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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15030	A discourse of the abuses novv in question in the churches of Christ of their creeping in, growing vp, and flowrishing in the Babilonish Church of Rome, how they are spoken against not only by the scriptures, but also by the ancient fathers as long as there remayned any face of a true Church maintained by publique authority, and likewise by the lights of the Gospell, and blessed martyrs of late in the middest of the antichristian darknes. By Thomas Whetenhall Esquier.	Whetenhall, Thomas.	1606 (1606)	STC 25332; ESTC S119728	111,256	168

A DISCOVRSE OF THE ABVSES NOVV IN QVESTION IN THE CHVRCHES OF CHRIST OF THEIR CREEPING IN GROwing vp and flowrishing in the Babilonish Church of Rome how they are spoken against not only by the scriptures but also by the ancient Fathers as long as there remayned any face of a true Church maintained by publique authority And likewise by the lights of the Gospell and blessed Martyrs of late in the middest of the Antichristian darknes By Thomas Whetenhall Esquier Pro. 24.24.25 He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the the people curse and the multitude shall abhorre him But to thē that rebuke him shal be pleasure and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnes Imprinted 1606. THE PRINTER TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader it is well knowne to all men how odiously the adversaries of the Churches reformation in England do accuse and defame the seekers of the said reformation with Noueltie Singularity Schisme Error and with many other such like most foull crimes The iniquity and vntruth whereof will through Gods blessing well appeare to euery one that shall read and pervse this present most profitable Discourse following Wherein two maine and principall matters to witt The Inventions and Traditions of men in Church affayres and the overreaching Clergy beyond the condition of ordinay Pastors wherevnto all the particulars now in controuersie are easily reduced are observed in all ages and times since the Apostles to haue ben held by some godly persons and faithfull Witnesses of the truth to haue ben hainous transgressiōs against the ordinances of Christ in his New Testament So that heerby men may see that it is noe new thing that the servants of Christ and the louers of his ordinances should striue now against these Corruptions For if this be Schismaticall now I say to striue against these Corruptions then surely all the holy Martyrs and pillars of the Gospell in all ages past but chifly since the discovery of Antichrist were Schismatiks For they then travayled laboured as by this Discourse we may see in one and the same cause wherin now the true seruants of Christ doe also labor But if in former times those were faithfull men the true louers of the Gospell of Christ who hated all mens Additions in matters of the Church then doubtles soe are these now and it will be manifest to all good men that they are wrongefully traduced and accused in such wise as is before mentioned To which end and purpose this ancient Christian Gentlman hath worthily observed gathered and giuen out to the world as his last service to God to his people these testimonies of sundry old and new writers The which comming vnto my hands I could not in loue to thee good Reader but communicate the same vnto thee The rather considering how many thinges dayly are spoken written to the contrary by the adversaryes to dazell the eyes of Gods people in these causes The Lord Iesus inlighten the minds of all his true Children in all his wayes who only is the way the truth and the life and grant us his peace Amen A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATter 's contained in this Discourse False Accusations against the seekers of Reformation 166 The Apparel of Ministers did not differ from the apparell of other men pag 70 129 130 164 Neither ought it to differ 163 164 170 171 175 176 Audianus was no Herjtike though his successors were pag 6 B The ordinary name of Bishop is common to all Ministers in the New Testament pag 13. 14. 15 16 Bishops chosen in and proceeding from the Court are the cause of al corruption pag 123. Ordinatiō made by a Lord Bishop is void pag 127 128 131 132 The like Excommunication is no better pag 77. 78 C The Ceremonies in question are vnlawfull for vs pag 85. 86. 87. 98 113. 114. 149. 150. 172. 173 When how Ceremonies of mans invention were first brought into Gods worship pag 33 Civill rule in pastors is vnlawfull and contrary to Gods word in the New Testament pag 58 90 91 92. 95. 96. 97. 98 107. 108. 110. 122. 125. 126. 136. 137 143 151 152. 159. 161. 174. 175. 180. Corruption in the Churches tooke place immediately after the Apostles pag 4 The time of the highest Ecclesiasticall corruption tyranny p. 56. 57 What a visible Church is pag 76. 77. 140. 141. 142. Churches are all equall in power jurisdiction spirituall rights pag 2. 3. One Pastor cannot be but to one Church See Pluralities Church government belongeth wholly and only to each Church By no meāes to any one man either within or without the same pag 70 89 124 The Churches government ought to depend only on Gods word pag 69 99 108 109. The signe of the Crosse pag 130. Custom without Gods word is pernicious pag 106. D Discipline in our Churches is necessarie to be restored p. 108. 109 The folly of them who now think orherwise pag 80. 81 87 88. 90. It is necessarie to salvation ibidē E False Ecclesiastikes pag 92. An Eldership pag 94 95 97. 118. 124 130 131. Election of Ministers ought to be by that Churches free consent to which they belong pag 71. 72 73. 74. 75. 98. 107 108 109 118. 123. 127 128 131 132 138 173. Election of Ministers by the free liking of every Church is a thing easy and no way inconuenient in a civill Monarchie p. 74. 94. 100. Excommunication is in each Churches power in none other touching any member therein pa. 77 78 89 90 94 128 130. 150 151 Church Government see before in Church and Discipline I Questions to the Infants in their Baptizing are vaine pa 101 102 130. K Kneeling in receaving the Communion ought to be reformed pag 149 150. M Maintenance ought to be reasonable and liberall for a Minister Yet not superfluous 21 c. 42 54 59 117 121 122 133 135 143 178. VVhat a reasonable Maintenance may be pag 21 132 135 Ministers of mans Institution are unlawfull pag 61 62 94 98 99. Mingling of mens inventions in Gods worship is very pernitious pag 103. 104 105 106 111 113 114 120 124 125 129 147 148 150 167 168 175 184 187 188. 189. N Non residents very wicked pag 146. 152 160. 168. 169. 172. 174. O The Oath ex Officio vnjust and tyrannous pag 138 139. 140. P The name Papa Pope was aunciently common to all Bishops pag 17 18. 19. Pastors are all equall pag 109 112. see Superioritie in Pastors Churches are all equall Ignorant Pastors and bare Substitutes a deadly evill pa. 92. 93. 118 138 145 152 169. 170. Paulus Samosatenus a stately Prelat like those of our times pa. 7. 8 The first beginning of true reformation ought to be in reforming the Prelats pag 83 137 152. No amendment to be expected from the Prelats pag 82 Pluralities damnable pa 123. 129. 138 152. 156 157 160. 168. 169 172. Pompe and riches in the

this day that over Levites there must be Priests vnto Priests there belong Aulters vnto Aulters Sacrifice All which things yet in the old Testament were knowne to be but figuratiue shadowes yea head hornes and all and when he hath once gotten in though he may be as plainly seene according to the proverb as a mans nose of his face yet he so maintaineth the possession that he hath once gotten both by faire foule meanes by religious pretences and rigorous defences that it is allmost impossible to get him out againe As for example who seeth not in these our dayes at the least where the light of the Gospell doth shine the horrible abhominations of the vnpreaching ministery Non-residencies Pluralities Impropriations excōmunication for euery trifle the pompous and lordly estate of Bishops together with those rotten and beggerly Ceremonies which haue so long burdened troubled the Churches Nay Kinges and Princes are made beleeue that their state could not indure nor their Kingedome stand yea that heaven and earth would be confounded if these thinges should be reformed But alas it is lamentable to behold what curious carvers what trustie tasters are used in bodily meates how great care is taken that a moate fall not into our earthly cuppes But though the toe or foote of * A Toad a paddocke fall into the foode of our soules wee are not afraid to swallow it though we se it But let vs proceede in opening farther the thinges which were done in the Churches and the abuses that crept in shortly after Saint Iohns time vntill Antichrist his great whore of Babell came up to the toppe of their glorious dignitie Now Sathan having sowed his tares among the good corne which the holy Apostles had sowne which tares grew so fast in the hartes of many Sardian sleeping Angels that pride and ambition pricked them to be lifted vp aboue their fellowes And as many hundred yeares after Gregorie the Bishop of Rome himselfe said of Iohn Bishop of Constantinople In this pride of theirs what other thing is there betokened but that the time of Antichrist is even at hād For he followeth him saith Gregorie that despising the ioye of equalitie amonge the Angels labored to pearke up to the top of singularitie For they thought it a base thing not to be lifted vp aboue their fellow Pastors or Elders so that they procured by agreement and consent among themselues that some one among the rest in every assemblie should be called a Bishop where before that time all the preachers Pastors and Elders were generally called Bishops so that Bishope Pastor or Elder were Synonima wordes of one and the selfe same signification But now they agreed that one of them onely in every assemblie should be called a Bishop and he onely and singularly should be so termed wheras all the rest were so called before which injurious dealing with the rest of the Ministers went yet more forward namely as at the first agrement one only in every Congregation or assemblie should be called Bishop so this devise of Sathan with in a while grew so fast that onely one in every Dioces was so called and all the rest were called Ministers Elders and Pastors and not Bishops What injurie this was to all other Pastors Elders yea to the holy Ghost himselfe which gaue them all as well as to any one that reverent name of Bishop he that hath eyes in his head may easily see For as poore christians should haue great injurie if it should be made vnlawfull to call any man a Christian or a christian man but only a Prince a Lord or a Noble man so all the pore Pastors and Ministers haue great injurie that one Lord in a Citie or Dioces onely should be called Bishop seeing Gods owne word calleth all Pastors and Ministers of the word Bishops as well as all faithfull people Christians And thus within a while these Bishops did not only take to themselues the name wealth dignities which God forbiddeth them but they tooke from other such names wealth and dignities as God had appointed them Shewing themselues plainely disobedient to God and injurous towardes men and namely towardes their brethren and fellow servantes in one and the selfe same function appoynted by God And heere touching this matter take the wordes of M. Calvine that excellent and learned Divine upon the first chapter to Titus Porro locus hic abunde docet Calv in epist ad Tit. cap 1. 7. nullum esse Presbyteri et Episcopi discrimen c. Verum nomen officii quod Deus in commune omnibus dederat in vnum solum transferri reliquis spoliatis et iniurium est et absurdum Deniquc sic pervertere spiritus sancti linguam vt nobis eaedem voces aliud quam voluerit significent nimis profanae audaciae est This place of the Apostle to Titus saith M. Calvine doth very evidently teach that there is no difference betweene a Bishope and an Elder or Minister but the name of an office which God gaue to them all in common to transfer it onely to one among many of them spoyling or robbing the rest thereof is both injurious and absurd To conclude saith M. Calvine soe to pervert the tongue or language of the Holy Ghost that the same wordes or names should signifie an other thinge vnto vs then he would haue it It is a point of too prophane or heathenish bouldnes Heere-vnto I will add the wordes of M. Musculus in his Common Places being translated into English and dedicated vnto Parker Arch-Bishop of Cāterburie Musc Com. pla fol 166 in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth his wordes are these When that temptation of greatnes and superioritie gat once into the mindes of the Priests Pastors and Doctors then men began to chose some one of the Elders which should be set aboue the rest and advaunced vnto higher degree and be called a Bishop and thus he should onely and singularly be called as all the rest were commonly called before Whether this device doth any good to Christs Church that Bishopps are become rather of custome as Ierome saith than upon any truth of the Lords appoyntment greater then the Priests it is better declared in these latter times then when this custome was first taken up which we may thanke for all the pride wealth and tyrannie of the Princly and riding Bishops yea for the corruption of all Churches which if Ierome sawe no doubt he would acknowledge it to be not the device of the holy Ghost to take away schismes 〈◊〉 it was pretended to be but of Sathan himselfe to decaie and destroy the old Ministerie in feeding the Lords flocke Whence it is come that the Church hath not true Pastors Doctors and Elders or Bishops but under the couller of these names we haue idle bellies magnificall Princes Beza in Phil cap. 1. 1 Wherevnto I ad also the words of M. Beza upon the first chapter to