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truth_n	agree_v	church_n	true_a	1,693	5	5.5079	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00289	A very lively portrayture, of the most reverend arch-bishops, the right reverend bs. of the Church of England set forth in XX. irrefragable positions, concerning their authority, power, and practise, as they onely are our diocesan lord bishops, so grounded upon Scripture, reason, and experience, by evident demonstrative practises, as their troublesome opposites, may cleerely see, how greatly they are deceived in all these. A labour undertaken for the peace of all Gods people, and for a just condemnation of al those, that cause division, and offences, contrary to the doctrine and discipline of Christs Church.		1640 (1640)	STC 10406; ESTC R212270	37,262	65

A VERY LIVELY PORTRAYTVRE OF THE MOST REVEREND ARCH-BISHOPS THE RIGHT REVEREND Bs. OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND Set forth in XX irrefragable positions concerning their Authority power and practise as they onely are our Diocesan Lord Bishops so grounded upon Scripture Reason and Experience by evident demonstrative practises as their troublesome opposites may cleerely see how greatly they are deceived in all these A Labour undertaken for the peace of all GODS people and for a just condemnation of al those that cause division and offences contrary to the Doctrine and Discipline of CHRISTS CHURCH Printed in the Yeare 1640. THE NAME of Bishop is found in the New Testament so as the controversie is not about the name whether one may bee called a Bishop nor whether Bishops in the true sense have beene in the Church from the Apostles dayes for this is fully agreed upon But the positions following and here handled are such as have beene much controverted but now so cleerely manifest that every indifferent and impartiall judicious Reader may discernt plainely on which side the truth is POSITION 1. That Bishops jure Divino are Superiours to other Ministers 1. BEcause our Saviour made severall degrees in the ministerie which the Apostle mentioneth Ephes. 4. 11. Yet in the same degree he set none over another not one Apostle over another not one Evangelist over another 〈◊〉 not one Elder or Bishop over another 2. Because the Apostle in reckoning up the dignities in the Ministery from Christ mentioneth no Bishops as degrees in the ministery differing from the rest but Apostles 〈◊〉 Evangeliste which were extraordinary then Pasters and Teachers ordinary Eph. 4 11. 3. Because the name of Bishops is given onely to those who are called Eld●… Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28. Tit 1. 5. 7. Now Elders were all of equall Authority Such the Ap●…stles 〈◊〉 and more th●… on●… in every Citie Act. 14. 23. and had charge given ●…ot one over ●…ther but over the fl●…ck over the which th●… holy 〈◊〉 had made them Overseers O●…Bishops Act. 20. 〈◊〉 4. The Apostle placeth Bishops onely before 〈◊〉 Ph●…l I. 1. I Tim. 3. 1. 8. but no where b●…fore Elders as Superiours to them 5. The office and quality of a Bishop described 〈◊〉 that which equally and alike agreeth to all teaching Elders 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2. 7. Tit. 1. 5 6 7 8 9. and not to a speciall function in superiority before an Elder For Titus was appointed to ordaine Elders and the Apostle telleth him what a 〈◊〉 a Bishop meaning an Elder should b●… as making an Elder and Bishop one and the same It cannot be proved by S●…riptura that in the A●…stles dayes Elders and Bishops were degrees one ov●…r another nor by Historie 200. yeares after that they were distinguished by degrees 6. Because such as 〈◊〉 Elders were next to the Apostles in the Councel at 〈◊〉 and sate with them as next to them Acts 15. 23. Bishops here were none except included within the name of Elders and so all one 7. The double honour which Saint Paul speaks of he alloweth it to teaching Elders 1 Tim. 5. 17. which dutie of teaching Bishops affect not and yet claime double honour 8. Because these Elders Acts 20. 17. came to bee called Bishops not in respect of any superiority they had one over another but to mind them of their watchfulnesse and care over their flock in respect of which flock and not in respect of their fellow Ministers they were called by Saint P●…l who first g●…ue them th●…t title Ov●…seers or Bishops Acts 20. 28. 9. Because Tim●…ie and Titus from whom they would derive the superiority of Bishop●…●…ver Elders were Euangel●…s 2 Tim. 4. 5. a dignity above other Churches Offic●…s Eld●…s O●…Bis●…s or P●…stors all one and 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 11. now why 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 higher degree ●…hould be made Bis●…ps and so put in a lower for me wa●…th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswade the reunto 10. Because the Postscripts to the second Epistl●… to Tim. and that to Ti●… are worthy of no credit in this case to prove Tim. and Tit. Bis●…ps For these be no Scriptura nor of divine authority but added by some private uncertaine S●…ribe and so bring of humane authority they c●…nnot stablish Tim. and Tit. Bishops jure divi●… who by divine authority were 〈◊〉 The vanity of alledging these 〈◊〉 are solidly by other confuted and not answered 11. Becaus●… the consent of the Learned is fully against this superiority of a Bishop to wit to be above an Elder or Presbyter in degree 〈◊〉 divi●… but were all one and the difference came by an humane consti●…tion 1. Of this judgement are ancient Fathers 〈◊〉 A●…stin Chrys●…stome Ambrose Seduli●…s Pri●…sius The●…ret 〈◊〉 Theophylact. 2. John 〈◊〉 and the Wald●…ses 3. The learned Divines beyond the Seas Luther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H●…minglus Gnalter M●…sculus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●… and others 4. Learned Divinesin our Land D. 〈◊〉 D. Reynolds Doctor Holland D. Fulk D. Whitacres D. Willes and many moe Our Bishops here Bish. 〈◊〉 Bis●…p Peacock T●…stal shop Bil●…n once so held when he wrote against the Seminaries Bishop 〈◊〉 now living yea and Arch. Bishop Whit●…gift 〈◊〉 as much Yea the Arch-Bishops all the Bishops and the Clergie of E●…gland acknowledged Bishops and Pres●…rs to bee Besides the 〈◊〉 of our La●… in 37. H●… 8. C●… 17. in 〈◊〉 of Edward 6. 〈◊〉 2. 1. and 1. of Eli●… 1. have resolved the same against Bishops authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Orthodox 〈◊〉 reformed wi●…eth th●… much by their doctrine and practise Monarchies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which have cast them out So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of late ●…ates of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and many other Churches Shall we think●… that all these have 〈◊〉 in this point so ma●…y so 〈◊〉 m●…n and whole Churches 11. 〈◊〉 non●… but Papists among us maintaine the p●…sition and such as be popishly affected or are of 〈◊〉 mind ●…oving to have the preheminence 3. I●…hn 9. or ●…ch as flatter for favour and pre●…rment And yet here may be produced against them 1. The Canon Law which telleth ●…s that superior●…ty of Bish●…s over other Ministers is of 〈◊〉 Law which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of 〈◊〉 fourth Councell at Car●…hage 2. The coun●…ell of 〈◊〉 and B●…il 〈◊〉 it ●…o 3. Two famous Doctors of the civill Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of this judgement with us 4. Some great Papists 〈◊〉 Hug●… Cardi●… ●… Bish●… of Civil G●…rg 〈◊〉 hold their authority to be by positive Law and came in after the Apo●…les dayes The Ancients alledged for this superiority speake but of their owne times long after the Ap●…les dayes or ●…lse they judged of the times before by a mi●…ke that ●… in their dayes which was nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 200. yeares after Chri●… 12. Becaus●…Bis●… 〈◊〉 of S●…int 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his dignity and ●…owledged 〈◊〉 that the Superiority of Bishops over Ministers was 〈◊〉 of all 〈◊〉 of the word of

truth of Histories 6 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 dayes all the Church●… in Ci the Beleevers met in one place as Par●…oners d●…●…ow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cities were 〈◊〉 then Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops in those dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 bee denyed that then there were no Parish●… 〈◊〉 must deny di●…cesan Bishops because ther 's no Di●…cesse where there be no Parishes 7. Because all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond the 〈◊〉 no such Bishops and shall we thinke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 all such famous Churches in so foule an errour as to cast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have no sound 〈◊〉 so to 〈◊〉 8. his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church 〈◊〉 For Christs primitive Church in all the first hundred of 〈◊〉 and after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kind of Bishop It s wanting in all reformed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such 〈◊〉 are cast out of the Church in 〈◊〉 not onely as 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 Here in England in every 〈◊〉 at s●…verall tim●…s there have beene a vacancy of Bis●… and that so●… for 2. yeares some for 3. 〈◊〉 some 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 some for 〈◊〉 yeares as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by some observed and 〈◊〉 downe throughout all the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Lastly what good doe they which may not be done without them as it was wh●… they were not and where in ●…her pl●…ces they be not●… There is theref●…re 〈◊〉 need of them To conclude all that which hath beene said in the former position against a Bishops superiority over●… 〈◊〉 in their owne congregations ●…re against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose 〈◊〉 we●… see to be divine by the so many good 〈◊〉 made against it and therefore bee they not to●… blame who are so much offended with th●…r so overtopping 〈◊〉 and goodne●… It were ●…ch to 〈◊〉 that all could see it for the Churches peace which is heartily de●…red and prayed for POSITION 3. They are 〈◊〉 called Lord 〈◊〉 1. BEcause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ said to his Disciples 〈◊〉 know that the Princes of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ship but it shall 〈◊〉 be so with you 〈◊〉 rebuking them fo●… seeking after gre●…tnesse and chiefedome Mat. 20. 2. 5 26. Mar. 10. 42 43. Luke 22. 2●… 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whom they say they can fetch their greatnesse forbids them to bee Lords over Gon●… h●…ritage 1. Pet. 5 3. 3. Because St. John the Apot wrote to L●…dly 〈◊〉 who loved to have the preheminence in receiving forbidding and casting men out of the Church that hee would when he came remember his deeds done and his pr●…ing against the 〈◊〉 and others with malicious words 3. I●…hn 9. 10. for those that love the prehemine●… cannot but ●…tter their malice against them that find fault with their proud deeds and words 4. Because Father 〈◊〉 gave cou●…ell to King Edward to us lord all the Lordly Bishops to remov●…●…hem 5. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 POSITION 4. 1. 2. 3. 〈…〉 4. 5. 〈◊〉 in the con●…cration of Bishops there is not one word of liberty this way but exhortations and prayers made onely for executing the office of a Bishop which he promiseth to doe by the grace of God by the help of God God being his helper which they very faithfully performe in being civi●… Magistrates and sittin●… in the seat of ju●…ice to heare temporall causes 6. 7. POSITION 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. Divines witnessed by Chri●… the great Bish●…p of o●… soules who spent hi●… time ●…n preaching day by day and made it the great●…st test●…mony of Peters love to him t●… fee●… h●…s La●… Ioh●…●…1 15 16 17. ●…lso man●…fest by Saint P●…l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequent p●…aching and in his so charging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before and in alloting double honour especially to the 〈◊〉 that labou●…s in word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. 17. 〈◊〉 likewise by St. Pet●… who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 then even ●…he that was the Bishop of Rome the great 〈◊〉 of Chri●… if the 〈◊〉 writers li●… not to feed the flock of Chri●… taki●…g the oversight thereof a●…Bishops not by constraint but 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of ●…die mi●…●… 〈◊〉 ●…●… 3. 5. 〈◊〉 when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is consecrated he is charged to take heed to teaching and to bee diligent therein that he might s●…ve himselfe and them that heare him and that the encr●…se 〈◊〉 thereby might appeare to all men and to become unto the flock of Christ a 〈◊〉 ●…nd no●… 〈◊〉 Wolfe 〈◊〉 to feed them and not to d●…●…voure them to hold up the weake to hea●…e the sick to build up the broken-hearted to se●…ke the lost and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All this the A●…-Bishop be●… of G●… fo●… 〈◊〉 ●…nd desires the L●…ord to endue the Bishop with his ●…oly spirit that he may preach the word and bids him take the holy spir●…t and to remember to 6. Because Father Lati●…er said the very Dive●…l himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God setup the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ching pr●…lacie and if they preach not ●…aith Thomas Bec●… it s an evid●…t tok●…●…hat Chri●… sent them not but Antichrist and the D●…ll 7. Because th●… very Councell of Trent set this down for 〈◊〉 truth that the preaching of G●…ds word was the principall part of a Bishops Office adding many words to shew the necessity of their preaching And therefore the positio●… is as true as lead is steele That Bishops 〈◊〉 not preach but seldome or ●…ever as it pleaseth them POSITION 6. They are Priests and may so bee rightly called Though they be Bishops yet they forget not their Priesthood but will be called Priests 1. B B●…cause the Scriptures of the N●… Testament have given them their names befitting their Office which men may not vary from to miscall them by another name not befitting their function we may not presume to spe●…ke otherwise of G●…ds Minist●…rs than he hath taught us to call them except wee thinke we can better know how to impose names on them than hee himselfe wee m●…y not in such cases presume above that which is written 1 C●…r 4. 6. 2. B●…ause when Christ ascended up into Heaven and gave gifts for the Ministerie Eph. 4. 11. the Apostl●… mentioneth what he g●…ve but among these neither a Pri●…sthood nor Priest hee n●…meth Apostles Pr●…phets Euangelists Pa●…ours Tea●…hers and elsewhere Bishops Phil. 1. 1. T●… 1●…7 Ti●… 〈◊〉 1. 2. and Elders 1. Tim. 5. 17. but no wher●… put he the name of Priest upon any of them 3. Because ●…he name Priest often mentioned in S●…ripture cannot in any acc●…ption of the name bee rightly applyed to any one in 〈◊〉 minister●…all function under the Gospell for the name Pr●…sts are one of these sorts Either Patriar●…hal as was 〈◊〉 before the Law Ge●… 14. Or A●…ical under the Law which God appointed by the ●…and of Moses Exod. 28. 1. Or Diab●…licall as were the Priests of Ba●…l and of Jupit●…r 2 K 11. 18. ●…cts 14. 13. Or huatheni●… like as the Pr●… of 〈◊〉 1 King 11. 15. Or the Evangelicall and

together 3. But here note that the Church consists of the Laity as well as of the 〈◊〉 Acts 15. ●… so as if the house of Parlament lower and upper be not of them but secluded they are not the representative body of the Ch●… of England but of the Clergie onely and the Prel●… Church In the time of their sitting 1. All these Priests and Clarkes sit there to gaz●… 〈◊〉 upon another and to whisper of matters nothing o●… 〈◊〉 to the purpose of their meeting but wait for their 〈◊〉 from their Lordships like Schoole boyes 2. When they have received their directions a bo●… se are so seiseth upon almost all of them as thereby thy are moved to agree to contradict nothing but if it so happen that some take courage a rare vertue among them for the truth and doe oppose in some materiall things which crosse their Lordly designements Then 3. Either they labour by a strong side and more in number for the greatest and most are not ever the best to make them yeeld or to say nothing or else to get their Canons passe They devise a time when the better sort al or most are away to finish the worke thus the Church of England makes here decrees to all her beloved children but yet are of no force without an act of Parlament After the Convocation is dissolved 1. If any matter be not onely in shew questionable but is justly to bee questioned their Lordships by their sole wisedome in their severall di●…sse must interpret the meaning and men must also rest satisfied though the meaning given be absurd for its a folly to goe from a Bishop to an Arch-Bishop time hath taught men their lost la●…our therein 2. If in time the One great one and some two three or foure bethinke themselves of any course better befitting their secret plots and intentions in altering in adding or taking from in any innovation whatsoever then they have wayes to beare out all these their doings with gaining help of Royall declarations and proclamations to beare them out which being setled in peace then they become the orders allowed by the Church And thus may all wise men see who are this Church of England one with two three or foure of the diocesan Lord-Bishops for they find it written with clipping the text that if two of them much more three or foure with a body of Cyphers be gathered together and agree in the Convocation house touching any thing it shall be done Mat. 18. 19. O Lord open the eyes of our 〈◊〉 both to see and consider and also to 〈◊〉 against these 〈◊〉 Lord Bishops to make them Bishops indeed or else to remove them 〈◊〉 very ill 〈◊〉 the Church and State Let them fall by their owne Councels and let all the people of God say Amen FINIS Twenty irrefragable POSITIONS 1. THat Bishops Jure divino are superiours to other Ministers 2. They are Diocesan Bishops by divine right 3. They are worthily called Lord Bishops 4. They may very well busie themselves in civill affaires and sit in Courts of Iustice 5. They need not preach often but seldome or never if they please 6. They are Priests and may be so rightly called Though they be Bishops yet they forget not their Priesthood but will be called Priests 7. They stand for and d●…c maintaine all Ceremonies upon very good grounds 8. They judge it necessary that what soever is amisse in the Church should be carefully and speedily reformed and this is evident to all 9. They may very well rule by their sole power alone 10. Their high authority so lawfull they all obtaine by very lawfull meanes 11. They may not forsake their sowarrantable Lordly Prelaticall standing 12. No Bishops no King this is undeniable 13. They stand wholy for a learned grave painefull and godly ministery 14. They hate to flatter the King 15. They greatly further the peoples knowledge in divine things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their ignorance 16. They have a speciall care that God being a spirit should have a spirituall worship and this onely according to his written word 17. They preferre the Churches union and what God requireth to be done before their owne Lordly dignity and what they themselves command 18. They be the greatest Enemies that the Church of Rome hath here amongstus 19. They abhorre all shew of idolatrie 20. They may very lawfully minister the Oath ex Officio to any whom they dare call before them They have the same name Th●… 〈◊〉 on th●… s●…me T●…●…nour and ●…ard the same They ●…ad on●… and the same charge over the flock Acts 20. 28. 1. Pet. 5. 2. Many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ter the epi●…les were written See the unbi●… of Tim. and Tit. See the answer to Bishop D. serm. pag. 113. 114. pag. 115. See T. and T. unbish●… page 4. Ibidem 〈◊〉 Pag. 117. T. and Tit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 168. What was given them was of 〈◊〉 and not of due as an invested title Abusing Gods name by s●…eming to pray for that which never is intended Sess. 24. This rule they onely make use of when all the rest are of like authority divi●… and Apo●…ol call and delivered by the same Apostle which they take no notice of not careing to sinn●… against their brethren and against Christ 1 Cor. 8. 12. See Tim and Tit. 〈◊〉 B. M. Three grounds of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They will 〈◊〉 call them Martyrs but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may in print call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb. 35. 30 Deut. 19. 15 and 17. 6 Heb. 10. 28. Plin. 〈◊〉 10. Epist. 98. Victor de persocut Vandal Jer. 4. 2. Digest lib. Decret. pag 2 Cous 23. quast 4. In Epist. 1 Cor. c1 5. Statute 15. 〈◊〉 8. ca 15 cemmen Law See 〈◊〉 touching Bishops effictalls pag 62. This master Fuller hath fud manisesled in the defence of 〈◊〉 Client Crompton 182 〈◊〉 de ●… 〈◊〉 brev. pag. 141 〈◊〉 pag. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●… 1 Tim. 1. 3. and 3. 14. 15. Tit. 1 5. Laid their hands They ordained They layd their hands on them