If hee had seene our Bishops that now bee hee would have said otherwise For now the Pope claimeth a power above all the powers in heaven and earth as it is written in the Councell of Lateran Againe â—rasmus in another place speaking hereof saith thus This holy man Saint Ierome saith plainly and freely and as hee thinketh that the Bishop of Rome is above other Bishops not by Bishoprickeâ— but onely by riches By riches onely M. Harding Erasmus saith the Pope is above other Bishops By riches onely hee saith not by right of Gods word not by vertue not by learning not by diligence in preaching but onely by riches Now it may please you to follow your owne rule and to lay the one saying to the other But Saint Ieromes words are plaine of themselves and have no need of other expositor Thus he writeth What doth a Bishop saving onely the ordering of Ministers but a Priest may do the same Neither may wee thinke that the Chuâ—ch of Rome is oneâ— and the Church of all the world beside is another France England Affrica Persia Levante India and all barbarous Nations worship one Christ and keepe one rule of the truth If wee seeke for Authority the whole world is greater than the City of Rome Wheresoever there be a Bishop be it at Euguâ—ium be it at Rome be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium Be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are all of one worthinesse they are all of one Bishopricke The power of riches and the basenesse of poverty maketh not a Bishop either higher or lower for they are all the Apostles successors What bring you mee the custome of Rome being but one City Here M. Harding findeth great fault for that I have translated these words Of one Bishopricke and not as hee would have it Of one Priesthood God woâ— a very simple quarrell Let him take whether he liketh best if either other of these words shall serve his turne Erasmus saith Bishop Pâ—iest and Presbyter at that time were all tâ—ree all one But Mâ— Harding saith The Primates had Authority over other inâ—eriour Bishops I graunt they had so Howbeit they had it by agreement and custome but neither by Christ nor by Peter nor Paul nor by any right of Gods Word Saintâ— Ierome saith Let Bishops understand that they are above Priests rather of Custome than of any truth or right of Christs institution and that they ought to rule the Church altogether And againe Therefore a Priest and a Bishop are both one thing and before that by the inflaming of the Devill parts were taken in Religion and these words were uttered among the people I hold of Paul I hold of Apollo I hold of Peter the Churches were governed by the common advice of the Priests Saint Augustine saith The office of a Biâ—hop is above the office of a Priest not by the authority of the Scripâ—ures but after the names of honour which the custome of the Church hath now obtained So part 2. cap. 9. Divis. 1. p. 196 He brings in M. Harding the Papist writing thus Even so they which denyed the distinction of a Bishop and a Priest were condemned of heresie as we find in Saint Augustine in the Booke and Chapter aforesaid And in Epiphanius Lib. 3. cap. 75. In the Councell of Constance the same is to be found To whom he answers in the Margent Vntâ—uth for hereby both Saint Paul and Saint Ierome and other good men are condemned of Heresie And p. 202. He gives this further answer But what meant M. Harding here to come in with the difference betweene Priests and Bishops thinkes hee that Priests and Bishops hold onely by Tradition or is it so horrible an heresie as hee maketh it to say that by the Scriptures of God a Bishop and a Priest are all one or knoweth hee how farre and unto whom he reacheth the name of an Hereticke Verily Chrysostome saith Betweene a Bishop and a Priest in a manner there is no difference Saint Hierome saith somewhat in rougher sort I heare say there is one become so peevish that hee setteth Deacons before Priests that is to say before Bishops Whereas the Apostle plainly teacheth us that Priests and Bishops he all one Saint Augustine saith What is a Bishop but the first Priest that is to say the highest Priest So saith Saint Ambrose There is but one consâ—cration of a Priest and Bishop for both of them are Priests but the Bishop is the first In his Sermon upon Haggai 1 p. 176. he writes thus against the temporall possessions and secular Offices of Clergy men When Constantinus the Emperour endowed the Church with lands and possessions they say there was a voyce of Angels heard in the ayre saying This day poyson is powred into the Church If there were poyson powred into Church then I doubt there was nover Treacle powred into it since This wee see that from that time shee hath done worse and worse Augustine findeth fault with the multitude of Ceremonies and saith the Church in â—his time was in worse case by mans devises than was the Church of the Iewes Bernard said There is no part sound in the Clergie And againe They which chuse tâ—e first places in the Church are chiefest in persecuting Christ. And againe they be not Teachers but deceivers they are not feeders but beguilers they be not Prelates but Pilates Which hee thus further prosecutes in his Sermon on Matthew 9. p. 198. And what shall I speake of Bishops Their cloven Miter signifieth perfect knowledge of the new Testament and the old their Crosiers Staffe signifieth diligence in attending the flocke of Christ their purple Bootes and Sandals signifie that they should ever be booted and ready to goe abroad through thicke and thinne to teach the Gospell and thereto they applyed the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them which bring glad tydings of peace which bring glad tydings of good things But alas in what kind of things do they beare themselves for Bishops These mysticall titles and shewes are not enough to â—eâ—ch in the Lords Harvest they are garments more meete â—or Players than for good Labourers Saint Bernard writes thus to Eugenius the Bishop of Rome who sometime had beene his Scholler Thou which art the shepheard â—ettest up and downe shining in gold and gorgeously attired but what get thy sheepe If I durst speake it these things are not the fodder for Christs sheepe but for devils Whatsoever apparell they have upon them unlesse they will fall to worke Christ will not know them for labourers How then can the Bishop of Rome be taken for the chiefe Pastor of Christ which these 900. yeares hath not opened his mouth to feed the flocke These 900. yeares I say since Gregory the first of that name it can hardly be found that ever any Bishop of Rome was seene in a Pulpit One of
our Prelates are not so much the vices of their Persons as of their Function which though their many late published Pamphlets would prove to be of Divine Right yet the pernicious evill fruits thereof infallibly proclaime to be of meere humane wrong And in my weake judgement there can be no such safe short and infallible way to decide this controversie Whether Episcopacy be of Divine institution or not then to consider the fruits thereof in all ages that of our Saviour being of eternall verity Ye shall know them by their fruites Since then the fruites of our Lordly Prelates in this and in other kindes too as I could abundantly manifest have beene so desperately evill and they generally the greatest Monsters of impiety that ever pestred the world as appeares by the lives of sundry forraine and Domesticke Pontifs I may infallibly conclude their calling not to be Divine but Antichristian or meerely humane at the best and inconsistent with the safety both of our Prince Church State and by this unanswerable reason dissipate into smoake all those specious flourishes and shadowes of arguments made in their defence which I have else-where fully answered There are but two chiefe arguments of moment for the continuance of Episcopacy which sticke with any judicious men The first in point of State Polity No Lord Bishop no King The second in point of Church Polity No Bishops no peace no government and nothing but Schismes in the Church The first I trust I have abundantly cleared by this Antipathy The second God willing I intend to dissipate in an Historicall Treatise of the Schismes of our English Lordly Prelates among themselves enough to make a volume and then by a larger Remonstrance experimentally evidencing out of Ecclesiasticall Histories That Bishops have beene if not the sole yet at least the chiefe Authors of all the Schismes that ever infested and rent the Church of God And if this be made good as it easily may be against all the world the proud Hierarchy of our Lordly Prelates will fall to ground of it self without helpe of hands to pull it downe If any further alleadge If you remove away Bishops you take away government and introduce an Anarchy into the Church The answer is very easie First we shall still bee under the government of our Christian Kings the Supreame governours of our Church upon earth Secondly under the Government of our Parliaments Lawes and inferiour Magistrates who doe and will take speciall care for our Churches good reglement Thirdly under the regiment of our grave and painfull Ministers whom our Lawes stile Rectors of their severall Parishes and Rectories Fourthly under the government of an Ordinary or Extraordinarie Provinciall or Nationall Synode as there is occasion Fifthly under such a religious orderly Government as your Wisedomes upon the abolishing of Episcopacy shall please to erect among us as most consonant to the Law of God and Civill Government of our State And can any then justly complaine of a want of Government in the Church when it is but altered for the better Sixthly the primitive Church in the purest times before Bishops were instituted was governed by a common Councell of Presbyters and the reformed Churches beyond the Seas which want Bishops are so regulated at this day without any dâ—nger of an Anarchy and so may we as well as they There is nothing then remaining to uphold our Lordly Prelacie but two of their owne principall vices ambition and covetousnesse the one arising from their Lordships or Session in Parliament the other from their Lordly Seats and Revenues neither of which are of Divine Institution as themselves acknowledge If your Honourable Assembly then will but take away the Temporall Honours and Lands annexed to their Bishoprickes I dare sweare not one of all our Prelates will plead or write for Episcopacie any more Saint Paul saith He that desireth the office of a Bishop desireth a good worke and the Fathers generally make this observation on the place Episcopatus nomen est operis non honoris non Dominium sed Officium non Honos sed Onus Opus dixit non Honorem non Dignitatem Laborem non Delicias Opus per quod per humilitatem crescat non intumescat fastidio c. If then your Wisdomes will make our Bishoprickes now a Worke not an honour or gaine out lazie Prelates will of their own accords forgoe them without any more dispute To make this most apparent I shall instance only in one particular it is the generall resolution of Councels Fathers and Divines yea of the lewd Conventicle of Trent it selfe that the first and principle part of a Bishops office is diligently to preach Gods Word to the people and therefore this very Councell enjoynes all Bishops to preach the Scripture and Gods Law every Lordsday and Holiday and moreover in the Lent Advent and other Fasts quotidie vel saltem tribus in hebdomade diebus Sacras Scripturas Divinamque legem annuncient to preach every day or at least three times a weeke Now our Lordly Prelates have beene so farre from executing this principle part of their office and worke that some of them as Canterbury Yorkâ— London and Oxford did not so much as preach one Sermon in sundry yeares others of them have preached very rarely yea most of them have by themselves and their instruments written and preached against frequent preaching suppressed all week-day Lectures and Sermons on Lordsday afternoones throughout their Diocesses and Dr Pierce Bishop of Bath and Wells by name in a Letter to Canterbury thanked God that he had not left one Lecture nor afternoone Sermon in his Diocesse and suspended the Minister of Bridgwater onely for preaching a Lecture in his owne parish Church which had continued 50. years when this Bishop after much solicitation upon this Ministers promise never to preachâ— the Lecture more absolved him from his suspension hee then most blasphemously applyed Christs words used to the sicke man to this good Minister Behold thou art made whole Goe away sinne no more that is preach no more lest a worse thing come unto thee hee convented another Minister only for expounding the Catechisme on the Lordsday afternoone saying it was AS BAD as Preaching So that preaching now in this and other our Prelates judgement is both a Sinne and a bad thing carefully to be suppressed And this wee may generally observe that those who were diligent Preachers before they became Bishops being once made such became usually either Non-preaching or rare-preaching Prelates doing so much the lesse worke by how much they receive the greater wages Whence Queene Elizabeth used to say when shee made preaching Ministers Bishops that shee had made a Bishop but mar'd a preacher it being true that the Bishop of Dunkelde once answered Deane Thomas Farret when hee wished him to preach I tell thee wee Bishops were not ordained
devill and his disciples be against thee for God thy protector is stronger than hee or any other and shall by his grace give him and them a fall and so shew unto thee that God is on thy side Consider that it is written in Prov. 6. that amongst many crimes there rehearsed that God hateth chiefly hee doth detest those persons that sow discord among their brethren as all we Christians are brethren under our heavenly Father Also it is written in Iohn 8. that those that do stirre men to murther are children of the Devill which was from the beginning a murtherer and brought Adam to sinne and thereby to death as the Jewes his children stirred the peopâ—e to put Christ to death Saint Paul also in Rom. 16. warneth them to beware of those that make dissention and debate among them against the Doctrine that he had taught them and biddeth them eschew their company wherein the Holy Ghost wrought in Paul for these many yeares past little warre hath beene in these parts of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome either hath beene a stirrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any compounder of it unlesse it was for his ambition and profit Whereâ—ore since as S. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 14. that God is not the God of dissention but of peace who commandeth by his Word peace alway to be kept we are sure that all those that goe about to breake peace betweene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the children of the devill what holy names soever they pretend to cloake their pestilent malice withall which cloaking under hypocrisie is double devillishnesse and of Christ most deâ—ested because under his blessed name they do play the Devills part And therefore seeing Christ is on ourside against them let us not feare them at all but putting our confidence in Almighty God cleaving fast to the Kings Majesty our supreme head on earth next under Christ of this Church of England as â—aithfull subjects by Godslaw ought to do though they goe about to stirre Gog Magog and all the ravenners of the world against us we trust in God verily and doubt not but they shall have such a ruine as is prophesied by Ezekiel in C. 39. against Gog and Magog going about to destroy the people of God whom the people of God shall so vanquish and overthrow on the mountaines of Israel that none of them shall escape but their carkasses there to lye to be devoured by kiâ—es and crowes and birds of the aire and if they shall persist in their pestilent malice to make invasion into this Realme then let us wish that their great Captaine Gog I meane the Bishop of Rome may come to them to drinke with them of the same cup that hee maliciously goeth about to prepare for us that the people of God might surely live in peace Thus Tonstall concerning the Pope and the Cardinall though a Papist It is an Italian proverbe of our English men That an Italianated English man is a devill incarnate such a one was this Cardinall qui Italis pontificiisque adulationibus conâ—iliis atque technis in Regis atque Patriae discrimine sic se 〈…〉 passus â—st â—â— non modo 〈…〉 PRODITOR writes his immediaâ—e successor of himâ— In the 31. yeare of King Henry the 8â— he put the King Kingdome to extraordinary trouble and expence â—or the King being then enformed by his â—rusty and faithfull friends that the cankered and cruell Serpent the Bishop of Rome by that Arch-trâ—ytor Reginald Poole enemy to Gods Words and his naturall country had moved and stirred divers great Princes and Potentates of Christendome to invade the Realme of England and utterly to destroy the whole Nation of the same Wherefore his Majesty in his owne person without any delay tooke very laborious and painâ—ull journeys â—owards the Sea coasts also hee sent divers of his Nobles and Counsellours to view and search all the Ports and dangers of the Coasts where any meeâ—e and convenient landing place might be supposed as well on the borders of England as also of VVales and in all such doubtfull places his highnesse caused divers and many Bulwarkes and â—ortifications to be made And further his Highnesse caused the Lord Admirall Earle of Southhampton to prepare in readinesse ships for the Sea to his great cost and charges And beside this to have all people in a readinesse hee directed his commissions throughout the Realme to have his people mustered and the harnesse and weapons seene and viewed to the intent that all things should be in readinesse if his enemies should make any attempt into this Realme and likewise caused a generall muster to be made of all the Citizens of London betweene the age of 60. and 16. This Arch-traytor after the Pope had imployed him to move the Emperour and King of Spaine to breake their league with King Henry and to proclaime warre against him kept a continuall guard about him lest the King should send some to murther him And retiring to Viterbium where he lived some space neere a Nunnery he begaâ— two bastards a sonne and a daughter on the Abbeâ—se who oft repaired to his lodging which was afterwards objected to him when he was elected Pope by the major part of Cardinals and yet lost that Antichristian See by his owne negligence and delayes King Edward the 6. deceasing and Queene Mary comming to the Crowne she presently sent for this Traytor home the Pope upon this occasion makes him his Legate to reduce England under his vassallage and tyranny The Cardinall hereupon sore longed homeward not doubting but if things stood as hee thought to get a dispensation to lay off the Hat and put on a Crowne But the Emperour mistrusting what the Prelate intended found devises to hold him beyond the seas untill the match was concluded betweene Queene Maâ—y and his sonne Anno 1554. he arrived in England and the same day he landed an Act passed in the Parliament house through the Queenes and VVinchesiers meanes for his restitution in blood and the utter repealing of the Act of atâ—ainder against him in King Henry the 8. his raigne The Cardinall soone after caused Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury to be deprived and degraded seating himselfe in his See and making a long Oration in Parliament declaring the offence and schisme of the Kingdome in casting off the Pope and his willingnesse to receive them into the bosome of the Church againe upon their submission he caused the Parliament to make an Act repealing all Statutes Articles and Provisions made against the See of Rome since the 20. yeare of Henry the 8. reviving the Popes supremacie and denying the Queens wherein the whole Realm submitted it selfe to the Pope some parts of which Act pertinent to my purpose I shall crave leave to recite Whereas since the 20. yeare of K. Henry the 8. of famous memory Father unto your Majesty our most naturall Soveraigne
example In a word he was the worst persecuting Bishop in his age and was twice deposed from his Bishopricke for his misdemeanors first in King Edwards dayes and after in the beginning of Queene Eâ—izabeths raigne by authority of Parliament at which time he was committed to the Marshashey among Rogues and murtherers where he died and was buried at midnight in obscurity Richard Fletcher the 42. Bishop of London incurred Queene Elizabeths just displeasure for his misdemeanors whereupon he fell to cure his cares by immoderate drinking of Tobacco and Iune the fifteenth 1596. died suddenly at his house in London being to see well sicke and dead in one quarter of an houre Richard Bancroft Bishop of London consecrated the eleventh of May 1597. was a great persecuter of godly Ministers a favourer and harbourer of Priests and Jesuites and caused Dolmons Book of Succession against King Iames his tittle to the Crowne to be Printed in his house and published hee was the chiefe Author of the Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall set forth in the first yeare of King Iames which afterwards did breed much trouble and disturbance in our Chuâ—ch and are now voted in Parliament to be made without any lawfull authority and to be repugnant to the Lawes of the Realme and liberty of the subject William Laud the last Bishop of London but one whilst he continued in that See was very like to his predecessors Bonner and Bancroft in his practises and proceedings for some of which and others since he now stands charged of high treason by the Parliaament Of which more before p. 157. c. The present Bishop of London William Iuxon was Bishop Laudes creature advanced by him and the first Prelate in our memory who relinquished the cure of soules and preaching of Gods Word to become a Lord Treasurer and sit as a Publican at the receit of Custome His disposition and carriage as a man have beene amiable commendable but how farre forth he hath concurred with Canterbury in his evill counsells and designes as he is a Prelate time will discover How ever in the interim his forwardnesse in compiling and pressing the late new Canons Loane and c. Oath and his last Visitation Articles wherein these new Canons and Oath are inforced upon the Subjects against the Lawes and their Liberties with some censures of his in the Starre-chamber and high Commission resolved by Parliament to be against the Law and liberty of the Subject and his Innovations in Scotland are inexcusable Winchester From the Prelates of London I now passe to those of Winchester of whom William Harrison in the discription of England hath made this true observation If the old Catalogue of the Bishops be well considered of and the Acts of the greatest part of them weighed as they are to be read in our Histories ye shall finde the most egregious hypocrites the stoutest warriours the cruellest tyrants the richest mony-mongers and politicke Councellours in temporall affaires to have I wote not by what secret working of the divine providence beene placed here in Winchester since the foundation of that See which was erected by Birinus An. 639. whom Pope Honorius sent hither out of Italy and first planted at Dorcester in the time of Kimgils then translated to Winchester where it doth yet continue Wina the third or rather the first Bishop of Winchester from whence some write this city tooke its name about the yeare of our Lord 666. I know not for what misdemeanour so highly offended Kenwalchus King of the West Saxons who advanced him to this See that the King fell into great mislike of him and drave him out of his Country who thereupon flying to Wulfher King of Mercia bought of him for a great summe of money the Bishopricke of London being the first Symonist that is mentioned in our Historyes whence aâ—ter his death he was deservedly omitted out of the Catalogue of the Bishops of London Herefridus the fifteene Bishop of Winchester and Sigelmus Bishop of Sherborne An. 834. accompanied King Egbert to the warres against the Danes and were both slaine in a battell against them About the yeare of our Lord 1016. Edmond Ironside succeeding his father in the Kingdome was crowned at London by the Archbishop of Yorke but the rest of the Bishops Abbots and spiritualty among whom Edsinus the 32. Bishop of Winchester was one favouring Cnute a Dane who had no right nor title to the Crowne assembling together at Southampton within Winchester Diocesse 〈◊〉 proclaimedâ— and ordained â—nuâ—e for their King and submitted themselves to him as their Soveraigne which occasioned many bloody battells and intestine warres almost to the utter ruine of the Kingdome of which you may read at large in our Historians â—nute not long after his inauguration being put to the worst at Durham by Edmâ—â—d immediaâ—ly tooke into Winchesâ—er to secure himselfe a good proofe this Bishop sided with him against his Soveraigne Eâ—mond though a most heroicke Prince Alwyn the 33. Bishop of Winchester was imprisoned by Edmond the Confessor for the suspition of incontinency with Emma the Kings mother and that upon the accusation of Robert Archbishop of Canterbury who likewise accused Queene Egitha of adultery more out of envy to her father than truth of so foule a fact in her whereupon the King expulsed her his Court and bed and that with no little disgrace for taking all her Jewels from her even to the uttermost farthing he committed her prisoner to the Monastery of VVilton attended onely with one Mayde while she for a whole yeares space almost in teares and prayers expected the day of her release and comfort The Clergy at this time were altogether unlearned wanton and vicious for the Prelates neglecting the office of their Episcopall function which was to tender the affaires of the Church and to feede the flocke of Christ lived themselves idle and covetous addicted wholely to the pompe of the world and voluptuous life little caring for the Churches and soules committed to their charge and if any told them faith Higden that their lives ought to be holy and their conversation without coveteousnesse according to the sacred prescript and vertuous examples of their Elders they would scoffingly put them off Nunc aliud tempus alii pro tempore mores Times have mutations So must mens fashions and thus saith he they plained the roughnesse of their doings with smoothnesse of their answers Stigand Anno 1047. was translated to Winchester from whence also he was removed to Canterbury in the yeare 1052. But whether he mistruâ—ted his Title to Canterbury Robert the former Arch-Bishop being yet alive or whether infatiable covetousnesse provoked him thereunto I cannot tell hee retained still Winchesâ—er notwithstanding his preferment to Canterbury which was the cause of his undoing at last For the Conqueror who came into this Realme while he was
namely Richard Hurrell Iohn Punchard and others some more some lesse for writing one Presentment to the grievous oppression of his Majesties poore subjects in his Diocesse XXIV Whereas by the Lawes of this Realme no tythes ought to be paid out of the rents of houses nor is there any custome or usage in the City of Norwich for such payment yet the said Bishop indeavoured to draw the Citizens and other inhabitants within the said City against their wills and consents to pay two shillings in the pound in liew of the tithes of houses within the severall Parishes of the said City unto the Ministers there of the said respective parishes And the better to effect this his unjust resolution he did by false and undue suggestions in the fourteenth yeare of his Majesties reigne that now is procure his Majestie to declare under his Highnesse great Seale of England his royall pleasure That if any person within the said City shall refuse to pay according to the said ratâ— of two shillings the pound unto the Minister of any Parish with in the said city That the same be heard in the Court of Chancery or in the Consistory of the Bishop of Norwich And that in such case no prohibition against the said Bishop of Norwich their Chancellors or Commissaries in the sâ—â—d Courts of Consistory be gâ—anting the same upon â—ight of his Highnesse said Order shall forthwith grant a consultation to the Minister desiring the same with his reasonable costs and charges for the same which said Order and Decree under the great Seale of England tended to the violation of the Oathes of the Judgesâ— and was devised contrived and made by the said Bishop And afterwards by his evill counsels and false surmises he did obtaine his Majesties royall consent thereunto and by colour of the order aforesaid and other the doings of the said Bishop the Citizens and inhabitants of Norwich aforesaid viz. Iohn Collar Judith Perkeford and others have beene inforced to pay the said two shillings in the pound in liew of tythes or else by suits and other undue meanes beene much molested and put to great charges and expences contrary to the Law and Justice XXV That he assumed to himselfe an arbitrary power to compell the respective parishioners in the said Diocesse to pay great and excessive wages to Parish Clarksâ— viz. the Parishioners of Yarmouth Congham Tostocke and others commanding his officers that if any parishioner did refuse to pay such wages they should certifie him their names and hee would set them into the High Commission Court for example of them And that one or two out of Ipswich might be taken for that purpose And the said Commons by Protestation saving to themselves the libertieâ— of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the said Matthew Wren late Bishop of Norwich and now Bishop of Ely and also of replying to the answer to the said Articles or any of them or of offering proofe of the premisses or any other impeachments or accusations that shall be exhibited by them as the case shall according to the course of Parliaâ—ents require doe pray that the said Matthew â—ren may be called to answer the said severall crimes and misdeâ—eanours and receive such condigne punishment as the same shall deserve and that such further proceedings may be upon every of them had and used against him as is agreeable to Law and Justice Sir THOMAS WIDDRINGTONS SPEECH At a Conference betweene both Houses on Tuesday the 20â— of Iuly 1641. At the transmission of the impeachment against Matthew Wren Doctor of Divinity late Bishop of Norwich and now Bishop of Ely My Lords I am commanded by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now assembled for the Commons in Parliament to deliver to your Lordships these Articles against the Bishop of Ely May it please your Lordships first to heare them read MY Lords These Articles are dipped in those Colours in which this Bishop rendred himselfe to the Diocesse of Norwich they neede no Glosse nor Varnish In them you may behold the spirit and disposition of this Bishop heare the groanes and cries of the people see a shepheard scattering I had almost said devouring his owne flocke He that was desired to paint Hercules thought he had done enough when he had made a resemblance of the Lyons skin which he was wont to carry about him as a Trophee of his honour I will not say that in these you will finde a resemblance of the Lyons skin I am sure you will finde the resemblance of the skins that is to say the tottered and ruin'd fortunes of poore innocent Lambs who have extreamely suffered by the violence of this Bishop In the yeare 1635. this man was created Bishop of Norwich he is no sooner there but he marcheth furiously In the creation of the world light was one of thâ— first productions the first visible action of this Bishop after his creation into this See was to put out many burning and shining lights to suspend diverse able learned and conscientious Ministersâ— he that should have beene the Golden â—nuffer of these lights became the extinguisher and when these are taken away where shall poore men light their Candles My Lords this was not all He put out lights and sets up firebrands in their places suspends painfull Ministers and sets up idle factious and superstitious Priests to use their owne language in their places yet it is the fortune of these men at this time like Rivers in the Ocean to be buried the in extreme activity of their Diocesan He made a scourge not of small cords but of new Injunctions and numerous Articles tyed about with a strong twist of a most dangerous oath and with this he whips not out buyers and sellers but the faithfull dispensers of the word out of their Churches out of their estates out of their deere Country This Noah if I may so call him without offence assoone as he entred into the Arke of this Diocesse he sends nay forces Doves to fly out of this Arke and when they returne unto him with Olive branches in their mouthes of peaceable and humble submissions he will not receive them into this Arke againe unlesse like Ravens they would feed upon the Carrion of his new Inventions they must not have any footing thereâ— he stands as a flaming sword to keepe such out of his Diocesse My Lords unlesse he had done this he could never have hoped to have brought that great worke he undoubtedly aymed at to any perfection Whilst the Palladium of Troy stood that Citie was impregnable The Greekes had no sooner stollen that away but they instantly won the Citieâ— So then he first put out the Candles then was the opportunity to shuffle in his workes of darknesse hâ— first beaâ—s off the Watchmen and seers then was likely to follow that which the impiety of some was pleased to stile the piety of the times This being done he then begins to dresse
revenews was the very bane and poyson of Religion and one principall cause of the Bishops rebellions Treasons and exorbitances forementioned And therefore they may both with good conscience and reason be substracted from them and put to better usâ—s and they like other Ministers be confined to one compâ—tent living with cure there conâ—â—antly to reside and instruct the people like Bishops in the primitive times Tenthly That our Lorâ—ly Prelates will be still undermining the Lawesâ— and libâ—râ—ies of â—he Subjects his Majesties royall pâ—erogâ—tive his Eccleâ—â—asticall and temporall jurisdiction and vexing his Subjectâ— in their Courts till both their usurpâ—d Authoritiesâ— and Consistories be better regulated or totally abolished Eleventhly That the very Spirit of insolency contumacy tâ—eachery sedition rebellion ambition pride covetousnesse vaineglory malice hypocrisie tyranny and oppression is almost inseparably united to the Chaires of Lordly Prelates since they infect almost all who once sit in them and either infuse these vices into them or augment them in them none growing better men but most farre worse by their Sees Twelfthly that the government of our Church in common by a Presbytery or Synod of Ministersâ— or any other way used in the primitive Church and other refoâ—med Churches can no way be so pernicious or inconvenient to our Kings and Kingdomes as the Government by Lordly Prelates is and hath been Our Prelates chiefe objection in point of Monarchy against a Presbyteriall or Synodall government is that if this forme should be introduced the King and Nobles must submit therâ—to and be liable to their excommunications But this is a foolish Bugbear which recoyles and lights heavily on their owne heads For the Archbishops and Bishops of England and those of forraine Countrys too have many times not onely excommunicated their Soveraignes but also interdicted their Kingdomes enjoyned hard penances to them absolved their Subjects from their allegiance and oathes armed their people and strangers against them and deprived them of their Crownes offering them more and greater affronts and requiring more submission from them then all other their Subjects whatsoever Did ever any Presbytery doe the like or take so much upon them or did they ever deal so with their Princes as our Prelates did with King Iohn or with Edward and Richard the second If yea then prove it If no then this is no solid objection but a malicious suggestion against the Presbyteriall and Synodall Government In a word I would demand this question of the Objectors whether Kings and great men when they scandalously offend be subject to the censures of Excommunication by the law of God If so then why may not the Presbytery and Synode of Ministers anathematize them as well as Lord Bishops and Popes If not then there is no feare of such a censure to which they are not liable by Gods Law or mans These twelve conclusions are sufficiently warranted by the premises yet for the Readers better satisfaction I shall back them with some passages and Authorities of our owne approved ancient and Moderne Writers Martyrs Prelates and Authors of speciall note and so conclude Caelius Sedulius Scotus one of the ancientest of our owne Writers flourishing about the yeare of our Lord 390. determines thus of the parity of Bishops and Presbyters by divine right against our Lordly Prelates doctrine in these dayes in his Exposition on Titus Chap. 1. For a Bâ—shop must be blamelesse c. He calleth him a Bishop whom before he named a Presbyter Before by the Devils instinct parties were made in Religion and it was said among the people I am of Paul but I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas the Churches were governed with the common Councel of the Presbyters But after that every one thought those whom he baptised to be hiâ—â— not Christs it was decreed throughout the World that one chosen 〈◊〉 of the Presbyters should be set over the rest to whom all the care of the Church should appertaine and that the seeds of schismes should be taken away In the Acts of the Apostlâ—s it is written thaâ— when the Apostle Paulâ— came to Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of that Church unto whom among other things he spake thus Take heed to your selves and to all the flocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood And here observe more diligently how that he calling the Elders of but one City Ephesus doth afterwards stile them Bishops These things I have alleadged that we mâ—ght shew how that among the Ancâ—â—â—ts fuisse Presbyteros quos Episcopos Prâ—sbyters to hâ—ve been THE SAME THAT BISHOPS WERE But by little and little that the seeds of dissention might be utterly extïrpated the whole cure was traâ—sferred to one And on the 1 Timothy 5. â—â— It is demanded writes he why Paul here makes no mention of Presbyters but onely of Bishops and Deacons Sed etiam ipsos in Episcoporum nomine comprehendit But truely he also comprehâ—ndeth thâ—m in â—he name of Bishops To him I might annex our famous Gildas in his Acris Correptio Cleri Angliae our Venerable Beda in Acta Apostolorum cap. 20. Tom. 5. Col. 657. and Alcuinus de Dâ—vinis Officijs cap. 35.36 Epistola 108. ad Sparatum and Comment in Evang. Ioannis l. 5. to 25. Col. 547 548 549. Who maintaine the selfe same Doctrine of the Parity of Bishops and Presbyters declaime much against the pride Lordlinâ—sse ambition domineering power and other vices of Prelates and conclude that a Biâ—hopricke is Nomen Operis non honoris A name of Labour not of honour A worke not a dignity A toyle not a delâ—ght But I rather passe to Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury a man without exception and the greatest Scholler in his age who neare 600 yeares since in his Enarration on the Epistle to the Phillippians cap. 1. vers 1. resolves thus With the Bishops that is with the Presbyters and Deacâ—ns for he hath put Bishops for Elders after his custome For there were not many Bâ—shops in one City neither would he intermit Presbyters that he mâ—ght descâ—nd to Deacons But he declares the dignity and excellency of the Presbyters whilâ—s he manifests the same men who are Presbyters to be Bishops But that AFTERWARD one was elected who might be preferred before the rest it was done to prevent schisme leâ—t every one drawing to himselfe the Gospell of Christ should divide it Constat ergo Apostolica institutione omnes Presbyteros esse Episcopos It is therefore MANIFEST BY APOSTOLICALL INSTITVTION THAT ALL PRESBYTERS ARE BISHOPS albeit NOW those greater ones have obtained that Title For a Bâ—shop is called an Overseer and every Presbyter ought to attend the cure over the flock committed to him In his Commentary on the first Chapter of Titus v. 5 7. he hath the selfesame words that Hierom and Sedulius used before him concluding from Acts 20.17 28.
The proud Pope put him out So of his Realme is in doubt But Lords bâ—ware and them defend For now these folk been wondrous stout Moses Law forbade iâ— thâ— That Priests should no Lordships weld Christs Gospell biddeth also That they shoâ—ld no Lordshipâ— held Ne Christs Apostles were never so bold No such Lordships to them embrace But â—â—neren her â—â—eep and keep her fold God amend hem for his grace c. This Booke of Chaucer was authorised to be printed by Act of Parliament in the 34. and 3â— Hen. 8. C. 2. When the Prelates by the same Act prohibited both the printing and reading of the Bible in English such was their piety About the same time there was a device or counterfeit letter fained under the nâ—â—e of Luâ—ifer Prince of darknesse written to the persâ—cuting Prâ—lâ—tes of England in those times and transcribed by Master Fox out of the Register of the Bishop of Hereford and written as some thinke by William Swinderby or some other Lollard The coppy whereof I shall here insert because it lively sets sorth the use and benefit that the Devill makes of our Lordly Prelates and the ill effects of their great wealth and power to the great prejudice both of our Church and State I LVCIFER Prince of Darknesse and profound heavinesse Emperour of the high Misteries of the King of Acharoâ—t Captaine of the Dungeon King of Hell and controuler of the infernall fire To all our children of pride and companions of our Kingdome and especially to our Princes of the Church of this later age and time of which our adversary Jesus Christ according to the Prophet saith I hate the Church or Congregation of the wicked send greeting and wish prosperity to all that obey our commandements as also to all those that be obedient to the Lawes of Satan already enacted and are diligent observers of our behests and the precepts of our decree Know ye that in times past certaine Vicars or Vicegerents of Christ following his steps in miracles and virtues living and continuing in a beggarly life converted in a manner the whole World from the yoake of our tyranny unto their Doctrine and manner of life to the great derision and contempt of our Prison-house and kingdome and also to the no little prejudice and hurt of our jurisdiction and authority not fearing to hurt our fortified power and to offend the Majesty of our estate For then received we no tribute of the World neither did the miserable sort of common people rush at the gates of our deepe dungeon as they were wont to do with continual pealing and rapping but then the easie pleasant and broad way which leadeth to death lay still without great noyse of trampling travellers neither yet was trod with feet of miserable men And when all our Courts were without Suitors Hell then began to howle And thus continuing in great heavinesse and anguish was robbed and spoyled Which thing considered the impatient rage of our stomack could no longer suffer neither the ugly rechlesse negligence of our great Captainâ— generall could any longer endure it But we seâ—king remedy for the time that should come after have provided us of a very trim shift For in stead of these Apostles and other their adherents which draw by the same line of theirs as well in manners as doctrine and are odious enemies to us Wee have caused you to be their Successors and put you in their place which be Prelates of the Church in these later times by our great might and subtilty as Christ hath said of you They have raigned but not by me Once we promised unto him all the Kingdomes of the World if he would fall downe and worship us but he would not saying My Kingdome is not of this World and went his way when the multitude would have made him a temporall King But to you truely which are fallen from the state of grace and that serve us in the earth is that my promise fulfilled and all terrene things by our meanes which wee bestowed upon you are under government For he hath said of us ye know The Prince of this World cometh c. And hath made us to raigne over all children of unbeleife Therefore our adversaries before recited did patiently submit themselves unto the Princes of the World and did teach that men should doe so saying Be ye subject to every creature for Gods cause whether it be to the King as most chiefest And againe Obey ye them that are made rulers over you â— For so their Master commanded them saying The Kâ—ngs of the Heathen have dominion over them c. But I thinke it long till we have powred our poyson upon the earth and therefore fill your selves full And now be ye not unlike those Fathers but also contrary unto them in your life and conditions and extoll your selves above all other men Neither doe ye give unto God that which belongeth to him nor yet to Caesar that which is his but exercise you the power of both the Swordsâ— according to our decrees making your selves doers in worldly matters fightâ—ng in our quarrell intangled with secular labours and businesse And clime ye by little and little from the miserable state of poverty unto the highest Seats of all Honours and the most Princely places of dignity by your devised practises and false and deceitfull wiles and subtilty that is by Hypocrisie Flattery Lying Perjury Treasons Deceiâ—s Simony and other greaâ—er wickednesse then which our internall furies may devise For after that ye have been by us advanced thither where ye would be yet that doth not suffice you but as greedy starvelings more hungry then ye were before ye suppresse the poore scratch and rake together all that comes to hand perverting and turning every thing topsie â—urvey so swolne that ready ye are to burst for pride living like Lechers in all corporall delicatenesse and by fraud directing all your doings You challenge to your selves names of honour in the earth calling your selves Lords Holy yea and most holy Fathers Thus either by violence ye raven or else by ambition subtilly ye pilfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false title possesse those goods which for the sustentation of the poore members of Christ whom from our first fall we have hated were bestowed and given consuming them as ye your selves list and wherewith ye cherish and maintaine an innumerable sort of Whores Strumpets and Bawdes with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes farre otherwise going then those poore beggarly Priests of the primitive Church For I would ye should build your selves rich and gorgeous Palaces Ye fare like Princes eating and drinking the most daintiest meates and pleasantest wines that may be gotten Ye hoard and heape together an infinite deale of treasure not like to him that said Gold and silver have I none Ye serve and fight for us according to your wages O most acceptable society
or fellowship promised unto us of the Prophet and of those Fathers long agoe reproved Whilest that Christ called thee the Synagogue of Satan and likened thee to the mighty Whore which committed fornication with the Kings of the earth the adulterous Spouse of Christ and of a chast person made a Strumpet Thou hast left thy first Love and cleaved unto us O our beloved Babylon O our Citizens which from the transmigration of Hierusalem come hither We love you for your deserts we rejoyce over you which contemnâ— the Lawes of Simon Peter and imbrace the Lawes of Simon Mâ—gus our friend and have them at your fingers ends and exercise the same publickly buying and selling spirituall things in the Church of God and against the Commandement of God Ye give Benefices and Honours by Petition or else for money for favour or else for filthy service And refusing to admit those that be worthy to Eâ—clesiasticall dignity you call unto the inheritance of Gods Sanctuary Bauds Liers Flatterers your Nephews and your owne Children and to a childish Boy ye give many Prebends the least whereof ye dâ—ny to bestow upon a poore good man Ye esteeme the person of a man and receive gifts Ye regard money and have no regard of Soules Ye have made the house of God a denne of Theeves All abuse extortion is more exercised an hundred fold in your judgement seats then with any secular Tyrant Ye make Lawes and keepe not the same and dispence with your dispensations as it pleaseth you you justifie the wicked for reward and take away the just mans desert from him And briefely yee perpetrate or commit all kinde of mischiefe even as it is our will yee should And ye take much paines for Lucres sake in our Service and especially to destroy the Christian faith For now the Lay people are almost in doubt what they may believe because if yee preach any such to them at sometimes although it be but seldome seene and that negligently enough even as we would have it yet notwithstanding they believe you not because they see manifestly that ye do clean contrary to that yee say Whereupon the coâ—mon people dâ—ing as yee doe which have the government of them and should be an example unto them of well doing now many of them leaâ—â—ing to your rules doe runne headlong into a whole sâ—a of vices and continually a very great â—ultitude flocketh at the strong and well fenced gates of our dungeon And doubtlesseâ— yee send us so many day by day of every sort and kinde of people that we should not be able to entertaine them but that our insatiable Châ—os with her thousand ravening jawes is sufficient to devoure an infinite numbeâ— of soules And thus the soveraignty of our Empire by you hath beene reformed and out intolerable losse restored Wherefore most specially we commend you and give most hearty thankes exhorting all you that in any wise yee persevere and continue as hitherto yee have done neither that you slacke henceforward your enterprise For why by â—our helps wee purpose to bring the whole world under our power and dominion Over and besides this we commit unto you no small authority to supply our places in the betraying of your brethren and we make and ordaine you our Vicars and the Ministers of Antichrist our Sonne now hard at hand for whom ye have made a very trim way passage Furthermore we counsell you which occupy the highest roomes of all other that you worke subtilly and that yee faignedly procure peace betweene the Princes of the world and that yee cherish and procure secret causes of discord And like as craftily yee have destroyed and subverted the Roman Empire so suffer yee no kingome to be overmuch enlarged or enriched by tranquillity and peace lest perhaps in so great tranquillity all desire of peace set aside they dispose themselves to view and consider your most wicked workes suppressing on every side your estate and from your treasures take away such sâ—bstance as we have caused to be reserved and kept in your hands untill the comming of our welbeloved sonne Antichrist We would you should doe our commendations to our entirly beloved daughters Pride Deceit Wrath Avarice Belli-cheere and Lechery and to all other my daughters and especially to Lady Simony which hath made you men and enriched you and hath given you suck with her owne breasts and weaned you and therefore in no wise-see that yee call her sinne And also be yee lofty and proud because that the most high dignity of your estate doth require suck magnificence And also be yee covetous for whatsover yee get and gather into your fardell it is for Saint Peter for the peace of the Church and for the defence of your patrimony and the Crucifix and therefore yee may lawfully doe it you may promote Cardinalls to the highest seat of dignities without any â—et in the world in stopping the mouth of our adversary Jesus Christ and aâ—leaging againe that he preferred his kinsfolkes being but of poore and base degree unto the Apostleâ—hip but doe not you so but rather call as yee doe those that live in arrogancy in haughtinesse of mind and filâ—hy lechery unto the staâ—e of wealthy riches and pride and those rewaâ—ds and promotions which the followers of Christ forsooke do yee distribute unto your friends Therefore as you shall have better understanding prepare yee vices cloaked under the similitude of vertues alleage for your selves the glosses of the holy Scripture and wrest them directly for to serve for your purpose And if any man preach or teach otherwise than yee will oppresse yee them violently with the sentence of excommunication and by your censures heaped one upon another by the consent of your brethren let him be condemnned as an heretique and let him be kept in most strait prison and there tormented till he die for a terrible example to all such as confesse Christ. And setting all favour apart cast him out of your Temple lest peradventure the ingrafted word may save your soules which word I abhorrâ— as I doe the soules of other faithfull men And doe your endeavour that yee may deserve to have the place which we have prepared for you under the most wicked foundation of our dwelling place fare yee well with such felicity as we desire and intend finally to reward and recompence you with Given at the Center of the earth in that darke place where all the rablement of Devills were present specially for this purpose caâ—led unto our most dolorous Consistory under the Character of our terrible Seale for the confirmation of the premises Divers other writings of like argument saith Master Fox both before and since have beene devised As one bearing the Title Luciferi ad malos principes Ecclesiasticos â—mprinted first at Paris in Latine And under the writing thereof bearing this
Oxford William Cliffe Geoffry Dowes Robert Oking Ralph Bradford Richard Smith Simon Mathew Iohn Pryn William Buckmaster William May Nicholas Wotton Richard Cox Iohn Edmunds Thomas Robertson Iohn Baker Thomas Barret Iohn Hase Iohn Tyson Doctors and Professors in Divinity and of the civill and Canon Law with the whole Convocation House and Clergy of Enland in their Booke intituled The Institution of a Christian man dedicated by them to King Henry the eight Printed Cum Privilegio subscribed with all their names and ratified by the Statute of 32. Henry the eight cap. 26. chap. Of the Sacrament of Order fol. 48. c. And King Henry 8. himselfe in his Booke inscribed A necessary erudition for any Christian man published with the advise and approbation of all the Prelates Clergy of England in their Convocation and of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and nether House of Parliament with the Kings owne royall Epistle to all his loving Subjects before it Anno 1545. by vertue of the Satute of 32 Henry the eight c. 26. Chap. of the Sacrament of Order Doe all thus joyntly determine of the calling jurisdiction Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Bishops The truth is that in the New Testament there is no mention made of any degrees or distinctions in Orders but onely of Deacons and Ministers and of Priests or Bishopâ— And of these two Orders onely that is to say Priests and Deacons Scripture maketh expresse mention and how they were conferred of the Apostles by Prayer and imposition of their hands And to these two the Primitive Church did add and conjoyne certaine other inferior and lower degrees And as concerning the office and duty of the said Ecclesiasticall Ministers the same consisteth in true preaching and teaching the word of God unto the people iâ— dispensing and ministring the Sacraments of Christ in consecratingâ— and offering the blessed body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar in loosing and assoyling from sinne such persons as be sorry and truely penitent for the same and excommunicating such as bâ— guilty in manifest crimes and will not be reformed otherwise and finally in praying for the whole Church of Christâ— and specially for the flocke committed unto them And although the office and ministry of Priests and Bishops stand câ—iefly in these things before rehearsed yeâ— neither they nor any of them may exercise and execute any of the same offices but with such sort and such limitation as the Ordinances and Lawes of every Christian Realme doe permit and â—uffer It is out of all doubt that there is no mention made neither in Scripture neither in the writings of any authentical Doctâ—r or Author of the Church being within the time of the â—postles that Christ did ever make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preheminence of power order or jurisdiction between the Apostleâ— themselves or between the Bishops themselves but that they were all â—quall in power authorâ—ty and jurisdâ—ctâ—on And that there is now and since the time of the Apostles any such diversity or difference among the Bishops It was devised by the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church for the conservation of good order and unity of the Catholique Church and that either by the consent and authority or else at least by the permâ—ssion and suffâ—rance of the Prâ—nces and civill powers for the time ruling For the said Fathers considering the great and infinite multitude of Christian men so lâ—rgely encreased through the world and taking examples of the Old Testamâ—nt thought it expedient to make an order of degrees to be among Bishops and spirituall Governours of the Church and so ordained some to be Patriarks some to be Metropolitansâ— some to be Archbishops some to be Bishops and to them did limit severally not onâ—ly their certaine Diocesse and Provinces wherein they should exercise their power and not exceed the same but also certaine bounds and limits of their jurisdiction and power c. And lest peradventure it might be thought to some persons that such authorities powers and jurisdictions as Patriarks Primates Archbishops and Metropolitans now have or heretofore at any time have had justy and lawfully over any other Bishops were given them by God in holy Scripture We think it expedient and necessary that all men should be advertised and taught that all such lawfull powers and authority of one Bishop over another were and be given to them by the consent ordinance positive lawes of men only and not by any ordinance of God in holy Scripture and all other power and authority which any Bishop hath used or exercised over another which hath not been given to him by such consent and ordinance of men as is aforesaid is in very deed no lawful power but plaine usurpation and tyranny And therefore whereas the Bishop of Rome hath heretofore claimed and usurped to be head and governour over all Priests and Bishops of the holy catholique Church of Christ by the lawes of God It is evident that the same power is utterly fained and untrue VVee thinke it convenient that all Bishops and Pastors shall instruct and teach the people committed to their spirituall charge that Christ did by expresse words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of their successors should under the pretence of authority of the sword that is to say the authority of Kings or any civill power in this world yea or any authority to make Lawes or Ordinances in causes appertaining â—â—to civill powers If any Bishop of what estate or dignity soâ—ver he be be he Bishop of Rome or of any other City Province or Diocesse doe presume to take upon him authority or jurisdiction in causes of matters which appertaine unto Kings and the civill powâ—rs and â—heir Courts and will maintaine or thinke that he may so doe by the authority of Christ and his Gospel although the Kings and Princes would not permit and suffer him so to doe no doubt that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and a usurper of other mens rights contrary to the Lawes of God and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise than he that goeth about to subvert the Kingdome of Christ for the Kingdome of Christ in his Church is spirituall and not a carnall kingdome of the world that is to say the very Kingdome that Christ by himselfe or by his Apostles and Disciples sought here in this world was to bring all Nations from the carnall kingdome of the Prince of darknesse unto the light of his spirituall Kingdome and so himselfe raigne in the hearts of the people by grace faith hope and charity And therefore sith Christ did never seeke nor exercise any worldly kingdome or dominion in this world but rather refusing and flying the same did leave the said worldly governance of kingdomes Realmes and Nations to be governed by Princes and Potentates in like manner as he did finde them and commanded also his
purely â—hat they see no contrary ensample in thee to whatsoever thoâ— teachest them in Christ that thoâ— put no stumbling blocke before them to make them â—aile while they be yet young and weake in the faith But that thou abstaine as Paul teacheth 1 Thes. 5. Ab omni specie mala from all tâ—at might seeme evill or whereof a man might â—urmise amisse and that thou so love them that whatsoever gift of God in them is thou thinke the same theirs and their food and for their sakes given unto thee as the â—ruth is and that all their infirmitâ—es be thine and that thou feele them and that with all thy power to helpe to amend them and cease not to cry to God for them neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be found in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoever thou teachest them that be thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skin as our Holy Father the Pope is which commeth unto us in a name of hypocrisie and in the Title of cursed Cham oâ— Ham calling himselfe Servâ—s servoâ—um the Servant of all â—ervants and is yet found tyrannus â—yrannorum of all tyrants the most cruell This is to receive young Children in Christs name and to receive young Children in Christs name is to beare rule in the Kingdome of Christ. Thuâ— ye see that Christs Kingdome is altogether spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleare contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally Wherefore none that beâ—reth rulâ— in it may have any tempâ—rall jurisdiction or minister any temporall Office that requireth violence to compell withall Thus and â—arre more Mr. Tyndall All whose passages are very remarkable and worthy serious consideration Iohn Friâ—h our learned English Martyr in his Answere to the Prefacâ— of Mr. Moores Book pag. 116 writes thus of Bishops anâ— their great possessions This Canker then began to spread in the Congregation and did full sore annoy the body insomuch that within foure hundred yeares there were very many Sects scattered in every coast Notwithstanding there were faithfull Fathers that diligently subdued them with the sword of Gods Word But surely since Silvester received such possessions hath the Canker so crept in the Church that it hath almost left never a sound member And as Cistercensis writeth in the eighth booke that day that hee received revenues was a voyce heard in the ayre crying over the Court which sayd This day is venome shed into the Church of God Before that time there was no Bishop greedy to take a Cure For it is no honour and profit as it is now but onely a carefull charge which was like to cost him his life at one time or other And therefore no man would take it but he that bare such a love and zeale to God and his â—locke that hee could be content to shed his blood for them But after that it was made so honourable and profitable they that were worst both in learning and living most laboured for it For they that were vertuous would not entangle themselves with the vaine pride of this world and weare three Crownes of gold where Christ did weare one of thorne And in conclusion it came so farreâ— that whosoever would give most money for it or best could flatter the Prince which he knew well all good men to abhorre had the preheminence and got the best Bishopricke and then instead of Gods Word they published their owne Commandements and made Lawes to have all under them and made men beleeve they could not erre whatsoever they did or sayd and even as in the Roomes stead of Moses Aaron Eliazer Iosue Caleb and other Faithful folk came Herod Annas Caiphas Pilate and Iudas which put Christ to deathâ— So now in the stead of Christ Peter Paul Iames and Iohn and the faithfull followers of Christ we have the Pope Cardinalls Arch-Bishops Bishops and proud Prelates with their Proctorsâ— the malicious Ministers of their Master the Devill which notwithstanding transformâ—â— themselves into a likenesse as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall bee according to their workes So that the body is cankered long agone and now are left but certaine small members which God of his puissant power hath reseâ—ved uncorruptedâ— and because they see that they cannot be cankered as their owne â—lesh is for pure anger they buâ—â—e themâ— lest if they continued there might seeme some deformity in their owne cankered carkasses by the comparing of these whole members to their scabbed body Our godly Martyr D. Barnes in his Articles pag. 210 211 212 213. writes thus of Bishops I will never beleeve nor yet I can never beleeve that one man may be by the Law of God a Bishop of two or three Cities yea of an whole Country for it is contrary to Saint Paul which saith I have left thee behind to set in every City a Bishop And if you find in one place of Scripture that they be called Episcopi you shall find in divers other places that they be called Presbyteri I was brought before my Lord Cardinall into his Gallery and there he read all my Articles till he came to this and there he stopped and said that this touched him and therefore he asked mee if I thought it wrong that one Bishop should have so many Citties underneath him unto whom I answered that I could no farther goe than to Saint Pauls text which set in every City a Bishop Then asked hee mee if I thought it now unright seeing the Ordinance of the Church that one Bishop should have so many Cities I answered that I knew none Ordinance of the Church as concerning this thing but Saint Pauls saying onely neverthelesse I did see a contrary custome and practice in the world but I know not the Originall thereof Then said hee that in the Apostles â—ime there were divers Citieâ— some seven miles some sixe mileâ— long and over them was there set but one Bishop and of their Suburbes also So likewise now â— bishop hath but one City to his Cathedrall Church and the country about is as Suburbs unto it Mee thought this was farre fetched but I durst not deny it because it was great Authority and of so holy a Father and of so great a Divine But this date I say thaâ— his Hollinesse could never prove it by Scripture nor yet by any authority of Doctors not yet by any practice of the Apostles and yet it must be trâ—e because a pillar of the Church hath spoken itâ— But let us see what the Doctors say to my Article Athanasius doth declare this text of the Apostle I have left thee behind c. Hee would not commit unto one Bishop a whole Isle but hee did enjoyne thâ—t every Cityâ— should have his proper Pastor supposing that by this meanes they should more diligently oversee
tranquillity of this lifeâ— Namely forasmuch aâ— they 〈…〉 and ordained to serve the divine Ordinance as Ministers of the sword And yet neverthelesse there are found some Kings and Princes so faint-hearted and of so little manfulnesse and courage that they doe feare these harmelesse thunders and vainâ— cursâ—â—g and doe humbly beseech and obtaine the exâ—reame and â—â—termost foolishnesse and insenâ—ibility that they may be blessed againe for so they call it of the Pope I woâ— nâ—t with what charmes or conjurations and words appointed for the same purpose onely that is to wit to the end that that cruell pâ—â—sumption and that wonderfull tyranny of his aâ— though he were not mâ—d enough of his owne Swing might by the reason hereof the sooner gather power and strength and with those most vaine deceiâ—es of cursings might deceive all the whole world Besides this the Bishops dâ—e stoutly and manâ—â—lly helpe the Pope and so all the great Lâ—rds belonging to the Pope and they be in very deede the dispisers of all Rulers and Potestates which will in no wise be subject to any manner of high power neither in body nor in goods but onely they being presumptuous and stubborne and more than Wood doe on every side make businesse and rage to excommunicate and curse all Kings and Princes and others which are in authority Tell me I beseech you hath not our Peter here largely and plainely touched our most delicate and tender Bishops I pray you of what other persons may these words be understood that they are not subject nor obedient unto the Rulers that they speake evill of Kings and Princes briefely that being presumptuous and stubborne they doe feare no man Is it not knowne openly to the world who they be that commit these lewd deedes Why then should I be affraid to touch and rebuke these coloured and painted Bishops which by the tyranny of the Pope by the favours of men and by holy gold have invaded Bishoprickes without the Commandment either of God or men But for as much as these delicate and tender Bishops have foreheads of Iron and neckes of brasse as it is sayd in the Prophets and will not feare they cannot be perswaded and they runne forth on according to their owne madnesse their owne course and their owne swing and whereas they ought to spend their blood and their life I meane not in any worldly fight for the maintenance of the Word of God against the doctrines of men They sleepe all carelesse and give their mindes altogether to pleasures and to fare well and the soules of which they boast themselves to be the Pastours and feeders they doe most sloathfully neglect and nothing care for But such is their negligence they doe onely thinke and study how they may bring in the dreadfull wrath of God upon men and draw soules unto the deepe pit of hell and that they may at the last carry the Consciences of men cleane overthwart from the Word of God into lyes and devillish Errours and the doctrines of men wherefore wee ought here so much the more diligently to take good heede and to looke well about that we may shew and utter unto the world these so cruell and so bloody wolves which doe lye hid under forked Miters set with pearles and precious â—tones I doe therefore exhort all Christian men in our Lord that they will here conâ—ider and ponder the wrath of God And therefore likewise as you would doe with a visible Idoll even so do now with the Bulls of these Romish Balaam the tormentor and slayer oâ— soules Consider how pleasant a thing you shall doe unto God if you doe breake and dash in peeces with the Word of God and not with the sword these Idolls and doe sanctifie his glorious name and doe deliver it from the filthy abomination of Idolatry After which he addes That a Bishop ought to abhorre and to be farre a way from filthy Lucre but the Bishop of Rome and his Clients and other Bishops of their complexion have infinite crafts and most shamefull meanes of getting money And here it is not unknowne to me what they doe object Iâ— iâ— not enough not sufficient for a Prince say they to have meate drinke and cloathing except he have also sufficiently whereof he may keepe and maintaine a guard or band of men according to the condition and estate of a Prince What Princes doe in this place object and alleadge for themselves of the Princely state and of Princes Courts advise them the Apostle speaketh not of Princes but of Bishops As for these Princely Bishops and Bishoply Princes he utterly knoweth nothing of which doe beguile the world with the name of Bishop and with the most vaine colours of Ceremonies and gloves and Miters But therefore Paul and the Spirit of God which spake in him shall not change their words neither attemper themselves unâ—o these Princes but these Princelike Bishops shall be faine to attemper and apply themselves in their living according to the minde of S. Paul and his wordâ—â— or else they shall not be Bishops nor Pastours but meere puppets and vâ—surs I cannot here refraine although I list not now greatly to bourd in the rehearsall of these things but I must rehearse a pleasant and merry History It happened upon a time that a certaine Princely Bishop of Colen in Germany did ride with a Royall Pompe and goodly company of horsemen as commonly such Bishops are wont to shew themselves set forth gayly and gorgeously even above any worldly or temporall Princes through the fields that lay neere unto a certaine Village whom when a certaine shepheard had haply espied as he rode over the fields he left his flocke and did run unto him and staring and gazing upon him as it had beene one amazed he marvelled greatly at the riches pompe and gorgeousnesse which he saw about him The Bishop seeing him so gazing sayd unto him What dost thou see here that thou dost marvell so greatly Then he as he was an homely rusticall fellow made to him this plaine answer I mervaile said he whether S. Martin did use this same Pomp or like gorgeousnesse and superfluity To whom the Bishop said Forsooth thou art a starke foole and takest thy marke amisse for S. Martin was scarcely one of the vile and rascall people but I am also a Prince of high and Noble birth Then sayd the shepheard againe I beseech you my Lord will you give me leave to speake a word yea marry sayd the Bishopâ— I give thee good leave demand what thou wilt Then said the Shepheard what if the Devill should take and beare away the Prince shall there remaine any thing of the Bishop At these words that good Princely Bishop being confounded and ashamed deparâ—ed from the man and rode his way So the Apostle Paul in comparison of those Dukes and Nimrods was a plaine simple craftsman living by the worke of his owne hands And therefore
men are scantly saved at the last which with couragious faith continually wrestling and fighting with their flesh and the Devill do live in a good and a vertuous kind of life why dost thou then hope in vaine â—hat thou shalt be saved among so many jeâ—pardies among so many voluptuous plaasures What doth it profit saith Christ himselfe if hee do possesse all the World and all the Kingdomes and do cast away his owne soule But whereof or which way will some say should Kings Princes Earles Barons Knights briefely all the Nobles of the world provide for their younger children if these Bishopricks if those Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches were not And therein first we may openly see the exceedinge foolishnesse and blindnesse of all Christendome which hitherto have bought commonly of the Romanists the Benefices and Prebends founded by themselves with the blood of their Children Loe here I doe speake unto thee whosoever thou art who dost wittingly so cast away thy children If any Ploughman or Smith did wound or kill thy Sonne or did defile thy daughter or thy Sister thou wouldst for anger goe about to doe the uttermost mischiefe that thou couldst to overthrow and destroy even whole Cities whole Provinces for the revenging thereof would seeme but a small matter unto thee thou wouldst thinke in thy minde it to be so high and so hainous an offence that was done unto thee but I beseech thee here open the eyes of thy minde and looke whether there can be a more sure Homicide and murtherer of thy children any more grievous and more cruell enemie unto them than thou art thine owne selfe advancing and promoting them to a Bishopricke or thrusting them downe into such a Church as they doe call it for thou makest thy sonne a Bishop which state as it is now far away from the ministration of the word and from all godlinesse thou knowest undoubtedly to be a devillish state in which thy sonne can in no wise be saved Sith it is so that thou dost know this tell me I beseech thee whether thou dost not more sore rage and use more cruelty against him than if thou cut him into gobbets and didst throw his flesh unto dogs to be devoured if thy sonne through his owne mis-understanding ignorance or error had stumbled and falne into such a certaine kind and manner of living thou oughtst with all diligence and with all thy power to labour and goe about if there were any wisedome or any point of a Christian mind in thee to rid him out of it although thou hadst but onely one loafe of bread to live on thy selfe whereof thou shouldst be faine to give him the one halfe but here I beseech thee looke upon thy selfe somewhat more neere and more narrowly whosoever thou art which dost cast downe thy children headlong into these kindes and manners of living and consider what manner of father thou art onely to keepe thy Dominion and thy riches upright and from decay onely lest thy gold and silver should be diminished if it were divided among many heires thou dost thrust downe willingly cast headlong thy Sons and kinsmen into the deep dungeon of hell neither doth it move or stirre thee any whit to see thine owne blood supped and swallowed up in the throate of the Devill and perpetually to perish so that thou be not compelled to diminish or debate any thing of thy superfluity or any parcell of thy pompe and royalty Lo this most ungracious opinion this custome is crept in and used in many places that as oftentimes as any great mans Sonne being meete rather for any other thing than for a Bishopricke is chosen and â—lected Bishop or is brought into the Temple then with solemne pompe and a solemne company set in their array are madde cries and loud shouts as it were in a triumph then all the Halls and Courts doe sound and ring with the noise of trumps with trumpets with â—â—breâ—sâ— then are in every place lighted tapers and torches then that solemne Song Te Dewn laudamus is thundered out so that these triumphs do plainly represent unto us the image of those foolish Kings of Israel which did burne up their sonnes and daughâ—ers for a Sacrifice in the honour of the Idol Moloâ—â— and with the divers loud sounds of trumps did bring to passe that the lamentable crying ouâ— and wayling of them that were in the midst of the fire could not be heard The author of this booke hath many such like passages against Bishops And as for Cathedrall Churches hee stiles them Stewes and the Gates of hell a certaine unsatiable bottomlesse whirle poole which swallowes up the riches of Kings of Princes of Dukes of Earles of the Common people and of all the world But I passe from this old Treatise About the same time there was a Treatise expressing the causes of the Divisions betweene the Spiritualty and the Temporalty Printed Londini in aedibus Thomâ— Bartheleti prope aquagium sitis sub intersignio Lucretiae Romanae excus Cum Privilegio I shall transcribe no passages out of this Treatise but onely the Table of the Chapters at the end thereof wherein the causes of the division betweene the Spiritualty and the Temporalty are summarily expressed Chap. 1. That the Division among spirituall men themselves hath beene one cause of the Division that is now betweene the spiritualty and temporalty in this Realme Chap. 2. That the omitting of divers good lawes with certain defalts disorders in men of the Church which among others be recited and declared by John Gerson have been another occasion of this division Among these he numbers the neglect of these two Canons That Bishops should have poore apparell lodging and table and should not strive for transitory things And the Clerkes shall not take upon them the acts or procurations of spirituall men Chap. 3. That certaine Lawes made by the Church wherein it is recited Quod Laici sunt Clericis infesti That is to say That Lay men be cruell to Clerkes hath beene another cause of this division Chap. 4. That the extreme Lawes made by the Church for laying violent hands upon Clerkes have beene another cause of this Division Chap. 5. That the disordering of the generall sentence of excommunication hath beene another occasion of the said division which saith hee will never be appeâ—sed till the heads spirituall will reforme themselves and shew a fatherly affection to the people and not extend the sentence oâ— the Church upon so light causes and upon such partiality as they have done in times past Chap. 6. That another occasion of this division hath partly risen by temporall men through disordering of their Chaplaines and Chauntry Priests Chap. 7. That suits taken in the Spirituall Courts Ex officio have beene another occasion of this Division which suits together with Oathes Ex officio whereby a man shall be condemned and not know the names of them that be causes
thereof he termes a sore law and much declaimes against them Chap. 8. Though after the determination of Doctors a man is not an hereticke for that onely that hee erreth but for that hee opinatively defendeth his errour and that neverthelesse the spiritualty as a common voyce goeth among the people have in time past punished many for heresie upon light causes and offences whereupon many people have grudged and that grudge hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 9. That the partiality that hath beene shewed upon suits taken in the Spirituall Court by spirituall men hath beene another cause of this Division Chap. 10. That the extreme and covetous demeanour of some Curates with their Parishioners hath beene another cause of this Division Chap. 11. That the granting of pardons for money as it were to some Charitable use that hath not after followed hath raised another grudge among the people which hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 12. That making of Lawes by the Church which they had no authority to make hath beene another occasion of this Division In which Chapter he cites divers Lawes made by the Clergie and executed contrary to the Lawes of the Realme touching Tythes of wood exemption of Clerkes from secular jurisdiction and the like which lawes while spirituall men sticke fast to and stifly maintaine temporall men by reason of common use and custome that they have seene to the contrary have resisted them whereupon have risen great strife and variances and expences in the spirituall Law Chap. 13. The lacke of good visitations hath beene another occasion of this Division wherein hee shewes that Bishops keepe their visitations onely to gaine money and procurations not to refraine vices Chap. 14. That the great multitude of Licenses and dispensations made by the spiritualty for money upon light suggestions hath beene another cause of this division Chap. 15. That the great laxenesse and worldly pleasures of religious persons whereby the people hath beene greatly offended hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 16. Then for a conclusion of this Treatise it is somewhat touched how good it is to have a zeale of Soules and how perilous it is to do any thing whereby they might be hurt And that if zeale of Soules pitty good doctrine and devout prayer were abundantly in this world mist specially in Prelates and spirituall Rulers that then a new light of grace and tractability would shortly shew and shine among the people The summe of the whole Treatise is to prove that the Bishops and Prelates are the authors of much division trouble and dissention both in Church and State and that by their Episcopall practises and unjust usurpations lawes and proceedings William Wraughton who wrote about the same time In his Rescuing of the Romish Fox Dedicated to King Henry the 8. writes thus Wee have put downe some of your orders of the world there remaine yet two orders of the world in England That is the order of pompous and Popish bishops and Gray Fryers Which if they were put downe as well as the other put downe before I reckon that there should be no Kingdome wherein Christ should more raigne than in England And there hee proves at large the Canon Law to be the Popes law and that as long as the Bishops maintaine it in England they maintaine the Pope in his soveraignty and Legislative power in England and that the reading of this Law makes men papists Roderickâ—â—ors sometimes a Gray Fryer in his Complaint to the Parliament house of England about the 37. yeare of King Henry the eight Chap. 23 24. writes thus of our Prelates No doubt one Bishop one Deane one Colledge or House of Canons hath ever done more mischiefe against Gods Word and sought more the hinderance of the same than tenne houses of Monkes Fryers Canons or Nunnes The Kings Grace began well to weed the Garden of England but yet hath he lest standing the more pitty the most fowlest and stinking weedes which had most need to be first plucked up by the rootes that is to say the pricking thistles and stinging nettles which still standing what helpeth the deposing of the petty members of the Pope and to leave his whole body behind which are the pompous Bishops Canons oâ— Colledges Deanes and such other Surely it helpeth as much as to say I will goe kill all the Foxes in Saint Iohns wood because I would have no more Foxes breed in England Which well pondered wee may say and lye not that the Pope remaineth wholly still in England save onely that his name is banished For why his body which be Bishops and oâ—her shavellings doâ—h not onely remaine but also his tayle which be his filâ—hy Traditions wicked Lawes and beggerly ceremonies as Saint Paul calleth them yea and the whole body of his pestiferous Canon Law according to which judgement is given throughout the Realmeâ— So that we be still in Egâ—pt and remain in capâ—ivity most grievously laden by observing and walking in his most â—ilhy drosse aforesaid which is a mistie and endlesse maze And so long as yee walke in those wicked lawes of Antichrist the Pope and maintaine his Knights the Bishops in such inordinate riches and unlawfull authority so long say I yee shall never baniâ—â— that monstrous beast the Pope out of Englandâ— yea and it shall be a meanes in processe of time to bring us into temporall bondage also againe to have him raigne as he hatâ— done like a God and that know our forked caps right well which thing maketh â—hem so boldly and shamelesly to right in their gods quarrell against Christ and his Word c. The Bishops by their subtilâ—es and most crafty wiles make the people to abhorâ—e the name of the Pope of Rome for a face and compell them to walke in all his wicked lawes and the Word of God which wee say we have received is not nor cannot be suffered to be preached aâ—â—â—aught purely and sincerely without mixing it with their invâ—nted traditions and service Wherefore to open the conclusion oâ— this little lamentation â—f â—ee will banish for ever the Antichrist the Pope out of this Realme yee must fell downe to the ground those rotten poasts the Bishops which be clouds withouâ— moystureâ— and utterly abandon all and every of his ungodly Lawes traditions and ceremonies Now will I speake no further against the particular Pope for as much as every Bishop is now a Pope and yee may plainly see by all the premises that the proud Prelates the Bishops I meane be very Antichrists as is their Father of Rome So he and much more Henry Stalbridge in his Exhoâ—tatory Epistle to his deerly beloved Country of England against the pompous Popish Bishops thereof as yet the true members of their filthy Father the great Antichrist of Rome Printed at Basill in King Henry the eighth his dayes thus seconds him I say yet once againe and that in the seale of the
schismatickesâ— Church-robbers rebels and traytors to God and to man where are any to be looked for in all the world Another thing yet there is which causeth mee sore to lament the inconveniences thereupon considered And that is this although the Scriptures Chronicles Canons Constitutions Councels and private hystories with your manifest acts in our time doth declare your Foreâ—athers and you such Heretickes Theeâ—es and Traytors to the Christian Commonwealth as hath not beene upon the earth but you yet you are still taken into the privy councels both of Emperour and King But what a plague it is or miserable yoke to that Christian Realme whereas yee beare the swinge I thinke it truly unspeakable though it be not seene O eternall Faâ—her for thy infinite mercie sake graunt thy most faithfull servant the Kings Majestie our most worthy Soveraigne Lord and Governour under thee cleerly to cast out of his privie Counâ—ell House these â—echerous Locusts of Egypt and daily upholders of Sodome and Gomorrah the Popes cruell cattle tokened with his owne proper marke to the universall health of his people as thou hast now constituted him an whole compleate King and the first since the Conquest For never shall hee have of them but deceitfull workemen and hollow hearted Gentlemen and not onely that good Lord but also deprive them of their usurped authority and power restoring againe hereunto his temporall Majestraâ—es whom their proud Pope hath hitherto most tyrannously thereof deprived Finally to take from them their inordinate pompe and riches and more godly to bestow them that is to say to the aide of his poveâ—ty as for an example the noble the noble Germans have graciously done before him After a farre other sort defended the Apostles the spirituall Kingdome of Christ then they their armour was righteousnesse poverty patience mâ—eknesse tribulation contempt of the world and continuall suffering of wrongs their strong shield was faith and their sword the Word oâ— God Eph. 6. Wiâ—h the Gospell preaching drove they down all superstitions as you by your Lordlinesse have raised up againe in the glorious Church of Antichrist The Kingdome that hee â—orlooke Ioh. 6. and the Lordâ—hip that hee so straitly forbad you Luke 22. have â—ou received of the devill with that ambitious raigne of covetousnesse which hee left behind him on the high Mountaine Matth. 4. What ruinous decaâ—es hath chanced to all Christian Regionâ— and their Babylonish bâ—ood it weâ—e much to writeâ— It shall be therefore necessary for our most worâ—hâ— King to looke upon in time and both to diminish you authority and riches lest yee hereafter put all his godly enterpâ—ises in hazard For nothing else can yee doe of your spiritual naâ—ure but worke daâ—ly mischiefe As well may yee be spared in the Commonwealth as may Kites Crowes and Buzzards Pâ—lâ—ats Wesels and Rats Oâ—ters Wolves and Foxes Bodilice Fleas and Fleshflies with other devouring and noysome vermâ—ne for aâ— unprofitable are yee unto it as they and as liâ—â—le have yee in the word of God to uphold you in these vaine offices of Papistry as they This uncommodious commodity hath Enâ—land had of you alwayes when yee have beene of the Kings privie Councell and I thinke hath now at this present hower that whatsoever godly enterprize is there in doing be â—hey never so privily handled yet shall the Popish Prelates of Iâ—aly Spaine France Flanders and Scotland have sure knowledgde thereof by your secret Messengers and you againe their crafty compassings to deface it if may be Neither shall thâ—se â—ealmes conâ—inue long after without waâ—â—e specialâ—y if an earnest reformation of your sâ—â—ainefull abuses be sought there and never shall the originall grounds of that warre be known but other causes shall be laid to â—olour it with as that the King seekes his rigâ—â— his Princely honour the maintenance of his titles or the Realmes Commonwealth â—eâ—â—g nothing lesse in the end but an upholding of you in your mischiefes So long as you beare rule in Parliament Hoâ—se â—â—e Gospell shall be kept under and Christ persecuted in his â—aithâ—ull members So that no godly Acts shall come out from â—henâ—e to the glory oâ— God and Christian Commonwealth but you will so sawce them with your Romish Sorceries that they be ready to serve your turne Although the Kings Majestie haâ—h peâ—mitted us the Scriptures yet must the true Ministers thereof at your most cruell appointment either suffer most tyrannous death or else with open mouth deny Christs veriâ—y which is worse than death Thus give ye strength to his laweâ— nourish up his Kingdome whom ye say with your lips yee have refused your pestilent Pope of Rome Ye play altogether Hick-sâ—oâ—neâ— under the figure of Ironia That yee say yee hate yee lovâ— and that yee say yee love yee hate Late all faithfull men beware of such double day dreamers and hollow hearted Traytors and thinke whereas they beare the rule nothing shall come rightly forward either in faith or Commonwealth What other workes can come from the Devills working tooles than commeth from the hands of his owne malignant mischiefe who can deny the Bishops to be the instruments of satan understanding the Scriptures and beholding their daily doings Thinke yee â—here can be a greater plague to a Christian Realme than to have such Ghostly Fathers of the Kings Privie councell If wise men do judge it any other than a just plague for our sinnes and a yoke laid upon us for our unreverent receiving of that heavenly treasure the eternall Testament of Christ to have such hypocrites theeves and traytors to raigne over us truly they judge not aright If wee would earnestly therefore repent of our former being and unâ—ainedly turne to our everliving God as wee find in the Testament I would not doubt it to jeopard both my body and soule that wee should in short space bee delivered of this Popish vermine rising out of this bottomlesse pit Apoc. 9. which eateth up all that is greene upon earth or hath taken any strength of the living word of the Lord for the heart of a King is alwayes in the hands of God and at 〈◊〉 his pleasure hee may evermore turne it Prov. 21. Take mee not here that I condemne any Bishop or Priest that is godly doing those holy offices that the Scripture hath commanded them as preaching the Gospell providing for the poore and ministring the Sacraments right but against the bloody butchers that murther up Gods People aâ—d daily make havocke of Christs congregation to maintaine the Jewes Ceremonies and the Pagans Superstititions in the Christian Church Those are not Bishops but Bite-sheepes Tyrants Tormenters Termagaunts and the Devils slaughter men Christ left no such Disciples behind him to sit with cruell Caiphas at the Sessions upon life and death of his innocent members but such as in poverty preached the Gospell rebuking the wicked world for Idolatry hypocriâ—ie and false doctrine Episcopus is as much to say as an
overseer or Superintendent whose office was in the Primitive Church purely to instruct the multitude in the wayes of God and to see that they were not beastly ignorant in the holy Scripture as the most part of them are now adayes Presbyter is as much to say as a Senior or Elder whose office was also in godly Doctrine and examples of living to guide the Christian Congregation and to suffer no manner of superstition of Jew nor Gentile to raigne among them And these two offices were alone in those dayes and commonly executed of one severall person They which were thus appointed to these spirituall offices did nothing else but preach and teach the Gospell having assistants unto them inferiour officers called Deacons Act. 6. 1 Cor. 1. Rom. 3. No godly man can despise these offices neither yet condemne those that truly execute them not onely are they worthy to have a competent living 1 Cor. 9. but also double honour after the doctrine of Saint Paul 1 Tim. 5. But from inordinate excesse of riches ought they of all men to be sequestred considering that the most wicked nature of Mammon is alwayes to corrupt yea the very Elect if God were not the more mercifull Matth. 6. which might be an admonition to our Lordly Bishops when they be in their worldly pompe that they are not Gods servants beleeved they his sayings as they do nothing lesse Master Fishâ—â— in his Supplication of Beggers thus complaines to King Henry the Eight of the inconveniency of the Prelates greatnesse and sway both to himselfe and his subjects worthy his Majesties most serious consideration Oh the grievous shipwâ—acke of the Common-wealth which in ancient time before the comming of these ravenous wolves were so prosperous c. What remedy Make Lawes against them I am in doubt whether yee be able Are they not stronger in your owne Parliament house than your selfe what a number of Bishops Abbots and Priors are Lords of your Parliament Are not all the learned men of your Realme in see with them to speake in the Parliament house for them against your Crowne dignity and Common-wealth of your Realme a few of your owne learned Counsell onely excepted What Law can be made against them that they may be availeable Who is hee though hee be grieved never so sore that for the murther of his ancester ravishment of his wife of his daughter robbery trespasse maihme debt or any other offence dare lay it to their charge by way of Action and if hee doe then is he by and by by their wilinesse accused of heresie yea they will so handle him ere hee passe that except he will beare a faggot at their pleasure he shall be excommunicated and then be all his Actions dashed So captive are your Lawes unto them that no man whom they list to excommunicate may be admitted to sue any action in any of your Courts If any man in your Sessions dare be so hardy to indite a Priest of any such crime hee hath ere the yeare goe about such a yoake of heresie layd in his necke that it makâ—th him wish he had not done it Your Grace may see what a worke there is in London how the Bâ—shop rageth for indiâ—ing certaine Curates of extortion and incontinency the last yeare in the Ward-mote Quest. Had not Richard Hunne Commenced action of Premunire against a Priest hee had yet beene aliveâ— and no hereticke aâ— all but an honest man And â—his is by reason that the chiefe instrument of your Law yea the chiefe of your Counsell and hee which hath your sword in his hand to whom also all the other instruments are obedient is alwaies a spirituall man which hath ever such an inordinate love unto his owne kingdome that hee will maintaine that though all the temporall Kingdomes and Common-wealths of the world should therefore utterly be undone After which he sâ—â—wes the intolerable exactiâ—ns of the Prelates on the people and how much wealth and money they extort from their postâ—rity You have heard now the opinion of our Martyrs Prelates and godly Writers touching Episcopacie Lordly Prelates their trayterly practises Tâ—mporalties and perniciousnesse to our Church and State both before and in K. Henry the eighth his raigne in the very inâ—ancie of reformation many then desiring and earnestly writing for their utter exterpation as most pernicious instruments of mischiefe both to King Church and Kingdome I shall now proceed to give you some briefe account what hath beene â—hough of these particulars by our Writers and Martyrs in King Edward the sixth Queene Maries and Queene Elizabeths subsequent raignes Learned Martyn Bucer Professor of Divinity in the University oâ— Cambridge in King Edward the sixth his raigneâ— in his booke De Regno Christi dedicated to this King and Devi usu sancti Ministerii determines thus of Lordly Prelates and their temporall offices First I doubt not Most noble King that your Majesty discernes that this reformation of Christs Kingdome which wee require yea which the salvation oâ— us all requires Ab Episcopis nullo modo expectandum is by no meanes to be exspected from the Bishops since there are so few among them even in this Kings raigne when they were best which is worthy noting which do clearly know the power of this Kingdome and the proper offices thereof yea most of them by all meanes they may and dare do either oppugne it deferre or hinder it and thereupon hee adviseth the King not to make use of Doctors Bishops who had the greatest Titles and largest revenues in this reformation but of other godly Ministers and Lay-men wherein the knowledge and zeale of God did most abound to choose them for his Counsellours in this great worke who bâ— knew the power of Christ Kingdome and desired with all their hearts that it might prevaile and raign first in themselves then in all others And because writes he it is the duty of Bishop to govern the Churches not by their owne sole pleasure but with â—he counsell of Presbiters and Ministry of Deacons there will be a nececessity as al the offices of Churches are now dissipated and perverted to adjoyne to every one of the Bishops though never so approved a councell of Presbyters and ministry of Deacons who also ought to be most holily examined and tryed whether they have received of the Lord both ability and will to be assistant to their Bishop in the administration and procuration of the Churches the Presbyters in councell and assistance the Deacons in observance and ministration c. But now there are some of the Bishops whose service your sacred Majesty useth in the administration of the Kingdome But sith nothing in this world is commended to the care of men by the most high which ought more solicitously religiously to be looked to and managed then the procuration of religion that is of the eternall salvation oâ— the elect of God summum
prescribing all Bishops when they ordaine Ministers Archbishops or Bishops to use this exhortation to them Have alwayes printed in your remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge for they be the sheepe of Christ which hee bought with his death and for whom he shed his bloodâ— the Church and Congregation whom you must serve is his spouse and body And if it shall chance the same Church or any member thereof to take any hurt or hinderance by reason of your negligence yee know the greatnesse of the fault and also of the horrible punishment which will ensue Whereâ—ore consider with your selves the end of your Ministry towards the children of God towards the spouse and body of Christ and see that you never cease your labour your care and diligence untill you have done all that lyeth in you according to your bounden duty to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your charge unto â—hat ripenesse or perfectnesse of age in Christ that there be no place left among them either for errour in religion or for vitiousnesse of life And what Prelate or Minister hath done this And for this selfe same cause yee see how yee ought to forsake and seâ— aside as much as you may all worldly cares and studies Wee have good hope that you have well weighed and pondered these things with your selves long before this time and that you have cleerly determined by Gods grace to give your selves wholly to this vocation whereunto it hath pleased God to call you see â—hat as much as lyeth in you you apply your selves whoâ—ly to this one thing and draw all your care and study this way to this end And that you will continually pray for the heavenly assistance of the Holy Ghost that by daily reading and weighing of the Scriptures you may so waxe riper and stronger in your Ministry And â—hat this your promise shall more move you to doe your dâ—ties yee shall answer plainly to these things which we in the name of the Congregation shall demand of you touching the same Will you give your faithfull diligence alwayes to â—inister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realme hath received the same according to the Commandements of God so that yoâ— may teach the people committed to your cure and charge with all diligence to keepe and observe the same I will so doe by the helpe of God Will you be diligent in Prayers and in reading of the holy Scriptures and in such studies as helpe to the knowledge of the same laying aside the study of the World and the Flesh I will endeavour my selfe so to doe the Lord being my helper And at the consecration of every Archbishop and Bishop this charge by the direction of the said booke is given to him Bee thou to thy flocke a sheepheard not a wolfe feed them but devoure them not And it is worthy observation that the same Chapters and Epistles are read at the ordination of Ministers and consecration of Bishops which proves their office and function both one and the same by divine institution The third part of the Homily of the perill of Idolatry ratified by the 35. Article of our Church subscribed unto by all our Prelates and Ministers published in King Edwardâ—he â—he 6. his dayes and reprinted by King Iames his speciall command determines thus against the Courtship and secular imployment of Prelates That Bishops in the Primitive Church did most diligently and sincerely teach and preach for they were then preaching Bishops and more often seene in Pulpits than in Princes Palaces more often occupied in his Legacie who said Goe yee unto the whole world and preach the Gospell unto all men than in Ambassages and affaires of Princes of this world And in the 5. and 6. part of the Homily against wilfull rebellion and the second part of the Homily for Whitsunday notably paints forth at large the treasons conspiracies practises aud rebellions of Popes and our Prelates against the Emperours and our Kings in former ages which hee that will may there read at his leasure being too common and large to recite M. Hugh Latimer who gave over his Bishopricke out of conscience in K. Henâ—y the 8. his raigne and never resumed it againe skipping for joy hâ—e was rid of that heavie burthen In his Sermon of the Plough preached thus God saith by the Prophet Ieremy Maledictus qui facit opus Dei fraudulenter guilefully and deceitfully some bookes have negligenter negligently or slackly How many such Prelates how many such Bishops Lord for thy mercy are there now in England And what shall wee in this case do shall wee company with them O Lord for thy mercy shall we not company with them O Lord whither shall wee flee from them But cursed be hee that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or guilefully A sore word for them that are negligent in discharging their office ill Yee that be Prelates looke well to your office for right Prelating is busie labouring and not Lording therefore preach and teach and let your plough be doing Ye Lords I say that live like loyterers looke well to your office the Plough is your office and charge if yee live idle and loyter you doe not your duty c. They have to say for themselves long customes ceremonies and authority placing in Parliament many things more And I fear mee this Land is not ripe to be ploughed for as the saying is it lacketh withering This Land lacketh withering at least it is not for mee to plough For what shall I looke for among thornes but pricking and scratching What among stones but stumbling what I had almost said among Scorpions but stinging But thus much I dare say that since Lording and loytering hath come up preaching hath gone downe contrary to the Apostles times for they preached and Lorded not and now they Lord and preach not for they that bee Lords will ill goe to the Plough it is no meete oâ—fice to them it is not seeming for their estate Thus came up Lording loyterers thus crept up unpreaching Pâ—elates for how many unlearned Prelates have wee now at this day And no marvell for if the ploughmen that now be were made Lords they would cleane give over ploughing they would leave their labour and fall to Lording outright and let the plough stand then both ploughs not walking nothing should be in the Common-wealth but hunger For ever since the Prelates were made Lords and Nobles their plough standeth there is no worke done the people starve they hawke they hunt they card they dice they pastime in their Prelacies with gallant Gentlemen with their dauncing Minions and with their fresh companions so that ploughing is set aside and by their Lording and loytering preaching and ploughing is cleane gone And thus if the ploughmen in the Country were as negligent
read him your owne Canons will tell ye what he saith Idem est ergo Presbyter qui Episcopus antequam Diaboli studia c. An Elder or Priest therefore is the same that a Bishop and before that the studies of the Devill were made in Religion and that the people sayd I hold of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas the Churches were governed by the Common Councell of the Elders but after that every one did account those to be his and not to be Christs whom hee had baptized in all the world it was decreed that one of the Elders being chosen should be placed above the rest to whom all the care or charge of the Churches should belong and the seede of Schismes be taken away And a little after Sicut ergo Presbyteri as therefore the Elders know that they by the custome of the Church are subject to him that is set over them so let the Bishops know that they more by custome than by the truth of the Lords dispensation are greater than the Elders This was the judgement of the ancient Fathers and yet were they no Arians nor Aerians therefore Yea Peâ—er Lombard the master of the sentences citing also Isidorus to witnesse saith Apud veteres idem Episcopi Presbyteri fuerunt Among the the Ancient Fathers Bishops and Elders were all one And againe alleadging the Apostle S. Paul he saith Qualis autem c. But what manner an Elâ—er ought to be chosen the Apostle writing to Timothy declareth where by the name of Bishop he signifieth an Elder and a non after Cumque omnes and when all of them he meaneth his false seven orders are spirituall and holy yet the Canons account onely two Orders to be excelling holy that is to say Deaconship and Eldership Because the primitive Church is read to have these alone and we have the Apostles Commandement of these alone for the Apostles in every City ordained Bishop and Elders Neither the Master onely writeth thus but almost all your Schoolemen yea though they be themselves of the contrary opinion yet they write this was the ancient opinion And so Durandus though he make a difference betweene the power of Jurisdiction and the power of order yet he sheweth that both the Scripture and S. Hierome maketh no difference but onely the custome and institution of the Church The Apostle saith he writing to the Philippians cap. 1. saith with the Bishops and the Deacons by them understanding the Elders sith in one City as in Philippos many Bishops ougâ—t not to be Againe Act. 2. he saith Looke to your selves and to all the flocke in which the Holy â—host hath placed you to be Bishops And he spoke unto them of the onely City of Ephesus But this appeareth more expressely to Titus the 1. Where he saith For this cause I have left thee at Crete that thou shouldst correct those things that want and ordaine Elders throughout the Cities even as I have appointed to thee if any be blamelesse the husband of one wife And straight he setteth under it a Bishop must me blamelesse and whom before he named an Elder hee calleth now a Bishop and in the 4. of the 1. to Timothy Despise not saith he the grace of God which is given to thee through the imposition of the hands of an Elder that is to say of a Bishop S. Paul called himselfe an Elder when he was the Bishop that ordained him Thus farre and more at large Durandus concluding at length Sic Ergo Thus therefore saith S. Hierome that a Bishop and an Elder olim fuerunt synonyma c. were in the old time diverse names betokening one thing indifferently and also of one administration because the Churches were ruled by the Commune Counsell of the Priests But for the remedy of a Schisme lest each one dâ—awing the Church after him should breake her it was ordained that one should be above the rest Et quoad nomen c. And so farre forth as stretcheth to the name that he onely should be called Bishop and that so farre as stretcheth to the administration of some Sacraments Sacramentals they should be reserved to him by the custome and constitution of the Church And this would Hierome expressely 93. Dist. cap. legimus in Esa super Epistolam ad Tit. recitatur Dist. 93. cap. Olim Presbyteri c. Consuetudo aut institutio Ecclesiae potest dare Iurisdictionem sed non potestatem ordinis aut consecrationis quare c. He therefore that counteth this erronious or perrilous let him impute this to Hierome out of whose saying in the fore alleadged Chapter Legimus in Esa the foresayd authorities are taken Where also he putteth an example That is of a Bishop in respect of Priests as of an Arch-Deacon in respect of Deacons unlesse the Deacons chuse one among themselves whom they call Arch-deacon c. In the end Durandus reconciling Hierome saith and the authorities alleadged by Hierome withstand it not because according to the name and the truth of the thing every Bishop is an Elder and on the other part so farre as stretcheth to the name every Elder having cure may be called a Bishop as Super-attendent on other although the consecration of a Bishop or the chiefe Priest be larger than of a simple Priest or Elder but peradventure in the Primitive Church they made not such force in the difference of names as they do now And therefore they called a Bishop every â—ne that had a cure Thus writeth Durandus of the ancient Fathers opinions And will you count him or them Aerianâ— too And this also doth your Institution in Colonie Councell confesse Non est tamen putandum Wee must not for all this tâ—inke that hee ordained Bishops another order from Priests for in the primitive Church Bishops and Priests were all one The which the Epistles of Peter and Paul the Apostles Saint Hierome also and almost all the ancient Ecclesiasticall Writers do witnesse And chiefly that place of the first Epistle of Saint Peter the fift Chapter is evident to declare this For when Peter had said the Elders that are among you I also an Elder with you beseech which am also a witnesse of the passions of Christ and partaker of the Glory to come that shall be revealed He joyned under it feed or guide the flocke of Christ that is among you and oversee it not by compulsion but willingly according to God wherein it is spoken more expressly in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Super-attendent from whence also the name of Bishop is drawne Wherefore Priesthood is esteemed the highest order in the Church In the meane time no body is ignorant that this order is distinguished againe by a certaine order of offices and dignities Thus do your Scholemen and Divines wiâ—nesse First that in the substance order or character as they terme it there is no difference betweene a Priest and a
Bishop Secondly that the difference is but of Accidents and Circumstances as degrees of dignity jurisdiction honour c. Thirdly that in the Primitive Church this difference was not knowne but they were meerely all one and the same Fourthly that this difference was taken up by custome consent and ordinance of the universall Church when it once began to be dispersed in all the World Fifthly that it was done for the avoiding of factions and sects that grew in the time of the Ministers equality even anon after the Primitive Church And some of them in the Apostles time But quite conâ—rary to this judgment of your Divines are all your Canonists your Divines make seven orders Et in hoc saith Angelus de Clavisio concordam communiter Theol. On this the Divines agree commonly but the Canonists hold that there are nine orders according to nine Hierarchies that is to wit the first notch or Psalmist and the order of a Bishop that the first notch is an order the text is in C. cuâ— contingit ibi do Anto. Canonistae de aeta quali or similiter quod Episcopatus est ordo quod imprimatur character judicio meo facit inconvincibiliter teâ—t in C. i. de ordinatis ab Episcopo c. And so according to the Canonists there shall be nine Orders Great adoe your Schoolemen Canonists make about this insomuch that Aerius heresie will draw very neere to one of you light on which side it shall But your selfe may hold on both sides M. Stapleton being both a Batchelor in the one and a student in the other But as for your Popish Clergy there is indeed little difference in this point or none which barrell is better herring Bishop oâ— Priest both starke nought or rather neither of them either true Priest or Bishop by Saint Pauls description Afâ—er this p. 926.929 He writes thus concerning Bishops intermedling with temporall affaires You say M. Sanders the temporall Kingdome and the heavenly did indeed once jaâ—â—e but now they agree the heavenly and the earthly Kingdomeâ— are conjoyned together Agreement is a good hearing M. Sanders but what meane you by this conjunction that the one is become the other and not still distinguished from it or that your Pope may be King and his Bishops Princes of both nay M. Sanders you finde not that agreement and conjunction For Christ hath put such a barre between them that his spiritual Ministers cannot have earthly Kingdomes nor that earthly Kings should in the estate of their earthly Kingdomes become subject in such wise to his spirituall Ministers otherwise than to yeeld their obedience to their spirituall ministry representing the power and mercy of God unto them c. The objection you made was this Whether Bishops and Pastors of the sheepe of Christ may rule temporall Kingdomes you answer properly and of it selfe in no wise but as those Kingdomes do subject themselves to the Christian faith This is a proper elusion M. Sanders thinke you to escape thus is it all one to subject their Kingdomes to the Christian faith and to subject their Kingdomes to the Bishops Good right it is that the faith should beare the chiefe rule But the objection was Whether the Bishops should or no and therefore this distinction serveth not For Christ simply without this or that respect debarreth all his spiritual ministers from ruling of temporall Kingdomes Who knoweth not that properly and of their owne nature temporall Kingdomes should not be ruled of spirituall Pastors but of Temporall Kings None is so simple to move such a fond objection but the objection is Whether the one be coincident to the other whether a Bishop to whom properly by his Bishoply office a Kingdome belongeth nor may take upon him the government of a Kingdome that properly by his Kingly office belongeth to a King this is the question And you say properly he cannot I say much lesse unproperly but properly or unproperly Christ hath cleane debarred it â—vos autem non sic But you shall not do so These words strick dead M Sanders therefore your â—nproper distinctions may goe pike him Page 931â— he writes that the deposings of Princes have not come so much by the violence of their unnaturall Subjects as by the practises of the Popish Bishops as the ensamples of King Iohn in England of Childericke in France the Henries and other in Germany and in other Countries do testifie yet were these dealings of those Bishops not allowable but detestable yea though it were granted that those Princes had deserved them and broken their faith and promâ—se which if it were a good faith and promise was no doubt an evill breach of it and God will take the vengeance of it it belongeth not to the people nor to the Bishops Vengeance is mine saith God and I will render it He saith not my Bishop shall but I will render it He addes p. 980 981.1026 Christs Kingdome is spirituall and not earthly and his Ministers may not exercise in secular causes an earthly Kings authority M. Saunders pretendeth this is to promote the Church of Christ but such promotion confounds devotion and hath poysoned the Church of God as they say a voyce was heard what time Constantine although falsely is supposed to have endowed the Church with such royall honour Hodie venenum intravit in Ecclesiam This day entred poyson into the Church But Christ hath flatly forbidden it and told his Disciples when they asked such promotion that they knew not what they asked But afterward they knew and found the saying of Christ to be true that their promotion lay in their affliction and not in their Kingly honour c. And this your owne glosse out of your owne Pope Gregory might have taught you Sicut â—isit me Pater id est ad passiones c. As my Father sent mee that is to say to troubles and afflictions so send I you to suffer persecution not to raigne like Kings and rule Kingdomes And therefore sith this sentence of Christ is true that he sent them as hee was sent and he was not sent in his humane nature to depose Kings nor to dispose of their Kingdomes nor to governe them Therefore his Disciples were not sent thereto But the Pope saith he was sent thereto and takes it upon him therefore he is neither minister of Christ nor successor of his Disciples but his Disciple that hath offered him worldly Kingdomes if hee would fall downe and worship himâ— as he hath done and sâ— hath gotten his Kingdomes c. Hofmeister one of your stoutest Champions hath these words Truly those things that have beene spoken and heard from the beginning of this Gospell do enough declare the Kingdome of Christ not to be of this world neither that hee would raigne temporally in the world sith hee taketh not souldiers that can oppugne others but Fishermen readier to suffer than to
your brethren Phi. the Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they over-rule their Subjects with injustice and violence you shall not doe so Theo. So your new Translation over-ruleth the Word howbeit Christ in that place doth not traduce the power of Princes as unjust or outragious but distinguisheth the calling of his Apostles froÌ„ the manner of regiment which God hath allowed the magistrate Christ saith not Princes be Tyrants you shall deale more curteously than they doe but he saith Princes be Lords and Rulers over their people by Gods Ordinance you shall not be so Againe the Word which Saint Luke hath is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any composition They be Lords and Masters and S. Paul confesseth of himselfe and other Apostles Not that we be Lords or Masters of your faith yea the compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is with power and force to rule men whether they will or no not with wrong and injury to oppresse them and therefore the conclusion is inevitable that Princes may lawfully compell and punish their Subjects which Bishops may not This distinction betweene them is evident by their severall commissions which God hath signed The Prince not the Priest beareth the sword Ergo the Prince not the Priest is Gods Minister to revenge malefactors Peter himselfe was sharpely rebuked by Christ for using the sword and in Peter all Pastors and Bishops are straitely charged not to meddle with it All that take the sword shall perish with the sword And of all men a Bishop must be no striker for if he that should feed his Masters Houshold fall to striking he shall have his portion with hypocrites The servants of God must be gentle towards all instructing those that resist with mildnesse not compelling any with sharpenesse Their function is limited to the preaching of the Word and dispensing the Sacraments which have no kinde of compulsion in them but invite men onely by sober perswasions to beleeve and imbrace the promises of God To conclude Pastors may teach exhort and reprove not force command or revenge onely Princes be governours that is publicke Magistrates to prescribe by their Lawes and punish with the sword such as resist them within their dominions which Bishops may not doe which he thus further prosecutes The watch-men and Shepheards that serve Christ in his Church have their kinde of regiment distinct from the temporall power and State but that regiment of theirs is by counsell and perswasion not by terrour or compulsion and reacheth neither to the goods nor the bodies of any men much lesse to the crownes and lives of Princes c. Princes may force their Subjects by the temporall sword which they beare Bishops may not force their flock with any corporall or externall violence Chrysostome largely debateth and fully concludeth this matter with us If any sheepe saith he goe out of the right way and leaving the plentifull Pastures graze on barren and steepe places the Sheepeheard somewhat exalteth his voyce to reduce the dispersed stragling sheepe and to compell them to the â—locke But if any man wander from the right path of the Christian faith the Pastour must use great paines care and patience Neque enim vis illi inferenda neque terrore ille cogendus â—erum suadendus tantum ut de integro ad veritatem redeat For hee may not be forced nor constrained with terrour but onely perswaded to returne to the truth And againe A Bishop cannot â—ure men with such authority as a sheepheard doth his sheepe for a sheepeheard â—ath his choyce to binde his sheepe to dyet them to seare them and cut themâ— but in the other case the facility of the cure consisteth not in him that giveth but onely in him that taketh the medicine This that admirable teacher perceiving sayd to the Corinthians not that we have any dominion over you under the name of Faith but that we are helpers of your joy For of all men Christian Bishops may least correct the faults of men by force Iudges that are without the Church when they take any transgressing the Lawes they shew themselves to be endued with great authority and power and compell them in spite of their hearts to change their manners But here in the Church we may not offâ—r any violence but onely perswade We have not so great authority given us by the Lawes as to represse offendours and if it were lawfull for us so to doe we have no use of any such violent power for that Christ crowneth them which abstaine from sinne not of a forced but of a willing minde and purpose Hilary teacheth the same Lesson If this violence were used for the true faith the Doctrine of Bishops would be against it God needeth no forced service he requireth no conâ—trained confession I cannot receive any man but him that is willing I cannot give â—are but to him that intreateth I cannot signe any but him that gladly professeth Origen agreeth with them both See the wisedome of the holy Ghost because that other faults are judged by the Lawes of Princes and it seemed superfluous now to prohibite those things by Gods Law which are sufficiently revenged by mans he repeateth those and none else as fit for religion of which mans Law saith nothing whereby it appeareth that the Iudges of this world doe meddle with the greatest part of Gods Law For al the crimes which God would have revenged he would have them revenged not by the â—pp Râ—lers of the Church but by the Iudges of the world and that Paul knowing rightly calleth the Prince Gods minister and judge of him that doth evill Phi. Bishops may not offer force with their owne hands but they may command others to doe it for them Theoph. A grosse shift As though Temporall Princes or Judges did execute malefactours with their owne hands Bishops by vertue of their vocation cannot claime the sword and consequently they cannot command or authorize any man to take the goods or touch the bodies of Christians oâ— Infidels which being a cleere conclusion it is most evident they can much lesse licence you to take the Crownes and take the lives of Princes to whom God hath delivered the sword to judge the earth and made them servants onely to himselfe since all other soules must be subject to them by the tenor of his owne prescription and their first erection as the Scripture witnesseth And touching Bishops having Conusans in their courts of Tythes c. he writes thus For Tythes Testameâ—ts Administrations Servitude Legitimations and such like you went beyond your bounds when you restrained them to your Courts and withouâ— Caesar made Lawes for things that belonged unto Caesar. The goods Lands Livings States and Families of Lay men and Clerkes are Caesars charge not yours and therefore your decrees judgements and executions in those cases if you claime them from Christ as things spiritâ—all not from
this too much both to be Traytors to your King and also to faine God to be displeased with your King for punishing of Treason Finally to make him a Saint and also that God had done miracles to the defending of his Treason How is it possible to invent a more pestilent Doctrine than this is Here is Gods Ruler despised and hereby is open Treason maintained Thinke you that God will shew miracles to fortifie these things But no doubt the Proverbe is true Such lippes such Lettuce such Saints such miracles Fifthly in persisting most peremptorily in Treasons Rebellions contests and Conspiracies against their Princes without yeelding or intermission till they had obtained their demaunds and desires of them insteed of craving pardon of them all which the premises evidence to the full in Anselme Becket Langton Stafford and others Sixthly in enforcing their Soveraignes against whom they conspired rebelled and practised divers horrid Treasons and Contumacies to submit nay seeke to them for pardon and to undergoe such sharpe censures such â—orbid infamous harsh punishments covenants and conditions as are inconsistent with Monarchy honour Soveraignty as in the case of Henry the seâ—cond King Iohn and others In these sixe respects our Lordly Bishops have transcended all other Traytors Rebels Conspirators and Seditious persons whatsoever as also in Censuring Loyalty for Heresie true Subjects to their Princes for Heretickes and Canonizing High Treason Rebellion against Emperours Kings Princes for Orthodox faith notorious Traytors and Rebels for good Christians and true beleevers as appeares in the Case of Hildebrand and his Hellish crew of Bishops who branded Henry the Emperour and those who sided with him for Heretickes and their Loyalty for Heresie in the Case of Henry the second and King Iohn in their difference with Anselme Becket and Langhton In imitation of whom our present Prelates now slander those who oppugne aâ—d withstand their encroachments upon the Kings prerogative Royall with odious termes of Puritans Novellers Seditious persons Schismatickes Rebels and brand Loyalty and true allegiance to the King with the termes of Faction Schisme Sedition Novelty and Rebellion You have seene now a large Anatomy of our Lordly Prelates desperate Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Contumacies Warres disloyall oppressive practises in all ages against our Kings Kingdomes Lawes Liberties which duly pondered we may easily conclude there is little cause any longer to tolerate them in our Church or State but great ground eternally to extirpate them out of both It is storyed of the people of Biscany in Spaine That they have such a naturall enmity against Bishops that they will admit no Bishops to come among them and that when Feâ—dinand the Catholicke came in Progresse into Biscany accompanyed with the Bishop of Pampilone the people rose up in Armes drove backe the Bishop out of their Coast and gathering up all the dust they thought he or his Mule had trod on threw it into the Sea with curses and imprecations I dare not say that our people should rise up in Armes like these Biscaners and drive out our Bishops God forbid any such Tumultuous or Seditious practise but this I dare confidently averre that his Majestie and our High Court of Parliament have farre greater reason to drive and extirpate them out of our Realme and Church even with curses and execrations and to subvert their Sees in an orderly just and legall way than these Biscaners had to repulse this Bishop who entered thus into their Country onely to accompany Ferdinand in his progresse not to play the Lord Bishop among them I shall close up all with the words of Musculus a Learned forraigne Protestant Divine who after he had largely proved by Scriptures and Fathers That Bishops and Presbyters by Divine right are both one and of equall authority and that the difference betweene them was onely a humane institution to prevent Schismes concludes thus Whether oâ— no this Counsell hath profited the Church of God whereby such Bishops who should be greater than Presbyters were introduced rather our of Custome that I may use the words of Hierome than out of the truth of the Lords institution is better declared in after ages than when this custome was first brought in to which we owe all that insolency opulency and tyranny of Princely and Lordly Bishops imo omnem corruptionem Ecclesiarum Christi yea all the corruption of the Churches of Christ which if Hierome should now perceive without doubt he would acknowledge this not to be the Counsell of the Holy-Ghost to take away Schismes as was pretended but of the Devill himselfe to waste and destroy the ancient Offices of feeding the Lords â—locke by which it comes to passe that the Church hath not true Pastors Doctors Elders and Biâ—hops but Idle bellies and magnificent Princes under the vizors of these names who not onely neglect to feede the people of the Lord in proper person with wholesome and Apostolicall doctrine but also by most wicked violence take speciall care that no man else may doe it This verily was done by the Counsell of Satan that the Church in stead of Bishops should have powerfull Lords and Pâ—inces elected for the greatest part out of the Order of the Nobles and Princes of the world as they are in Germany who under-propped with their owne and their kindreds power may domineer over the flocke of Christ at their pleasâ—re And with the complaint of the Emperour Lewis the fourth and the German Princes against the Italian and German Lordly Prelates which I may justly accomodate to ours Flamines isti Babyloniae soli regnare cupiunt ferre parem nâ—n possunt non desistent donec omnia pedibus suis conculcaverint atque in Templo Dei sâ—deant extâ—llanturque supra omne id quod colitur Sub Pontificis titulo pastoris pelle lupum saevissimum nisi caeci sumus sentimus Cum nostri servi sint ipsi dominari contra jus gentium adversus leges auspicia Oracula divina Dominos sibi servire volunt Caesarem Italia Roma Christum terris exclusere illi coelum quidem permittunt inferos atque terras sibi asseruere Bernard Epist. 158. Quid spirituali gladio quid censurae Ecclesiasticae quid Christianae legi Disciplinae quid denique divino timori relinquitur si metu potentiae secularis nullus muâ—ire jam audeat contra insolentiam Praelatorum FINIS Kind Reader I shall desire thee to rectiâ—ie these Presse-Errours which in my absence in the Country hapned in many Copies in some Pages of the first and Second Part besides those forementioned after the Table of Chapters In the first Part. PAge 8. l. 6. departing p. 10. l. 5. their this p. 11. l. 28. largely latelyâ— p. 16. l. 1. delâ— as p. 24. l. 2. we â—e p. 25. l. 3. marred l 29. Kings p. 53. l. 40. dele thâ— p. 62. l. 13. and the p. 63. l. 30. still stile pâ— 64. l. 16. be he p 70. l. 3. his
beene eloquent against this King that yeelded his Realme to Christ at the direction of a seely wench Any man may serve Christ whosoever say nay * Ibid. part 2. pag. 233.234 Patriarkes not erected by Christ but by consent of Bishops * Hiero. in Epist. ad Tiâ— cap. 1. Ibid. * Hiero. ad Evag Epist. â— Ibidem * Hieroâ— Ibid. The Patriarchs grew by consent and custome †Concil Nicen. cap. 6. †Concil Ephes. 1. Decretum post quam Cypr. Episc. accessissent ad concil Patriarkes alwayes subject to Princes and their Ecclesiasticall Lawes * Concil Chalced. actiâ— 16. * Ibid. part 2 126.127 What is meant by Governour * Mat. 20. and Mark 10. Christ by that word distinguisheth the Ministers from the Magistrate Luk. 22. Publike Government is by correction and compulsion * Rom. 13. Mat. 26. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Mat. 24. 2 Tim. 2. Bishops forbid to use violence 2 Tim. 3. 4. * Part. 3. p. 358. Pastors have their regiment but over the soules not over the bodies or goods of men Ibid. Part. 3. p. 529.526 The Pastor cannot force his flocke Chrysost. de â—acâ—rdâ—t l. 2. Pastors may not constraineâ— but onely perswade Bishops least of all men may corâ—eâ—t with force Compulsioâ— neithâ—r Lawfull nor expedient in Bishops †Hillar ad Const. â— 2. imperfect Bishops may not meddle with those that bâ—â—illing * Origen in â—â—p 13. Epist. ad Rom. God will not have crimes revenged by the â—ulers of the Church but by the judges of the world Bishops by vertâ—e of their calling cannot authorize violence or armes Rom. 13. †Ibid. parâ— 2. pag. 246. The goodsâ— lands livings of Clergie men be Cesars right †Ibid. part 2. p. 252.253 The sword committed to the Prince Rom. 13. His Apostles forbidden the sword Mat. 20. Mat. 26. Bernard de considerat l. 2. Dominion interdicted the Pope himselfe * Caus. 3â—3 Quaest. 2. ¶ Inter Haec * Caus. 33. Quaest. 8. ¶ De Episc. No Clergy mâ—n may use the Sword no not by the Popes authority (a) 2 Cor. 10. (b) Ad soliâ—â—râ— vitam agentes (c) Ambros. l. 5. Epist. 33. The servants of Christ may have no earthly Kingdome since their master had none (d) Iohn 8. (e) Matth. 10â— (f) Tim. 2. Dr. Whitakers Nota. †Lib. 1. c. 5. De Sacr. Hâ—m Cant. â—â—utia †In cap. de Epis. her 2. * De Hierarch 2. c. â—lt * Annot. in Epis. 85. Hâ—â—r †Lib. I. c. 22. de Ordinat Hierarch Minist Lib. 1. de Clericis â— 15. * Hartâ—5 â—5 * Epist. ad Evaâ— * Printed by it selfe London 1â—83 * In his 3. last Bookes Bishop White and Doctoâ— Hâ—ylin Doctor Iohn Raynolds * Page 2. to 9. (a) 1 Tim. 6.3 Titus 3.10 â— Pet. 1.19.21 (b) The defence of the Apolog Part. 1. 7. devision 2. answere to the Rhem. Tit. 3.10 (c) Pag. 18. (d) Tom. 1. Cant. 3. lib. 1. c. 15. Hâ—râ—sâ—â— 15. In Epist. ad Titum Epist. 85. ad Evagrium (g) â—ap 53. (h) In Argu. praefix lib. 3. (i) Epist. 19. (k) Defence of the Apolog. Part 2. c. 9. divis 1. pa. 198. (l) De Sacror Hom. Orig. consecr l. 1. c. 5. (m) 1 Tim. 3. (n) In Epist. ad Titum (o) Collect. Can. l. 7. cap. 87. (p) Polyc. lib. 2. Tit. 1.9 39. (q) Cap. legimus dist 39. cap. Olim. dist 95. (r) Author Glossae in ca. dist citat hodorieus caol in concil Basil. Duarâ—n de sacri Eccles minist lib. 1. cap. 7. Pag. 19. (t) Pag. 69. (v) Sess. 23. c. 4. Canon 6. 7. (x) Annot Marg ad cap. legimus dist 43. (y) Tom. 1. Coâ—tro 5. l. 1. c. (z) Aeneas Silvius Hist. Bâ—hem cap. 35. Pigh Hierarch Eccles. l. 2. c. 10. (a) Defens pacis Artic. 2. c. 15. (b) Thâ— Walden Doct. fidei Tom. 1. lib. 2. c. 60. Tom. 2. c. 17. (c) Aeneas Silvius loco citato (d) Adversus falso nominat ordin Epist. adver Papa Rom. (e) In Epist. ad Philip. Tit. 1. (f) Apol. Confes. Wittenh c. 2.21 (g) Decad. 5. Ser. 2. (h) Loc. Com. Tit. de minist verbi (r) Iuel loco citat Pilkington in the Treatise of burning Pauls Church (s) D. Humphrey in Camp in Dureum Jesuitam part 2. rat 3. D. Whit. ad rat Campiani Confuta Durei Jesuitae lib. 6. (t) Mr. Bradford Lâ—mbert and others Mr. Fox Acts Dr. Fulke against Briâ—â—ow motives 40. and answere to the Rhâ—mists Tit. 1.5 Part. 2. (x) Lâ—b 4. Allegation I. For the Divine right of Episcopacy (a) An humble Remonstrance p. 27. Defence of the humble Remonstrance p. 103. to 127. and in his former Bookes for Episcopacy (b) The judgement of Doctor Raiâ—olds c. more largely confirmed out of antiquity by Iames Bishop of Armagh (c) Williâ—mâ—Bishop â—Bishop of Râ—chester Seâ—m 1. at Hampton Court Sept. 21. 1606. Sir Thomas Astons brieâ—e Relation of Episcopacy Sect. 2. p. 6.7 * Angelus nomen est Officiâ— non naturae c. Aâ—geâ—us enim Graco vocabulo Lâ—tine dicitur nuntius si quaâ—â—s nomen naturae spiritus est si officium Angâ—lâ—s ex eo quod subsistit sâ—iritus est ex eo quod mittitur Angelus Remigius Explan in Epist. ad Hebâ—aeos c. 1. * 1. Cor. 11.10 Rev. 1.20 c. 2.1.8.12.18 c. 3.1.7.14 * Saepe sacram Scripturam praedicatores Ecclesiae prâ— eo quod Patris gloriam annunciant Angelor nomine solere designare hinc est quod Joannes in Apocalypsi populâ—rumâ— Moraliuml 34. in Job c. 4. (f) Lib. 1. c. 1.2.9.10 (g) In Apoc. c. 2. Bibl. Patrum Tom. 6. pars 1. p. 523. (h) Lib. 2. in Apoc. Luc. 12. Mat. 24. * See Gersomus Bucerus de Gubern Ecclesiae p. 205.393.408.419.422.433 (c) Rev. 4.10 c. 5.5.8.11.14 c. â— 11.13 c. 11.16 c. 19.4 c. 14. â— (k) Rev. 4.4 c. 5.11 c. 7.11 (l) Rev. 4.4 c. 11.16 (m) Rev. 7.11 (n) Rev. 4.10.11 c. 5.8.9 c. 11 16.17.18 Rev. 4.4.10 (p) Rev. 5.8.9 (q) Rev. 5.9 * Downham Hall Vsher and others (r) In Apoc. c. 2. Disp. 2. (s) Com. in Apoc in c. 2.3 Notatio 1. p. 251. where he cites Lyra and Ribera to this effect (t) Nâ—t in vita Polycarp c. 7. (u) Centur. Magd 1. l. 2. â— 10. col 626â— Nicâ—ph l. 3. c. 71. Vincâ—ntius spec Hist. l. 38. c. 10. Fasciculus Temporum Allegation (v) Preface to his Treatise of â—he Sabbath Answ. Mercatâ—rs Atlaâ— London 1635. p. 812. Cambdens Brit. p. 75. Speeds Historry p. 159. Operum Tom. 2. Parisis 1608. p. 645.646 Sâ—cunda ad Timotheuâ—â— scripta est Romae quando ad Neronem adductus est Romanoâ—unâ— Caesarem Epistola ad Titum Cretensis Ecclesiae scripta est Nicopolioppâ—dâ— Macedoniae Conâ— Mag. 2. â—ol 597. The judgement of Dr. Reinolds touching the originall of Episcopacy more largely confirmed out of antiquity by Iames Archbishop of Armagh p. 5. Object 1. a Episcopacy by divine right 2. part p. 110