there had been no other meanes for him to have come to the knowledge of the Scripture this doth not necessarily follow But were it granted that had not the Church told Augustine which was the Scripture and Word of God that he had then never beleeved it to be the Word must â—his conclusion of necessity be gathered from thence That all men must be like Augustin in this or that the Autority of men is greater and above the Scripture all â—hese are poore lame consequences and not beseeming the worthy Faâ—hers of the Church in open Court to publish to the infinit dishonour of holy Scripture advancing human Autority above it which indeed is meere blasphemy against the Holy Word of God For would not every man accuse one of folly if an other being a stranger and never seeing the King and meeting him in a journey with all his Nobles richly clad as it beseemeth noble Peeres so to be for the honour of their Master and the Majesâ—y of his Court and in this company where there are so many brave personages and all so excellently apparrelledâ— and he not knowing vvhich vvas the King should aske some of his retinue or some Courâ—ier vvhich of those vvere the King Novv doth it follovv because at that time the man should not have knovvne the King vvithout this information from some of the attendantâ— that the King could no other way have beene knowne unto him or that Kings could be knowne no other wayes but by such informatioÌ„s No rational creatures wil so conclude at that time he in part beleeved from the Courtiers relation that it vvas the King But after that he seeth the King in his Court or upon his thâ—one vvith his crovvne upon his head and vvith all his State and Magnificence and his Nobles in their service vvith the reverence that is yeilded unto him then hee beleeveth no longer because the Servant told him that it vvas the King but because by his ovvne reason he is evinced of it knovving that such attendance such a guard â— so great pomp dignity and State belongeth to none but Kings And it vvould be thought not madnes only but treason to say if one had not told him that it was the King othervvise the King could not be knovvne or that he that told him vvas greater then the King or his Autority greater The same may be sayd of the Holy and ever bleâ—sed Word of God that it is a great madnes impiety to conclude That the Holy Scripture cannot be knovvne to be the Word of God vvithout the Autority of the Fathers or Church or that the Autority of either is greater then the Scriptures vvhich to affirme is vvithout doubt blasphemy in a High degree against Almighty God and his blessed revealed vvill able to provoke his indignation upon us because it is an error against the very light of Nature art and reason and the apparent Words of the Scripture vvhere the Word of God is called the immortall seed 1. Pet. chap. 1. v. 23. vvhich liveth abideth for ever Novv all seed by its invvard vertue sproutet into a blade is by it self and his ovvne fruits knovvn to be vvhat it is So is the Scripture of it self knovvne to be the Word of God and as Paul sayth in the 1. of â—he Cor. chap. 2. ver 4. the Word of God is in the Demonstration of the Spirit in povver and maketh the hearts of the beleevers burne vvith in them as it did to those that â—vent vvith Christ to Emmaus Luke the 2â— vers 32. and as the Apostle sayth in the first to the Thessalonians the 2. chap. vers 3. that they received the Word of God not as the vvord of man but as it is in the trueth the Word of God vvhich effectually vvorketh in those that beleeve and in the 4. of the Hebr. 12. Paul sayth that the Word of God is quick and povverfull sharper then a tvvo edged Svvord piercing even to the dividing asunder the soule and Spirit and of the raines and marrovv and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart So that by these testimonies and thousands more that might be produced it is sufficiently evident that the Scriptures of themselves are declaratory and by their ovvne native and inbred splendor doe conciliat Autority credit to themselves neither have they any need of 〈◊〉 from man or the Fathers Autority to prove them â—â—e Word of God For before there vvere any Fathers the Scriptures had their Autority and vvere knovvne to be Divine Neither did the Fathers or Church make them Authentick or the Word of God no more then a Piller maketh a proclamation to bee the Kings vvill and pleasure because it stands upon it but the Church or Fathers declared them so to bee neither doth or can the very Synagogue of Rome deny this How impious then and blasphemous are â—he Prelaâ—es that they dare thus vilify the holy Scriptures and make their autority nothing And can any man of judgment see any reason why one should beleeve the Fathers more then the Scriptures or why one should beleeve that these are the works of Augustin or Ambrose should doubt that this is the Gospell of Luke Iohn or that these are the Epistles of Paul Of these things the Defendent for his part can see no reason Neither can there any solid reason be yeelded why one should beleeve the Fathers more theÌ„ the Scriptures themselvesâ— when the Fathers are not to be câ—â—dâ—tedâ— but as they accord with Scripture as the very Popish Canons Papists themselves acknowledge for in the Canon law thus speakes the Pope Paâ—rum quantalibet doctrina sanctitate pollentium Scripta ex Canonâ—â—â—â— sacris consideranda nec cum credendi necessitate sed cum judicandi libertate legenda sunt Neither is Baronius his opinion other concerning the autority of the Fathersâ— as at large may be seen in his Annals an 34. § 213. and an 44. § 42. And for Bellarmine he is of the same mind in his 2 booke concerning Councels in the 12 chapter in these words Sacra Scripta Patrum non sunt regula nec habâ—nt autoritatem obligandi And when the very adversaries doe thus fully expresse themselves that whatsoever autority is in the Fathers books and writings it is onely as they harmonise and accord with the Scripture shall any man then thinke or suppose that there should yet be more autority in the writings of the Fathers or in the Decrees of Councels then there is in the holy Scriptures from whence as the Fountaine those streames doe issue very reason will confound the fatuity of this devillish doctrine for the streames brookes are never so pure nor good as the fountaine for it is ever the fountaine that gives authority of goodnes and the name of excellency to the little sucking rivers as all men knowâ— and they commend the waters ever from the fountaine they come so
that the spring hath ever the precedency and is of greatest autority and without all controversy as it overthroweâ—h all reason so it is exceedingly impious against our great God the fountayne of all good and the giver of every good and perfect gift and they that shall speake so contumeliously as the â—iâ—â—â—ps doe of these Fountaynes of living waters â—he holy Scriptures as they did the Defendent wâ—ll euer mayntaine they are contemners and despisers of the holy Scriptures and in this opinion he will live and die Neiâ—her did they lesse offend in saying that the Scriptures could not be knowne from the Apocryâ—ha without the help and auâ—hority of the Fathers which poynt also the Defendent desireth this honorable Court to heare a little discussed it being a thing of so high nature concerning not onely the glory of God buâ— the good of every mans Soule the peace of the Church and the tranquillity of the whole Kingdom And therefore he humbly craveth favour that he may agitate it here a little for the furtheâ— Demonstration of the iustnes of his accusaâ—ion hee chargeth the Prelats with viz That they are disgracers and contemners of the holy Scriptures They say that the Scriptures can not be distinguished from the Apocrypha but by the Fathers which assertion is against sense and reason it self too impious for Prelats to speake Is not this an essentiall property of the Scriptures of the old Testament that they were written in the Hebrew tongue and that they did give witnes of Christ and received autority from him and that they were put into the hands keeping of the elect chosen people of God as a Treasury Now the Apocrypha had none of all this honour Neithâ—r did ever the Jews account of them as Scripture yea to this day they reject them Neither for these reasons onely are they distinguished from the Apocrypha but for many others the divinity purityâ— sublimity appeares in the Canonicall Scriptures the futility folly and falsity in the Apocrypha are too too manifest and is there any man so stupid blockish to thinke that this age wherein we live cannot distinguish or discerne gold from lead without the autority of the Fathers There is a vaster difference between the Apocrypha and the Canonicall Scriptures then is between gold and lead Every mans reason will tell him an apparent difference between brasse beanes But if any be desirous of autority to distinguish them will not Christs and the Apostles suffice The very Papists that have not abiured all honesty goodnesâ— do freely acknovvledge and confesse that those onely are Canonicall Scriptures which the Apostles did eiâ—her write or approve of But thâ—y did never approve of the Apocrypha The Canonicall Scriptures of the old Testament did in shâ—dows and figâ—res sett fâ—rth that which thâ— new Testament cleâ—rly speaks They did adâ—mâ—rate the new Testament expresseth in lively colours one anâ— the same thing They consent one with an other and yeild each other mutuall ayde and help Now the Apocrypha do neither foretell the new nor are by their autority and approbation illustrated and declared Christ commends Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes as books without all exception Luc. 24. and grounds his doctrine upon them but never honours nor graceth the Apocrypha with his Commendations or wiâ—nes How then can the Prelaâ—s without great conâ—umely unâ—o the sacred Scriptures say they cannot be distinguished and knowne from â—he Apocrypha but by the Fathers especially after the judgment of Christ himself is given and hath passed upon the Scriptures for the autorizing of them to be â—he word and will of God The Fathers as the learned acknowledge were for their times many of them worthy of honour but yet they vvere subject not to a fevv errors and often agreed not vvith themselves and are ever at variance vvith others and have been indeed the originall and cause of allmost all the coâ—troversies vvith vvhich the Churches are novv tormented And therefore to conclude this poynt the Defendent sayth that the Prelats are disgracers and contemners of holy Scripture vvhen against so much light of reason and Divine autority they say they cannot be distinguished and knovvne from the Apocrypha but by the Fathers Neither â—s the third Thesis Position freer from impudency and outrage against the Scriptures then the tvvo former In that they say the meaning of the Scripture could not be knovvne but by the Fathers For in this they doe as much as playnly affirme there is an other vvay to heaven then by â—he Scriptures vvhich if it be not a contemning and disgracing of holy Scripture then there never vvas any Nay if it be not blasphemy the Defendent knovveth not vvhat blasphemy isâ— and therefore all those that desire salvation and to goe to heaven must come to the Schoole of the Fathers and not to the Doctrine of the Scriptures And hovv then vvill the poore people doe to be saved that never knevv vvhat a Father vvas Nay hovv did all those goe to heaven that dyed before the Fathers For the Prelats say that the meaning of the Scripture cannot be knovvn vvithout the Fathers vvithout the knovvledge of the Scripture there is no salvation It is most manifest by these expressions of the Prelats that they vvith their untempered morter vvould put out the light of the Scripturesâ— make them not onely inferior to all mens vvritings but a very pack of Non-sense for vvheresoever thâ—re is any sense there can something be gathered out of it especially if it be so large a Booke And hovvsoever there bee many depths in Scripture there is also great perspicuity so that according to the ancient saying as an eliphant may svvimme a lamb may vvade thâ—re also But if it should be so as the Prelats say that without the autority and interpretation of the Fathers the meaning of them could not be knowne found out then the Dâ—fendent affirmeth they should be inferior to all other writings yea to every Letter and Epistle that men penn with understanding for they ever carry their owne sense and meaning along with them or to what end are they otherwise writ If the letter that discovered the gunpouder treason had not had a match and light of understanding in it that Popish plot had never been discoveredâ— till by its cruell flames it had declared it self and by the funerall of the vvhole Kingdome had been made knovvne and left those that survived and lived in perpetuall mourning If every Letter-vvriting and booke then that is penned vvith judgment carry its ovvne sense and meaning in it and the books for vvhich the Defendent is novv questioned and if all Proclamations Lettres and Edicts of Princes are easily to be understood and carry their ovvne interpretation vvith them so that none after their publication may pretend ignorance dare any man be so bold and audacious as to say that the Letters and Proclamations of the King of heaven and
the said Iohn Bastvvickâ— by the advice confedeâ—acyâ— combination abetment helpe and assistance of the sayd Henry Burton and Mr. Prin c. hath unlavvfully contrived framed and vvriâ— vvithout licence printed divers epistles prefaces additions other passages annexed and inserted thereunto and all vvritten by him the sayd Iohn Bastvvick or by his advice and approbation in vvhich book he hath causlesly boldly enveighed against the Oath ex officio other the antient formes and proceedings of the sayd High Commission Court c. against the Hierarchy of the Church preferring a Presbyterian parity before the sacred and setled Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons and in the sayd book hath falsly and scandalously defamed the vvitnesses produced against him falsly allso and maliciously taxed the High Commission Court it self and the Iudges therein in generall and some of them particularly personally vvith cruelty injustice vvith vvant of vvisdome temperance and that they are persvvaders of his Mast. though in vaine to bloudâ—hed and are upholders of idolatry superstition prophanesse and therein farther most malicioâ—sly falsly affirmeth That the Archbishop the Lord Treasurer and the Bishop of Ely three of the most vvorthy and learned Prelats of the Kingdome that they are disgracers and contemnets of the holy Scriptures and falsly traduceth them for Traytors and invaders of his Mast. prerogative And in the sayd booke are contayned divers other unlavvfull scandalous libellous passages vvhich beeing many and of various natures is annexed unto the information as a part thereof to vvhich he referreth himselfe To all vvhich large accusation the Defendent for ansvver saith That vvhereas these things of so foule nature consequence are layd upon him Mr. Burton and Mr. Prin That the informers begin their accusation with a calumny As for the defendents ovvne partscular he affirmeth and that truely That for reverend and learned Mr. Henry Burton and Mr. Prin he hath never knovvne them othervvise then to be loyall Subjects unto his Mast. and such as in all peaceable vvayes and honest endeavours have sought vvished earnestly laboured for the promotion of the true Christian faith and religion and such no other maner of men he the defendent hath ever knovvne them and such he verily believeth they are and therefore as they feare God honour the King he is and hath been and ever vvill be by the grace of God an a better vvith them and if that in so doing and practising it be counted either faction confederation or combination he vvill live and dye in it But notvvithstanding of the resolution and purpose of the defendent he further for satisfaction to the information sayth that hovvsoever the forenamed Master Burton and Mr. Prin and himself have been of long acqueyntance yet their familiarâ—â—y hath been ever very little they having not by the 4. or 5. yeares together neither seen nor heard one of an other and for these three yeares last past the defendent sayth that he hath not seen the face of Mr. Prin nor been ever vvith Mr. Burton above tvvice or thrice as he remembreth much lesse bene privy or acquaynted the one vvhat the others either proceedings or intentions vvere and therefore for ever doth disaâ—owâ— any help counsell advice in the making or publishing of any thing that ever he hath done but vvhatsoever he hath vvrit it vvas accomplished before that they knevv of it And for the other men specifyed in the information the defendent knovves them notâ— neither by face nor name and this he is ready to depose And so much may suffice in generall to have spoke of this matter But novv more especially vvhereas he the defendent is accused of long continuance to have envyed maligned his Mast. happy governmenâ— and the good discipline of the Churchâ— Hee the defendent protesteth in the presence of Godâ— and before the vvorld that it is a most false accusation and that there is never a Subject in his Mast. dominions a more honourer of the government of his Imperiall Mast. one that desireth more the good discipline of the Church and is able to produce the testimonies of all the places he haâ—h lived in in this Kingdome both from Magistrats Ministers for the honesty and integriâ—y of his life and conversation and that in all respects he hath so demeaned himself as that he hath not onely been free from viceâ— faction schisme but from the suspition of all vvhich testimonies he hath ready to shevv to this honorable Court the vvhich he exhibited to â—he High Commission Court at that time they studyed most to defame him all this both towne and contrey can testify as also of the infatigable diligence in his particular calling How that he neglected no opportunity to doe the indigentesâ— men good how that being unwearyed in his imployments he wenâ— through the heat of Summer the cold of Winter rose earlie went to bed late exposing himself at all times to any danger whatsoever of plague and pestilence and all to doe the meanest of the Kings Subjects good never taking penny of poore nor never of servant never suffering the most neglected creature of nature to perish for want of care or looking to but made them all an object of his pity and of his art giving them out of his poore competency both for their food Physick neither can any man say that ever he asked the richest a farthing for any paynes he tooke day or night for their preservation or that he ever murmured at the smallest content thy gave him if the Prelâ—â—s had let him follow his calling this defendent had continued in this diligent course of life till the day of his death Buâ— they picking a quarrell with him for writing in defence of the Kings prerogative Royall against the Popeâ— sayingâ— that while hee writ against the Pope he meant them put him upon sâ—ch imployments as he indeed thinks will be very little pleasing to the Prelats allâ—hough he is most cenfident that in them he hath and shall doe the King and Church good service and so he knoweth it will appeare when he is dead and gone But because this bookâ— is now layd unto the Defendents charge as tending to thâ— mayntenance and upholding of schisme and division iâ— his Mast. Church of England opposition against thâ— laudable Orders and Ceâ—emonyes of the sayd Churchâ— howsoever there be no such thing in the sayd Flagâ—llâ— yeâ— this Defendent desireth to give a reason unto this honorable Court for the writing publishing not onely oâ— that booke but of all other his writings since And first concerning the booke for which he was censured He saith that he was provoked thereunto by a Popish Iesuiticall Doctor of Physick who continually dared him into the field of Dispute and set downe his owne theames about which he wâ—â—ld contend which were concerning the Popes Supremacy and the sacrifice of the Masse And it
the infinit dishonour of our great God blessed for ever Truely besides the sparkles of Divinity and the Spirit of God illuminating in the Scriptures which writ them the excellency and goodnes of their object and matter the purity the perfection the Antiquity the universall consent and agreement of themâ— the majesty and simplicity of the languages and speech they are writ in the conviction that is in them of wicked rebellious consciences beating downe humbling the strongest Spirits the certayne event of things foretold in them the integrity of the Writers being farre from all fraud and guile setting downe their owne infirmities and the weaknesses of their families which human reason would never have done the preservation of these Holy Scriptures in all ages from the fury of the persecuters and out of the hands of those that studyed to destroy them the constancy of the Martyrs allwayes that beleeved kept them and the fearfull tragicall ends of such as were enimies of them These the Defendent sayth and many more reasons there are to prove the Scriptures to be the word of the ever living God by themselves without any Autoritie of Fathers But yet one reason moreâ— the Defendent thought fit to add before he returneth againe to the Holy Scriptures owne Autorityâ— which is sufficiently able to declare it to be the Word of God And that is this All things that are mens owne whether counsayles Lawes ordinances inventions Polityes or projects orders of government c. they are agreeable ever to the corrupt nature of man or els to carnall reason men commonly hugg their owne devices Now if the religion that is set downe in Holy Scriptures or the Scriptures themselves had ever been the fiction excogitation of mens braines as some prophane Atheisticall men thinke who suppose and say â—hat religion was by Policy invented to keep men in awe then the Defendent sayth that all men would willingly and without reluctation have embraced and received them and given them ever admittance and free entertaynment for the world ever loveth his owne Now it is notoriously knowne that no carnall men either love the Scâ—iptures or regard them nay it hath been allwayes the endeavor and the greatest plot and conspiracy of wicked and ungodly men and the adversaryes of the trueth either totally to extinguish them or to vilify their Autority as K. Iames of renowned memory in his Apology to all Christian Princes sufficiently declareth discovering therein the Popes double diligence in that busines So that were there no other reason but this alone it were of conviction enough to prove the Holy Scripture to be â—he Word of God because it so much opposeth impiety wickednes cruelty unrightuous dealing errors and darknes which carnall and sensuall men love moâ—e then light And whereas the Prelats with the Papists produce the Autority of the Fathers for the mayntayning of what they speake and in Court alledged that of Augustin Where he sayth that he would not have beleeved the Scripture if the Church had not told him it was the Scripture The Defendent for his part is sorry to see such a profane Sympathy between the Prelats Papists in these things who deale with true Christians as the Gibeoniâ—s dealt with the Israëlits in the 9. of Iudges who pretended they were Ambassadors tooke olds sacks upon their asses and old tattered bottles and clouted shooes and ragged clothes and pretended they came from a farre Country and so the Israëlits not taking counsell of the Lord were cosened and deluded by them Even so the Papists and Prelats under pretence of the ancienâ— Writers and with their old shooes and moldy bread of uncoth antiquiâ—y rob us of â—he trueth and take away from us â—he bread and staffe of life by which wee should safely and comfortably walke to Heaven and happines and under the pretence of the Fathers their Autority they abuse and deceive the simple But in this cause Augustin is not very usefull unto them for his Autority in this so waighâ—y a matâ—er is to rationall men of no great validity for the Defendent demands of any that hath but the grace of understanding that if Augustine would never have beleeved that there had been a God without the Church had told him so must his infideliâ—y make others Aâ—heists also this will not be thought good reason amongst the learnedâ— for then one mans imperfections should be a rule for multitudes to goe to hell unbelief should be a vertue And yet it is not altogether denyed but that the perswasion and report of men may be a motive to stirre up men many times to the hearing perusell of a thing which of it self doth not alwayes beget faith or but very little as dayly experience teacheth us but the thing it selfe seene or heard is that that workeâ—h and affecteth it and makes their faith so firme and stedfast that all though the same partyes should a thousand times after deny that to be so yet they to the death would persever in that their true believe As for example vve see in the people of Samaria that were by the womans perswasions brought ouâ— to see Christ and in some small measure beleeved in him from her relation that he was the Messiah yet when they had talked with him themselves they openly affirmed that then they beleeved not because the woman had told them but from more excellent reasons and grounds that they themselves had heard him And should the Samaritan woman a thousand times after that have denyed that he had been the Messiah they would never have been removed from their faith in Christ for all that The same may be sayd of Nathaniel in the first of Iohn to whom Philip saydâ— That he had found him of whom Moses spake in the Law and the Prophets Iesus of Nazarreth and Nathaniel sayd unto him Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip sayd Come and see Iesus saw Nathaniel comming unto him and saith to him Behold an Israelit indeed in whom is no guile Nathaniel sayd unto him whence knowest thou mee Iesus answered and sayd unto him Before that Philip called thee when thou werâ— under the Fig tree I saw thee Nathaniel answereth saith unto him Rabbi thou art the son of God thou art the King of Israel And howsoewer Philip here was an occasion of bringing Nathaniel to Christ yet the sight of Christ and his Miracles were the things onely that begat true faith in him and such a faith as all the Philips in the world could never after have removed him from it againe And so was it with Augustine perhaps that being a learned infidell or little better a Manichee through the perswasions of learned Christiaâ—s he came to looke in the Word of God as all faith commeth by hearing but doth it therefore follow that that was onely the cause of his faith and perseverance in it or if the Church had not told him so
eternall life they testifie of mee And in the 3. of the Acts ver 22 23. S. Peter brings all men unto Christ to be taught by him not in somethings onely but that Prophet must be heard in all things and no other in Gods matters must be listened unto the words are these For Moses truely sayd unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto mee him shall you heare in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shal come te passe that every Soule which will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people And in the 12. of Iohn vers 48. our Saviour sayth He that rejecteth mee and receiveth not my Words hath one that judgeth him the Word that I have spake the same shall judge him in the last day And therefore doth it not stand with all good reason that we should guide square our lives and actions by that word and rule onely by which we shall at the last day be judged Paul in the 2. of the Rom. ver 16. sayth That the secrets of mens hearts shall at that day be judged according to his Gospell shall not all our doctrines yea and our whole Religion be squared and regulated by the same all good reason vvould dictate so They have Moses the Prophets sayth Abrahamâ— let them heare him saith he Luc. 16. ver 29. We have Christ and his Apostles we are onely to heare them in all things not the Faâ—hers not the traditions of the Elderâ— not the use customes of former ages if they dissent from the holy Scriptures and vvritten word of God For the great Doctor of his Church telleth the Saduces saying Yee erre not knovving the Scriptures Matth. 12. vers 24. indeed from the ignorance of the Scriptures commeth all error they that follovv the Scripture for their guide can never stray or straggle from the right vvay neither have they need to borrovv the candle of the Fathers to be directed by so long as the glorious Sun of the vvord shineth so clearly and it was the eternall praise and commendations of the more noble Bereans that they did dayly search the Scriptures vvhether the things the Apostles taught vvere so or no. Acts 17 ver 11. and Paul is greatly honored vvith this applause in the 26. of the Acts ver 22. that he taught no other things then those vvhich the Prophets and Moses did say should come te passe And so Christ taught his Apostles Luc. 24 that all things ought to be fullfilled concerning him vvhich vvere vvrit in Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes So that the Scriptures alone are the Foundation of all our religion and to say that the meaning of the Scriptures can not be knowne without the Fathers is an unsufferable wickednes done unto that holy booke and an infinite contempt and disgrace of it to say it hath need of the ayde of man to support it Christ vanquished the Devill by the Scriptures Matth. 4. drove away the Saduces Matth. 22 and S. Iames by the Scriptures put an end unto the great controversy of the Churches at Ierusalem set the Churches of the Gentiles free for ever from all Ceremonyes vvhatsoever but those God himselfe had appoynted Acts 15. and onely by the Scriptures did Paul resolve all questions So that according to Gods ovvne instruction and direction vvhich must ever be obeyed and listened unto the Scriptures onely soly must bee the Iudge Law square rule of all our religion vvords actions Not the Autority of the Fathers not the traditions of men not the practice custome of the ancient and the name of Antiquity For they that shall preferre these things before the Word of God or at least affirme that these Holy Oracles and Divine records cannot be understood vvithout the Fathers do not only blasphemously disgrace and contemne the Holy Scriptures but neglect the great Prophet vvhom vve ought to heare in all things so that listening unto the voice of men before the vvords of this great Prophet accusing the Scriptures of obscurity and saying they are the refuge of all Schismaticks and Hereticks is great impiety contumacy against God most injurious to the Holy Scriptures All which the Prelats being so highly guilty of the Defendent will never be a frayd to charge them with it that they are disgracers contemners of Holy Scripture withall that they are very ungratefull to the King their master invaders of his Prerogative Royall all which he shall make also evidently appeare to this honorable Court and how unworâ—hily yea prophanely they have abused not onely the King their now Soveraigne but his most excellent Father of pious memory And that they are invaders of his Prerogative it iâ— most certayne not onely by the Statuts Lawes of the Kingdome but by this very information For by the Lawes Statuts specified before with many others it is solemnly inacted That whatsoever Autority is here exercised under the King in his Dominions whether it be Spirituall or Temporall whether by Archbishops Bishops or any Ecclesiasticall men it is meerly in by and from the King and so ought to be acknowledged and that all jurisdictions superiorities all privileges and preeminencies spirituall and Ecclesiasticall are annexed unto the Imperiall Crowne so to be acknowledged And whosoever doth not acknowledge that all jurisdiction and Autoritie both Spirituall and Temporall is derived and doth flow immediatly from the Kings Majestâ— as supreme head under Christ in these Churches and in his Kingdomes as the Statutes declare at large is ipso facto in a praemunire and under his Majest high displeasure For it is the Prerogative of Princes and the priviledge that onely agrees to Kings and Potentates to be absolute in their Dominions and that all other jurisdictions superiorityes exercised by any other in their Kingdomes are derived from them and that of themselves they have none but as from the Kings So that it is arbitrary and in the Princes power to have or not to have such jurisdictions and preeminencies under them And that they may abdicat or annihilate them when they please And whosoever shall deny this or clayme any right of Government to themselves in Princes Dominions jure Divino are delinquents against their Kings and Masters and by our Lawes and Statutes they are proclaymed enimyes of the King and his Prerogative Royall that is true the mouth of the Law hath spake it And therefore the Defendents booke cannot be called a Libell without the Lawes first be proclamed such for the lawes say That all such persons as shall challenge any Autority unto themselves in his Majest Dominions but from the King are delinquents against his Majest and invaders of his prerogative Royall his Highnesses enimyes and so they are Now that the Prelats are such they sufficiently declared it in the censure of the Defendent For he reading