to deliver Iustice in all causes to all his subiects and withdrawing the people from their due allegeance exciting them to disobedience To me such bold violation and uncontrolled contempt of Lawes sitting the Law-Makers appeares formidable Omnia cum liceant non licet esse bonum I consider the Nobilitie and Gentrie of this Isle this nurserie of honour situate as the Low Countries in a flat under the banks and bounds of the Lawes secured from the inundations of that Ocean the Vulgar which by the breach of those bounds would quickly overwhelme us and deface all distinctions of degrees or persons and cannot but with admiration observe that Sampson like in their full strength but as blind with inconsiderate zeale as he by treacherie any such should lay hold
THat every particular Congregation is an absolute Church and is to have all ordinances and officers within it selfe the members of it must be onely Saints these must enter Covenant amongst themselves and without such a Covenant no Church 10. That the power of the Keyes is committed neyther to the Pastors nor Governours but to the whole Congregation and to every particular member of the same and Christ having committed them to every one would of every one demaund an account of them and therfore charged the people as they would answer it at the dreadfull day of judgment to keep the keyes amongst themselves and not to suffer any authority to wrest them out of their hands 11. That it is an heynous sin to be present when prayers are read out of a Book either by the Minister or any other By which and other such Doctrines many of the common people are brought into that odium of the Book of common prayer that divers of them will not come into the Church during the time of Divine Service THe spreading of the foresaid Petition and the publicke and frequent preaching of these and such like seditious Doctrines having stird up a generall discontent in many common people divers of the Gentry without any sinister respect whatsoever but only out of a care of the publicke peace being thereunto induced by the presidents of London and Essex into which the Lords had formerly directed orders for suppression of such disorders did humbly desire the Earle of Darby Lord Lieutenant of the County to joyne in a Remonstrance of the distempers likely to ensue and to represent the same to the house of Peerese Praying their care for prevention thereof THe Remonstrance beeing resolved of upon a conference of many of the Gentlemen of the Country some Divines were sent unto to know if they would joyne in subscription with the Gentry and for the clear carriage and quick dispatch severall Letters were sent into the several hundreds directed to some of the princâ—pal Iustices there with copies of all inclosed to procure the subscriptions of their neighbor-hood all of the same contents and subscribed by those few who underwrit this following beeing foureteene persons of quality Gentlemen VPon consideration of the copy of a Petition inclosed from the Freeholders of this County which hath been spread abroad and signed by many hands wee conceive it would much reflect upon the Countrey to let it passe in the names of the Countie without any protestation against it beeing not onely clamorous against the governement of Church and State but against our Country in particular And beeing the shortnesse of time would not permit a generall meeting yet such as wee have consulted both with Divines and others are pleased to approve of the coppy inclosed Therefore for the speedy dispatch of it we have thought fit to send severall Coppies into the severall hundreds intreating that you will be pleased to assemble or send unto all the Gentrie of your hundred and such Divines as you conceive will joyne in it and some of the chiefe Free-holders before wednâ—sday next and signe the Paper annexed to the Petition with as many hands of quality as you can get and returne them to Cholmley where wee shall some of us meete and annex them all to the originall it selfe which wee have signed and will so send it up to bee preferred the dispatch is the life of the businesse Wee hope no man will be slack in that so much concernes the Country So we rest your very loving friends We desire that you would be pleased not to let any Coppies be taken and returne it on Thursday next at farthest and let no Papist subscribe whatsoever January 30. 1640 The Direction or Superscription To the Right Honourable the L. Brereton Mr. Doctor Dod and Henry Mainwayring Esquire or one of them and to others the Gentlemen of the Hundred of Northwich This publike carriage I hope will satisfie all ingenious men how injurious such clamours have beene as pretended undue practises to procure Subscriptions And if some few timorous people by pretence of trouble have beene frighted to retract their former Subscriptions J presume no judicious man will conceive it either to reflect on the Gentry or dis-value the substance of the Remonstrance To the Honorable the Lord Bishops Reverend Fathers IN the first part of this Discourse I have had a particular Interest us'd the liberty of my owne expressions out of the sense and fore-sight of my owne endangered Liberty which I apprehend absolutely to depend upon the preservation of your regulated order and Legall Government to be inevitably if not irrecoverably lost by the admission of an irregular Arbitrary Presbytery I denie not but the wisedome of this Age may finde out a new way neither pattern'd by the Apostles nor practiz'd in any Age or State and when it is established by Law I know my part obedience But till then Law being on my side God forbid I should not as freely speak in defence of fundamentall Lawes of Divine institutions as others doe to the subversion of both Such has beene the unhappinesse of my Privacie I am scarce knowne to hardly know any of your persons yet with that Reverence doe I looke upon your Sacred order as an Apostolicall therefore not questionable institution I consider your Predecessours as the Ballast which have poyz'd the Barks of Monarchy to sayle safely in the Sea of Vulgar whose piety and wisedome first prescribed the Medium twixt Tyrannie and Anarchy Till Bishops help'd to reduce the unbounded wills of Princes to the limits of Lawes Kings were Tyrants And where ever they are not there ever followes a popular which is a worse Tyranny Obedience to Kings Conformity to Lawes is a Duty both to God and nature but subjection to the absolute and unlimited wills of men is unnaturall to those that were borne under the protection of Lawes Long ha's this Nation flourished in the equall dispensation of Lawes by Divines Civilians and Common Lawyers Glorious and fortunate have beene the Proficients in all of them They much deceive themselves that think the one shall rise by the fall of the other two If two or three mixt Arbitrary Courts sitting onely in Tearme time shall be thought so prejudiciall to the Common Law what must a Quotidian-Chancery prove in every Parish Sure hee that should but seriously consider the condition of the Advocates in the Low Countries Geneva and in all places where the Presbytery hath got footing would burne his Barr Gowne and begin a new profession at the apprehension of such a change No doubt Rebus sic stantibus At this instant there are many able men ready to supply your voyded seates and an instant extinguishment of all the lights of the Church cannot be fear'd But if all preferment for humane learning shall be thus taken away in the next Age wee are liker to degenerate to the Barbarisme of the Greekes then arive at their perfection The
inconsistent with Monarchie 11 Presbytery inconsistent with Civill Magistracie 12 Presbytery inconsistent with laws 13 The inordinate violence of the Presbytery 14 That this Discipline brings not liberty to the vulgar but introduces a meere Arbitrary Government 15 That the Presbyterian discipline is confessed a yoake 16 The vain excuse that Lay-elders shall moderate refuted 17 No Reformed Church gives any president paralell with us 18 Conclusion That to introduce a new form is dangerous The Table to the Review of Episcopacie Sectio prima That there were Bishops in the Apostles times 2 That the seven Angels of the seven Churches were Bishops 3 That there hath bin a continued succession of Bishops 4 That they were Diocesan Bishops 5 That the Clergie ought to be superiour to one another 6 That they assume no power or jurisdiction their predecessors had not 7 That Bishops had the same power of Ordination in former times 8 Ecclesiasticall censures anciently in Bishops 9 Titles of Honour anciently given to Bishops 10 That there were Archbishops in the primitive times 11 That late great Writers approved Bishops 12 That Bishops were approved in the Reformed Churches 13 Episcopacie approved by the ancient customary laws 14 That abolition of Episcopacie will occasion great distraction in the Common Laws 15 That it will destroy great part of the Statute Laws 16 Whether it may be done by the Kings Legall Prerogative 17 The Conclusion REader the Authors absence hath occasion'd many omissions having not opportunity to peruse the Presse especially in the quotations The best helpe is thy friendly patience to passe by the literall faults amend these few following and beare with the rest Some of them vary the fence therefore it is desired thou wilt amend them ere thou readest Errata IN the Survey of Presbytery Praef. B 2 p. 2. line 7 all men line 11. for instructed r intrusted Sect. 2. l. 19. for them r. their Sect. 2 pag. 2. marg l. 41 read Prelate Church Sect. 3 not 1 marg r. pertulisti ibidem for eddisti r eddidisti not k for ne nec C 2 p 2. maâ—g not o for 40. r 21 Sect 7 l 12 blot out they say Sect 7 D 8 l 17 add as Calvin cals them fanatici homines c. El 9 for Deo r duo marg for Tomes r Tom. 7 E 2 p 2. l 17 r Censurers E 3 p 2 l 29 adde such unlimited Sect. 9 l 9 for every r Envy claâ—our F fol. l 13 a full point at possession fol F 2 p 2 l 4 put out it F 3 l 23 for and r c. ibid marg l 11 r frenabit fol G 2 p 2 l 25 r observable G 3 p 2 marg l 2 r Dominio G 4 marg l 2 r 59 H 3 p 2 l 19 adde man not to rest fol. I l 17 r. Presbytery fol l 2 l 1â— after repent adde The Praesbyterians affirme l 3 p 2 l. 6 r these new Standerbearers K 8 l 2 blot out that L 2 p 1 l 7 for those r these L 3 l 7 r Classicall In the Review of Episcopacie Fol 9 marg l 11 r Heraclam fol 10 marg l 25 r Episcopatum fol 11 marg l 12 for ad id r adversus fol 13 l 2 r Fencelesse fol 24 l 8 r other fol 26 marg l 25 r hoc fol 27 l 12 for many r may fol 38 l 5 for cause r course fol. 39 l 4 for received r. retained fol 43 l 2 for absolute r obsolete fol 57 l 20 for which his r with his fol 65 l 3 for if r that the Prelates l 28. put out cure fol 77 l 19 for both r but. The Preface T IS a time of Censures nor actions nor persons scape if perhaps the power yet not the tongues of men certainly the Goose-Quill did never more licentiously lesse civilly bedabble both times and persons No action of so pure intention hath beene more bespatter'd than the deliverie of this Remonstrance No man with more confidence lesse cause hath beene more mistaken misse-censured than my selfe Yet some I presume that have now seene those Motives which before they did not are satisfied there was just cause for us to complaine none for them to judge We alas are none of those that live in Goshen a Exod 8.22 sever'd from the sorrowes of our brethren wee have had our b The common Grievances swarme of flies to destroy our fruits we have felt the storme of a distempered state as well as they c Exod. 9 26. But we had rather with prayer and patience wait and hope for the reunion of our distracted peace than rend the breaches wider by pulling on our heads a greater plague than wee have yet felt or then the Egyptians suffered till their d Exod 14.25 And the Lord troubled the Egyptians and took off their Chariot wheels that they drave heavily 28 And the waters returned and covered the Chariots and the horsemen and all the Hoast of Pharaoh Chariots were taken off their wheeles or then we hope we can till our Lawes the Hinges of the State be dis-joynted the reines of Gouernment let loose Then alas how soone with them should we be overwhelmed with disorder and confusion how easily become a prey to the first invader Yet I feare we undergoe more censure who pray the preservation than those that seek the abolition of those Lawes that give us Life and safetie by preserving Order which is the Soule of Government Ordo est anima Legis Wee meet with severall sorts of Censurers some seem to robbe the Gentrie of the right of their owne free thoughts as if they were but properties to serve the ends of others act the designes of the Bishop and his Clergy who I doe absolutely affirme never knew of it till it was done yet I doe confidently assume if he required it might have as many free testimonies of qualitie of his moderation as any man of that reverend Order Others of the same stampe seeke to impeach the credit of the Subscribers as if a great part were papists All may see our instructions were not to admit such I resolutely affirme no one Gentleman of quality there is such and I confidently believe not one at all of the whole number Some that certainly never saw it Censure for company that wee onely swimme against the streame and contrary to the Torrent of other Countries have put in a justification of a plea for Bishops such I said before sure never saw it when they doe they will finde that we have the same sence of disorder in Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction as others have That to us e The Remonstrance the suppressing of Poperie the increase of able Pastors the removing of Innovations will be equally acceptable as to other Subjects onely we conceived our modest submission to the judgement of that great Counsell Remonstrance to regulate the rigour of Ecclesiasticall Courts to suit with the temper of our Lawes
and the nature of Free-men would to so grave a Senate administer as much matter of serious consideration implie as much need of Reformation as a large invective full of bitter reviling which might more convince us of want of Charitie than the Bishops of Moderation being virulence of Spirit never argued either Civility or Christianitie never tended to piety or unity nor advanced either Religion or good Order g Hoc reperiemus nimiam mor ofitatem ex superbia magis fastu falsa que sanctitatis opinione quam ex vera sanctitate veroqueejus studio nasci Itaque qui ad faciendum ab Ecclesiâ defectiones sunt aliis audaciores quasi Antesignani ij ut plurimum nihil aliud causae habent nisi ut omnium contemptu ostentent se aliis esse meliores Calvin Institut lib. 4. Cap. 1. sect 13. Calvin observes that too much bitternesse or obstinacy springs rather from pride and disdaine and a false opinion of holinesse then from true sanctity or the desire thereof And that such as are forwards and the leaders of others in their defection from the Church have for the most part no other cause but their owne selfe conceipt thinking themselves better than all men else But if either processe of time or discontinuance of Parliaments have admitted any superstructures of exorbitant power doubtlesse the wisedome of the House instructed with the steerage of the State would reduce such without our clamours For such complaints as are against the temporall power of the Bishops wee know of no such thing inherent to the Order h Si quam habent Episcopi potestatem gladii hanc non habent ut Episcopi ex mandato Evangelit sed jure humano do natam â Regibus Imperatoribus ad administrationem civilem suorum honorum Haec interim alia functio est quam ministerium Evangelii Melancthon Articul fidei 37. In his speech the 23. of Ianuarie Melancthon tells us if they have any power of the sword it is of humane institution given them by Kings and Emperours if so certainly ejus est revocare cujus est dare And where a gracious Prince ex mero motu and I may say ex puro amore out of a tender affection to the peace and welfare of his people hath freely offered a retraction of such temporall authority i If upon serious debate you shall shew that Bishops have some temporall authority not so necessarie for the government of the Church and upholding of Episcopall iurisdiction I shall not bee unwilling to desire them to lay it downe as is not necessary for the government of the Church it is more proper for the debate of his great Councell to decide the poynt than befitting the importunity of us his much satisfied subjects especially with such violence as relishes rather a sentence than a supplication Quia non consensum quaerit sed dissidium auget qui quod fact is praestatur verbis exigit But for the Office and Order it selfe 't is confessed we were so farre from joyning with them either in their prayer of abolition or the â—nâ—ecency of their Language that 't was thought it became us to vindicate the Countrey consisting of Civill Gentrie from the imputation of such incivilitie as that petition if it had past as the Act of our Countie might perhaps fixe upon us And more then in our owne excuse of not joyning with them we presumed not to move any thing for or against the Bishops but being wee intimated our feare that these practises and tenets tended to introduce a Presbyterie 't was necessarie to shew we had no hand in that Petition which would have no Bishops lest we might seem to desire neither These prejudices of opinion thus removed I hope men will with more cleare eyes see the Integritie of our intentions and will with us in time take heed of Wolves especially when they appear in sheeps cloathing As we are a Gentrie who for Antiquity shall subscribe to none so I hope shall we ever testifie our zeale as great our resolutions as firme to preserve our ancient liberties as any Countrie whatsoever And I believe if any had our provocation they would have made our complaint A Survey of Presbytery SECT 1. The Designe of some Presbyterians T IS an ill presage of worse events to begin with the subversion of Gods house the Church It is not Reformation but totall Innovation many men look for 'T was a signe of no good intent when such a petition must bee smother'd up from the knowledge and Counsells of the Gentrie And though it were supprest after it had beene spread abroad as perhaps finding the times not ripe for a full discovery of their occult designes yet to those that will see it gives light enough that under pretext of Reforming the Church the true aime of such spirits is to shake off the yoke of all obedience either to Ecclesiasticall Civill Common Statute or the Customarie Lawes of the Kingdome and to introduce a meere Arbitrary Government But it may perhaps be said this is but the fancy of some distempered Zelots in that part onely and that I doe but raise a shadow and fight with it let such compare well the harmonie of other licentious raylers whose pamphlets garnish every stall and the concurrence of those of the same straine in the times of Queen Elizabeth and King James with the present positions and petition complained of and I dare promise they shall finde them all of a peece all champions for the Presbyterie which they then cal'd The great cause the Holy cause which as they then declared k Rogers his Preface to the Articles they will never leave suing for though there should be a thousand Parliaments untill either they obtaine it And lately preach'd by Eaton in Chester in the pulpit to the like effect or bring the Lord in vengeance and bloud upon the State and the whole land for repelling the same With what Method Iustice and Moderation they goe about it is worth the observation SECT 2. The Method of their proceedings IN this Chart of their petition we may find our selves plac'd among the Antipodes to all order rather than in a State govern'd by Lawes It hath been the Method of former times that the Parliament the Primates the Nobiles with the minores Nobiles the Gentrie consult and dispence the rules of government the Plebeians submit to and obey them But in their Petition ordine converso petitioners Plebeians assume to give judgement the Parliament must execute the Nobility and Gentrie suffer by it They make not any one proof or complaint against any one Bishop or their order yet clearely sentence them all l Their Petition note 2. Martin Marprelate f. 11. 12. Engl. Compl. to Jesus Christ That the Hierarchie is that beast to which the Dragon gave his power fol. 11. All Prelaticall government is papal ib. The Bishops the limbes of the great beast of no
of an imaginary good they many times covet their owne ruine These sugred baits of parity and libertie infus'd into vulgar apprehensions under the pretext of pietie and reformation are such popular poysons as will soon o're spread the body of the Common-wealth and corrupt or dissolve the Nerves Ligaments of Government conformity to Lawes if not early prevented by those precious Antidotes against Confusion Loyalty and Constancy SECT 5. A Discussion whether they seek to pull downe or advance the Clergie LEt us then ere wee imbrace the thoughts of such a totall subversion of the Fabrick of a Church and State examine whether such Reformers aime at our liberty or their owne advancement whether such bitternesse of Spirit proceed from zeale to truth or emulation of the order c What a Monopoly is this to take away the title wherein the office of all true Pastors is comprehended and to transferre it to one alone among many Christs Throne fol 43. Is it to clip the wings of the Clergie that they soare not too high that these men crie out against Episcopall jurisdiction or rather is it not to Imp out their broken Feathers that they may mount above the reach of all Lawes Is it to regulate any exorbitant power in them or rather is it not to make their power as indefinite This Monopoly is a mysterie of mischiefes view Prelat Church fol. 3. as their numbers are infinite Is it not really to pull downe 26. Bishops and set up 9324. potentiall Popes when in effect the Pastor of every parish Church must be such The consequences these men promise to themselves in their petition seconded by the writing of their fellow-laborers promise no lesse which are First to quit themselves from the circumscription of any Ecclesiasticall Authoritie either in discipline or doctrine d Their petition note 16. View of the Prelaticall Church fol. 16. They pray that the revealed will of God contained in the books of the old and new Testament may be the rule that wee should follow As if certainly this whole State and Church had all this while followed a wrong Guide e Their petition note 17. d That the morall doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles may bee old Englands Canons of which themselves must be Expositors as if all Canonicall obedience were a meere intrusion upon Gods word and had no foundation in Scripture Doe wee not know that Timothy and Titus were by Saint Paul set over the Churches of Ephesus and Crete and in the stile of both the Epistles by the interpretation of the Fathers appeare to have beene Bishops and to have Canonicall power committed to them f 1 Timoth. 1.3 To suppresse false doctrines g 2 Chap. 1.8 To direct time and place for prayer and supplications h 9. To prescribe formes of apparrell i 11. To impose silence upon women k 1 Timoth. 3.2 12. To institute Bishops and Deacons l 1 Timoth. 5.19 To receive accusations and to punish Elders m Ibid. 22. To ordaine Ministers n Titus 3.10 To admonish and reject obstinate Heretiques * 1 Timoth. 1.20 To excommunicate such as blaspheme And these things not transmitted to them as doctrines but as part of their jurisdiction o 1 Timoth. 4 11. These things command and teach and rebuke with all authoritie * Titus 2.15 And let no man despise thee So that here wee may see a foundation of Ecclesiasticall Government laid even by the Apostles themselves and to us enjoyned obedience And though in the infancie of the Gospell when q Matth. 8.20 Luke 9.58 The Son of man had not where to lay his head when his Disciples all past thorow the fire of Martyrdome and no free State scarce any whole Village had received the Gospell even Rome it selfe was for many ages after the seat of the Heathen Emperours r Fox his Martyrs fol. 39. under whose terrible persecutions the Church was scattered into corners and deserts where they could best hide themselves It could not then I say be expected that so exact a platforme of Discipline should be laid down to governe handfuls as was after necessarie to be extended to sway the converted Christian world Yet then did Paul see the necessity both of instituting rules of government putting the execution into the hands of some supreme power To which purpose as Erasmus observes Å¿ Eras tom 6. fol. 343. Timotheum Paulus in ministerium adoptarat probae indolis juvenem sacris literis eruditum Quoniam autem huic Ecclesiarum curam delegarat sicut Tito instituit eum in sunctione Episcopali Hee elected Timothy a hopefull young man and learned in holy writ into the ministerie and that hee might commit to him the care of the Churches instituted him as also Titus in the office of a Bishop And Saint Hierome t Hieronymus Dialogo adversus Luciferianos Ecclesiae satus in summi Sacerdâ—tiâ— dignitate pendet cuisâ—â—on exors quaedam ob omnibus eâ—â—inens detur potest as tot in Ecclesiis efficientur Schismata quot Sacerdotes gives the reason of the necessitie of such superintendencie in the Church for sayes he The safetie of the Church depends upon the dignitie of the chiefe Priest to whom if some extraordinarie power above the rest bee not given there would bee as many schismes in the Church as there are Pastors If then the Institution of Ecclesiasticall Government were Apostolicall the administration committed by Saint Paul himselfe to prime Presbyters or as all ancient Fathers agree to Bishops Let us next see whether such Ecclesiasticall Lawes have beene deduced downe to our fore-fathers in a continued current from the fountaine head the Apostles or are but as these charitable men stile them The Reliques of Romish Tyranny SECT 6. The Ecclesiasticall Lawes agreeable to Gods word I Have in the Epistle formerly set forth the first plantation of the Gospell in England in the time of Lucius u Fox his Martyrs fol. 34. Archbishop Vsher De primord Eccles fol. 54 59. about the yeare 169. when as Elutherius then Bishop of Rome shewes from what principles wee derive our Ecclesiasticall Lawes In his lettet to Lucius King of Britaine he writes thus Fox Martyrs fol. 108. Vsher De Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Primordiis fol 102. Yee require the Roman Lawes and the Emperors to be sent over to you The Roman Lawes and Emperours we may ever reprove but the Law of God we may not w Esutherii rescriptum ad Lucium Britanniae Regem Petistis a nobis Leges Romanas Caesaris vobis transmitti quibus in Regno Britanniae uti voluistis c. Habetis penes vos in regno utramque paginam ex illis Dei gratia per Consilium regni vestri sume legem per illam Dei patientia vestrum rege Britanniae regnum Yee have received of late through Gods mercie in the Realme of Britaine the
that every member of the Church hath power to examine the manner of administring the Sacraments To restraine this liberty with them is the Yoake of â—ondage Christs Throne As also to enjoyne a decent forme of outward reverence to accompany the inward devotion of the heart in humbling the body as well as the soule at the reception of the pledge of our salvation in standing up in the profession of our Faith in the Creed or in celebrating the obsequies of such as dye in the Lord Revel 14.15 with thanks for their deliverance and with prayers for the surviving faithfull with the like though the Maxime be unanswerable Non servatur unitas in credendo nisi eadem adsit in colendo And though againe it be unquestioned by all Ancient uncontroverted by most of the late Writers and concluded in one of our Articles l Article 20. That the Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies with which agree all the Reformed Churches m Rog. book of Art 100. Ne una Contradicente And that great light of Germany Melancthon holds them inseparable from the Church judging it a wicked thing n Melanct. par 2. fol. 22. Jmpium quoque est sentire omnes Ceremonias institut as esse ab impijs pontificibus fuerunt nonnulli prudentes sancti viri qui senserunt vulgi ita supinos demissos animos ut nunquam sint dignitatem amplitudinem religionis animadversuri nisi aliqua externa oculis exposita specie remorati detenti c. Habes autem praeclarum locum de Ceremoniarum usu Josuae 22. Ne vestri pueri c. Pro pueris infirmis istiusmodi sunt instituti ritus Ibidem to thinke that all Ceremonies were instituted by bad Bishops recommending to us an excellent place of the use of Ceremonies in Joshua That it may be a witnesse betweene us and you and our Generations after us That your Children may not say to our Children in time to come yee have no part in the Lord For children and the weake were such Ceremonies instituted And although we are required by the Holy Ghost To submit to every Ordinance for the Lords sake 1 Peter 2.13 whether it bee to the King as supreame or to Governours Yet these men teach us new Doctrine that such Ordinances as these though becomming Christian humility and piety derived from Antiquity imposed by Authority and obedience commanded by Holy precept are an o Christ on his Throne fol. 24. fol. 25.27 Syons Plea fol. 91. evacuation of Christs death and so an Apostacy from Christ and suit not with the libertie of the Gospell wherewith Christ hath made them free p Christs Throne fo 25. In which extravagancies such men runne into all the desperate Schismes that formerly rent the Church In their contempt of our Service Rites and Ceremonies being Brownists q Brownists write to have a Lyturgie or form of prayer is to have another Gospell Barrow refut pag. 244. In their false pretended libertie Familists r The Familists say they are a free people in Bondage to no creature H. N. Sperland c. 3. Sec. 6. C. 40. Sec. 7. In their neglect of due calling disdain of learning Anabaptists fanatici homines Å¿ Olim fanatici homines ut sibi applauderent in sua inscitia iactabant Davidis exemplo spernendas esse omnes Literas Sicut hodie Anabaptistae non alio praetextu se pro spiritualibus venditant nisi quod omnis Scientiae sunt expertes Calvin Comment on the Psalm f. 330. Ps 71.14 Brain-sick men in times past would take example from David to despise all learning as now our Anabaptists who onely hold themselves inspired with gifts because they are ignorant of all Literature These obey none of their pretended Patrons Beza sayes t Consequitur eum abuti Christianae libertatis beneficio qui vel suis Magistratibus vel praepositis suis sponte non paret in Domino Beza Epist ad peregrinarum Ecclesiarum fratres in Anglia he abuses Christian Liberty who submits not freely to the Magistrate And Melancthon holds u Melanct. in 13. Rom. 'T is a mortall sinne to violate the Edicts of the Magistrate w Quod neque contra fidem neque bonos more 's injungitur indifferenter esse habendum pro eorum inter quos vivitur Societate servandum est Augustin Epist 118. ad Ianuarium Cap. 2. St. Austin gives these men good Counsell x That which is neither against Faith nor good Manners is to bee held indifferent and observed for their society with whom you live Zanchie is a little sharper with them x Damnandi sunt Anabaptistae alii qui a veris Christi Ecclesiis se subdueunt Zanchy Tomes fo 692. These Anabaptists saies he and others that withdraw themselves from the Communion of the Church either for the pretended vices of the Minister or other excuses are to bee cut off from the Church But if none of these incline them to the peace of the Church Their pretended great Master Calvin a Calvin Epistola Dom. Protector Epistol fol. 88. hath a sharper Rod for such State-troublers Amplissime Domine audio esse Deo seditionum genera quae adversus regem ac regni statum caput extulerunt Alii enim Cerebrosi quidem videlicet sub Evangelii Nomine passim invectam vellent Alii verò in superstitionibus Antichristi ita obduruerunt ut earum revulsionem ferre non possint Ac merentur quidem tum hi tum illi gladio ultore coerceri quem tibi tradidit Dominus Cum non in regem tantum insurgunt sed in Deum ipsum qui Regem in Regiasede constituit te protectorem instituit tum personae tum etiam Regiae Majestatis SECT 8. They must be free from Civill Miseries BUt all this tends yet but to free their Consciences over which say they No man b Christ on his throne fol. 60. on earth hath power in matters of Religion If so 't were more tollerable But this large Conscience will have the body as free as the minde They must hold their Conventicles intimated by that their meeting c Petition Note 20. View of Prelaticall Church and divers others together to pray for the King and Queen without punishment or false Calumniation This is a gap to let out Law and take in liberty Thus may they infuse what Doctrine contrive what stratagems accumulate what multitudes they please not onely without punishment but without enquirie of the Lawes Nor is this all Freedome of their Consciences and persons is not enough but they must have their purses and estates as free too They tell us they have Civill miseries as well as Ecclesiasticall such as a Their Petition note 11. The payment of Tithes to Parsons or Impropriators which whether due Jure Divino I dispute not but by Civill Common and Statute Law wee know they are The
prescription is somewhat ancient for 't is said Melchizedeck y Genes 14.20 Heb. 7.2 blessed Abraham and hee gave him tythes of all things And under the Law it is ordred That z Nehem. 10.37 the Levits might have the tythes in all their Cities of our tillage This we find not discontinued under the Gospell a Heb. 7.5 They which are children of Levi which receive the office of the Priesthood have a commandement to take according to the Law tythes of the people And Saint Paul holds it good equitie 1 Corinth 9.13 That as they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Our Statute Lawes have established and incorporated them into our estates for b Stat 27.31.32.37 H. 8. Tythes in the hands of Lay-men become temporall inheritances and shall be accounted Assets And Lay men proprietaries of tythes c Cookes Littleton fol. 159. have election either to sue for the treble value by the Common Law or for the double in Ecclesiasticall Courts The ancient jurisdiction of Court Leets and Court Barons d Petition note 12 13. Sions plea fol. 47. they would subtilly undermine by quarrelling at the oath whereby the Court must fall Ex consequenti Cookes Littleton fol. 58. Britton 274. Bract. de Actionibus fol. 105. Civiles actiones terminari debent in Curia Baronum de quibus ipse petens clamaverit tenere taking away the use of Juries or the testimonies of witnesses Though we find them held in the time of Edward the Confessour and so called Barones vero qui suam habent curiam de suis hominibus and continued ever since And indeed they would have no Courts at all to have jurisdiction over them as appeares by many of their writings as that they would have Courts to proceed only against sins by the word of God Chord Angl prop. 8.10 Sions plea fol. 48. If it be no sin there is no ground of an oath View Prelaticall Church 41. of which the Presbyterie would be Judges and as they say it would free us from weekely Courts The would withdraw the customarie right of e Their petition note 21. Bract. lib. 2. fol. 60. Cookes Littleton fo 185. Lambert fol. 119. 58. Herriots taken in the Saxons times in which language it is called Heregeat or the Lords best for Here is Lord and Geat is best And in the Lawes before the Conquest it is said f Sive quis incuriâ sive morte repentina fuerit intestat mortuus Dominus tamen nullam rerum suarum praeter eam quae jure debetur Herrioti nomine sibi assumito Whether by a judiciall sentence or by sudden death any man dyes intestate yet the Lord shall take none of his goods but that which is due by Law in the name of a Herriot Nay they yet goe higher even to the denyall of the right of proprietie in our estates They would pay no Fines g Their petition Note 22. do no Boons nor Duties to their Land-lords or at best bring them within the Arbitrarie Jurisdiction of the Presbyter who must be Chancellour betwixt Lord and Tenant And these things are not represented by way of complaint or submitted to the consideration and determination of the Parliament but seeme to be inforced by intimation of a strong occult implyed Covenant in that they say h Their petition Note 15. Christ on his Throne fol. 77. So woe may recover that Christian liberty wherwith Christ hath made us free and for which his bloud was powred forth Sions plea fol. 333. Rom. 14.1 2. 2 Pet. 13.14 Goodman pag 30. The contrarie priviledges Christ hath purchased and commanded them to stand unto If this be not to subvert Lawes I know not what is It is not onely a defiance to Civill Government but a Band against it Nor Law nor Gospell scape such censures If Saint Paul teach us not to resist authoritie but rather to submit to punishment Some tell us This is a dangerous doctrine taught by some by the permission of God for our sins Certainly these are dangerous doctrines indeed and God open our eyes in time to fore-see and prevent the consequences So much are people infatuated with these false glosses of pretended libertie that they are easily seduced to swallow such guilded pils with open armes to embrace with eager hands to pull upon their owne heads their owne ruine For alas what is it else but to enthrall our selves under an irrecoverable servitude whence can be no redemption Is it not to make that choyce the Israelites refused Whether is better for you Judges 9.2 either that all the sons of Ierubbaal which are threescore and ten persons reigne over you or that one reigne over you Whether shall wee content our selves with the dispensation of Lawes our selves assent to can at any time expand or contract as we shall find them too narrow or too large for the circle of our Isle trust the administration of these in the hands of six and twentie Bishops whose Delegate power is limited by our Statute Lawes whose persons are easily responsall for any extent of that power beyond those bounds the Parliament allots them Or submit our selves to the meere Arbitrarie Government of thrice twentie six thousand Presbyters and Elders for more than so many will that Hierarchy amount to under which they would now draw us by the platforme of their new pretended discipline In which if there were any more but the Species of libertie that we should thus be quit from all Ecclesiastique subjection though it is a principle too oft proved true Moulins Confession 408. Tyranny is more tollerable than such a freedome which under the title of libertie introduceth licentiousnesse and this licentiousnes bringeth in extreme servitude that Over-much desire of libertie is the originall of Tyranny every one by being too free becomming a slave The Vulgar being well resembled to birds long caged and kept tame which breaking loose starve for want of food or become a prey to the first destroyer Yet this might be a popular motive to entice many into this new Coy If it did conduce to a reall freedome I wish all men should know I hold my selfe as free-borne as any man and as much disdaine the thought of servile fetters of Romish Tyranny or an insultant Prelacie as any he that lives But I ever held that Nunquam libertas gratior extat quà m sub Rege pio That it is Law which is to a free State not a Band but a Guard against oppression That it is Magistracie which levels the scale of justice betwixt power and povertie that preserves degrees distinction order i All Societies Oeconomick Civill and Ecclesiasticall doe consist by the submission of inferiours to superiours which being removed confusion necessarily followeth without which no Church no State no family can stand And when
I see in these men no shadow of true libertie by pretending legall government nor yet the false glosse of libertie by extinguishing all power but that it is evident by desiring to share the power of the keyes Paraeus Catechetica 5. praecepti and to execute Ecclesiasticall censures in their congregations within themselves Petition annexed note 3 They have no thought of the peoples libertie but to assume into their owne hands the same power they cry downe in the Bishops not to qualifie but to exalt it above all moderation The use thereof being fully explaned by Expositors of their owne straine to import no lesse than to trample under feet the sacred Crownes of Kings the power of Parliaments the seats of Justice the use of Magistrates the efficacie of Lawes and make themselves Chancellours over our lives and conversations our wives our children our servants our private families and our estates That any hands should help to hoyse up unlimited unbounded Tyranny I have nothing left me but acclamation O fortunati nimium bona si sua norint and shall conclude with that saying Quos Iupiter vult perdere hos prius dementat Yet shall I freely display some of those positions which divers that pretend reformation lesse blush to publish than I to recite as part of their new Christian doctrine which how consistent with the Monarchique Government of this State how far inclinable to an Anarchy and whether subversive of the Lawes or destructive to the Subjects libertie I shall not take upon mee to determine but perhaps the consideration may please some others though I professe I only write to please my selfe Liberare animam Yet I hope no man will be so far displeased with mee as to apply what I collect from some as meant by all that pretend a Presbyteriall Government I have charitie to thinke many men that way enclined have good intentions and desire reformation out of a pure heart But I am confident the more they acquaint themselves with such positions as these the lesse they will like the discipline SECT 9. Episcopacie most agreeable with a Monarchie HEre as in all distracted States may well be applyed the poets exclamation Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum Not that Religion it selfe which is the band of peace is cause of evils but that it is made the usuall cloake of all seditious disturbances either in Church or State All the shafts of malice every clamour obloquy shot at the order doctrine and persons of the Bishops how ever feathered wirh the pretext of pietie yet still light all in one center and may appeare to be levelled all at one mark The power of the keyes is the burthen of all their songs Sions plea fol. 82. All the fearfull evils of sin and iudgement from withholding the keyes of Christs Kingdome in which consisting the Ecclesiasti que Discipline not Doctrine of the Church it becomes rather a question in Policie than in Divinitie whether it should rest in the hands of a few intrusted by the Church or to be transmitted to the hands of a multitude or as our Preacher would have it k Politions annexed to the petition 10 to every particular member of the Church And where it is cleare in point of Divinitie where the Scripture hath not expressely set the rule as in this particular it is left doubtfull such Separatists interpreting that place of Matthew l Matth. 18.17 Sions plea 285. Titus 2.15 3.10 In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit divina Scriptura mos populi Dei instituta majoruÌ„ pro lege tenenda sunt sicut praevaricatores divinarum legum ita contemptores EcclesiasticaruÌ„ consuetudinuÌ„ coercendi sunt August ad Casulanum Goe tell the Church to bee the whole Congregation whereas others conceive it clearely restrained to such as are set in authoritie by the Church out of that of Titus who being entrusted by Saint Paul in the Churches of Crete hee directs him to rebuke with all authoritie And more particularly A man that is an heretique after the first and second admonition reject In this case we must examine the ancient continued practice and opinions of former times and Writers And such contemners of the customes of the Church sayes Saint Austin are to be compelled But truly this was so little questioned in antiquitie that it seemes it was never doubted by Calvin himselfe sayes he Calvin Epistol ad Gasperum Lizetum Nun quam utile putavi jus excommunicundi permitti singulis pastoribus Nam res odiosa est nec exemplum probabile facilis in Tyrannidem lapsus alium usum Apostoli tradiderunt I never thought it usefull to commit the power of excommunication to everie Pastour for it is an odious thing and not to be approved but would soone slip into tyranny and the Apostles left another custome And indeed what tyranny were not to be looked for from such aspirers if they were once invested in power who cannot smother their ambition till they get into possession what is the pride of the Prelates who admit the King the supreme head of the Church under Christ receive their designation from him hold the inferiour hath not power over the superiour compared with these spirits who tell us That Princes m T. C. Reply p. 144. Rogers Preface Huic disciplinae omnes orbis Principes Monarchas falce suas submittere pareâ—e necesse est Travers de Disciplina Ecclesiae fol 142. Baron Annals 1076. must be subject unto the Church and submit their Stepters and throw downe their Crownes before the Church and lick up the dust of the feet of the Church all which is applyed to their Presbyterie ascribing to every Presbyter what the Pope onely assumes to himselfe That all Kings ought to kisse his feet How this superintendencie is derived from Scripture how consonant to Antiquitie or consistent with the glorie of a King is considerible I conceived God himselfe had an high hand in the institution of Kings and Princes when hee leaves this principle in the Mosaick Law n Deuteron 17.15 Thou shalt set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse And in that hee sayes o 1 Samuel 15.11 I have set up Saul to be King And of David he sayes p 1 Samuel 16.1 I have provided me a King And of Salomon sayes the prophet q Nehemiah 13.26 God made him King over all Israel Nor does he dispose Crownes at the direction or by the advice of others r Daniel 4.31 for the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will But it should appeare he challenges to himselfe the sole proprietie of this King-making Jurisdiction in that he rebukes the Israelites saying They have set up a King but not by mee Å¿ Hosea 8.4 They have made them Princes and I knew it not And as in institution so in succession will
hee be the sole disposer of Monarchies t 1 Chron. 17.11 I will raise up thy seed after thee and establish his Kingdome Nor were his intentions sure to let this be a titular shadow onely without power when wee are told u Proverbs 16.14 The wrath of a King is as messengers of death And we are commanded to w 24.21 feare the Lord and the King x Daniel 2.37 Thou O King sayes the prophet Daniel art a King of Kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome power and strength and glorie And as the donation of this power is solely his so will he have the revocation too To Saul sayes the prophet y 1 Samuel 28.17 The Lord hath rent thy kingdome from thine hand and given it to thy servant David And to Salomon z 1 Kings 11.11 I will surely rend the kingdome from thee and will give it to thy servant a Daniel 2.21 Hee removeth Kings and setteth up Kings sayes Daniel Nor doth he seeme to subject them to the question of inferiours sayes Salomon b Ecclesiastes 8.4 Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What doest thou c Iob 34.18 Is it fit to say to a King sayes Job thou art wicked much lesse to expose them to violence But his precept d 1 Chron. 16.22 Touch not mine anoynted puts a guard upon their sacred persons which to violate though in our owne defence is a breach of his command Though Saul persecuted David for his destruction yet sayes he to Abishai e 1 Samuel 26.9 Destroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anoynted and be guiltlesse And lest these precepts might seeme discontinued with the Law they are renewed in the Gospel f 1 Peter 2.13 Submit your selves to the King as supreme And as if bare obedience were not enough without due reverence wee are againe commanded g 1 Peter 2.17 to feare God and honour the King But was this honour due to them onely from the Laitie Aaron the high priest called Moses the chiefe prince Lord h Exodus 32.22 And Aaron said Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot Or was the power of Kings subordinate or superiour to the Church We read that Jehosaphat King of Iudah appoynted Iudges Levites and Priests i 2 Chron. 19.5.8 And was this power continued in the Royall Race of Kings since the comming of Christ or extinguished by the greater light of his presence We find Christ himself rendring Tribute to Caesar Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars k Mathew 22.19 Or is it that Regall right fixt onely to the Scepters of Christian Kings and Princes We find the ancient Fathers gave to the Thrones of Princes though Heathens the prerogative God left them Tertullian tells us We give that Reverence to the Emperour as belongs both to us and him as a man second to God and onely lesse than God for so hee is greater than all others being onely lesse than God l Tertullian ad Scapulam cap. 2. Colimus Jmperatorem sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit ut Hominem a Deo secundum solo Deo minorem Hoc ipse volet sic enim omnibus major est dum solo vero Deo minor est Or is this right solely annext to the Imperiall Throne Hee againe tells us in the generall Kings are onely in the power of God from whom they are second after whom first before and above all others m Tertullian ad Scap. Are we onely to be subject while they rule over us after our owne desires and quit from our Allegeance under persecution St. Ambrose receiving Imperiall command to deliver up the Churches sayes Jf I bee compelled I may not oppose I may grieve I may weepe I may sigh Against Armes Souldiers the Goths also my Teares are my weapons such are the guards of a Priest I neither can nor ought to make other defence n Quid ergo turbamini volens nunquam vos deseram coactus repugnare non novi dolere potero potero flere potero gemere adversus arma milites Gothos quoque Lachrymae meae arma sunt Talia enim Ambrosius Concione 1. contra Auxentium But perhaps such passive piety was more requisite in those dayes when Gods designe was to convert the world by suffering nor by subduing when the seeds of Religion must bee water'd with the blood of Martyrs a Sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae than now in these purer times of Reformation Yet we see Calvin advises us not to fight for righteousnesse but to suffer for righteousnesse o Calvin Institut l. 4. c. 20. Art 29. Si ab impâ—o sacrilego principe vexamur ob pietatem subeat primùm delictorum nostrorum recordatio quae talibus haud dubiè Domini flagellis castigantur Jnde humilitas impatientiam nostram fraenavit succurrat deinde haec cogitatio non nostrum esse hujusmodi malis mederi hoc tantum esse reliquum ut Domini opem imploremus cujus in manu sunt regum corda regnorum Inclinationes If we be persecuted for godlines by an impious and sacrilegious Prince let us first of all remember our sins which no doubt are corrected by God with scourges this will bridle our impatience with humility Then let us entertaine this thought that 't is not our part to heale such distempers that this is our onely remedy to appeale to Gods assistance in whose hand are the hearts of Kings and the inclinations of Kingdomes And in another place he tells us b Calvin Institut l. 4. Insignis est memorabilis apud Jeremiam locus quem tamet si prolixiorem ideo non pigebit referre quia totam hanc quaestionem clarissimè definit the Prophet Ieremiah clearly resolves this question p Ieremiah 27.6 8. 9. 12. I have given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon And it shall come to passe that the Nation and Kingdome which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the K. of Babylon that Nation will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence untill I have consumed the land Therefore hearken not yee unto your Prophets nor to your Diviners and which speak unto you saying yee shall not serve the King of Babylon I spake also to Zedechiah King of Iudah according to all these words saying bring your necks under the yoke of the K. of Babylon serve him and his people and live Why will you dye thou and thy people by the sword pestilence and famine as the Lord hath spoken against the Nation that will not serve the King of Babylon Upon which place saies Calvin * Videmus quantâ obedientiâ Domâ—nus tetrum illum
ferocemque Tyrannum coli voluerit non alia ratione nisi quia regnum obtinebat Calvin Institut l. 4. cap. 20. Art 27. we see what obedience the Lord will have given to this wicked and fierce Tyrant for no other reason but because he was a King With whose counsell his successor Beza * Beza Epist 24. 2d peregri Eccl. in Anglia fratres well agrees Illud solis precibus patientiâ sanari potest The Triacle against this venome is Prayer not Vengeance We must be subject for Conscience sake q Rom. 13.5 Hence it is deduc'd and incorporated into an Article of our Religion r Article 37. That the Kings Majestie hath the chiefe Government of all estates Ecclesiasticall and Civill in all causes within his Dominions Which is not the sole position of our Church But with this agree all the Reformed Churches Å¿ Helverian Art 16. Bazil Art 7. Bohem. Art 16. Belg. Art 36. August Art 16. Saxon. Art 23. And more particularly the French Church whose Article of Religion is t Moulins Buckler of Faith Art 40. fo 535. Wee must not onely endure and suffer Superiors to Governe but also wee must honour and obey them with all reverence holding them for Gods Lieutenants and Officers whom he hath appoynted to exercise a Lawfull and an Holy charge we must obey their Lawes and Statutes pay all Tributes and Imposts bear the yoke of Subjection with a good and free will although they be Infidels Therefore we detest those that would reject Superioritie and establish community of goods and overthrow all course of Justice But yet perhaps the policy of States have found this Supreame power prejudiciall to the good of Common-wealths and the Lawes of God must give way to the Lawes of Nations since Salus populi Suprema Lex Gregor Tholosan Syntag jurum l. 47. ca. 17. N. 1. But experience tells us the Romans were quickly wearie of their change of Government from a King to a Senate and in nine yeares reduc't it to a Dictator finding by experience that commands depending upon divers votes beget distraction and Ruine And Historie informes us that the Spartan State wherein The King the Nobilitie and the people had their just proportions of power administration of Iustice and obedience subsisted above eight hundred yeares in a happy and flourishing Condition whereas Athens being a popular State scarce stood out an age The nearest degree of government to a Monarchy being ever longest lived and most glorious most safe for the people as was seen in Rome when the Commons to suppresse the power of the Nobilitie in the Consulls created the Tribunes of the people who sharing in government would share in honours and fortunes too which occasioned the Agrarian Law Titus Livius That no Citizen should have above five hundred Acres of Land and that the people should share equally in all Conquests This bred the quarrell of Sylla and Marius continued in Caesar and Pompey and ended in the ruine of Rome From these observations Tacitus drawes this conclusion Vnius Imperii corpus Tacitus Annalls 1. unius animo regendum videtur It is necessarie the body of one Empire should bee governed by one head which must not bee barely a Titular head a shadow of power without the weight of it for Lawes well made availe little unlesse they be entrusted to a hand that hath power to exact execution of them Nor doe I observe that these principles of Divinity or Policie doe essentially differ but rather seeme to bee â—he same with the fundamentalls of the Lawes of this Kingdome For sayes Bracton the learned Historian in the Genealogie of our Lawes Bracton fol. 107. u Rex ad hoc creatus est electus ut justitiam faciat universis quia si non esset qui justitiam faceret pax de facili possit exterminari supervacuum esset leges condere justitiam nisi esset qui leges tueretur Potentiâ verò omnes sibi subditos debet praecellere parem autem habere non debet nec multo fortius superiorem maximè in justitia exhibenda ut dicatur veré de eo magnus Dominus noster magna virtus ejus To this end was a King created and chosen that he might doe Iustice to all men because if there were not one to administer Justice peace would soone be rooted out and it were vaine to enact Lawes or talke of Iustice if there were not one to defend the Lawes Who must be one not subordinate to inferiour powers but sayes hee Hee ought to excell all his subjects in power And hee must have no equall much lesse a superiour chiefely in administring Iustice That it may truely bee said of him Great is our Lord our King great is his vertue And hence is it that such Princely jurisdiction superiorities and authority over Ecclesiasticall Causes and persons is annexed to the Imperiall Crown for ever by our Statute Lawes * 1 Eliz. 1. And that in the oath of Supremacie w Oath of Supremacie 1 Eliz. 1. we not onely acknowledge the King to bee the supreame Governour in all Ecclesiasticall things or Causes but are sworne That to our power we shall assist and defend all Iurisdictions Priviledges Preheminences and Authorities united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne In this Scala Regia this Gradation of Royall Monarchy we can finde nothing incongruous to the faith or liberty of a true Protestant But wee see our selves bound by Oath to acknowledge and support that Regall Government our Statutes have establish'd our Lawes approved Historie represents most happy policy recommends as safest to which all protestant Churches confesse due allegeance All Primitive times yielded full obedience To whose Throne Christ himselfe yields Tribute To whose power he commands submission and reverence To whose jurisdiction is committed the designation of Bishops and Judges whose persons God will have sacred whose Actions unquestionable whose succession he himselfe determines whose Kingdomes hee disposes and whose Election is the All-Makers sole prerogative Now whether these Crownes and Scepters shall be held Jure Divino or not I take not on me to determine but I may be bold to deliver Du-Moulins owne words x Moulins Buckler of Faith fol. 560. Whosoever buildeth the authority of Kings upon mens institutions and not upon the Ordinance of God cutteth off three parts of their authoritie and bereaveth them of that which assureth their Lives and their Crowns more than the guards of their bodies or puissant armie which put terrour into subjects hearts instead of framing them to obedience Then the fidelity of subjects will be firme and sure when it shall be incorporated into piety and esteemed to be a part of Religion and of the service which men owe to God SECT 10. Presbyterie inconsistent with Monarchy IN the government of the State as now it stands there being then so much Harmonie though it may sometimes bee out of Tune
If saith hee the Pope deposeth a King hee may not be driven away nor killed but by those to whom the Pope shall give order to doe it The Apostle bids us b 1 Peter 2.13 Submit to the King as supreme and to this the protestant sweares allegeance They say c T. C. lib. 1 pag. 3. The establishing of the Presbyterie is the full placing of Christ in his kingdome that Kings and Princes must be subject to some parochiall Presbyter with whom concurs Bellarmine d Chrâ—stus Ecclesiam regendam Petro Episcopis commisit non Tiberio ejus Praefectis Bellar. de Laicis cap. 7. Annot. on 1 Pet. 2.13 Christ sayes hee committed his Church to bee governed by Peter and his Bishops not by Tiberius and his Officers And in the Annotations on the Rhemish Testament Kings and Princes must be subject unto some Bishop Christ commands us obedience to pay tribute to Caesar The ancient Fathers direct us to beare with prayer and patience the persecutions of bad Princes Nay the very Heathens found humanitie where Divinitie was wanting to qualifie this Barbarisme Tacitus Tacitus Annals 12. advises To beare with the riots and covetousnesse of Kings as with barrennesse and other infirmities of nature for whiles there are men there will bee vices but they cannot continue long and will be recompenced when better come And he leaves us this his golden sentence Men are to reverence things past and submit to what is present and should wish for good princes but whatsoever they are endure them But some of these pious Presbyterians will neither be guided by precept nor president They hold it not enough for subjects not to obey but they must withstand wicked Princes e Goodman pag 43 57 72. They must take up armes against them f Englands complaint against the Canons They may kill them as monsters and cruell beasts g Goodman 99. Buchanan de jure Regni And if neither the Magistrates nor the people doe their office in deposing or killing of them then the Minister must excommunicate such a King h Knox Histor fol 78. Obedience fol. 116. Goodman 199. T. C. Part. 2. Reply 65. and any Minister may doe it against the greatest prince Nay if he be a just and gracious Prince towards his people yet hee must learne obedience to the presbyters otherwise sayes Barrow * Barrowes Discourse pag. 116. A Prince contemning the censures of the Church is to be disfranchized out of the Church and delivered unto Satan Here the universall Shepherd welcomes his brethren to the Romish fold whose principle it is i Bellarmin in Barkl cap. 21. Moulins Buckler fo 547. That being Pastour hee may shut up and destroy furious Rams that is Kings which are not obedient to him And the Jesuite tels us that k Tollet lib. 1. de Institutione Sacerdotali c. 13. An excommunicate person can exercise no act of jurisdiction And then sayes Tollet l Tollet lib. 4. de Instruct Sacerdotali c. 58. Vrbanus secundus Wee doe not hold them for homicides who being transported with zeale of the holy Church against the excommunicate shall chance to kill one of them Here let the loyall hearted Protestant stand at gaze a while and consider what effects the power of the keyes being thus distributed may produce when his King his Soveraigne to whom hee owes religious dutie legall obedience and to whom he is perhaps bound by oath shall by the breath of every Schismatike pastour of a parish be blowne into hell and he must then abandon all reliefe or communication with him to whom he is bound by allegeance To the poyson of such devillish doctrins let the eares of all good Christians be deafe from the infection God turne their hearts and with the Psalmist let al true protestants pray to the King of Kings Psalme 61.6 Psalme 21.7 That hee will prolong the Kings life and his yeares as many generations For the King trusteth in the Lord and that through the mercie of the Most High he may not be moved Verse 8. But that his hand may find out all his enemies and his right hand those that hate him SECT 11. Presbyterie inconsistent with Civill Magistracie BVT may bee these King-Curbers will bee themselves conformable to the Civill Magistrate and to keep the power of Kings within a tether is no hurt Though the light of Nature encline all creatures the experience of all Nations instruct all people to seeke a head to that body in which they contract themselves by conferring power to that head to conserve those rules of government or order they prescribe for their more securitie as well as Lawes to regulate the exorbitancies of unbounded Nature which semper nititur in vitium Yet all power that growes too great growes suspect and dangerous And this perhaps may be doubted easily to degenerate from securitie into Tyranny And therefore one prescribes us a remedy and tels us m Knox Hiâ— That God hath appointed the Nobilitie to bridle the inordinate appetites of princes and in so doing they cannot be accused as resisters of authoritie And some of them tell these great officers Goodman pag. 34. whence this superintendent power is derived to them Wherof sayes one of them came this division of personages Lib. de obedient p. 114. seeing all men came of one man and one woman was it for their lustie hawking hunting dicing carding dancing swearing fleering flattering for their cruell polling and pilling No Lib. de obedient p. 107 there was no such thing they have their honour of the people to revenge the injuries of their Governours And though such advance this power in the Nobilitie above the thrones of princes yet they think fit to put them in mind they have a superiour power above them too Knox pag. 272. by charging the Nobilitie upon paine of excommunication to joyne with them where they see cause to resist their prince But these degrees of government in Kings or Nobles are held perchance but the ill effects of too much power encroachments upon the liberties of free-borne men therefore they who have this power of the keyes Jure divino ought not to bee subordinate to any power that is of human institution Yet knowing that God who is the God of order and not of confusion hath ever appointed Magistrates to rule the people shewing the inconvenience of want of government in the men of Laish 1â—7 who sayes the Prophet dwelt carelesse after the manner of the Zidonians where there was no Magistrate in the land that might put them to shame in any thing who became a prey to the Tribe of Dan. And the Apostles precept being peremptorie Titus 3.1 To obey Magistrates They will perhaps give due obedience to the Civill Magistrate Melancthon tels us n Peccatum est mortale violare edicta magistratus Melancth in 13. ad Romanos It is a mortall sin to violate
there is no reason but the same Authoritie the Synagoge had under the Law should continue in the Church under the Gospell b Beza praefat ad libr. de excom verius fuit Synagogae sub lege c. That under the Law judgements betweene bloud and bloud between plea and plea c T. C. l. 2. p. â—7 Beza de excom 104. did belong to the Priests and that it was death for any man to rest in his determination To deduce this judiciall power to themselves they tell us Christ as a King not as a Priest or Prophet prescribed the forme of Ecclesiasticall government d Cartwr l. 2 p 240. And that every Eldership is the Tribunall seat of God e Bez. de Presbyt 124. That every well-ordered parish having a perfect Eldership is of equall authoritie f Cartwr l. 2. p. 419. So here we see every parochiall Presbyterie invested in Christs Throne claiming judiciall power immediately from Christ whereby as is set forth in the Geneva g Thes 83. Civiles quoque lites antequam Christiani essent Magistratus ex Apostolica Doctrina componebantur Discipline Civill contentions were compounded by the Elderships before there were any Christian Magistrates But how have they now lost that judiciall power No sayes Cartwright b Cartwright l. 1. p. 175. the same Authoritie which the Church had before there was a Christian Magistrate doth still continue And another would be glad to learn how this authority was translated from the Church unto the Civill Magistrate i Discourse of Discipl p. 118. 119. For saies Travers Heathen Princes being become Christians doe receive no further increase of their authority than they had when they were Pagans If so certainly in their esteeme all Civill Magistracie is but a meere usurpation upon the Tribunall of Christ the Eldership SECT 12. Presbyterie against Lawes BUt Kings Nobles Magistrates are all men subject to sins and infirmities and no reason the blind should lead them who have the light of truth Christ on his Throne fol. 67. being inwardly called and gifted as they say for the work of the Ministerie yet surely the Law is a perfect guid to which all men must give absolute obedience which is enjoyned by St. Paul Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of man 1 Pet. 2 13â— for the Lords sake This precept was so prevalent with the ancient Fathers that they conformed to the customes and rules of everie Church where they came St. Ambrose saies p Ambrosius in Epist 118. August ad Januarium Cum Romam venio jejuno Sabbato cum sum Mediolano non jejuno sic etiam tu ad quam forte Ecclesiam veneris eius morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi When I come to Rome I fast the Sabboth at Millaine I fast not so also doe thou in what Church soever thou commest observe their Customes if thou wilt neither give scandall to others nor have others give offence to thee And St. Austin seemes much to be troubled at the refractorinesse of such spirits as are not conformable to the government of the places they live in q Sensienim saepe dolens gemens multas infirmorum perturbationes fieri per quorundam fratium contentiosam obstinationem superstitiosam timiditatem qui in rebus hujusmodi quae neque Scripturae authoritate neque universalis Eccclesiae Traditione neque vitae corrigendae utilitate ad certum possunt terminum pervenire tantum quia suhest qualiscunque ratiocinatio cogitantis aut quia in sua patria sic consuevit aut quia thi vivit ubi peregrinationem suam quo remotiorem á suis eo doctiorem factum putat tam litigiosas excitant quaestiones ut nisi quoâ— ipsi faciunt nihil rectum existiment St. August in Epist 118. ad Januarâ—â—m Often saies he do I think with sorrow and groanes what vaine perturbations arise from some weak brethren by their contentious obstinacie and superstitious feares in such things which neither by authoritie of Scripture nor universall tradition of the Church nor necessarie conformity of manners can bee reduc'd to any certaine terme onely because they find various matter of Argument or because it was so in such a Countrey or because they are so farre out of conceipt with their owne that they hold those things most authentick which differ most from their present practisee Hereupon raising so many litigious questions that they esteeme nothing right but their owne fancies To such obstinate Opinionators Master Calvin whose Discipline they would seeme to imitate though I feare they will scarce follow his Doctrine leaves this principle I desire such may bee admonished first not to wed themselves to their owne folly Secondly that in such frowardnesse they hinder not the building of the Church Thirdly that foolish emulation transport them not for what cause have such of brawling but shame to yeild to their betters r Calvin Epistola ad Anglos agentes Franckfordâ—ae Illos monitos esse cupio ne sibi in sua inscitia nimis placeant dei de ne sua pervicatia sancti Aedificu cursam retardent Tertio ne stulta eos aemulatio abripiat Nam quae illis rixandi causâ— nisi quia pudet melâ—oribus cedere Now how farre the Apostles precept the Fathers president or the advice of Mr. Calvin prevailes upon some of these to submit to men or Lawes or with what moderation they proceed to establish their owne new Discipline is observeable Posito uno absurdo sequuntur mille is a Rule in Schooles and now can they bee conformable subordinate to Law or Government who lay their Principles above all Lawes They tell us a Practice of Prelates D. 2. the Presbyter is the only band of peace That b T. Cart. lib. 1. Epist the want of Eldership is the cause of all evills That this Discipline c Idem l. 1. p. 6. 48. is no small part of the Gospell it is of the substance of it * Knox Exhortation pag. 35. 43. That it is the Gospell of the Kingdone of God d Register pag. 68. That without this Discipline there can bee no true Religion e T. Cart. lib. pag. 220. Idem Preface to the Demonstrat That they that reject this Discipiine refuse to have Christ reigne over them and denie him in effect to bee their King or their Lord. And thence conclude that if any refuse to have the Lord Iesus set up as Lord let him bee f Christ on his throne fol. 76. Anathema Maranatha Vpon these pillars advancing the Church above the reach of all humane power telling us that every visible Church g In the 8. unanswerable propositions printed 1641. Eatons Positions not 9. which they say is every parish is an independant bodie of it self and hath power from Christ her head who hath left perfect Lawes for the government thereof which are unalterable and
unchangeable in all times ages and places by any the sons of men Which positions stand poynt blanck against the Articles of our Religion against the power of our Lawes By the twentieth Article we professe positively h Rogers fol 98. That the Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies fol. 211. By the 37. Article we declare That the Kings Majesty hath chief power in his Dominions that it is a prerogative given to all godly princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Civill sword the stubborne and evill doers Hereupon we lay the foundation of that Oath of supremacy ratified by our Lawes And such superiority i Statute Anno 1 Eliz. cap. 1. in the visitation of the Ecclesiasticall state reformation order and correction of the same and of all manner of errours heresies Schismes abuses offences contempts and enormities whatsoever is by the authority of Parliament united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of the Realme 25 Id. 8. And our Laws restrain the Clergie from making any Constitutions or Lawes without the Kings consent in opposition whereof saies one of them Admonition to the Parliament 2. No civil Magistrate hath such authoritie as that with out his consent it should not be lawfull for Ecclesiastical persons to make any Church order or Ceremony Which Rules if we shall make the touchstone of such new Doctrines we shall finde them upon nearer tearmes of reconciliation with the papist than the protestant The papist sayes Answ to the execut of Iustice d. 3. p. 56. The Emperor of the whole world if he take upon him to prescribe Lawes of Religion to the Bishops and Priests he shall be damned assuredly except he repent The making of Ecclesiastical Constitutions and Ceremonies belongeth unto the Ministers of the Church l T. C. Reply 1. p. 153. Admonition to the Parliament and Ecclesiasticall Governours unto the Elders who are to consult admonish correct and order all things pertaining to the Congregation Nor want they some false glosses of Scripture to varnish over this pretended Iurisdiction above Lawes but they plead obedience to the commands of disobedience which they inferre from that of St. Paul to the Galatians m Galatians 5.1 Standfast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath set you free Which though it bee plainly evident in the Text it selfe that by this freedome the Apostle intended freedome from the Law of Circumcision in the next verse saying I Paul say unto you n Galatians 5.2.3 4 5. that if you bee circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing for every man that is circumcised is a debtor to the whole Law and that Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are fallen from Grace For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse by faith Yet hence doe they ground their strong plea for exemption from all Authority as if it were an evidence of their faith to shake off the yoke of all Law From such another place in the Revelations by leaving out part of the verse To you I say as many as have not this Doctrine o Revel 2.24 and which have not knowne the depths of Sathan and taking onely the latter part Verse 25. I will put upon you none other burthen but that which you have already hold fast till I come They doe extort a construction fit to bee delivered in no other words but their owne who say this is p Sions plo 283. A most pregnant place against subjecting of our selves to any power or religious practice how specious and spangled with depth of devillish learning soever it be Having thus pleaded priviledge over some crie out mainly against Law and authority sayes one of them Impietie is suffered to beare sway against the Majestie of God q Supplication p. 59. Ibid. pag. 24. and that by Law and Authoritie And that such Lawes are retained in force as justle and overthrow the Royall prerogative of the Sonne of God But perhaps this exclamation is onely against such Lawes as support the prelates the enemies of presbyterie No they must have no Lawes to limit them r Epistle before the Demonstration B. 4. Bancroft fol. 55. As great indignitie is offered unto Iesus Christ sayes one in committing his Church to the government of the Common Law as can be by meane hirelings unto a King in committing his beloved Spouse unto the direction of the Mistresse of the Stewes and enforcing her to live after the lawes of a Brothell-house SECT 13. The inordinate violence of the Presbyterians FRom these principles doe such lawlesse Disciplinarians prosecute their designe with such spirit that nor King Nobles Magistrates Lawes nor any thing must stand in their way Å¿ Sions plea fol. 340. Aut hoc aut nihil is their Ensigne They who hinder discipline say they bring the State at length to an extremely desperate point Fol. 244. None but enemies to Christ are enemies to this government And as against enemies they proceed indeed t Sions plea fol. 240. Strike neither at great nor small but at these troublers of Israel smite that Hazael in the fifth rib yea if father or mother stand in the way away with them downe with the colours of the Dragon Fol. 200. advance the standard of Christ Not the white flag of truce but the red flag of destruction whose embleme was never by any Father till now writ in such bloudy characters u The title page to Sions plea And Christ on his Throne Those mine enemies which would not that I should reigne over them bring hither and slay them before me This till advanced by the new Standard-bea-bearer was never writ in the banner of that Lamb of peace these were none of those trophies I read of in the glorious throne in the Revelation When w Revel 5.6 in the middest of the throne and of the foure Beasts and in the middest of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had beene slaine not like a destroyer To whom the foure Beasts Verse 8. and foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lamb Verse 9. And sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud It was to this Sacrifice Verse 11. not Sacrificer That the many Angels about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders to the number of ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands cryed with a lowd voyce Verse 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slaine Nor were any of that scarlet liverie in his retinue x Revel 7.9 For loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues stood
on those pillars of our State that prop up the regulated Fabrick of this glorious Monarchy and by cracking them wilfully burie themselves and us in the rubbish of that Chaos which they so pull upon their owne heads seeking to turne our freedome into fetters by cancelling our ancient Lawes the Charters of true liberty and exposing us eternall Apprentices to the Arbitrarie Jurisdiction of a new Corporation of Apron Elders Mechanick Artizans as if they had forgot the old Rule Haec natura multitudinis est aut humiliter servit aut superbè dominatur When we know the principle of the Religion of some of these is That every man should be equall for calling and that there should bee no difference of Persons amongst Christians o Sleidan Com. l. 5. And the Maxime of policy is that to erect a paritie where there are many Gentry they must first dispatch them out of the way p Machiavell SECT 14. Presbyteriall Discipline brings not libertie to the vulgar but introduces a meere Arbitrarie Government BUt perhaps to all this the common people lend a ready eare This still tends to the inlarging of their lov'd liberty 'T is true indeed here is a large designe of libertie The Presbyters must as I have shewed have power over Princes Nobles Magistrates bee subordinate to no Lawes concluded by no Parliament but bee an independent bodie of themselves and the common people must be their factors for this freedome And when they have done all what share shall these deluded people have of this dreame of libertie Is it any other than such as a poore prisoner for debt finds when he is released from the bonds of the Law by a Turkish pirate hee tugs hard at an Oare to waft his Rescuers from the reach of his just Creditors but when hee hath brought them to their wished haven he there sees himselfe seven fold more slave than he was in prison chained to his Gally without hopes of Redemption rest or possibilitie of avoyding stripes though all his life besides bee but one continued drudgerie 'T is plaine indeed we shall set the Presbyterie free from the government of men or reach of Lawes but let us examine if the whole constitution of their Discipline bee not to us a bondage Their first Maxime is to place themselves above the reach of man what they deny as a Treasonable challenge in the Bishops against the prerogative of Princes they boldly assume to themselves to the little Bishop absolute Pope of every parish that their office is jure Divino q 8. Propositions printed 1641. Eatons Positions 6. 9. Every visible Church being an independent body of it selfe having power from Christ her head to binde and loose to receive in and cast out by the Keyes of the Kingdome whereby neither to their office nor authoritie doth either King or potentate man or Law contribute any thing not so much as in ordination of particular Ministers for they tell us r Christ on his throne fol. 67. Some Protestants are of opinion that Ordination cannot be performed but by a Prelate or at least by Ministers onely without whose imposition of hands it were no Ordination as is if it did conferre such an order Whereas say they the prime and proper conferring of this Order is by Christ himselfe inwardly calling and gifting a man for the worke of the Ministerie And though the Evangelist saies in the eighth to the Acts ſ Acts 8.18 That through laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given And St. Paul explaines it fully to be interpreted of Election into the Ministery charging Timothy t 1 Tim. 4.14 Not to neglect the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterie which they confesse was frequent in the Apostles times u Christ on his throne 68. Yet afterwards say they in successive ages there was no such gift annexed to the laying on of hands w Christ on his throne Prelacy misery fol. 7. Eatons Positions 2. but that the election of Ministers was by every Congregation respectively With this false pretence of power That to the people belonged the laying on of their hands as a token of their approbation and confirmation of him that is chosen working upon the vulgar who are ready to snatch at every shadow of liberty to advance their Hierarchy Though they must know as soone as they have done that they have raised a spirit they have not power to lay again for then they tell them the worke of their owne hands These new created x Chorda Angliae fol. 8. Proposition the 9. If any be so hardy as but to speak evill of any Minister or mis-name them he is to bee imprisoned Lawes of Geneva fol. 71. Pastors must be reverently respected and that the people bee not suffered in any wise to scandalize them nor have power to depose them or put them out whom before they have made choyce of But their position is A man once made a Minister is not to be kept back from preaching by the Inhibition of any creature y Martin Junior Thesis 106. No sooner advanc'd but straight the Scene is changed they write up actum est it is finished their worke is done and then the people that have all this while beene taught to value themselves z Buchani de jure regni fol 73. Populum á quo reges nostri habent quicquid juris sibi vendicant regibus esse potentiorem jusque idem in eos habere multitudinem quod illi in singulosé multitudine habent above the power of Kings who challenge all their right from them and that the multitude hath the same power over Kings that Kings have over every one of the multitude that it was their Office to pull downe Prelates and reforme Religion a Knox to the Communalty fol. 49. must now learne another lesson and know their distance That Oves non possunt judicare Pastores The Presbyter is no sooner in his chaire but he is presently a Iudge And if any heresie prophanenesse or Idolatrie creep into the Church he may root it out b Prelacy is miserie fol. 7. And not onely judge of Schismes or Heresies in poynts of Doctrine or faith but he with his Elders become absolute Chancellors over our Lives Families and Estates If we examine the latitude of their Commission wee shall finde it extend to no lesse one tells us the Minister and Elders are weekly to meet for censuring delinquents in swearing cursing prophanation of the Lords Day drinking Fornication adulterie and for debating of Heresies and superstitions c. c A report of the form of Church government by a Presbyterie And if any be suspected or if there be any scandall in the bounds proceeding with the censures of the Kirk against them that all transgressors may be brought to repentance or separated from the people of God Some
had such power as the Duke of Venice And having treated with the Duke of Savoy their enemy was forced to flye during whose life they could not make a new Bishop but submitted to a new forme of Government under Master Calvin who onely wanted the Title but was of much greater power than a Bishop nor was at that enmity with the Order as our Novelists are who professe it sinne to heare them or for their sakes any Ministers f 8 Propositions in Print preach in the Church of England For hee sayes Wee confesse that Bishops or Pastors must be reverently heard as farre as they teach the word of God according to their function g Calvin opusculum in Confes Eccles Gallic Fatemur ergo Episcopos five pastores reverenter audiendos quatenus pro suae functionis ratione verbum Dei docent But admit they being a private State a Cottage in respect of a Kingdome submit themselves to the Oeconomick Government of a Family theirs is no more in comparison to this glorious Monarchy shall we relinquish our Lawes can we reduce this populous Nation that peoples so many forraine Isles into the same mould that modells a handfull Some have already entertained so degenerate thoughts that they can mention Switzerland a faire patterne and so doe I with horror and indignation Others the Low Countrie Discipline pleases well a fit object for such they must indeed look downewards still that are so pleas'd and not upwards to the God of Order 1 Corinth 14. and not of Confusion who sees the distracted Sects and Schismes that abound in that State and does not pitty so neare so lov'd neighbours were not partakers of that blessing wee call miserie and out of love to Noveltie are growne wearie of uniformitie of Discipline Truth is wee are taken with the shadow of that which essentially is not there The Scepter of Discipline If we must change I would bee glad we might take president from their Metropolis Amsterdam where 't is true they were busie to advance this Throne of Christ to put this yoke upon the neck of that State but their troublesome and ambitious spirits once discovered they quickly nipt these soaring Birds i th' shell reduced the Pastors to the number of thirteene of those keeping for the most part three vacant which City being compared with this of London both for populousnesse and capacity it will easily appeare those ten who must supply the accidents of Festivalls Marriages and Funeralls doe not trouble their heads with many State affaires Yet to make them sure they allow them their Classicall meetings but provided one of the Magistrates of the Citie be present And if he say no all they consult stands for nothing This proposition made and assented to by all these zealous petitioners against this usurpation this Monopoly of the power of the Keyes in the hands of the Bishops That the prime Gentleman in every parish shall be perpetuall Elder and have a negative voyce I confesse in poynt of private policie I am convinc'd I may perhaps be in time an Elder and doubt not but the Gentrie will thus make a shift to keep the Clergy humble the vulgar low enough But if we must looke for new elections every year what must this produce but a little Civil war in every parish We have yet a nearer president and before we know what it is long for the Scottish Discipline I could be glad wee had so much patience to let them be our probationers therein for one seven yeares But we shall be told sic fuit ab antiquo it was so of old with them Now what effects both to King and Common-wealth the positions of some Disciplinarians of that Nation have in former times produc'd 't is better to be forgot than looked into All I shall say is That certainly our freer people have not such dependance upon are not indeed in such vassallage to the Nobility the Gentrie as the Common people of Scotland are in to their Lords their Nobility and Gentrie having absolute power over theit Tenants shall ever beare sway in the Church But it will not be so with us the inferiour sort of people once finding their power in popular election of Elders will rather exclude both Nobility and Gentry and then no doubt the Church will be well govern'd our Communalty depend upon Lawes not Lords 'T is Law which hath made us a free people That wee know by a certaine Law that our wives our Children our Servants our goods are our owne that we build we plough we sow we reap for our selves this is true libertie How little of this they enjoy from whom wee would take a patterne who are but Tenants at will to their Lords they that will sedato animo compare the Constitution of that State with this would with mee againe crie Oh fortunati nimium bona si sua nôrint Angligenae SECT 18. Conclusion to review Episcopacie IF then there be no president that exactly parallels ours without great alteration wee must certainly introduce aliquid de novo set up some new forme by our selves And what inconveniences that may bring to a setled State was well exprest by St. Austin Ipsa mutatio Consuetudinis etiam quae adjuvat utilitate novitate perturbat k Austin ad Ianuar. Ep 118. cap. 5. which is ingeniously exprest by that learned Verulam l Verulams Considerations concerning pacification of the Church fol. 9. Way given to mutation though in taking away abuses yet it may so acquaint men with sweetnesse of change as it will undermine the stabilitie even of that which is sound and good holding it against all good policie to innovate any thing in Church matters and whether warrantable in Divinitie or no to abolish so ancient a Constitution is questionable 'T was me thinks a Maxime of some weighr Qui mala introducit voluntatem Dei oppugnat revelatam in verbo Qui nova introducit voluntatem Dei oppugnat revelatam in rebus Hee that brings into the Church any bad custome opposes the will of God revealed by his word who introduces any new customes opposeth Gods will revealed by fact If then in the whole series of this new Predicament of Discipline wee should put our selves into wee finde the designe of such is to draw their necks out of the yoaks of all Ecclesiasticall and Civill Government neither to be prescribed in Doctrine nor Discipline their persons restrayned by no Law their Government inconsistent with Monarchy Magistracy Lawes destructive to Gentrie Their calling independent either on King or people Their power above Princes Potentates Nobles People Lawes Parliaments their errours accomptible to none but Christ alone no forraine State or Reformed Church giving any exact president absolutely parallell with ours and no so great mutation being without hazard to the State and perhaps not warranted by Gods Word In the name of God let us looke ere wee take this desperate leap from the inconveniences whereof can bee no recovery if they once get the upper hand but by a new Conquest Farre bee it from mee to presume to prescribe a remedy 't is the easier way to give cautions to descry inconveniences to discover Rocks than to assume to steere the ship of State in a safe course to give Counsell other than what is warranted by good authoritie In such distractions when wee finde the time now fully come m 2 Tim. 4.3.4 That men will not endure sound Doctrine but after their owne lusts heap up to themselves teachers having itching eares turning from the truth unto Fables And as St. Peter sayes n Peter 3.16 Being unlearned and unstable wresting the Scriptures to their owne destruction Then is the Prophets Counsell seasonable State super vias Antiquas o Ieremiah 6.16 Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old paths where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest for your soules Let us looke back into Antiquitie and see before wee part with this reverend old order of Episcopacy for this new fangled Discipline whether it will bee made good to bee deduc'd from Christ himselfe to his Apostles to the Angels of the Churches to the Fathers of the Primitive times continued in the same jurisdiction and superiority over other degrees of the Clergie distributed into Diocesses honour'd with Titles and Attributes indued with power approved in other Reformed Churches and no way opposite to but consistent with our Lawes and then though there be many errours crept into the execution which prove not to bee in the Constitution I hope we shall have it reduc'd to its antient puritie and not cast away our Gold for a little rust In the disquisition whereof I would not have any man looke for any thing from me de novo or thinke I assume to adde any strength to their cause I doe but binde together a posie of the flowers of others planting onely having taken some paines to please and satisfie my selfe I shall be glad if any man else can reap any content out of my labours Et tu confirmatus confirma fratres was Christian Counsell and I confesse had I power to doe it I would draw all the world to my opinion that is to reverence their Calling preserve their Order yet with as free a resolution and as respectlesse of their persons submit to the exemplar punishment of such as staine the honour of their Coat entrench upon our Liberties negligently starve their flock covetously engrosse the meanes of faithfull Labourers or with their Novelties distract the Church as any man that lives FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Wykes May 28. 1641.