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authority_n	great_a	king_n	people_n	5,724	5	4.8029	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75749	A remonstrance, against presbitery. Exhibited by divers of the nobilitie, gentrie, ministers and inhabitants of the county palatine. of Chester with the motives of that remonstrance. Together with a short survey of the Presbyterian discipline. Shewing the inconveniences of it; and the inconsistency thereof with the constitution of this state, being in its principles destructive to the laws and liberties of the people. With a briefe review of the institution, succession, iurisdiction of the ancient and venerable order of bishops. Found to bee instituted by the Apostles, continued ever since, grounded on the lawes of God, and most agreeable to the law of the land. / By Sir Thomas Aston baronet.	Aston, Thomas, Sir, 1600-1645.	1641 (1641)	Wing A4078; Thomason E163_1; Thomason E163_2; ESTC R212696	75,691	128

ferocemque Tyrannum coli voluerit non alia ratione nisi quia regnum obtinebat Calvin Institut l. 4. cap. 20. Art 27. we see what obedience the Lord will have given to this wicked and fierce Tyrant for no other reason but because he was a King With whose counsell his successor Beza * Beza Epist 24. 2d peregri Eccl. in Anglia fratres well agrees Illud solis precibus patientiâ sanari potest The Triacle against this venome is Prayer not Vengeance We must be subject for Conscience sake q Rom. 13.5 Hence it is deduc'd and incorporated into an Article of our Religion r Article 37. That the Kings Majestie hath the chiefe Government of all estates Ecclesiasticall and Civill in all causes within his Dominions Which is not the sole position of our Church But with this agree all the Reformed Churches ſ Helverian Art 16. Bazil Art 7. Bohem. Art 16. Belg. Art 36. August Art 16. Saxon. Art 23. And more particularly the French Church whose Article of Religion is t Moulins Buckler of Faith Art 40. fo 535. Wee must not onely endure and suffer Superiors to Governe but also wee must honour and obey them with all reverence holding them for Gods Lieutenants and Officers whom he hath appoynted to exercise a Lawfull and an Holy charge we must obey their Lawes and Statutes pay all Tributes and Imposts bear the yoke of Subjection with a good and free will although they be Infidels Therefore we detest those that would reject Superioritie and establish community of goods and overthrow all course of Justice But yet perhaps the policy of States have found this Supreame power prejudiciall to the good of Common-wealths and the Lawes of God must give way to the Lawes of Nations since Salus populi Suprema Lex Gregor Tholosan Syntag jurum l. 47. ca. 17. N. 1. But experience tells us the Romans were quickly wearie of their change of Government from a King to a Senate and in nine yeares reduc't it to a Dictator finding by experience that commands depending upon divers votes beget distraction and Ruine And Historie informes us that the Spartan State wherein The King the Nobilitie and the people had their just proportions of power administration of Iustice and obedience subsisted above eight hundred yeares in a happy and flourishing Condition whereas Athens being a popular State scarce stood out an age The nearest degree of government to a Monarchy being ever longest lived and most glorious most safe for the people as was seen in Rome when the Commons to suppresse the power of the Nobilitie in the Consulls created the Tribunes of the people who sharing in government would share in honours and fortunes too which occasioned the Agrarian Law Titus Livius That no Citizen should have above five hundred Acres of Land and that the people should share equally in all Conquests This bred the quarrell of Sylla and Marius continued in Caesar and Pompey and ended in the ruine of Rome From these observations Tacitus drawes this conclusion Vnius Imperii corpus Tacitus Annalls 1. unius animo regendum videtur It is necessarie the body of one Empire should bee governed by one head which must not bee barely a Titular head a shadow of power without the weight of it for Lawes well made availe little unlesse they be entrusted to a hand that hath power to exact execution of them Nor doe I observe that these principles of Divinity or Policie doe essentially differ but rather seeme to bee ●he same with the fundamentalls of the Lawes of this Kingdome For sayes Bracton the learned Historian in the Genealogie of our Lawes Bracton fol. 107. u Rex ad hoc creatus est electus ut justitiam faciat universis quia si non esset qui justitiam faceret pax de facili possit exterminari supervacuum esset leges condere justitiam nisi esset qui leges tueretur Potentiâ verò omnes sibi subditos debet praecellere parem autem habere non debet nec multo fortius superiorem maximè in justitia exhibenda ut dicatur veré de eo magnus Dominus noster magna virtus ejus To this end was a King created and chosen that he might doe Iustice to all men because if there were not one to administer Justice peace would soone be rooted out and it were vaine to enact Lawes or talke of Iustice if there were not one to defend the Lawes Who must be one not subordinate to inferiour powers but sayes hee Hee ought to excell all his subjects in power And hee must have no equall much lesse a superiour chiefely in administring Iustice That it may truely bee said of him Great is our Lord our King great is his vertue And hence is it that such Princely jurisdiction superiorities and authority over Ecclesiasticall Causes and persons is annexed to the Imperiall Crown for ever by our Statute Lawes * 1 Eliz. 1. And that in the oath of Supremacie w Oath of Supremacie 1 Eliz. 1. we not onely acknowledge the King to bee the supreame Governour in all Ecclesiasticall things or Causes but are sworne That to our power we shall assist and defend all Iurisdictions Priviledges Preheminences and Authorities united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne In this Scala Regia this Gradation of Royall Monarchy we can finde nothing incongruous to the faith or liberty of a true Protestant But wee see our selves bound by Oath to acknowledge and support that Regall Government our Statutes have establish'd our Lawes approved Historie represents most happy policy recommends as safest to which all protestant Churches confesse due allegeance All Primitive times yielded full obedience To whose Throne Christ himselfe yields Tribute To whose power he commands submission and reverence To whose jurisdiction is committed the designation of Bishops and Judges whose persons God will have sacred whose Actions unquestionable whose succession he himselfe determines whose Kingdomes hee disposes and whose Election is the All-Makers sole prerogative Now whether these Crownes and Scepters shall be held Jure Divino or not I take not on me to determine but I may be bold to deliver Du-Moulins owne words x Moulins Buckler of Faith fol. 560. Whosoever buildeth the authority of Kings upon mens institutions and not upon the Ordinance of God cutteth off three parts of their authoritie and bereaveth them of that which assureth their Lives and their Crowns more than the guards of their bodies or puissant armie which put terrour into subjects hearts instead of framing them to obedience Then the fidelity of subjects will be firme and sure when it shall be incorporated into piety and esteemed to be a part of Religion and of the service which men owe to God SECT 10. Presbyterie inconsistent with Monarchy IN the government of the State as now it stands there being then so much Harmonie though it may sometimes bee out of Tune

Let us examine this new found Discipline how consistent with a Protestant Monarchy least by admitting it ex improviso we may shoulder Regem ex solio Religionem ex solo A King out of his Throne and Religion out of the Land 'T is a faire species of piety to cry out for Reformation and too many I feare for this shadow are ready to let goe the substance Never was Gods Church so pure but shee had her spots it will be perfect charitie to wipe them out but it argues none to make them greater In stead of Reforming some so deface deforme her that one would scarce thinke there were Christians in it when for the most part the greatest slanderer proves the greatest Hypocrite If the Intention were unitie the way to preserve it 1 Epphes 4. is by meeknesse of spirit in the band of peace but those that expect any from some of these Disciplinarians delude themselves If wee may believe their owne writings however wee may hope Reformation might qualifie them we shall finde they have no such designe Some tell us plainly the Episcopall Government must not be moderated nor reserved Answ to Lond. petition fol. 33. If the Hierarchy be not removed our desolations are like to be the astonishment of all Nat●●ns Syons plea. fol 5. 160. Christ on his Throne fol 47. Jer. 4.11.12 Syons plea. 196. Syons plea. 185. but presently and wholly taken away The Bishops must be utterly extirpated no lesse than the Romans rooted out the very name of Tarquins for the tyranny they had exercised A wind to fanne or cleanse will not serve the turne but it must bee a full mightie wind to root up and carry away the very foundation of their being It is not lopping nor pruning nor shaving nor paring the nailes of this evill that will serve turne unlesse yee pluck up these stumps of Dagon by the very roots their nayles will grow ranker than ever they did Except this strange fire be removed the Lord must make the consuming fire of his wrath breake out upon us If it live ● 187. the Common-wealth must dye Nay some of them goe so farre as to professe The Church-Ministerie and worship in England are all Antichristian * 8. Propositions printed by an unknowne Author Protest against the Hierarchy as an Antichristian Tyranny Lord Bishops no Bishops 86. from which all Gods people are in dutie and conscience bound to separate themselves by these obloquies seeking as they confesse to stirre up a holy hatred of the Prelates * Syons plea. 196. Epistle to the Reader even to dash their Brains against the stones By such clamours cherishing in the vulgar a discontented Humour which is the common source of Schisme and Heresie thereby the better to broach their new invented Discipline built upon no other Basis but the peoples dislike of Poperie as If the onely rule to draw out the line of our Religion by were to take the direct opposite in all things to that of the Church of Rome * That Religion most pure which hath least conformity with Rome Christ on his throne 23. when we know that such as travell absolutely East and West from one another if they live to it shall meet in the same line they parted whereas parallells continued to any extent doe never interfare The first quarrels of the greatest breaches in the Church have for the most part bin in points of discipline And for all the noise some of these men make of dissention enmity in rites and ceremonies which are but shadows we shall find that in the most essentiall parts of Discipline which concerne the sway of Church and State the subjection of Prince and people to the tyranny of their Discipline they doe not onely shake hands again with Poperie but with the strictest of them the Jesuites clearely sever themselves from the Tenets of the Protestant Church Jesuits Declarat motuum cap. 20. Quodlibets p. 142. both sides laying this for a fundamentall both agree for the utter abrogation of all Episcopall jurisdiction Contrary to the 36. Article of our Religion The Church so subdued see how they sway the Civill State wherein it will bee observed whether the Luke-warme Protestant as they call us or such zealous separatists be likest to give fire to that Popish powder which would blow up in fumum all Kingly Supremacy or Magisteriall Superioritie over the Independent Hierarchie God sayes Thou shalt make him King whom I shall chuse and this rule we admit for Law Some that pretend to be presbyterians tell us x Gilby lib. de Obedientia pag. 25. 105. Populo jus est ut imperium cui velit deferat Buchan de jure Regni pag. 61. In regnis hominum potestas regis est à populo quia populus facit Regem Bellarm. de Concil l●b 2. cap. 19. Kings Princes and Governours have their authoritie of the people and upon occasion they may take it away againe as men may revoke their Proxies and Letters of Atturney The Jesuites come not much short of this for say they In the kingdome of men the power of the King is from the people because the people makes the King To a bad prince God hath said I will rend the kingdome from thee and every true protestant expects the performance not taking the staffe out of Gods hands who sayes y Deuteron 32.35 Romans 12.19 To mee belongeth vengeance and I will repay One of these sayes Goodman pag. 144 145. Evill Princes ought to bee deposed and inferiour Magistrates ought chiefly to doe it With this Bellarmine agrees * Bellarmin lib. 3. de Pont. cap. 7. Talis consensu omnium potest imò debet privari suo dominio Such by the consent of all may nay ought to be deprived and if this was not done in old time it was for want of strength to doe it Salomon sayes Who shall say unto a King What doest thou Goodman tels us Obedience pag 111. Bancroft 36. Judges ought to summon Princes before them for their crimes and to proceed against them as all other offenders Here I find they have outgone the Jesuit David thought no man could stretch forth his hand against the Lords anoynted and be guiltlesse Yet this Disciplinarian sayes Goodman pag. 185. When Magistrates cease to doe their duties God giveth the sword into the peoples hands Nay Obedience pag. 110. a private man having some speciall inward motion may kill a Tyrant In this the Jesuite is too slow paced too hee thinks fit to give him a publike triall first z Tyrannicè gubernans justè acquisito Domino non potest spoliari sine publico judicio Emanuel Sa. Marry sentence given then any man may be the executioner Suarez is more moderate a Si Papa Regem deponit ab illis tantum poterit expelli vel interfici quibus ipse id commiserit Suarez lib 6. cont Iacob Regem cap. 4.

THat every particular Congregation is an absolute Church and is to have all ordinances and officers within it selfe the members of it must be onely Saints these must enter Covenant amongst themselves and without such a Covenant no Church 10. That the power of the Keyes is committed neyther to the Pastors nor Governours but to the whole Congregation and to every particular member of the same and Christ having committed them to every one would of every one demaund an account of them and therfore charged the people as they would answer it at the dreadfull day of judgment to keep the keyes amongst themselves and not to suffer any authority to wrest them out of their hands 11. That it is an heynous sin to be present when prayers are read out of a Book either by the Minister or any other By which and other such Doctrines many of the common people are brought into that odium of the Book of common prayer that divers of them will not come into the Church during the time of Divine Service THe spreading of the foresaid Petition and the publicke and frequent preaching of these and such like seditious Doctrines having stird up a generall discontent in many common people divers of the Gentry without any sinister respect whatsoever but only out of a care of the publicke peace being thereunto induced by the presidents of London and Essex into which the Lords had formerly directed orders for suppression of such disorders did humbly desire the Earle of Darby Lord Lieutenant of the County to joyne in a Remonstrance of the distempers likely to ensue and to represent the same to the house of Peerese Praying their care for prevention thereof THe Remonstrance beeing resolved of upon a conference of many of the Gentlemen of the Country some Divines were sent unto to know if they would joyne in subscription with the Gentry and for the clear carriage and quick dispatch severall Letters were sent into the several hundreds directed to some of the princ●pal Iustices there with copies of all inclosed to procure the subscriptions of their neighbor-hood all of the same contents and subscribed by those few who underwrit this following beeing foureteene persons of quality Gentlemen VPon consideration of the copy of a Petition inclosed from the Freeholders of this County which hath been spread abroad and signed by many hands wee conceive it would much reflect upon the Countrey to let it passe in the names of the Countie without any protestation against it beeing not onely clamorous against the governement of Church and State but against our Country in particular And beeing the shortnesse of time would not permit a generall meeting yet such as wee have consulted both with Divines and others are pleased to approve of the coppy inclosed Therefore for the speedy dispatch of it we have thought fit to send severall Coppies into the severall hundreds intreating that you will be pleased to assemble or send unto all the Gentrie of your hundred and such Divines as you conceive will joyne in it and some of the chiefe Free-holders before wedn●sday next and signe the Paper annexed to the Petition with as many hands of quality as you can get and returne them to Cholmley where wee shall some of us meete and annex them all to the originall it selfe which wee have signed and will so send it up to bee preferred the dispatch is the life of the businesse Wee hope no man will be slack in that so much concernes the Country So we rest your very loving friends We desire that you would be pleased not to let any Coppies be taken and returne it on Thursday next at farthest and let no Papist subscribe whatsoever January 30. 1640 The Direction or Superscription To the Right Honourable the L. Brereton Mr. Doctor Dod and Henry Mainwayring Esquire or one of them and to others the Gentlemen of the Hundred of Northwich This publike carriage I hope will satisfie all ingenious men how injurious such clamours have beene as pretended undue practises to procure Subscriptions And if some few timorous people by pretence of trouble have beene frighted to retract their former Subscriptions J presume no judicious man will conceive it either to reflect on the Gentry or dis-value the substance of the Remonstrance To the Honorable the Lord Bishops Reverend Fathers IN the first part of this Discourse I have had a particular Interest us'd the liberty of my owne expressions out of the sense and fore-sight of my owne endangered Liberty which I apprehend absolutely to depend upon the preservation of your regulated order and Legall Government to be inevitably if not irrecoverably lost by the admission of an irregular Arbitrary Presbytery I denie not but the wisedome of this Age may finde out a new way neither pattern'd by the Apostles nor practiz'd in any Age or State and when it is established by Law I know my part obedience But till then Law being on my side God forbid I should not as freely speak in defence of fundamentall Lawes of Divine institutions as others doe to the subversion of both Such has beene the unhappinesse of my Privacie I am scarce knowne to hardly know any of your persons yet with that Reverence doe I looke upon your Sacred order as an Apostolicall therefore not questionable institution I consider your Predecessours as the Ballast which have poyz'd the Barks of Monarchy to sayle safely in the Sea of Vulgar whose piety and wisedome first prescribed the Medium twixt Tyrannie and Anarchy Till Bishops help'd to reduce the unbounded wills of Princes to the limits of Lawes Kings were Tyrants And where ever they are not there ever followes a popular which is a worse Tyranny Obedience to Kings Conformity to Lawes is a Duty both to God and nature but subjection to the absolute and unlimited wills of men is unnaturall to those that were borne under the protection of Lawes Long ha's this Nation flourished in the equall dispensation of Lawes by Divines Civilians and Common Lawyers Glorious and fortunate have beene the Proficients in all of them They much deceive themselves that think the one shall rise by the fall of the other two If two or three mixt Arbitrary Courts sitting onely in Tearme time shall be thought so prejudiciall to the Common Law what must a Quotidian-Chancery prove in every Parish Sure hee that should but seriously consider the condition of the Advocates in the Low Countries Geneva and in all places where the Presbytery hath got footing would burne his Barr Gowne and begin a new profession at the apprehension of such a change No doubt Rebus sic stantibus At this instant there are many able men ready to supply your voyded seates and an instant extinguishment of all the lights of the Church cannot be fear'd But if all preferment for humane learning shall be thus taken away in the next Age wee are liker to degenerate to the Barbarisme of the Greekes then arive at their perfection The

English Brethren writes thus (g) Bez. Epist 12. f. 220. Jmmo optima omnia nobis de eo regno pollicemur in quo tam multorum etiam excellentissimorū martyrum Sanguine obsignata est Christianae religionis instauratio I promise to my selfe even the best things of that Kingdome wherein the restauration of Christian Religion hath beene sealed with the Bloud of so many excellent Martyrs (h) Hortamur ut omni animorum acerbatione de posita alii alios patienter ferant Fegiae Majestati clementissimae omnibus praesulibus suis ex aenimo obsequantur And exhorts them that leaving all bitternesse they would beare one another with patience and obey the Queenes Majestie and all their Prelates with a free heart And writing to Bishop Grindall (i) Beza Epist 23. ad Grindall Quod tu igitur quorundam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perpetulisti everendissime vir in eo sane in signe patientiae lenitatis Chr●stianae specimen eddisti quo majore post hac paena digni erunt qui porro aut horitatem tuam aspernabuntur he commends his Christian lenity and patience for bearing with the selfe-conceited pride of some and saith they shall deserve a greater punishment that will reject again his authority But Beza is but a single witnesse take another then though later in time yet no lesse eminent in worth Peter Du Moulin both superintendents of the Reformed Churches In England saith he (k) Moulins Buckler of Faith fol. 347. Petr. Molinaeus Thesibus de notis Ecclesiae par 2. Th●s 33. Episcopos Angliae post conversionem ad fidem ejuratum papismum asserimus fuisse fideles D●i servo ne debuisse deseraere munus vel titulum Episcopi where God hath used Bishops to strive against and to resist Papistry And where God hath given them Soveraigne Princes which maintained and upheld them by their power Episcopall order continueth and flourisheth at this day And God hath here raised up and still doth excellent Bishops both for learning and pietie which couragiously maintaine Gods cause both by word of mouth and writing and some of them also have received the Crowne of Martyrdome for the Confession of the Gospell If the men were without exception was their Discipline the cause of quarrell Aske them they will tell you yea They say (l) First Admonition to the Parliament p. 17. 24. 26. Syon● Plea 29. The Communion Booke is culled and picked out of that Popish Dung-hill the Portuise and Masse book (m) Second admonition pag. 42. The Sacraments are wickedly mangled and prophaned (n) Gilby pag. 2. They eate not the Lords Supper but play a Pageant of their owne The publike Baptisme (o) First Admonition pag. 40. is full of Childish and superstitious toyes the Ceremonies (p) Gilby pag. 40. are popish fooleries Romish Reliques and ragges of Antichrist If all were thus farre amisse what hope was there yet of Reformation They tell us (q) Pen●es Epistle before the motion England with an impudent forehead hath said I wil not come near the Holy one and (r) Gilby pag. 77. hateth them to this day that faithfully doe their office What miserable condition shall any charitable Christian consider this distressed Nation to bee in that views it either in such colours those Fathers or these our Brethren have set us forth in What must be the comfortable Contemplation of that great day of which (ſ) Job 19.25 Iob sayes I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for myselfe and my eyes shall behold And as St. Paul sayes (t) 1 Corinth 13.12 see face to face and know even as also we are knowne When we call to minde our prim●geni●ors were Heathens denying God our predecessors Apostates fallen from the true God to Romish Idolatrie and superstition our Fathers and our selves such Schismatiques from whom all good Christians must separate themselves Miserable indeed were the condition of this forlorne state if other Reformed Churches spake not better of us than wee of one another SECT 4. The opinions of the Reformed Churches HEare Calvins opinion in his Epistle to the Lord Protector of England (u) Calvin in his Epistle to the L. Protector Quod ad formam precum Rituum Ecclesiarum valde probo ut certa illa extet a qua pastoribus in sua sunctione disiedere non liceat The forme of prayer and the Ceremonies of the Church I doe exceedingly approve of as that from which the Ministers ought not to depart (w) Martin Bucer Scripta Anglican pag. 456. Egi gratias Deo qui dedisset vos bas ceremonias cô puritatis reformare nec enim quicquam in illis deprehend● quod non sit ex verbo Dei desumptū aut saltem ei non adversetur commodè acceptum Martin Bueer a learned Reformer being requested by the Arch-bishop Cranmer to give his censure of the English Liturgy sayes I praise God that gave you light to reduce these Ceremonies to such purity for I finde nothing in them which is not taken out of the Word of God or at least wise if clearely interpreted not repugnant to it (x) Beza superintendens Genevae Doctrine puritat viget in Anglia purè sincerè Rogers Preface Beza writes from Geneva That in England true Doctrine flourishes purely and sincerely The German Zanchie (y) Zanchius de Strasborough per hanc Reginam factam c. That by this Queens comming to the Crowne God hath againe restored his Doctrine and true worship And Danaeus (z) Danaeus a Frenchman at Geneva Rogers in his Preface to the 39. Articles gives this large testimony That the whole compasse of the world hath neuer seen any thing more blessed nor more to bee wished for than is her Government If then we find that neither Queen Parliament State Clergie Doctrine Ceremonies nor the Church it selfe can please such Separatists but they revile all whom all the world else admires approves 1 Corinth 13.1 Though they speak with the tongues of men and Angels and have so little Charity let us value them but as sounding Brasse and tinckling Cymballs Let us weigh their noyse no more let it be said to them as Jehu to Jo●am a 2 King 9.22 What hast thou to doe with peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Jezabel and her witch-crafts are so many what do these men with religion in their mouths when they have no Christianity in their hearts b 2 Timothy 3 3 4 5. Being without naturall affections truce-breakers false-accusers fierce despisers of those that are good heady high minded having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away And from the delusions of such God turne the hearts of all loyall Subjects 'T is the nature of Man-kinde that being deceived by the species

prescription is somewhat ancient for 't is said Melchizedeck y Genes 14.20 Heb. 7.2 blessed Abraham and hee gave him tythes of all things And under the Law it is ordred That z Nehem. 10.37 the Levits might have the tythes in all their Cities of our tillage This we find not discontinued under the Gospell a Heb. 7.5 They which are children of Levi which receive the office of the Priesthood have a commandement to take according to the Law tythes of the people And Saint Paul holds it good equitie 1 Corinth 9.13 That as they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Our Statute Lawes have established and incorporated them into our estates for b Stat 27.31.32.37 H. 8. Tythes in the hands of Lay-men become temporall inheritances and shall be accounted Assets And Lay men proprietaries of tythes c Cookes Littleton fol. 159. have election either to sue for the treble value by the Common Law or for the double in Ecclesiasticall Courts The ancient jurisdiction of Court Leets and Court Barons d Petition note 12 13. Sions plea fol. 47. they would subtilly undermine by quarrelling at the oath whereby the Court must fall Ex consequenti Cookes Littleton fol. 58. Britton 274. Bract. de Actionibus fol. 105. Civiles actiones terminari debent in Curia Baronum de quibus ipse petens clamaverit tenere taking away the use of Juries or the testimonies of witnesses Though we find them held in the time of Edward the Confessour and so called Barones vero qui suam habent curiam de suis hominibus and continued ever since And indeed they would have no Courts at all to have jurisdiction over them as appeares by many of their writings as that they would have Courts to proceed only against sins by the word of God Chord Angl prop. 8.10 Sions plea fol. 48. If it be no sin there is no ground of an oath View Prelaticall Church 41. of which the Presbyterie would be Judges and as they say it would free us from weekely Courts The would withdraw the customarie right of e Their petition note 21. Bract. lib. 2. fol. 60. Cookes Littleton fo 185. Lambert fol. 119. 58. Herriots taken in the Saxons times in which language it is called Heregeat or the Lords best for Here is Lord and Geat is best And in the Lawes before the Conquest it is said f Sive quis incuriâ sive morte repentina fuerit intestat mortuus Dominus tamen nullam rerum suarum praeter eam quae jure debetur Herrioti nomine sibi assumito Whether by a judiciall sentence or by sudden death any man dyes intestate yet the Lord shall take none of his goods but that which is due by Law in the name of a Herriot Nay they yet goe higher even to the denyall of the right of proprietie in our estates They would pay no Fines g Their petition Note 22. do no Boons nor Duties to their Land-lords or at best bring them within the Arbitrarie Jurisdiction of the Presbyter who must be Chancellour betwixt Lord and Tenant And these things are not represented by way of complaint or submitted to the consideration and determination of the Parliament but seeme to be inforced by intimation of a strong occult implyed Covenant in that they say h Their petition Note 15. Christ on his Throne fol. 77. So woe may recover that Christian liberty wherwith Christ hath made us free and for which his bloud was powred forth Sions plea fol. 333. Rom. 14.1 2. 2 Pet. 13.14 Goodman pag 30. The contrarie priviledges Christ hath purchased and commanded them to stand unto If this be not to subvert Lawes I know not what is It is not onely a defiance to Civill Government but a Band against it Nor Law nor Gospell scape such censures If Saint Paul teach us not to resist authoritie but rather to submit to punishment Some tell us This is a dangerous doctrine taught by some by the permission of God for our sins Certainly these are dangerous doctrines indeed and God open our eyes in time to fore-see and prevent the consequences So much are people infatuated with these false glosses of pretended libertie that they are easily seduced to swallow such guilded pils with open armes to embrace with eager hands to pull upon their owne heads their owne ruine For alas what is it else but to enthrall our selves under an irrecoverable servitude whence can be no redemption Is it not to make that choyce the Israelites refused Whether is better for you Judges 9.2 either that all the sons of Ierubbaal which are threescore and ten persons reigne over you or that one reigne over you Whether shall wee content our selves with the dispensation of Lawes our selves assent to can at any time expand or contract as we shall find them too narrow or too large for the circle of our Isle trust the administration of these in the hands of six and twentie Bishops whose Delegate power is limited by our Statute Lawes whose persons are easily responsall for any extent of that power beyond those bounds the Parliament allots them Or submit our selves to the meere Arbitrarie Government of thrice twentie six thousand Presbyters and Elders for more than so many will that Hierarchy amount to under which they would now draw us by the platforme of their new pretended discipline In which if there were any more but the Species of libertie that we should thus be quit from all Ecclesiastique subjection though it is a principle too oft proved true Moulins Confession 408. Tyranny is more tollerable than such a freedome which under the title of libertie introduceth licentiousnesse and this licentiousnes bringeth in extreme servitude that Over-much desire of libertie is the originall of Tyranny every one by being too free becomming a slave The Vulgar being well resembled to birds long caged and kept tame which breaking loose starve for want of food or become a prey to the first destroyer Yet this might be a popular motive to entice many into this new Coy If it did conduce to a reall freedome I wish all men should know I hold my selfe as free-borne as any man and as much disdaine the thought of servile fetters of Romish Tyranny or an insultant Prelacie as any he that lives But I ever held that Nunquam libertas gratior extat quàm sub Rege pio That it is Law which is to a free State not a Band but a Guard against oppression That it is Magistracie which levels the scale of justice betwixt power and povertie that preserves degrees distinction order i All Societies Oeconomick Civill and Ecclesiasticall doe consist by the submission of inferiours to superiours which being removed confusion necessarily followeth without which no Church no State no family can stand And when

us see how they deale with one of their owne one Bluet being excommunicated writes to the Brethren that he might be restored to the Church from which hee had beene long kept out m Bishop Bancroft fol. 117. Woe is me saith hee that J am cast out of your presence this day And if this woe and shame did but touch the body it were tollerable for then at the day of death I should end my miserie and no more heare the words of reproach But woe is me that there is a partition wall between heaven and my Conscience If my offence may not be passed by without further confession even before God and his Church in London will I lye downe and lick the dust at your feet See here you eager advocates for the advancing of this holy Discipline the pretious fruits you are like to reape by it Such as these will teach you perfect humility They have learnt of Rehoboams Counsellors n 2 Chron. 10.10 To make their little finger thicker than the Bishops loynes Their punishments perhaps wrung the purse but those will grate the soule And if wee should well examine upon what easie occasions this fearefull sentence flyes out we should much more feare it Suckliffe 132. At Geneva two Ministers were deposed and banish'd for speaking against usurie Iohn Morelli for saying the words Tell the Church were not alone appropriate to the Consistorie and is frequently used upon everie private Grudge Whereas no man ought to bee excommunicate but where the Law saith hee should be condemned If Law bee King and will a Tyrant sure all that will preserve Law and will love libertie unwillingly submit their necks to the Tyrannicall yoak of such Discipline SECT 15. The forme of Discipline they prescribe is confessed to be a yoak YEt oh say many here is so excellent a forme of Government the Parochiall Presbyter can runne into no extravagance but hee is accomptable to the Presbyterie or Classitall meeting which consists of particular Kirks in such a Circuit o Report of Church Government And what 's the businesse there Not to suppresse but to exercise the power of Iurisdiction By the Ordinances of Geneva they first imprison after banish him that will not stand to the Ordinances of the Consistories Order Art 91. Ordination suspension Deprivation but principally all persons of whatsoever quality disobedient to their Ministers and Elders are with great Authoritie censured So here we must learne obedience to the wills of men not of Lawes Yet these Classes againe are responsall to the Provinciall Synods And they perhaps may regulate the rigour of the Presbyters But doe not the Pastors of New England tell us A modest Advertisement of Church Government fol. 10. That no Pastors by Gods word have authoritie over others for that every Minister hath his power both of Order and Iurisdiction immediately from Christ Iesus and therefore to him onely is responsible for the Doctrine hee teaches the Discipline hee exercises and the Censures that hee inflicts Therfore say they for any number of Ministers in a Synod to take to themselves Authoritie over others who are equall in Dignitie is to set up a Humane Authoritie that Christ never instituted and to exercise a Tyrannie and Poperie of the Presbyterie as bad nay worse than Bishops Yet there is a higher appeale to the Nationall Assembly and there the Records of Synods are perused Acts and Constitutions for all Kirkes are agreed upon with common consent And will they obey these Constitutions Some confesse that in the Assembly of the Apostles certaine observances were imposed on the Churches p Acts 15.28 But this Act of the Apostles say they is no president or patterne for succeeding ages for the Apostles were inspired with the Holy Ghost and when any Assembly can infallibly assure them they are inspired with the Holy Ghost then they will obey q Christ on his throne fol. 57. But though they will admit no Law or Superiour over themselves yet here perhaps the Laitie may receive reliefe against the rigor of their Censures for one tels us r Report of the Government of the Church by a Presbytery All Appellations Petitions Grievances and Complaints are examined and determined by this supream highest Kirk Iudicatorie what redresse we may expect hence we are informed immediately before they are responsible onely to Iesus Christ And the same reporter plainly tells us The perpetuall Kirks are not governed by the intrinsecall power of any one or many set over them as in the Monarchicall Government of Prelates but they are ruled and judged by themselves If so wee had need have a strong faith in their Integrities for if we admit a possibility of doing wrong in them we leave very little probabilitie of receiving right for first they are accomptable onely to Christ Next they are both judges and parties Those that give false judgement in the Classes are judges in the Synods in the Nationall assemblies and from them is no appeale to any Prince in the world for they sit in Christs Throne And this is utterly destructive to the peoples libertie Now in this whole Gradation of Church government by Presbyteries Classes Synods and Nationall Assemblies What 's become of our old superintendent power of Parliaments wee have all this while beene perswaded That Episcopacy is inconsistent with this State as exercising some power not warranted by our Lawes we are strongly excited by some Disciplinarians to root them out for attempting to put in execution some Constitutions not ratified by Parliament Yet now we must learne That the Parliament cannot hinder these Disciplinarians to make Lawes Ecclesiasticall seeing Ecclesiasticall Government is independant That generall Assemblies may recall Acts ratified in Parliament which being annulled In their Synods they disannull all Lawes they conceive repugnant to their Discipline Suckliffe fol. 131. the Civill ratification falls ex Consequenti And though our Lawes make voyd all Canons or Constitutions repugnant to the Kings prerogative or the Lawes and Customes of the Kingdome which preserve our liberties yet we must now know that no power nor libertie ought to be permitted to any State Degree or Authority whatsoever they be to live without the yoake of Discipline Å¿ Knox his exhortation pag. 91. 92. Et tali jugo libertatem induimus And is all our long labour'd liberty become a yoke A yoke unavoydable a yoke unsupportable Truely if this be so we may truely write Sic vos non vobis sertis Aratra Boves We have spun a faire thread That Kings the nursing Fathers and Queens the nursing Mothers of Syon t Isaiah 49.23 the supreame Governours of the Church Princes the heads of their Fathers houses u Numb 7.2 Princes of the Tribes whose office is to rule in judgement Nobles that conferre blessing upon that land where their sonnes inherite the Crowne w Isaiah 32.1 Gentrie the flowers of this garden of Europe fenc'd