temporalities but Prelates have been unfaithful Stewards and therefore it is high time to compell them to deliver up their Stewardship that they may be no longer Stewards for the Priests as they call themselves and desire to be called ought to have no temporal possessions or inheritance for their service as Eze. 44.28 I am their Inheritance ye shall give them no possession in Israel I am their possession yea even the Primate himself as he expecteth to be called who thinks himself to be Successor to Aaron cannot by Aarons example possess any temporalities as in Num. 18.20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron then shalt have no inheritance in their land neither shalt thou have any part amongst them I am thy part and thine inheritance among the Children of Israel and Josh 13.33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance If Prelates consciences were not seared as with an hot iron how could they pretend any right to Temporal possessions either by example of the Levitical Priesthood unto whom you see Temporal possessions was prohibited neither by the example of Jesus Christ nor his Apostles if it were not as Cardinal Aralatensis said in the Council of Basil that Prelates value their Temporalities above their Spiritualities Therefore if you observe the rule of Christ by their Fruits you may know them and their Fruits in that way hath been the occasion to bring in and to uphold and maintain Antichrist the Pope in his Throne for if it were not for his great Temporal possessions he could not domineer over Emperors Kings and Princes as he hath done and whilst Prelates possess their Temporalities they do uphold him in his Throne for both of them are one upheld by the other if once the one fall the other will shortly follow Angelo Cararo Whosoever saith Angelo Cararo beholds the surpassing state and magnificence of the Church and Court of Rome above other Kings and Princes cannot but wonder that she upon so slender a foundation and so far from the intention of her Founders should raise her self to so proud a height as to turn those benefits she hath received against and to the prejudice of them that gave her those possessions for the Canonists other Emissaries of that Court study nothing more than how to strengthen and extend their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and abase and demolish the power of Secular Princes if they can possible A Book of the Image of a Bishop In a Book called The Image of a Christian Bishop and of a Counterfeit Bishop set out in the year 1539. he speaks of some that he calls shadows of Bishops that have raised themselves to dominion and Lordship against both God and man against reason common sence and judgement after the nature of Tyrants which rule only by the wrath and indignation of God for Prelates saith he if they be not good and virtuous to promote the word of God unfeignedly with all their hearts they are Wolves and cruel murtherers of Souls much like as if Satan should have a Mitre on his head and Rings on his fingers and should sit in a Chair to rule the people for Bâ—shops that do not preach the pure word of God they are as much to be eschewed as the Devil himself And whereas Bishops exercise their tyranny over men under pretence of Conformity to keep men from sedition and strife he saith the word of God doth not stir up to sedition and strife but the stubborn obstinate disobedience of Bishops themselves against the truth and their rage against the word of God is the cause of sedition for whosoever receives the word of God that man raises not up sedition albeit he no longer fears such vain Buggs nor worship such Episcopal Puppets for since he knows the word of God he doth not fear nor reverence their vain humane Innovations and Traditions But wilt thou that I tell thee at one word that they are they are Wolves Tyrants Traytors Man-quellers monsters of the World burthens of the Earth the Apostles of Antichrist to corrupt and destroy the Gospel And therefore it is the part and duty of all Christian men with the word of God to destroy and pluck up by the roots them and their Kingdom which our heavenly Father hath not planted who by their Tyranny destroy the Gospel Institutions of Christ to establish their own Institutions so that if there be any Christianity in our minds and breasts we ought saith he to speak unto the King for a Reformation Thus he and much more to this purpose See Mr. Prynns Book of the execrable Treasons Conspiracies and Rebellions of Prelates pag. 389 390 394. William Wroughton William Wroughton in his rescuing of the Roman Fox dedicated to King Hen. 8. We have saith he put down some of the Orders of the World there remains yet two viz. the pompous Bishops and the dependants thereon and the gray Fryers which if they were put down also as well as the other I reckon that there would not be any Kingdom wherein Christ would more reign than in England and there he proves at large the Prelates Canon Law to be the Popes Law and that so long as the Bishops maintain it in England they maintain the Pope in his Soveraignty and Legislative power in England Thus and more to the same purpose Roderick Morce To the very same purpose Roderick Morce in his Complaint to the Parliament the 37 of Hen. 8. writes thus The whole Body of the pestiferous Canon Law according to which Judgement is given through the Realm so that we are still in Egyptian bondage to the Popes Law And so long as ye walk in those wicked Laws of Antichrist the Pope and maintain his Knights the Bishops in such inordinate riches and unlawfull Authority so long ye shall never banish that monstrous beast the Pope out of England yea and it shall be a means saith he in process of time to bring us into bondage to the Pope again and that knows our forked Caps full well meaning Mitres Wherefore if you will banish the Pope you must fell down to the ground these rotten posts the Bishops c. And in another place he said that one Bishop one Dean or Colledge or House of Canons hath ever done more mischief than ten other Religious Houses The King saith he hath done well in weeding the Garden of England but yet he hath left the fowlest stinking weeds standing the pompous Bishops Canons of Colledges and Deans c. But now saith he I will speak no more against the particular Pope seeing every Bishop now is a Pope Martin Bucer Martin Bucer professors of Divinity in Cambridge writ to King Edward the sixth that the reformation of the Church could never be expected from the Bishops and said that the wealth of Princes which ought to be bestowed upon faithful Ministers upon Schools and upon the Poor the Prelates sacraligiously spend it in ryot and
so long enjoyed their usurped temporallities and tythes â—â—timer In Ezek. 44.24 It is said in controversies the Priest shall stand in judgement and they should judge it according to my judgement saith God but the Bishop of Glocester had written a book and for his own and other Prelates advantage he had changed the meaning of the Text from judging according to Gods judgement declared in the word of God to this they shall judge as the Priest shall decide the matter therefore Latimer reproved him saying what gelding of Scripture is this what clipping of Gods coyn nay my Lord the Clergy must not rule according to their own wills I would there were more faithful dealing with Gods word and not leave out a part and snatch a part here and there c. If Prelates may thus interpret Scripture they may easily maintain their usurped hierarchy what not that they have a mind to maintain â—rmacaâ—us â—ilus Richard Armacanus saith that to speak and seek to procure any high place in the Church it is a point of pride and ambition and Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica saith that the Pope himself hath no dignity above other Bishops but by humain Laws and institutions given by Councels and Emperors â—nselm and Anselm saith that Presbiters are above Bishops and were before Bishops and did elect them and Cardinal Aralatensis and several others more saith that Priests or Presbiters are of equal power and authority with bishops â—ralatenâ— so that all their Lordly Titles dignities and jurisdictions their temporallities and tythes are all humain devices and not of any Gospel institution for Christ hath forbidden their Lordliness saying it shall not be so among you Mat. 20.26 â—â—hn â—erson John Gerson declares that the neglect to observe an antient Canon viz. that bishops should have poor apparel lodging and dyet and should not strive for transitory things but to imitate the Apostles also he saith their making of laws such as they have no authority from God to make and their enjoyning men by censures and excommunications to observe their Laws their Courts with the oath ex officio and many other things the like which is the cause of division which he saith will never be appeased until the heads spiritual be reformed Episcopacy when it first crept into the Church was not so inconsistant with the Gospel rule as now it is for the bishops that are now are other kind of Creatures than those were as the records of antiquity do shew that at the first original of them they were chosen by the people and Ministers who were to live under their inspection and Government yea even the Popes themselves in antient times were chosen by the people and Priests and after confirmed by the Emperour and were not chosen by Cardinalls and Curtesans as they are now neither had they then either temporalities or tyths but now they intrude themselves with a high hand over the Church and people of God and makes themselves Lords over Gods heritage which the word of God forbids 1. Pet. 5.3 And yet all this the giving both the Pope and Bishops and other Prelates temporalities and tyths is but an Antechristian humain invention and not of divine institution neither do the Bishops now observe the antient Canons in their ordinations as Distinct 70. T. ordinationis which saith Distinst 29. quando Distinct 70. T. ordinationis Let not the Bishop presume to ordain any without the Councel of the Clergie and testimony of the people and again Distinct 70 T. ordinationis see that solemnly at convenient time in the presence of many standers by you make ordination and especially Distinct 64. T. Si forte which saith he shall be no Priest henceforth who neither Clergy nor people of his own City hath elected so that if the Clergy or people of any other place elect and not the Clergy and people of the City or place where he is to serve by this Canon he is no Priest And by Acts 1. verse 23. dist 64. Si forte to the 20 and Acts 6.3 to 7. compared with this Canon there is are thrust upon the people without their electing of them and therefore have no right to officiate unto nor to rule such a people Extravag de institu cap ex frequentibus Extravag de prescript c. 51. diligent et cum omne ex de qualit penâ—ls 50 destinct For a Sole possession is not sufficient in Eclestical benefices unless there concur a Canonical institution Extravag de institu Cap ex frequentibus a Sole possession maketh not one a Senator or Captain but a lawful election a prescription doth not profit in case it be grounded upon an evil consequence and therefore Sithence men so ordained be unjust possessors their deceit and collusion ought not to support them Extravag de prescript T. 51. dilligenti c. cum omne In these Laws in another place it is provided that both the promoter and the promoted as well the abetters as the deed doers are to sustain equal punishment there is a Law that as well the man unworthily promoting as the man unworthily promoted shall be deposed ex de qualit c. ponuis again it is decreed that if they shall henceforth presume to ordeyn any that are unskilful and ignorant that both the ordeyners and the ordeyned be subject to grievous punishment upon which decree and the word ordination the gloss flatly concludeth that the Law evermore is that whosoever promoteth an unworthy man deserveth to be deposed Well then upon this account that neither the Bishop himself not being elected nor ordeyned in the presence of those over whom he doth rule nor those whom he doth ordain and send forth they both ought to be deposed both by the Scriptures decrees and extravag above named so that if there were no other ground or reason but this only it were sufficient to depose them and to take away their temporalities and tyths from them Cod offic prefec orient lib. 3. For the Emperour Justinian commanded Signos judicis according to what is said above if thine excelencie find any judges for their negligence or any other like defect to be unprofitable thou mayst remove them from their Administrations and place others in their stead Cod offic prefec orient lib. 3. And saith the said Emperour in another place in bello c. A Souldier in time of warr that doth any thing forbidden by his Captain or doth not keep his Generals Commandment is to be punished with death though his enterprize take good success and shall then a pretended Minister that forsaketh his standing to walk according to the rules and institutions of Christ and weareth only the Ensign of Antechrist the proclaimed enemy of Christ his Lord and Master Mauger the law of his Lord and Master and Mauger the Laws of men above specified and other the like and shall he enjoy Life and Lands Panormetane and Livings and tyths and all Panormetane
of Christ that the sheep of Christ do know but the voice of Strangers which the sheep of Christ know not and therefore they flee from them besides to require the Servants of Christ to swear their Canonical obedience to such things it is not the voice of Christ but the voice of Strangers to require the same and those that follow them cannot thereby prove themselves to be the sheep of Christ but rather the contrary for the sheep of Christ do flee from Strangers Polecronicon It is recorded by Polecronicon lib. 5. chap. 10. that about the year 610. John Patriach of Alexandria he was so merciful to the Poor and Needy that he counted them his Masters and himself their Servant and Steward Patriarch of Alexandria in distributing the Church goods unto them he was woont twice a week to sit at his door all the day long to take up matters and make Peace and Unity where there was variances nnd waiting all one day and no body came he lamented that all that day he had done no good Pope Gregory his order to divide Church goods in 4 parts About the year 600. Austin the Monk Bishop of Canterbury sent to Pope Gregory to know how the Gifts and Oblations given to the Church ought to be divided unto which Gregory answered That the manner of the Sea Apostolical was to warn and charge all such as were Ordeyned Bishops that of all their Stipends or what was given to the Church to divide it into four parts one part to the Bishop for Hospitality another to the Clergy and another to the Poor and the fourth part for the repairing of Churches You must saith Gregory observe this Institution which was practised by the first Fathers of the Primitive Church among whom there was not one that counted any thing his own of all that he did possess But can there be one Bishop now found in all the world that doth so but what once they get possession of they make all their own right or wrong by this primitive Institution as Gregory saiâ—h it appears that our Prelates have broken the Condition for which goods were given to the Church and therefore our King and Nobles may justly take them again Cutbert Bishop of Canterbury Also about the year 747. Cutbert Bishop of Canterbury ordered that once a year every Bishop should visit all the Parishes in his Dioces and that Priests should not have the disposing of Secular matters and that Alms should not be neglected though at that time they were Apostatised from the primitive Principles there still remaining some tinctures and smatterings of the primitive Institution concerning the Alms of the poor out of the Church goods that it was not altogether neglected and forgotten as it is now For now as Peter Blesensis Arch-Deacon of Bath said in his Treatise dedicated to the Bishop of Worcester of the Institution of a Bishop about the year 1160. That certain Bishops abusive ly call the Liberalitie and Alms of Kings c. bestowed on them Baronyes and Royalties and themselves Barons it being an action of most shameful servitude the Lord may justly say of them They have reigned but not by me Hos 8.4 but thou must know thou hast taken upon thee the Office of a Shepherd and not of a Barron Let another dispatch thy temporal affairs for the mind consecrated to divine service ought to be free from worldly imployment All the care of Prelates is to increase their Rents but the voice of Christ to Bishops is If thou love me feed my sheep not if thou love me till thy Land nor increase thy Rents and build high houses no thou art set over the Souls of men and not over their Bodies as a Baron or Temporal Lord therefore thou myst not make thy self a Lord over them but a Servant Angelo Cararo Angelo Cararo speaking to the Pope and Prelates saith it is but reasonable that Princes should imploy their Authority to make them leave that base and vile Avarice that is among them which is displeasing to the whole world but unless they go about it roundly in express terms laying aside all Civility it will be difficult to bring it about he saith that the affairs of the Chamber of Rome is such a Gulfe that it swallows up all one hath and whence nothing can be redeemed no more than out of Hell This Angelo Cararo was a Venetian and had been at Rome his Book was printed 5 or 6 years agoe Richard Arch-Bishop of Canterbury about the year 1231. complained to the Pope That Benefic'd men within Orders had many Benefices joyned with Cure of Souls and that they also took example of Bishops and did intermedle with secular matters It may seem strange that in time of Popery complaint should be made to the Pope against the Clergy for holding Plurality of Benefices and now men can swallow them down without straining at such Camels without check of conscience yea in some places a Bishoprick is not thought sufficient without a Commendum of some Parsonage of five or six hundred pounds a year joyned to it and thus the goods of the Church and poor are wasted Simon Fish In a Book Intituled The supplication of Beggars written by Simon Fish and presented to King Hen. 8. therein it was declared that Purgatory is a thing invented by the Covetous Clergy only to translate the Lands and Temporal Estates of Kings Princes Lords Knights Esquires c into their own hands for praying for them to deliver their souls out of Purgatory for what man is there in the world that is once deluded to believe that there is a Purgatory and to believe that the Masses and Prayers of the Prelates and Clergy can deliver them out of that burning fire but that when he is dying and can hold his Estate no longer that will not give one half or a great part thereof unto these Merchants of mens souls rather than lye burning in these tormenting flames for some thousands of yeares after death as the Prelates make them to believe they must and by this way of Delusion the Prelates have gotten the best Lordships into their hands to the value of well nigh half the Kingdome Why then should not the King Princes and Lords c. take again that which is their own which their Predecessors have been so cheated out of and the conditions failing for which they were given And besides their Doctrine of Justification by works made others to give Lands for the relief of the poor thinking thereby to be Justified which Lands were delivered into the Bishops and Prelates hands in trust as stewards for the poor supposing they would be faithful stewards in distributing thereof the which Lands the Prelates have converted to their own use and pretend a title thereunto but it is an usurped title But what remedy is there to relieve us your poor blind sick lame and diseased Beads-men to make more Hospitals Nay truly the more the worse for the fat of
the whole Foundation hangeth on the Prelates and Clergies beards for divers of your Predecessors and Nobles have given Lands to have a certain sum of Money given yearly to the poor whereof for the antiquity of the time the conditions are forgotten so that they give not one penny they likewise gave them to have certain Masses said for them daily whereof they say never a one If the Abbots of Westminster should sing every day as many Masses as they are bound to do by the Founders a thousand Monks were too few Wherefore if your Grace will build a sure Hospital never to fail to relieve your poor Beads-men then take from them all these things this with much more to this purpose was in that Supplication Pope Innocent Pope Innocent 4th required that all Beneficed men in England which were resident should pay to the Pope a third part of their goods or Profits and Non-residents the one half for three years together And it is most certain that our King and Nobles within his Majesties Dominions have a thousand times more right to receive these profits than either Pope or Prelate for Popes and Prelates are Usurpers their Predecessors having possessed themselves thereof by deceitful Delusion therefore our King and Nobles may justly require their own Temporalities again which their Predecessors were so deluded of the Prelates having been such unfaithful Stewards it is but just that the King Princes and Lords do require them to give account of their Stewardship that they may be no longer Stewards The testimony of 21 Bishops 8 Arch-deacons and 17 Doctors In the Year 1537. or thereabout Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and Edmond Bishop of York and to the number of one and twenty Bishops and eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors of Divinity and of the Common and Civil Law they did all assert and sign with their hands to King Hen. the 8th the which was ratified by the Statute of the 32. of Hen. 8. That there is not in the New Testament any mention made of the Calling Jurisdiction Lordliness or secular employment of Lord Bishops But the New Testament speaks only of Deacons and of Ministers alias Priests or Bishops and of these two only that is Priests or Ministers and Deacons the Scripture makes express mention And that Christ did never institute any distinction or difference or preheminence of power order or Jurisdiction among the Apostles themselves but that they were all equal in power authority and jurisdiction and that there hath been any difference since it is by the invention of men and not by the institution of Jesus Christ and therefore no Bishop by the Law of God may take upon him any Jurisdiction in secular Courts for God did constitute Kings to defend the Faith of Christ and true Religion and to cause Bishops or Ministers to execute their Pastoral office truly and faithfully or for neglect thereof to put others in their room and place and not to suffer the Clergy to meddle in secular affairs for the Kingdom of Christ is a spiritual and not a carnal Kingdom as Christ said No man can serve two masters so I say No man can faithfully discharge his Ministerial office in Christs Kingdom which is his Church if he be entangled in secular affairs in the worldly Kingdom You cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 6.27 Mr Elmer Mr. Elmer in his Harborow for faithful Subjects Printed at Strasburg writes thus on the 12 of Luke Who made me a Judge c. As if Christ should say It belongs not to my office to determine in matters of policy but to the Civil Magistrate And if it did not belong to Christ how dare Prelates take it upon them to do it for if it had been within the compass of Christs Function he could not in conscience have refused it to set them at one which were at strife if he might do it and would not he lacked Charity and did not his duty which were blasphemy to say of Christ and if it belonged not to him neither did it belong to his Apostles nor their successors Had he not as large a Commission as he gave His Kingdome is not of this world therefore Bishops by his example cannot give themselves so large a scope in temporal matters therefore by their fruits you may know them whether they have their Commission from Christ or I had like to have said from Antichrist for saith he if these two offices Ecclesiastical and Civil be jumbled together in one Function there can be no quiet nor well-ordered Commonwealth Richard Armacanus Richard Armacanus about the year 1350. in de questionibus Armenorum book 11. chap. 1. saith that neither the Dominion nor Ministry of temporal things belongeth to Ecclesiastical Dignity but rather diminisheth it for Christ prohibited the Apostles of temporal Dominion saying It shall not be so among you And again Possess neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses nor scrip for your journey nor two coats neither shooes nor staves Math. 10.9 10. If thou wilt be perfect go sell all that thou hast and give to the poor He saith in chap. 2. that the states and degree of Patriarch Primate Archbishop Bishop c. were invented by men and not instituted by Christ nor his Apostles and that no Prelate of the Church how great soever hath any greater degree of the power of order than a simple Priest But how do Prelates observe Christs rule who commanded that they should possess neither gold nor silver and as if they would strive to do as contrary as they can devise they possess thousands of gold and silver coaches and horses and what not Is it not high time therefore for Kings and Nobles to take these temporalities from them which they thus abuse as if they would set Christ at defiance and bid him command what he will they will do what they will do not their actions tend to this end the good Lord direct the King Princes and Lords c. that by connivance they partake not with the Prelates in these sins lest they which God forbid should partake with them in their punishments Cyprian Cyprian in his fourth Book Epist 4. saith Our Lord Christ observed the will of his Father but we speaking of Prelates observe not the will of the Lord as appears above having all our minds set upon Lucre and Possessions given to pride full of Emulation and Dissention void of Simplicity and faithful dealing renouncing the world only in word but nothing in Deed every one pleasing himself and displeasing all others John Huss John Huss in the Council of Constance did affirm that the Clergie ought to have no temporal possessions and that Temporal Lords may justly without any offence take them away from the Clergy and that Kings and Nobles ought to compel the Clergy to observe and keep the Law and Rules of Christ He also saith that Tythes and Oblations given to the Church are publick and common Alms and that the Clergy
to the Church John Huss are publick and common Almes when Kings and Princes Knights and Citizens c. give to the Church or to the Priest for his Stipend they give it to the Church of God and to the party as a perpetual Alme that they should attend upon the Ministry otherwise Almes should not be a work of mercy hereupon saith he it appears that Tenths in Gospel times are pure Almes given to the Church for the use of the poor And hereupon holy men have said that Tenths are tribute of needy souls as St. Augustin Augustâ—n in a Sermon of the restoring of Tythes saith The giving of Tythes my dear Brethren are the tributes of poor souls therefore pay your tribute unto the poor for whatsoever doth remain more then a competent living and decent clothing it is not to be reserved for riot but is to be laid in the heavenly Treasury by giving it in Alms unto the poor for whatsoever is given to us more than we have need of it is not given us for our selves but to be bestowed upon others by our hands and if we do not give it we invade another mans possession Augustin Also in another place Augustin saith Forasmuch as every man as doth any work of mercy ought diligently to have respect to the ability of them that he bestoweth his Almes upon lest that by nourishing Loyterers he be made partaker of their offences and in 23. quest 7. Augustin saith If we possess any thing privately more than what may reasonably suffice us it is not ours but the goods of the poor whose Stewards we are except we challenge to our selves a property by some damnable usurpation The gloss upon this part of the question saith That Prelates are but only Stewards of the Church goods and not Lords thereof Hierome oâ— Prague Hierome of Prague affirmed before the Councel of Constance that the Patrimony of the Church was given for three uses First for the use of the Poor Secondly for Hospitality Thirdly for repairing of Churches and not to be spent upon Harlots great Banquetting or Feasting of those that need it not nor keeping great Horses and Doggs nor for gorgeous Apparrel and other things unbeseeming Christians Richard Wimbleton Richard Wimbleton in a Sermon at Pauls Cross in the reign of King Hen. 4. upon these words Give an accout of thy Stewardship He said Every Prelate and Priest shall give an account how they entred into the sheep-fold and how they have ruled the Flock whether for outward hire or love as a Father or as a Wolf that eateth the Sheep whom hast thou turned from his wicked life c. hast thou taught the Law of God or the Laws of men how hast thou disposed of the goods of the poor they shall saith he hear grievous complaints of Fatherless Children that Prelates and Priests have lived of their Almes and have not done away their Sins they are not ashamed to waste in the house of Pride and Lechery and keep to themselves wickedly and cursedly that which should be the livelihood of the poor they live not like Priests but like Beasts they are cloathed like Knights they ride like Princes and all they thus spend is the goods of the poor This and much more the like did he declare in that Sermon William Swinde William Swinderby a Martyr under King Richard the 2d had this Article objected against him that he held that all Priests are of like power in all things notwithstanding that some of them in the world are of greater and higher honour degree and preheminence but that is mans appointment and not of God and as concerning the Wealth Possessions and Lordships of Prelates he thus affirmed before the Bishops that convened and examined him he said That it was lawful and needful for Secular Lords by way of Charity and power given to them of God for the default of Prelates and cursed Curates that openly misuse the goods of the Church that be poor mens goods the which poor men Lords been holden to maintain and defend to take away and withdraw from such Curates poor mens goods which Curates wrongfully holden in help of the poor and their own wilful offerings he means their free-will offerings and their bodily Almes deeds and give them to such as duly serve God in the Church and been needy in up-bearing of the charge that Prelates should do and do it not And as anenst taking away of Temporalities I say that it is lawful for Kings Princes Dukes and Lords of the world to take away from Popes Cardinals Bishops and Prelates possessions in the Church their Temporalities and their Almes that they have given them upon condition that they should serve God the better when they verily sene that their giving and their taking been contrary to the Law of God to Christs living and his Apostles and namely in that they take upon them that should be next followers of Christ and his Apostles in poorness and meekness to be secular Lords against the teaching of Christ and St. Peter Luke 22.25.26 and 1 Pet. 5.3 And namely when such Temporalities makes them the more proud both in heart and in Array then they shoulden been else and more in strife and debate against Peace and Charrty and in evil ensample to the world to be occupied in worldly business which draws them from the service of God and edifying of Christs Church c. then he thought upon such misdemeanors to take away their Temporalities c. Anselme Anselme also saith that Presbyters are above and were before Bishops and are of Divine Institution but so are not Lord Bishops and saith That Presbyters did first elect and institute Bishops and ordeyn them to their office and not Bishops ordeyn Presbyters as they do now So Anselme Bishop of Canterbury on 1 Tim. 4.14 Canon of Africk Also the Canon of Africk in the year 990. Sect. 17. saith There is no difference between a Priest and a Bishop but that the Bishops were constituted by men to confer orders A general consent that Ministers and Bishops are of equal power this equality of power in Priests and Bishops according to divine institution hath been also maintained by John Wickliffe and the one and twenty Bishops and eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors mentioned above in King Hen. the 8th his reign who did all declare that there was no preheminence of power order or jurisdiction between the Apostles themselves or between Bishops themselves but that Ministers or Bishops are all equal in power authority and jurisdiction and that there is now any difference it is a device of men by the permission of Princes and Civil powers the same also is maintained by Cyprian St. Hierom Ocham John Lambert Martyr John Bradford William Alley Bishop of Exeter Alexander Nowell Dean of Pauls Pilkington Bishop of Durham and innumerable Writers more hold Ministers and Bishops of equal power by divine Institution Henry Stalbridge Mr. Henry Stalbridge whom
I have mentioned once before in his Exhortative Epistle printed at Basil saith I say yet once again and that in the zeal of the Lord as he is my Judge I wish if his gracious pleasure so were that first the Kings Majesty and so all those to whom God hath given power and authority on Earth may throughly see and perceive how that not only the bloudy Bear and Wolf of Rome but also the most part of other Bishops and stout sturdy Canons of Cathedral Churches with other petty Prowlers and prestigious Priests of Baal in all Realms of Christendom especially in England doe roar abroad like Lyons fret like angry Bears and bite like cruel Wolves clustring together like swarmes of Adders in a Dunghil or most wily subtile Serpents to uphold preserve their Interest Paul admonished us of them that after his departing grievous Wolves should enter not sparing the flock Acts 20.29 These spiritual man-hunters are the very offspring of Cain Children of Caiaphas and Successors of Simon Magus as their Doctrine and Living declare Most cruel enemies have they been in all ages to the Verity of God and most fierce Persecutors of Christ and his Church Marvel not ye Bishops and Prelates saith he though I thus in the zeal of Elias and Phineas stomach against your sturdy stubborness for never was any tyranny ministred upon Christs mistical members but by your procurement never did Christ send such bloudy Apostles and two horned Warriers but the Devils Vicar-Antichrist sent them who is the deadly destroyer of faithful Beleivers c. and so he goes on I reckon it therfore saith he high time for all Christian Princes which pretend to receive the Gospel of Salvation and to live in peace and tranquillity for ever to cast the Bishops out of Privy Councels and utterly to seclude you from all administrations till such time as they find you no longer Wolves but faithful Feeders no Destroyers but gentle Teachers for consider your beginning never came you in with your Miters Robes and Rings c. it the door as did the poor Apostles but by the window unrequired like Robbers Thieves and Man-quellers with Symon Magus Marcion and Menander never was your proud pontifical power of our heavenly Fathers planting and therefore must be rooted up Matt. 15.13 If any thing under Heaven hath need of Reformation let them that minde any Godlyness think this to be one for if these be not spiritual Spiritual Thieves Soul-murtherers Hereticks Schismaticks Church-robbers Rebels and Traitors to God and man where are any to be looked for in the world for nothing can they do but work daily mischief as well may they be spared in the Common wealth saith he as Kites Crows Buzzards Polcats Rats Weasles Otters Wolves and Foxes bodily Fleas or flesh Flies or other devouring noysome Vermin for so long as they sit in the Parliament-house the Gospel shall be kept under and Christ persecuted in his faithful members take me not here saith he that I condemn any Bishop or Priest that is godly doing those Offices the Scripture commandeth as preaching the Gospel and providing for the poor c. but against bloudy Butchers that murther Gods people and make havock of Christs Congregation to maintain Jewish Ceremonies and Paganish Superstition in the Christian Church these are not Bishops but Sheep-biters Tyrants Tormentors and the Devils slaughter men but such as in poverty preach the Gospel provide for the poor rebuke the wicked world of Pride Idolatry Hypocrisie they are not only worthy of a competent living but worthy of double honour but from the inordinate excess of Riches Bishops and Prelates ought of all men to be sequestred considering that the wicked nature of Mamon is alwaies to corrupt yea the very Elect of God were not more merciful saith he Thus as you have heared by these Testimonies above Lord Bishops standing in the Church with their Dignities and Jurisdictions is not of Gods institution but by men yet God suffers such kind of Adversaries in the Church saith Mr. Fox in Acts and Monuments page 1440. who under the name of the Church maintain a worldly State and Kingdom and because they cannot uphold their cause by Scripture the holy word of God they bear it out with outfacing railing and slandering making Princes and People believe that all are Scismaticks Rebels and what not and subverters of the Common wealth who soever that dare although it be by plain Scripture to speak against their doings As it is written of the Emperour that when he had burned Rome six dayes and seven nights he made Proclamation that the innocent Christians had set the City on fire to stir up the people against them whereby he caused them to be burned and destroyed as Rebels and Traitors See Suetonius in Nerone Melancton Melancton in an Epistle to King Hen. 8. saith That long and horrible darkness hath been in the Church of Christ that mens traditions not only have been a yoak to good mens Consciences but also which is worse they have been reputed for Gods holy Service to the great dishonour of God and hindrance of his true worship and the Keyes were abused to the maintenance of usurped tyranny and Ceremonies mens inventions and it is not light offence to set up new kinds of worshiping and serving God such presumption God doth horribly detest the manner of his worship is known in his word only and he will not hale Religion to be invented by mens devise for so the Alcaron and all Religion in all Nations might be approved and allowed of Therefore saith the Wise man In all thy wayes acknowledge God and lean not unto thine own understanding Prov. 3.5 6. God hath commanded us to hear Christ Acts 3.22 and not to hear the invention of subtile politick heads which frame Religion for their own Lucre and advantage we ought not to dissemble in Gods matters but use them as the Scripture speaketh for no service nor worship pertaining to God ought to be set up by mans device and Bishops will never cease to rage against the Church of Christ without mercy or pity for them the Devil useth as Instruments and Ministers of his malice and fury against Christ in his members Luther Luther in his answer to the Popes Bull saith That any Fool Ass or Blockhead may condemn a man of Error by saying I like it not I deny it I will not have it so without any reason from Scripture Is not thy whorish face ashamed to dare to set the trifling vanities of your own bare words of the Canons and Institutions of your own inventions against the Thunderbolts of Gods Word if such reasoning were sufficient to condemn men without Scripture why may we not turn Turks Hereticks Jews or Atheists as well as Papists Steven Gardiner Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester in his Book de vera Obedientia saith Though it be granted that Peter had the preferment of the first name or place in the Order of the
Apostles which yet I would deny him yet it followeth not saith he that with this primacy he had also a Kingdom given him and though the Lord bid him confirm his Brethren yet was he not bid to exercise an Empire over his Brethren for so they should not be his Brethren but his Subjects Richard Feurus Richard Feurus a Martyr about the year 1554. in the Province of Dolphine in his disputing against his Adversaries he affirmed That the word of God ought to be our Rule and that nothing is left to Doctors or Councils to be devised without the word of God and that all things necessary either for government of the Church off or the Salvation of man are expressed and prescribed in the word of God for Paul saith That he durst not utter any thing but what the Lord had wrought in him and shewed unto him Rom. 15.18 John willeth us to receive no man unless he bring the same Doctrine that we have received from Christ and his Apostles Let him be accursed Christs Sheep hear his voice and know his voice but they know not the voice of a Stranger and all manner of worship and service that is not prescribed in the word of God is the voice of Strangers Hence it will follow that such Strangers that both command and practice such Ceremonial service of God as is not prescribed in the Word of God in the New Testament Kings and Princes c. may lawfully take away their Temporalities and Tythes and dispose of them to better uses as hath been said above Richard Lovingham in the reign of King Hen. 4. gathered out of a Book of John Purvey that the Temporalities of the Clergie in England at that time in the hands of such as did no duty for it belonging their office to do besides other Temporalities he said That the King Lords and Commons might without any other Charge but these Temporalities maintain fifteen Garrisons with fifteen thousand Souldiers having sufficient Lands and Revenues to live upon and also maintain fifteen thousand Priests and Clerks and fifteen Colledges more and an hundred Hospitals and every house an hundred Marks a year and bring in besides above twenty thousand Pounds a year into the Kings Coffers He said also that the Kings and Lords ought to banish the Pope and his Factors out of their Lands and all Bishops and their Factors that say it appertaineth not to Kings and secular Lords but to them and their Officials to punish Adultery and Fornication they do fall into manifest Treason against the King and Heresie against the Scripture and that it doth appertain to the King to have the ordering of Priests and Bishops as Solomon and Jehosaphat and others had saith Mr. Fox Acts and Monuments pag 502. Now if the temporalities at that time would have done so much in England what will the temporalities and tythes of three Kingdoms do now that Lands are at so high a rate to what they then were Augustin Huldrick Bishop of Ausburg in an Epistle to Pope Nicholas the first about the year 867 said that good correction proceeding from the lesser to the greater is not to be refused nor disdained when he that is corrected is found to strive against the truth to please men and he mentions Augustin writing to Boniface that the disputations of all men be they never so Catholick or approved persons yet ought not to be received instead of Canonical Scripture Gregory so that we may saith he disprove or refuse any thing that is in their writings contrary to truth to which he adds a saying of St. Gregory What shall become of the Sheep when the Pastors themselves become Wolves Panarmetanus Mr. Rogers in his Answer to the Bishop of Winchester said that all the Laws of men might not nor could not rule the word of God but that all things should be discussed and judged thereby and obedience given thereunto and that no Christian mans Conscience could be satisfied without Laws that agree not with Gods word and he quotes Panarmetanus which said That unto a simple lay man that brings the word of God with him there ought more credit to be given than to a whole Council and to what they concluded without or beside the word of God Walter Mill. Walter Mill a Martyr in Scotland said that these which we call Bishops do not the work of Bishops nor the Office of Bishops as Paul biddeth Timothy but live after their own sensuality and pleasure and take no care of the Flock nor yet regard the word of God to do thereafter but desire to be called Lords c. And Luther saith that neither Pope nor Prelate can make Articles of Faith nor Laws of good works and manners and that we may withstand their doings and Judg upon their Decrees by the word of God though their Decrees be approved by a General Council Doctor Molius Doctor Johannes Molius sometime a gray Fryer disputed three days together at Rome against Bishops and Cardinals by Pope Paul the third his appointment of Original Sin of Justification by Faith and of Free-will and Purgatory and they all not being able to refell his Arguments at last they answered him That what he affirmed was truth nevertheless it was not meet for that present time for that it could not be taught nor published without detriment to the Apostolick See wherefore he should refrain from preaching the Epistles of St. Paul and return to Bononie and there profess Philosophy By this it appears That Popes and Prelates Act against their Conscience and will not suffer the truth to take place least they should lose their honor and wealth for here they confess that what Doctor Molius said was truth but they might not suffer it at that time no nor never since to be taught their reason was it would be detriment to the Apostolick See but what detriment the truth received and the soul of men by hiding the truth from them these Prelates cared not for they silenced him from preaching the truth to profess Philosophy And thus Prelates in this age Silence Ministrs from preaching the truth lest they should come to dishonour thereby and lose their sweet Morsells for if all Christian Kings Princes and Nobles were rightly informed in the truths of the Gospel and of the unlawfulness of Popes Bishops and Prelates of their standing in the Church with their titles dignities and jurisdictions which Papists themselves have confessed is but from men and not from God why then should Kings and Princes by suffering them in such ways become guilty of their Sins but rather rouse up themselves and take from them that which is not theirs but by usurpation that is the temporalities and tithes which they unjustly possess as is shewed above Neither need they fear the Popes nor Bishops Excommunications for they have no more Authority from God to Excommunicate for such things than the poorest Shepherd or Swineherd hath that keeps Sheep or Swine upon
the Commons for as their standing in the Church is not of God so their Excommunication is not of God John Claydon Richard Turming John Claydon and Richard Turming both Martyrs they did both affirm that the chief cause of the Persecution of Christians was the Prelates unlawfull keeping of temporalities and other superfluous goods which they are afraid to be deprived of for they know that they cannot hold them if the truth should take place and were publickly manifested by what unlawful means they hold their Temporalities and Tythes their Courts and Offices and the unlawfulness of their Dignities and Jurisdictions and the like Eneas Silvius Eneas Silvius who wrote the Book of the Council Basil he writing to Jasper Sthlick the Emperours Chancellor in his 54th Epistle saith That the way to remedy Schisme and make peace in the Church is for Kings and Princes to unite together and and conclude of Peace and this way neither Pope nor Council could withstand Unity may be concluded whether Pope or Council will or not and so Kings and Princes in their own Dominions may take the Temporalities and Tythes and so put in order things that are amiss whether Pope or Council will or not neither saith he do I see any of the Clergie so confident to death which will suffer Martyrdome neither for King or Pope for all we do lightly hold that Religion which our Princes hold if they would worship Idols we would do the same and not only deny the Pope but God also if the Secular power straines us thereunto for Charity waxeth cold and all Faith is gone however let us seek for peace and whether it come by a Council or a Synagogue or a Conventicle call it what you will I care not so we have peace Cardinal Aralatensis And Cardinal Aralatensis in the same Council of Basil said That all Bishops ought to understand that they come to have greater power then Priests only by custome and not by dispensation of the truth of God and that they ought to rule the Church together for a Priest is the very same that a Bishop is by divine Institution for there is such a concordance saith he between a Bishop and a Priest that Paul to Titus calleth Bishops Priests and Christ saith Blessed are the Poor in Spirit neither was there any rich Bishop in the Primitive Church neither did the antient Church reject Dionysius Bishop of Millan nor Eusebius Bishop of Vercellus Hillarie Bishop of Pictauia although they were never so poor but if we will grant the truth the poor are more apt to give right Judgement then the rich because riches causeth fear lest they should be taken from them and others poverty causeth liberty for the poor fear no Tyranny as rich men do who are given over to all kind of Vanity Idleness and sloath and will rather deny Christ than lose their riches whom not love to the Flock but love to Revenues makes them Bishops And farther to shew that Bishops will not own the truth against opposition for fear to lose their riches the same Eneas Silvius in his thirty eighth Epistle to Cardinal Julian saith those Cardinals which so magnified the Authority of the Church as though they were ready to spend their lives for the same and now at the sight of one Letter from their King wherein no death was threatned but only loss of their Temporalities and for fear of that they slipt away from the Council of Basil c. and in the same Epistle he said derideingly That they had rather lose their faith than lose their flock and preferment c. Hierome St. Hierome upon these words Vnsavory Salt saith That it is no easie thing to stand in the place of Peter and Paul and to keep the Chaire of them that reign with Christ This Unsavory Salt saith he is foolish and unprofitable Prelates unsavory in their places good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden down of Swine that is saith he of wicked Spirits which have dominion over wicked Prelates as their Flock and Herd Mr. Tindal Mr. Tindal in his book of the wicked Mamon page 45. saith seek the word of God in all things and without the word of God do nothing though it appear never so glorious for what soever is done without the word of God that count to be Idolatrous but by the word of God Prelates have no right to Temporalities Christ saith he took away the violence and power of the Law to make us free and set us at liberty from Ceremonies and other impositions which do consist in places persons garments meats and dayes c. so as their use should be to all men free and indifferent so that if the Pope would make all observations of Geremonies as Lent Fasts Holy-dayes Confession Masses Matins Reliques and all the rest free and indifferent he should not be Antichrist but the commanding them in the name of Christ he corrupteth the Church and suppresseth the Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin therefore by that means he advanceth Sin and becometh Antichrist and upon this account we have many inferior Antichrists under the Pope who to their power seek to establish the same Ceremonies c. and so become Antichrists Jacobus Selestadiensis In a Letter of Jacobus Selestadiensis to Maximilian and Emperor he said The goods of the Church as it is alleadged by the Fathers are the Vowes of the Faithful and Patrimonie of the poor for the faithful through the fervency of their faith and love of Christ have enriched the Church with their own goods that the poor might be refreshed and Captives redeemed wherefore such as have the administration of these goods ought diligently to be looked upon that they do not convert them to their own proper use and neglect them in whom Christ is fed and cloathed Prosper also saith That holy men did not challenge the Church goods as their own but as given to the poor to be divided to all them that have nothing neither ought they to give any thing to those that have of their own enough for that is but to cast things away Ex Illyrico Illyrico Reynold Peacok John Brothwick Reynold Peacock Bishop of Chichester said That the riches of Bishops are the good of the poor and that spiritual persons by the law of God ought not to have temporal possessions and that personal tythes is not due by Gods law that the Universal Church of Rome may erre in matters of faith and that it is not necessary to Salvation to believe what General Councils ordain and determine these points and other to this purpose he confessed he held and taught the space of twenty years and after the Bishop of Canterbury and other Bishops set themselves against him he was imprisoned during his life Also Sir John Brothwick Martyr in Scotland in the year 1540. said and did affirm that all temporal Possessions and Jurisdiction ought to be taken from the Prelates The
Princely pomp John Hooper And Mr. John Hooper both Bishop and Martyr and great opposer of Ceremonies episcopal rochits and vestments in which he would not be Consecrated he said that Magistrates that suffered the abuse of Church goods by the Prelates be culpable of the fault for if the fourth part of the Bishoprick remained to the Bishops it were sufficient and the third part to School-masters and the rest to the Poor and to Souldiers Petrus Blesenses Petrus Blesenses Arch-Deacon of Bath writ to the Bishop of Bangor thus the Title of Poverty is glorious with Christ and that which became Christ ought not to misbesem you St. Peter said Gold and Silver have I none Acts. 3.6 Yea famous Augustine Bishop of Hippo made no will because the Poor servant of Christ had nothing to bequeth it becomes not you to go sumptiously in Ornaments nor in Pride with great Horses and multitude of attendance but to cut off all occasions and Foot-steps of such a Conversation and in another place he saith the voice of Christ is not till thy Land nor build high Houses nor increase thy Rents but feed my Sheep Thomas Walsingam Thomas Walsingam In hyst Angl. Page 205. Said that Popes Cardinals Bishops and other Priests may not rule like temporal Lords nor bear any civil Office without mortal sin and that is a sin to endow them with temporal possessions and that no Prelates ought to have Prisons to punish or restrain offenders nor ought they to purchase large temporal possessions or riches c. A nameless Author A nameless Author in his supplycation to King Hen. 8 saith of Bishops that the only infection and Pestilent poison of Bishops is their great Lord-ships and Dominions with their yearly revenue with superfluity of goods which justly belongs to the Poor and so long as Bishops do possess them so long will they waste them to maintain their pride and so long as they continue in pride they shall not receive the holy-Ghost which would teach them to speak the truth but there is no room in a proud rebellious heart for the holy-Ghost to dwel in wherefore you being our dread Soveraign Lord and King whom God hath set to govern and to redress enormities and abuses you are bound in justice and equity and God requires it from you to take away from Bishops and Prelates and other spiritual Persons such superfluity of temporal possessions and riches which they abuse and other seculars cures and worldly offices which is the cause of much sin in them William Tindall William Tindall in another place of his book of the obedience of a Christian Page 181. writing of the falshood and jugling of the Pope and Prelates he saith they have put out the light of Gods truth and set up their own traditions and lyes and robbed the world of lands and goods of peace and Unity and of all temporal Authority c. and that as Christs Kingdom is not of this world even so the officers of Christs Kingdom may have no temporal dominion or jurisdiction nor exercise any temporal authority for Christ commanded his Apostles that they should not exercise any worldly authority saying it shall not be so among you Mat. 20.25 26. And when he sent them out to preach he commanded them that they should not provide neither Gold nor Silver nor brass in their purses c. for the workman is worthy of his meat Math. 10. And Paul commanded that if any would not work neither should they eat 2 Thes 3.10 Why then should non residents and others have such large possessions that work very little or not at all except it be works of darkness their wages should be proportionable to their work and the overplus should be to the King and the publick use of the Common wealth for Clement Clement the successor of Peter Bishop of Rome and successor of Peter saith of Prelates if thou be occupyed in worldly cares thou shalt both deceive thy self and them that hear thee for so thou canst not fully distribute those things which pertain unto salvation Mr. Mead. Mr. Mead in his book of the Apostacy of the latter times saith as in Deut. 7.6 the Lord chose Israel to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the people of the world And Amos. 3.2 you only have I known of all the families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities the more light of truth God reveals to any people if they walk not suitable thereunto the more there sin is increased The Lord was head and husband to the Church of Israel but when Israel forsook the Lord and followed their own inventions God cast them off and chose another Spouse namely the Church of the Gentiles And the first Churches of the Gentiles as the seven Churches of Asia and others for falling from their first love as the Church of Ephesus and the Church of Smyrna that said they were Jews as our Prelates say they are the successors of the Apostles and were the Synagogue of Satan and the Church of Pergamos who held the doctrine of Baalim who loved the wages of unrighteousness as our Prelates do in their unlawful holding of temporalities and it were well if we were free from the fornication of Thyatyra and lukewarmness of Laodecea I fear that in the general we are like the Church of Sardice that we have a name to live and are dead now God for their sins hath cast off all these Churches and chosen himself another Spouse in these northern Nations c. But if we continue in the same and other sins we cannot assure our selves of any long continuance of the Gospel except God put it into the hearts of our King and Nobles to endeavour a thorow Reformation especially in the Bishops and Prelates and other of the Clergy and their reformation will be a leading way to reform the rest Volusianus In the Epistle of Volusianus to Pope Nicholas for Priests marriage he saith the great Shepherd and Prince of the Apostles doth declare how all Pastors ought to intreat the flock of Christ in love and to remove all tyrannical Lordship from Bishops for that they ought not to be Lords but fathers over their flock and not imperiously to command them as exercising Stately Authority and power over them but gently to admonish and beseech them in zeal and piety according to the strength of every person after the Lord and not after their own will and ambition to see forth their power and jurisdiction whereas they should be ensamples to the flock first doing that themselves which they command others to do but some and that many saith he are inflamed with affection not of Charity but of covetousness greediness ambition who covet to be their Masters and more to rule over them than to profit them they oppress the weak by force and violence of their authority and compel them to their obedience pretending a zeal for God but like Uzzah
that it be performed according to his own institutions without alteration or adding or diminishing after the devises of men and shews us what need there is in reforming the Church to make the word of God our Rule Hence it will follow that those that decline and forsake the means appointed us of God for our edification and salvation to imbrace other means prescribed by men or to mix them with the institutions of Christ how specious soever they seem to be in our eyes and carnally flattering to be of more strength and efficacy to attain the end yet they cannot because they want the seal of divine approbation upon them they will fail as it is said of King Ahaz in his distress he sent for Tilgath Philazer King of Assyria for to help him and he came unto him but distressed him and helped him not 2 Chron. 28.20.21 For unto the wicked God said what hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my word behind thee Psal 50.16.17 If thou wilt not be reformed to observe the Law of Christ thou hast no right nor authority from Christ to preach his Law nor to take his covenant in thy mouth Holingshead Hollingshead in his History of Scotland pag. 183. saith that the superfluous possessions of the Church as they are now used are not only occasions to evil Prelates to live in most insolent pomp and corrupt life but is as a Nâ—t to draw Gold and Silver out of the Realm The Nobles of Bohemia in the councel of Basil propounded 20. Articles against the Prelates of which there was four which they said they would maintain until death and one of those four was that the Pope the Prelates and Clergy from the highest to the lowest their temporal possessions and riches ought to be taken from them and that they ought to be made poor as the Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ was who had no possessions in this world neither worldly power for the Clergy are but Administrators or Stewards of the Temporallities of the Church for the use of the poor and what Temporallities the Clergy hath that doth not belong to the poor they have gotten by false indirect ways either by promising that their prayers and masses should deliver the Souls of those that gave such Lands out of purgatory which they never could nor never can do and therefore the condition failing the Lands ought to return into the hands and possession of the King and Nobles who are the successors of them that gave them or else some of those Lands were gotten by cursings and excommunications as Pope Gregory the ninth excommunicated Frederick the Emperour until he gave one hundred and twenty thousand ounces of Gold for his absolution in Mr. Prynns book of the rebellion conspiracies treasons and seditions of Bishops between page 293. and 298 you may read that the Bishops of Landusse from time to time excommunicated 7 or 8. Kings and 12 other of the Gentry and some gave 2. some 3. or 4. or 5. peices of Land to the Bishops for their absolutions and this was one way how bishops and Prelates come by their Temporallities and therefore the King and Lords c. may justly take their unjust gotten lands from them and make them more conformable to Christ and his Apostles Arch bishop of St. Andrews his Recantation And to shew the unlawfulness both of bishops Temporallities and jurisdictions some of the bishops when they were in their right wits recanted as Patrick Adamson Arch-bishop of St. Andrews in Scotland made his Recantation in the Synod of Fife April the 8. 1591. in these words following I confess with a sincere mind without colour or fraud that I have formerly erred in this that I thought the Goverment of the Church to be like the Regiment of Terrene Kingdoms expresly against the precept of Christ our Lord and that the monarchy whereby the Church is governed did not rest in the person of Christ our Saviour alone as it doth in truth but likewise in the Ministers who yet are nothing else but vassals and Clerks under Christ and equal among themselves and lastly I confess that the office of a bishop as now it is used and claimed is destitute from all authority from Gods word and founded only upon the politick device of men out of which the primacy of the Pope or Ante-christ is sprung and it is deservedly to be condemned c. bishop of Dunkel his recantation In like manner Alexander Lindsay bishop of Dunkell in the year 1639. did also make his recantation at St. Andrews the 24 of January as he had formerly done at Glascow the 21 of November where he did freely submit himself and lay down saith he my pretended office of Episcopacy as pretended bishop of Dunkell and declare the said office of Episcopacy as it hath been used in the kirk of Scotland to be adjured by the confession of faith therefore wit ye me to have demitted quite claim c. the foresaid pretended office of Episcopacy of Dunkel with the whole title stile name and dignity thereof power of ordination jurisdiction voice in Parliament and all usurpation of the same in time to come and do faithfully promise and by these presents bind and oblige me never to exercise nor use the said pretended office nor any other power ecclesiastical belonging usurped or claimed to belong to the same pretended office which I acknowledge ought to be abjured and removed and the whole premisses I heartily acknowledge as I will answer to God in testimony hereof I have subscribed these presents with my hand c The bishop of Orkneys recantation Bishop of Orkneys recantation To all and sundry whom it may concern to whose knowledge these presents shall come especially to the reverent and honourable members of the future assembly to be holden at Edenburgh the 12 day of August 1639. I Mr. George Gryame sometime pretended Bishop of Orkneys being sorry and grieved at my heart that I should ever for my worldly respect imbrace the order of Episcopacy the same having no warrant from the word of God and being such an order as hath had sencibly many fearful and evil consequencies depending on it in many parts of Christendom and particularly within the Kirk of Scotland as by doleful and deplorable experience this day is manifest to have disclaimed like as I do by the tenor hereof altogether disclaim and abjure all Episcopal power and jurisdiction with the whole corruptions thereof c. promising and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God that I shall never while I live directly or indirectly exercise any such power within the Kirk neither yet shall I ever approve or allow the same not so much as in my private or publick discourse c. and shall Concur to the uttermost of my power sincerely and faithfully in advancing the work of Reformation within this Land