Christ Antiquitie may deceiue vs nay we see it hathe deceiued vs I can not tell whether it wold stil deceiue it is not true to say it is old therfore it is good Sathan hath bene Lord of thys world a great while Antichrist of Rome pleadeth the continuance of many yeres I know not how many C. yeres neyther doth it follow it is new therfore it was nought it was sayd to Christ what new doctrine is thys yet it was no false doctrine so sayd the false priestes Bishops of Paules doctrine and the rest but it was not therefore naught wil you trie the old and the newe and see in deede which is the new which is the olde search the scriptures If it be found there it is olde say Bishops what they will let the Priestes call it as new as they list if it be not found there it is newe let them say what they can bring neuer so many fathers and neuer so good fathers better thē she brought I am sure they can not and yet dyd Christ preuaile and so will he still for he is the same in his worde that he was then in bodely presence the wryting of the Apostles doe paint him out truely and nothing but him If it be true that they say that this aucthoritie of Bishops churche hierarchie which they maintain come from the Pope and hath no ground but in his law and that God can not suffer to be serued according to mens pleasures in ruling of his house as though he wer such a fole that he could not set order himself or wer carelesse which is no point of wyt that he did not or that he see so little as to deuise an order which could not be for al times places so that we should haue nede of a new holy ghost for al this foloweth vpon that ground that they stand vpon away wyth that vile doctrine or what so euer ye list to terme it what incōuenience so euer wer like to ensue what antiquitie so euer be against it for you see there is a blasphemie ioyned with it which maketh our God a folish a carelesse an vncircumspect and vnprouident god Wel peraduenture they see somthing more then they say some things I am sure they would haue to be reformed which they can not bring to passe as they would therfore thinke it better with pollicie to saue the gospell then to haue it cleane shut out It is a common saying of two euils it is best to chuse the least better it is to haue a gospel of Christ ioyned with a peece of Antichriste then to haue none at all thus they persuade them selues the other doe not so they thincke it not lawful to ioyne God Belial together surely they haue some reason nay they haue greate reason for what societie hathe light wyth darknesse If all the world myght be gained with a little breache of Gods word it were not to be done better it were that the whole world should pearishe then one iote of Gods truth should be ouer slipped Pilate thought he had behaued himselfe wisely when he whipped Christe and put vpon hym a robe of scarlet thinking by that meanes making him to appeare vile to the Iewes to haue had him let goe that they might haue contented thēselues with that litle punishment so might Christ haue preached still But it is wickedly done to policie the matters of Christ after that sort Who so euer thinketh by putting a foles cote vpon Christ and clothing him with a garment which is not his owne to entertain him still thinketh he is content by such means to haue licēce to go preaching amōgst the people he deceiueth himself shal right wel vnderstand at the day of accomptes that God will not be mocked Thus in some respect you haue well to weigh the things that are put forth vnto you by the scriptures without further circumstances leaste in leauing the rule ye go out of rule But I doute not but our lords clergy wil quickly shew you whether it be wel ruled or no they haue said already in theyr sermōs to you that it is a very folish boke I trust they wil giue it vnto you in wryting that you may the better way both But before al things take hede to the word let not the shew of mā deceiue you Peraduēture some of you wil be persuaded bicause a bishop an olde mā a very learned mā saith so bicause this state hath cōtinued a great while many yeares amongst good fathers do not so that is no warrāt of the word you haue had exāples inough to shew vnto you how easie it is to be deceiued therin on the other side let not the simplicitie of men beare you away for that way also you may erre the only straight way as I haue tolde you to kepe you frō going astray is the word of god wherw t they as wel as you I trust will be cōtēt to be tried otherwise they haue no groūd against the papistes if they wil not but refuse to be iudged by the word leue thē there those pore prisoners haue the right whether they be whipped scurged or vtterly hāged assure your selues as wel of them as of your selues if they suffer with Christ they shal be glorified with Christ so shall you That we may so do god giue vs the knowledge of the truth whē we know it to stād stedfast in the truth that the loue of the world feare of mā may not more preuaile with vs then the loue of heauen and feare of god These things that I haue saide vnto you rudely I pray you take in good part good brethrē both you that are of the lerned sort you that are of the sympler I pray you lay forth the truthe as your duetie bindeth you you giue eare to the truthe Confute scismes by the scriptures iudge you thē by scriptures also as prisons be vsed so let the worde which is the armor of your warfare be practised Let not newegate be the only meanes to stay false procedings If you do so where error is redressed by the magistrate you shal be iudged because you dyd not your duety bring thē into the way if they be out or bi such good cōferēce they bring you home The which the father of al mercies graunt through his sonne Christ by our cōfortor the holy ghost FINIS 1. Cor. 12.13.14.19 15.26 Ioh. 17.22 Ioh. 15.11 13.35 Iohn 14.23.15.10.14 mat 10.35 mat 18.0 Eze. 3.17 Ioh. 6.27 Heb. 5.12 Psal. 119.105 Luk. 4.41 Tertullian lib. de spectaculis Iob. 10.12 1. re 18.17 mat 21.33 Ioh. 19.12 Acts. 4.7 1. reg 12.8 1. reg 1.21 Act. 4.19.5.30 1. re 18.22 1. reg 22.6 Iohn 3.4 Ioh. 9.30 mar 7.2.3 Ioh. 5.10 Ioh. 9.34 Ioh. 1.46 Mark. 1. Luk. 2.8 Math. 22. Mat. 28 Ioh. 20.18 Lu. 19.39 Act. 14.5 Luk. 20 20. Iohn 11 20. Mat. 10 25. Luk. 15.39 Iohn 4.20 Ioh. 14.30 Mar. 1.27 Act. 24.14 Ih. 10.1 2. Cor. 6 14. Ih. 19.1 Iohn 5.39 Act. 1.21 Rom. 8.17
the wicked be made snares by you to catch the godly lay aside this Lording and shew your selues brethrē in deede if they haue offended you admonish them brotherly let not the vsurped names and titles of Lorde Lordes grace so puffe you vp as you forget your selues to be pastors preachers the lord called you or the most of you to this office to ioyne as laborers togither with your brethrē in his vineyarde he neuer called you to these lordly names dignities the office of bishop I finde apointed by scripture the office of Lordbishop I finde no warrant for there but in this I mean not to wade further only I beseche you that as Christ hath allotted you to be fellow ministers togither with them so you wil as companions in the Lord ioyne togither to further one truth sinceritie let these pore men tast of your christiā charity towards them as brethren and cease lordly to neglect them Lord it no longer think it no discredit to you or an abasing of your selues to ioyn in equaliti with your brethren but think it great presūption in you to clime higher then the lord hath appointed remember it was not in vain said of Christ our sauiour Principes gentiū dominantur in eas c inter vos autem non erat sic I seeke not to teach neither take I vpon me so to do yet despise not the admonition of your faithful brother in the Lord who wisheth to you all such godly consideration of your dueties as in no respecte you omit any parte thereof To cōclude in the name of god I beseche you yeld no such frutes of the gospel as where you shuld be careful you shew your selues carelesse of your brethrē nether post the matter ouer in such sort as you haue done from one to an other but so longe as they keepe them within the limites of the law of god ioyne christianly brotherly with them assist them and cease so to affect lordship liuing as therby you be withdrawne from yelding to a knowne manifest truth The Lord in his rich mercy giue euery of vs grace so to auoid all snares of sathā as wholy without let or hinderance we may be dedicated vnto him and yeeld our selues all together obedient vnto his wil so that what he hathe cōmaunded we may striue to maintain what he hath forbiddē we may indeuor to suppresse Thus praying your fauorable acceptatiō hereof I cōmit you to the lord Iesus ⧠An Exhortation to THE BISHOPS AND THEIR CLERgie to aunsvver a little booke that came forthe the last Parliament and to other Brethren to iudge of it by Gods worde vntill they see it aunsweared and not to be caryed away with any respect of man. COnsidering the vnitie of the body of Christe which are we bicause it is gouerned wyth one heade and one spirite and yet notwythstanding a diuersitie of parts and membres for the bodye is not one member for if they were all one member where were the bodye I haue to directe my talke to a whole bodye yet so that eyther parte hearken to that only which is belonging vnto him not snatching that vnto him whiche is not proper to him and vnto euery member seuerally but in suche sort that they be not deuided or cutte a parte from the whole There are in the Churche of Christe eyes and eares there are also handes and feete to eyther of these I haue a request to make for theyr profite if they heare it to their smart if they reiecte it I speake vnto them in the Lords name and do herein but his message I require vnderstanding eares therfore watchfull eyes I demaund diligent hands and painfull feete It is not vnknowne brethren howe it hath pleased the Lorde of late to bring forthe to the eyes and hands of you all a little scroll conteining as you know matters concerning the true reforming and building of gods church whether it tend in deede to that ende or noe I haue not here to debate but that it pretendeth at this I haue seene some stormyng as in the greif of man is easily to be perceaued and the authors of it as we know also are in the place of theeues murtherers for them I haue noughte els to say but that they are there iustly if falsely and vntruly they haue gone about to spoyle and robbe vs of an vnfayned truthe and murther oure soules wyth a corrupt and poysoned water drawn out of a stinking puddel of the filthy dunghill of mannes braynes For how were that to be suffered in the ciuil lawes of earthly princes that some one of the commen sorte or els other should go about to disanul the order law set out by the Prynce God 's lieuetenaūt in earth in those cases to place his owne deuise muche more in the house of God which is his churche To me it seemeth a thing so vntollerable that all the New gates and olde gates yea and all tibournes in Englande are too little for such rash and presumtious heads that will not geue God leaue to rule but will take the scepter out of his hande Being more ouer and besides that a shamefull horrible thing to make strife and contention betweene the people of God which are commaunded to be one as theyr heade and his father are one It was the laste and newest commaundement that Christe lefte vnto vs that we should loue one a nother euen as he loued vs and thys he tolde vs should be a signe wherby we should be knowen to be his disciples if we loue one an other as he loued vs which is not fleshlye or carnally or for any worldly respecte but in the consent and agreement of his commaūdement in folowing the prescrypt of his worde wherin consisteth the cause of all our loue and cause of al hatred euen of our parents when they swarue from it whych surely cannot be maintained where new and straunge orders in Gods matters are inuented broched and publyshed be who so be may the causers or founders of suche deuises And therefore better it were for them that a mylstone were hanged about theyr neckes they drouned in the myddest of the sea then one of the least of the kingdome of Christe should be offended by theyr deuises But as I sayd I mind not to entreate of that matter my desire is that for Israels sake I meane the children and churche of God that they which are the eyes of the churche are oure ouerseers to watche for our soules for oure bloud must be required at theyr hands wolde take this matter in hand to debate the equitie truth of the cause by the scriptures and worde of God which is the only foode of oure soules and stay for the direction of all oure godly actions that we the sheepe of Christ might knowe false fodder from true corne from chaffe Schisme from Truthe Christ from
Antichriste The accusation is gréeuous wherewith our cleargy is burdened they are indired as the folowers of Antichrist their mynisterie is vouched to be from the Pope theyr superioritie which they haue by order of thys realme as Lords spirituall and a necessary part of the high house of Parlament in establishyng politique lawes for the profite of the common weale besyde the iurisdiction episcopal which they haue ouer theyr diocesses is there condemned as a thing in no wise tollerable by the word of God which thing amaseth daseleth the eyes of vs the simpler and vnlearned sort that we knowe not howe to esteeme of them or of our selues if the truthe be so we ought not to hear them although they speake a truth more then the deuill was to be suffered althoughe he professed Christ If it be not so we maruell why so short piuyshe a thyng is not by them aunswered that many simple-men which will well to gods cause and are somwhat shaken with this pamflet might haue better stay that they be not caried away with it Therfore my humble sute is to the learnedder parte in the name of Christe and the behalfe of his congregation that they would aunswer it healpe vs which are vnlearned And heere in I shall in Gods name and as they will aunswere at the last day exhort them to vse symple syncere dealing and not to wring the scripture to serue their owne turne or other mennes phantasies For if they do it wyl easely be spied and beside other inconuenices that will insue therof the people whome they shall deceiue thereby shall be their condemnation at that day Cogge not therfore nor forste neither bumbaste it with Rhetoricke or mans authoritiy to make a shew but let the word of the eternall be iudge betweene bothe which is goulde and siluer and which is drosse and stubble which is corne and which is chaffe Call I beseeche you to remembrance this saying of an aÌ„cient father quam sapiens argumentatrix sibi videtur humana ignorantia praesertim cum aliquid de gaudijs et fructibus seculi metuit amittere Howe wyse a dysputer sayth Tertullian doth mannes ignorance seeme to it selfe chiefely when it feareth to lose any pleasure or worldly profyt But answere I pray you the whole booke and not by peeces for otherwyse your doings wyll be suspected neyther doe it in hudder mudder or secretely or in a tonge that the people knowe not for then it wyll be sayde that you dare not publyshe it but doe it openly that all the people may see that you stand vpon a good grouÌ„d vpon whych if you doe stand let not your doyngs feare the lyghte Wee craue nothing of them but what they are bounde vnto of duerye they are our wachmen wee take yea rather they themselues take these for wolues why then do they not chase them away They are fast inough ye will say It is true but theyr tales are not they free as fire brands from place to place and set all the country on fyre It is requisyte also that they be prysoned but that wil not otherwise be they with the lyke reason must captiuate reason a word wil not be bouÌ„d but with a woorde the keyes of the kingdome of heauen must come forthe heere or els the keyes of Newgate will doe no good And if they doe not come torche ignorant men and symple wyll saye that the other are to lyttle purpose brought forthe There is a better way for Bissops and Bishops of Christ to confute a schisme by thaÌ„ prisons and chaynes those were and are Antichristes bishops arguments being taken a parte as they are the iust weapons of a lawfull and godly Maiestrate if the other goe before Some say they remeÌ„ber wel that godly saying of that lerned maÌ„ Augustin I think it bee Si terrerentur et non docerentur improba quasi dominatio videretur If they shuld be feared not taught it myght seme a wicked gouernance theâ— seâ—t not practised of the cleargy they are glad to see theyr Prince to come wyth terrerentur they would as fame see the Bishops come with docerentur So you see what of duetie they require and surely let me say wyth your Honors patience what I thinke is it not a great discredyte to your Lordships that such a scalde trifeling boke can not be answered in thys season It is very shorte you beare vs in hande it is folyshe ioyne the follye of it wyth the breuitye it myght easely haue beene aunswered ere thys If there had beene taken almoste but for euery leafe a moneth there are skarce so many leaues in it as there are monthes past synce it came forthe what remayneth then but that I renue my sute that herein wyth the consyderation of Chryst and hys flocke you woulde haue regarde to your owne honoures and creadyte that it be not further spred and sayd you could not answer it They doe not satisfye them selues wyth pollytyque reasons in that that some say euen froÌ„ your L. that it is a subuersyon of a state it is a greate troublyng of a gouernaunce They say the question is not whether it be troublesome to bryng that in whych they woulde but whether it be a truthe that those men say or no If that be once resolued then haue they to stay them selues They are readye enough to obiect the difficulty of Elyas tyme howe hard a thyng it was in the eares of the kyng people to speake to theÌ„ of the worship of one god which were nowe dotyng worshyppers of theyr Balims what an impossible thing it was to bring in the true priesthode of Moses amongst a sorte of Idolaters whych hadde caste Moses oute of the temple They haue the example of Christ and his Apostles at the fyngers ende and that the priestes then sayde by what authority dost thou this And agayne to Pilate if thou let hym go thou arte not Cesar hys frende In hys good and iuste purpose they could accuse hym of treason of a conspiracye and for theyr owne partes aske hym by what authority and so is it nowe say they wyth oure Byshops they goe not to the scryptures as Chryste wylleth in the person of the scrybes but they crye out agaynst these pore men they are not the Quenes freendes they make a trouble in a state these and suche lyke are theyr wordes your honoures haue to consyder vpon the mater accordyngly And thus muche to your honoures wyshyng youre sauetye if it so please God wythout any shakyng and that your thrones may stande for euer if they be from God whych these men seeme to call in doute and I trust your Lordships wil shew in vaine how vaynely they stande Nowe to you my brethren whych are of the inferioure sort I haue to desyre you to cleaue to the truthe and be not moued for what so euer If thys be truth whych our honourable cleargy doe nowe maintayne