things and with had things too as the best nun are For Angels are either totally good without any mixture of finne as are the blessed Cherubins and Seraphins and other heavenly Spirits or else totally deformed and wicked as Diabolicall spirits be The word Angell in this piece of Scripture must needs be borrowed to expresse somegreat men and glorious in those Churches as Kings are for Majestic and power called Gods So Bishops and Superintendants are here called Angels being persons eminent and glorious for Ecclefiasticall honour and piety And as there were in Asia just seyen Churches mentioned so the Angels or Superintendants are reckoned to be onely Seaven one for each Church to whom in particular is directed the Message of the Spirit of God on behalfe of themselves and the Church under each of their Governments like the Message of an Emperour to his severall Princes and Governours of his severall Cities concerning detention of Tribute it is delivered and directed unto the severall Princes and Governours onely but it is for and on the behalfe of them selves and the people under each of their Principalitieis And that there were then indeed Superintendents or Bishops over those Seven Churches of Asia is manifested by Ecclesiasticall History But what is comprised in sacred Scripture is so ample and cleere to this purpose as there is no need of Authorities or proofes out of Historie Howbeit antient and authenticke Ecclesisticall Histories doe declare how that as Citties and Common-ireales were converted to the Faith Bishops were even in the Apostles dayes ordained to be Superintendents over those Citties and Countries of the Apostles and Disciples were ordained Bishops of some of those Seas Eusebiu lib. 2. cap. 1. Anto. Cron. part 1. ccp 8. paragr. 1. as Iames called Brother of our Lord Iesus was immediatly after Christs Ascention ordained by the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn to be Bishops of Hierusalem where Hee continued thirtie yeares and then suffered Martyrdome Saint Peter was first Bishop of Antioch where hee continued seven yeares and Marke the Evangelist was the first Bishop of Alexandria and as the Churches in severall Provinces encreased so the number of Bishops encreased where they had Successours for many hundred yeares And this Office of Episcopacy bath ever continued in the Catholicke Church hitherto And therefore if Scripture were darke and not cleare in this point yet if there be but a print or shaddow of Episcopacy there seeing the same was immediatly after our Sâ—â—â—â—â—â— Ascention put in practise by the Apostles and hath had penpetuall continuance and Succession in the Church of God ever since the same is a sufficient Exposition of the meaning of Scripture if it were obscure in it but seeing the Scripture is in my opinion cleere in it and continuall Succession hath blest it my judgement is captivated and convinced and my conscience is fully satisfied That this Office Episcopall is exjure divino and that this Episcopall office was sometimes executed by one Bishop alone and sometimes by one Bishop as Supreme Superintendent with others Presbyters as Assistants bearing this mind neverthelesse to be corrected by Superiours and to be informed by more forcible prooses and to be reformed in whatsoever is mistaken professing ingennously than this is not thus presented on any supposall that these Records of Scripture have not beenc already produced it ia truly acknowledged that this point hath bin both long since and also of fate by severall learned Doctors and Divines famous in our Church most solidly and soundly vindicated But seeing old Arguments on the Presbyterian party some in the same old clothes and some with new apparell have beene of late revived and come abroad without any notice taken of the cleere Defences made on the Episcopall party by the learned in those times I think I may thus petere petita sing an old song too which was never before I thinke thus dressed Sure I am I being no way engaged to either party in particular profit orinterest am the more impartiall being onely swayed with the Power and Evidence I thinke of perfect and unconquerable Truth out of Gods Booke not professing these all the Scripture proofes for it nor that every singular Text here vouched doe cleerely proove the point but hoping that each Text does render somewhat towards it and some and many of them direct and all connexed doe together become I beleeve invincible conjunct vincunt si singula prosint And what I have here presumed is meerely my owne conceptions without addresse to any promptuary or other belpe which is intended not for disputation or controversie but as a Corolarium to my Tract against R. B. for declaratum of mine Opinion backt with Scripture prose which strongly inclines my Heart to cleave with all filiall duty submissive Obedience and humble reverence unto our holy Mother our sacred Church of England long blest with the use and honour of Episcpacy and I trust in God shall ever be to the end of the world And now whiles our Romish Adversaries are according to Divine providence by One or other utterly ejected and convinced let not O let not any unhappy schisme division or fruitlesse Contention distract us at Home the high way to loose all which the great God of Peace by the high merit of our Sacrifice of Peace with sweetest influences of the blest Spirit of Peace prevent in time firmely and strongly binding with the Triple-Cord of Peace Truth unity and Love all our unhappy breaches in a solide and perpetuall Conjunction of Christion Amity in Church and Common-weak Amen Amen FINIS April 22. 1641. Imprimatur THO. WYKES Errata p. stands for page l. stands for line of that page m. stands for margen l. stands for lim of that margen p. 4. m. l. 12. read 230. for 203. m. l. 17. read 276. for 297. p. 5. l. 3. read beretofore for therefore p. 17. l. 17. read conscerators for consecration m. l. 14. read 1605. for 1604. p. 23. l. 15. read most for must l. 24. read place it l. 28. read apply it p. 29. l. 17. read power is p. 30. l. 4. blot out to wit to be Lords and Piers of Parliament and to possesse and enjoy lands and tenements of value correspondent l. 20. read conjunction divisim p. 32. m. l. 7. read and 10. unto 8. l. 10. read Luke 9. 1. to 10. p. 33. m. l. 13. read Act. 6. 1. to 7. l. 34. put in the margen 1 Tim 1. 20. Tim. 4. 14. Mat. 14.20 Marc. 12.42 Mat. 3.10 Sec ndum Vulgatem translationem Rom 9.1 1 Cor. 11.31 Gal. 1 20.1 Tim. 2.7 1 Tim. 4.1.2 Article 23. R. B. pa. 206. Article 36. R. B. pa 346. Pag. 209. 210. Pag. 346. Pag 347. (a) Coneil Parisi 3 bin Tom. 2. pag. 207. col 2. nu 8 B. Synod 7. Act. 8. can. 3. Bin Tom. 3 part 1. sect 1 pag. 701. E. F. Synod 8. cap. 22. Bin Tom. 3 part 1 Scot 2 p. 647. col 1.
Boy Pope too And where by the sixt Councell of (h) Calcedon each Bishop ought to be designed to some particular Diccesse your (i) Panormitan sayes Multi sunt Episcopi sine administratione Episcopatuum ut sunt illi qui vulgariter Nullatenenses appellantur There are many Bishops without administration of a Bishopricke and they are those who are commonly called Nullatenenses Meere Titulary Bishops without profit or substance Such was Olaus (k) Magnus stiled Vpsalensis Rokertus Venantius stiled Armachanus who being Bishops in conceit were sent to the Councell of Trent to fill up the number and to make voyces And such I say was your Doctor Smith your late Bishop of Chalcedon commorant therefore here in England and now or late in France Such Vtopian No Bishops have passed for currant in your Church of Rome Where all Regularities Formalities Canons and Legalities have suffered most shamefull violation as testifies your owne Baronius speaking of the State of your Church in ages long since past Quae tunc facies sanctae Ecclesiae Romanae quam foedissima Cum Romae dominarentur potentissimae aequé ac sordidissimae meretrices quatum arbitrio mutarentur Sedes darentur Episcopi Et quod auditu horrendum intandum est intruderentur in Sedem Petri earum Amasii Pseudopontifices qui non sunt nisiad consignanda tantrum tempora in Catalogo Romanorum Pontificum scripti Quis enim a Scortis hujusmodi intrusos sine lege legitimos dicere possit Romanos fuisse Pontifices Nusquam Cleri eligentis vel postea consentientis aliqua mentio Canones omnes pressi silentio Decreta Pontificum suffocata proscriptae antiquae Traditiones veteresque in eligendo Summo Pontifice consuetudines sacrique Ritus pristinus usus prorsits extincti What then was the Face of the holy Romane Church how filthy seeing most potent and filthy whores did governe and Rule at Rome at whose pleasure Sees were changed Bishops appointed and which is horrid to be heard and hainous their Lovers false Popes were thrust into Peters Seate who are not unlesse onely for designing the times written in the Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome For who can say that these who were put in by such Strumpets without Law were lawfull Bishops of Rome No mention is made of the Clergie electing or afterwards consenting All Canons were silenced Pontificall Decrces choaked antient Traditions proscribed and the old Customes and holy Rites and antient usage in electing the High Bishop utterly extinct Was not this a very bad time thinke you What was the latter age better your-Budeus will tell you Sacrosanctos Canones melioribus annis factos ut iis velut Regulis vita Clericorum dirigeretur velut Patrum praescriptis posteri formarentur jam in amusses plumbeas'evasisse quis non videt quales olim fuisse Canones Lesbiae structurae tradit Aristoteles Nam ut Canones plumbei molles non structuram operum tenore aequabili dirigunt sed exstructorum commodo libidine stexiles structurae accommodantur Sic Canones Pontificil excusu Ecclesiae antistitum flexibiles plumbei cerei facti sunt ut jam diu instituta Majorum Sanctiones Pontificiae non moribus regendis â—â—sui esse sed propemoâ—ùm dixeram argentariae factitandae authoritatem accommodare videantur the holy Canons made in better Ages that thereby as by Rules the life of the Clergie should be directed and posierity be formed as by Praescripts of the Fathers are now turned into leaden Rules who see's not such as Aristotle says the Lesbian Ru'es-for building were in times past For now as leaden and soft Rules doe not direct the structure with an equall tenor but are accommodated and bended unto the building at the will of the Builders So the Pope's Canons are by practice of the Prelates of the Church made flexible as lead and wax as that now along time our ancestours Decrees and Popes Canons serve not for guiding our maners but as I may say seeme to be imployed for Money Bankes And also let your Iesuite Franciscus de victoria Doctor of the Chaire at Saâ—maniâ—e in Spaine tell you his knowledge herein Videmus quotidie a Roman â Curiâ tam largas imo omnino dissolutas Dispensationes prosect is ur Orbis ferre non posset nec solum in scandalum pusillorum sed Majorum and also he sayes Nullus quaerit Dispensationem quin obtineat we see such large yea such dissolute Dispensations to come daily from the Count of Rome as the world cannot beare it not only in scandall and offence of little ones but of the Great-ones also no man seekes a dispensation out he obtaineat This is further consirmed by your Ruardus Tappesus Chancellor of Lovame Abusus Romanae Curiae inexcusabiles agnosci oportere totum Ecclesrae corpus contaminatum lapsu disciplinae venalia esse omnia per monstrosas provisions regressus retrogressus per commendationes Abbatiarum Episcopat num per Dispensations super Pluralitate Beneficiorum super aliis plurimis super quibus nec Christus ipse dispensare posset The abuses of the Court of Rome we must acknowledge to be inexcusable the whole Body of the Church is contaminated by the decay of Discipline all things are sold by mastrens provisions R. turnes out-goings by besiâ—â—ing Abbathies and Bishopricks by Dispon sations in plurality of Benefices and on many other things wherwith Christ himselfe cannot distense Now seeing your Romane Church not withstanding she hath Canons and Rules enough hath neverthelesse departed fouly therefrom doe's it not ill become R. B. a child of that Church to cast dirt most causelessely on the beautifull face of our purer Church yea I say so pure and perfect as no Church this day can parallel her for Doctrine and Discipline so conformable to the Primitive Church and unjustly to traduce Her for supposed want of legall Forme of Consecration at the time of Doctors Parkers Consecration Num. 6 And if it be true that there was then No legall outward Forme or fashion prescribed for Episcopall Consecration then was not Doctor Parkers Consecration any Transgression of our Lawes and so the lesse peccant or offensive But indeed neither Peccant nor offensive at all either to God or Man Not to God in regard it was performed in Apostolicall manner by Imposition of hands by apt words of the Gospell accipe Spiritum Sanctum which is essentiall done by men having power from God to Consecrate and with all essentiall Requisits whatsoever and with fit Circumstances as holy Prayer learned Sermon and holy Communion as indeed nothing is therein urged by R. B. to the contrary Not to man being done by the consent approbation and command of Royall power signified by Letters Patents under the great Seale of England after orderly due election Wherby the Tenor of the former of the Decrecs of our Church cited by R. B. before mentioned even
raigne Ergo the Episcopall Acts of Coverdale Hodskins though once consecrated Bishops were ipso facto meâ—re Nullities and of no validity If R.B. or his vindicatour will grant the Major then I know what will become of the Romish Church in England and of all Episcopall and Sacerdotall Acts by Romish Bishops and Priests in Consecrations Ordinations Marriages Sacrifices absolutions c. even to be here in England meere nullities Againe I perceive R. B. did faint in his Assertion not adventuring to say that Coverdale and Hodskins were either no Bishops at that time de factor Num. 17 or were disallowed to exercise Episcopacy which for to doe he ought to maintaine that they were never at all consecrated to be Eishops and if he allow them to be once consecrated Bishops then hee ought to produce some Act or Sentence for unbishoping of them or for discharge of their exercise of Episcopacy which he doe's not goe about to doe But I say it was neither the one not the other but it proceeded from themselves whatsoever was wanting therein they beingin truth long before consecrated lawfull Bishop neither they themselves nor the State of the Realme holding or judging them to be no Bishops here quoad officium or passing any Sentence against exercise of it but they did not exercise of themselves at that time Episcopacy here quoad Beneficium But posito these two had beene excommunicate deprived deposed or degraded had they not neverthelesse by your owne Doctrine continued Bishops quoad characterem quoad officium as well as Priests having such a Character by Consecration and ordination imprinted as is indelible your Councell of Trent determines it for you Siquis dixerit per sacram Ordinationem non imprimi Characterem vel cum qui Sacerdos semel fuit Laicum rursùs fieri posse Anathema sit if any one shall say that a Character is not imprinted by holy Orders or that He which once was a Priest can be made Lay againe let him be accursed And such also is the Character of Episcopacy as according to the Romish Doctrine neither by Schisme heresie excommunication suspension deposition or degradation it can be obliterated as your (a) Gregory de Valentia (b) Gabriel Biel (c) Dominicus à Soto (d) Capreohis say And also your great (e) Cardinall Bellarmine sayes Observandum est Characterem Episcopalem esse absolutam perfectam independentem potestatem conferendi Sacramenta Confirmationis Ordinis ideo non solum posse Episcopum sine aliâ Dispensatione confirmare Ordinare sed etiam non potest impediri ab ullâ superiori potestate quin re verâ Sacramenta ista conferat si velit licet peccâ—t si id faciat prohibente Summo Pontifice It is to be observed that the Episcopall Character is an absolute perfect and independant Power to conferre the Sacraments of confirmation and Orders therefore a Bishop may without any Dispensation constitute ordaine and not onely He cannot be hindred by any superiour power but also hee may conferre those Sacraments if hee will though he offend if he doe it the high Bishop prohibiting it And likewise your Petrus de Palnde sayes Si non omnis Episcopus potest Ordines conferre hoc esset vel propter Demeritum'vitae quia esset malus vel propter defectum Fidei quia Haereticus vel propter Sententiam Ecclesiae quia esset excommunicatus vel suspensus vel alias praecisus vel propter Depositionem ab Ordine vel quia esset Degradatus sed nihil istorum impedit quin omnis Episcopus possit veros Ordines conferre if every Bishop cannot conferre Orders it would be either by reason of Demerit of life because he is wicked or by defect of faith because be is an Hereticke or else by reason of the Sentence of the Church because he is excommunicated or suspended or otherwise cut off or because hee is deposed from Orders or because he is degraded but none of these doe hinder but that every Bishop may conferre true orders So as if Coverdale and Hodskins had beene deposed in Queene Elizabeths time yet might they consecrate an other And if you say Fieri non debet it ought not to be done then I say Factum valet dissolvi non potest being done it availeth and cannot be undone But here the Consecration of Archbishop Parker by Imposition of their hands was so farre from doing ought therein in Contempt of or against Authority as that it was done by Regall Assent and Command comprised in the Queenes Letters Patents directed to them and others to Consecrate Doctor Parker to be Archbishop of Conterbury The Letters Patents are thus Elizabetha Dei gratiâ c. Reverendis in Christo Patribus Miloni Cover dale quondam Exoniensi Episcopo Iohanni Suffraganeo Bedd c. Elizabeth by the Grace of God c. To the Reverend Fathers Miles Coverdale late Bishop of Exeter Iohn Suffragan of Bedford c. whereby it is manifest they were allowed and also imployed as consecrate Bishops in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne Num. 18 But posito they had not beene allowed Bishops yet if Deposition or Degradation cannot obliterate the Character of Episcopacy but it is still in force quatenus ad officium as concerning the office notwithstanding the benefits profits and all that pertaines ad exeroitium jurisdictionis as concerning the exercise of jurisdiction be taken away how little hurt can not-allowance or disallowance doe But if I may speake my mind freely I conceive that when R. B. said that Coverdale and Hodskins were not allowed for Bishops in all Queene Elizabeths time he did intend that his Vulgar Reader should beleeve that they were never Consecrated Bishops at all For I cannot easily be perswaded but that this old Student did well know that Coverdsle and Hodskins had beene long before Consecrated Bishops and still continued Bishops de jure For the Records declare it plaincly that Hodskins was 9. Decembris 29. Hen. 8. Anno Domini 1537. Consecrated and so continued till his death from whom the principall Bishops in Queene Maries raigne descended By him was Consecrated Thomas Thurlby who was one of the Consecrators of your Cardinall Poole Archbishop of Canterbury and as for Coverdale he was 30. August 1551. An. 2 Edw. 6. Consecrated Bishop of Exeter who being displaced and imprisoned by Queene Mary was at the desire of the King of Denmarke sent to his Majesty by the same Queene And returning backe in the beginning of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth he being aged cared not to returne to his Bishopricke but retired to a private life not allowing himselfe Episcopacy quoad Beneficium et jurisdictionem yet he still continued true and perfect Bishop de jure quoad esse et Titulum which two Coverdale and Hodskins did joyne with the other two Barlow and Scory in the Episcopall Act of Consecrating of Doctor Parker to
not to all yet to such as thinke it better to have a little light than none at all untill an abler Pen as meaner than mine cannot be should vouchsafe a more polite and exact Vindication of our afflicted Church from this Aversaries false Accusation wherenith it hath stood charged unhappily these eight yeeres which will in my simple opinion be worth the undertaking to the end the Foule mouth of this Romish Adversarie may be as fully stopped in the particulars now in question as other like Underminers of our Churches foundation have beene already concerning all other their vaine plots and devices against our Episcopall Consecration and Sacerdotall Ordination to their utter shame and perpetuall silence which brave worke concerning these parpiculars had ere this time I beleeve shewed it selfe Conspicuous to the world if this Booke of R. B. had in all this time come to the viem before me of any of our brave and able Champions of our Israel In the meane season if this shall as a taste yeeld any relish or product any profit at all it is a blessing farre beyond my deserts and if Errors in it bee remitted or passed over in gentle silence it is a favour of grace heartily Supplicated Howsoever my meaning is good Ultra non And although this worke is concerning Church affaires and consequently lay-hands may bee said arr not Sacred enough to handle it Yet upon perusall it will appeare to bee so dependant on temporall Lawes and Acts municipall as will I trust take off the Censure Mittendi Falcem in Messem alienam And for the accommodation of the vulgar who understand not the Latine tongue such Latine sentences as are produced out of Authors are translated into our vulgar tongue for their ease and satisfaction save onely a few Scriptures for which they may turne to in their English Bibles all which neverthelesse is humbly submitted to the correction of Superiours and to the judgement of those who can judge what it is to take paines without hope of gaines accounting my Reward very great if what I have done shall be in any sort accepted or can doe any Service Hoping you will not blame him who hath thus laboured for your sakes and would if he could doe more to bee Your ready and faithfull friend PEDAELL HARLOWE To R. B. or to such other Pontifician as shall assume to be his Vindicatour THough the Proverbe be Good wine needs no Bush yet where both good wine is within the house and also a faire Bush or brave signe without at the doore it is the more compleat and sutable and so giving full content it increases custome and advances credit to the owner But let the signe be never so brave and fine without if corrupt wine be within that house soone looses custome fals to neglect and becomes contemptible Such Sir is your Booke whose Title is so faire having the Apostolike image in Front as meriteth eo nomine highest Reverence honour and esteeme in all Christendome over The worke of an old Student in Divinity beares with it a double portion of reverence amongst all men for Sagenesse of Age and also among the best sort of Men for Divinities sake And it being dedicated to our most Royall Queene Mary Consort to our most dread Soveraigne Lord King Charles of ever renouned memory it drawes another parcell of honourable regard unto it which brave and fine outside requires the inside to be sutable in the beauty of Truth honesty and goodnesses otherwise howsoever your Favourers may flatter your wit for putting on a fair rich garment on an ugly and foul carcase to make it passe the better with such as will be easily cozened with shadowes your judgement neverthelesse must needes suffer for presuming such brave and rich Furniture to decke an unworthy and base creature withall for a present for such as can discover her Deformitie as soone as they see her If your Booke be such as such indeed it is then those glorious Titles and attributes of Apostolike judgement Divinity and royall Majestie must be taken from it as too much prophaned and Presumptuously taken in vaine Whereas if your Booke were correspondent unto and justifyable by that Title it would be a Volumne of Truths Veritas in tolo et veritas in qualibet parte even the truth the whole truth nothing but truth according to the constant custome of the holy Apostics of Jesus Christ in delivering heavenly Doctrines purely sincerely without fraud or deceit as by St. Paul is protested not onely to the Church of Rome Veritatem dico non mentior testimonium mihi perbibente conscientiâ meâ in Spiritu Sancto But also to the Church of Corinth Deus et pater Domini nostri Iesu Christi scit quod non mentior And likewise to the Church of Galatia Ecce coram Deo non mentior And so also for the Church of Ephes veritatem dico non mentior But contrarily lying Fraud punctually suites and agrees with the judgement and practice of Apostataes and Apostaticall men Builders and upholders of the Church malignant whose doom is Destruction Qui in temporibus novissimis discedent à fide attendentes spiritibus Erroris et Doctrinis Daemoniorum in hypocrisi loquentium mendacium et cauteriatam habentium conscientiam suam So as the judgment of the Apostles is Verities Dialect The judgement of Apostataes is Errors Rhetorick Now unto which of these two judgements Apostalicall or Apostaticall this Adversary of ours R. B. and his Booke doe properly belong let the Sequell determine it Whereby it will evidently appeare I trust that R. B. very well deserves the signe of the Whetstone to be prefixed to the Front of his Booke In perpetuan rei memoriam Your Tell-troth-Friend P. H. A direction for the Quotations HAving with great industry difficulty and paines had a visible knowledge not trusting to second helpes concerning all the Authorities and Quotations cited in this Tract save onely one which I could find neither among the Stationers or Booksellers nor the Libraries at Westminster or Sion Colledge nor private Studies I have for the accommodation of the searching Reader set downe each Quotation so direct and certaine in the marginall notes as the same may be found with ease so as the severall Impressions of each Booke be also here set downe which are as followeth viz. Names of the Authors The times and places of Impression Augustinus Basilia 1542. Archidiaconus Venctiis 1601. Antiquitates Britannicae Hanoviae 1605. Bellarminus Coloniae Agrippinae 1628. Baronius Coloniae Agrippinae 1624. Binius Coloniae Agrippinae 1618. Budaus Parisiis 1541. Biel. In epistola 1620. Dominicus Soto Salmantica 1568. Franciscus de victoria Lugduni 1588. Gregorius de valentia Lutetiae 1609. Godwinus Episc. Londavens Londini anglicè 1615. Historia Ecclesiastica per Basiliae 1611. Eusebium Socratem Zozomenum c. Basiliae 1611. Iohannis Reignolds Londini 1602. Mercellus Venetiis 1582. Optatus Milevitanus